Summer's Winter

Chapter 4 - Tucker

Yesterday, the movers came in and helped my family out. The house now looks amazing. I never had a house like this in forever. The old house was poorly decorated and sloppy. This time we can finally get out of food stamps and adore this luxury I now call home. I thought this was a dream. It wasn't. It's real life and I'm touching the silver lining of the stair rails. My dad and mom decided to clean up and I have the whole time to myself. I changed into my swimming shorts and went to the backyard. 

Thump. Clack. Thump. I heard the sounds as I opened the backyard door. I look toward what made the horrible irritating sound. It was Amber, practicing her hits. After a while, she looked at my face. I look at her for a bit and then look away. I want nothing to do with her. I am perplexed because she is staring at me.  I felt an urge to say something about it to her but she stopped looking and then continued shooting. 

"Hey, Tucker!" she yelled and waved at me from her tennis court.

I just waved back. This would keep conversation to a minimum.  I took off my shirt and I could see Anise staring me up and down.  I tossed my shirt aside on the pool loungers.

"Ahem," she said as she still looking at me. 

I look right at her with disgust. 

"What have a problem?" I said trying to make the conversation end. 

She paused and proceeded to grab a ball. 

"Sorry just had a train of thought," she said.

I looked away and dived into the pool. She is making things weird. The sun is basting down on me. I swam and thought that the war was over. I don't have to deal with my aunt and uncles and I can live without fear. I lifted my head from the water and rubbed my eyes. The first thing I saw was annoying Anise serving continuously in the basting sun with a smile on her face. She chugged all the water down like a pig. I didn't care about her so I continued swimming. 

I rubbed my eyes and swam and swam. It brings me back to times when I went to a waterpark with my family while my uncle threw a rock at the window when we were gone. My heart burns thinking of that. I ease my mind and swim across the pool. I adjusted my swimming shorts and splashed water on myself because it was hot as hell outside.

 I floated on my back and moved my legs and arms against the small currents in my swimming pool. It gave me old memories of me being tied up by Uncle Sam and I had to lay on my back looking at the ceiling of his disgusting place all the time when I was kidnapped by him. I feel upset but, I'm at peace now, I should get over it. 

I grabbed a floatie and jumped on it. I relax for a while. I close my eyes dreaming of what if this neighborhood will be safe for me. I still closed my eyes as I imagined a better life on my floatie. What if my aunt and uncles show up at this house? I don't want that. This house is amazing. I don't mind them slashing the old house open. We are so done with that. This house is so huge though. It took me some time to adjust to drastic changes. 

I opened my eyes and I was facing Anise's house. I see her backyard, it's like a basketball/tennis court. Anise does look like a good tennis player. I looked up at the house and saw Anise at a window. Looking at me, ME. Ew. Was she looking at me the whole time? She closed her blinds and ducked down. What an annoying person. 

She looks like a stalker, which gives me the ick because it reminds me of the time my uncle stalked me through the window of our old house before he slashed it and kidnapped me with his friends. I suddenly felt the urge to block her from our house. I got off the floaties, grabbed my towel, and wrapped it around me. I grabbed all my stuff and went inside. I hope I don't have to see Anise again. She is a little creepy.