Neighbor Boy

Chapter 2

A/N

This is James in the picture above. Just wanted to say this is a really long chapter. I wrote it in class so please bear with me if it is grammatically incorrect. Hope you are enjoying the story!

-Eleni

The next day I get dressed in my black ripped jeans, my maroon jacket, I lace up my Vans and head downstairs.

When I get down, I see a note with an envelope taped on the fridge.

Dear Nate,

Thomas took me to work today. I'll be home around 8:00 ish. School starts tomorrow so you better go school supply shopping. I left you some money and the car.

XOXO

-Mom

P.S don't burn the house down

I pocket the money for later and spy a bowl of apples on the counter. I swipe one reddish yellowish apple and bit into it. Two minuets later there's nothing left but the core. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday and I was starving.

I needed something to do so I look up the nearest roller rink from here and see that it's not too far. I hunt through the boxes in the garage to find my skates. When I finally find them, I dust them off and put them on. I skate out into the open road and do a few warm ups. I'm mid turn when out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of him. I'm looking at him when I feel something hard hit my nose and lip. Pain shoots up to my nose all the way through my knees. I hate concrete.

"Oh my God! Are you okay?" I heard a voice say. I can only imagine it was him. 

I look up to see a pair of Vans that match my own. I look further up to see a boy in slim fitting black jeans and a loose grey t-shirt. His beautiful, black, Godlike wavy hair is tucked under a beanie with a few of the longer pieces hanging out. His pale skin seemed to glow in the broad daylight. His Nordic blue eyes are framed with glasses blacker than his hair. 

He offers his hand to me and helps me up. His hands are smooth and strong. 

He manages to help me up going slow as not to hurt my knees. I look up at him and he's at least a foot taller than me with my skates on. 

"C'mon. Let's fix you up." He says. "Hold on! I don't go anywhere with anyone unless I know their name first." I know it sounds lame but I really don't. I learned in New York that that's the safest way to go. "My name is James Delopian. And what might yours be?" "Uhhh-j-buhh" what is wrong with me? I can't focus when he looks at me with those eyes! "My uhhh my name is uhhh Nathanial, but you can call me Nate." 

He leads me to his house and opens the door. "This is my house. The bathroom is down the hall to the left. I'll clean you up there." I look around and the house I beautiful. There isn't anything out of place. 

I follow him to the bathroom and ask. "How long have you lived here?" "All my life." We cut the conversation when we got to the bathroom. He tells me to hop up on the counter but I'm too short to reach so he lifts me onto it. "Goodness. What do you eat? Air?" "No! I eat so much!" He gives me an incredulous look. "I do!" As I'm trying to defend myself he laughs revealing a series of dimples. Now that I'm closer I see a little flurry of freckles that are scattered on his face. I have an urge to kiss him but I quickly diminish the thought. Why would I think that. I'm not gay! He finishes cleaning me up and gives me some ice for my lip. Just as I'm about to leave he asks in a shy tone, "Can I have your number. You know...... just in case?" 

After we exchanged numbers, I went home to have dinner with my mom and Thomas. "Honey! What happened to your lip?" "I just fell while roller skating mom." "Oh. Ok. Well try not to. I see you made friends with the neighbor boy. That's progress!" "I guess" I mumble out as my face turns bright red.

After dinner, I go to my room and scrounge up anything I can find that would count as school supplies. I find an old messenger bad in the closet and stuff everything in there for school tomorrow. I pick my outfit. My white Vans, black pants, and a white V-neck. After I finish hanging my clothes up I sit on my bed and recap today. While I'm laying down I hear a faint sound of guitar. I look out the window to see James there playing guitar in his room. I quickly get out my phone and go to the messenger app. I find his contact and start a new thread.

N: Do you take requests?

I watch him look up out of his window and as he sees me a slanted grin appears on his face. My stomach fills with butterflies and I don't know why. 

J: well........... what did you have in mind?

N: do you know "Somewhere Only We Know"?

J: Hell yeah! I love that song. 

He starts to play and I drift to sleep.