ONE
“Come on, Peter! Cheer up! Isn’t this place nice? Your room has a great outside view and a youth sports center nearby you can join.”
Peter scowled in annoyance as he gazed around his family’s new apartment in Raven City, the biggest territory in the Eternal World.
His mother beamed at him as his father and brother, Michael, unpacked the furniture in the living room. “I just know we’re going to love it here, Peter. I heard great things about this neighborhood.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. An apartment two times smaller than our house in Ocean Falls. Fantastic,” he drawled sarcastically.
Her face fell and he felt a small pang of guilt for being rude. She turned to help Michael and his father unpack. Michael gave him a stern look and Peter reluctantly enabled them.
That evening at dinner, his parents kept trying to tell Peter about the neighborhood they were living in, the activities nearby, and Raven City High School, his new school.
Still, he rebuffed all of their attempts, not wanting to hear it. He was still angry they dragged him to this new territory and was counting down the days until he could get back to Ocean Falls and he had to join RCHS in the middle of the year.
He hated Raven City so far. Yeah, he didn’t have many friends, or, if he was being technical, they were more acquaintances he would occasionally hang out with, but Ocean Falls had been all he’d ever known. It was quiet and peaceful, the beaches with ocean waves, the mornings and nights quiet, and an overall atmosphere of peace and tranquility. He’d imagined building a house near the Eternal World’s Ocean there for the rest of his life.
Raven City was too loud for him. It never slept, there was always noise, always movement, always someone else around, it was way too big, even bigger than Ocean Falls. It felt like he could barely breathe with someone always near him, it felt like he could barely move, it was too crowded. He barely got any sleep since they got there because of the noises that came from the city. He hated it here.
After everyone was done eating and they cleaned up the table, Michael nudged him and said, “Pete, come fly with me.”
Peter groaned and dramatically threw his head back. “Now?”
“No, yesterday morning. Yes, now, you goofball.”
Michael grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out the door.
