His Nerd Next Door

The endless hum of the car engine had become a dull roar, a constant companion on the cross-country journey. Julie Wells, slumped against the window, wished she could disappear into the pages of her book, but car sickness had claimed that small mercy. Beside her, her younger brother, Jake, was a whirlwind of ceaseless energy, his fidget spinner a blur in the periphery.

"Mom, watch my fidget spinner!" Jake's voice, bright and insistent, cut through the drone, echoing the relentless energy of small boys.

Her mom, ever-patient and prone to car sickness herself, merely glanced in the rearview mirror. Julie knew better than to turn. One more head turn, one more innocent glance at Jake, and she might just lose control, a phantom punch swinging through the air. Her body, it seemed, had a mind of its own when annoyed.

Finally, the car pulled up to a brick house, a modest structure that now marked their new beginning in California. Julie bolted out, gasping in the sweet relief of fresh air, collapsing onto the soft, green grass.

"Oh, how I missed grass! Beautiful, soft grass—"

Her dad, ever the pragmatist, rolled his eyes. "Julie, put that grass down and stop being overdramatic." Just then, the moving truck rumbled into view, a stark reminder that the adventure was just beginning. Her mom, already ushering Jake inside with a weary sigh, seemed to echo Julie's own sentiments: some days, you just didn't have time for people. For Julie, that was every single day.