Just Starting Out
1.2 - Housewarming
Over the course of the next month, Kayla and John gradually settled into the course of their new lives in Newcrest. With John working as a programmer and Kayla working as an editor, the two of them were able to bring in enough money to buy some very cheap, very basic furniture that allowed them to function as adults. The first day they sat at a table instead of on the floor to eat breakfast felt life changing.
But outside of the small thrills like that, the two of them were living perfectly boring lives. It wasn't as if their lives had been exciting back when they lived with their parents, but in Newcrest? The both of them worked from home in a town where they rarely ever got out. They had no friends stopping by for visits, the only people they ever interacted with were each other and coworkers or clients over video chat.
Every morning, John would get up first and brew a pot of coffee. Kayla got up an hour later and made the two of them breakfast, then following that the two of them worked until 5, only stopping for lunch at two separate times where they didn’t interact. Working together, they always made an easy, cheap meal for dinner, then they watched videos on their phones in their separate bedrooms until they fell asleep and the cycle repeated again.
Their whole routine was so disgustingly, mid-numbingly boring that Kayla started to seek out ways to both improve her lifestyle and challenge herself creatively. She started doing some basic creative writing, writing stories characterized with flat characters and predictable plot lines in between moments where she rearranged furniture or closed her eyes and tried to meditate to improve her sense of well being. Creative writing never had been her strong suit, and it was such a strain on her mentally that she looked forward to the breaks instead of the writing.
So, both John and Kayla were thrilled when Adrienne called about a month and a half after moving.
John picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“John!” Adrienne exclaimed. “It’s so good to hear your voice again. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that your father and I will be stopping by your place tomorrow to see how you’re getting on.”
“Hang on, wait- you’re just dropping by, not even a full days warning?”
“Of course! Your father and I are very curious to see if you two have been keeping up with the housekeeping, and we thought it’d be fun to see you guys host a little housewarming get together for your parents. See you tomorrow!”
Adrienne hung up with a click.
As frustrated as he was with his mother’s antics, John was still pleased that he’d be talking to someone who wasn’t his sister for once.
Speaking of his sister… John realized he’d better go tell her what was going on.
“Kayla,” John said softly, stepping into their back patio. Kayla hated it when he talked too loudly and killed the train of thought she maintained while meditating.
The back patio was probably the strangest part of the house. For a house so tiny, the builders sure had put a lot of effort into incorporating a massive patio into an already massive outdoor space. The whole house was laid out strangely, if John was being completely honest with himself. The place had probably only been affordable for him and Kayla due to the builders clearly lacking experience.
“What is it?” Kayla sighed, opening her eyes.
“I tried to be quiet-“
“No, don’t worry about that,” Kayla said, shaking her head. “You did exactly what I asked you to do when I’m out here. So, what’s up?”
“Mom just called, she and dad will be here tomorrow! Nice warning they gave us, huh?”
Kayla let out a huge sigh of relief. ”Finally a face that isn't yours John. Quite frankly, I'm sick of it."
“Hey. Not funny. But anyway, it’s just like mom to invite herself and dad to an event we weren’t even planning on having, huh?”
“No kidding! She never could help herself… if she wants something to happen, she makes it happen. And let me guess- she’s stopping by tomorrow to see if the house is clean and if we’ve unpacked, right?”
“Yeah, sure sounded like it.”
“I think she totally expects us to have only half unpacked everything… which is true. She knows us too well. Let’s get this finished, John.”
The rest of the day and much of the night was a flurry of unpacking and cleaning, and before Kayla and John knew it, Adrienne and Jameson were knocking on their front door by morning the next day.
“Sorry we’re here so early…” Adrienne said, pushing past John to put down some bags.
“Yeah, early sure is right,” Kayla muttered. “I’m sure lucky I decided to shower before making breakfast this morning.”
“This is a nice place you’ve got here, sport,” Jameson said to John, looking around. “You’ve already started to turn it into somethin’ real nice.”
