hello!
hi!
i'm danielle, it's great to see you here.
i'm very excited to share my new story a + b with you.
before you read you should know...
this story is not simply about a girl/boy next door relationship!!!
it's about something much more special, and important.
without giving too much away, a + b focuses on the pressures of being a teenager including: love, popularity, relationships, friendships, and everything in between.
i wanted to write something personal, and relatable for teenagers and young adults over the world.
i hope when you read this story, you can relate to your own experience of being young through these amazing characters.
so, please, enjoy the rollercoaster. i truly hope you stay until the very end. <3
1: gen z
October 11th
I was seventeen years old when I moved away from my hometown.
Kessington road had been my address since I was a baby. But when my mother decided she wanted not just a new house, but a change of scenery, we said goodbye to our old home, forever.
"Can we play Olivia Rodrigo now?"
I was sat in the backseat of my mom's car. My long brown hair was covered by a dark blue beanie, as I watched the boring highway.
My younger sister, Lily was in the passenger seat and had hogged the radio for at least half an hour.
"But we haven't finished listening to BlackPink's album!" Lily whined.
I rolled my green eyes.
"Mom?"
My mother Shirley glanced at me through the rear mirror.
"Amanda, there's plenty of time for you to play your music. Let Lily finish her CD."
"I can't believe you just said CD."
She laughed. "Once upon a time that's what they used to be called."
"Ssh! This is my favorite part!"
Lily closed her eyes as she began to sing the lyrics to Pretty Savage.
Mom chuckled.
"Whatever. I'll just listen to Olivia through my earphones."
I unbuckled my seatbelt and laid down, using my bag as a pillow.
"Amanda! You can't do that when I'm driving, I could crash!"
"Then don't."
Lily snorted.
"Amanda," Mom warned.
"Mom, chill. Just don't crash. But if you do I'd have to live stream on TikTok to say goodbye to my ten followers."
"That would be very Gen Z of you Amanda," Lily said.
"Gen Z?" Mom scrunched her eyebrows.
My fingers scrolled through the social media apps on my phone. I stopped on Twitter, liking everything I saw, never retweeting.
"Generation Z," I said. "People born in 1995 to 2012."
"You kids have a word for everything these days, huh?"
"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.
Montrose avenue it read.
Huh. Fancy.
"Come on, Amanda. You're not just gonna stand there are you?"
I looked up at my mother and smiled.
"No. I'm coming."
The house was even better inside. It was so spacious and modern. There were two living rooms, three bathrooms, and an open plan kitchen and lounge. The main lounge had a flat-screen TV, and big sofas. Most rooms already had chairs, tables, and even a bookshelf filled with books. In the kitchen, cutlery and plates were already stacked, and there were lights beaming from the ceiling that looked like spotlights.
It felt like there was somebody else living there. But not in a weird way.
"Now I know why we didn't bring our furniture."
Mom placed her hands on her hips, as she looked around proudly.
"Yes, it's a full package."
Lily jumped onto a sofa. "These chairs are so cool!"
"Are you sure there is nobody living here already?" I asked.
Mom laughed.
"Why? Does it already feel like home?"
I smirked. "Hmm...I don't know. Maybe I'll wait until I see my bedroom."
"Well come on, I'll show you."
We all wandered upstairs, where my mom showed my little sister her room which she loved.
And then she showed me mine.
"I know you said you liked facing the front of the house. What do you think?"
I stopped in the doorway when I saw the room my mom claimed was mine. Inside, it had a king-sized bed, a freaking sofa?!, shelves, a vinyl player, and a desk, yet still had space for more things. I could already imagine how I would decorate it.
I turned to my mom in disbelief.
"Mom..."
She smirked.
"This is really cool. I mean it's crazy! I can't believe it's actually mine."
"It's definitely a change from our old house huh?"
"Duh!"
She chuckled.
I walked inside and wandered around.
"I want this year to be a good new start for you and Lily. And for me too."
I looked across at my mother and smiled.
"You picked a good house mom."
She smiled back at me.
"Well let's go get our things and get settled in!"
---
Around two hours later, I had set up my room the way I wanted it. There were still quite a few boxes left to unpack, but it definitely felt like home.
My, mom and sister had just finished eating the burgers we ordered. We were sitting on a couch big enough for the three of us.
"Alright girls. time for bed."
"What?!" I said.
Lily frowned. "Already?"
"Yes. It's almost nine, and you both are starting a new school tomorrow. It's good to be prepared."
"Fine."
"Amanda, before you go up, can you please put the trash outside in the garbage bin? It's at the bottom of the driveway."
I sighed and got off the couch.
"Okay. But if I get murdered by a serial killer it's on you."
Lily laughed.
Mom rolled her eyes. "Leave the door open."
Once I opened the door, I looked back down at my phone. I liked a tweet from Pop Crave, as I dragged my feet along the pavement, not really looking where I was going.
"I love you Doja Cat."
I stopped as I reached the kerbside bin, and for some reason, attempted to open it whilst scrolling through my phone at the same time. But as I did so, the bag of trash dropped on the floor.
I groaned and bent down to get it.
"Welcome to the neighborhood."
I froze as I heard an unfamiliar voice.
Who the hell said that?
My eyes darted around manically, as I stayed low, behind the bin.
If it was a serial killer, I couldn't stay here. I had to run!
I quickly stood up, and my fear disappeared when I noticed a boy casually sitting on the porch of the house opposite mine.
I know this sounds kind of ridiculous...
But I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing.
The boy looked like he belonged in a movie scene.
His hair was golden blonde and light brown. The two colors blended in perfect streaks, that sat perfectly on his head. Even though he was far away I could see he had a pair of bright blue eyes. His face was incredibly handsome, youthful, and kind.
He was just so...perfect.
He wore a denim jacket, over a printed hoody, jeans, and all-star converse.
He was unlike any boy I had seen at home. In fact, I'd never seen anyone that looked like him before.
...In real life.
The boy sat on the railing of his balcony swinging his legs back and forth, as he stared at me with a cool smile on his lips.
"Oh. hi." I said awkwardly. "Uh thank you."
The boy smiled. "You're welcome."
We stared at each other for a few moments after that. I was still trying to figure out how he existed.
Then he spoke again.
"I'm Brian."
I blinked, knocking myself out of my thoughts.
"I'm Amanda! James!"
"James?"
"Yes, that's my last name. Not sure why I told you that though."
He smiled.
Kill me now.
"Do you... live there?" I asked.
Brian raised his eyebrow.
"No, I just like to sit on strangers' porches."
"Right. That was dumb."
He chuckled. "How's your new home?"
"Bigger than I expected. But I think I'll get used to it."
"I think you will too."
I smiled.
"Amanda? What's taking so long?"
"Oh, that's my mom. I better go back inside."
"Alright. I guess I'll see you around. Now we're neighbors."
I nodded. "Right."
"Nice meeting you Amanda James."
I watched as he jumped off the railing, and went inside the house.
...Did that just happen?
"You too Brian, whatever your last name is."
I cringed at myself before returning to my own home.
"Who were you talking to?" Mom asked once I closed the door.
"Um...nobody! I'm gonna go to bed."
I quickly walked up the stairs.
"Okay, goodnight!"
I entered my room, then immediately looked through the window, at the house across the road.
I truly couldn't believe that kid was my new neighbor.
---
thank you, for reading gen z.
see you next time :)