To Love and Be Loved

Chapter 1

Do you know how awkward it is, sitting at a table on Christmas Day with your parents on opposite ends, talking to you like the other one isn't even there? I do, and I wish I didn't. Having your parents hate each other but love you and your brother, it's the worst. If I could only ask for one thing for Christmas it would not be for a new phone or a new surfboard, it would be for a family that all actually loved each other.

For the past two years almost my parents have been arguing a ton, and it really sucks to hear it, especially when you're just a fourteen year old. Now that I'm a bit older, and used to it, it's not as bad, but it's still never something I would want to hear. A few months ago, they started working on getting a divorce. I know it will be much better now this way, but I don't want to see my family getting pulled apart like this, I really don't.

What is it with love not working out? First it's my parents, who can't go any more than ten minutes together without starting to shout at each other for no apparent reason, finding anything they can to disagree about, it's like they try to argue. Then there's me and of course, my ex, Jordan. One day I call him to see what he's up to for the night, he answers and says that he's just "chilling out and watching TV". I wanted to surprise him and hang out, so I went over to his house. I walked into his room and was he watching TV? No. He was laying in bed with another girl, jumping up and telling me "it's not what it looks like, I promise!" Ever since then I don't even know what a promise truly is. 

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I looked out of the car window, watching as each tree passed by, or rather, how we passed by each tree. My headphones were over both ears, drowning out any other sound I knew I wouldn't want to hear. The drive had finally almost come to an end, after almost seven hours. Straight from San Francisco to Los Angeles, from living with both of my parents to just my mom. At least Kai was here though, or else I don't think I would have been able to make it.

I honestly never thought this would happen. My parents had been arguing and fighting for years, five of them, but my brother had convinced them to stay together. He knew how hard it was for me every time they would argue or act like they hated each other, so he tried to get them to stop, even just around me. And it worked. For five years. About six months ago, they eventually decided a divorce would be "best for the family", what family now?

My mom made a ton of money during those five years, she tried to stay away from my dad by working like crazy, going overtime and everything. That meant that she was able to move out, and by out I mean to a completely new city, my mother chose Los Angeles, the city of fame. Me and my brother could choose between who we wanted to live with, but my dad stayed in San Francisco, so there would be no moving between houses, it was a final decision. I know I had chosen to live with my mom, but really I didn't want to have to chose between my parents. Also, I only really chose her because my brother did, and not being with him might kill me.

"Well, 67, this is it kids" my mother said, turning her head to look at me and Kai, though I couldn't hear it through the headphones.

"Autumn, we're here!" She called out. Once again, I didn't hear it.

Kai sighed, and reached back to my seat and pulled off my headphones.

"Hey! What was that for!" I yelled at him.

"We're here!" My mother said for the last time.

The house looked so different from our last one, and really all of the ones in San Francisco. There, they were tall and skinny, and super packed together along tight roads. Here, they were huge and spread out, with massive front yards and bushes and trees scattering the grounds. Our house, number 67, was mostly white, with some blue here and there on parts, and at least twice as big as our last house. I knew my mom had made a bunch of money, but I didn't think it would ever be enough to buy this.

I jumped as I heard two taps on the car window, seeing Kai standing out there, waiting for me to step out. I hadn't realized that both my mom and brother had already left the car, I was too caught up staring at the new mansion of a house.

"Auts! Let's go!" He said loudly through the window.

I jumped out of the car door, helping unload what we had brought with us. I helped my brother carry boxes into the house, in which you entered first being greeted by a lathe arch and then through a beautiful deep blue door with a fancy gold round handle.

"I thought it looked pretty nice, how'd I do?" My mom chuckled.

"It's great" Kai laughed.

We had only brought very few boxes with us in the car, the rest were in the moving truck. When the last had been set down in the living room, just right of the front door, we were able to explore the new place. I looked at Kai and ran upstairs.

This house was huge. Once you made it up the pearly white spiral staircase, you would be greeted by a very spacious upstairs. Directly in front of the stairs, was the room which was obviously the largest, and obviously my mothers. To the left, was a huge bonus living room, our couch would look so small in there, we would definitely need a new one. On the right side, is where the rest of the rooms were. Luckily for us there were three rooms, plus another bonus room somehow.

I really don't get how a house could have or even need three living rooms, but ours did. I would assume that one of the three rooms would end up being my moms office or something, probably the smallest of them. It was up to me and Kai to pick our rooms.

We walked into the first room, closer to the stairs. It was a normal square room, way bigger than the ones in our old house, and had a walk-in closet.

"Wow" I said quietly, "this one's gonna be my room"

Kai chuckled "well let's look at the other one before you decide that".

The other room was at the end of the hallway, past the second upstairs living room. This one had the same normal square shape, except smaller. Smaller until you noticed the bend around. It was in the shape of an "L", again with a walk-in closet. Around the bend, the ceiling was angled downwards, it honestly looked like it could be really pretty.

"I take it back, this one's mine" I smiled.

"No way. This is the bigger room, and I'm older" Kai snorted.

"So what?"

"So I should get the bigger one"

"Please Kai? They're almost the same but I like this one more. Plus, it'll make me feel better about the whole move and everything" I said sweetly.

He groaned and walked out, leaving me alone in my new room.