Deceiving Looks

Smell the Roses

The walk to my car was endless, although I decided to make it a race with Emma to try and hurry up and speed the process along. She STILL managed to talk the entire time we ran. I was SPRINTING and this child managed to talk like she was giving the Gettysburg Address.

I climbed into my little grey Altima and she crawled into the passenger seat next to me, I had been panting like I ran a mile and she didn't look like she was out of breath in the slightest.

"Are you even old enough to be riding up front?" I questioned in between ragged gasps of air, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Aren't YOU a little old to be having a Spongebob lanyard on your rear view mirror?"

"Hey, nobody's ever too old for his yellowy goodness. He's my idol."

"Explains why I'm your only friend."

"We aren't friends!" I shouted, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Chloe, we're gonna be best friends. You may be mean and clumsy-"

"I'm guarded, not mean." I corrected.

"No you're mean."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, my hands gripping the steering wheel as I fought a migraine.

"Anyways meanie head. You may be clumsy and stuff, but I like you."

"Of course you do, you're like four."

"Four year olds don't notice sarcasm like I do. So I'm not four." She argued.

"I'm pretty sure you're four."

For some reason I wanted to mess with her in such a petty little way. I'm an only child, but I can only imagine this would be what it's like to have a little sister.

"If I'm four, then you're two."

"I'm not sure I follow your math and logic here, kid."

"I'm four, my math isn't supposed to make sense!" She exploded.

I laughed at that one as I turned onto the street which I now shared with this little girl next to me, the car ride coming to an end quicker than I dared to hope it would've.

"I live in that house."

I looked over to see her pointing at a very pretty, two story brick house. The yard was trimmed nicely and there was a rose bush outside that I've never seen before.

"Huh.. that's odd. I didn't know that house had roses."

"It doesn't. It's ours." Emma whispered, her voice dropping into a deadly serious tone.

I nodded, caught off guard by her weird reaction. I pulled into the driveway, but she already had the door open and she was hurrying to get out before the car stopped.

"Bye Chloe!" She called over her shoulder as she slammed my door shut.

She sprinted to the front door, fumbling to open it as though she was being chased.

"She's worse than I am about being weird." I mumbled to myself.

For someone who likes to call others weird, I sure do like talking to myself. Growing up alone I was all I really had to talk to and there were days I'd argue with myself so bad I wouldn't speak to me for hours. (Yeah, crazy right?)

I backed up and drove the whole 400 yards to my house from hers and I cut the engine off just in time for my stomach to roar with hunger.

It takes a lot out of a person to fall every day as much as I manage to.

I trudged up the front steps into the house, which was of course empty. My father was at work, and my mother was a stripper somewhere on the east coast. She left me when I was young to follow her dream as an actress with no kids to get a "fresh start". Maybe one day shaking her butt for twenties from greasy old guys will help kick start her dream, but until then she'll be a dancing dream for single dudes that eat Cheetos and live in basements.

I hurried over to the fridge and pulled out the milk, drinking straight from the jug. I began to cough hysterically as I fought for air in between an outburst of giggles. I had a bad habit of thinking about the aftermath milk had on those that were lactose intolerant every time I drank milk.

And this is it. This is why I can't make friends. I find things such as explosive diarrhea from milk hilarious.

I cleaned up my milky mess and sighed. I had another two hours before my dad would come home and bring me take out as per usual. I figured after my near death experience with the milk that I'd just go lie down and wait on eating.

I made my way to my bedroom and I hummed to myself as I dropped my backpack off in the floor. I went to my window and pushed my black and white chevron curtains to the side to let the sunlight in, and like the nosey outcast I am, I decided to steal a glance at Emma's house.

My breath hitched as my eyes landed on a person standing in their yard, staring straight at me as if they expected me to look at that exact moment.

My lips parted slightly in shock, and I was almost sure I seen a smile spread across the strangers face.

I couldn't help thinking that this can't end too well for me.

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