Take it to the Grave by Katherine Pentecost (inspirational novels txt) 📕

I slapped my alarm clock as soon as the annoying thing started buzzing. It's not like i needed it this morning anyway, considering the fact that I have been up for awhile now. It's pretty dang hard to sleep when you have such a drawn out day ahead of you. Today is my last day here and I had almost finished all my packing for the big move that I was gonna be making later on that afternoon.

Yep I was moving and I couldn't be more excited about it. After my mom and Steve broke up a few months back she decided to head to the big city to try and expand her career. Which is fine with me since it's something she has always dreamed about doing, and besides I'm getting to go live with my dad.

After their divorce, dad went to live at our lake house in Elkin, North Carolina. Which is located just right at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I can't wait to get there. The lake house use to be our vacation home where we would spend the summers when I wasn't in school. It was the place where my dad had grew up, and where I met my best friend Abby when we were both five. Don't get me wrong, I have had good friends here in Missouri, but none of them will ever completely understand me like Abby.

"Well that's the last of them." I tell myself as I closed up the box to take it down stairs with the others. Now all I have to do is put it all into my car. As I keep checking the clock, I realize that more time that passes by the more excited I become. The first thing that I'm gonna do once I get to Elkin is take a run through the woods that are right behind the lake. You would think by looking at me that I'm not the outdoors type. With my platinum blonde hair that has black highlights through it and the whole underneath. Not to mention my tanned skin. I look like the preppy kind of girl who freaks at the sight of bugs, but I'm the complete opposite actually.

"Natalie, sweetie are you almost done? You need to be leaving soon if you're gonna try and get to your father's before it gets to late." my mom yells at me from the kitchen. She's probably in there making me a ton of snacks to take on the road in case I get hungry. But knowing my mother she has most likely made way more than I can eat by myself, which will just give me and dad something to eat for later. "Yeah, just give me a second." I yell back down the stairs at her.

I walk into the kitchen just in time to see her bagging up the last sandwiches she had made. As she handed me the bag full of food I leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. All she does is looks back at me. "what was that for?" "Oh no reason really. I'm just really gonna miss you that's all."

It's obvious that she really wants to cry once I say that, but I couldn't help it. I am gonna miss her, but I still excited about moving in with my dad, and getting to see Abby.

"Well atleast we will have some holidays together. I know that you will be wanting to spend them with both me and your father, but don't worry dear we will figure out all those minor details when the time comes."

"Of course mom, I know we will." I reply back to her as I pull her in, giving her a tight hug. Glancing over her shoulder I seen the clock. It was a little past eight-thirty. "You know mom, if you don't hurry then you're gonna miss your flight." Which was leaving at nine-forty, but it was a good little drive to even get to the airport from where we lived.

I help her load the last of her things into the taxi. Lucky enough for us the cab driver was nice and in no hurry, which is good since I already knew she was continue to tell me to be careful on my way to my dads. Not to mention she would probably go through some check list in her mind making sure that she covered everything and that she had she hadn't forgotten anything. "Okay, let's see I have my purse, my carry on bag, and my suitcases are in the trunk...hmm. Are you sure I'm not forgetting anything?" I mentally smile at myself for knowing my mom so well. "Yes mom you've got it all, so don't worry. Beside like I said earlier you're gonna be late if you don't hurry up already."

"I know sweetie, I just like to be sure of these things you know." All I can do is smile at her. God how I'm gonna miss my mom. "Now are you sure that you are gonna be okay going to your father's by yourself?"

"Of course, I have my GPS after all."

"Yes, but it's still a very long drive Natalie. Are you sure you're up to it?"

"Jeez mom, yes I'll be fine for the last time. Now will you go already and quit stalling." I say to her not even bothering to hide the giggles that escape my lips. "Alright, alright I'm leaving. Oh Natalie, sweetheart, I'm gonna miss you so much."

"I know mom I'm gonna miss you too." We give each a long tight last minute hug before she climbs into the cab. Who had still been sitting there waiting on her patiently. The only thing I can do is stand there and watch as the taxi and my loving mother disappear down the driveway.

Now it's my turn to hit the road. I head into the house for a few more good-byes, and so I can play the roll of my mom for a minute and double check myself. Guess you could say she rubs off on me like that from time to time. All my stuff had already been packed nicely away into my car. I took the liberty to do so while I was putting everything else into the cab. I close the door for the last time. Getting into my car, I turn to give a quick glance at the place that was no longer going to be my home. I turn the key and start down the driveway. After a day's drive then I'll be home sweet home.

I turn left onto the long road that leads to the lake house. After about a five minute drive down the old dirt road, I finally come to it. Pulling in I put the car in park and get out. The next thing I see is my dad coming out the front door.

"Natalie! It's about time." He says to me as he picks me up twirling around in to a bunch of circles. "Yeah dad I know, but you've got to remember it is a long distance from Missouri to here.

"Well you know how impatient of a man I am."

"Duh, how could anyone forget." I replied laughing. God it was so good to him. If words could only describe my dad. For starters he's a pretty laid back kind of guy. Don't get me wrong he does have his rules and all, but he's not exactly what I would call strict either. Which I still think that has something to do with him and my mom getting a divorce.

"Are those some of your mother's sandwiches." He asks me.

"Here, help yourself. I don't think I could eat another one if I wanted to." I hand him the bag that contained what was left of my mother's 'road trip snacks' she had made me. "Oh right, come on then let's get your things up to your room. We can catch up over dinner later after you've been able to get settled in and freshin up a bit." Grabbing most of my stuff we head into the house. "Thanks dad for basically letting me know I stink."

Giggling he gives me a wink telling me that that's not what he meant. He just figured that I would probably be feeling a little grungy after being in the car for so long. Not that he need to explain that to me since I already knew what it was that he meant.

Once I get everything up to my room, I go ahead and begin to unpack. Which doesn't take long since I didn't have to worry with packing a lot. Right after pulling out some of my clothes, from where they were neatly packed away, I walk over to put them away in the beautiful dresser my dad had bought me three years ago. Running my hand over the perfectly crafted wood design that had been painted an antique cream color. Taking the clothes that that I was still holding, I placed them into it.

Turning around and giving the once over. This was the same room my parents gave me when we use to come here on vacation, back when it was just our vacation home. Our one place where we could go every summer to get away from everything. My dad had left my room just the way it was from the last time I came and stayed a few weeks with him back in April. Then I had decided it was time for a change since I wasn't a little girl anymore, and I had talked dad into going with me to the the department store, which is in the next town over, and getting me some new paint so I could make it a bit more grown up looking. I chosen a creamy pale yellow color. I got a little creative by cutting a bunch of pretty white flowers out that I would find in old pictures or in magazines, and pasted them all on the same wall. Now the room had more of an classic victorian look to it, which suited my personality more I guess.

I practically danced over to the soft white curtains that were hanging