"A New Beginning"

My life was always perfect. I had the perfect boyfriend Steve, amazing friends, and a good home life. But this year hasn’t been as perfect as I wanted it to be. It’s my senior year in high school. I wanted it to be ten times better than last year. And that’s not really happening.

“Sierra!” my mom yelled.

I stood up as fast as I could and ran downstairs. It took me awhile to find her but then I saw her on the front porch with my dad. “Yes mom?” I said nervously while looking down at my dad’s bags.

“Your father is leaving.” She said in an angry voice “He’s going to your grandmas, do you want to go with him or stay here and go visit tonight?”

I couldn’t get any words out of my mouth. I just stood there, like an idiot, for what seemed to drag on forever but in reality it was only like ten seconds.

“Honey” my dad said “You can visit tonight I know you probably have plans for today”

I continued just to stand there. I didn’t know what was going on and that’s all I cared about at this moment. “Why are you leaving dad?” I said with tears starting to form in my eyes.

He looked really sad and helpless. But I didn’t care I wanted to know the answer. “Right now is not the best time to be talking about it.” He said.  I looked over at my mom, who I just noticed had been crying, and saw how upset and angry she was.

My mom jumped in. “No Frank I think it is the best time to talk about it.” She looked over at me. “Honey your father cheated on me.”

That’s when I began to cry. It was like a river had just burst in my eyes. “W..w..w..hy, w..w..w.ith who?” I couldn’t tell if they understood me. I just sat on my porch and continued to cry. My mom sat down and started holding me. She looked up at my dad and said “She wants to know with whom so tell her.”

I heard him sigh and put his bags down. I waited a little to answer. Then he finally said “With Aunt Betsy.” I looked up and looked at my mom. He cheated on my mom with her sister.

I looked up at my dad. I was angry and upset. “Go away, go!” I said to him. I didn’t really care about his feelings right now. Because when he cheated on my mom he obviously didn’t care about ours.

He looked at me then looked down at his bags. He picked them up and starting heading down the steps to his car. He put his bags in the backseat and he looked at me. He got in and drove away. I continued to sit there with my mom. I didn’t want to move. I cried and cried while saying why would he do that mom, why! She just sat there holding me and crying softly.

I was sitting in my room when I picked up my phone and decided to call my best friend Courtney. After a few rings she finally answered. “Hey Court what are you doing?”

“Oh hey Sierra nothing really what are you doing?”

“Nothing just need to get out of this house, want to go get something to eat?”

“Yeah I’ll come get you.”

“Okay see you in a bit!”

After I hung up the phone with Courtney I got dressed and called my boyfriend. I told him everything. We were on the phone for five minutes. Then I told him I had to go and I’d call him later. Courtney was going to be here in like two minutes. I ran over to my mom’s room to find her crying in a pillow

I knocked on the door. “Hey mom, I’m going to go get some food with Courtney I’ll bring you back something.”

She looked up and tried to force a smile. “Okay thanks honey.” We continued to look at each other and I walked over and gave her a big hug. I heard a car horn and I let go of my mom gave her a kiss on the forehead and raced downstairs.

I jumped in the passenger’s seat of Courtney’s car. As soon as I got in she turned to me and gave me a weird look. “Where’s your dad?”

I could feel tears start to form in my eyes once again. It took me till we were at the end of my street to say something. “We kicked him out. He cheated on my mom with my Aunt Betsy.” She looked at me with an “are you serious?” face. “Oh my gosh I’m so so sorry!”

I could feel my face getting really hot. I could feel the tears start to roll down my cheeks. “I hate him.”  I began to cry. I cried all the way to the restaurant. Courtney helped me fix my make up before we went inside. “How’s your mom?” she asked while we were walking in.

I held open the door for her. “Not really good, she’s been crying since he left.”

We were seated to our table. The waiter came over and asked what we wanted to drink. I got raspberry tea and Courtney got water with lemon. After the waiter left we continued to talk but not about my parents split. Just about everything in general.

As we were walking out of the restaurant, my dad and Aunt Betsy were walking in. I went up to him. He looked at me and after about a minute or two he said “Hi honey”

I was in total shock that he brought her here. “Don’t call me honey. Never call me honey.”

Aunt Betsy just stood there. My dad just stared at me. “I know you’re mad but you can’t be mad forever.” He said

I looked at him with the meanest stare and said “Try me.” And I walked out. I walked to Courtney’s car and waited for her to unlock it. She looked at me. “Are you okay?” she asked

I looked at her and said “not at all, don’t tell my mom he was here with her.” She nodded her head.

When I got home my mom was sitting in the living room watching TV. I gave her the food and told her I was going to get a shower. I ran upstairs, sat on my bed and cried. About twenty minutes later I hopped in the shower. When I got out I had a text from Steve.

“Hey babe just wanted to make sure your okay. Call me or text me if you need me or just want to talk.”

I didn’t really feel like talking to anyone so I just replied,

“Hi I’m doing okay. I think I’m just going to go to bed I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you.

I got dressed in sweat pants and a sweat shirt and curled up in bed and fell asleep.

It has been about a month since my mom and dad’s separation. My mom was doing so much better. She hasn’t been crying as much. She hasn’t been back to work yet but I think it’ll happen soon.

I woke up one morning and the whole house was silent. No morning news on the television. No sound of bacon frying. No sound at all. It was a little strange. Ever since I was little there was always a sound going on as soon as I woke up. I got out of bed and peeked in my mom’s room she wasn’t in there so I was guessing she went to work. I went out in the kitchen and on the counter there were eggs and bacon and a note from my mom. I picked up the note and it said,

“Sierra, I decided to go to work today because life goes on. If your father could move on so quickly so can I. Have a good day. Love you.

I’m glad my mom was taking this better separation better. It’s only been a month. I kind of think she knew it was coming. The eggs were still warm so I took them to the table, poured myself a glass of orange juice and sat down. I didn’t have any school today because it was spring break. I finished eating and I took my plate and glass to the sink. I went and laid on the couch and turned on a movie. I guess I started to doze off because I heard a knock on the door and I jumped. I got up and went to answer the door. It was Courtney.

I unlocked the door. “Hey Court.” I said with a smile

She looked at my worried. “You didn’t answer your phone and I called like six times! I wanted to make sure you were okay.” She started coming in the door.

I shut the door behind her. “Sorry I went and laid on the couch and I dozed off.”  She was looking around. “Who or what are you looking for?” I said

She stopped looking around and looked at me. “Where’s your mom?”

I smiled and said “She’s at work.” I went and sat back on the couch. Courtney looked surprised. So I got up and showed her the note my mom left.

She smiled. “That’s good Sierra!” I looked at her with a huge smile on my face and said “yeah, I know”

Me, Courtney, Steve and Courtney’s boyfriend Ed were watching a movie when my mom walked in from work. She smiled at all of us and said “you guys want to order pizza?”

I looked at her with a smile. “Sure, are you going somewhere?”

She had a huge smile on her face. “Yes I am.”