Starting Over

Meet the Neighbors

I'd tell you about school, but that would make my story depressing. Plus, you know all about that prison/education building.
All I'll tell you about is my friends...well, what few friends I have. Not that I'm complaining, I love the friends I do have, and-most of the time- I like animals better. At school, my friends are a dirty-blonde, brown-eyed girl named Alyssa Kirk and another girl named Olivia Hopkins, who has red-hair and hazel eyes.
     I saw that Donovan kid at different times at school, but we didn't have many classes together. I was right, we were the same age.
     The bus ride home was long and boring, and whenever it got down to the last few of us, a little awkward. Although we all laughed and joked around, Donovan sat staring out the window the whole time.
     We finally get home, and with a jolt I realize my mother is home. This is unusual because she works at a local nursing home and works long hours, and doesn't get off this early most of the time. My siblings and i walk into the kitchen and my mom is there.
     "Hey, guys! How was school?!" This can't be good...Mom wasn't a perfect parent like this. Whenever we got home(if she was there) we got a terse 'Hello' and were expected to start our chores.
     While my sisters babbled on about some project, I tried to analyze why my mom was acting like this. I couldn't come up with a single idea so I said,"Anything special going on, Mom?"
     She looked at me suspiciously, because I wasn't even this talkative on a good day. Ordinarily I didn't say anything much to her." Well a new family moved in down the road a bit, and I thought you and I could go say hi." Oh no! She must be talking about Donovan's family. This is going to get awkward.
     So, thirty minutes later, we were in my mom's Toyota, driving to my new, rude acquaintance's house. Mom strode up their front walk, me trailing behind, and knocked on their door. And, what do you know, there he is, opening the door to his home.
     We kind of just stared at each other for a moment until his mom walked out and said," You must be the new neighbors!" Donovan and I's moms start talking, and I knew I'd be there for a while.
      They finally notice us standing there staring into space, and my mom says,"Cassidy, why don't you take Donovan for a walk down by the farm?" I hesitate before replying,"Um... okay?" It sounded more like a question," Well, I guess, let's go then." What did Mom just get me into?