Before

Chapter 1.

"Anastasia, come on we have to go!" "I'll be down in one minute mum !" I placed the last object in the brown box labelled 'Anastasia's room' it was my white photo frame with a picture of my best friend Layla in, the frame had swirls and lace detailing in, it was so beautiful, Layla was the girl I always went too if I had any trouble or just to speak to about anything and everything, you'd think she was that typical best friend that you would've had when you were 13, but she was more than that she felt like a sister. it was so difficult leaving Layla behind in the city of New York and me flying thousands of miles away to the rainy country of England where my new start would begin.

I taped up the box and held it in my pale white arms and then stared at the empty room which I used to call mine, the deep blue carpet dimmed the room however the bright white window frame illuminated the white glossy walls, I slowly walked backwards getting the last photographic glimpse of my old room then closed the oak wood door with the little space I had in my hands then ran down the cream carpeted stairs.

As I placed the last brown box upon the many others my mum tapped me on the shoulder removing me from the daydream I was having "Have you got everything from your room in the boxes?" explained my mum, "Yes, I'm gonna miss New York mum, and Layla! what if the people in England don't like me?", " I'm sure they'll love you Anastasia and you can always FaceTime Layla  on a daily basis, maybe we could visit her at some point?" "Sure mum, that would be nice" I smiled to her as she walked out the door leaving the key to the house I used to call home behind.

You see my mum only said about visiting Layla in New York because she wanted to make me happy because ever since I found out my mum got a job in England I've been struggling with the fact of leaving this I'm nervous about moving to the little county of England because I've spent 17 years of my life in New York and I met Layla here.. But it will be nice to have a new start, and be surrounded by people who don't know about my past years here in my old city, but I'm gonna miss all these chemical sugar filled American sweets.. I begin too daydream again then my mum interrupts me from dreaming about those fluffy white cream filled twinkies that I love so much

"LAX airport please" my mum says as she rummages into her bag for her wallet and phone, the taxi driver begins to drive towards his destination he gets to the end of the road as I shout "STOP THE CAR!!" I jump out of the car running through the wind back too the house, opening the mailbox to get the key, opening the door then stopping in the door way breathing heavily, hands on my black ripped jeans I then brush my brown hair back as I run back up the stairs rushing into my old room as I begin to search for the photo, my heart drops to my stomach as I fall to the floor in the middle of my room  holding my clammy hands towards my eyes crying as I realise I can't find the photo, the one thing I can't leave behind, "I can't find it... I can't find it... I can't find it" I mutter to myself, I hear my mum scream my name as she barges through the door running up the stairs, she finds me in the middle of the room my hands too my eyes, she walks over too me and drops too my level and says " darling, I know this is hard but we need a fresh start after what happened.." she says calmly, "No...mum, I can't find the photo" I say under my breath removing my hands from my bloodshot eyes, to find the photo of me,my mum and my dad in her soft Palm, I look at her as she says "I kept it for safe keeping in my wallet after what happened to your dad in the war.." I could see a tear slowly drop onto her cheek, she quickly wipes it away smiles at me and says "keep it" and pushes her hand closer towards me as she gets up and uses her other hand to get me up, i smile hold her hand , take the photo, get up and hug her as she brings me in closer, rubbing the back of my neck.

We put the key back into the mailbox, then walk down the road as I clench the photo close to my heart.
We got back into the taxi and I apologised to the taxi man for leaving the taxi so abruptly, the taxi ride made me think about alot of things, especially my dad.
My dad was the one of the people that understood me and I never got to thank him for that, he died when I was only 14. The funeral was the following Saturday, everyone was dressed in black ready to go to the funeral but I couldn't bring myself to go to my own dads funeral.. I didn't want to believe he was really gone and going to that funeral would just prove that he really was, I had so many memories with him and I can't make anymore, he won't be at my wedding, he'll never meet my future children. I didn't go into school for weeks after the funeral since my mum locked herself away in her room, and like me she couldn't bring herself to face the outside world.

I was interrupted by my thoughts again but this time by the taxi man saying that it was $20, my mum payed for the taxi, we both got out hand in hand.

I smiled, this is my new beginning.