-Dani-
Present Time - September 2004
Why do I have to move? I grumbled, my gaze fixed out the window as the tall pines and dense underbrush blurred into a green haze.
"This isn't the end of the world, Danielle!" Dad exclaimed, glancing back over his shoulder.
"Not for you," I snapped. It was so unfair that my Dad could remain unbothered while I was still reeling from the news. This wasn't just a move; it was leaving everything I knew behind, including Laura, my best friend. Toronto had been my home for as long as I could remember, and now Dad was uprooting me to Canmore, Alberta—a small town bordered by mountains and wilderness.
I felt a twinge of annoyance. Sure, Dad grew up in Canmore, but he hasn't been back since he left at eighteen. Why? I have no idea; he refused to talk about it.
And I've never met my grandparents. I know there was a conflict when Dad met my mom, but I don't know how deep it goes. And about my mom—she's not coming with us. She left us when I was an infant.
I don't remember her. I only know what my Dad told me. He showed me a letter she wrote when I was twelve, and it basically said that she left because she never figured out how to be a mother. Dad never forgave her, and we don't talk about her anymore. It has been my Dad and me for as long as I can remember.
"Why do I have to come with you? I could have stayed with Laura's family. This is so unfair!" I muttered angrily, glaring at my Dad's back.
"We've talked about this, Dani. I can't just leave you with the Olsens. I'm your father, and you're only sixteen. Where I go, you follow! When you're eighteen, you can move back if you want,"
"Easy for you to say," I mumbled, slumping back in my seat. I hated this.
I heard a whine behind me and turned to see our dog, Colt, a four-year-old German shepherd, looking at me from his crate.
"It's okay, Colt, I'm not mad at you," I said softly, feeling a little at ease looking into his brown, gentle eyes.
We'd been driving for two days, stopping at motels to crash for the night and taking breaks to let Colt stretch his legs. And now, we were just minutes away from our new house.
Tomorrow is my first day at a new school, and honestly, I have no clue what to expect. The idea of trying to make new friends is exhausting.
"We're here!" Dad said, and I peeked out the window.
There it was—our new home. A beige, two-story house with three bedrooms and a yard.
The house looked just as disappointing as I felt under the gray sky.
The moving company had already dropped off all our stuff earlier today, and the thought of unpacking made it hard to get out of the car.
Dad turned to me when I finally opened the car door.
"What do you think, Dani?"
"It's fine, I guess," I replied, stepping out and opening the trunk to let Colt out.
"Dani, come on, can you at least give this a try?" Dad pleaded,
"Alright, fine," I muttered as I popped open the crate, letting Colt bounce into the front yard. He took off across the grass, tail wagging like crazy as he claimed his new space. Watching him paw around, I couldn't help but smile; he seemed happy and carefree, utterly oblivious to the move.
I never thought I would be envious of a dog.
"Let's head inside," Dad said, and I trailed behind reluctantly. He fished out the keys and opened the front door, and a weird smell immediately hit us. He shrugged it off, probably noticing my reaction: "Don't worry about the smell; we'll just air it out." Dad stepped inside and turned on the lights. The hall was of average size, with a staircase leading to the second floor. Dad continued through the hall, where the kitchen was right ahead.
"This kitchen's not too bad, right, Dani?" Dad said as he switched on the lights. We had to squeeze past all the boxes stacked everywhere.
"If you think so," I mumbled, giving the brown cabinets the side-eye—my least favorite color.
I'd seen pics of the house, and the pictures really pulled a catfish. The dark wood floor was more beat up than it showed, creaking under almost every step I took. This was an old house, indeed.
"Check it out, Dani! That fireplace is awesome," Dad said, too excited as he pointed at the big brick fireplace dominating the room's short side in the living room. I forced a smile in his direction while nodding casually.
"Yeah, pretty awesome. I wanna check out my room."
Each step on the stairs let out a loud squeak, and I could feel the annoyance creeping in.
"Looks like this place needs some TLC," Dad joked when we hit the second floor.
"You think?" I shot back, peeking down the dim hallway. There were three rooms and one bathroom. Most of the house was covered in boring brown wallpaper, which definitely didn't help to win me over.
"I think this is the room you picked from the pictures," Dad said as he walked into the last room in the hallway. "Yeah, it was the only one that wasn't beige or brown," I replied, glancing at the dark blue walls behind the stacked boxes with my name on them.
"We could always repaint if you want," Dad suggested while looking around. "I guess," I said, noticing Colt coming up the stairs.
"What's up, buddy?" I said, giving him a gentle pat on the head. We inspected the bathroom, which was pretty basic but nice enough. It had clean, white-tiled walls that made the space feel bright, and the grey, wet-room floor added a cool touch. The white bathtub looked brand new and really inviting.
"This is nice," I said, and Dad smiled. "I'm glad to hear something is to your liking," he replied, and I rolled my eyes.
"I need to unpack my room. I have no idea what to wear to school tomorrow." I sought loudly, and Dad patted my shoulder.
"Alright, you can start unpacking up here, and I'll tackle downstairs. How about we order takeaway tonight? What would you like?" Dad asked. I shrugged, "Whatever's cool."
"Cool, I'll let you know when it's time to eat," Dad said, and I watched him walk back downstairs, Colt trailing behind him.
I pulled out my MP3 player from my jacket, popped in the earbuds, and started unpacking box after box while jamming to Coldplay. Moving the cabinet around was a bit of a struggle, but I was determined to do it all myself. At least the movers set my bed up on the short side of the room like I wanted, and I managed to drag my desk over by the window.
Three hours later.
I glanced around the room. My books were neatly lined up on the bookshelves, and most of the clutter was spread out on the desk. My clothes were stacked and hanging in the closet, and I rolled out the mat across the floor, covering the beat-up wood. I came to a quick stop when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror by the wardrobe and let out a big sigh. My face was flushed and shiny from exhaustion, and my blonde hair was a mess, all frizzy and tangled.
I jumped high when I saw Dad looking in the doorway and quickly took out my earbuds.
"Oops, didn't mean to scare you!" he said, holding up his hands. "It's all good," I replied. "Is dinner ready?" Dad nodded.
"Yep, I found a pizza place down the street while walking Colt—got you pepperoni." I smiled and followed him downstairs.
"Nice work, Dad," I said, noticing that most boxes were unpacked. Dad smiled and motioned for me to sit at the table in the kitchen.
"So, you ready for school tomorrow?" he asked, and I felt a knot in my stomach.
"Not really, but I guess I have to be. I wish I had a few days to adjust before being thrown into a new class." Dad nodded, "Yeah, I know. This move wasn't exactly ideal. But we have to make the best of it. I'm starting as chief of police, so we're both diving into something new tomorrow. At least we can tackle it together, right?" I nodded and took a bite of my pizza slice, but his words didn't do much to ease the nerves.