Skyhigh (To be retitled later.)

CHAPTER 1: WARREN PEACE

CHAPTER 1: Warren Peace

She knocked on the door. As she waited, she glanced around the front yard. Unlike the other homes surrounding it, there was very little in the way of plants or flowers. The grass was bare in spots and overgrown in others. The hedge around the perimeter of the house was in need of a serious trimming .

She frowned as she glanced at the one small tree in the center of the yard. It's spindly branches were bare of leaves and knotted along their thickness. Strange that in the middle of May the plant had no leaves or flowers when others like it did. She looked closer and noticed some dark black spots on the tips of some of the branches. A fungal infection or scorch marks?

The other homes around this house seemed airy and inviting with their windows open, their curtains drawn up to let the sun in. This house had all the shades closed. A sense of isolation and sadness clung to this one.

She already hated this assignment.

She knocked again. She thought she heard someone moving behind the door. "Yeah?" The voice on the other side sounded irritated. The deep quality said male and older. That was surprisng to her as the file stated there were no other blood related males present. Perhaps a boyfriend then?

She hoped not. She didn't need any complications that involved her spending more of her already short time filling out additional paperwork about the change in the status of occupants. She was already tired. Plus, an unmarried male in the house with a single mother that wasn't blood could pose trouble.

She raised her ID to the peephole but she wished he would just open the door. "Amber Stiles from the agency. I am here to tutor you." She heard some angry muttering on the other side. Some of the vocabulary not pleasant. The door opened.

No, he wasn't an older man. He was young, seventeen or eighteen so this must be Warren Peace, her student. She couldn't see much of him in the doorway as there was even less light inside then there was out here. What she could perceive of him was that he was very tall with dark, shoulder length hair.

He held out his hand for her ID. He perused it for several moments before returning it to her.

"Alright, come in." He growled and brushed some strands of his hair away from his face. She noticed a few streaks of red amidst his jet black hair. Odd way to color one's hair.

"Thank you." She replied as she stepped across the threshhold.

"Dining room. Down and to the right." He gestured closing the door behind her. The hallway was not well lit but she could still make her way to the end of the corridor.

She reached the darkened dining room and the light was turned on from behind her.

Amber set some things down on the wooden table before her. She turned and found him staring expectantly at her. Arms crossed over his chest. Now she could get a closer look at him.

Tall, around 6'2 with a long torso sculpted with broad muscles. Much of his face was hidden behind the strands of black hair but she didn't miss the eyes. Dark and intense, Amber found herself being analyzed within one glance. It was unnerving because the look was coming from someone so young. Maybe he was studying martial arts. That would give him that intense concentration.

"Is your mother around Mr. Peace. There is a form she has to sign. It acknowledges that I was here. " Amber began.

"She should be back." He replied. He didn't volunteer any more information.

She inwardly sighed. Now, she would have to contact her boss and tell him about the situation. Another long and unnecessary conversation with extra paperwork. "A moment Mr. Peace I have to contact my Supervisor."