The Girl Next Door

Chapter 3

September 3rd, 1995

Y/N's POV

          "Lena do you know when Nat's getting back?" I ask walking into my neighbor's backyard.

She simply shrugs as she's climbing on their playground structure. "She went for a bike ride." The 6 year old says before jumping down and running over to the swings.

I sigh and just go sit on the swing set where Yelena is hanging upside down.

Then I hear Natasha whistle.

I instantly perk up. We all had a matching whistle, 3 tones. Natasha was first, I had the middle tone, and Yelena had the highest note. I whistle back to her. Then Yelena joins and also whistles.

"Took you long enough!!" I tease getting up and running over to the girl with blue hair. She did end up dyeing her hair earlier this year like she wanted.

Yelena does a backbend showing off.

We both make our way over to her and do the same.

"We're all upside down." Yelena giggles.

I smirk and decide to poke at her. "I bet you're gonna fall down first!"

"No you!" Yelena retorts. I watch as she struggles to hold the position.

Natasha sticks her tongue out at Yelena making a silly face at her little sister. Yelena just laughs loosing her balance and collapses to the ground on the dirt.

"I win!" I smirk as Nat got up before me.

Natasha shakes her head. "Shut up," she playfully nudges me.

Yelena squeals before getting up and chasing me. I pretend to be scared and run from her as we chase each other around the playground. "I told you I'd win!! I told you!" I laugh, my long hair blowing in the autumn wind.

I run and hide behind Natasha and stick my tongue out at Yelena playfully. She runs over still trying to catch me when she trips to the ground.

"Mommy!!" Yelena calls out whimpering in pain as she clutched her knee.

We immediately run over to Yelena, natasha tries to comfort her then their 'mom', Melina shows up and bends down to Yelena's height. "What happened?" She asks as Yelena pulls away from her sister's embrace and into her mother's.

"She fell on her knee." I say slightly guilty thinking I may have caused this. Maybe if I wasn't running she wouldn't have gotten hurt...

Nat taps my shoulder and motions with her head over to the play set. I follow and climb up with her.

Life has honestly been great in Ohio. I never want to leave. I have everything here. I had nothing in the red room.

"Your pain only makes you stronger." Melina walks over to us with her hand holding Yelena's. "Right you two?" She says.

"Mhm" I say as I'm swinging side by side with Natasha.

Natasha agrees with the statement. "Yeah," she says.

"Look! Forest stars..." Yelena says pointing to fireflies.

We stop swinging and look around us seeing their glow. "Yeah you know what? Those are actually part of the Lampyridae family." Melina explains. She turns a lot of things into educational stuff. Mainly because Natasha and Yelena were homeschooled.

I get up from the swing and Natasha follows shortly after. "And the glow, the glow that you see, that comes from a chemical reaction called...bioluminescence." Melina says with a smile on her face.