The Neighbors

Sam

                I was really considering moving to Utah with my grandparents. Our electric blue Hybrid slowed to turn into the gates of Forest Ridge, the newest, hippest housing development in western New York. “Why are we moving here again mom? You know we’re just going to have to move again in two years?” My father was a colonel in the military, and we moved around quite a bit. “Well, your father and I were going to tell you when Kat and Shane were with us, but I just can’t keep it in anymore!” My father, brother Shane, and sister Kat, really Katherine, were about an hour behind us in the drive here. They had a late start due to my eight year old brother falling down the stairs. We were already ready to leave, and Shane wasn’t hurt, so my father encouraged my mom and me to go on ahead. “We’re staying here, forever. Well unless something happens like a fire, or a flood or some absurd thing.” I tuned out my mother; I didn’t believe her anyway. When dad was told to go to a new place, we went. What are me, my mom, Kat, and Shane to do while he’s gone for two years?

          And my mother was still babbling. “And in this house, the kitchen is mine! All mine! And no one’s going to take it away from me!” “Mom.” Blabber. “Mom.” Blabbity blab. “MOM!” I finally screamed, making her go silent. “Why are you screaming Sam?” I sighed, exasperatingly. “What are we going to do while dad’s away?” “What do you mean? He’s not going away.” She said the words slowly, as if I was some sort of mental patient. “His job? The army?” A look of recognition crossed her face. “Oh! He got a new job as a graphic designer down at the college, he’s the new professor there. He finally gets to have a job that he was trained to have.” My father was originally an art student, but to pay for college he joined the ROTC. And never left. “Really? That’s great!” Finally, one house. The house we will live in; our house.

          We twisted up the long and surprisingly wide driveway. Mom told me earlier that the driveway led to the house next door too. It was really more of a private roadway but I like driveway better. My mom was in the process of telling me about how the house was custom and the carpet, hardwood, tile, and countertops were all made to suit us. I closed my eyes and tried to think. My very own room that I hopefully get to paint any color I want. I sighed in contentment. “Hey mom?” I ask cutting her rant off. “Yes dear, what is it?” “How big is my room? Do I get my own bathroom? Do I have to share a bathroom? With Kat, Shane or both? Is there a loft room? Can I have that room? Can I paint my room?” All the questions came out rushed and thrown together. I was out of breath and embarrassed so I looked down at my orange flip flops. Orange was my favorite color, and I liked to wear something orange every day. Like today, I was wearing a hot pink and white swirled tank top and light wash jean short shorts with my orange hoops and flip flops.

 My mother laughed, her blue eyes, the same ones Shane and I have, twinkled. Her hair was a graying brown, but she looked so young when she laughed. “Can I answer them in order that they were asked?” She teased. I nodded. “Your room is bigger than anything you’ve ever had. The house is huge and you each have your own bathroom. There is a loft, and your father and I were thinking of giving it to you.” She smiled. “You can have the room if you want, and you can paint it anything that is not puke green, blazing yellow, dark brown, or black. Is that all?” The question was rhetorical, so I didn’t answer. When I lifted my gaze from my feet, I finally noticed we were at the house. If you call a mansion a house. “Oh Sam? One more thing.”  “Yeah mom?” “The Thomas’s are going to be our next door neighbors.”

Nate

          God, this place is huge. We were outside of our new “house.” More like a mansion. My family and I were still in the car; we were all afraid to get out. “Why are we moving here again?” Kade asked for the thirteenth time. “Because your mother got a job as a surgeon at the local hospital Kade.” My father replied. “Yeah a brain surgeon,” I rolled my eyes, “How much do they make a year, you think Char?” Charlotte giggled, such a girly thing. “I’m so excited!” Liz gushed. “Yeah, you and Char don’t have to share a room anymore.” I smirked. Since my father and mother both worked in the military, or used to, Charlotte and Liz had to share a room because there were no houses with five bedrooms in military housing. “Yeah! And our own bathrooms! Goodness, I can’t believe we have a seven bedroom, eight and a half bathroom house. That’s like two houses put together!” We all laughed, except Liz, who just blushed.