Cages

chapter one (edited)

I stepped out the front door of my house to get the mail just as someone from next door opened theirs.

A man and a woman walked outside and headed to their car. They both were dressed in work attire despite the fact it was the weekend.

A couple months ago a family moved into the empty house next door. I didn't know much about them except that the parents worked alot and their only kid- a girl- was my age. She attended Preston High in the middle of last school year.

I didn't like her.

She was always smiling. Always. She was easily the nicest person in that school, student and staff. Probably even the nicest in town. I didn't understand how someone can be so happy every day. It got annoying really fast.

Speaking of the devil (or should I say angel since she's always Ms. Sunshine), the girl with light brown skin and curly brown hair was standing in the doorway of her house. She watched as her parents pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street before she took notice of my presence.

She smiled at me and I picked up my mail, planning to just go back inside. Apparently, this chick had other plans because she started moving in my direction. I mentally cursed myself for standing outside longer than necessary. But you know what they say: curiousity killed the cat.

And right now, I sure wished it would kill me.

As she made her way over to me I fought the urge to glare. She had that irritating joyful look on her face. I don't think it ever disappeared.

"Hey," she said. Her voice was as easy going as she looked.

I looked at her with a straight face & just nodded my head.

"I'm new here- well, I guess I'm not new anymore. My family & I moved next door like three or four months ago."

I kept my face stoic, not at all amused by her chatter. "I know."

I had to give myself props for not showing any emotion on my face when I was highly annoyed by this girl and her smile.

"By the way, I'm Lola Coleman." she held her hand out. "We went to the same school but we never really met."

Of course, I already knew that. I may have been the dark, loner boy of our high school but I wasn't a loser. Actually, I was quite the opposite. Everyone still knew who I was, I could easily run that place. I isolated myself by choice.

When I made no move to shake her hand and just stared at her in return, Lola lowered her hand but still managed to keep that obnoxious grin on her face.

Finally I'd had enough and my conscious beat my patience.

"Why are you still standing here?" I snapped.

The girl's smile didn't even falter. It's like she smiled so much she mastered keeping it in place.

Anyone else would've gotten the hint and left me alone already or ran away scared. Actually, they did. Everyone knew not to interact with me. No one wanted to be around someone so cold and expressionless & I liked it that way.

It was better that way.

Lola shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to have another friend."

I'm sure she had enough friends. She's only been here for awhile & she's already got tons of people at school to like her. You know, with her sweet-girl-next-door personality and all.

But right now, to me, she was anything but.

I looked at her, managing to make my eyes as cold and hard as ever. "Kacey Grey doesn't need anyone." Then I went back inside, shutting the front door behind me.

Some might say it's rude to shut the door in someone's face, but I'm not exactly a nice person.

It's going to be fun having to see her all summer.

And in true Kacey Grey fashion, I meant that in the most pessimistic way possible.