Day 1: The Move y Desempaquetar:

“Brian, let’s go the moving truck is here!” called my father ferociously.
“Yea, Yea, Yea, I’m coming.” I replied with a disrespectful tone. I really hadn’t thought that this day would come. I just thought it was a dream I would wake up from right before we actually moved. I said goodbye to all my friends the day before, and Madison. I just couldn’t handle seeing them on the moving day. I know Madison was not so happy about that, but I think it’s better that way. I hope –
“Brian, let’s go, hurry up!”
“Coming!” I started to hurry down the stairs now. If I linger any longer, it will make it worse”, I thought to myself, but, I couldn’t help but question my relationship with Madison, “It’s not going to work out, but I don’t want to admit it, it’s just going to drown once I leave. We’re going to be living in two completely different states! How is that supposed to work out? This move came at the perfect time, not only am I in my first real relationship, but it’s my senior year too! Sometimes parents just ruin everything!
I started walking to the car. All my stuff was already in the moving truck, and Jasper was so excited about going on a road trip, he was spinning in circles and barking like crazy, not knowing it was a trip for life. Nicole, the drama queen at age 10, was acting as if it was the end of her life, like she has one. And Tommy, could really care less, all the 3 year old needs is food, a diaper, and someone to hold him.
We got to the airport around 8 o’clock, our flight was at 9. I remember my father telling me something like, “Pack a book or something in your carry-on bag. You’re going to get bored.” Too bad I didn’t, oh well, there were plenty of magazine racks, and Nicole brought her travel games. I watched TV for the first hour and a half or so, I don’t know what it was. Some girly movie Nicole put on, Mean Girls, or Legally Blonde or something. I slept most of the rest of the trip, except for playing Trouble with Nicole.
An hour later we were in our new home, way bigger than our old one. We began exploring, “searching for treasure maps and secret passages” in Nicole’s words. There were three floors, not including the basement, and a home theater. There was also a pool and a huge field in the back of the house. I searched through every bedroom trying to find the one I wanted. It was not until I got to the third floor that I had found the one. The third floor isn’t too big, pretty much the size of two semi-large bedrooms, with its own bathroom. I’m guessing it’s used as one single room. Although I’d have to climb the stairs everyday if I claimed this as my room, I would be more independent. Well sort of; it’s like a small apartment up here.
There was some furniture, and other things the previous owners left to us, and some of our stuff from home had been brought here before today. The house was really pretty and I hadn’t even seen all of it yet. Nicole had already found her room, pink walls and a pink carpet, perfect for her. And Tommy got a pretty big room for his age, with a play room, already filled with toys connected by French doors; there was also a secret little hideout. The basement was also super cool, a perfect place to chill. I didn’t realize it then, but this house was built to keep the people inside safe and secure.

Day 2: Time for Escuela:

I woke up the next morning, not knowing where I was. I totally forgot about the move. I heard the phone on the bedside table ringing. I answered.
“Hullo?” I said sounding bleary.
“Brian, it’s your father! Time to wake up!” he sang into the speaker.
“I’m up. I’ll be down in ten minutes.”
I hopped into the shower hoping there was still some hot water left. My family has no clue how to take short showers. When I was done I threw on a polo and a pair of plaid shorts. Right now I was thinking the worst part of the move was the first day. It’s always so awkward. I grabbed my backpack and headed down the stairs. Once I reached the first floor, my father told me to wake Nicole up, since he can’t call up to her.
The two flights of stairs seemed never ending. But I eventually reached her room. She was still out. I shook her, there was no use in yelling ‘cause her hearing aids were sitting on her bedside table. It was terribly upsetting when she came home after visiting several doctors. We found the right doctor a bit too late, and her hearing began to fade. Nicole was not very healthy when she was born, and she was on many different meds. Her reaction to one of the drugs was not so great, but because she was on so many it was hard to tell which were working effectively and which were not. My mother passed away from the same disease a little while after Tommy was born, I am so grateful that Nicole lived.
I startled her with a shake to wake her up. After she placed her “hibby” in her ears, which is what she named her hearing aids because she couldn’t pronounce hearing aid when she was younger. I informed her she had twenty minutes to get dressed, eat breakfast and catch the bus. I then hurried down stairs hoping I still had a chance of catching the bus. I didn’t totally enjoy riding the bus. It had LOSER written all over it. But since I didn’t have a car, and my dad took the only one to work; I knew the bus was the only option. Unless I made the decision to walk or ride my bike which I knew for a fact I would not decide such a thing.

