The Boy Next Door (Editing and Rewriting)

Chapter 2

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, classes; work; and more snarky comments from Katie and her two girls. I swear those three girls remind me of the wicked stepsisters from Cinderella, except that we aren’t related in anyway and there are three of them not two. I feel sorry for Cinderella, she had to live with those wicked stepsisters while I can just go home and get away from Katie and her clutches. But then again Cinderella had a fairy godmother and she ended up getting her prince and her happily ever after. So maybe her life wasn’t all that bad, it ended well at least.

My dad would always read lots of fairy tales to me when I was younger and for a while I used to believe that everyone got their happy ending eventually. I believed that if you lived a good life, and did lots of good things then I would get my happily ever after too. I believed this and did everything that I was supposed to up until my mother died when I was 8. I didn’t know why she had to die at the time, I did everything good, why was something bad happening to me, where was my happily ever after. That was all I thought about back then, I was sad and mad about her death. I wouldn’t let my dad read to me anymore because I thought he was just lying to me. When I was around 11 I realized that her death had nothing to do with what I did or didn’t do, everyone had a time that they had to die and that was hers. At this time I also realized that there is no such thing as a happily ever after in this world, but I never stopped trying. Even now, five years later I’m still trying.

While having this conversation with myself I was walking out of the classroom and towards my locker, since school was now over I could go home. Coming back into reality I realize that I have already passed my locker and I have to turn around and go back. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t have any friends; you talk to yourself and end up getting lost in your own thoughts.

Heading back to my locker I run into Jonathon and his buddy Lucas, I literally ran into Jonathon, I am such a klutz. Jonathon and Lucas are the two most popular boys in school, also coincidentally the two meanest boys in school. They are the male versions of Katie and her two girls and I have had the pleasure of being in both groups company today. It is truly a great pleasure, note the sarcasm. I try to walk around the two boys, hoping that Jonathon didn’t notice that I just ran into him. It wasn’t very likely but then again I have always been very good at being invisible, my dad calls it my superpower.

“Oh look who it is Lucas” Jonathon says as I try to move around him, hugging my books closer to my chest as if they are my own personal shield.

“Aww, little Ally are you scared?” Lucas says noticing the way I am hugging my books, my real name is Alison but it seems that no one wants to call me that, the only thing I get called around here is Ally. But I guess Ally is better than some embarrassing nickname they could have given me, so I don’t really complain about it.  

“I think she is Lucas, she seems to be speechless” Jonathon says as I once again try to move around him. I try one more time to get around him, failing again because he moves in front of me, blocking my path.

“Please let me pass Jonathon,” I say, quieter than a mouse, I don’t really speaking in front of people that I’m scared, then again who does.

“Lucas, did you hear that? She spoke, I have no idea what she said but she made a noise, so I’m guessing that she spoke” I heard Jonathon say, clearly trying to evoke some sort of reaction from me. Well, he wasn’t going to get one. Since he was distracted by the fact I had just spoken and attempting to make me do it again, I took the opportunity to go around him and walk away.

“Idiot” I heard Lucas say to Jonathon from behind me, and the distinctive sound on skin on skin, probably one of the two boys hitting the other but I didn’t turn around to see. Instead, I just continued walking towards my locker to get my books, my bag and head home.

When I arrive at my locker, which is next to about ten other lockers, no one is there, it was just me. Thanks to my brief encounter with Jonathon and Lucas I managed to avoid the after school rush. Opening my locker, putting away the books I was holding, grabbing out my books for homework and stuffing them into my bag I was ready to leave.

Once outside the school doors the cold air hit me like a wall, the air wasn’t quite as bitter as it was this morning but it is still quite an adjustment from the air inside. Stuffing my hands deep into my jumper’s pockets and pulling up the hood, I start my walk home. The wind is hitting my exposed cheeks, causing them to go a little red.

I walk down the street, away from school, with my head down and turn left onto my street. Hearing a noise, similar to a car’s engine, I lift my head to look around. Near my house I see a moving van idling the sidewalk; it definitely wasn’t there for my family, so we must have new neighbours. Before I can get much farther down the road I see two people come out from the back of the van; two men, well one man and one teenager. They seem to be carrying a sofa between the two of them, definitely new neighbours then, they are headed towards the woman standing by the door of the previously empty house. Putting the sofa down the two of them head back to the van, to collect more of their stuff, I’m guessing. I walk further down the street, and walk over to the front door of the now occupied house.

“Hello, my name is Alison, it looks like you are my new neighbours welcome to the block” I say, with a big smile, to the woman standing by the front door.

“Hello Alison, it’s nice to meet you and thank you for the warm welcome. My name is Cassandra Niles but please call me Cass,” she says as I hear footsteps behind me, “this is my husband John and my son, Adam. John, Adam this is Alison, she is one of our new neighbours.” Cass says and I turn around to greet the two people behind me. I can’t see the face of the boy, Adam, he is putting down the boxes he was holding, but Cass’ husband put down his load and speaks first.

“Hello Alison, call me John” he says, extending his hand after wiping it off on his jeans.

“Hi John, nice to meet you” I say placing my hand in his and shaking. Adam has put down his boxes and he looks up, when he meets my eyes I suddenly forget exactly how to breathe. His eyes are a shocking deep blue, like the sky at dusk, my favourite time of the day. It takes me a couple of seconds to realize that he was trying to talk to me while I was staring, I start to blush, hoping it isn’t noticeable.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I ask, feeling a little stupid.

“I said hi my name is Adam, you can call me Adam” he says while smiling, the smile looked good on him, it made his eyes light up just a little.

“Hi Adam, nice to meet you, my name is Alison but most people call me Ally,” I say while trying to avoid his gaze. “Anyway I am sorry but I must be getting home now, it was nice to meet you all and once again welcome” I say as I start walking back down the drive way and heading to my house. I hear a chorus of ‘goodbyes’ and ‘see you laters’ from behind me as I walk away.

Authors Note: Okay now I really need teachers' names, anyway what do you guys think of this so far? Please comment your thoughts I'd love to hear them :) I'm not going to be one of those people that says "I want this many comments before I upload again" but I would love to hear your thoughts and read what you have to say, thanks :)