a + b

1: gen z

"It's not a word, mom. It's a fact."

Lily nodded. "Generation Z is super woke."

I laughed. "I told her that word."

Lily was just eleven years old. But she knew all the things I did.

"Well, Gen Z. Are you excited to see your new home?"

"Yes!" Lily threw her hands in the air.

Mom smiled, then looked at me again. "Amanda?"

I sighed, putting the earphones in my ears.

"Totally."

...Not.

I wasn't excited to go anywhere.

I'd left a lot back at home. My friends, school, and even my Dad - although he and my mom separated when I was seven.

But still. I was going to miss everything.

"Wake me up when we're there."

I closed my eyes as Brutal by Olivia Rodrigo played loudly through my earphone speakers.

---

"Amanda."

"Amanda?"

"Amanda, wake up we're here!"

I opened my eyes and realized my mother's car was no longer moving.

"We are?"

I looked down at my phone. "But I'm only on track four."

"You probably had it on repeat, darling." My mom smirked.

That was true.

"Oh."

I wiped the sleep from my eyes as my Mom stepped out of the car.

Lily unbuckled her seatbelt, then turned to me. "Quit drooling Amanda, let's go!"

I sat up and groaned as I felt pain in my neck from lying down.

"I'm coming."

I looked outside the car window and noticed we were in an entirely different town.

"Oh..."

I got out of my mom's car, and I honestly couldn't believe I was looking at my new neighborhood.

It was like a celebrity suburb. The houses were extremely big. Like...massive. And they all had an expensive car, a front garden with plants, and a balcony.

"Um...are you sure this is the right place?"

My mom and Lily had already walked up the steps to a house a few feet away.

I walked towards them, and my eyes admired the house. It was nothing like I had seen in my old city. It was painted bright white and had glass windows, a massive front porch, and a lamp above the door.

"This is ours?"

Mom smiled. "Well yes," she waved the keys. "It is."

I raised my eyebrows. "It's big."

"I know. The original one was almost half the size, but I wanted to treat myself, and you, girls."

"Open it, mom, open it!", Lily bounced beside my Mom like a new puppy.

"Alright honey," she chuckled opening the door. My sister ran inside immediately.

I glanced at a street sign a few feet away.