Where Life Takes Us

Chapter One

That was exactly what I was thinking while I was on the plane ride that had taken off merely half an hour ago. My situation was truly happening, no matter how much I wanted it to only be a harmless nightmare.

Even though we were undoubtedly high up in the sky and soaring alongside the clouds, I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, which wasn't because I was starting to get motion sickness.

I was terrified that my family and I were leaving New York, the only place where I truly felt at home despite the hardships at school with obnoxious students telling me I was nothing but another unimportant face in the crowd.

My parents reassured both my brother and I that starting fresh in Minnesota was going to benefit all of us. I couldn't help but shake with dread when no one was around me as I thought about the fresh start that I would be receiving.

I didn't understand how I was supposed to find my own fresh start once we arrived at our new house because in New York, I couldn't seem to find my place amongst people there even if I had spent my entire life there.

"We're really high up," Noah pointed out, sliding the window shade open as he peered out to observe the breathtaking sights of the clouds that were wafting across the clear blue sky. "It's kind of scary being up here, I can't wait until we get off this plane."

I gave him a small smile and opened up my notebook to the page that I was previously on so that I could continue writing to pass time. No matter how hard I desperately tried to think of something to write about to keep my mind off of the situation I was in, all I could keep thinking was the fear that continuously kept consuming my thoughts on that plane ride.

Noah's lucky. The only thing he wants is to land from the plane as soon as possible, I thought. Then there's me; I'm dreading the moment that I step foot onto solid ground, knowing that I'll have to start all over again without knowing what will be in store.

__________

Not knowing what was to come, we moved to a small town in Minnesota called Plainview somewhere in late November, which was completely different from living in the city because there were very few residents compared to New York.

It wasn't completely deserted, but you never really needed a car to travel around town because everyone and everywhere was only a few minutes away. It was in the country and to me, it was nice moving somewhere away from the city. The neighbourhoods were peaceful and quiet; the place where we moved had quaint little shops that you could easily get to by walking a mere five minutes.

Although the sights were pleasant, I had a hard time trying to fit in with the country folk. The new environment where I currently lived was difficult to adapt to, living in the city for almost all my life.

Either way, every time I breathed in a whiff of the country air, which smelt like freshly grown crops, I felt almost relaxed; almost at peace. I finally started thinking that maybe this place wasn't so bad, but that was merely the beginning.

Going to high school in Minnesota was terrifying. Plainview had only one elementary school and one high school which was in town, with the more practical option being to choose to go to the most nearby school in town.

I didn't go to school on the first Monday that I moved; I stayed at home during the first week after we moved, as I tried my best to help unpack and settle into our new home.

I was relieved that my parents had allowed me a one-week extension from attending school because even before I moved, making friends at my new school wouldn't be very easy. I had a hard time making friends back in New York, which made me uneasy by thinking about seeing all those unfamiliar faces in the environment.