Rules of a Rebel

Chapter 1: Don't Shake Hands

I swing the door open, sliding off my seat and onto the concrete.

With a grateful sigh, I stretch my arms and back. After being cramped in a car for six hours straight, this is pure bliss. Strands of my black hair fall around my face. I tuck them back into my braid.

Melody follows after me and crunches up her nose. "Why is it so hot?"

Now that she mentions it, I notice the heat. It's sticky and warm, with a strange smell of seawater.

Dad cracks his neck. "Nice to be out for so long, isn't it? Are you two coming in?"

"I think I'm just going to hang around until you get the air conditioning on," Melody sighs, taking off her hairband so that her blonde hair comes out in waves.

"Peyton?"

"Five minutes," I say.

He nods and gives me the thumbs up before unlocking to door. Mom and dad climb in and turn on the lights, while Melody examines the flowery bushes in our front yard. I sit down at the front porch, putting my face into my hands.

My headache only seems to get worse.

I watch between my fingers as the movers unload the boxes form the truck. All the boxes are big and bulky, but the men move them with ease, although they're all sweating. I'm wondering if I should offer to help them when Melody hops in front of me.

"Our neighbors are having a party," She tells me, her blue eyes twinkling.

I drop my hands. "So?"

"So, this is the perfect opportunity to go over and introduce ourselves! The party's filled with teenagers, so I'm pretty sure the people there must have some of their own kids, right? Why else would they have a party in their backyard? Come on, there's got to be, at least, a hundred people there?"

Psh.

That's probably the population of this town.

"I don't want to make friends," I say moodily. "Go and introduce yourself. Besides, I'm waiting for them to unpack my bed so I can lie down and complain about how horrible my life is."

Melody groans. "Can't you do that tomorrow? If I go myself, I'll look lonely and desperate."

"You can do that without me too."

"Peyton."

"Melody."

"Meow."

Both of us freeze and look at each other.

For the first time since we arrived, I feel excited. I stand up, "Did you hear that?"

"It sound like a kitten," Her eyes are wide. "Do you think it's lost?"

"Maybe," I walk to the edge of the driveway and look around. Melody follows me, her flip-flops clapping loudly. Besides that and the sound of waves in the distance, I can't hear anything. "Where did it come from?"

"Meow."

I narrow my eyes.

The sound definitely came from the bushes across the street. The lights in the house are off, so it couldn't be theirs. And it's not my imagination since Melody could hear it too. I crouch down and squint in the darkness, trying to find -

a pair of yellow eyes blinks at me.

I suck in a breath, hardly daring to believe it.

"Oh my gosh," Melody whispers. "Is it a cat? Do you think we can keep it? It's probably so cute - Peyton, try and rescue it, you're so good with animals..."