Boy Next Door//Young Leonardo DiCaprio

1.

"I'm headed to the office, your card should be fully stocked for anything you might need or want." My mom slides my card across the marble counter towards me, "don't trash the house. Your father will be gone until Thursday."

Without a second look or even a chance for me to say "bye" or "love you", mom is out the door, car keys and satchel purse in hand and heels clicking across the cherry wood.

As the door clicks shut, I sit at the counter on a barstool, tapping my fingers with no beat in
mind. Suddenly my phone buzzes from my left pocket.

"I can't wait to see you tonight xx"
From: Will

"Shit." I say aloud.

I totally spaced that I had invited my boyfriend over for dinner tonight.

I hop down from my seat, opening the freezer and peering inside.

Inside, there's nothing but frozen waffles and various bags of frozen vegetables. I close the freezer door, opening the fridge door with my opposite arm. Inside of the fridge there isn't much more, eggs, milk and condiments are the only things to be found.

I grab my keys, card and my phone, and head into the garage. In our 3-car garage, I walk across the empty spots where my parents cars would be if they were ever here, to my car, a small blue Volkswagen bug.

As I open the garage door and back out, my phone begins to buzz again. I pull it out of my pocket and slide the screen right.

"Hello?" I say, while looking side to side to back out.

"Hey babe, it's me." Will's voice speaks deeply and huskily.

"Uh yeah what's up?" I ask, as I straighten out and begin to drive down the road.

Directly across the street from my house I notice a moving van and a new family unloading their furniture into their house.

I see a boy, and he sees me too.

As I drive off, he watches me contently, his eyes following my car down the road.

He was pretty cute.

"Babe?"

I'm knocked out of my haze and I clear my throat, refocusing on the road.

"Oh sorry, why'd you call?" I say into the phone.

"You didn't reply to my text, just wanted to make sure you were alright. But -"

"Oh yeah I'm fine, I'm driving now though. What do you want for dinner?"

"Well I actually was calling about that too. My family is going out of town last minute and we're leaving tomorrow morning. I'm sorry to cancel like this."

I turn the corner just outside my neighborhood, driving on the main road towards the store, which is about a block away.

"Oh...it's fine. Where are you guys going?" I say, slightly disappointed I'd be at home alone again.

"We're going to Jacksonville, my grandpas on his last leg."

"Jacksonville, Florida? That's like 1,000 miles away!"

"I know. I'll miss you." He says, clearing his throat. "Anyways, I have to go, love you."

"Love you-" the like clocks dead before I can finish.

I throw my phone on the passenger seat, pulling into the store parking lot.

As I turn the ignition off, I grab my phone, checking the time.

4:56

I grab my card and keys and get out, locking the car behind me.

I walk into the store, music lowly playing throughout the store, noise of people talking and shopping cart wheels getting jammed all around. Grabbing a basket, I head towards the frozen foods, grabbing a bag of pizza rolls and a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

Moving onto the next aisle, I grab a package of Oreos and a bag of potato chips.

When I finish up, I go to the front checkout.

As I'm checking out, I notice the boy I saw earlier in my neighborhood, walking in with who I could only assume is his sister.

He runs his hand through his blond hair, turning his head to the side opposite of me, displaying his sharp jawline. His sister looks very similar to him, the same shade of blonde hair, and identical blue green eyes.

I look away and hand the clerk my card, and suddenly I notice him staring at me out of the corner of my eye.

He begins to stride towards me, his steps smooth but long.

"Hey, you're that girl that was giving me googly eyes right? The one that lives on Smith?" He smirks at me as he stands next to me, towering over me.

I giggle, taken aback that he even saw me.

"I guess you could say that, it's just that we don't get new neighbors too often." I smile back at him as the clerk hands my card back.

"I'm Leo," he says, extending his hand to me. I accept it and he shakes my hand firmly, "We should hang out sometime."

"I'm Aria," I say, grabbing my bags, "and yeah. You could come over anytime really, my parents are always gone."

"Oh, that type of parent huh? "

"What do you mean?" I ask, a pang of anger hitting me in the stomach.

"The ones that support you financially but are usually too busy to actually be there."

My heart sunk a little as I realize that yeah, that is the type of parent they are.

"Ah yeah I guess you could say that." I crack a smile, and head toward the door.

"Do you want to hang out tonight?" He asks, almost putting me out of my misery.

I thought he'd never ask.

"Uh sure, you can bring your siblings too if you'd like, I probably have something to entertain them whatever the age."

"I'll see you in a bit." He says, smiling then walking away, throwing one last look over his shoulder.

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