Moving 4

I jumped on the plane to New york. Non-stop. It's going to be a long flight.

The longest flight ever! I didn't want to complain or not my Dad will just complain about it some more. We went to the baggage area to get our bags and we checked our passports. Everything was set and done. As I entered the doors I could hear the air calling my name. Annabelle..Annabelle.. I smiled. I whiffed the icy and wet smell of the air and soaked it up. I am so happy to be here. Dad called the cab and he put the suitcases in the trunk. "Central Park Gardens, 50 west 97th street please" Dani ordered the cab driver. I was a bit surprised that we were living in the Upper West Side, I mean sure we have money but it doesn't mean we have to live there. I don't mind if we live in an area that is quite normal. I have to be home schooled, Dad said ' so I won't get bullied' and thank god for that. I was really sleepy and I didn't sleep well in the plane, we arrived already. Dad nudged me and I was bit grouchy since I didn't sleep well. I stepped out of the cab and paid the driver and told him to keep the change. He smiled and drove off. The wind blew to my hair and I felt calm. I wanted to get in really bad because the air is so cold and if I get sick then its on my dad.

I imagined mom coming here and opening the door when I get home from school. She looked dashing in my mind. If only I could see her face again then it would be complete.

it was the 14th floor. Top floor. Again with the money issues for me. "Why are you doing this dad?" I questioned him and he stared at the floor for awhile then at me. "Anna, I want you to experience everything and not what you had in Jakarta, just not what you imagined here and I hope you get really happy being here" he answered.

I clicked on the 14th button and stood there waiting for us to get up. The sudden awkwardness between me and my dad just made me giggle, he then asked me "what's funny?" he looked at me, "nothing" I closed my mouth. I brushed my hair with my hand and somehow it got softer than ever. I guess the atmosphere here makes your hair feel good.

BING the elevator door opened and straight in front of us was our room. Room 1407. Just the way I imagined it, white and clear.

I entered the room and saw daylight struck to my eyes. I was in heaven

Moving 3

I heard the bell ring. Ugh, saved by the bell. I wanted to fly off already. Finished my science and maths. Now its Art and lastly English. I still have more time, its break and I only drank orange juice. Everyone is staring again. I can't stand this, I need to get out. I got up and walked my way out of the cafeteria and into the library. I like it there. It made me closer to home. RINGGG! the bell rung so loud I just wanted to wear soundproof headphones and sleep or read a book or something.

I ran towards the Art room, it's closer to the library which is good and which made me the first one. I started to paint. The teacher wasn't there, so I painted with five colors. Yellow, green, blue, purple and red. I mixed the colors with different shading and shapes. People start to come in but I continued painting, it was my last day anyways, so who cares. My art teacher came in, Mrs. Mone, She's a very kind teacher. Her graciousness just brings good energy to the room. She stared at my painting and patted one finger to her chin and thought. I looked at her and grimed but in a good way. "Do you like it?" I asked nervously, she looked at me then my painting then back to me. "I love it!" she hugged me and smiling. "Where did you get this talent!? do you mind if I frame this and put it on my wall?" she pleaded to me. "Uhh.. sure! I don't mind?" I half smiled. My awkwardness came back to me and I struck a thought to her question. "I don't know where I got it from, it just came to me" I replied with pride. I heard people behind me gossiping and I think I know what they're thinking. I ignored them. "Mrs. Mone, I'm sorry but I'm leaving later to New York. My Father (that gave me the chills saying that proper word) and I are going to stay there forever and I wanted to give you this painting as a piece to remember me by" I gladly gave to her the painting. She teared up and hugged me as tight. I whiffed up a lemony scent from her shirt but thats just how she smelt. I greeted her goodbye and made my way to English class.

I walked in and saw Miss Sate writing on the chalkboard. KNOCK KNOCK and I held my books tight. She turned to me and saw smiled. "Yes Annabelle?" she grinned, "Um.. Miss Sate I'm leaving today and do you mind if I leave class early? I need to help my dad out with the packages and clear up my room" I fiddled with my fingers and hair. " Do you have a permission slip?" she questioned me. I took out the permission slip that I got before I entered class and gave her my slip to tell the school I was leaving.

"New york?" she looked at me, "Yeah, my dad got a job there and I'm finishing up my high school there" I puckered my lip. She smiled and said " go ahead and don't forget to tell your father I said goodbye and take care, you too okay?", "Sure, I will thank you so much for everything Miss Sate and I promise to always pass my english" I joked. But I know that I ALWAYS pass this easy subject.

I entered the hall way and saw nobody there. The bell rang and classes started. I can't believe I'm leaving Jakarta. I wanted to smile until my face ripped and I know I will have a new life there.

I walked home and when I arrived and unlocked the door, I ran up to my room. I quickly packed up a few things and got ready. I could hear the door slam downstairs. Dad. It wasn't a sad or angry slam. But a happy one. Dad ran up and packed. "Anna! come on! we're gonna be late!" he giggled. That was the first. I covered up every furniture with white sheets and locked every door and window. I was glad that every was set and done. I took one last look behind me and blowed a kiss goodbye.

"Thanks for everything" I said. I ran to the car and smiled. There will be a new Annabelle board.

Look out New york, here I come.

Moving 2

I slept after I kissed my dad's forehead. He watched another cartoon like always. So here I am drifting away.
I dreamt of a me being so close to my mother and always being with her. How my life could have been when she didn't leave, Suddenly I saw a white light coming towards my mother. I wanted to yell or scream, she turned around and faced me. "I love you don't forget that" she whispered to my ear and went away. I wanted to run after her but my feet felt glued to the ground, I didn't want her to go. I loved her.

