She woke up the next morning at 7:00 AM (like always) to the sun peeking through her curtains. Sophia drew them open, yawning as she slid a hand down her face.
She had to do the same exact routine. Every single morning. She told herself it was because it gave her a nice sense of security, but it was more about being in control. She wouldn't admit that though.
Teeth brushed, hair and makeup done, and outfit on, Sophia slipped quietly down the stairs so she wouldn't wake her mother.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
She had the same thing for breakfast everyday: a piece of toast with peanut butter and banana. And she would sit criss-cross on the front porch and eat it, watching the neighborhood slowly come to life as fathers and mothers left for work, and the occasional dog walker passed by.
"Hi Mrs. O'Donnel!" She greeted the elderly woman out on her morning walk around the block, just like always. The woman waved back. "Hello there, sweetie!"
This was how things always were, how she always wanted them to be. Predictable and calm. No crazy surprises or anything at all like that.
But just her luck, she spoke too soon. She had just finished her breakfast when the morning buzz was broken by a group of giggling voices.
She glanced down the sidewalk to see a group of five teenage girls rushing towards her. Or at least she thought they were before they made an abrupt turn at the Scobell's house, stopping just outside the gate.
"Is this really his house?"
"Oh my god, shut up they'll hear you!"
"If he actually lives here I'm gonna pass out guys. Deadass."
Sophia set her plate down on the wooden deck, getting to her feet. It was only 7:30 in the morning, way too early for any sane teenage girl to be out and about. Minus her of course.
She debated leaving it alone. Maybe they knew the Scobells somehow? Still the fan girl behavior was unnerving. She almost walked away, that was until one of the girls pulled her phone out and stared snapping pictures of his home.
"Hey!" She called over to them as kindly as possible, waving her arms. "What do you think you're doing?"
They froze, obviously oblivious to her presence until that moment. The one girl stuffed her phone back in her pocket and waved as if their behavior was perfectly rational.
"Oh, uh, hey girl! We were just like...out on a walk." She tried, glancing around to avoid eye contact. Sophia wasn't buying it.
"Why are you taking pictures of my neighbors house? That's kind of an invasion of their privacy, don't you think?" She leaned on the deck railing.
"Well..." Another girl started to speak, the others giggling nervously. "We just can't believe he actually lives here now, of all places. You have to agree, yeah?"
"Uh, who??? The only people I know of that live there is a sweet mom, a dad, and her three kids. One of them being a dumb teenage boy." She added the last part under her breath.
As if she said some sort of trigger word, each of the girl's eyes widened before they started squealing again. As if they were one person, they rushed over to her house, trying to come up her porch when she stopped them.
"Woah woah, can you not please? You're being insane and I don't even know you—" But they ignored her, coming right to the top of the steps.
"OHMYGOSHYOUMETHIM?"
"What was he like?"
"Did he smell good?"
Sophia stood there with her mouth hanging slightly open. What were these girls on? If they were seriously all obsessing over the same guy who only just moved here a few days ago, there was obviously a piece of the puzzle she wasn't aware of.
"I'm gonna choose to ignore whatever you just said," she backed up to her door. "And I'll also encourage you to not act like total freaks when some new guy moves to town. You'll scare him right back to wherever he came from."
Cue surprised gasps from every. single. girl.
A blonde, the same one with the phone stepped forwards. "Are you saying you don't know who Walker Scobell is?" She accused.
Sophia shrugged, opening the door behind her.
"Uhhh, sorry?" She said, not really sorry at all.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you know I have seen you before. Theater kid, nose always stuck in a book, sitting around town by yourself. You're probably on your phone, like, never."
She wasn't wrong.
"For your information, Walker Scobell is like, totally famous. He's an actor, and the cutest guy EVER. If you don't know who he is you shouldn't even talk to him, you'll just embarrass yourself."
Sophia was dumbfounded. Okay seriously, who does this girl think she is? The said girl pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket, shoving it into Sophia's hand.
"With a loser like you next door, he'll probably need someone else to talk to. I'm Bridgette White. Give him this for me, yeah?"
With that the group of girls followed her back down the stairs and away from the houses, leaving Sophia frozen in her doorway. She looked around, hoping someone else just witnessed the psycho gaggle of girls.
And then she saw him.
Staring out of the window between their houses, the one closest to the tree. Whichever room he was in was adjacent to hers, she could look into his house from it if she wanted to. Not that she would.
He was staring in disbelief before he put his head in his hands, dragging them down his face. He mouthed the word SORRY at her very dramatically.
She stepped inside and shut the door.
And then she realized why she recognized him. She'd passed by the tv many times when she was babysitting the kids down the street. Seen his face staring back at her.
She couldn't remember what the show was called, but either way these girls were telling the truth.
Her next door neighbor, Walker Scobell, was famous. And she was sure her once peaceful and enjoyable mornings had just gone out the window.