“Hey, what time is the bus supposed to come by?” I asked.

“Bus? You’re going to take the bus?” my father replied with a smirk on his face.

“I don’t get it?” I answered him bemused.

“Well, I just thought you would rather drive yourself to school.”

“Really?! You’re not going to need the car today?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever really need it.”
I was super confused thinking that he always needs the car. He threw me the keys and a sheet of paper with the schools address. I was so excited, but as I was walking to the drive way, I didn’t recognize the car keys. I kept on moving anyways. In the driveway, there was a brand new Flame Red convertible Jeep Wrangler sitting there with the top down taunting me. Knowing my luck, I would unlock the car, but the old Chevy truck would answer the keys call. But this time, an angel was with me and the gorgeous Jeep that had been taunting me called out my name, and said get in Yes!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! were the only words that would come out of my mouth.
I hopped in, entered the address in to the GPS, turned on the radio, and I was on my way.
Day 2 Part Dos: Wait, who are tu?

I walked into the school and everyone was staring at me with the ‘who-is-that-kid’ look. My first assignment was to find the guidance office and pick up my schedule. It’s a nice school, but every person looked like an intense jock. I mean big football guys. I hope there’s a swim team, that’s the only sport I play, if you “play” swimming. But anyways I need to find the guidance office. Where are the maps? I guess I could stop someone in the hall? No. Well I could, but I don’t want to embarrass myself. I’ll just get self conscious, and stutter! Another wonderful personality trait I have failed to get rid of, low confidence. Okay, I’ve got to do this, I thought, I’ll stop the next person that passes by. And I did.

“Hey, um, could you maybe, uh, help me out?” I asked

“Of course! What’s up?” she replied in a peppy tone

“I’m Brian, and um, I’m new here,” I said gaining confidence.

“Hey Brian! I’m Amy, so what is it you need help with?”

“I can’t seem to find the guidance office.”

“Oh, I’ll show you where it is. Where did you move here from?”

“Um, from Utah.”

“Oh that’s cool! I’ve been there a few times, it’s a nice place.”

“Uh, yeah, it is.”

As she walked me to the guidance office, we continued talking. I found out she’s a freshman, although she looks like she’s at least a junior, or a sophomore.
The rest of the day was pretty much a blur, I could pretty much sum it up in two sentences, “Welcome to Ridgewood High Brian!” which is what the teachers of my nine different classes said, and “Wait who are you?” was asked by other students. And that was my day, except I met Jack, a nice football jock who moved here last year.
There’s not much of a homework load which is good, who likes homework? The kids here seem pretty nice, now I just have to make new friends. The day was dragging on, the first day of school= the worst day. After the seven hours of school passed, the final bell of the day rang. Finally!
After I was finished at my locker, I started heading towards my car when I saw Amy walking towards me with some of her friends.

“Hey Brian!” she said with a big smile on her face and a wave. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun on the top of her head.

“Oh, uh, Hey Amy!” I replied, thinking over what I had just said in my head. Making sure it didn’t sound stupid. Once she was about two yards from me, she introduced me to her two friends, Megan and Casey.

“I just wanted to let you know,” she said “if you ever need help finding your way around, call me.”

