story heading north by listeria calvin

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Heading North
Listeria Calvin

1 Elisa sat in a vinyl chair next to her mother and waited for Ms. Everett, the principal, to hang up the phone and emerge from her office to sign the documents that would finalize Elisa's transfer into the school. Elisa's mother pointed to the coat rack next to the door. Elisa knew that her mother wanted her to hang up her coat, but Elisa still felt cold—she had been barely able to contain her shivering since they arrived in this sleepy little Pennsylvania town. But Elisa obeyed her mother's wishes and hung her down-filled jacket on a hook.

2 Elisa glanced at the clock—it was 9:30. Back home, her friends were changing from first to second period while feeling the warmth of the sun's rays streaming through the glass panes in the hallway. Breanna and Emily were likely walking close to one another, filling the space between them where Elisa used to be. Brian was probably still in their first-period classroom discussing surfing with Kevin—he would have to sprint to class when the bell rang.

3 Most students would be dressed in shorts and cotton shirts because the temperature rarely dipped below seventy degrees, even in the winter. They would eat their lunch outdoors on picnic tables where they had a view of the sparkling ocean. After school, they might head to the beach for a bit before heading home for homework and dinner.

4 Leaving her happy life in Sarasota was not easy for Elisa, who at first dug in her heels. She cried and pleaded with her mother to look for work in Florida. But she was no longer a little girl and realized that she had to accept her mother's decision because it was in their best interest. Elisa's mother had been out of work for a while and the job she had been offered was a good one. And Elisa also knew that there was more to her mother's decision than finances. Her elderly grandparents lived alone and were now at an age where they needed family nearby. They were no longer able to drive and depended on buses to take them where they needed to go, which was not always convenient or even possible. And there were tasks that they just couldn't do anymore, like shoveling snow and carrying heavy bags of groceries into the house.

5 Elisa was certain that she would be miserable in Pennsylvania, but she helped her mother pack boxes and load them into a moving van. She tearfully said goodbye to her friends, teachers, and neighbors and headed north, away from sunshine, palm trees, beaches, and manatees—away from the only home she had ever known.

6 While she had visited her grandparents many times, Elisa had seen snow only once. She and her mother usually visited in the summer when the heat in Florida became unbearable and the cool northern breezes welcomed them like a long-lost friend. In Elisa's memory, the fluffy white snow was beautiful, and when she built a snowman in her grandparent's yard, she felt like a princess in an enchanted winter wonderland. She did not recall whipping wind, slippery ice, and wind-chill factors that plummeted below zero.

7 Yet, she had to admit, so far life in Pennsylvania wasn't all bad. Her mother had rented a two-story house on the street where her grandparent's lived. Elisa had never lived in a house with an upstairs because a second floor would be too hot in Florida. Elisa liked ascending the creaky wooden stairs up to her room. She enjoyed peering out of her bedroom window at the street below. The long, narrow house was on a tree-lined street with wide sidewalks. Elisa thought it would be a beautiful place to stroll on a warm, spring day. The house also had a deep front porch with a wooden swing hanging from its rafters. Elisa planned to spend at least a few summer mornings sipping lemonade while swinging on the swing. She might even curl up there and read a novel.

8 Even though she still was not used to the cold, spending winter nights cuddled under blankets indoors felt cozy and comfortable. Waking up to see tree branches blanketed in fresh snow made her feel peaceful and relaxed. She liked seeing the snow piled up on the bottom of the window panes and running her finger through the condensation that covered the windows when she and her mother cooked dinner each night. A girl who lived across the street had offered to teach Elisa how to ski, and Elisa thought she might just take her up on the offer.