in the car
As Sam sat in the car, gazing out of the window at the unfamiliar surroundings, a wave of disappointment washed over him. He felt as if his whole world had been turned upside down. He couldn't help but dwell on the memories of his old city and school, where he had built strong friendships and a sense of belonging.
Sensing Sam's turmoil, his parents exchanged concerned glances. Sam's mother turned to him the most beautiful blonde hair and deep blue eyes with a sympathetic smile. "I know this is tough, Sam", she said gently. "But think of it as a new beginning. We moved here to give you a better life and more opportunities. Plus, you can always keep in touch with your old friends."
Sam crossed his arms, feeling a mix of frustration and sadness. "I know, Mom, but it's hard to just start all over again. I'll have to make new friends and adjust to a new school, and it feels like I'll never fit in here."
His older brother with weird green hair that needed to dye aging,Mike reached over Sam's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly like side hug. "Change can be challenging I know how hard it can be, samsam, ..but it can also lead to amazing things. You're smart and resilient, Sam. I'm sure you'll find your place here sooner than you think."
…Sam blushed slightly at Mike's hand and let out a sigh, looking over at his big brother with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "You think so?" he asked, voice tinged with vulnerability.
His older sister Amelia nodded her long, straight hair gleaming, the curled bangs perfectly set like they'd been sculpted with intention. "Sami. We believe in you. And remember, you're not alone in this. We're here to support you every step of the way."
A soft bark suddenly broke the silence.
By Sam's feet, curled into a tight golden ball on the car floor, lay Rolo their loyal yellow furred dog with blue eyes and a pattern of warm brown spots. One spot stretched over his left eye like a painted mask, and another shaped like a crescent marked the middle of his back. His left ear and tail-tip were dark and velvety, almost cocoa,colored, and his lower legs faded into a matching earthy tone.
Sam reached down without thinking and scratched behind Rolo's ear. The dog lifted his head sleepily, tail thumping once against the car floor. He let out a little whine and nudged Sam's hand with his nose a silent, gentle way of saying I'm here too.
Mike looked down and chuckled. "Even Rolo's trying to cheer you up. See? He gets it."
"I know," Sam said quietly, fingers still in Rolo's soft fur. "He always does."
Rolo yawned and rested his head on Sam's knee, content. Amelia, watching the moment from the corner of her eye, gave the dog a small smile.
"Maybe he's the only one in this car who doesn't talk too much," she muttered, and Mike stuck out his tongue in return.
after awhile
The car glided along the road like a boat in a sea of memories rushing past the window.
The sun painted golden lines on the dashboard, and the air was filled with the loaded silences of a new beginning. The radio played softly in the background an oldies station but no one was really listening.
Mike sat beside Amelia in the back seat, unable to sit still. His leg bounced on the carpet like it was drumming on an imaginary snare, and he quietly sang a single line over and over. It was a melody he'd made up himself, no words just hums and groans to accompany his thoughts.
Amelia rolled her eyes and held her book in her slender, manicured hands, but still didn't look at him. She tried to focus on the paragraph she was reading, tracing the sentences with her finger so as not to lose concentration. Her long hair spilled over her shoulder like a golden river, and her perfume filled the air with a sweet scent of vanilla and hints of citrus blossom.
"Mike," she said softly, almost in a whisper, without taking her eyes off the page. "Do you have to move so much?"
"I'm not moving," he answered automatically, still tapping his foot. "It's just... this energy. I can't sit still for too long. It's bad for my soul , you don't get it."
She closed the book slowly, marked the page with a folded piece of paper shaped like an arrow, and turned to him. "Mike, you're seventeen. Not some eight-year-old who needs to 'burn off energy.' Sit still. We've got two more hours to go."
"Three," their dad corrected from the front without taking his eyes off the road. "If there's no traffic."
"Uuuuugh, exactly," Mike said with an exaggerated groan and an annoyed tone. "Three hours sitting. In a. Box. With a sister who looks at me like I'm a punishment. Wow, what a joyride. Dad, can't you drive a little faster? Or stop somewhere already? I'm sick of sitting."