“Yeah… how long did it take you to turn into something real nice yesterday?” Adrienne asked, smiling knowingly.
John and Kayla, looking at each other, and silently resolved not to answer.
“The nicest seating area is outside on our patio, so if you’ll follow me…” Kayla said, directing Adrienne and Jameson over to the patio.
John grabbed some chairs from the dining room for the patio, as he and Kayla had been nowhere near prepared for their parents arriving this early in the day, and followed close behind.
“Well,” Adrienne remarked, grabbing a chair from John and sitting down. “When they described a sizable patio in the listing, I never would have imagined something this big…”
“Yeah, the builders were evidently clueless,” Kayla muttered.
“You can’t get nice things for cheap, dear,” Adrienne smiled.
“Something we’ve both become well aware of,” Kayla nodded. “Anyway, who’s hungry?”
Everyone raised their hands.
“Alright, good! I was just about to make some pancakes before you two showed up,” Kayla said, going inside.
"Pancakes? And how often do you cook those? Too often I bet… Kayla, I know you can do better that that! Do you how to actually cook a meal?” Adrienne shouted after her.
“I don’t think she heard any of that,” Jameson said, shaking his head.
“You’re probably right,” Adrienne agreed, pushing back her chair. She then followed Kayla inside.
“How are you coping without us, dad?” John asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the table.
“I took on a secondary job at the Municipal Muses, you know, the Willow Creek museum? The one run by the Goth family?”
“Yeah, I know the place,” John nodded. “Did far too many research projects there in high school.”
“Well, I'd say we’re doing just fine,” Jameson nodded. “It’s definitely quieter though…”
“How’s it going here in Newcrest? You like it?” Adrienne asked Kayla in the kitchen.
Kayla nodded. “Yeah... it’s good.”
Adrienne picked up on the negativity in Kayla’s tone. “You sure? You know you can tell me anything, Kayla.”
Kayla sighed deeply. “I just miss… well, people. Friends. Newcrest isn’t really the most populated place in the world, it’s literally advertised as a town people are still developing.”
“Well, I’d hoped when you moved here that’d be a good thing for you, because that means most people here are new in town and are also looking for new friends… but that’s beside the point.”
“Working at home definitely doesn’t help either.”
Adrienne frowned sympathetically. “You know, Kayla, I had the same issue once. I moved to Willow Creek by myself, and knew no one. One day, I was at the gym, and I saw a flyer for a yoga club. And while I hate to admit it now, that’s the only reason I made any friends in Willow Creek. In fact, that club is the very place where I met your father.”
“Yoga class? Seriously? But you always said-“
“You know me, Kayla,” Adrienne laughed. “Adding a little flair to a story really spices things up. Can’t have people thinking I’ve lived the same boring mundane life for all time, right?”
“I guess complete fabrications really spice things up too huh? But regardless of that… you're saying that if I sign up for a yoga class, I'll just happen to meet the love of my life?"
“If that’s what you want to find there, Kayla. But what I’m really saying here is that getting yourself out there and into any sort of situation where you have to socialize with people is going to make your life here in Newcrest a lot more interesting. There’s a possibility of real connections here! And that possibility is a lot better than staying locked up inside all day."
"Alright, mom. I'll look into it. Thanks for saying all of that.”
“Of course, dear. That’s what I’m here to do. Help you out. Including with those pancakes. Really wanted to help you cook something more sophisticated, but I guess this will do… I’ll just have to leave you with some recipes.”
The four of them enjoyed a delicious meal together, then Adrienne and Jameson left for their hotel. Later that day Kayla logged on to her computer and found a local yoga class taught by a Ms. Roach. Despite the instructor's rather unfortunate name, Kayla signed up. Her mom had made a valid point. If she wanted to actually like Newcrest, she was going to have to try a lot harder, especially seeing that as an editor, she rarely interacted with co-workers like John did. This was her best shot.