The Boy Next Door

Chapter 5: Secrets Are Better Left Hidden.

Ten minutes after Poppy left me, Theo rounded the corner that lead to my street.

"Ahh.... Now I remember where I am" Theo said reaching sudden realisation as to where she was. "my house is just down there" her arm was outstretched, pointing towards the house at the end of the road, the house that looked exactly like my house, the house that had the same drive as mine with a stone path and rose bushes, the house with the same twin balcony facing the setting sun in the west, the house that she walked to when I reached mine.

"You live here?" I asked in a state of bewilderment

"Yeaah?" she replied, questioning her answer "Why? whats wrong with this house? Oh My God there wasn't a murder here was there?!" she worriedly followed on.

"No its not that its just, I-I-I live here" I said pointing to my house. The outside looked so prim and perfect, with the bushes trimmed into perfect rectangles, flowers placed in random but specific places, the stones off of the path never scattered away onto the grass as if they were glued into place. My mother was quite OCD about gardening.

"Oh my god!!!" An excited scream stopped me from examining my front yard, "WE ARE NEIGHBOURS!! OMG OMG!!! WE CAN LIKE BORROW CLOTHES AND HAVE SLEEPOVERS!!! You have to come round later! to help me unpack!!!!" she said, half running half happy dancing to her house.

What just happened?

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I opened the front door, dumping my messenger bag on the foyer floor, then trudged up the wooden staircase still shocked that Theo and I were neighbours, I guess it really is true, the world is a small place.

Grabbing my purple gym/sleepover bag out of the closet, i turned on the small sliver radio. Right now what to pack? I stood at the foot of my double bed looking for my pajama shorts and tank top, finally I saw them in a heap on the cream carpet half under my bed, now it was the toiletries: hairbrush, toothbrush, face wash and cream. I didn't know what time I was expected at Theo's so a hot shower and dinner was on my 'To Do Before I Go' list.

After one of the best homemade pasta and cheese dinners ever, I reluctantly got up grabbed my keys and bag off of the counter, then locked up the house. Her front door was exactly the same as mine, large and wooden, the thud of each knock echoed in my ears, the solid wood hard against my knuckles. There was fidgeting behind the door before it opened, revealing a blond haired, blue eyed girl standing impatiently in fluffy bunny slippers and a matching nightie. "What took you so long!?" she asked annoyed, her messy updo wobbled as she spoke, making her look like a moody toddler. I burst out lauging, forgetting my earlier dread that had put me in a reluctant mood.

"Well hello then." Theo said with a puzzled look on her face, "Whats so funny?"

"Nothing." I said still stifling laughter, "Well then, can I come in?"

"Oh yeah, sorry. Please come into my humbled establishment" she said her accent becoming more evident, whilst she stepped over letting me come in.

I was met with a corridor that had a dark wooden floor with three doorways leading to different rooms. Adjacent to me was a set of large stairs with the same dark wood as the floor, as I looked up I saw a small landing with washing and towels handing over the banister. "Whoa... Your house is so different to mine"

"In a good what I hope" she said smiling, "Okay enough standing around let's go drop your bag off upstairs and then we can go grab something from the kitchen... Scrap that food first, bag last." She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the white door at the end of the hall.

The kitchen was beautiful. Glistening, black marble countertops with a matching jet black dining table opposite to the kitchen area, there was a stainless steal, eight stove cooker, with a matching fridge-freezer which Theo practically ran to and opened with such force that the contents inside rattled.