There I sat on a hot spring Tuesday afternoon, on the school parking lot conversing with my friend Josh and watching as a sea of track members sped past us, one by one; it was the big practice before the meet. The black top was hot to the touch, so we sat on our book bags talking about our day at school. As we began our talk, the sound of music filled the air. It was my phone. I answered, confused, because the number was unrecognizable. The sound of mother’s kind voice came out of the phone and into my ear. She must have called from work because her number was already in my phone. We talked about how our day was and just having the conversation she and I have every day after school. Then the words came flowing out her mouth. “Danie, we sold the house!”
I said goodbye, acting with no surprise, and hung up. I looked at my friends talking to each other beside me. I couldn’t hold it in. The tears came running out my eyes and rolled down my cheeks as I hugged my classmates and told them the news. They all looked at me with a sad look on there face. They too were sad that I was about to move.

I sat back down along with the rest of my friends. We talked and we thought about what was going to happen. All of it just made me sad. I couldn’t believe those words that my mom had spoken were real. Why was this happening to me? Why was this great news to my parents? My mind was racing, and questions were flowing through my mind.

The practice ended soon after I received the terrible news. Right away, I ran to Lauren, my older sister, to tell her what I heard. She already knew.
Ten minutes later, a small sized gray Jeep pulled up in front of the school. It was my mother. I said my goodbyes, gave my hugs, hopped in the car, and we drove off. My family is a loud family; either we’re having fun or arguing. No matter what the situation or topic may be, we always find a way to raise our voices at each other. My mother of course brought up the subject “moving”, which in her eyes was the best thing that ever could have happened to us. The car became a stadium filled with a screaming crowd. My sister was yelling at my mom, my mom was yelling at my sister, the radio was blasting, and I was telling them to shut up, and leave it alone.

Even though I was trying to let it go, I couldn’t. I didn’t understand why my parents were ready to move from all the things we loved. We were leaving our friends, our family, our parish, our school, and our neighborhood, everything we ever had or things and places that were special to all of us. What was the big advantage of this huge step? I understood it would be closer to mom’s work. But Jim’s work was right down the street from Neosho. I felt like we were making a big mistake by moving, but I had to do what my parents said, and I couldn’t do anything about that. I started to eavesdrop on my parent’s conversations over the phone with people and with each other. It seemed to me all they ever talked about now was moving. It was hard for me to see my parents so excited about something that made me sad. Why was this so hard for me? I guess I never really thought something like that would ever happen to me. A few days passed and I still felt the same way I did when I first got the news.
It was a cool spring night, and I was in bed reading the last few pages of my book. My parents walked in smiling and told me good news. I was relieved, my parents told me I was going to be able to finish out my year at St. John the Baptist and we didn’t have to move in, until the school year was over. That meant I had the rest of spring and summer to prepare for the new school, and I could spend the best of it with my friends from the city, the people I’ve known my whole life, most since kindergarten. My parents also told me I was allowed to invite anyone to come over any time I’d like. I knew they were trying to make this move more positive for me. They started giving me more privileges, and they stopped punishing me so much. After a while I started to forget about the move.

Although this year was going great, it was almost to an end. It was the end of May; the last few days were here. These are the days that will never leave my mind, the days that will stay in my heart no matter what, and it was going by way too fast. It was coming to an end. Before I knew it, it was the last full day of school. I was sitting at my desk, turned around talking to Sam, the “class clown”, waiting for the teacher to enter the room. The smell of his breath crept up my nose as I breathed, and it smelt like spoiled milk. I quickly turned around and made useless jabber to Gloria. Mrs. Nelson, the best teacher a student could ever have, walked in. That day, the last full day of school, the only thing we did is organize the class rooms and relax, ready for the hot humid days of summer to arrive. The day went slowly and everyone was pumped to run out the school doors because summer vacation was only a day away! The bell finally rang for dismissal. Everyone ran outside. There I stood outside the school doors with groups of kids around me hugging me. Everyone was saying there last good byes and telling me how much they loved me and would miss me. On this day I felt more love than I have ever felt in my entire life and I realized how many people really cared about me. The next day passed by even sooner, then it was summer.
The drive to the new house was 30 minutes away in Ballwin so it took all day to move the stuff and it crept into the night. We had everything there and set everything we wanted up within 3 weeks. The move was a longer process than I thought it would have been, but then again I have a wild imagination. The first few days I spent in that house were strange. It was very different and bigger than my old home. The days I spent in the old house were now just memories from the past. I had to adjust to this house. The move was depressing for me but through the summer I started to not worry so much. The questions I used to lie in bed and think about left my mind and was now floating in space.
I was with my friends at least once a week, either splashing in my grandparent’s pool, working to get money, or going to the mall. My life was as if we had never moved. The only difference was that the ride home was longer, and the house was bigger. I was starting to move on, the struggle to move forward was to an end, and I made it past that finish line that felt so far away.
Days passed, then a month, it was August. The amazing hot summer days were decreasing, the first day of school was only 3 days away. The whole day I lay in bed looking up at my blank white ceiling thinking. What will people think of me? Are the kids going to be like the kids from St. Johns? Is the school work going to be harder? So many things were running through my mind and I wished they would just go away, but more terrible thoughts, entered. It wouldn’t stop either. I thought the race was over, I thought I passed that finish line. Why was I getting scared all over again?
The first day of school was here quicker than imagined. My brain told me it was okay, to move on and forget about the old days. My heart, however, told me to keep the memories and to hold onto them, it was okay to be sad. I didn’t know which one to listen to? Should I move on? Or continue to worry?
I was determined I would get through the day okay, but at the same time I thought the opposite. My mind was racing. There I was sitting in the front seat of my mother’s grey Jeep, ready for school. My mother, a woman who is never wrong about anything, was telling me I was going to be okay. I sat back trying to believe the words that escaped her mouth as she turned on the car. She buckled her seatbelt and off we went, racing down the swerving road. I watched the houses as we drove by, so scared that something would go wrong. My body was shaking so fiercely, ready to jump out of the skin itself, I watched the kids enter the building. And then my mom finally pulled up to the school and I slowly got out. I looked back and said, “Bye mom, love you.” There I was alone, walking towards the entrance of the new school.

I walked inside and was greeted by a group of kids whispering, “Is she new?” I looked over my shoulder, smiled, and off I walked towards the eighth grade hall. I saw pink lockers and different groups of other kids standing around talking to each other. Down the hall, I was slowly walking, my hands shaking. I was alone, walking through the hall filled with the other students looking at me. I walked the other way realizing we had to go to advisory first. The other kids turned and looked at me when I stepped inside the room and said, “Hi.” I smiled and responded with a simple, “hello”. During advisory we played a game that helped me learn a little about the other students. The kids here were nice. They made me more confident about the rest of the day.
A noise came through the loud speaker on the wall and it was the bell for 1st hour. I had to ask teachers in the hall for directions. I would have gotten lost without them. The day passed quickly and got better as it went on. I met new friends I was no longer scared. It was a lot better than what I thought it would be, I really liked the new school from day one.