The warm sun beams down brightly onto the city of Los Angeles. Families are playing in the park, co-workers are grabbing an ice cream at the nearest food truck, fitness fanatics are working themselves to exhaustion on the steep trails, and a new family are moving in next door to 5 year old Mackenzie
Ziegler.
With her large brown eyes, Mackenzie watches intensely as the moving truck pulls into the driveway next door. She pretends like she's playing with her dolls on the freshly cut grass in her front lawn when really, she's being like her mother. Nosey. But the only difference between the two is, Mackenzie is doing all of her snooping from outside whilst her mother, Melissa, peeks out of the blinds that hang above the window in her 7 year olds bedroom. Her reason for doing so? because Maddie's room window faces the front, meaning that Melissa...has a perfect view of the house next to them.
Chatter soon fills the almost silent, day time air. The sound of car doors being slammed shut makes young Mackenzie shift her head to look in the direction of where the noise came from. She narrows her eyes, blocking out the large amount of light that's preventing her from seeing.
Mackenzie squints as hard as she can until eventually, she sees them. Shadowy figures gather at the bottom of the driveway before making their
way up it.
When they step out from the shade, Mackenzie is allowed a clear glimpse of the family that are apparently now, her new neighbours. There's a mom and a dad who are looking around at their front lawn as well as the exterior build of the house, taking mental notes on what they can do to improve their new garden. Then, two older teenage girls follow behind them, their eyes glued to the mobile phones that are grasped in each of their hands.
And finally, two smaller children trail after them. One of them is a little girl, she looks to be around Mackenzie's age. The boy, who looks a little older than her but not that much, walks with his hands in his pockets, listening as the small girl next to him rambles in about something Mackenzie can't hear.
Observing the two younger kids, Mackenzie smiles happily to herself. She finally has new friends to play with. Her other neighbours don't have kids her age that she can hang around. Her mom is always reminding her that she's too young to be involved with them. Although, she does have an older sister who does like to play with Mackenzie, ever since Maddie started dancing at an elite competition level not too long ago, she has never got anytime for her little sister anymore.
Studying their features, Mackenzie could swear that they're twins but she knows that they're not. The girl has more of a blonde glow to her hair whereas the boys hair has a more dark shade, an ashy/ dirty blonde colour.
"Mackenzie".
Veering her head around to face the porch, Mackenzie sees her mother waving her over.
After picking up her dolls and dusting off her summer dress, Mackenzie saunters towards her mom, her curly pigtails bouncing with every small step she makes.
"Yes mommy?" she asks, looking up at her mom who is unsurprisingly taller that her.
Melissa smiles down at her youngest child,
"Would you like to come over and say hello to the new neighbours with me? You can give them the pie I baked"she suggests, lifting the lid off of a cake stand to reveal a golden crust apple pie.
Mackenzie frowns, folding her arms like a little madam. "But that's my pie" she whines, earning a 'tut' from her mother.
"Now Mackenzie, Ive told you plenty of times before that sharing is caring" Melissa reminds her small infant. "Any anyways, I can always bake you another pie sweetie".
"A big one? Even better than that one?".
"Even better than that one" Melissa confirms, placing the lid back on top.
Mackenzie grins, reaching out to take her moms hand. Melissa laces their fingers together as they begin to walk across the grass and down the short path until they reach the gate belonging to the house next door.
Excited, Mackenzie runs up the walkway and rings the doorbell even though the door is already open, due to movers coming in and out of the house.
The two wait patiently until a middle aged woman with short, wavy blonde hair comes to a stop at the door. She holds a box in her arms and a confused smile is slowly perched on her face.
"Hello, My Name is Melissa and this is my daughter Mackenzie. We live next door and we just wanted to welcome you to the neighbourhood".
The woman's smile turns genuine as she puts the box down onto one of the many steps beside her.
"Oh hi! It's so very nice to meet you. I'm Meredith but you can call me Mer" The woman says, shaking Melissa's free hand.
Mackenzie smiles but tries to peek behind Mer as she catches a glimpse of the two younger kids she saw earlier. She mustn't have been very subtle because Mer glances past her shoulder and smiles knowingly when she sees her two youngest kids rummaging through some boxes behind her.
"Kids, come meet our neighbours" Mer urges, gaining the attention of her two little ones.
They do as their told instantly, making their way towards the door to stand beside their mom.
Now that they're closer, Mackenzie can see their piercing green eyes. The boys are more lighter than his sisters but they're both still gorgeous. It almost makes Mackenzie sad about being stuck with her boring brown ones.
"These are my two youngest, This is Johnny and Lauren" Mer introduces, ruffling each of their hairs as she does so.
Melissa beams, finding them to be the cutest kids ever. Next to her own two of course.
"Adorable!" She announces. "It's great to meet you. My name's Melissa but you can call me Mel, all the kids call me Mommy Mel and this is my daughter-".
"Mackenzie" the small brunette announces by herself. She smiles again. "My name's Mackenzie".
They wave at her a little before the parents shoo them away whilst they talk about grown up things.
Mackenzie watches as Lauren and Johnny play with their toys.
"So, Mackenzie" Lauren says, drawing her attention. "Wanna be friends?".
Hesitant at first, Mackenzie thinks. She's had friends before but they've all moved away or forgotten about her. But she's never had a best friend and best friends aren't allowed to leave. So an idea forms inside her tiny mind.
"How about we be best friends" Mackenzie proposes. "All three of us".
Lauren and her brother share a look. If Mackenzie knew any better she would say they were reading each other's minds. And apparently they were because after receiving a nod from Johnny, Lauren looks up and says....
"Even better".
___________________________
AUTHORS NOTE
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this will be crap
but wbk
& also don't be expecting
long chapters like this every update
(is this even long tho?)
