Chemistry

Chapter 27: Visitors

He stared down past his khaki cargo shorts and at his black Vans as they shuffled across the concrete he stood on. Daniel was pacing back and forth, trying to think of the right words to say.

"Just knock!" Tyler had shouted exasperatedly. He was leant back against the black, rusty railings that sat in front of Tiara's door. His arms were folded across his chest, and he rolled his eyes every time his big brother almost gained the courage to knock on the door, but didn't, and started pacing again. Which had been twice now.

Daniel stopped and turned to face his brother. "It's not that simple."

"Uh, yeah it is." Tyler replied, leaning up from against the railings. "All you gotta do is ball your fist up like this." He said slowly walking toward the brown door. He lifted his small hand into the air and squeezed it into a fist. "Then knock. Like this," Tyler said, giving the door four rapid loud knocks.

"What is wrong with you!?" Daniel whisper-yelled while he tugged Tyler away from the door. "You can't go around knocking on people's doors like that!"

"Well you wouldn't do it!" Tyler shouted.

"Shut up!"

"You shut up! I don't even wanna be here!" Tyler rolled his eyes and threw his arms across his chest.

"I don't want you to be here," Daniel grunted.

"Then why am I-, "

But their argument was quickly cut short by the wriggling of the door knob. It took awhile, but once the door was finally open, Daniel could see the young girl that stood behind it. The door was only a few inches open since a chain was connected to the door and the wall inside the house.

"Hi. Who are you here for?" Kaylin asked the tall stranger who was... white? She'd never seen a white man at their front door before unless they were there for insurance plans, or someone from the Division of Family and Children Services.

Before Daniel could answer, Kaylin had closed the door again, unhooked the chain, and reopened as wide as it could go. "What are you doing here?" Kaylin scowled, looking Tyler up and down.

"You live here?!" Tyler shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" Kaylin confidently stated.

"Okay," Daniel said stepping between the two kids. "I'm here to see Tiara."

Kaylin turned towards the inside of her house and called Tiara's name. She replied with, "I'm comin'!"

"Is that your girlfriend?" Tyler grinned up at Daniel and made his eyebrows dance up and down.

"Is this your girlfriend?" Daniel asked gesturing to Kaylin.

Both of their faces scrunched up in mutual disgust. "Ew," they said in perfect unison.

"I hate her!"

"I hate you!" Kaylin argued back.

"Yep," Daniel said grinning and nodding. "There's some type of love there."

Kaylin rolled her eyes and turned around to walk back in the house. A small smile creeped on her face as she sat down on her couch and picked up her PS3 controller.

Tyler started to walk through the door as well but was stopped by the force of his brother's hand against his chest. "Where are you going?" he asked with a smile.

"Going inside."

"You can't just walk into people's houses without being invited in," Daniel tried to lecture, but Tyler was stubborn.