The American Dream

My fingers firmly pushed down on the bar, moving the trolley in front of me struggling to hold the bulging suitcases which had been messily thrown on by myself - my mother pacing alongside me with the same worryingly blank expression painted on her open mouth and wondering eyes. The crowds of different people came into full view as the air conditioned airport led us to the confusion of trying to find the right person. The many taxi drivers with the same emotionless expressions holding out a varies of signs, each looking bored in there own way, were all that clouded my view. 

"Where's dad?" I muttered in a hushed tone, knowing full well that my sulking act had gotten old before we had bored the plane. Six hours later and I was still not on the best of terms with either of my parents, it didn't help that neither of them even attempted to soften the blow. 

"Alexis!"The familiar booming voice came rushing up to us, his unshaved face formed into the first genuine smile I had seen on my fathers face in the past few months as he pulled me into a warm embrace. On a reflex, I hugged him back but once I remembered the only reason we were in this country was due to my father I soon pulled back with the same familiar frown i was getting a little to used to wearing. 

"Jules!" And that was when the happy family bubble got popped, before it had even been made. My mothers whole body tensed up before my dad had even touched her, causing her to look like she had a horrible taste in her mouth as he wrapped his arms around her in such an awkward embrace. 

"Steven." Was all she had to say to get each member of this family in the exact same spot we were in when we were in England. My fathers fake smile desperately trying to act like everything was normal, my mothers emotionless face making her resemble more of a wall than a person and my sulking expression still unbelievably frustrated with the entire situation. 

Keeping the fake painted on, my dad cheered "Well let's get going then girls!" taking over the trolley with our luggage, my dad led the way to the exit. My mother walking along deliberately at a slower and more awkward pace, and then there was me the stereotypical moody teenager sloping along in the middle. My life was becoming more and more of a cliché with every single day. 

As soon as we had stepped out of the airport I could feel the hot American air attack my skin; the sun rays baking every inch of flesh it could reach and the shortness of all our shadows told me we had reached the peak of the sun. Although given the choice I would instantly be back in London, I treasured the cloudless sky with the huge ball of fire lighting it up instead of the cloudy background back home. 

The car ride had started off like any usual family reunion, my dad has answered the question nobody had bothered to ask. All of them trying to get a conversation going, each attempt failing. My mum was too busy with her head pressed up against the only closed window in the car her eyes closed as she was probably trying to block out the world, the same thing she spent doing most days. I sat there with my earphones tightly fitted in, concentrating on the music instead of the tense atmosphere in the six seater. 

"And we made it." After my dads seven failed attempts of 'so how was the flight' and 'the weather in America is a lot different to back home', he had given up and sunk into a depression of silence. The town sign being the only thing in the ten mile radius apart from the obvious road and trees. "Welcome, We hope you enjoy your stay." Even I couldn't help but smile at the strange off tone American accent sprouting from my dads mouth, from the just younger than middle aged man in the drivers seat rocking the smoulder. 

"Population 830 people." I repeated to myself in a crossover of a cynical tone and a state of shock. That had to be wrong. At my high school there was 1,200 pupils, there was no way that only eight hundred and thirty people lived here. That had to have been based in medieval times, it was impossible. It couldn't be true. Less than a thousand people in a town this far away? It was in the middle of nowhere, why would this little amount of people want to live here just for the sand? 

"Eight hundred and thirty three now." My dad chimed in totally unaffected by the population count. As much as I wanted to ask for as many details as possible on this resort town he was making me move to, I refrained myself from. When it came to secrets, he seemed to be the champion in keeping them from his only daughter. Biting down on my lip I didn't even bother to risk a glance at my mum, her expression would still be the same hopeless case. She was too busy even trying to block out her memories to even listen to what's happening in the future. So I settled with just staring at the dozens of trees, watching as they went flying past. 

The house itself was actually a lot better than I had expected it to be. From the way my mum had been screaming about it, I had actually guessed we were basically living in a form of a hostel. It was a cross between a normal structured house and a beach holiday resort - only a few meters after the house finished the glorious golden sand began. The colour of all the houses on the front row were bright, our new accommodation fitting into the pattern and being a dusty white shade. 

"I need my nap." The husky female voice purred, pushing her way through me and my dad not bothering to even take note of the house as my mother bolted up to the house. My dad muttered something about the flight, but we both knew that that was a lie. As much as both my parents would like to pretend it wasn't happening, if they didn't get there act together soon I was sure that we would all be on a flight back to the UK but ending up in different homes this time. 

"Well, uh, how about me and you go get something to eat? I know you hate the plane food," Dad offered, despite the fact we were both loaded up with suitcases and struggling to even make it up to the home. 

"Actually dad I promised to ring Poppy as soon as I could." I replied, not even feeling bad as it was the truth. Nodding and then offering some other time, my father stumbled back into the hot sun rays, picking up more of the luggage. 

Author's Note: 

Why Hi there! If you managed to get to this then that means you've actually read my work and for that I want to thank you ever do much, this is my first story on Wattpad as I am extremely new so please tell me if you think I should continue or not? :)