Rolling Waves and Sandy Shores [NaNoWriMo Nov 2015]

Chapter ONE

Chapter ONE

The truck jolted over a bump, and I nearly fell out of the passenger seat.  I was in a moving truck on my way to my new house.  When I say moving truck, I mean a truck that moves your belongings to a new house, not a truck in motion.  Just thought I'd clear that up.  Anyway, for some reason I got stuck in the passenger seat of the truck, rather than in the minivan that the rest of my family was currently riding in, and I bet they were having a much smoother ride than I was.  In fact, I sucked at directions, and I could provide zero help in finding our new house, so why was I stuck in this truck?  The address was 14 Tidal Lane, and I didn't think the driver knew where it was either.  I tried to make conversation with him earlier.  I got a grunt in response.  This was one of the times I wish I could read in moving vehicle without wanting to vomit. 
The whole reason we were moving was because my mom lost her job.  Which was ridiculous, because she was an amazing nurse.  When she got out of nursing school, she had plenty of places that wanted her to work there.  Now, though, the only job opportunity she had was in a town called Centerport, which was a pretty tropical town, judging by the amount of palm trees and sand I'd seen through the window of this truck.  I was actually pretty excited to meet new people and  go to a new school.  I had never fit in much in New Jersey, so moving wasn't much of a problem for me.  My brothers were another story.
My youngest brother Kyle didn't really care, but that may have been because he didn't really understand the concept of moving, being eight years old.  Ian, my thirteen year old brother, was absolutely livid.  He didn't talk to my mom for a week when she told him.  He had a 'girlfriend' back home (who he had been dating for about a week) and he was actually beginning to bring up his grades.  You see, Ian had really terrible grades because he didn't care enough to study.  Also, he was very easy to get angry, so he spent a lot of time in the principal's office for getting into fights with other kids.  My older brother Tom was probably had the most to leave behind in New Jersey.  He was in advanced placement classes, and got the highest SAT score in our school's history.  He had been looking at colleges in the area, but then he had to change his plans because of the move.  He was mad at first, but unlike Ian, he understood that we had to move, and it was the best thing for my mom.
My dad left us when I was nine, but Ian and Kyle don't really remember him.  It was hard for my mom though, raising four kids by herself.  I thought she did a pretty decent job, because we were all pretty normal kids in my opinion.  I was pretty sure the guy driving the truck though otherwise, though.  Seriously though, what was this guy's problem? I'd gotten enough dirty looks to last me a lifetime in the span of a couple hours.  Thank God we were almost there, according to my mediocre map skills.  Only five miles left, and then my suffering would be over.
I figured I might as well look out the window and observe, because this is where I'd be living for who knows how long.  We were off the highway, and now there were houses and stores to look at.  They were all really nice, and the mailboxes were insane.  One of them was a life size dolphin.  Don't ask why, I have absolutely no clue.
About a half an hour later, we finally pulled into our new house.  It was pretty small, but was still bigger than our old house.  Plus, apparently the basement was huge.  Anyway, the house was covered in chipped light blue paint, with a bay window and a white door.  However, I didn't care about the house.  The mailbox was my main concern.
As soon as the truck grinded to a halt, I flung open the door and practically fell onto the lawn.  I know, not very graceful, but I had to get out of there.  I hope none of the neighbors saw that. 
I heard the sound of my mom's minivan doors sliding open, and Kyle crying, "Mommy, he hurt me and took my juice box!"
Ian had probably punched him or something.  What else is new.  Meanwhile, our dogs were chasing each other around the house, happy to be out of the car at last.  I got up off the lawn and brushed off my clothes before turning around to face the road.  Or, more importantly, the mailbox.  The truck was blocking it from my view, so I walked around it and immediately halted.  This was so much worse than the dolphin.
A hula dancer, with a coconut bra and a grass skirt and everything, was standing on the lawn.  I walked closer as to get a better look, and discovered that her mouth opened for any packages and letters.  Terrifying.
Now it didn't even matter what I did, because I'd automatically be known as 'the new girl with the hula dancer mailbox.'  Great.  By then, my brothers had also made their way over to where I was and laid eyes on the mailbox.
"WOW!!!!" Kyle was fascinated by the mailbox, but the same couldn't be said for Ian and Tom.  Ian was dumbfounded, mouth wide open.  Tom just shook his head and walked back to the minivan.
"This is not fair. This is not fair!  How am I supposed to get a girlfriend with this thing on the lawn! We have to do something May.  This can't be real.  I'm probably gonna get beaten up for this.  When I die, you can have my skateboard and Omelette.  Make sure you feed her though.  I don't want her to join me in heaven too early," ranted Ian.  He tended to ramble on and on unless someone stopped him.  In this case, that was my job.
