I had loved where I was before in Eastfox. Happy with the friends I had, the sports I played, and was comfortable in our beautiful home. I was the popular girl in my school. I had everything an eighteen-year-old girl could want. Then came the drastic change.
“What!?! We’re moving!?” I almost yelled at my parents. It was total shock. Then came the stress of packing and leaving; the buckets of tears saying goodbye to my friends; quitting the sports I loved. My world turned upside down. I was angry, bitter, and depressed. I didn’t want to leave, but mom and dad dragged me halfway across the country to this stupid, tiny, little town in Tennessee. I looked at the sign as we crossed the county line.
“White Bridge. Population: 300 people. Great.” I mumbled. Not only was this a town in the middle of nowhere, but also there was NO way there would be anyone even close to my age. Our new house was way smaller than the one we had Eastfox. But for our family of only three, it was doable. Don’t get me wrong, being in the country was awesome. Living outdoors was one of my passions. Guns, hunting, hiking, fishing: the list goes on. But I didn’t want to be here. I was being forced to. I couldn’t call my friends and ask if they wanted to come over; I couldn’t go hang out at my favorite coffee shop; I couldn’t go to the mall and shop till my feet were dead. All I could do was just sit and wish of being back home.
“Why don’t you take your bike and see what’s downtown?” my mom suggested. I thought for a moment, then decided it would be better than sitting at home sulking. I ran upstairs, grabbed my favorite leopard print ballcap, and glanced in the mirror. I had my waist long brown hair up in a pony tail, and my favorite outfit on: a light blue, short waisted t-shirt, a pair of loose, dark denim jeans, and white tennis shoes. I quickly grabbed my phone and ran out the door. I soon was flying down the old country road that led to the main stretch of downtown. As I arrived in town, I was surprised. Small quaint little shops lineed the street and everything was well kept. I slid off my bike and locked it onto a bike rack. The little town was quiet except for some random shoppers and-
“Well…would you look at that!” I wondered in my head. There at the end of the street was a small group of teens; three boys and two girls. One of the girls looked over at me but I quickly turned my head and popped into the small general store. The inside smelled like new pine floors and the shelves were lined with the basic goods anyone needed.
“Hello! Can I help you find anything?” I quickly spun around to see who spoke behind me. A lady stood behind the counter and she had the prettiest smile I had ever seen.
“Oh uhhhh, no thank you. I’m just looking around.” I said stammering a little. The lady looked at me with confusion but didn’t speak. I glanced around, embarrassed by her looking at me.
“You’re Grace Fields, aren’t you?” she asked. I snaped my head and looked at her in shock.
“How did you know?”
“Everyone knows about you and your family moving here. It’s not every day we get a new family. Oh how rude of me, I never introduced myself. My name is Mrs. Lenn. How old are you by the way?”289Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJbzG6390e
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lenn. And I’m 18.” 289Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjQZN5TjSY
“18!? I have a son who’s 18, and 3 other children. My daughter, Mia, is 16. She’s been super excited since she heard you were moving in and would love to meet you.” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
“So there are teens here?”
“Correct! Not many though, my four kids and 2 others. But they are the best of friends and would love to add you to the group.” I smiled at the thought of making new friends. I was a big social butterfly so this was a big relief.
“Speaking of Mia, here she comes right now!” The shop door opened and a girl walked in. She was much taller than me, but she had the kindest smile on her face and her eyes sparkled with energy.
“You must be Grace!!” she said excitedly. I smiled and nodded my head in agreement.
“We’ve been sooo excited since we heard you were moving to White Bridge! Hey, do you have anything planned this afternoon? Me and my friends would love to show you around some!” I thought for a moment and I excitedly shook my head no.
“Perfect!! Come on, I’ll introduce you to the others!” she said as she bounced out the door and onto the sidewalk. I headed out the door, but glanced back at Mrs. Lenn. She smiled at me and winked. A big grin spread across my face and I quickly followed after Mia. Standing outside was the small group I had seen earlier. Mia quickly introduced me to the others.
“Grace, this is Carmen, David, Josh, and Bryant. David and Josh are my brothers too, and I have a younger sister at home.”
As I looked at the group, I saw how they were very different but so similar. Carmen was shorter than me, but I could immediately tell she had spunk. Her bright blue eyes shone with mischief but there was a warmth in her smile. David, on the other hand, towered over me. But he seemed to be a gentle giant. He had a kind look about him, and his bright smile eased my nervousness about meeting them. Josh was about the same height as his brother, but like Carmen, he had a spark in him. I could tell that he was gentle like his brother, but had the sweetness of his sister. Bryant, on the other hand, had a serious look on his face and seemed to be the quietest in the group. However, he seemed confident and almost the protector of the group, so I knew he would be friendly. Everyone quickly started talking to me and soon I was laughing. Little did I realize that this group would become my best friends and my support during some hard times.
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