Not Just Another Boy Next Door

Chapter 9

Standing on the doorstep of Beck's house, I instantly feel nauseous and contemplate sprinting in the opposite direction. I look behind me and back at the door, mentally calculating how fast I could make a quick exit before anyone even answers.

Am I seriously considering ding-dong-ditching Beck right now?

No, no way. I am staying put.

The sound of the doorbell ringing almost sounds like a warning signal, my hands becoming shaky in an instant. The echo of the bell reverberates from the house to my eardrums, loudly announcing my arrival and making me want to hide in the shrubbery. The door opens and the man that stands before me is definitely not Beck, although his attractive features are very similar. His dark hair is cut short like Beck's but not as close-shaven, with wide brown eyes and a prominent chin. He gives me a friendly smile and I do my best to return the favor...although internally I feel so nervous that I might have to lean over to puke in his perfectly-manicured bushes.

"Hello there. Can I help you?" His voice is warm but I only become more flustered, opening my mouth to speak but coming up with nothing but air.

"Uh..." I clear my throat, attempting to sound like a civilized person instead of a total moron. "Hi, good afternoon. I'm Rome, a friend of Beck's. Well kind of friends, I guess. Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you, but is he home? I just wanted to...I just had to ask him something. Tell him something, I mean." The words spill out unintelligibly and out of habit I run my hand through my hair, my anxiety only making the rambling worse.

Jesus, get a grip. I sound illiterate.

"He's not here at the moment but he should be home any minute now. Would you like to come in and wait for him?" I hesitate to reply at first, debating whether or not to take it as a sign to just abandon this plan altogether.

Don't be such a coward.

Please, please resist the urge to be a coward.

"Sure, thanks, if it's not too much trouble." He waves me in, grinning broadly and giving me space to enter the grand home.

"No trouble at all. He just ran to the store for me." As soon as I step through the door, it feels like another dimension full of sleek luxury and the scent of fresh-cut lilacs. Beck's father takes his shoes off and sets them on a designated mat, remaining in just his white socks. He doesn't pressure me to do the same but I mirror his actions anyway, removing my sneakers and keeping my navy socks on as well.

"Would you like something to drink, Rome?"

"Yes, please, Mr.-" I realize that I don't know Beck's last name and therefore have no idea how to address his father, especially since I also don't know his dad's first name either. I am left helplessly stumbling over my words, concluding with a measly, "Yes, please...sir."

"You can call me Daniel. Would you like a soda? Water?"

Daniel. Okay, okay, good. Progress.

"Soda is fine, thank you...Daniel." I smile in appreciation and he smiles back, gesturing towards their living room.

"Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable. Beck will be here any minute." Daniel heads back to the kitchen and I gulp loudly, my nerves catching up to me fast. I sit down gingerly on the couch, careful not to disorganize the neatly-placed pillows and the folded, woven throw blanket.

Will Beck even be pleased to see me here? I feel so stupid.

In the two minutes it takes Daniel to grab my soda from the kitchen and return, I have already convinced myself to get my ass out of here. Beck is going to think I'm such a weirdo and I've already done enough damage there as it is.

I'll take a couple sips of the soda to be polite and then make up some excuse to leave.

"Here we go, I hope Sprite is okay."

"Sprite is great, thank you." I take a sip from the glass Daniel hands me as he takes a seat over in the recliner, thankfully sensing that sitting beside me would only make the situation more awkward.

"So, do you live around here?" He asks me, drinking from his own glass of ice water.

"Technically I live in New York, but for the summer I'm actually your neighbor."

"You're kidding! You mean the house on the right?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"Such a beautiful home. How does this place compare to the big city?"

"It's definitely a different life here, but I like it."

"Oh I can imagine. Beck's mother Tana used to love taking trips to New York when we were young. She loved the lights, the noise, the adventure...ah, but that was ages ago." Daniel smiles but I notice the ghost of a hidden, concealed pain under his happy demeanor...almost as if he wants to say more but decided he shouldn't.

His long lost love.

"That sounds really nice. If you're ever in the area again, I'll show you guys all the best spots." Daniel grins at the offer and I breathe a silent sigh of relief that I haven't somehow said the wrong thing, leaving me to contemplate if I should add more or wait for him to respond.

The debate between my brain and my mouth is cut abruptly short, however, by the sight of Beck arriving home and his eyes nearly bulging out of his skull. I am not sure what to make of his expression but I do know that he is staring at me...sitting on his couch...drinking his soda...and talking to his dad who I've never met before now.

Yep, I knew it. I should have ran when I could.

By the completely dumbfounded look on Beck's face, somewhere between perplexed but definitely crossing over into pure anger, I can tell this was a very bad idea.

To be continued...