Moving to America

Chapter 1

I put in my earphones and flicked through Spotify, finally settling on the Totally Tropical House playlist. I stepped out on to the busy streets of New York. I weaved in and out of the rush hour traffic and down to the subway. A few stops later and I was off walking up the steps and back on to the streets. I took a second to stare at the skyscraper before shaking my head. I headed into the building and straight to the lift. Lots of people crushed in with me and pressed what seemed like a million different buttons.

It becomes a big game of musical floors, people coming on at 2, off at 5 and then back on again at 8. I didn't move though. I was going all the way up to the 50th floor. The top floor. My Dad's office.

By the time I had made it to the 50th floor my Dad was already in his office. I started to walk towards him but a young lady stopped me with a quick clear of her throat.

"Can I help you?" I asked the woman

She gave me a disapproving look. "Where do you think you are going?"

I rolled my eyes and walked past her. She came out from behind her desk to block my path. "Where are you going?" she repeats, more forcefully this time.

"To Mr Finch's office, that's the only thing that's up here?" How could she be so stupid? I rolled my eyes.

"Do you have an appointment?"

I brushed her off and tried to keep walking but she blocked me again, I sighed, "I don't need an appointment"

She spluttered, "And why is that?"

I stopped for a second, completely still. "I'm his daughter."

She laughed. "Likely story, Mr Finch doesn't have a daughter."

"Well he has me, so yeah." I pushed past her and swung open the door to my Dad's office. "Hi Dad."

Right on my heels, the young lady is in the office in seconds. "I'm so sorry that she got past, I will get a security guard to walk her out."

My Dad turned to look at me then turned to the lady, "No, no it's fine, you get back to work Emma."

He waited until she left.

"I thought you didn't want to hear from me?" Dad said calmly, as if this sort of thing happened all the time.

I shrugged my shoulders and plonked myself onto a small egg shaped chair. I pulled out my phone and skipped a couple of songs.

"Amelie?" Dad tried to call to me.

I turned my body away from him slightly.

Dad's eyes flickered towards me and then to the phone. "Right, that's it; I'm calling your Mum."

I sighed but didn't say anything.

"Hi Laura, it's Paul - yes I know it's been a while."

He bit his lip as she talked. "Yes I know I should have kept in touch..." He tailed off and listened. "Yes. Yes, I know, I'm sorry."

I tried to listen for my Mum's voice but she spoke so softly it was hard to hear.

"Well, you know, that's the reason I'm calling." He scoffed. "No, not to talk about that, I'm talking about Amelie."

He looked over at me and walked out of the room with the phone. He closed the door so all I could hear was his muffled voice.

One song and a half later, he came back in. "So I talked to your mother and I'm happy to let you stay at my house while you're here."

I curled up slightly and rolled my eyes.

"Look, I'm serious Amelie; I want to get to know you."