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Chapter 2

"Welcome to our new house," Dad said with a proud smile. "Wow, Dad, this is amazing. I get to have a much bigger room," I said with a wink. "Not only that, honey, there's a swimming pool in this house too," Mom chimed in, knowing how much I loved swimming. "No way, Mom," Miles interrupted before I could answer. I shot a glare his way, and he just chuckled.

"There's also a basement where you can hold your parties, but no drinking," Dad explained, and my brothers grinned. "Alright, so it's time to enter our new home. We don't want to delay the agency, do we?" Mom spoke when she realized no one was moving.

The outside of the house was just a facade; wait until you get inside. I was really surprised. The person responsible for the interior design did a great job. The color of the living room, the ceilings, not to mention the cozy fireplace which is automatic. No need to help carry firewood this Christmas.

If I thought the living room was amazing, then the room Mom and Dad gave me is superb. It's exactly how I like my room to be. I have a balcony and a nice window view that gives me a glimpse of the city. It's quite unfortunate that Miles's room is directly opposite mine. My ears are going to burst from his constant jamming to that boring music of his.

I wasn't surprised when Mom informed us that Dad designed this house himself, and it's our first official property. It seems they planned this for a long time. Chad's room is two rooms apart from Miles's along the hallway. By the time we toured the entire house, the moving agency had moved everything into the living room. One thing I already love about this new house is the fact that the swimming pool uses a sensor to cover itself when no one is in the pool.

After a while, we decided to have dinner at Taco Bell since most of the kitchenware was packed. We all settled in on the sofa, and that's exactly where we were going to sleep for the night.

The clinking noises woke me up the next day, and I was blinded by the sunlight directly resting on my face. "Woah, what's going on here?" I asked, sitting up properly and glancing at the chaos. My brothers and parents were done with setting up the living room. There was even a big LED screen set directly above the fireplace. "Did they even sleep at all?"

Checking my phone, I noticed it was already ten o'clock. I had slept for quite a while. The kitchen was already set up, and Mom was adding the last pieces of dishware to the cabinet. "Where is Dad and the rest?" I asked, scratching my head. "Your dad got a helping hand from a registered decorating company. They sent over about twenty personnel, so we should finish setting up the house by evening. By the way, your room is already set up," Mom said with a smile, poking my shoulder.

I hurriedly climbed the stairs and accidentally bumped into one of the designers, causing her to drop a box she was holding. "I'm sorry," I said, winking at her before entering my new room. My room looked splendid. There was a plush pink sofa in the corner with a small cushion. Just behind it was the door leading to my walk-in closet. This is exactly how I always wanted to decorate my dream closet. It's like a dream come true.

That reminds me, it's been a week already, and I haven't responded to Daisy's messages. "Hi, Daisy," I sent a message, and she replied instantly. "I didn't mean to stand you up. The packing and everything got me occupied." "I don't mind. How are you settling in? Do you like the place? Give me a gist." I rolled my eyes at her series of reply messages.

Daisy was a really nosy person, and that's one thing I like about her, which is ironic because I hate nosy people, but I just like her personality. "Well, I'm going to send you pictures of every room and corner of the house, so you can judge for yourself. I don't think I can do justice to it." "Sure, I'll be waiting." I immediately forwarded all the pictures I took to her, and she called me back instantly.

"Wow, Millie, you're living in a mansion right now. I'm so happy for you. Have you met your neighbors already? How do you like the place?" Daisy shouted in excitement. I had to cover the phone to protect my ears from the volume. "Calm down, Daisy. I just got here, and you're already asking about neighbors. I can't believe you." "I'm sorry, I got carried away by my emotions," Daisy quickly apologized.

"Millie bear, it's time for lunch. Can you come downstairs?" My mom shouted from downstairs. "I have to go, Daisy. We'll talk later, but right now, I need to eat." With that, I hung up the call. I opened the door and came face to face with Miles, who had just stepped out of his room. "Let's see who gets downstairs first," Miles said with a smirk on his face. He really acts like a child most of the time. I wonder when he'll stop picking fights with me.

"Settle down, everyone. You've all been tired today. I made a pepperoni pizza that we can eat with orange juice." "But Millie didn't do anything; she just slept and relaxed all day," Miles said and reached for the pizza sauce. "Enough! What did I say about table manners?" Mom scolded, annoyed by our interaction. "No talking and fighting while eating," we replied in unison. "Very good, you remember. Now eat before it gets cold."

It had been a week since we settled in, and everything was finally in place. Mom outdid herself by hanging family portraits in the hallway. Both she and Dad decided to occupy the room on the first floor due to Mom's rheumatism.

I was preparing for grocery shopping with my mother. Our pantry had run out of supplies before we moved. After making note of every ingredient needed, we left the house and headed to the nearest mall where we could get everything on the list. Dad had officially started work that morning. "So, how are you coping with our new place?" Mom asked while driving. "I guess it's not that bad. I just miss my old friends, but I'll be fine." I shrugged, not wanting to make my mom sad. She gave me a sad smile and ruffled my bangs.

After an awkward silence, my mom spoke again. "You know you can always make new friends, right?" She asked, holding my cheeks. "I've been there before, and I know how you feel, but it had to happen, dear. By the way, there are a lot of nice high schools nearby. Have you thought about which one you want to attend? The next academic year starts next month. You could enroll with Miles. He can protect you from bullies when needed." Mom said with a wink.

I knew what I was going to say next would likely upset my mother, so I looked out the window, preparing to drop the bombshell. "I want to be homeschooled, Mom." 'Twenty-nine, thirty,' I chanted in my head, bracing myself for my mom's response. The atmosphere was tense, and I knew it was going to be a difficult conversation.

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