Brats On Tight Wad Hill, chapter 1
1982
I still don't get it. Why did we have to move? I had so many friends. I had a life. Well, so what if I was only in second grade. I don't care. By the way, my name is Kelly. Me and my mom and brother are moving to Rodeo, California. The car ride is so boring. I looked over to my brother. He was fast asleep. I reached over and plugged his nose. And he woke up right away.
"Kelly, what the heck is wrong with you? Are you trying to kill me?"
"Maybe."
"Kelly, be nice to your brother and say you're sorry," Mom told.
"I'm sorry." I leaned over, gave him a hug.
"I don't believe you. Mom, she's just going to do it again when I fall asleep."
"Oh Mike, why would I ever do that?" I said in a childish tone.
"Whatever."
"Hey kids, here we are," Mom exclaimed.
"Wow," we said together. It was a two story house with three bedrooms. I was surprised Mom could afford it.
We got of the car and started looking around. At the doorway stood the real estate lady.
"So do you like the house?" she asked Mike.
"Pretty nice, I guess."
"Very nice neighborhood," Mom mentioned.
"Can we go in now?" I said, jumping up and down.
"Well here's the key." She handed it to my Mom.
I ran back to the car and grabbed my things. Mike trailed right behind me. As soon as we got inside I ran up the stairs to claim a bedroom. I got the one with the window facing the main street. I dropped everything and looked out of it. On the other side of the street I could a boy about Mike's age. We glanced at each other for a second. I turned and ran into Mike's new room.
"Mike, Mike, Mike."
"What, what, what??"
"Outside there's a boy who looks the same age as you."
"Well, then let's go down there and see if I can make a friend."
"What about me?"
"Who said you could have friends?"
"You're really mean, you know that?"
"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be your big brother."
Man, I hate it when he's right.
"Hey Kelly, jump on my back."
"Why?" I gave him a weird look.
"It's more appealing to people when they see brothers and sisters actually being nice and loving each other."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know. I heard it on TV or something."
So I jumped on his back and he carried me down the stairs and outside. I think this is what people call bonding.
Mom was getting the rest of the stuff out of the car.
Then I saw the boy that was across the street. He was also coming with his mom.
"Hello, I'm Ollie Armstrong, and this is my son, Billie Joe."
"Oh, hi. Kids, come here," she introduced herself.
"See, it worked," Mike said in his I-told-you-so way.
We walked over and stood by mom.
"These are my children, Michael and Kelly."
"Hello. Hey, how old are you two?"
"I'm ten and Kelly's eight."
"Mike, I can tell for myself. I'm eight," I said proudly
"Really? Well Billie Joe is ten also. In September you'll be in the same class. Billie Joe, why don't you show Michael and Kelly around the neighborhood? But don't go to far."
"Okay."
His eyes were so green. They're the only thing I was looking at. Kelly snapped out of it. He's ten. Same age as Mike. Older. Not same as you.
"How about we go to the park?" Billie Joe spoke, kicking me back into reality.
"Sure," me and mike said together. That happens a lot.
When we got to the park we reintroduced ourselves.
"You can call me Mike, not Michael."
"Just call me Billie."
"Call me Kelly or Kell. No more, no less."
"She's got a little bit of an attitude," Mike told.
"I do not."
"And she argues a lot."
"No don- wait, I do, actually.
Billie giggled a little.
"So what do you do for fun here? I get bored easily."
"Well there's the park. The ocean isn't to far from here. I play guitar during my worthless time."
"Hey, so do I," I said.
"You're still learning. From me." There he went in his tone again.
"We'll have to jam sometime," Mike added.
"You're such a dork." I sighed.
Maybe moving here won't be so bad.
I still don't get it. Why did we have to move? I had so many friends. I had a life. Well, so what if I was only in second grade. I don't care. By the way, my name is Kelly. Me and my mom and brother are moving to Rodeo, California. The car ride is so boring. I looked over to my brother. He was fast asleep. I reached over and plugged his nose. And he woke up right away.
"Kelly, what the heck is wrong with you? Are you trying to kill me?"
"Maybe."
"Kelly, be nice to your brother and say you're sorry," Mom told.
"I'm sorry." I leaned over, gave him a hug.
"I don't believe you. Mom, she's just going to do it again when I fall asleep."
"Oh Mike, why would I ever do that?" I said in a childish tone.
"Whatever."
"Hey kids, here we are," Mom exclaimed.
"Wow," we said together. It was a two story house with three bedrooms. I was surprised Mom could afford it.
We got of the car and started looking around. At the doorway stood the real estate lady.
"So do you like the house?" she asked Mike.
"Pretty nice, I guess."
"Very nice neighborhood," Mom mentioned.
"Can we go in now?" I said, jumping up and down.
"Well here's the key." She handed it to my Mom.
I ran back to the car and grabbed my things. Mike trailed right behind me. As soon as we got inside I ran up the stairs to claim a bedroom. I got the one with the window facing the main street. I dropped everything and looked out of it. On the other side of the street I could a boy about Mike's age. We glanced at each other for a second. I turned and ran into Mike's new room.
"Mike, Mike, Mike."
"What, what, what??"
"Outside there's a boy who looks the same age as you."
"Well, then let's go down there and see if I can make a friend."
"What about me?"
"Who said you could have friends?"
"You're really mean, you know that?"
"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be your big brother."
Man, I hate it when he's right.
"Hey Kelly, jump on my back."
"Why?" I gave him a weird look.
"It's more appealing to people when they see brothers and sisters actually being nice and loving each other."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know. I heard it on TV or something."
So I jumped on his back and he carried me down the stairs and outside. I think this is what people call bonding.
Mom was getting the rest of the stuff out of the car.
Then I saw the boy that was across the street. He was also coming with his mom.
"Hello, I'm Ollie Armstrong, and this is my son, Billie Joe."
"Oh, hi. Kids, come here," she introduced herself.
"See, it worked," Mike said in his I-told-you-so way.
We walked over and stood by mom.
"These are my children, Michael and Kelly."
"Hello. Hey, how old are you two?"
"I'm ten and Kelly's eight."
"Mike, I can tell for myself. I'm eight," I said proudly
"Really? Well Billie Joe is ten also. In September you'll be in the same class. Billie Joe, why don't you show Michael and Kelly around the neighborhood? But don't go to far."
"Okay."
His eyes were so green. They're the only thing I was looking at. Kelly snapped out of it. He's ten. Same age as Mike. Older. Not same as you.
"How about we go to the park?" Billie Joe spoke, kicking me back into reality.
"Sure," me and mike said together. That happens a lot.
When we got to the park we reintroduced ourselves.
"You can call me Mike, not Michael."
"Just call me Billie."
"Call me Kelly or Kell. No more, no less."
"She's got a little bit of an attitude," Mike told.
"I do not."
"And she argues a lot."
"No don- wait, I do, actually.
Billie giggled a little.
"So what do you do for fun here? I get bored easily."
"Well there's the park. The ocean isn't to far from here. I play guitar during my worthless time."
"Hey, so do I," I said.
"You're still learning. From me." There he went in his tone again.
"We'll have to jam sometime," Mike added.
"You're such a dork." I sighed.
Maybe moving here won't be so bad.
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