Moving day was supposed to be the worst. Mom had signed me up to help the new neighbors move in, and I had been dreading it all week. I had a perfectly good Saturday planned – reading, listening to music, maybe hanging out with Layla if she wasn't too busy with her college prep. But no, here I was, forced to lug boxes and pretend to be excited about it.
"Come on, Eve," Mom said, clapping her hands to get my attention. "It won't kill you to be neighborly. Plus, it's good exercise!"
Layla smirked at me from the kitchen, munching on bowl of cinnamon toast crunch. "Yeah, Eve, think of all those gains," she teased.
I rolled my eyes but grabbed my sneakers. "Fine, whatever."
As I trudged over to the house next door, I mentally prepared myself for a long, boring day. The house looked the same as always, but now there were moving trucks and boxes scattered around. I spotted a few people inside, probably the new neighbors.
"Eve, over here!" Mom called from the driveway. She was talking to a tall, athletic girl who was hoisting a heavy box like it was nothing. Her brown hair had a beautiful shade blonde underneath, and she had a confident, easy smile.
"This is Izzy," Mom introduced. "She just moved in. Izzy, this is my daughter, Eve."
"Hey," Izzy said, her voice warm and friendly. "Nice to meet you."
For a second, I just stared. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Izzy was... different. She had this energy about her that made my heart beat a little faster.
"Hi," I managed to say, trying to sound casual. "Do you need any help?"
"Sure, if you don't mind," Izzy replied. "There are a few more boxes in the truck that need to come in."
As I followed her to the moving truck, I felt a strange mix of nervousness and excitement. This wasn't like me. Usually, I hated meeting new people. But there was something about Izzy that made me want to stick around.
We worked together in relative silence, but it wasn't awkward. It felt... comfortable. Every now and then, our hands would brush as we passed boxes, and I felt a tingle run up my arm. I kept sneaking glances at her, trying to figure out what it was about her that was so captivating.
"So, where did you move from?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
"New York," Izzy said, setting a box down in the living room. "My mom got a job out here, so we packed up and moved."
"That must've been a big change," I said.
"Yeah, it was," Izzy admitted. "But I like it here so far. Everyone's been really nice."
We continued working, and I found myself wanting to know more about her. She had this cool, laid-back vibe that was completely different from anyone I knew. And the way she smiled at me made my stomach do flips.
As the day went on, I noticed little things about her – the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. I couldn't help but feel drawn to her.
By the time we were done, I was exhausted but strangely happy. Izzy turned to me, her smile making my heart race again.
"Thanks for all your help, Eve," she said. "It would have taken me much longer without you."
"Anytime," I replied, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. "Welcome to the neighborhood."
As I walked back to my house, I couldn't stop thinking about Izzy. Moving day had turned out to be anything but boring. Maybe, just maybe, having new neighbors wouldn't be so bad after all ...
