The moving truck finally pulled up outside, rumbling like an old dragon that had eaten too many boxes. The movers stepped out, yawning as if they had all night…which, apparently, they did.
Dad checked his watch for the twentieth time. “Are they building the furniture before loading it?” he muttered.
Mom shot him a warning look. “Patience, dear.”
“Patience left two hours ago,” Dad replied, rubbing his temples.
Jamie sat on the porch beside Max, who was throwing pebbles at a cardboard box that had “FRAGILE” written on it in red.
“If that breaks, Mom’s gonna kill you,” Jamie said.
Max shrugged. “At least then I won’t have to help unpack.”
After what felt like forever, the last box was finally shoved into the moving truck. Everyone piled into the car like a chaotic parade.
Dad climbed into the driver’s seat, exhaled deeply, and muttered, “Finally.”
Then he promptly fell asleep.
HOOOONK!
The car horn blared so loudly it could have woken the dinosaurs. Birds flew out of trees, a cat leapt off a fence, and Grandma nearly dropped her roller skates in shock.
“DAD!” Max screamed, sprinting toward the car. “Wake up! The whole neighborhood thinks we’re under attack!”
Dad’s head jerked up. “Wha—what? Who’s attacking?”
Jamie facepalmed. “You smacked your head on the horn, genius.”
Dad rubbed his forehead. “Well, at least I know the horn works.”
Once everyone was finally settled, the Johnson family rolled out. Dad drove the car, and the rest of the family squeezed in between boxes, snacks, and suspiciously rattling luggage.
They had barely made it past the corner when Lilly gasped dramatically.
“My teddy!” she screamed, eyes wide with horror. “We left Mr. Fuzzy!”
Mom sighed. “Lilly, we packed—”
“I left him!” she wailed, tears springing to her eyes. “He’s all alone! What if he misses me?”
Dad groaned but turned the car around anyway. “Nobody left behind,” he muttered like a soldier on a mission.
After a five-minute drive back to the old house, Lilly rushed inside, snatched her beloved teddy, hugged it tightly, and announced, “He was brave.”
“Braver than me,” Dad mumbled.
Back on the road again, peace lasted a grand total of… six minutes.
“I know a shortcut!” Aunt Bella’s voice came from behind, loud and confident.
Mom turned slightly. “Bella, the GPS says—”
“Please, I don’t need GPS. I am the GPS,” Bella declared proudly.
Ten minutes later, the car bounced onto a dirt road that looked like it hadn’t seen civilization since dinosaurs had Wi-Fi. The car rattled, the boxes shook, and Grandma’s voice came from the back seat.
“Is this a shortcut or an earthquake simulation?”
Aunt Bella, unfazed, yelled, “Just a few more minutes!”
“Famous last words,” Max muttered.
Inside the car, Noah ripped open a bag of chips—and instantly regretted it.
POOF!
A cloud of crumbs exploded across the seats. Chips rained down like edible snow.
“NOAH!” Sophie shrieked, brushing crumbs from her hair. “What did you do?”
“It wasn’t me!” Noah said defensively. “It was air pressure! Science!”
Jamie groaned. “Science is grounded.”
Meanwhile, Max and Jamie had started their usual argument.
“You took my seatbelt spot!” Max said.
“How can you own a seatbelt spot?” Jamie shot back.
“I claimed it first!”
“You also claimed the last cookie, the front seat, and the good genes!”
“That’s called winning, Jamie.”
Before Jamie could retort, a tiny sleepy voice came from the back.
“Teddy…”
Everyone turned. Lilly was half-asleep, clutching her stuffed bear. Her eyes fluttered open.
“Teddy!!!” she screamed suddenly, startling everyone—then immediately fell back asleep like nothing happened.
There was silence.
Then Grandma said dryly, “She’s dramatic. I like her style.”
Dad just sighed and kept driving, muttering something about “never moving again” as the car bounced over yet another bump.
🌀 What Just Happened?
- The moving truck finally left… after Dad accidentally blasted the car horn.
- The whole convoy turned back because Lilly forgot Mr. Fuzzy.
- Aunt Bella’s “shortcut” turned into a prehistoric dirt road adventure.
- Noah opened chips and caused a crumb explosion inside the car.
- Max and Jamie argued while Lilly randomly screamed “Teddy!” in her sleep.
📚 What’s Next?
➡️ Continue to Chapter 3 – We Ordered a New Home, Not New Problem
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