Burned and Betrayed

Chapter One

When I was five years old when my family moved to Holmes Chapel, England. My father’s company offered him a promotion if he moved from Ohio to their new headquarter office in England. I don’t remember much about our life back in the states, but apparently we were a lot better off after we moved. My parents found a nice house in the small village that wasn't too far from my father's new office. My mother eventually found a job as a realestate agent. She loved the job because she was able to make her own hours. 

A few days after moving into our new house my father took me down to the neighborhood park while my mom stayed home unpacking more boxes. 

"Daddy can I go swing?" I tugged on his pant leg.

"Sure, just make sure you stay where I can see you." He said sitting down on a vacant bench and waving me on to go play. 

I skipped over to the playground and chose an empty swing next to a curly haired boy who was dragging his feet in the sand. I sat down and began pumping my legs back and forth to gain momentum. I noticed the little boy staring at me. 

"Do you know how to swing?" I slowed myself down so I could talk to him. 

He shook his head "No."

"I'll teach you." hopping off my swing. I stood beind him and gave him a push. "When you go forward stick your legs out and when you go backwards tuck them in." I recited the words my dad said to me just a few months ago.

"What's your name?" The curly haired boy asked.

"Annabel...but I like to be called Reese." I giggled

"I'm Harry. Just Harry." he laughed as he tried his best to pump his legs in and out. 

"How old are you?.....I'm five" I said.

"Four and three quarters." He smiled

I noticed his voice sounded funny just like everyone else here. Why did they talk so different? "Why does your voice sound like that?" I blurted out.

"Like what?" he asked 

"Um... it's just different I guess." I said looking down and scuffing my feet in the sand. 

I guess he didn't know what to say to my rude outburst. I was always saying things without thinking. My parents had talked to me about it a few times, but I couldn't help it. After realizing that he wasn't going to say anything else I sat back down on my swing and slowly rocked back and forth. It wasn't long before my dad decided it was time for us to go back home. 

"C'mon Reese. Mommy's waiting for us!" he called to me.

"Bye Harry." I kind of mumbled while trudging off towards my father. 

"Bye Reese." I turned around to see him waving to me with a small smile on his face. 

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A few days later I was watching out the window while my daddy mowed the lawn and my mom planted flowers in our new garden. Something across the street caught my eye and I looked up to see a curly brown haired boy running around in a sprinkler. 

"Harry!" I said outloud.

Quickly stumbling over my feet to the door I pulled on my shoes and wandered outside.

"Look who decided to finally join us." My mom smiled

"Mommy, can I go play?" I pointed over towards Harry running around in his front yard.

"Oh yea, that's the little boy from the park." My dad said.

"Sure honey. Be careful crossing the street." Mom's eyes followed me as I padded off down the sidewalk to the street. 

I made sure to look both ways as my parents always instructed me, before coming to a hault right in front of Harry in his yard.

"Hey!" he greeted me cheerfully, "I didn't know you were our new neighbor."

"We just moved here from Ohio." I responded as if he knew where that was.

"Where?" his eyebrows furrowed into a confused expression.

"It's in America." I pulled off my shoes and threw them out of the way of the sprinkler.

"That's why you sound so funny." Harry laughed at me.

I was shocked. He thought I sounded funny? I brushed off his words, "Can I play?" I gestured to the sprinkler. 

"Yea!" he giggled jumping in a puddle that had formed in the middle of his lawn. 

I joined in his playful antics; laughing and splashing along with him. It seemed too soon when his mom came outside and told him in was time to come in. Before he turned to follow her inside he asked me something that I will remember forever, "Reese, can we be friends?"

I smiled and nodded my head as I watched him walk into his house and close the door.