TO BUILD A HOME || surviving summer

one

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, GABRIELLA WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING. She was excited to know that she was going to actually stay put for once. For as long as she could. She could finally call a house 'home'. 

She sat in the front seat of the car, ignoring her brother's incessant chatter in the back as she gazed out the window as if she was in an Indie movie. As they drove on the side of a cliff, she had a perfect view of the beach, where she could faintly see a group of people out on the water, surfing. A smile tugged at her lips. 

"Can you see it?" Her dad pulled her attention, pointing out to something in the front windscreen. Faintly, a house was in view, with a 'For Sale' sign out front that had a big 'SOLD' sticker over the front of it. It seemed like it was in a street with a few houses, but all quite spread apart, and paddocks surrounding the rest of the area. The house was picturesque. It was mostly white panelling, and two stories high, with lots and lots of windows. Her dad's job might've sucked with all the travel, but at least he got a hefty paycheck out of it. 

"Been building it since the last move," Paul continued with a proud smile plastered on his face as his kids awed at the house. "Your mum..." He paused at the thought of his wife. "She designed it, actually."

Gabriella's mum was an architectual designer before she passed away. Well, that was one of her jobs. She was a very broad person when it came to work. Her main passion was designing houses. That was her living. But she also liked to decorate them, and also teach surfing at the local club on the side.

She was a very amazing person, to say the least. 

"Holy shi-"

"Ah. Language, Gabbie. Not when Jack's in the car, at least," Her dad cut her off quickly, keeping the last part at a lower volume.

"Dad, I know what the word 'shit' is," The squeaky voice in the back seat replied smartly, causing Gabriella to laugh. 

"Oi!"

As they approached their new home, Jack immediately sprinted out to explore the house and pick out his room, meanwhile Gabbie and her dad started unloading what they had packed in the car. Some of the furniture and other boxes of things were supposed to arrive later that day since they had to get them flown interstate from the old place. There were some parts of the house that were already furnished, like the lounge room and dining room, but none of the bedroom furniture had arrived yet. 

Gabbie carried her suitcase and pillow into the house and made her way upstairs where two of the bedrooms where. Jack had claimed the bigger one already, but Gabbie didn't mind. That meant she got the one with an ensuite bathroom, and Jack would have to use the one downstairs.

As soon as she put her suitcase down, she changed into her bathing suit and wetsuit and went back downstairs. "Dad, which way is the beach again?" She called out to her dad who must've been somewhere else in the house. 

"It's not far down the road. You'll see it when you get out of the street," He called back. 

"Can I take the car?" She asked, not knowing how long the walk would be. 

"Don't get caught. And make sure you're back in time to help set up the furniture!"

"Thank you!"

And so, she grabbed the keys to the white Jeep Wrangler off of the kitchen bench and made her way out, where her board, surf wax, sunscreen and towel was already in the back. She wasn't old enough to drive, but over the years, she had learned how to. And considering they were in Shorehaven, a tiny country town, she wasn't likely to get caught for underage driving.