"Have a great day!" my mom said as she poked her head through the door to the bathroom where I was brushing my teeth.
I quickly stepped out into the hallway. "Hey, Mom, what happened to Rich and Natalie?" I asked, regarding the neighbors whose house was now occupied by complete strangers. "I thought they weren't leaving until Wednesday."
Her eyes widened. "Oh, I forgot to tell you! The family who bought their house ended up being able to move in sooner than they thought, so Rich and Natalie left on Saturday afternoon."
"Oh." I was a little disappointed. Rich and Natalie were such kind people. They had one son of their own and also had custody of Natalie's nephew after his mother died in a fire. I was going to miss seeing Rich ride around on the quad with Natalie's nephew during the warm weather. Hell, I was going to miss everything about them. "Do you know anything about the new family?" I asked.
My mom shook her head. "I could ask Sharon next door if she knows anything."
Oh, but she would know something. Sharon knows everything about everyone who lives in this neighborhood. Not in a bad way, she's just very social.
"Nah, that's all right. I'll see you later," I replied, grabbing my keys and backpack as I walked out to my car.
As I pulled out of the driveway, I saw a familiar blonde boy standing at the corner down the street, backpack slung over one shoulder. What was he doing down there? Can't he drive?
I slowed down and pulled over next to him, rolling down my window. "Hey!" I called.
The boy looked over at me, his face expressionless.
"You're not seriously waiting for the bus, are you?" I asked.
"Uh, maybe," he responded, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"No way. Hop in. I'll drive you," I said as I unlocked the car doors.
"Um..."
"Get in! Really, I'm a good driver, I promise!" I laughed as I held up my hands in defense.
The boy glanced toward his house up the street but tentatively opened the passenger door to my Honda Civic Sedan. "Thanks," he mumbled.
"No problem. If you ever need a ride or anything just let me know. I usually don't leave this early though since I have a spot in the senior parking lot. For twelfth graders," I added after I saw the confused look on his face when I mentioned the word "senior". I quickly flashed him a smile. "I'm Kelsey, by the way."
"Michael." He ran a hand through his hair and turned to stare out the window.
"You're not from around here, are you?" I asked after a few moments of silence. He definitely seemed to have an accent, but which kind I wasn't sure.
"No, not really."
Why was he being so short with me? I was just being nice, trying to get to know the new kid and make him feel somewhat comfortable on his first day of school. "Well, where are you from?"
"Australia. Sydney."
My eyes widened in disbelief. "You're kidding!" So that explains his punk style. And his overall cuteness.
"Why would I kid about that?" he asked, his eyebrows knit together.
"No, no, it's just - I've always wanted to go to Australia. You have no idea! You're so lucky, oh my God."
Michael chuckled. "Not really, but I guess. I dunno."
I turned to him as we stopped at a red light. "Why would you ever want to leave that beautiful place? I mean, I've never even been there but I know you would have to use a forklift to get me to leave if I ever had the chance to be there."
"My dad got a job in New York City," he said as if it were obvious.
Hmph. I eased my foot on the gas as the light turned green. "But if his job is in the city, why are you out here in central Jersey?"
He sighed. "Why do you ask so many questions?"
We finally made it to school. I turned into the senior parking lot and pulled into my spot. "I'm sorry! But how else am I supposed to get to know you? I mean, come on!"
Michael unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to me with a smirk on his face. "Maybe I don't want you to know me."
Ouch.
