Girl Next Door

Chapter One: Becca

Sunlight cascades through my bedroom window and hits the wooden floor. With a yawn, I climb out from underneath my sky blue comforter and pad over to my closet. My gaze catches on my favorite green dress, and I quickly put it on. My phone rings, and I rush to answer it.

Alexander, my best friend, is the one calling me. The picture of him wearing his thick glasses and Doctor Who shirt makes me smile as I answer. "City morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em." My voice comes out in my best fake southern accent.

He laughs on the other end. "Hey, Bec," he states with another laugh.

"Hello, Lex," I smile into the phone. " When will you guys be picking me up?" Toby and Alexander, the twin boys next door, pick me up every morning in Toby's Dodge Charger. Who is Toby? Well, Toby is actually my crush, the man of my dreams, the fudge on top of my sundae. We are destined to be together. The only problem is that he doesn't know that yet.

My friend's voice brings me out of my thoughts. "We'll be ready in half an hour. Can you be done with the whole girlie morning process by then?" He teases me in his usual Lex style.

With a dramatic gasp, I play along. "I don't know! I just don't know if I can look pretty enough to impress your brother with only thirty minutes!" I break the act. "But seriously, do you think he'll like the dress I'm wearing?"

He groans. "Becca, whatever you're wearing, you look beautiful. Don't worry about it. You could be wearing a trash sack, and you'd still be able to pull it off. Wait. How the heck am I supposed to know what dress you are wearing, anyway?"

"First of all, awwwwweee, and second of all, it's the green one I wore to your birthday party last week. I don't know if it works with my complexion. I think it makes me look pale."

"No," he groans quietly, "I think that one is my favorite on you. It makes your eyes look bigger." A crash sounds in the background. "Crap. I need to go. See you in a bit."

The other end goes silent, and I place my phone on my dresser. My gaze slowly travels to my reflection in the mirror. He's right. This dress does make my eyes look slightly bigger.

With the speed of a jaguar, I finish getting ready for another day at prison which some people call school. Actually, it's not that bad. I just feel compelled to hate it due to the fact that I am an American teenager. Alexander likes school, but he is one of the few who can. He's incredibly intelligent, kind, and one of the most amazing people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

When I've finally finished with my preparations for the day, I go down to the kitchen and grab an apple. My mom is in the kitchen in her bathrobe. Her hair is in a messy bun, and she hasn't put any make up on either. Despite those facts, she is absolutely beautiful. My mother is the most important person in my life. She had me when she was sixteen, and my father didn't stay around after he found out about me.

A car horn honks outside. With a peck on the cheek, I wish my mom a good day and rush out the front door. In the street, Toby and Alexander are parked in the car, smiling at me. Alexander's smile is biggest, as he gets out and opens the back door for me, being the awesome gentleman he is.

We drive in complete silence until Toby gets bored with it and decides to fill the quiet interior with the beautiful noise of his voice. "So, Becca, when is your next play?" He asks with a smile.

A legion of butterflies swarm in my stomach, making it hard to reply at first. That's the effect his smile has on me. "It's going to be on October fifth. Mrs. Maxwell is so excited about it."

"What play are you guys doing?"

"We're doing Hamlet," I answer with a grin. "Mrs. Maxwell gave me the role of the love interest."

His brows furrow. "Isn't that the play where the love interest dies?" When I nod, he snickers. "I'm sure you can pull it off. I'll make sure to buy a ticket and sit in the front row."

"Do you promise?" I question with a teasing eye flutter.

"I promise I'll be there, Becca. You can count on me."