Coward

Chapter Two

I walked at a slow pace and soon the screaming of the poor mangled pine tree echoed through the neighborhood as the boys caught up to me. The five of us made our way through the quiet suburban streets. My blond hair swirled around in the wind and the bottom of my dress threatened to blow up. My green eyes scanned my surroundings as we walked down the center line. A familiar red mailbox came into view and I smiled.

Peter and Liam walked up the steep driveway next to me, Dan and Mason walked behind us. Liam and Peter were having some kind of playful argument. Peter narrowed his eyes, "no way man. Pepsi is way better than coke."

Liam crossed his arms, his mouth open speechless. He stared in disbelief, "I don't know if we can still be friends, you're just so tasteless!" He shook his head, "coke is superior!" He threw his hands in the air, "even ask Belle."

Then they both turned to me in all seriousness, their intense gazes searching my eyes for the answer. I smiled at their banter, "coke is better but I'll still drink pepsi."

Liam sighed in relief, "at least one of my friends had seen the light." He slung an arm around me and I smiled. Behind me I could feel Dan's gaze on us harden but before my thoughts could linger on this my house came into view.

In a large clearing surrounded by black beech trees, the house was bathing in moon light that reflected off the many windows. They never fail to amaze me even now as I lean my head back to see the different lines and patterns that the different types and sizes of windows create. The patchwork of windows stretch almost as high than a two-story house. The moonlight only reaches the front of the house as the sides are flanked with tall trees that reach and try and grasp the moon from the sky. The sides of my house are not as impressive as the front but different colours and types of recycled timber line the walls. A deck wraps around the house also crafted from recycled timbers. Although one of the windows in the front acts as a minacher glass door there is also an old wooden door with coloured panes of glass that the owner had scavenged from an old house like that of all the materials and character of this house.

Grinning and happy to be home I take the tree from Peter because I don't really trust one of us not to smash a window. So I carefully guide it to a growing pile underneath the deck, to be cut later.

Walking into the mismatched kitchen of different cabinets and benches that look like they once belonged in an old rustic batch line the corner by the door. Roughly painted pastel blues and dull, faded yellows and greens light up the kitchen like a sunset. I boil the jug for later.

Mason slams the door shut and the whole house rattles and the windows tremble and I smile, "I wouldn't be surprized if this hut collapsed on us."

Peter nods his head in agreement, "pass me your phone so I can order us pizza then, it's a great last meal."

Agreeing I throw him my phone, which he catches and I turn around to the others that have now settled on bean bags (because our house is too small for a couch) around the T.V. Mason is already flicking through netflix for a suitable movie, Liam is looking through the pantry in search or snacks and Dan has gone upstairs looking for blankets and pillows on the split level mezzanine floor that extends only a couple meters from the wall and overlooks the living space below. Deciding I'll be more useful upstairs I scale the ladder and walk over to where Dan is crouched on the floor.

"Hey," I say and flop onto the bed and look at him sideways.

"Hey," he replies, stopping what he's doing to stand up and stretch. "Hey, umm, about what happened today," he starts but trails off.

I look up at him from my spot on the bed, "what about today?" I ask almost innocently.

He scratches the back of his neck nervously. "Well, I sorta liked it, I mean us." He whispered the last bit.