Tommy sat on the porch steps, idly swinging his legs as he watched a moving truck pull up to the house next door. The Johnsons had moved out a few weeks ago, and ever since, the house had been eerily quiet. Tommy was curious to see who would move in.
He perked up when he saw a car follow the truck into the driveway. Out stepped a family of four: a mom, a dad, a little boy who looked about six years old, and a girl who seemed to be around Tommy's age.
"New neighbors," Tommy muttered to himself, leaning forward for a better look. He watched as the girl helped her parents carry boxes into the house. She had long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and wore a bright yellow T-shirt.
"Mom!" Tommy called out as he ran inside the house. "The new neighbors are here! Can I go say hi?"
Mrs. Carter, Tommy's mom, was in the kitchen preparing lunch. She looked up and smiled. "Sure, honey. Just be polite and don't get in their way. They're probably very busy moving in."
Tommy nodded eagerly and dashed back outside. He hesitated for a moment at the edge of his yard, suddenly feeling a bit shy. But his curiosity got the better of him, and he approached the new family's front yard.
The girl noticed him first. She set down a box she was carrying and walked over. "Hi," she said with a friendly smile. "I'm Lily. We just moved here."
"Hi, I'm Tommy," he replied, trying to sound casual. "I live next door."
"Nice to meet you, Tommy," Lily said. "This is my little brother, Max," she added, pointing to the boy who was playing with a toy truck on the driveway.
"Hi, Max," Tommy waved. Max looked up briefly and gave a shy smile before returning to his toy.
Tommy turned back to Lily. "Do you need any help? I could carry some boxes."
Lily's mom overheard and smiled at Tommy. "That's very kind of you, Tommy. If you don't mind, could you help Lily with the lighter boxes? We're trying to get as much inside before it rains."
"Sure thing," Tommy agreed, eager to help. He picked up a box labeled "Books" and followed Lily into the house.
As they walked through the front door, Tommy glanced around. The house was similar to his, with a cozy living room and an open kitchen. "Your house looks nice," he said.
"Thanks," Lily replied. "It's a lot bigger than our old one. We used to live in an apartment."
"Why did you move?" Tommy asked, setting the box down in the living room.
"My dad got a new job here," Lily explained. "He's a teacher."
"Cool. My dad's a teacher too!" Tommy said. "He teaches science at the middle school."
"Maybe our dads will work together," Lily said thoughtfully. "My dad's going to teach math."
Tommy grinned. "That would be awesome. So, what grade are you in?"
"I'm going into fifth grade," Lily replied. "How about you?"
"Same! We'll probably be in the same class," Tommy said excitedly.
They continued carrying boxes and chatting. Tommy learned that Lily loved reading, especially mystery books, and that she had a cat named Whiskers. He told her about his dog, Rex, and his favorite hobby, building model airplanes.
After about an hour, Lily's dad called out from the kitchen. "Lily, Tommy, come take a break. We've got some lemonade and cookies."
"Yum!" Lily said, her eyes lighting up. "Thanks, Dad!"
They headed to the kitchen, where Mr. and Mrs. Davis were sitting at the table. Max was already munching on a cookie, his face smeared with chocolate.
"Thank you for helping, Tommy," Mrs. Davis said, handing him a glass of lemonade. "You've been a big help."
"No problem," Tommy replied, taking a sip. "I'm glad to help. And it's nice to have new neighbors."
Mr. Davis smiled. "We're happy to be here. Moving can be tough, but meeting friendly neighbors makes it a lot easier."
Tommy felt a warm sense of satisfaction. He had made a new friend and helped someone out. As they sat and enjoyed their snack, he felt that this summer was going to be an exciting one.
Later, as the sun began to set, Tommy and Lily went outside to play while their parents continued unpacking. They decided to explore the backyard, which was separated by a low fence.
"Let's see if we can find any cool bugs," Lily suggested, picking up a stick to poke around in the grass.
"Good idea," Tommy agreed. "There's usually a lot of beetles and ants around here."
As they searched, they chatted about their favorite books and games. Tommy was amazed at how quickly they had become friends. He felt like he had known Lily for much longer than just a few hours.
"Hey, look at this!" Lily exclaimed, pointing to a shiny blue beetle crawling on a leaf. "Isn't it pretty?"
"Yeah, it's a jewel beetle," Tommy said. "They're really cool. My dad says they're good for the garden because they eat pests."
Lily smiled. "I think I'm going to like living here. There’s so much to explore."
Tommy grinned. "Me too. We can go on adventures together. There's a creek nearby that’s fun to explore, and there's also a big park with lots of trees."
"I can't wait," Lily said. "Thanks for being so nice, Tommy. Moving is hard, but you've made it a lot easier."
Tommy felt a warm glow inside. "No problem. That's what friends are for."
As the evening turned into night, Tommy and Lily reluctantly said their goodbyes and promised to meet up the next day. Tommy headed home, feeling happier than he had in a long time. He couldn't wait to see what adventures awaited with his new friend, Lily.