“Thanks!” I replied, as she wrote her number on my palm, and I told her I would call her.
I turned to hop in my car, and I headed home. I don’t know what I would do without a GPS, at least I know it would have taken me so much longer to arrive at my new home. I walked in, Nicole was sitting at the kitchen counter diligently doing her homework, Tommy was watching T.V., and my father was making dinner. I said hello then ran upstairs to do my homework.
Day 2 Part Tres: In mi casa:
I set down my backpack when I noticed a small chain off to the right of my room, in a little nook, near my closet. I don’t know how I noticed it ‘cause it was hidden well but I did. I began examining it, and I tugged on it softly, to see if something would fall out from the shelf. When nothing happened I pulled on it harder and –
“AHHH!” was all I could say as I fell down a cool, metal slide.
Shortly I ended up in another room, I had never seen in the house, there were no doors, only a small window, big enough for a person to squeeze through. In semi-big red letters to the left of the window, there was a sign that read: SAFE SHELTER. It was pretty cool, it seemed like a place where I could go just to chill, or do my work. Inside the room there was a desk, a TV, and a small couch. This was really sick I thought while trying to figure out how I was going to get out, I found another chain, and this time there was a green button next to it. I assumed the chain was going to bring me out of the room, so I pressed the button first. The button opened a hatch in the wall. Within the hatch I found a letter, and a small fridge with some Jell-O. I decided to read the letter first, it read:
Dear Reader,
Hello there! Welcome to the Montgomery house! This house has a few secret passages and trap doors; maybe you could go searching for treasure maps. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found one. This house was built back in the early 1800s; one of the oldest houses, but it’s been spruced up a bit. This house has also been known to lure in many intruders, because of the “treasure” that’s inside. This is when these secret passages come into play. They were built to secure the family and guests within and there is an entrance to them in every room. Ok, so about the intruders, you will know when something is up. Look in the hatch you found this letter in, there is a security device, it will alert you whenever something goes wrong, also from the TV in this room, you will be able to watch security cameras, channel 309. It is this channel because the address is 309 Eillets Lane. I hope you enjoy this house as much as I and other owners did. There are copies of the letters written by other owners in the hatch. Make sure you write one too before you move out, and leave a copy of this one. I hope you have a great time here! Oh, and don’t tell anyone outside your immediate family about the secrets and treasures of this home, it is already rumor, and if you spill the secret, you will be doomed! Well have fun!
Sincerely,
Dan McNamara
I was kind of confused about what the letter meant, but I didn’t think much about it. That night I secluded myself to my room. Once I finished my homework, which included my procrastination, it was about eleven. I left my room to grab some leftovers from dinner ‘cause I decided not to eat with everyone else. Nicole and Tommy were sound asleep and my dad was watching the end of the newest NCIS episode. I thought I kept hearing voices and footsteps upstairs but I shrugged it off.
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After my father fell asleep, I knew something was up. I walked quietly up the stairs, checked in my dad’s room, Tommy’s room and Nicole’s room, but they were all dead asleep. I was just about to go back downstairs to clean up my mess, and I heard Jasper barking at something in the kitchen, so instead I woke up my father.

“Dad,” I whispered, “Dad, wake up.”

“What?” he said with a drowsy look on his face.

“Someone’s downstairs. Jasper’s barking like crazy!”

“Ok, ok.” He said falling back asleep.

“Dad! Get up, let’s go.” I whispered as loud as I could.

I got him up out of his bed, and then woke up Nicole and grabbed Tommy from his crib. I didn’t know how many people were in the house, but according to the letter I read earlier I thought I should probably find another entrance to the safe shelter. When everyone was in my father’s room, I began to look around to find a chain or a button to get us there. There it was a chain right by the closet. I was the last one to pull the chain. Once we were all in the secret room, everyone was amazed, but I ran right to the remote, channel 309. I checked out all the security cameras, until I found him, a tall, dark-haired man holding a gun, with a pale-skinned girl standing next to him. I thought the girl looked familiar.

“Isn’t that Madison?” exclaimed Nicole.

And the only words I could think of to say were Spanish: Desempaquetar, escuela, dos, tu, tres, y mi casa.