Our Big Blue Van

Chapter I

If you learn anything from my story, remember this; nothing stays the same. People, places, things, lives... they're always changing. Sometimes it feels like the tighter you hold onto the way things are, the harder change is going to slap you in the face.

Take me for example. When I was four I got a little brother instead of a sister. That was a change. A very unwelcome one for my poor, four year old self.

When I was eleven, Dad got a shiny new job involving lots of celebrities and money. My life, in a nutshell, was upgraded. That was a very nice change.

And sometimes changes are decisions, sometimes they're announcements or celebrations, and sometimes, they're phone calls.

I vividly remember handing Mom's phone to her. It was my grandpa calling. She answered, and the following conversation led to my biggest change yet.

I had to finish up my sophomore year early, pack my bags, say goodbye to my friends, and leave everything I'd ever known behind.

Let's just say that Change and I aren't on very good terms at the moment.

"Oakley?"

I pulled an earbud out and looked at my brother.

He held up the small trophy with the little bronze surfboard. My latest achievement.

"This was in one of my boxes."

I took it from him. "Thanks, Parker."

He sighed and looked around my room. "How are you almost done already? I've done like, two boxes."

I shrugged, "I guess I figured the sooner I'm moved in the sooner it'll start feeling normal."

"I don't think this will ever feel normal." Parker moved over to one of the empty boxes and fiddled with the tape. "Can you believe they don't have any surfing teams until high school? What am I going to do all summer?"

"How'd you know that?" I asked. I set the trophy on a shelf next to a framed photo and sat back down on my bed.

"Mom and I looked it up."

I opened up my last box and started putting things away. Parker lingered, sometimes talking, sometimes standing around and touching things. When I finished I turned to him and said, "you can either leave, or help me pick out my outfit for tomorrow."

He shook his head. "I do not understand why you are voluntarily going to school."

"To meet new people?"

Parker shook his head. "If I could've finished my grade early, I would relax and do whatever I want."

"Yeah well it's kind of depressing to do whatever you want if you don't have any friends to do it with."

Parker nodded, "True. Can you imagine if the only person I had to hang out with was you? Never mind, you should definitely go to school tomorrow."

"Great," I opened my closet. "Should I wear my yellow top, or just go with a T-shirt? Or maybe my pink one?"

Parked mimed a gag and walked out of my room.

I was trying to stay positive about the whole moving thing. There wasn't anything bad I could say without sounding like a jerk of a granddaughter.

And so my only option was to smile a lot and do whatever my parents wanted. At least for now.

"Oakley, we're heading to the beach in five!" Called Mom from the hall.

"Okay!"

We had moved to the same high class gated community as my grandparents. And for some reason, they felt the need to show us every aspect of it. We had eaten at the restaurants every other night and so far, they had taken us to the swimming pool, we had gone golfing, and today we were going to play beach volleyball.