𝟬3
'𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁

    The next morning arrived like a slow, sleepy yawn, the kind where the light barely filters through the curtains, hesitant to wake the day. Tessa lay sprawled on the mattress, still surrounded by the smell of cardboard boxes and dust from yesterday's unpacking. Her room wasn't much yet—just an empty frame with a few essentials: the mattress on the floor, a couple of boxes, and her bag tossed in the corner.

    She stretched lazily, her joints creaking from the uncomfortable sleep. Hawkins hadn't miraculously changed overnight, and she wasn't really expecting it to. There was no magical transformation here, just the same quiet, small-town stillness she'd felt since they drove in. She sighed, rubbing her eyes as she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

    From downstairs, she could hear the faint clatter of dishes and her mom humming to the soft, static-filled tune of a radio. The low notes of Tears for Fears barely reached her, blending into the sounds of someone—probably Lena—moving around the house. Tessa rolled out of bed, already knowing what the day would bring: more unpacking, more settling in, and, most likely, more of Lena's dramatic sighs about missing their old place.

    She padded over to the window, yanking the blinds open with a little too much force. Sunlight flooded the room, showing the wild, overgrown backyard. It looked like it hadn't been touched in years—a mess of tall grass, a few scraggly trees, and a fence barely holding itself together. She glanced at it for a moment, considering whether it would be worth sneaking out through later, before pulling on a wrinkled T-shirt and heading downstairs.

    The kitchen smelled like toast, eggs, and the coffee Miranda always insisted on drinking, no matter how many times Tessa wrinkled her nose at it. Lena sat at the table, already dressed and way too chipper for someone who wasn't much of a morning person.

    "Morning," Tessa mumbled as she slumped into a chair, grabbing a slice of toast without asking.

    Miranda, busy at the stove, glanced over her shoulder. "Morning, honey. You sleep okay?"

    Tessa shrugged, taking a bite of the toast. "As good as I could. The bed feels like a rock."

    Lena leaned back in her chair, sipping from a glass of orange juice. "You'll get used to it. Besides, we'll be at school most of the time anyway."

    "Speaking of school," Miranda said, turning off the stove and placing a plate of scrambled eggs on the table. "I want you two to walk over today and check it out. Get a feel for the place before Monday."

    Tessa frowned. "Can't we just... wait until Monday?"

    Miranda gave her a look, the kind of look that meant there was no point in arguing. "You're starting a new school, Tessa. It won't hurt to see where you're going to be spending your time. Besides, it's right around the corner."

    Lena grinned, clearly more on board with the idea than Tessa. "I want to see the high school anyway. Maybe they'll have a decent basketball team."

    "Or decent basketball team members." Tessa muttered under her breath, earning a nudge from Lena's foot under the table.

    Miranda didn't seem to notice the exchange as she grabbed her coffee mug, leaning against the counter. "It's a small town, girls. I know it's not what you're used to, but give it a chance. You never know—you might like it."

    Tessa raised an eyebrow, taking another bite of toast. "Doubt it, but sure."

    After breakfast, the house was alive with the sound of cardboard boxes being unpacked and furniture moved into place. Miranda seemed to have endless energy for organizing, while Tessa and Lena made a half-hearted attempt to help before disappearing upstairs. It wasn't that Tessa didn't want to help—it was just that the entire process felt repetitive. Same boxes, different house.

    Around noon, Miranda called them downstairs again, this time holding out a pair of keys. "All right, girls. I've got to run some errands, but you two should take a walk over to the schools. Tessa, the middle school's just a block away from the high school, so you can go together."

    Lena grabbed the keys without hesitation. "Sure. We'll check it out."

    Tessa followed her sister outside, squinting against the midday sun. Hawkins looked just as dull in daylight as it had when they'd arrived, with its quiet streets and sleepy houses that seemed untouched by time. The only real movement came from a few distant lawnmowers and the occasional car passing by.

    Lena tossed the keys in the air and caught them again, her steps light as they walked toward the school. "I bet the high school's going to be a total time warp. You know, like something straight out of those '70s yearbooks Mom has."

    Tessa kicked at a rock on the sidewalk. "Yeah, can't wait to be stuck in some retro movie for the next three years."

    Lena nudged her shoulder. "Come on, it might not be that bad. Small schools mean less drama, right?"

    "Or less to do," Tessa shot back.

    They walked in silence for a while, the middle school coming into view first. It wasn't much to look at—just a plain, brick building with a big, faded sign and a few benches scattered out front. A couple of kids were hanging around, kicking a soccer ball back and forth, but other than that, it was dead quiet.

    "Looks exciting," Tessa said dryly.

    Lena barely spared the middle school a glance, her eyes already set on the larger high school building just down the street. "You'll survive. Let's go check out the real school."

    Tessa rolled her eyes but followed anyway. Lena had a way of making everything seem more interesting than it was, and Tessa wasn't entirely sure if it was a good thing or not. As they walked up to the high school, she could already picture the kind of kids Lena would be drawn to—the sporty, confident crowd. The kind of people who didn't care that they lived in a town that seemed stuck in the past.

    The high school was a little bigger, with wide steps leading up to the front entrance and a few groups of teenagers lounging around, some of them sitting on the steps, others leaning against the wall. Tessa watched as Lena's gaze flickered over them, already sizing up the scene.

    "See? Not so bad," Lena said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "At least they have a decent crowd here."

    Tessa smirked. "Yeah, you'll fit right in."

    Lena shoved her lightly. "Whatever, T. You know you love me."

    They lingered for a bit longer, taking in the scene before turning back toward home. The walk back was quieter, the town settling into its afternoon lull. Tessa's mind wandered as they walked, thinking about how the next few days would unfold—meeting new people, navigating the halls of a strange school, and figuring out if there was any chance Hawkins would actually surprise her.

    Back at home, Miranda was still busy unpacking, but she paused long enough to ask how the schools looked.

    "They're fine," Lena said, flopping onto the couch. "Normal, I guess. Not much to report."

    Tessa shrugged. "They exist."

    Miranda chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Well, that's good to hear. You two are going to be just fine."

    As the afternoon wore on, the house slowly started to feel a little more lived in. Boxes were emptied, furniture was arranged, and the bare walls didn't seem quite as bare. Tessa found herself drifting through the motions, not really thinking too hard about anything in particular. She wasn't excited about Monday, but she wasn't dreading it either. It was just another thing to deal with.

    Lena was sprawled on the couch, flipping through an old magazine, while Miranda moved to the kitchen, humming softly to herself as she worked. Tessa watched them for a moment, feeling that familiar tug of restlessness creeping in. Maybe this town had something unexpected in store after all.

    Or maybe it was just another stop along the way.

.ೃ࿐ IRIS SPEAKS !

guys i promise this gets more interesting later on, right now, i just want to write a moving in process <33

as always, kissess xoo