The feeling of anxiety was one that she was all too familiar with.

  Kayla tapped her fingers on the seat of the bus, hating how worry entered up on her mind as she got closer to the home that was new to her. She'd tried to push it away, but to no avail. Moving was something that had become normal to her- if she stayed somewhere more than two years, it was almost a miracle. 

    "Nervous?" A familiar voice asked, and Kayla turned her head towards her brother, Alex. 

    Alex has brown hair, it wasn't super short, but it wasn't super long, either. his bangs could cover his eye if he styled it that way, but it was slicked back with gel. He wasn't a small person, either. He stood at almost 6 feet-  and if we’d stayed in one place, he would certainly have been a lady killer. However, he avoided relationships like a plague- according to him, they weren't worth the trouble once we moved- a motto he seemingly didn't keep for his friends, oddly enough.

   Although they were siblings, they didn't share that much resemblance. Alex had green eyes, while Kayla had blue, Alex had brown hair while Kayla had blonde. Alex was tall, Kayla was short. It was almost like they were born just to be opposites of each other. Not only in looks, but also in personality. 

    "Aren't you?” She replied, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

    "Why should I be? It's not like we haven't moved before."

    "Well, unlike you, I don't find joy in meeting new people," She grumbled, her blue eyes cold as she stared at the green foliage outside the window, taking in the beauty of it. 

    "And unlike me, you don't care about having, y'know, a social life," Alex spat back, equally as cold as her.

    Kayla turned away, annoyance bubbling in her chest. If she hasn't felt annoyed before, she sure did now. All this move did was remind her of her lack of a normal life. Three moves in six years. Her parents were looking for better job opportunities, but they'd decided education opportunities were better for their kids, and that we needed to settle down. Not that either me or Alex thought that meant sending us away to our aunt and uncle.

    "Next stop, Whitefish, Montana," An intercom clicked on. "The time is 3:45. Please watch your step as you get off," the monotone voice droned on a few more things about luggage, but Kayla wasn't paying attention. She had fixed her gaze outside on the mountains, something she didn't have in Kansas. They twisted and turned, almost in a rhythm, like dancers perfectly in sync. The grass was sprung up, and flowers bloomed while bees buzzed on them, gathering pollen for their brood. Would the grass wilt in the winter? Would the bees hide away, seeking the warmth of their hive? Would the pretty view be covered in a blanket of snow once the cold weather hit? 

   "-okay?" Kayla turned towards Alex, looking at him guiltily, hoping her face didn't betray the fact she missed everything he just said.

   "You weren't listening, were you," He sighed, tapping his foot impatiently. 

   "I… was…" She lied feebly, although Alex just shook his head in disbelief, letting out a deep sigh. Kayla worried that she'd annoyed him too much today.

   "I was saying that Aunt Rory will be picking us up at the stop. Hurry up and get your suitcase."

   "Alright," Kayla stood up, grabbing her beige suitcase from a rack near the front of the bus. 

   "Stopping now," the intercom crackled "Whitefish, Montana…"

  Kayla took in a deep breath, stepping off the bus. She held her hand out in the air, almost as if catching an invisible butterfly. The first difference she noticed was the cold. It was certainly cold for the end of summer. 

    "Sure is cold, isn't it?" Alex repeated her thoughts, resting his hand on her shoulder.

    "Yeah. It's a nice change, I guess."

    "Agreed. Time to get ready for snow," he smiled, and anyone could have seen the excitement in his eyes, “Although I guess we still have a couple of months.”

    Kayla didn't respond as she glanced around, taking in all her surroundings. The town was quite small- smaller than she had expected. Trees grew along the road, their branches upturned to the sky, hanging over the desolate road. Few cars passed by, and a stream glistened a reflection of the blue sky above. Out of all the places she'd moved, it was probably the most remote. Before, her life had always resolved around bustling cities and crowds- waiting in traffic just to get around the city- and certainly not seeing the sky often.

    "Kay! Alex!" A cheerful voice called from behind them.

    Kayla felt spite once again. Although Rory was her aunt, she’d only met her a few times throughout her life. If anything, she was basically a stranger. Aunt Rory resembled her sister- Wavy black hair that went just below her shoulders, green eyes, and even her smile was similar. She had dimples- an envy to Kayla- and her face shone a sweetness that could be expected in that of a grandma- Certainly not what would be expected of a 34 year old.

    "Aunt Rory!" Alex grinned, taking a few steps forward before giving her a hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders

    "It's been way too long since I last saw the two of you. How was the ride down?" Aunt Rory patted his back like he was a little child, before shifting away to look at his face closely, grabbing his cheeks and looking at both sides of his face as if any sign of sickness would be seen in it.

