The night Dad lost his job, the house felt smaller.
I was halfway through my homework when I heard the front door close, not the usual tired thud, but something heavier. Lower. Slower.
Voices drifted from the kitchen.
"We can't just move, John. How will the children feel?" Mum's voice was tight, strained.
"We don't have a choice, Mariam. It's the only way we survive until I find something else. We'll go to my parents' place. Just for a while."
Silence.
Then, "Call them."
A few minutes later, Mum knocked on our bedroom door.
"Come in," I called.
Elsa looked up from her phone. Nick was on the floor with his toy cars.
Mum and Dad stood in the doorway, holding hands.
"We have something to tell you," Mum said.
"What is it?" Elsa asked.
Dad cleared his throat. "We're moving."
The word dropped like glass shattering.
"What?" Elsa and I said at the same time.
"You're joking," I added quickly. "We can't move. All our friends are here."
"Phoebe's right," Elsa said. "Everything is here."
Dad rubbed the back of his neck. "I lost my job today. We need to start somewhere less expensive until I find another one."
Nick didn't say anything. He just stood up and wrapped his arms around Mum.
"We're leaving tomorrow morning," Dad said gently.
"Tomorrow?" My chest tightened. "That's not fair. At least let me say goodbye properly."
"You can call them," Mum said softly. "There isn't time."
"Where are we even going?" I asked.
"Silver Hollow."
The name meant nothing to me.
That night, I lay awake staring at the ceiling. The city lights from LA glowed faintly through my window the last time I'd see them like that.
Dad knocked lightly and stepped inside.
"I know this is hard," he said, sitting on the edge of my bed. "But Silver Hollow is where I grew up. It's peaceful. Safe. I loved it there."
"I'm not you," I whispered.
He smiled sadly. "I think you'll find something there too."
I didn't answer.
Morning came too fast.
Boxes filled the hallway. The air smelled like tape and cardboard. By the time the car was packed, our house looked like it had already forgotten us.
As we drove away, I kept my eyes on the rearview mirror until our street disappeared.
"Dad," Nick asked from the back seat, "what's Silver Hollow like?"
Dad glanced at him through the mirror.
"The houses are spaced out. Lawns are always trimmed. White fences. At night the porch lights glow soft, not like the neon in the city. Just… calm."
Too calm, I thought.
"There's a high school on a hill," he continued. "Brick building. Tall windows. An old clock tower that still works. You can see the woods from the top floor."
"You'll love it," he added.
My phone buzzed.
Group Chat:
We'll miss you.
Stay in touch.
LA won't be the same without you.
I turned the phone face down and looked out the window.
The highway stretched endlessly ahead.
A wooden sign welcomed us hours later.
WELCOME TO SILVER HOLLOW
The letters were carved deep into faded wood.
Dad parked in front of a modest two-story house with pale siding and a wide porch.
Curtains shifted in nearby windows.
They were already watching.
A man approached, smiling broadly. "John West? Haven't seen you in years."
"Paul," Dad said, stepping out of the car. "We live here now."
Introductions followed. Handshakes. Polite smiles.
Small town energy. Immediate familiarity.
It felt like everyone already knew our story.
By 4 p.m., the house was mostly unpacked.
I sat alone on the balcony, staring at the empty street.
Dad joined me.
"What's wrong?"
"You know what's wrong," I said quietly. "My whole life was in LA."
"You can build one here."
"It's not that easy."
He sighed, and I walked inside before he could answer.
Behind me, Mum joined him outside. I heard her say softly, "Give her time."
First Day at Silver Hollow High
The school sat exactly as Dad described a tall, brick, almost proud. The clock tower cast a long shadow across the parking lot.
Mum hugged Elsa and me before driving off.
The moment we stepped onto campus, conversations dipped.
"She's the new girl."
"They moved in yesterday."
Elsa squeezed my hand before heading toward her class.
I went to the principal's office to finish enrollment.
"You must be Phoebe," the principal said warmly. "Welcome to Silver Hollow High."
She called a girl from the hallway. "Camille, show her around."
Camille had confident eyes and an easy smile.
"Don't worry," she said as we walked. "You'll survive."
"Encouraging," I muttered.
She laughed.
By lunchtime, I was exhausted from pretending to be fine.
"Come sit with us," Camille called.
At the table sat two other girls.
"Dominique," one said with a nod.
"Naomi," the other added, studying me curiously.
"You're from LA, right?" Dominique asked.
"Yeah."
Before I could say more, three girls approached the table.
Angela led them.
"So this is the new girl everyone's talking about," she said, folding her arms. "You must feel special."
"I just got here," I replied evenly. "I'm not trying to be anything."
"Relax," Camille said coolly. "She's not your competition."
Angela's jaw tightened.
"Let's go," Rose muttered.
They walked off, but not without one last look.
Dominique leaned back in her chair. "Ignore them. They live for attention."
Naomi smiled gently. "You're safe with us."
Safe.
The word lingered.
After school, I walked alone until a car pulled up beside me.
"Get in," Camille said through the window.
"I'm fine."
"Dominique's driving," Naomi added.
"You won't die."
I hesitated, then opened the door.
They laughed easily. Music played softly. For the first time since we arrived, I didn't feel like I was suffocating.
That evening, Mum asked carefully, "Were those your friends?"
"My friends are in LA," I said, walking past her.
Her smile faded.
The next day at lunch, I sat alone.
They found me again.
"You left without us after class," Naomi said gently.
"Still adjusting?" Camille asked.
I nodded.
Dominique grinned. "Sleepover. This weekend. No excuses."
"I doubt my parents will agree."
"Ask," Camille said.
When they dropped me off that afternoon, I walked inside before I could change my mind.
"Can I have a sleepover?" I asked immediately.
Mum and Dad exchanged a look.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Mum started.
"You took away my friends in LA," I snapped. "And now I can't have new ones?"
I went to my room and slammed the door.
Minutes later, Dad knocked softly.
"I talked to your mum," he said. "You can have it here. At our house."
I turned toward him.
"Really?"
He nodded.
For the first time since we left LA, something in me loosened.
Maybe Silver Hollow wasn't home.
But maybe it was the beginning of something.