Vivacious《Cullen's》(Editing)

•《Chapter II》•

Arianna let out a soft yawn as she shifted a cardboard box from the floor onto her bed. The new room still felt foreign—like a blank canvas waiting to be painted with pieces of her old life. She picked up a box cutter from the nearby dresser and sliced through the tape with a satisfying snick. The flaps opened to reveal familiar pieces of home—posters, framed photos, and bits of artwork she had collected over the years.

With gentle hands, she sorted through the contents, pulling out a few of her favorite prints and pinning them to the wall. One by one, the empty space began to reflect fragments of her personality: a vintage poster of a classic ballet performance, a hand-sketched drawing her brother had once given her, a photo of her and her mom at the beach.

She had just picked up a small stack of picture frames when her father's voice called from downstairs.

"Ari! Come down for a sec!"

"Coming!" she called back.

She set the frames down on her desk and walked over to the door, stepping into the quiet hallway. The wooden floors creaked beneath her feet as she made her way to the staircase. With a little hop, she bounded down the last few steps and headed straight to the kitchen, led by the unmistakable scent of something warm and cheesy.

There, at the island counter, sat Daniel Alexander with two large pizza boxes opened in front of him, a proud grin on his face.

"You're the best!" Arianna beamed, leaning over to kiss his cheek before plopping onto the stool beside him.

He lifted the lid of the first box, revealing her favorite—pepperoni and pineapple. The aroma hit her instantly, and her eyes lit up. "My favorite!" she said, eagerly grabbing a slice.

Daniel shook his head with mock disapproval as he opened the second box and took a slice of plain cheese. "I still don't understand how you can eat that combination," he muttered. "Your mom loved it too. It's always confused me."

Arianna smirked. "That's because not everyone wants to live their life as a plain Jane with boring cheese pizza."

He laughed, mouth full of food, and she giggled along with him. In that moment, surrounded by cardboard boxes and the echo of laughter in their half-unpacked home, it didn't feel so unfamiliar anymore.

They ate in easy silence, occasionally tossing jokes back and forth between bites.

Eventually, Daniel leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach with exaggerated satisfaction. "Alright, that's enough. Time for bed, kiddo. You've got school tomorrow—bright and early."

He gave her his signature "dad" look—the one that meant I'm serious, no arguments.

Arianna groaned playfully but nodded. "Okay, okay. I'm just gonna take a quick shower, then I'm off to bed."

He waved a hand dismissively as she stood up. "Goodnight, Bumblebee."

"Night, Dad," she replied over her shoulder as she made her way upstairs.

In her bathroom, she moved through her nightly routine with practiced ease. A quick shower, face washed, teeth brushed. She changed into a comfortable pair of pajama shorts and an oversized T-shirt, her long brown hair now loose and damp, cascading around her shoulders.