Chapter 1: New Home

It's the weekend, and summer break is coming to an end. We have just moved into our new home. It's a two-story house with a mix of white, black, and brown paint on the façade, matching the interior walls, which are accented with cladding. There's a garden in the front yard, and a large tree stands to the right of the fence, casting a cool shade. A rectangular pool stretches from the back of the parking area to the rear of the house.

As I looked around what would soon be my room, my mother repeatedly called my father from downstairs.

"Honey!" she continued, "can you check who's knocking at our door, please?" Her soft and tender voice echoed through the kitchen. My mother is a chef, and I love it when she cooks.

"Okay, coming." my father replied calmly before setting down my baggage. He's musculine, tan skin and tall. He's wearing a white shirt and black pants that makes him standout even in his age.

He looked at me while patting my head. "I'm going to check who it is, you can unpacked your things." he said and I nodded, watching him as he walked away.

A minute later, I heard the door open, followed by a sweet, elderly voice saying, "Hi, sorry to disturb you. We're your neighbors. We just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. This is for your family to share."

Curious, I stopped unpacking my clothes and peeked down the stairs to see what was happening. My father was holding a dish—baked macaroni, I guessed. I smiled because it was my favorite food.

I continued to quietly walk downstairs as I heard my mother's footsteps approaching. She stepped out of the kitchen, wearing a beige apron that fit her perfectly. She has wavy short hair just above her shoulder.

My mother stood beside my father, warmly welcoming the people at our doorstep. They exchanged greetings, and my mother invited them to stay for lunch. At first, the elderly lady hesitated, but in the end, they accepted the invitation.

As they stepped inside the house, I noticed a tall boy standing behind his mother. He looked like he could be around the same age as me - or a year younger. I thought.

"Cleo!", my mom called my brother.

Just then, my older twin brother arrived from outside, carrying a box. He was helping bring in the remaining baggage from the truck. He placed it in the living room, where the other boxes were already piled up. As we walked to the dining table.

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At the dining table.

Our parents introduced us to the visitors. I learned the old lady's named is Marian while her husband named was Matthew Cley is a pilot who's in travel for three- days and her son named is Mattian and i found out his birthday was after mine.

I stared at the boy next to his mom in front of me. I said hi and he smiled back. He's really don't talk to much and have a mature vibes even he's a day younger than me.

After the lunch they talked for a while. I organizing some of the boxes in living area with Mattian but he was reading books, same as my brother beside him.

"Thank you, Rihanna and Leonard, for inviting us", Mattian's mom said after hugging us.

"You're Welcome and just Anna is fine." Mom said , and "Thank you for joining us and you can call me Leo". Dad said. He then looked to Mattian and continue, "You are welcome to visit us.", he nodded, looked at me, and smiled.

We said goodbyes.

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Mattian's POV

As I stepped into their house, my gaze was drawn to a girl descending the stairs quietly. She clumsy moved, her trying to step lightly, as if she didn't want to interrupt the conversation happening between our parents. But her eyes—curious and observant—watched the exchange closely.

Then, she noticed me.

She hesitated for a moment at the last step, her posture shifting slightly. It was subtle, but I could tell—she wanted to say something, to start a conversation.

I glanced away, unsure of what to do. I wasn't exactly great at talking to girls I wasn't close with. Should I say hi first? Would that be weird?

Instead, I just stood there, silent, waiting.

As soon as we sat down for lunch, I noticed her eyes on me. She wasn't staring exactly, but her gaze lingered—curious, expectant. It made me a little uneasy, so I did the only thing I could think of.

I smiled.

She blinked, then returned a small, hesitant smile of her own before looking away.

After we finished eating, our parents continued talking, laughing like they had been friends for years, even though they had only just met. Meanwhile, we sat there—awkwardly sharing the same space or is it just I feel. 

I stood up and wandered over to the bookshelf near the TV. My fingers traced over the spines of the books before pulling one out. As I flipped it open, I noticed her from the corner of my eye. She was unwrapping the figurines and place it to the shelves by herself, while her brother sat nearby, absorbed in his own book.

Seeing no reason to interrupt either of them, I settled back into my seat and started reading.

Moments later, a voice broke the silence.

"You're quiet."

I looked up to see her brother watching me, his book still open in his lap. His tone wasn't unfriendly, but there was something observant about the way he studied me.

I shrugged. "I don't talk much."

He nodded, as if he expected that answer. "Neither does Aireriss. But she likes making friends." His gaze flicked toward her before returning to me. "You can talk with her."

I hesitated, glancing at her again. She was looking at us, lost in thoughts.

"I don't know what to say to her," I admitted.

Her brother chuckled. "She's easy to talk to once you try." Then, his tone softened slightly. "She's a little too quiet and sometimes loud. It's not bad, but I think it'd be good for her to have someone she knows around—so she can adjust quickly."

I frowned slightly. "You mean—", before I can finish my word.

He leaned back in his chair, thoughtful. "Yeah, something like that. She's strong in her own way, but… having a friend who's got her back wouldn't hurt."

I considered his words, then looked at Aireriss again. She must have felt my gaze because she glanced up, her head tilting slightly in question.

Maybe her brother was right. Maybe I should talk to her.

I closed my book and stood up.

"Okay," I said simply. "I'll try."

Her brother smirked, shaking his head. "Good. Just don't make her cry, or you'll deal with me."

I blinked, unsure if he was joking or not. But before I could ask, he had already returned to his book, as if the conversation never happened.

Just as I took a step toward Aireriss, ready to say something, my mother's voice called out.

"Mattian, it's time to go."

I hesitated, glancing back at Aireriss, but before I could say a word, I turned toward my mother. She stood near the door, smiling as she exchanged goodbyes with Mr. and Mrs. Lopez.

Mr. Lopez suggested that I can visit them and played with Aireriss.

I blinked, unsure how to respond at first. My gaze flickered to Aireriss, who stood quietly beside her brother. She wasn't looking at me this time, but something about the way she fidgeted with her fingers told me she had heard what her father said.

I nodded, smiled to her, and with that, we stepped out the door.

As we walked home, I found myself thinking about Aireriss again. About how she had looked at me during dinner, about the words I never got to say.

Maybe next time, I'd actually talk to her.