Lead You On

"Say what?" I raised a disbelieving eyebrow at my dad and Charlotte.

"We believe it's for the best. This promotion could get us a lot more money, plus, Char's friends live back in California, so we'd have lots more dinner parties and such." my dad explained patiently. I'd rather he explained though, I mean, if Charlotte did she'd probably say something like-

"Look girl, we're moving, so pack and let's go." Whoops she beat me to it. I'm defeated. Man down - or - um, girl down. Whatever.
I tried to open my mouth and say something, but i probably ended up looking something like a goldfish. See, my mind may be mostly sarcastic and witty, but my mouth, well, it doesn't always say what it should.

"Honey, I understand this must be terrible for you, but see, we really do need this sort of work, plus now Char-" I hate that weird nickname he's given her! "-can be a
stay-at-home-mom."

Like I want her at home!

I must have just sort of blankly looked at them for too long, because Charlotte grabbed dad's arm and hoisted him off into the distance, leaving me to wonder what the hell I did to karma to deserve this.

It was probably... uh... oh right, everything!

I couldn't wait to tell Nikola about this. Can't you just taste the sarcasm dripping off of that.

***
The world decides to call me Rio, all though my full name is Rione Amelia De Silva, I am a 15 year old girl living - that lived - in Britain.
Nikola - referred to before, is my best friend, and the most dramatic person in the world. I can drop a pencil during school and she'll scream.

Funny.

Not to teachers.

What really took this situation out of control was that my parents had promised my 16th birthday would be here, in Great Britain, with my closest friends, but, what do you know?

We're moving to California.

This is just the sort of thing Charlotte would do on purpose.

Charlotte was my step-mother, and all you'll ever hear me call her is "Your new wife." -but I only say that to my dad-or "Charlotte."
She came to Britain after high school on an internship, found my dad, seduced him, made him hers, and-most importantly-made our money hers.

I so knew her plan.

I so could do nothing about it.

***

Nikola had pretty much the same reaction I did.

"What?" And then stared at me with no expression. I waved my hand in front of her face, again, and again, but I was getting nowhere!!

"Bloody hell Nikola, you could at least tell me you'll write to my sorry arse when I'm on the other side of the world, or tell me you'll miss me, or that life is gonna stop, or that you'll be really sad without me!" I scrunched up my nose as I listed down what she should say, I had lists, seriously, I couldn't handle this!

"I'll miss you."

"Me too." I said quietly. Our afternoon together was spent silenced, none of us actually watching television or looking a each other.

I never bothered saying goodbye face-to-face with Nikola, we had already taken care of it before, but as we boarded the plane and flew in the sky I texted her non-stop. I didn't want to look out the window, I didn't want to move, I didn't want stupid Charlotte next to me flirting with the surfer on the other aisle.

That woman needs a shirt that stops before her cleavage.

"Girl! Girl! You stupid girl! Let's go!" I looked at Charlotte angrily as she shook me.

We had landed? When?

"Come on!" I was painfully dragged by Charlotte down the aisle, walking on people and stepping on bags.

I think Charlotte walks on people on purpose, I mean, she could have easily avoided that skinny shaved guy over there, but the ghastly woman had walked on him instead.
And dad's just standing there waiting for her with his arm outstretched.

"Oh, thank you Char, you brought Rio, let's go." Dude, she almost pulled my arm out of its socket and ran over people, she doesn't deserve any 'Thank You's'!

***

This house looks like some sort of Victorian dungeon.

Seriously.

The furniture's hard and uncomfortable, the chandelier over the huge staircase is so close to falling down it isn't even funny, I'm afraid of standing on the steps for fear that it will fall.

And it will fall.

This place scares me. I texted to Nikola, but she didn't text back. I was feeling really alone, but I was pretty much fine.

Oh, except for the fact that I was in a different country!!

I couldn't hide it either, my accent was strong and easily distinguishable, so I was stuck as some weird foreign British girl till I either got friends, or my accent went away.

I wasn't counting on either.

"Hi." Okay, so I was.

"Uhh... hi." I looked around. How did I get outside?? Was it magic? Or did Charlotte simply kick me out the door while I wasn't paying attention?

Yeah, let's go with Charlotte kicked me out.

"So your new?" I looked up, and up, at this guy. He was definitely older than me, like 20 or something. What was he talking to me for?

"Yeah..." I said casually looking at my house. I could see Charlotte furiously throwing my stuff up the stairs. Good thing I had put my valuable things in a bag which I had put in my room already. Otherwise they'd be smushed.

"My name's Kevin Jonas." He stuck out his hand.

I looked at his hand weirdly, and said, "Rio."

"I want you to meet my family."
He wants me to what?

Before I could say anything, he had grabbed my arm and was running with me stumbling behind him.

He was stronger than Charlotte.

But seriously, I didn't want to go meet his family like I was some sort of trophy!
And wait-he was like 20, why was he living with his family?
Ha, loser.