Simple Compromise

Prolouge

Ouch! A bright red ball bounced on my head and continued behind me into my mum's tulip garden. "Ooh, that William boy will get it now if it rolls past mum's garden," I smirk devilishly as I watched it roll past into the garden, bending some tulips.

I felt a surge of guilt as I sighed and bit my lip. I stood up, making my book which I was reading until I was interrupted fall to the ground. I tiptoe over mum's little garden and pick up the ball. Surely it must belong to the neighbour's. As I make my way back to the porch, a boy with blonde hair and hazel eyes popped up from over the fence. "Hello!" He said cheerfully. "Don't be a prat. What do you want?" I snapped. I didn't want to deal with him. I didn't ask to deal with him. I've already got four other siblings to deal with.

"You don't need to be so rude," the boy huffed. "I just want my ball back." I thought long and hard. I never give someone something for free unless they mean a lot to me. I had to think of a deal. The perfect one sprang into my head. "Alright," I said, holding back the ball. "But let's have a simple compromise. You never talk to me again, and I'll give back your ball." "What kind of compromise is that?" The boy said, obviously enraged. "Do it or no ball. Does this mean a lot to you, then?" The boy went silent for a while. "Alright. Now give me back my ball." I tossed it over the fence. "It's simple, really," I added, shrugging. "Don't talk to me. No eye contact. Just nothing. Got that?" "Yeah, yeah," the boy snorted and disappeared over the fence.