Amelia rolled her eyes again, this time with a slight sigh of frustration. "I'm not looking at you like anything. I'm just trying to read."
For a brief moment, silence returned to the car. Even Sam, sitting on the other side of Mike, glanced out the window, surprised the two hadn't fully erupted into a fight yet. But something in the air already felt like the calm before a storm. Sam's thoughts got stuck right at the moment Amelia not angry, just pressed spoke.
"What are you even reading?" Mike asked finally.
Amelia looked at him with a face that said, Do you really care?
Mike added, "What? I'm asking seriously," with genuine curiosity hidden behind a slightly sarcastic tone.
"A book about a girl's inner journey," Amelia answered coolly. "She falls in love with someone she thinks doesn't love her back she thinks he's in love with her childhood best friend and it turns out more than one person is in love with her. It's a really beautiful romantic story," she said, then raised an eyebrow. "Sounds fun, right?"
Mike snorted. "Yeah, real original."
"More original than the songs you sing. Especially when you don't know the words," Amelia snapped.
"I improvise, Amelia. It's called creativity. Not everyone needs to dive into melodrama just to feel emotions."
"And not everyone needs to bounce like a spring just to feel alive."
Sam sighed quietly, already knowing exactly what was about to happen.
But for now, everything still stayed within the bounds of humor. Right before it would cross the line into a real fight.
After a few tense minutes of silence, as the road continued to stretch ahead unchanged, Mike started drumming his foot again. This time faster. More annoyingly. He even added his hands like he was playing a full drum kit and began nodding his head wildly not too much, but enough that his faded green, dyed hair flew everywhere.
"I swear," Amelia muttered to herself, "if you don't stop that, I'm throwing you out the window."
"Come on, don't exaggerate," Mike laughed, though it was clear he was enjoying irritating her. "Just let me survive this drive without losing my mind. What do you care if I move around?"
"I care when every little jiggle makes me reread the same paragraph three times," she snapped. "Try to imagine that someone here wants to enjoy the quiet."
"Oh, quiet. A word that doesn't exist when you're on the phone with your friends. 'Oh my God, Liron, don't do this to me!' You don't even hear yourself?"
"Don't talk to me about phones. You're attached to yours like it's an umbilical cord," she spat. "Just spare me the self,pity, Mike. You being restless doesn't mean we all have to suffer."
"I'm not feeling sorry for myself," Mike said, this time with a sudden sharpness. "At least I don't escape to fantasy worlds to feel loved."
Silence fell. Sudden. Heavy.
Even Sam raised an eyebrow, realizing Mike had crossed a line.
Amelia stared at him for a long second. Her face didn't move, but something in her gaze shifted.
"You're such a child sometimes," she said quietly, this time with no sarcasm. "So busy shouting you don't know when it's better to just be quiet."
She turned her face back toward the window. Mike blinked rapidly, as if he regretted it but couldn't say it. He leaned forward against the seat and swallowed hard.
Sam wanted to say something. To ease the tension. But he didn't know how.
He just leaned against the door and looked outside. The trees passed by quickly, like words that couldn't be taken back.
Approaching the New City
An hour later, the road twisted through green hills that gave way to newer neighborhoods. The signs slowly became more familiar the name of the new city finally appeared on a blue sign:
Welcome to Winston Hills.
"Well, here we go," their mother murmured softly.
"Feels like it's just a made up name," said Sam.
"A made,up name with broken traffic lights," Mike added as they nearly missed a turn.
"That was it!" Amelia suddenly shouted, pointing right.
"What, where?" asked their dad, braking slightly and glancing at the side mirror in alarm.
"That was the street. With the green fence! We saw it on Google Street View!"
"I can't turn now it's a one way," their dad sighed. "I'll make a loop."
"We're already here and now you're getting lost?" Mike said with a half frustrated laugh.
Sam felt a knot in his stomach. Suddenly the city looked less like a fresh start and more like a maze.
"It's okay," their mother mumbled, trying to stay positive. "We'll find it. We'll be home soon."
But even she was starting to sound a little worried.
Sam wasn't sure if "home" was the right word.