Bus Rides and Big Changes

I started "The Eliza Rose Trilogy" last year, finishing the 15 page story in November of 2024. I want to share the first book, Accept, in a four part story, here on Be the Blaze.

Hope you enjoy!

Excerpt

Eliza Genesis is eleven, and life is full of routines she loves—playing made-up games on the trampoline with her siblings, sneaking cookie dough from the kitchen, and hanging out with close friends. But change is in the air.

Her older brother Robin is drifting away, more interested in video games and his hair than family games. Emily copies everything he does. And even though Charlie still sticks by her side, Eliza can feel the gap growing—between childhood and... whatever comes next.

Between jump ropes, basketball practice, and Kingdom Seekers, Eliza starts to notice the little things—quiet conversations, missed moments, and the way growing up sneaks in when you're not looking.

Chapter #1 The Genesis’

“Gottcha’,” I said as I tagged my brother, Charlie.

“Come on!” he said, bounding to the middle of the trampoline. He’s brown haired with hazel brown eyes and is nine years old. We were jumping on our trampoline, the fall leaves falling from the trees, and the sun. Radiant pink, orange, red, and yellows crossed the skies. Us, the Genesis siblings were playing a game we had made up on the trampoline called "Cupcake".

“Ha! Emily you’re also it now!” Charlie shouted.

“Ah, Robin, you won,” I said, disappointed.

Robin always won. He’s a handsome teenager at the age of thirteen, with curly sandy hair and striking brown eyes.

Emily? She copies everything Robin does. She has long curly brown hair, the same as Robin, and the same charming personality. Except for today.

We were just starting another round, when my mom called through the sliding door. “Bedtime kids, plus teenager!” Charlie and I got off the tramp, but Robin yelled back, “Mo-oom! Please can we stay out longer?”

“Ya, please can we,” Emily joined in.

“No, you may not. Come on in,” my mom called again.

“Robin! Emily! Listen to your mother,” Our father yelled out from his spot on the couch. Rolling his eyes, Robin got down, off the tramp. Emily copied, tossing her thick brown hair with a swipe of her hand.

Charlie and I don’t look alike like how Robin and Emily do, but we get together like Nutella and Peanut butter on bread. He has strait brown hair and hazel brown eyes. Me? I’m eleven years old and  everyone tells me I look like my dad. Curly blond hair and blue eyes. Same as Sam. Oh, right.

Sam is our three-year-old brother. I cannot tell how we look alike. No matter how hard I try. He’s so cute with his big blue eyes and fluffy hair.

When Charlie and I got into the house, Mom was baking, and dad was sitting on one of our La-Z-Boy recliner chairs. He was reading the bible. Probably from Proverbs. He loves the Lord more than anything. I think his day streak for reading Proverbs is two-hundred-thirty days. Straight. All in a row! His record for how many times he’s read the book of Proverbs is 45 times. Me? Twice.

Charlie and I hurried up the stairs, sneaking a chunk of raw cookie dough on the way through the kitchen. Yum.

“I saw that, you two,” Mom said, calling up. Charlie yawned, causing me to yawn. We both laughed.

As I got ready for bed, brushing my teeth and getting pajamas on, I heard dad talking to Robin.

When did he change? He suddenly acts almost too good for us. Almost. After begging for a phone for months, he finally got his wish, and now he’s almost always in his room playing video games. Or something. Suddenly he cares if his hair is sticking up or messy. We don’t care. I hope he changes for the good.

Chapter #2 Mary

I was jostled awake by the sounds of footsteps on the stairs, the slam of the door, and mom grumbling. Looking at the clock that sat on my nightstand, I jumped out of bed. 8:05?! We had to be at the bus stop by 8:15! I had ten minutes to get ready. I quickly got dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Brushing my hair and teeth didn’t take too long, but by the time I was downstairs, it was 8:10.

I greeted mom with a quick kiss on the cheek, then grabbed an apple from the fridge, got my school stuff together, and ran out the door. Thank goodness mom had packed my lunch already.

I ran all the way to the bus stop. Panting, I took my water bottle and took a quick swig. Emily was playing jump rope. “One hundred and three…” The bright yellow bus stopped beside the curb. Bouncing aboard with the other kids, I made my way to the back of the bus. I passed my two cousins, Tyler and Jane, friends Samantha and Julie, then plopped down beside Cassandra, another of my friends.

She has brownish red hair, and sky-blue eyes. Yet again she was looking on her phone. She slipped it into her pocket when I sat down, though. That’s one thing she always does. Looks on her phone. Let’s just say, it’s something I don’t like about her.

“Hey, ‘Liza,” she said, calling me by my nickname and grinning.

“Hi Cas, so what’s on the book for today?” I asked her.

“Basketball practice after school an hour and a half, then go home and walk Mrs. Cate’s two dogs, then swimming practice. And you?”

"I also have basketball practice, then I can go home, have supper and stuff. And at 6:30, I have Kingdom Seekers,” I told her.

The bus stopped and Mary (short for Marianne), one of my closest friends, sat down in the seat ahead of me.

“Oh, hey Liz,” she said. I have a lot of nicknames.

“Hi Mary. Driving with us to Kingdom Seekers tonight?” As I struck up a conversation with Mary, Cassandra took out her phone again. I ignored her and kept talking with Mary.

Mary has black, right below ear length hair and deep blue eyes. Freckles cover her face and arms, and she almost always has a smile on her cheery face. She lives out of town with her awesome older sister, Ruby. Ruby is so COOL! I don’t know how to explain it. Well, she’s Robin’s age, but doesn’t act like him. Ruby doesn’t ignore us.

“Yep, but first I have horsemanship after school, eat supper, then piano lessons after that. My mom asked me to ask your mom if you could pick me up from piano lessons. Ruby has to be brought to a friend’s house for a school project and she can’t pick me up,” Mary told me, waving her hands in the air. The other girl beside her, Ari, didn’t pay any attention. “Ya, probably my mom could do that.,” I said.

“You can call your mom after lunch at the front desk,” Mary suggested.

“Got it. Meet at lunch in the cafeteria,” I said. Life was great.

“Hey! Eliza Rose Genesis and Marianne Greene! Sit down this instant,” shouted the bus driver, Mr. Klassen, touching the brakes. My face went red, and I sat normally again. But Mary twisted a bit in her seat to look at me, then winked. I winked back.