Basement For Rent

Chapter 1

Friday July 31st

I sit in my living room stabbing at the buttons on my controller, in the living room this time. My mom forced me to bring my Xbox down here instead, since I won't sleep because I would spend all night playing. But either way, I still played every night. She works the night shift at the hospital and she doesn't get home until seven in the morning.

Today is the night, Leah and her mom starts to bring their stuff into the basement, and I'm not ready to have to live with her. We haven't really talked about the fact we are both living together but I know we both disapprove of the idea.

Last Sunday at our youth class at church or leader mentioned the fact we were going to share a home by mentioning how we would see each other more often. I remember watching as her hazel eyes filled with annoyance, as she rudely said, "Yeah, so?"

Our youth leader then told her something he usually told her, and that was that he would pray for her. He would tell her that almost every Sunday, but that day she sent him a death-like glare. Everyone in our youth group always knew he meant something that always bugged her, she once told us it was about who she'd marry, and when we'd ask her who it was she'd tell us, there was no point in her revealing the name because she would never marry him.

I'm caught off guard when I hear her familiar annoying high-pitched voice, "Hi, Miss Cox!"

I'm glad the living room is in the other side of the house where we don't have to see each other, at all for the rest of the night. I hear as Leah and her mom carry things down onto our basement and after an hour of listening I hear a man come in, he's probably carrying heavy things, like their bed.

After a while I hear Leah, and her mother's voices and footsteps, emerging from our basement, or their basement.

"Here you go, Anne. It's the first month's rent payment. Thank you so much for helping us out." Mrs. Jennings informs.

"Oh, no, thank you Lydia! This is going to great, we'll be helping each other." My mum tells her, I can practically hear her smile in her voice. She's so excited about this and I don't even know why. This is going to be the worst thing ever. "Lydia do you want have some tea? Leah can join us too!"

Oh no. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO. MRS. JENNINGS PLEASE SAY NO. IT'S NOTHING AGAINST YOU, JUST YOUR ANNOYING ASS DAUGHTER.

"Why of course, we could join you for a cup of tea! I know how important it is for you, since you're from across the pond." Mrs. Jennings laughs.

Fucking great.

I hear my mother make her way into the kitchen and I hear a clatter of pots and pans, she's probably looking for the teapot.

"Ah, found it!" my mom says in a triumphal way.

"I'm so excited for you guys to live here! How are you feeling about it, Leah?" my mom asks.

"I'm excited too." Leah lies, I've known her since we were two, we've never been close but I can tell she fucking lying for my mum's sake.

"We're going to be like a little happy family." My mom says calmly.

"I guess." I hear Leah say, her voice cracking a bit.

"Oh honey, what's wrong?" I hear Mrs. Jennings ask in a nurturing motherly way.

I hate when mom's treat us like two year old, for fucks sake we're going to be juniors in high school.

"We're not a family anymore because, dad left us." She cries now.

She's crying now, okay great. I have to deal with another emotional girl in the house.

"Oh sweetie, that's not true." I hear Mrs. Jennings, coo.

"Harry, please bring me a blanket from, the blanket closet upstairs!" my mom yells.

I hesitantly pause my game and run up the stairs, I don't know why my mom thinks it makes people feel better wrapping them around a blanket. Whenever she's sad she wraps herself in a blanket and she does nothing but wipe her tears and snot into it. It's not soothing at all, but I keep my thought to myself as I grab a red and black checkered blanket and stroll into kitchen.

My green eyes instantly roam the room and I see Leah standing wiping her tears off with a napkin. I've never seen her this way, all cry-baby like and so sloppy. She's wearing running shorts and a tank top with small holes, with her hair in a big mound on top of her head, very-unlike her. I'm used to her wearing a nice shirt, with jeans or a nice skirt and some high heels. Her hair perfectly done. But today, she looks so different.

"Uh...here you go. I guess." I awkwardly hold out the blanket for her.

"Thanks." She sniffles and I watch her as she composes herself and she stands up straight.

"Yeah, no problem." I respond awkwardly once again. I turn to go back to my game when my mum mouths, 'Hang out with her.' I give her a what the hell should I do, look.

But my mum stares me down until I finally ask her, "Hey, um, Leah wanna watch TV in the other room? The adults are kinda boring."

"Uh, yeah sure." She shuffles behind me as I make my way to the living room where my game is paused.

"So what, do you wanna watch?" I ask, sitting down on my couch and she just stand there unsure of what to do.

"We could watch the basketball game, you have on pause." She says whilst she sits on the floor.

"I'm playing a game, on my Xbox."

"Yeah that's fine, I'll just watch you." She says.

After a few moments of silence while, I play my game. I start making small talk. It's awkward just sitting here doing nothing.

"So are you going to join the speech team? You know now that your switching schools."

"Um, yeah, I think so, I heard your school has a great team."

"Yeah, we do. If you need any help getting in, my friend Jackson's on the varsity team. You've met him before I've taken him to youth group."

"The red-head right? Who says he wants to study journalism?"

"Yeah him."

"Oh okay, yeah I'll tell him if I need anything." She then continues, "What about you? Are you doing anything?"

"Yeah, I'm doing football again."

"Cool, what team?"

"Varsity." I say proudly.

"That's fun. I'll go to your games." She chuckles

"You better." I chuckle along with her, I guess she's not so bad, but I don't wanna be her friend.

"Do you know where the bus stop is around here?" She asks randomly

"For school?" I ask confused why she's asking for a bus stop.

"Obviously."

"Why would you take the bus we are juniors. Don't you have your licence?"

"Harry, I don't have a car. So I can't drive myself." She says ad she plays around with her hands.

"I can always drive you. I mean I have practice after school, but I guess I can drive to school and you can pick me up. We're upperclassman, you shouldn't take the bus." I tell her, it wouldn't be bad to at least be nice to her.
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Hi guys! I'm so sorry it took me two months to write the first chapter but at least its the first and not the fifth chapter right? I know this chapter is weird and stuff but I swear it'll get better! First chapters are always so hard! ILY ALL.

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