New Year's Ring

Chapter Five - New Neighbors

Emma P.O.V.

I was currently laying on my bed daydreaming. Yes, Darren Eldridge was the star of my daydream. Yes, it was nuts and would probably end up backfiring in my face. The likelihood that he was just playing me and would end up breaking my heart had pretty high odds. The problem is, I couldn't bring myself to stop whatever it was that we were doing. He made me feel too good to want to stop it. I smiled remembering the bus ride home the night before. The boy's team and the girl's team both came away with wins. I'd reentered that bus expecting Darren to be extra amped up from the victory, even though I was kind of dragging. Instead, Darren had been just as wiped out as I was. Without thought, I'd gone right to his seat and sat next to him. He'd opened his arms for me, we'd cuddled up, and fallen right to sleep. It was so sweet and completely un-Darren like. Although, I was quickly learning that I didn't know him as well as I thought I had. Twenty-questions, once he decided to keep them G-rated, had revealed a lot to me.

Darren's parents had gotten divorced a couple years ago and it had been hell on him, as well as his two younger brothers. I hadn't even known he had siblings. It somehow made him feel more human to me now that I knew details about his parents and siblings. His dad had suddenly decided that he wanted more out of life than working a nine-to-five job, with a wife and kids. He ran off with his secretary and the last Darren knew his dad lived on a beach in California. Darren sounded pretty bitter about it and I didn't blame him. Just because his dad was tired of the life they lived, didn't give him the right to just up and leave his family. His mom had been trying to make ends meet, but had recently decided to sell their home and move them into an apartment instead. Darren had been pretty bummed to leave his childhood home, but he seemed to understand that his mom was doing all that she could. I couldn't imagine trying to raise three boys all on her own.

I'd also told Darren about my mom and how close we were. He had been shocked to learn that I pretty much told my mom everything and then began teasing me, asking if I'd told my mom about him. I had confessed that I had, so that got him side-tracked with even more teasing. He wasn't being the jerk-face that he'd been in the past though. I expected that his teasing would never stop, but it seemed different now. Hopefully whatever corner we had turned was permanent, because I was tired of dueling with him every single day at school.

"Emma, they're here!" Mom hollered right after I heard the doorbell ring. I groaned, but dutifully got up and went to stand by my mom as she opened the door. Apparently, there were new neighbors across the hall and mom had met them already. It was a single mom, so my mom was excited about her new friend and had invited them over for dinner tonight. Of course, knowing that I never have plans on Saturday night, mom went ahead and included me. She even made me where a dress, damn it.

I forced a smile and looked up when I heard introductions being made and I froze. Darren Eldridge was now standing inside my living room and he looked just as surprised to see me. His surprise quickly turned to one of glee, however, upon realizing that we're apparently new neighbors. The lady next to him smiled and said, "You must be Emma. My name is Helen Eldridge and these are my three boys, Darren, Derek, and Drake. Derek and Drake are twins in the eighth grade and my Darren is probably about your age."

"Hey Princess." Darren said cockily.

I felt my mom's whole body jerk, as she exclaimed, "Wait, Darren...the Darren? Well, isn't this something? He's cute, Em."

I closed my eyes and groaned, ignoring Darren's chuckles. Helen sounded confused, "I must be missing something."

Darren smiled, "Emma and I have gone to school together since Kindergarten."

"She's hot." Derek stated, with an identical grin that matched Darren's. Drake snickered and elbowed his twin, also grinning.

"Good lord, they're like clones of you. God help the poor girls in the eighth grade." I blurted, making everyone laugh.