Young Adults

CHAPTER 2

(Y/n) lounged in her room, eyes half-focused on the TV, while the scent of oven-cooked salmon, roasted asparagus, and seasoned rice wafted up from the kitchen.

Not her favorite meal, but she was too lost in thought to even bother complaining.

Her mind spun over the events of the day. The encounter with that boy was puzzling enough... but what happened after had left her even more bewildered.

"(Y/n)! Dinner's ready!" Her father's voice boomed from the foot of the stairs.

With a sigh, she sat up, flicking off the TV. She didn't rush to the door or make a hurried dash downstairs—there was no point. She'd learned some time ago that hurrying to meet other people's expectations was just... too much effort.

When (Y/n) finally made her way downstairs and into the dining room, she found herself walking into the middle of her parents' conversation. Her mother was serving dinner, gesturing excitedly as she spoke.

"You should really see the shop now," her mother boasted, a satisfied smile on her face. "The atmosphere just adds to the calm aesthetic I was going for!"

"Oh yeah?" her father responded, sounding genuinely interested. "What new plants did you order in?"

"Well," her mother began, "I won't lie. After living in the south, where it was all cacti and palm trees, I'm having to learn about a lot of new plants. But you know me, I'll figure it out—like I always do."

Her father chuckled. "There you go! How about this—this weekend, we'll all come by and check out the shop. Maybe you could give our eldest a weekend job while we're at it."

(Y/n) groaned, cutting into their conversation. "Seriously? You're always volunteering my time like that. Could've at least asked me first..."

Her father raised his hands in a defensive gesture, clearly not meaning to overstep. "Alright, sorry! Geez. So... do you want to?"

"Sure, whatever," (Y/n) muttered, despite having just complained. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she adored her mother's plant nursery. It was peaceful, almost magical. And now, she'd get to spend time surrounded by plants she'd never seen before. The thought secretly thrilled her—not just for herself, but for her mom too.

Her mother smiled warmly. "I appreciate that. And don't worry about helping me right away. I want you and Caidence to get settled into your new schools first. The first week is always stressful, so—"

"I had a stressful day!" Caidence suddenly piped up, her outburst making (Y/n) jump in her seat before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh? What happened, sweet-pea?" their mother asked, turning her attention to Caidence.

Caidence's expression was grave, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "Well, the teacher handed out these cute erasers. I got a kitty and a unicorn, b-but the kitty... it got lost. And then my unicorn eraser fell down the drain when I was heading to the bus!"

"Aww..." their parents cooed in unison.

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow. "Aw?" she echoed, clearly not sharing the same sympathy.

"We can get you some more cute erasers," their mother assured Caidence.

"Just for her to lose them again?" (Y/n) chimed in, half-joking.

Her father nodded, siding with (Y/n). "Yeah, I'm with your sister on this one. Caidence, you lost your erasers because you weren't being responsible. We'll get you more... maybe for your birthday."

"Aw... okay," Caidence pouted, her lower lip jutting out dramatically.

Their mother turned to (Y/n), ready to change the subject. "So, (Y/n), how was your—"