I woke up with a head rush. I got up and walked to the bathroom, somehow I felt heavy; like someone was giving me a piggy back and I was having fun carrying whatever it is on my back. I washed my face and turned on the hot water in the shower. The smoke makes me calm when I wake up from a rush. I sniffed the air and imagining that I'm in a meadow full of wild flowers and just lying there in my imaginary bubble. I love being there. Thank god for imagination, what would I do without them. I opened my eyes and stood up. I needed another human moment to brush my teeth. The fog on the mirror made me realize that I haven't looked at myself for awhile. Since my pimples and all but I took really great care of my skin and whatsoever I just wanted a peek. I drew one line that made me stare at those hazel eyes. Beautiful, I thought. I wiped a handful and saw a face. This face had pink lips, a nose and sharp planes on the cheeks. She has brown hair, dark. I blinked, she blinked. It was amazing how I wanted to be the girl that has a better life with her mother. But I see that's the girl on the other side of the mirror. I realize that girl is me.. everything about her I wanted to be. But I can't.
I wiped off the wet parts of my face and walked back to bed. Funny. I smell the roses from afar. I crawled back to bed and I hugged the elephant and drifted off. I didn't dream of anything but only pictured myself sitting on a chair reading.

RING RING! I could hear the alarm in my head. As I hit the off button, I stretched and yawned. 'Last day of school' I thought. Its not going to be that bad isn't it?. Everything is going to be alright, people won't see me again anyways. I got up and got ready. Everything was set. Last day of school and I still can't believe I'm leaving Jakarta for New York. I need a fun feeling in life and people who understand me and my art work.

"ANNABELLE! ARE YOU DONE YET?! I'M LEAVING NOW! YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE!" Dani yelled. Yeah, Dani board is his name. "COMING!" I replied. I closed and locked the door behind me and ran downstairs and locked the other door behind me. HONK HONK! I just wanted to rip out the sound from the car. He was hovering so bad. I ran to the car. I slid in and sat. "I told you early right?" he looked at me grinningly, "yeah but I had a nightmare and you can't stop dreams you know" I replied. That was stupid I thought. We arrived at school and I feel so tired. I think I didn't sleep well after dreaming about Mom. "Hey Anna, have fun with your last day of school and don't forget to get a slip to tell them that you're leaving" he reminded me. I nodded and walked away. He went before I could wave back at him.

I looked at my time table and saw only four subjects. Thank god. Science, Maths, Art and English. Crap! I'm late!. I rushed to Science and ran for my life. I wasn't fit for a person, though my body shape was coordinated. I like my body. Even my own sense of style wasn't much. I'm more of a mood colored person. But not black. I'm not emo. I've never fitted in the clique thing. Just being a normal person made me cool of myself.

I could see people going into the class and I made it there. I followed the others behind. I sat at the very back and nobody sits next to me, which made me have even better concentration.

Moving

Dad said I lived in Jakarta for too long, I need to move and make a new life for myself. "Anna, without your mother around you can't just stay and remember the pain she put you through, you have to let things go once in a while and put it back into its box again" he said. From the looks of his face, I thought he was lecturing me. I ran upstairs and packed my things. My room was small but I found it comfortable, purple walls and white windows. White curtains with pink flowers printed on them. black drawers and a rose on top of each one. My mother love roses, I guess I do too. I'm going to miss my bed. My soft white bed. I heard stomping coming towards my door. " Anna! are you done? we have to send your things now! leave some other stuff for hand carry, incase the flight gets delayed or something!" he shouted through the door. I swear I could hear him, I just wondered if the neighbors heard him too.
"Alright dad! I'll bring them down!" I replied back. I taped everything up and carried them one by one down the stairs. We're leaving the day after tomorrow and I'm really tired. When we finished, Dad opened his laptop and watched movies that he wanted to hand carry. I didn't want to see what he was doing later on cause it wasn't that interesting.
I ran to my room and took out an empty scrapbook. I don't have much friends, everybody in my school thinks I'm weird or "freaky" as they would say it. I wouldn't have expected myself as weird or freaky, I think unique. They call me a weirdo because I always talk like a stoned person. But that's just the way I am. At school, people don't sit next to me at the lunch table and I'd always sit by myself. My hair is never down, my dad told me that it's better to look natural and clean faced. The only time when I brought a friend to the house was Jamie, she was a classmate in year 4, I brought her over to my house and she got chills. She told me that my house was weird because of the statues and art work my dad does. When I brought her to my room, she ran away. I didn't know why, until I came up to her at school. "Jamie, why did you ran away like that? You know you can tell me right?"I patted her shoulder nicely.
"Your doll was staring at me" she whispered. My doll? I thought. The only doll I had was a baby elephant sitting on my bed. I guess she had a phobia of dolls. And that was the last time she ever spoke to me. She made rumors about me doing black magic and stuff, like doing voodoo on my doll and kill people. The Principle of the school nearly expelled me for letting him hear that rumor. I told him the truth and he believed me. I didn't want anyone to think that I'M that type of person. My life has been a person jumping up and down on a bed and I've hit my head on the floor feeling hazy.

Where did mom go?

I realize how much time I've wasted. How much time my dad had ran out. I didn't want him to move on like this, knowing that the person he loves most just walked out like that. I watched him standing there, in front of the door, just waiting for her to come back. Before I knew it, she was gone.

I never knew much about my mother, never going to feel the warmth of soothing when I get scared or the feeling of comfort when I get hurt. Dad said she just needed some time alone and wanted to take a vacation to clear her mind. I waited 13 years for her to come back but she never came.

I am Annabelle and everyone thinks I'm a freak