Bebo

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	Chicken Soup
	Chapter two It’s Thursday and I’m not going to school today, because I need to help out with the final shipping arrangements with Mum and Zach. In fact, she hasn’t sent any of us to school today and she looks tired. I heard her clattering around downstairs last night and when we all woke up in the morning; she had packed up nearly everything in the living room and kitchen. We’re not even shipping this stuff out until tomorrow, but she’s rushing around like crazy. I told everyone the news of me travelling over seas, and said my goodbyes all in one lesson. If I’m honest with myself, no-one really seemed too bothered. So I lifted my spirits high and though, stuff them, I’ll find new friends over in New York. I hope… At the minute, me and Zach are trying to figure out how to take my book shelf to pieces so that it’s easier to send out. And I can tell we’re gonna end up having a tousle or something. All he keeps doing is laughing at me and saying I’m wrong, but at least he’s cheered up now. “I’d be able to do this quicker if you’d help me, stupid.” I growled as the book case nearly fell on top of me. “It’s not mine, so why should I help?” he said, catching the bookshelf with a long arm, before it fell and crushed me. I walked out from underneath it, kicking him in the shin as I passed and nearly making him drop the shelves as I walked and picked up a screw driver, studying it and then looking at the bookshelf, wondering what I should unscrew and what I shouldn’t. Zach walked and snatched the screw driver from my hand, Mumbling as he walked and began unscrewing shelves and stacking them on the floor, quickly as he grumbled. In half an hour, he had taken down the bookcase and was putting the now disassembled piece of furniture into a large, flat box, which it first came in. “There, now stop looking like an idiot and help me carry this downstairs. The van will be leaving in a minute.” He said, picking up one end of the box and raising a brow at me, as I did the same with the other side, struggling like anything. “Why is this thing… so heavy…?” I panted as we inched slowly out of the bedroom door and manoeuvred down the stairs. “It’s not heavy, you’re just weak,” Zach laughed, pushing the box forward, into me. “Oww, stop it. Don’t rush me, or we’ll both fall to our deaths.” I snapped, looking down at the remaining five steps and gulping a bit. “You’re such an idiot,” he sighed as we set the box down near the front door, watching it being picked up quickly by a pair of delivery men, both of them fat and one of them even had their bum hanging out. Yuck. They walked across to a big van that was full of our stuff, boxes, clothes and furniture and slid it in, pulling the door down with a loud clatter and waving to my Mum who was peering out of the window, before clambering into the small front cab and zooming off. The next time we see our things, we’ll be in America. Oh my God. My Mum sighed, standing behind us with Joe resting on her hip as she watched the van leave the end of the street, and then pushed us out gently, locking the door and putting the key through the letterbox. “Now then Joe-Joe, lets go see Gran and Grandad,” she beamed brightly at my brother, who was laughing his head off and clinging to her. Oh no… not Gran’s house! “My goodness Zachary, what in the heavens have you done to your hair? Don’t you think it’s a little harsh?” Gran said disapprovingly, as her eyes widened at the sight of my brothers bright red mop of hair. “I like it Gran…” he Mumbled, looking down at his feet. “Well, I know you’re going through your rebellious stage, but don’t you think this is taking it a step too far? Jennifer, surely you didn’t allow him to do this?” She glared at Mum over her glasses. Mum and Gran have never really got on. Gran is Dad’s Mum and she always says that Dad could do better than ‘that little piece of rubbish’. But Dad stood firm, and even married Mum, saying that she had to get on with her, or they’d never speak again. Even though Gran talks to Mum, she’s always looking down at her, but Mum says nothing. So I can only guess what tonight is going to be like. We’re staying over here until tomorrow, because our beds and things are all being shipped across to the new house, so therefore we have nothing left in the old one. It’s not our house anymore anyway; the estate agents will be round there in the morning. “Yes Margaret, I let him. Now please, it’s getting chilly out here and Joe is shivering. Let’s go inside,” Mum said, rather shrilly as she moved past Gran, into the house, with us at her heels. I heard Gran tut as shut the door. We all stood in the hall for a few minutes as Gran fussed over Joe. Mum was shuffling from one foot to the other and chewing her lower lip just a little, Zach was still studying his feet and I was stood next to him. Gran hadn’t talked to me yet, but I knew that I wasn’t off the hook. “Now, I hope Joseph likes chicken soup, because I’ve made a whole pot of it just for him,” my Gran cooed, tickling Joe’s chubby cheeks. I looked around for Grandad, letting my eyes wander. Nothing had changed since the last time we were here, the wallpaper still creamy beige with a carpet to match. As you can imagine, shoes were strictly forbidden. The sofa and large armchair that my Grandad sat in were a deeper shade, more near a brown than a cream and they had photo’s up on the walls of Dad and his brothers when they were kids, and also a couple from their wedding day. “Hello there Liza, I see you’re getting taller.” Oh no, Gran had turned to me and was walking across, a hand outstretched as she patted my hair down. My eyes widened and Mum noticed, shaking her head urgently behind Gran’s back. Everyone knew I hated people touching my hair, but Gran did it every time. She didn’t say anything else, just gave Zach another disapproving glance then walking off, saying something about dinner being ready in ten minutes or something, I wasn’t listening. Me and Zach sighed at the same time and shot a glance at each other, grinning a bit. Mum let Joe down on the floor and walked across to us, leaning against Zach for support. He was taller than her now, by at least three inches. “I’m sorry kids. It’s hard enough going to live in another country, but staying here for one night is harder. Kill me now,” she smiled faintly at us both and ruffles Zach’s hair, much to his dislike, then followed Joe into the living room or lounge, as Gran calls it. Zach and I lugged our couple of bags upstairs to the spare bedroom, in which Mum and Joe would be sleeping; Zach and me had to do with the sofa and the armchair. When we came back down, dinner was ready and we quickly filed into the dining room, bumping into Grandad. He was taller than Zach and had a pot belly, a moustache growing under his nose in three different shades of grey. His eyes were a watery blue and the edges were creased in three different lines that nearly reached his temples. I liked Grandad, ‘cause he was always smiling, not like Gran. “Ah, hello my little Liza and my rather… tall Zach.” he laughed at himself, the sound a deep rumble that shook around the room, “Excited about the move then?” We both just shrugged, not sure what we felt about the move and he laughed again, this time being joined by Joe who giggled along with him. Sweeping Zach and me into his arms, he hugged us both tightly. He smelt like extra strong mints and wet soil, and I think there was a hint of tobacco there too. I cheered up a little now after seeing Grandad and sat down at my place at the table, tucking into the bowl of chicken soup in front of me. Afterwards, it was already eight o’clock and Mum took Joe off upstairs to bed, resting him on her hip as his head rested on her shoulder, eyes closed halfway sleepily. Gran and Grandad were sat watching the news and Zach was sat at the dining room table still, reading a book. I sighed and sat down on the sofa beside Gran, sleepy myself. After half an hour I was fast asleep, curled up at one end of the sofa with my head on the arm rest. The last thing I remember is being woken up by Zach as he made me straighten out on the sofa and draped a blanket over me, walking to the armchair and sitting down, his eyes closing slowly. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
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