"Aubrey, it's time to wake up," my mother's voice drifted from down the hallway and into my room. I didn't have to open my eyes. I knew she was leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed. "Your father had to go down to the office and I need to go grocery shopping. Now, get up and get dressed."
"Today's a Sunday and tomorrow's the first day of school," I groaned, rolling over to look at her. "Can't I just enjoy my last day of freedom?"
"No."
"Talking to you always makes my day," I shot her a sarcastic smile and she raised an eyebrow, amused.
"I told you not to stay up all night watching TV, but you did, and I will not let you sleep through the whole day. You won't be able to sleep tonight and you'll feel tired tomorrow. You're going to have to get up anyway."
"And why is that?"
"Charlie got out again."
"Oh, you have got to be kidding!" I cried, pulling the covers away. Mom smirked and left downstairs. Charlie was my dog. He's a lot of work, too. Whatever the case may be, he always found a way to escape the house and roam around the neighborhood. Now, I never really worried when he did escape. Everybody was pretty friendly in our neighborhood, with Mrs. Walker as an exception, but still.
It's just that I always had to go look for him. I remember that I had to consistently whine and beg my parents to get me a dog. Having pets was a piece of work, but they eventually gave in. I've had Charlie for such a long time, now.
I got out of bed and stretched. Then, it was the same routine all over again. I took a quick bath, brushed my teeth, and then slipped into some comfortable clothes. I was not a fan of dressing up, to be honest. My wardrobe consisted of the same black pants with a different band t-shirt now and then. I tied my hair up into a messy bun then drew the curtains open. My room had a balcony and I liked opening the doors while it was still day out. I stepped onto the balcony and observed the neighborhood. A moving truck caught my attention. It was parked in front of the house right next to us.
My eyebrows knit together in both confusion and curiosity.
(I was a very curious person and it was going to get me killed one day.)
(Trust me.)
Mr. and Mrs. Roberts occupied that house and they were such a kind-hearted couple. I didn't know they had moved out.
(Probably because, you know, I spent the entire summer locked in my room.)
Shrugging, I headed downstairs and into the kitchen. My mom was skimming through a cookbook and drinking coffee. I grabbed a bowl from a cabinet and poured some cereal.
"Mom, I have a question," I said, proceeding to pour milk into the bowl.
"What is it, sweetie?"
"There's a moving truck outside. What ever happened to the Roberts?" I asked, shoving cereal into my mouth. Mom closed the cookbook and set it aside.
"It's pretty obvious," she said. "They moved out. They were tired of Florida. I think they moved to Massachusetts. They were such nice neighbors. Evening talks with Melissa were always pleasant."
"Next question," I said. "Since when do you read cookbooks?"
She took a sip from her coffee. "I want to make a casserole."
"You'll end up burning the house down."
Mom set her cup down and glared at me. "Aubrey, I can disown you. Don't test me."
I sheepishly smiled. "Sorry."
Mom smiled and rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm just trying to be a good neighbor. Since the Roberts moved out, another family moved in. To welcome them to the neighborhood, I'm going to try to cook a casserole."
"Key word: try."
She glared at me again and I laughed. "Okay, I'm done. So, did you get acquainted with the family?"
"I did...with the mother, at least," she replied. "Such a nice woman. We had coffee and I helped with a few boxes. She has two sons, except one's away at college. The other moved in with her."
"And the father?"
"She's divorced."
"Good grief, woman, you got all that from your first meet?" I exclaimed, placing the bowl in the sink.
"Oh, shush you," she sternly said, although I could see she was trying to hide a smile. "Anyway, she was such a nice and kind lady. I say her kids are probably just like that. They're probably respectful gentlemen." She looked at her watch. "Oh, shoot. I better head to the grocery store now. You need to go find Charlie."
After mom pulled out of the driveway, I decided that, yes, I needed to go find my dog. I left the house and was instantly content. One of the things that made me happy was good weather. My personal favorite was not too hot and not too cold; sort of in between. I liked a cool breeze and I liked it when the sky was a clear blue and the sun not too bright.
I began walking, in hopes that Charlie was near. I didn't get far, though. I saw a tall, blonde woman struggling with a box and I figured that that was the lady my mother had coffee with in the morning. I smiled and made my way over. "Excuse me, do you need any help with that?"
The woman turned around. Her eyes scanned my face for a brief second and then she smiled widely. "If it's not too much of a trouble, dear. Thank you." I grabbed the box and she held other small ones. I followed her inside the house and set them down on the couch.
"That was the last of them," she smiled. "Thank God. I'm Molly Seether. We just moved here."
"I'm Aubrey," I smiled back. "My mother, Penny, was the one who talked to you in the morning."
"Oh, she's your mother? Now I know where you get your kindness from," Molly exclaimed. "How can I repay you? Can I offer you something to drink?"
"No need to repay me," I said. "But thank you. I need to go find my dog."
"I hope you find your dog, and thank you again!"
I waved goodbye and left. My mother was right; she really was a nice and kind lady. Smiling, I continued walking forward, turning my head left and right, trying to find the little rascal.
"Let me guess," a voice sneered. "You lost that dog of yours again, didn't you?"
I stopped in my tracks and looked at Mrs. Walker. As I had said before, she was my elderly (and grouchy) neighbor. Personally, I think Mrs. Walker hated everybody, so I didn't take personal offense to it. She hated my guts. All I knew about Mrs. Walker was that she was a heavy drinker and smoker. Sometimes, I didn't hesitate to pitch in and tell her that smoking was very bad for her health. In response, she'd take a drag and insult me. Believe me, Mrs. Walker was a pain (a huge one), but it still didn't stop me from pointing out what smoking could do.
(And I did not want to see that.)
I sighed and smiled at Mrs. Walker. "How are you today?"
"You've lost your dog so many times, kid, you'll end up losing your future kid as well and I feel sorry for that child," she replied.
Ouch.
(I didn't blame her.)
"It's always nice talking to you, Mrs. Walker," I said. "I hope you have a wonderful day."
Before she could insult me even more, I proceeded to walk further. It took some time to find Charlie, but I eventually did. He was sniffing around, his tail wagging. When I stopped in front of him, he looked up and barked. "It's time to go home, you nasty." He barked again and ran ahead of me.
Charlie liked to race me home.