    "It was fine, Auntie. All safe, as you can see," her brother grinned, pulled back and spun in a circle, as if proving his own point.

    "Kay! How about you? Come give me a hug." Aunt Rory had turned to her, face lit with enthusiasm as she moved towards Kayla, reaching out to hug her like she had her brother.

    Kayla stepped forward, slightly uncomfortable as she hugged her Aunt. She looked at her brother, as if a call for help, but he gave her a mischievous grin and a wink, enjoying her distaste for physical touch.

    "You two are what- 17 and 16, now, right?" Aunt Roy grinned again after she gave Kayla's head a rub, messing up her hair.

    "Yup! But this old man is still fit as a badger," Alex chuckled at his own joke, seemingly pleased in himself.

    "Old," Kayla started, "But not very fit. You're decaying with every step." She muttered.

    "That just means you're next!"

    "If 17 is decaying-" Aunt Roy cut in "-Then I'm a living skeleton." Her face was still sweet, but a twinge of concern passed over it as she glanced at Kayla.

    "Skeletons are neat," Alex shrugged, looking around. "Where'd you park the car?"

    The ride up to Aunt Roy's house was peaceful. The scenic view of the mountains were surprisingly pleasing, and Kayla could almost get lost in the baby blue skies. 

   But that was before reality started hitting her. She'd be starting in a new school, with new people. New teachers. Kayla scratched the back of her neck, a habit of her anxiety- and her she reminded herself of her mothers words-  Perhaps moving was good- A way to leave behind the past.

   She let out a sigh, the rhythm of the car along the road luling her to the only good sleep she'd gotten in days. Funny what a change of pace can do for you. 

   Those words were some of the last words her dad had spoken to her before she'd left for the bus. He wasn't wrong, she knew, but it hurt knowing that it was right before she was sent off, before he changed his life for what he thought was better. She put in her earbuds and turned on her music. 

   The irony of the first song that came up made her smile slightly as she read the words, 'Needed a change of place' on the screen of her phone. 

"Left without a warning or even informing the coroner.. I was a foreigner, never belonged in that place…" She hummed to herself, feeling the music help herself calm down from her anxiety.

  "We're here, kiddo's!" Kayla jolted out of her thoughts, turning to look at the house. It was smaller than she had expected. The outside was made with brick and had two windows on the front. The front yard had a bush, which was seemingly overgrown, and a patch of flowers that was starting to die due to the cold.

  "School starts up in a few days. I enrolled you two in Whitefish high school. We can pick up your schedule tomorrow. Today, we need to head to the store to pick up a few necessities. What do you two need?" Aunt Roy placed a hand on Kayla's shoulder, the warmth comforting compared to the cold air.

   "I need some food," Alex declared, folding his arms. 

   "We can get some while we're out."

   "Alright. I'll remember what we need while we're shopping," he yawned, heading back to the car after carrying their suitcases inside. 

    Kayla walked around the store nervously. She'd been sent to the candy aisle to pick out some sweets, but she didn't know what to get- a situation that was a formula for her unhappiness.

    The feeling of pressure was returning to her- a feeling she was all too familiar with. Why can't I just be normal? Why does this stress me out so much…? She slid her hand onto her neck as she looked at the candy. Something that should have been easy was overwhelming her- something that was as simple as grabbing a bag of candy felt her feel like an outcast. She backed up slightly, closing her eyes to try and focus.

    What Kayla had failed to do, however, was pay attention to her surroundings. As she stepped back, she stumbled into someone behind her. With a small yelp of surprise, she caught her footing and turned around, face going red with embarrassment, looking at the person who was the victim of her lack of attention. The person was a tall boy who had slightly curly black hair and hazel brown eyes that complimented his completion well.

   "I-Im so sorry, sir," She stumbled over her words and took a step back, face still red with embarrassment. The boy looked down at her, blinking, his face slightly cold as he listened to her stumble over her words- only increasing her anxiety. 

   "I didn't mean to run into y-" as her rambling continued, he spoke up, his eyes glinting, almost as if examining the weird thing in front of him.

   "You don't have to explain yourself, I also get lost in the food aisles." His voice was colder than his face, but he glanced at the candy in front of Kayla, pulling a bag of sour straws which he stuck in his basket. The boy turned around and started to walk away, glancing back at her.

    "Sour straws are a good candy for anyone. They're sweet once you get past the sour, but not sickeningly sweet." And with that, he turned around the corner, leaving Kayla looking that direction dumbfoundedly. Perhaps I'll be okay in this town after all.

    A few bags of sour straws was what she decided to grab.