𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓, ˡᵘᶜᵃˢ ˢⁱⁿᶜˡᵃⁱʳ ¹

02

𝟬𝟮
𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘄𝗸𝗶𝗻𝘀

The Mustang eased off the main road, tires crunching softly on gravel as they turned into the sleepy streets of Hawkins. Tessa's cheek was still pressed against the cool window, her eyes half-lidded as the car hummed along. Her mind drifted in that hazy state between sleep and boredom. Hawkins was already dull in her imagination, but she'd made peace with it. The real problem wasn't Hawkins. The problem was moving—again.

She peeled her head off the window as they passed a worn-out "Welcome to Hawkins" sign. A flicker of curiosity stirred in her as she looked out at the rows of small houses, scattered with neat little lawns. It wasn't as bad as she'd imagined, but it wasn't exactly a postcard either.

Lena, her older sister, stretched out in the front seat, craning her neck to get a better view of the town. "Looks... like a place where people still buy milk in glass bottles," she muttered, crossing her arms.

Tessa sighed, barely suppressing a smile.

Miranda didn't say anything, keeping her focus on the road. Her hands gripped the wheel firmly, a gesture that Tessa had come to recognize as her 'mom mode'—the face she put on when she was trying not to react. Ever since the move became inevitable, Miranda had been determined to stay positive, practical. The embodiment of grounded.

"Well, it's not that bad," Miranda said, her voice steady. "There's something charming about small towns. People here probably take care of each other."

"Or they take care of people's business for them," Tessa quipped.

Lena snickered, but Miranda gave her a look in the rearview mirror.

Tessa shrugged, sinking lower in her seat. It wasn't that she hated moving. It was just... tiring. Another town, another school, another place to be the 'new girl.' She wasn't exactly excited for the grand Hawkins experience.

As the car slowed to a stop in front of their new house, Tessa finally leaned forward, squinting at the place. It wasn't terrible—two stories, decent size, a little weathered around the edges. It looked like it had been cared for but definitely had some wear and tear. The front yard was patchy, with a few scattered bushes that had grown out of control, and the porch was a little slanted, but nothing screamed "run down."

"Great, it's... lived in," Lena said dryly, eyeing the house with mild disdain.

Miranda was already halfway out of the car. "It's a fixer-upper, sure, but it has a lot of potential."

Tessa stepped out of the car and stretched, feeling the cool air settle on her skin. The house seemed bigger from outside. It wasn't bad, not really. Just... old. The kind of place that had a few stories buried under the wallpaper. She wouldn't have been surprised to find some ancient high school trophies tucked away in the attic.

"Whatever," Tessa said, grabbing her backpack from the backseat. "At least it's not haunted."

"Don't jinx it," Lena said with a grin as she pulled out her suitcase. "I give it two weeks before the walls start whispering."

Tessa smirked. "That'd be more interesting than this." She turned and headed toward the front porch, hopping up the creaky steps.

Inside, the house felt stuffy and smelled faintly of dust, like it had been closed up for too long. But it wasn't a wreck. The furniture was old but functional, and there was enough space for all of them. A few rooms had old wallpaper peeling at the edges, but nothing too tragic.

Miranda followed them in, wiping her hands on her jeans. "We'll get it cleaned up. It's solid underneath all this."

Tessa wandered over to one of the windows and flicked the latch, pushing it open to let in some fresh air. 

Lena dropped her suitcase near the staircase, looking up at the second floor. "It's got potential. Once we fix it up, it'll be... something."

Tessa looked back at her mom, who was already scanning the kitchen with that determined expression she got when she set her mind to a project. "You're seeing 'potential,' I'm seeing a never-ending to-do list."

Miranda smiled, a faint laugh escaping her. "You two will be fine. Besides, think of all the space you have to spread out. No more sharing rooms."

Lena perked up at that. "Okay, fair. I can work with that."

Tessa wandered toward the staircase, running her hand along the old banister. It wasn't as rickety as she'd expected, and the house itself wasn't bad. Just... different. 

As she made her way upstairs, the house creaked beneath her, but it felt solid enough. She found the farthest bedroom, tucked away at the end of the hall. The window faced the backyard, which was overgrown and wild, with a line of trees in the distance. It felt secluded—just the way she liked it.

Dropping her backpack on the floor, Tessa threw herself onto the mattress with a soft thud. The bed was lumpy, but she didn't care. At least here, she could keep to herself, away from whatever awkward small-town vibes were waiting for them downstairs.

Lena wandered up the stairs and leaned in the doorway, glancing around the room. "Not bad. You've got the perfect view of our future garden."

"Yeah, I can't wait to watch you prune bushes," Tessa said, her voice flat.

Lena rolled her eyes but grinned. "I have an okay feeling about this."

Tessa turned onto her side, facing the window. "Sure, Lena. Whatever you say."

Miranda's voice called from downstairs, something about unpacking. Tessa didn't move, though. She just stared out the window, her thoughts drifting as the fading light of the day filtered through the trees.

Hawkins wasn't special. Not yet, anyway. But Tessa had learned not to expect too much from new places. Whatever happened next would happen, and she'd deal with it the same way she always did—by not getting too involved.

For now, it was just another room in just another house.

.ೃ࿐ IRIS SPEAKS !

rip lena you would have loved mean girls

anywayss dont forget to commenttt i love seeing it sm u dont even understanddd

kisses xoo