New house

The meeting

Michael's POV

The next morning, I wake up on an empty stomach. I stand up and walk to the fridge. Inside it are a piece of sausage, a jar with pickles and some cheese. I take the sausage, it wont be eatable for much longer. I had some money when I got kicked out of my house, but it's getting less and less. I grab a notebook and start writing a grocery list. 1. Water, 2. Bread, 3... I think about what more I could buy. I don't have a stove or an oven to heat things up. Apples, I think, they are cheap at the local grocery store. I'll just have to see what else will fit within my budget. 

After breakfast I put on my coat and walk carefully outside. It's still dark outside, but some of the lights in the house are on, illuminating a big part of the garden. I jog to the road and continue running towards the grocery store. It is still very cold on the early morning. By the time I reach the store I've warmed up. Luckily, the store just opened  and I can walk right in. I take a shopping cart and walk straight to the bottled water. There is a small tap on the side of the shed, but I don't know if it's safe to drink. Also, I wouldn't like to go outside often while the new inhabitants of the house are home. While putting a six-pack of bottles in my cart, I hear two voices behind me. 

"What a small store, I hope not everything in this town is so small." A male voice nagged.

"Stop nagging, at least we don't have to walk around a lot." Sounded a vaguely familiar female voice. 

I turn around and see the boy and girl from yesterday walking by. I hold my breath, the girl looks gorgeous in her pink dress. I am startles as the boy turns around and walks in my direction.

"Hello, do you know if there is a bakery in the neighborhood?" He asks. "We would like some freshly baked bread, but they don't sell those here."

I think about it quickly. There is a bakery close by the house I'm hiding, but if I send them there they might see me walking there. I decide to tell them anyways. 

"Yes it's in the street where you live." Immediately I realize what I just said. No! Now they know that I know where they live, what would they think of me?

The girl squints her eyes together. "how do you know where we live?"

I feel the heat going to my face. "Uhm.. You are the new inhabitants of that Victorian house right? I've never seen you before, and this is a small town. News about people moving here travels fast."  

The girl nods and I feel relieved. I think they believe me. 

The boy starts talking again. "Do you live in that neighborhood too?"

I think of a good answer. The chance they see me walking around somewhere around their house is quit big. "Uhm, yes, I live further down the road."

"I thought we had the last house of the street?" The boy looks doubtful. 

Then the idea that in the forest behind their house might be more sheds where I can hide comes up in me. "That's right, I live further into the forest."

The girl's eyes get big. "all the way into the forest? Do you ever see wolves?"

I'm startled by her question and quickly try to hide my panic behind a smile. "Never, but maybe they do live there." I try to shift the conversation into another direction. "What are your names?"

The boy takes the word. "I'm Jared, and this is my sister Nicole."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Michael. Do you go to school here?" I ask while I continue to walk around.

"I'll be going to Hugin High after the holidays, I'm in my last year now." Nicole answers. 

"I'm going to college in Seattle. I have vacation now, but in two weeks I'll go back, then I'll be living there." Jared looks at Nicole. I suspect they are not happy to live so far apart.

Nicole looks back at me. "And you?"

"I have a gap-year. I've been an internee at my father's company, but that didn't work out well." I think back to the day he kicked me out of the house. "Now I'm looking for work."

"I hope you find something soon." Jared says. "We have everything, shall we pay?" He asks his sister.

"Yes." She answers, before focusing on me. "Are you by car?"

Surprised I answer that I walked here because it's not that far and I like to walk. 

Nicole looks at her brother who gives her a nod. "Do you want to ride with us so you can show us the way to the bakery?"

"Good idea, I'll get the last things and see you at the exit." I breath out feeling relieved. They didn't seem to suspect anything and now I don't have to walk all the way back.

I pay for my groceries and walk outside. Nicole en Jared put their groceries in the car already. I put my groceries next to me on the back seat and we drive away.