"Ian. Ian. Ian!  Shut up!"  I practically yelled in his face.  "Our lives are not over.  Chill.  We'll just make sure we meet people away from our house, and just never invite them over.  We'll just have to pretend we're homeless."  He didn't seem too happy with that idea, judging by the glare he was giving me.
"This isn't funny May!  We've got a half naked dancing mailbox on our lawn!"  I couldn't help it, I started cracking up.  Ian tried to look mad, but he eventually busted out laughing.  We were practically on the floor when my mom yelled for us from the truck.  We composed ourselves and walked over to the moving truck to help carry in the boxes.
Kyle was trying to carry a box, but he couldn't even lift it.  It was probably Tom's textbooks or something.  "Here Kyle, I'll take this one, you go help mom bring in the dogs' things."  I grabbed the box from him, and staggered from the weight of it.
"Do you want me to help you?" I heard an unfamiliar voice come from behind me, and whirled around to see a little girl looking up at me. She was about six years old, and was adorable. 
"Oh, it's okay, but thanks for asking," I said, setting the box aside.  "What's your name?"
"I'm Skylar.  I live in that purple house over there," she drawled, pointing at a big house down the road.  Of course, they had a normal mailbox with fish painted on it.  We had to get stuck with the weird one.  "I've been waiting for you to move in.  All our other neighbors are grumpy and old, and they never give me candy on Halloween," she pouted, and I had to conceal a laugh by pretending to cough.
"Do your mom and dad know you're here?" I asked her, and she gave a little nod in response.
"Yeah, they told me I could come say hi. I better go now though, it's almost time for my tea party with Jackson! Bye!" She ran back down to her house.  I let out a little laugh and proceeded to carry in that heavy box.  This Jackson is in for a fun time. At least she didn't judge us for the mailbox.  That's a start. 
We continued with the boxes until they were all inside, and that truck finally left.  I hope I never see it again.  Tom then went to unpack all his textbooks and his laptop, and Ian went to check out the basement.  Kyle and I were feeding the dogs, while my mom went to the store so she could make us dinner. 
We had three dogs named Harry, Vincent, and Omelette.  Harry was Tom's dog, and she was, honestly, really ugly.  She was a schitzu, and she just couldnt pull off the whole 'pushed-in face' thing.   Vincent was my dog, so naturally I thought he was the cutest and the best.  He was a Jack Russell and poodle mix.  Lastly, Omelette.  Ian named her, and no one knows what was going on in his brain when he decided that Omelette was a good name.  She was a really fat Bichon poodle mix.  Anyway, Kyle and I were feeding them when Ian ran up the stairs and yelled, "Look at this!"
We ran down the stairs, and Ian walked back behind them.  Underneath the stairs was a cabinet.  I went to open it, and it wouldn't budge.  I pulled harder, and still nothing.  "It won't open.  Strange," I muttered, looking at the hinges.  Everything seemed normal, except it wouldn't open. 
"Maybe it's hiding secret treasure! Or maybe that's where Harry Potter used to live, and he superglued it shut! Or what if there's an alien in it!" Kyle was rattling of ideas one by one, and they were insane.  None of them were in the least bit plausible. 
Ian glanced at me and said,"I'm gonna get it open eventually.  Why would it be closed like that?  This is weird."  Well, when Ian sets his mind on something, he doesn't stop.  He'll have it open in a few days at the most.  "Did we bring that old crowbar with us?" He headed upstairs to go look for it, and I just shook my head.  How did my life end up like this?
I went back upstairs with Kyle and finished with the dogs food.  I then decided to start emptying out the boxes of kitchen supplies.  I was busy organizing the silverware when my mom came home.  I put my task on hold and helped carry in the food she bought.  She got all the basics, like butter and ketchup and all those things that everyone has in their kitchen somewhere.
"I think I'm just going to make penne with sauce for dinner.  Lame, I know, but I want to unpack all the bed sheets and pillows so we can actually sleep tonight," said my mom, and I laughed and nodded.
We did some more organizing and unpacking, and then we sat down and ate dinner.  Afterwards, there was a huge problem.  The bunk bed situation. 
"Kyle, I'm older, so I should get the top!  Right mom?" Ian yelled from down the hall, and I went to go witness this fight.  I'd been waiting for this argument since we heard about the bunk beds. Luckily, Tom and I had rooms to ourselves, but Ian and Kyle didn't get as lucky.  They had to share a room.  With bunk beds.  Normally, I'd think that would be awesome, but not for them.  They both want the top, and they are both very stubborn.
"Mommy please! I want it!  Omelette can't sleep on Ian's bed if he's on the top, so I should get it! Please!"
"Omelette can sleep with May! Mom, do you know how lame it is to have to share bunk beds with your little brother, especially if you're the bottom bunk!"
My mom looked exasperated with the two of them, and she rolled her eyes in my direction.  I laughed quietly, and she smiled back.  She then said," Kyle, you get up to pee every five minutes.  You'll probably fall off the ladder in the middle of the night, and no one will know until morning."
She knew exactly how to get Kyle to give up, and he said," Fine.  The bottom is cooler anyway!" He stomped away, and Ian high-fived my mom.
I sighed and went into my room to begin to sort out all those boxes before going to bed.