The Outcast

Chapter 10: The Visitor

Chapter Ten: The Visitor

Nirvana Evans

I was enjoying a nice bowl of fruit and cereal when my mother dropped the big ‘exciting’ news on me. She had woken up with an exceptionally bright mood but I couldn’t say the same was true for dad. He seemed to be in slightly sour mood today and I had a feeling it had something to do with whatever mom had to share with me.

“Your cousin Nate is coming over to visit!” mother exclaimed with the brightest smile she could muster.

“What? When and why?”I fired the questions at her. Suddenly my mushy cereal and fruit didn’t appear too appetizing anymore.

“He’s coming over today. And what do you mean why? He’s family and he’s coming to spend some time with us before school starts. Isn’t it great?” No not really. But since it was one of those I’m asking but I really don’t want your opinion type of questions I kept my mouth shut.

“Terrific” dad grumbled out. It was the first words I had heard him utter all morning and by his tone I could decipher his mood had everything to do with mom’s reason for joy.

“Relax and wipe that scowl off your face, Michael” she reprimanded dad. Now don’t get me wrong my cousin, Nathaniel, was family and I loved him. He was a really chill guy and he gave great honest advice, though sometimes a little too honest. The only issue was that there seemed to be something truly shady about him. And the fact that he was pretty cruel when it came to making fun of my germ phobia whenever we were alone together didn’t earn him any brownie points in my book. My dad didn’t particularly have anything against Nate, dad just loved his routines and hated having company over for too long. Mother on the other hand absolutely loved her nephew to death and I suspected it had something to do with the fact that she had secretly always wanted a boy instead of a girl.

I tried not to take that personal, though it was sometimes challenging.

“Isn’t he supposed to be starting college soon? Shouldn’t he be getting ready for that?” I wondered out loud.

“Well he’s taking a few months off to figure out what he wants to study before he starts so he’ll have plenty of time” she smiled at me.

“How long is he staying for?” I asked her. I mean this was crucial information I needed to know. This was my house too and I deserved to know how long I would have to endure sharing a bathroom with the guy. Cousin or not all guys were pretty gross when it came to hygiene and when you tended to be paranoid of germs that became a problem.

“Oh just a couple of weeks” she muttered casually.

“Say what?!” I couldn’t help but yelp in a girlish squeal.

“Don’t start Ana. Your cousin is coming to visit today and I expect you to be pleasant about it alright? Now hurry up and go make yourself presentable. He’ll be arriving soon” she snapped at me in a tone that left no room for any form of argument whatsoever. So after dumping the contents of my bowl in the trash I grudgingly did as she said. I hurried up to my room to prepare to take my daily double shower as quickly as possible.

“Nice pajamas!” I heard a shout that seemed to be coming from across the way. Impossible, I thought to myself. That house had been empty for months now since the previous family had moved away.

I decided to look out my open window anyway and was shocked to find a familiar gray eyed boy staring back at me from the house next door. Of course! How could I forget River had just moved in?

It was then that I had the brilliant idea to look down at what I was wearing to find that my legs were covered in my pink, fluffy penguin pants. And my shirt had the face of a giant penguin on it. I was embarrassed to say these were my favorite pajamas. My cheeks instantly turned red as tomatoes and since I was ‘blessed’ with extremely pale skin it was more than noticeable. I would have to make a mental note to remember to close my window from now on. We now had neighbors and River’s window seemed to be directly across from my own. How lovely. Whoever had designed these houses was seriously stupid or had no concept of privacy at all.