What is love?

Chapter 2

The next morning, as I sat at the island in the kitchen eating my breakfast, my mom began speaking.

"Guys, there's a new family moving in next door, so I want us all to come home early so we can welcome them to the neighbourhood."

I made a face at her. "Does that include me too?" I inquired, silently hoping for an exemption.

"Yes, Tessa, it does," she replied, addressing my unspoken plea.

"Must I? I mean, you all could handle the welcoming without me," I protested half-heartedly.

"We're all going," my mom insisted. She had always relished meeting new people, particularly new neighbours, often likening it to exploring a different part of the world.

Recalling the Hilton family who once resided across the street, I couldn't help but feel a pang of relief when they relocated to Florida. Their son, Nicky, reminded me too much of Beans from Even Stevens. Man, I couldnt stand that little brat.

"I hope they're an interesting bunch," my mom mused with a smile as she sipped her morning coffee.

Upon reaching school, I made a beeline for my locker. After retrieving my books and shutting it, I was startled to find Gabrielle standing behind me. "Oh my god!" I exclaimed.

She grinned in response. "Why the scare?" she asked, amused.

"I heard they're holding band and choir auditions after school," she informed me.

"So soon? I haven't even picked a song yet," I exclaimed in surprise.

"Neither have I," she admitted, pulling out her phone.

"And to top it off, I have to leave early after school. There's a new family moving into old lady Cathys house, and Mom wants us to 'welcome them to the neighbourhood'," I lamented, mimicking her with air quotes and rolling my eyes.

"Oh no," Gabrielle pouted. "They sold Mrs. Cathy's house? She was such a sweet old lady." Gabrielle had formed a bond with the elderly woman before her passing last spring and had even inherited one of her cat's beds in her will.

"Yeah... How's Tiny adjusting to the new bed?" I inquired, trying to show interest.

"He seems to like it. He even—" She stopped abruptly upon noticing my lack of enthusiasm and chuckled, rolling her eyes. But look on the bright side, maybe they'll have a kid our age, she pointed out optimistically.

"Well, funny you should mention that," I began, a smirk playing at the corners of my lips. "I saw him yesterday morning. He looks to be around our age."

Gabrielle's face lit up with intrigue. "Really? What's he like? Is he cute?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess so. I only caught a glimpse of him," but he seemed alright.

She nudged me playfully. "Ooh, I sense a romance brewing," she teased with a mischievous grin.

I rolled my eyes at her predictability. "Oh, please. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I retorted.

"_" *_* "_" *_*

After school, I hurried to the music room where I found a few students, including my girls.

"I asked the teacher if we could go first so you could get home to meet that handsome fella," Gabrielle quipped, turning around in her seat.

"Thank you." I say as I settled in.

Mr. Scott announced my name, signalling it was my turn. "Lets go! Cue music." he declared.

I stood on the stage, taking a deep breath as the intro to Helium by Sia began to play. Glancing at my girls, who were all smiling encouragingly, I felt a surge of confidence. "You got this!" Taylor mouthed silently.