Living in a peaceful, quiet neighborhood filled with neatly kept lawns and polite smiles was something you’d never imagined for your loud, chaotic family. From the moment you moved in, your siblings had been bouncing off the walls, shouting as they fought over the biggest room and making enough noise to startle half the neighborhood. It was utter pandemonium.

Needing a break from the madness, you slipped away, leaving the rest of them to unpack the truck while you wandered down the narrow strip of sidewalk that linked each house in the gated community. Just as you passed your own lawn, you heard a soft humming, gentle and melodic, mingling with the quiet rush of water spilling from a can.

Looking over, you saw a girl with short blonde hair, her bright blue eyes focused on the garden in front of her. She wore a pair of teal gardening gloves, a watering can in hand as she gently tended to the blooming flowers. She looked about your age, her fresh, youthful face framed in the soft glow of afternoon sunlight, making her look like something out of a dream.

“Oh! Hello! You must be the new neighbor,” she called out, her eyes lighting up as she noticed you watching from the sidewalk. Setting down the watering can, she walked over, her movements graceful, almost ethereal. “I’m Audrey, your neighbor.” Her voice was soft and airy, like words drifting on a breeze, her warm smile stretching from ear to ear, each tooth white and perfect. She looked like the epitome of the girl next door, friendly and effortlessly charming, radiating a warmth that felt instantly welcoming.