Red autumn

Evenings where it gets dark quickly, leaves of the tree that swirl down and the feeling that it is getting colder again. Autumn. I think it’s the best season there is. Not just because of the things I just mentioned. For me, it is mainly the feeling and the fun.

Maybe I should introduce myself. My name is Bella Parker. A perfectly normal 16-year-old teenager. You already know that I love autumn, but that's not all you need to know about me. I am into fashion, shopping, listening to music and especially gossiping with my best friend, Piper Henderson. No, we don’t talk badly about people. We mainly talk about guys we like and who look mega hot. Piper is the best at it. Every time she sees a handsome boy, she looks flirtatious with her eyes and tries to get to know that boy better. And then eventually they become a couple. Usually, it only takes two weeks, sometimes three. After that, Piper will no longer like him and break up. That’s how it goes. It’s so easy with her. She is a beautiful girl whose father is rich. That’s all those guys see. What I see in her is the best friend in the whole world. She always offers me a listening ear, and she is very good at giving advice. Since we met a few years ago, we have almost become sisters. She really means a lot to me. I love her.

I check my Apple Watch. It is almost 7 pm. My mom will probably be worried even though she knows I was at Piper’s house. She and I have a very close relationship with each other. We really tell each other everything. But when it comes to getting back home in time, she can be a bit stricter. My mom always tells me to be back in before dark, because otherwise strangers can follow you. Then she says you never know if you will be kidnapped and killed. Yes, I know. It’s all a bit dramatic. But that’s my mom. Worried, but the best mom ever with the biggest heart.

When I open the front door of my house, a wonderful smell of food enters my nose. I hear my stomach rumbling.

“Aha, there you are. I was wondering when you were going to come back home.”

“Hi, Mom.” I said back.

“Honey, I was already concerned about you. It was getting dark and you were not home yet. Can you come back in time next time, please? That would be nice.”

So this is what she always says to me. Always the same sentence that I have to be back home before dark. I really don’t get it. I’m literally 16. I know what I’m doing. But it’s my mom, and she always does so much for me, so this is the least I can do for her.

“Don’t worry, Mom! I’ll be back a little earlier next time so you don’t worry.”

"You are the best Bella. I knew you would understand."

Later that evening my dad comes home and we eat together at the table. I tell them enthusiastically about my day at school and how much fun it was at piper's home.

“How’s Piper still doing? “The last time I spoke to her again was a while ago,” says my mom.

"she is doing well. Even if it's just broken up with her boyfriend. She misses him anyway "

"ohh how bad for Piper! I hope she recovers from it soon. Who was she with again? "

“James Robinson. The one boy with blond hair and curls. Why do you ask?”

“Ohh, I just wondered. She’s been with so many guys before that I can’t remember them all.”

“Honey, where’s Roxanne? “I didn’t see her come home after school,” asked my dad.

“Ohh, Theo, honey, don’t worry. She stayed with a friend. I said it was okay for me, and then I brought her some stuff to stay the night.”

Roxanne Parker. my little 10-year-old sister. She is addicted to candy and completely in love with Hello Kitty.She can be quite loud and annoying, but she is a super cute sister that I used to dream of when I was still an only child. So Roxanne and I have a good bonding, yes, although she can be very annoying and play mean jokes. And she knows very well that I don’t like that.

Maybe I should also introduce my dad. So my dad, Theo Parker, is very clumsy but intelligent. Like almost every father, he likes to work in the garden and loves to make those typical dad jokes. I love my dad because he always tells a random story about his life when he was younger. My favourite story he once told is the story of when he met my mom. They met in high school when they were 16 years old. They were friends for a year until my dad confessed his feelings to my mom, Maddy Parker. Since then they have always stayed together and got married many years later. I hope I would also meet my future boyfriend at this age. I think it’s cute.

After dinner, I went upstairs to my room and changed into my pyjamas. I jumped into bed, grabbed my phone and started scrolling through TikTok. I knew I should probably go to sleep, but there was always one more video. And then another one. And another one.

Eventually, I checked the time.

10:48 pm.

Okay. Definitely time to sleep.

I put my phone away and pulled my blanket over me. For some reason, I started thinking about my parents again. They had met when they were sixteen, just like me. Maybe I was a little too romantic for my own good, but I thought it was cute. Imagine meeting someone at sixteen and still being together years later. Maybe that could happen to me too.

I smiled and closed my eyes.

Tomorrow was Monday.

And I couldn’t wait to see Piper.