The Boy Next Door

Chapter 1

⠀⠀⠀The smell nearly makes Hayden gag as she takes her first step out of Kira's BMW and into the Kansas air.

⠀⠀⠀Shit.

⠀⠀⠀That's all she can smell. Horse shit. Cow shit. Pig shit. Every-other-farm-animal shit. Shit everywhere.

⠀⠀⠀Not only does her new stepfather live in the middle of nowhere, but he is also a farmer. A pig farmer nonetheless.

⠀⠀⠀"Have I told you that I hate you?" she asks her mom.

⠀⠀⠀Evelyn smiles as her son, Michael, squeals in excitement at the sight of their new home and runs towards the door, eager to explore. She then shoots a glare at her daughter. "Only about one million times."

⠀⠀⠀"Good because I hate you so very much, and I just want to make sure that you know it," Hayden hisses.

⠀⠀⠀The U-Haul carrying all of the family's belongings arrived at David's house yesterday, so the three new residents of Kansas make their way to the front door empty handed. Evelyn slips the key into the lock and twists, the door swinging open and Michael rushing inside.

⠀⠀⠀"Michael, honey, hold on one minute before you explore. I need to show you and your sister where your rooms are. Then I'll give you the grand tour," Evelyn says. Michael comes sprinting back to her side and takes her hand.

⠀⠀⠀Evelyn guides her children down a hallway and opens the first door she sees. Inside is all of Michael's belongings in boxes lined up against one of the dinosaur wallpapered walls.

⠀⠀⠀The young boy squeals in utter glee and rushes towards his bed, jumping up and down on the mattress.

⠀⠀⠀Hayden then follows her mom a little farther down the same hall to another door, which she opens to reveal a room about twice the size of Michael's and twice as full of boxes.

⠀⠀⠀"If you don't like the paint, David told me where the Home Depot is in town and we can go tomorrow to pick out a different color," Evelyn says. There is a hint of nervousness in her voice. She knows that this move is tough on Hayden. Hayden has made sure she knows it, and the last thing she wants is for her daughter to be unhappy.

⠀⠀⠀Hayden takes a step inside her new room and looks around. The room is actually quite charming, not that she'll tell her mom that, with its wood floors, large curtained windows, and antique furniture. Even the pastel purple hue of the walls is oddly comforting to her.

⠀⠀⠀After making her mother fret for much too long, Hayden finally says, "It will do," before slamming the door shut so she can begin to unpack.

⠀⠀⠀As she pulls out the countless amount of photographs of herself and her friends and Brandon, she already begins to miss home. She's been with these same kids since the first day of middle school, and they planned on graduating together. They planned on going to winter formal and prom together. They planned on doing everything together.

⠀⠀⠀Now Hayden is going to miss out on all of their plans for their final year of high school while they all get to go through with them in order for her to live on a farm with her new stepfather, who she already knows dislikes her greatly.

⠀⠀⠀She places her favorite picture of her and Brandon on her nightstand and attaches the others to clothes pins hanging from lights strung across the ceiling. She makes sure to leave a few clothes pins open though. If she's going to have to spend her senior year of high school here, she's going to be sure to continue her reign as Queen Hayden, even if the title is now Queen Hayden of Kansas.