Kenny stared intently at the console, his eyes wide with surprise. It felt almost unreal, as if it would disappear the moment he looked away. “Where did this come from?” he exclaimed.

“Remember your Christmas letter to Santa last year?” Mom teased, a twinkle in her eye. “Guess he came through, just in time.”

“But why did Santa deliver it here? How’d he know?” Kenny asked, his brow furrowing in doubt. “Mom, did you have something to do with this?”

His mom chuckled, dismissing his question with a playful wave. “We’ll set it up later. For now, how about some fresh air? I noticed a few kids outside. It could be fun to introduce yourself. Once I’m done here, we can grab something to eat.”

A grumble from his stomach seconded that idea, and he responded, “Sounds good, Mom. Just remember to feed Whiskers, okay?”

Reaching into his backpack, his mom pulled out a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos and a Gatorade.

“These should keep you going for a while,” she replied with a smile. “And by tomorrow, we’ll be all set up with the internet.”

Kenny took the Doritos bag carefully, as if it were something precious. His mom gently nudged him toward the door and down the stairs. Soon, he found himself outside, enjoying the familiar taste of the nachos in this unfamiliar place. A thought crossed his mind: maybe Mom and Aunt Olivia had planned the console surprise to make their move easier on him.

Stepping into the twilight, Kenny hesitated by the front steps, letting his gaze drift toward the gazebo where three kids seemed engrossed in their own world.

One boy looked like a gingerbread cookie—short and round with a wild head of hair that reminded Kenny of a firework explosion. Next to him stood a lanky kid, his clothes hanging loosely on him, making him seem even taller. The girl was sitting down, but what struck Kenny most about her were her sharp green eyes, a vivid contrast to her coal-black hair—just like the crows back in New York.

Swallowing his nerves, Kenny approached them. “Hey there. I’m Kenny. What about you guys?”

The trio exchanged glances, the girl suppressing a giggle. Finally, the round-faced boy cleared his throat, putting on a pompous voice. “What’s your deal, Kenny-boy?”

“Just moved here,” Kenny said, trying to sound casual. “From New York. Mom got a job here.”

“New York City? Big deal.” The tall boy whistled, elbowing the girl. “Hear that, Aurora?”

She just raised an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to impress us, city boy?”

Kenny’s face heated. “Want some nachos?” he offered, trying to ease the tension.

She smirked. “Thanks, but no. And don’t think snacks will make us instant friends. Come on, Roberto.” With that, she stood, revealing her height—she was quite tall.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Roberto—the lanky boy—hesitated, casting a longing glance at Kenny’s Doritos before following Aurora. Once they were gone, the round-faced kid shamelessly dug into the bag, munching away.

“Don’t mind Aurora. She’s all right, just a bit dramatic,” he said between mouthfuls. “Roberto just goes along with her. He is her big bro, after all.”

Kenny watched him, a smile tugging at his lips. “So, who are you, Mr. Munch-a-lot?”

The boy chuckled. “Name’s Gavin. Pull up a chair, New Yorker.”

Kenny settled in next to Gavin, enjoying the comfort of newfound friendship.

As they munched on the chips and drank their Gatorade, Gavin started telling stories about the other people in town—himself, the lively girl named Aurora, lazy Roberto, and many others. He spoke in a hushed voice, as if he were sharing secret information. “You’ve got to be careful around here, you know. There are some older guys who don’t take kindly to newcomers, especially ones from big cities. Like Tyson.”

“Who?”

“Tyson. His real name’s Michael, but don’t ever call him that unless you fancy getting a black eye. He thinks he’s some kind of boxing champ just ‘cause he’s taken a few lessons.”

“So what do people call him around here?” Kenny probed. “Mikey?”

Gavin choked on his Gatorade, coughing hard. “No way! Not Mikey. That would be a disaster waiting to happen.” He paused, trying to catch his breath from the laughter. “Everyone calls him Tyson. It’s kinda his thing, you know, after that famous boxer. You’ll want to be on his good side. He’s repeated a grade, and trust me, he’s got a short fuse.”

Gavin then started dishing the gossip on their stern classroom teacher, Mrs. Stevenson. Kenny tried to listen, but his mind kept wandering back to Aurora and the captivating sparkle in her emerald eyes.

“… more Doritos?” Gavin’s voice pulled Kenny back from his daydream.

“Huh?”

“Got any extra Doritos at your place?” Gavin asked, rubbing his stomach. “Mom’s working late, and Grandma’s out of town. My kitchen’s a snack desert right now.”

“Probably,” Kenny replied. “Come on, let’s grab some.”

“Nah, you go. I’ll chill here,” Gavin responded, stretching lazily. “Too much movement, and I might starve.”

As Kenny bounded up the stairs in search of snacks, he nearly collided with his mom coming down.

“All done with the unpacking.” She beamed. “How about we hit the town for some dinner?”

“Did Whiskers get his dinner too?”

“Of course,” she replied, a twinkle in her eye. “That was the first thing I did.”

“Just grabbing some Doritos for Gavin,” Kenny explained.

When Mom found out who Gavin was, and why he was hanging around and waiting for nachos, she shook her head. “No Doritos for dinner. Let’s invite Gavin along. It’ll be a good chance to get to know him, and he can fill us in on the school. Who knows, you two might end up as classmates.”

Just like that, it was decided. Gavin suddenly perked up on hearing the invitation and was all in for dinner.

They found a diner just around the corner, one with that cozy, homey vibe to it, like the apartment had. While Kenny’s mom chose a crisp garden salad, both boys got juicy burgers with sides of crispy fries.

As they chatted, Kenny learned that Gavin lived with just his mom and grandma. As for his dad, however, Gavin didn’t have much to say.

“He’s a soldier,” Gavin shared, stabbing a fry with his fork. “Last I heard, he was in Afghanistan. It’s kinda risky, you know?”

“We get it,” said Mom, her voice gentle, and eyes softening. She gave Gavin’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “You dig in now.”

Night had fallen for real by the time they got home. After dinner, they’d swung by the grocery store for some essentials. Gavin made his way back to his home with a loaded backpack, saying that he should get back before his mom got worried—he didn’t even have a working phone to give her a heads-up. “I better head back before my mom starts freaking out,” he said anxiously, holding up his old flip phone. “This thing’s been acting up lately.”

Kenny couldn’t quite pinpoint when he’d drifted off to sleep. Whether it was cozily tucked into his bed or halfway through changing his clothes, he couldn’t tell.

In his dream, he was trekking through an eerie forest, Whiskers perched on his shoulder, and a gleaming sword in his hand. His destination was a mystery, but a creeping dread shadowed his steps.

Morning light greeted him when he opened his eyes.