She Doesn't Have Many Friends

The New Boy

Part One

Friends

Chapter One: The New Boy

There was a heavy cloud of ambience overlaying the small, dimly lit kitchen. Unspoken words sat on the edge of a mother and a daughter's lips, and although they were not mentioned, their presence was silently acknowledged by the two. The mother stood at the sink, hands emerged in warm, soapy liquid as they scrubbed away the contents of that evening's dinner. The sound of rushing water and occasional clink of silverware served as the only noise emitting from an otherwise silent room.

The daughter sat at the kitchen table, busying herself with a 3rd grade English assignment that wouldn't be due until the end of summer. The nine-year-old focused intently on the words she scrawled, making sure that everything matched up to her usual high work standards.

Neither of them said one word on the topic that rested at the back of their minds. If it had been any other day, the daughter might not have been as cautious. But today was not just any day, and she had spotted the warning signals as soon as they arose. 

The "For Sale" sign perched on their neighbor's yard was now made illegible by a strip of bright red tape resting on top of it; the word "SOLD" occupied the space instead.

The daughter, waiting for her mother to eventually bring it up like she had so many other times, mentally practiced the response she would give in order to avoid further confrontation. The two of them have had the same conversation numerous times before, and putting up with her mother's constant lecturing had long ago become a tedious chore.

The mother, on the other hand, knew better than her younger counterpart. Despite being constantly reassured that her worries were unwarranted, she was simply doing her job as a parent. She knew what was best for her child, and whether the girl liked it or not, she would continue to push the idea until her daughter could make the right decision on her own.

Finally, the mother, who had enough of the silence, decided to speak.

"Did you hear, Darcy? The new neighbors are moving in tomorrow." She stated with an ambiguous voice, trying to mask her true intentions. She waited patiently for Darcy to respond, and then continued when nothing was said. "Mrs. Carlton, the realtor who sold them the house, swung by the other day to make sure everything was in order when they arrived. I had a nice conversation with her and she told me all about the new family. Apparently, they are from Japan and this is their first time in America, so they speak very little English."

"That's cool." Darcy said in a monotone, contrasting the implied meaning of her words. Her obvious disinterest was deliberate: a ploy to end the conversation before it could even start. She started scribbling down the words at a faster pace while simultaneously avoiding eye contact.

"Mhmm." her mother agreed, ignoring Darcy's unenthusiastic tone. "She also told me that they have a son, right around your age. From what I hear, he is even going to be attending your school in the fall. Isn't that exciting?"

Darcy's grip around her pencil tightened. She paused when her mother said this, knowing very well what she would say next. Desperate for a change of subject, Darcy lifted her gaze. "Can this wait until later? I'm in the doing my school work right now."

Her mother's lips pursed into a thin line. "That won't be due for several weeks, sweetie. You can take a break; this is important."

Her words, although spoken gently, were absolute. From the stern look Darcy's mother gave her and the impatient tapping of nails against the counter, she knew that the conversation could no longer be avoided.