Best Friend Next Door (Love Next Door Book 2) *Rough Draft*

Prologue

His dad yanked at his arm like he was trying to pull it out the socket. He would have protested, but what was the point? It would sound like a muttering mess.

"I just hoped you learned you lesson Issac."

Lesson? He thought, "B-b-but D-dad, W-we were pl-playing." He hated his stupid stutter. He couldn't make out a full sentence without stuttering over his words. He didn't know what happened, just that when his mom went away to heaven that's when it happened. It happened because he missed her, he thought

His dad knelt down clutching down his shoulders. "Issac you don't play like that. You're only ten Little boys and little girls shouldn't play like that."

His dad's brown eyes were big with concern. He could tell this was important because his dad was making a big fuss over it. He hadn't made a fuss over anything since Mom.

"You kiss girls when you're ready to marry them, and take care of them, and have a family." He said.

His mind lingered on the last word 'family'. It was when the husband went to work and the mommy stayed at home, and make sure you did your home work, read you bedtime stories, and tucked you in at night. It was when mommies and daddies kiss and love each other.

Melanie would make a good mommy. He thought. She had been nice to him and let him kiss her in his tree house. Dad made him promise that he would kiss girls until he was ready to have a family. He promised. His dad said that a Goodwin always kept their promises. He was ready to have a family again...with Melanie. He just needed to ask her and be her husband for real, not just playing.

The next day Issac shook a couple of quarters out of his piggy bank, got on his bike and rode up to the gas station at the end of the street. He searched the isles for the ring pops. If he was going to make Melanie his wife he needed to buy her a ring. He'd seen it in the movies he'd watched. The guy got down on one knee and asked her to marry him, the girls squeals all girly, the guy swings her around and kisses her. He liked that part. Then, they get married and have a family. He didn't know how the baby got into her stomach but he would deal with that when he got to it.

He spotted the jar by the register. He reached into it and pulled out the first he could wrap his fingertips around Mr. Alden was a white-haired man that was nice. He came over after his mom died and told him funny stories about his crazy uncle with a drinking problem, and read to him like mom used to. The voices of course didn't sound like his mothers but he was still nice

Mr. Alden smiled "This for your girl friend?"

Issac's entire body burned. He didn't know what he felt, but suddenly he wished, he would have just grabbed it and ran out the door. She was a girl, she was his friend. She wouldn't have let him kiss her if he wasn't he nodded sliding his money on the counter.

"Have fun." He pushed the ring and his money back toward him.

He felt his eyebrow go up. What did that mean? Did he know what he was doing? Was he going to tell his dad? He had to hurry up and ask Melanie to marry him before his dad stopped him.

He climbed on his bike and peddled home as fast as he could. He was going home to wait until she came over. Her dad was scary-looking, at least he hoped she came over again.

* * * *

He thought he had gotten it right. Maybe it would have worked better if he had taken the ring pop out of the wrapper. Maybe she didn't like grape. He probably should have asked.

She just looked down at him like he was crazy. He got to thinking he might have been, or what if she didn't hear the question.

"M-m-Melanie, W-w-will y-you marry m-me?"

Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "Why would I marry you?"

"S-s-so I-I c-can b-be you h-husband. S-so w-we c-can kiss." He wanted to add so we can be a family but before he even got it out a sharp force banged between his legs sending and aching pain the caused him to topple over holding his junk. It throbbed worse than that time he'd been hit there with a baseball without his cup. His eyes closed and his eyes threatened tears.

"I'm never kissing you again. " She stuck her hands to her hips and her head wobbled, "I'm never going to let you get you get me pregnant." She turned at her heels and darted away.

His chest burned and everything hurt. A hot tear slid from the corner of his eye and before he knew it his body was shaking. He didn't even want to get make her pregnant, he didn't even know what that was. He was stupid to think Melanie would be a good wife. He didn't want to see her again, ever either! No guy in their right mind would ever want to be her husband. Melanie Davison was mean.