"it's you and me, against the world"

Prologue

The serene August winds swept her auburn hair over her elegant shoulders in such a manner that was passionate yet tame. The spectrum of colours in the sky was mellow, a summer medley of all colours; violet, magenta, periwinkle blue. The basil coloured leaves rustled,harmonizing with the birds in the sky, singing their goodnights. They'd always looked so free, Aspen thought. She sat alone on the cream coloured deck chair by the pond, wrapped in a cozy blanket.Thinking about life, she sipped her small glass of chilled beer –imported from France, just the way she liked it. Aspen breathed in a last breath of fresh countryside air and slowly made her way back up to the house. Somewhere along the path of her elongate garden she managed to shed a tear or few. The salty sensation leaked into her mouth. Aspen wanted to move, she did, but she knew it would take some getting used to.

Aspen spent the plane journey to California thinking about how she could change herself. She was a 'nobody' here, she knew that. At least in California nobody knew her yet. She wanted to re-arrange her entire personality, act like she was someone different, someone'cooler'.

Aspen racked her brain for 'new personality' ideas. 'Geek and Chic?''Love able and Cute'? 'Sophisticated and Mature'? She wanted to be herself, only in England 'herself' was an unpopular geek that read too much and spoke too little. She'd never been to any parties, never had any boyfriends or relationships at all. She'd usually sit alone on the big rock in the courtyard – probably reading. The only person that would ever talk to her – even if it was rarely was her neighbour Tom. Tom usually sat alone too, only he wouldn't be reading. Tom hated reading, and people, and especially books about people. He might occasionally catch eye with Aspen from across the courtyard and they might exchange a wave and a mumble'Hello', but that was all.

"Aspen, Mum and Dad?" Xavier – Aspen's younger brother said.

"What?"Aspen's Mother and Father said in unison, Aspen looked up from her book – Eleanor and Park and followed Xavier's eyes.

"What's the first thing you guys are going to do when we get to our new house?"

"Well your Mother and I are going to look round the house of course"

"I'm going to town to buy a few things"

"Aspen,this is California. You can't just pop into town. It's much much bigger, and busier than where we lived" Aspen's mother muttered in that sweet-sounding protective mother voice.

"I know, but I want to explore as well, so I'll take my money" Aspen had an annoyed look on her face and her cheeks reddened.

"Money for what, dear?"

"Oh you know, make-up, clothes, a new bag, shoes" There was a long pause in which Aspen's Mother and Father glared at each other in awe.

"Shoes?Bags? Make-up? You've never bought anything like that before? Why the sudden need for all of this?" Aspen got even quieter and curled her body closer towards her chin, in a tuck shape.

"I wanted a fresh start" She retorted.

"Okay"Her mother replied, in an unsure and not convinced tone.