Being Neighborly

Chapter 1

A cold breeze wafts through my room, prickling my skin and stirring me from my sleep. Moaning in dissatisfaction, I pull my blanket up higher to my chin and roll over on my bed. I knew I shouldn't have left my window open last night. Despite it only being September, crisp autumn air circles around this town early in the morning. I miss California.

Sticking my right arm out from under the warmth of my blanket, I slap the bedside table until my fingers touch the smooth backing of my phone. Bringing it to my face, I squint through the brightness of the screen to check the time. Five minutes until my alarm goes off. Five minutes to overthink my day ahead. Five minutes to convince myself that the world will not fall apart if I leave my bed.

I close my eyes and mentally prepare myself to get ready. Should I wear a dress? No, who am I trying to impress anyway. I'd rather blend in as much as I can. No one likes to stick out as the new girl. The new girl that is starting her senior year at a new school. The new girl that, despite living in this town for the past three months, has yet to speak to any of its residents. The new girl that will most likely go throughout the year being a complete loser and spiral into an even great depression than she already is in. Great...

The blaring sound of my alarm going off startles me, forcing me to abandon my thoughts. I quickly shut the alarm off and swing my legs off the ledge of my bed before I otherwise persuade myself to stay where I am.

"Shit," I whisper when my feet touch the cold hardwood. I use my toes to find my slippers that got kicked under the bed, slip them on, and make my way to the bathroom.

The light blinds me when I switch it on, but my eyes soon adjust, allowing me to take in my disheveled form in the mirror. It looks like I didn't get more than two hours of sleep, which was probably what happened. My long brown hair, almost black, was teased and knotted in a way to suggest that I had been tossing and turning all night trying to get comfortable. I was. The area surrounding the brown of my irises was red and glassy. My skin looked dull, lips chapped, and overall my appearance was sloppy and zombie-like. I sure feel like one at the ungodly hour of 6:30am.

Ten minutes later, I shuffle back to my room with brushed teeth and a scrubbed face. Sliding the doors of my closet open, I take in the options my wardrobe holds. After another ten minutes of scanning all of my clothes, none of which seem to feel right when I touch them, I settled for dark wash jeans, an oversized soft grey t-shirt, and a pair of combat boots. Comfy. Discreet.

I quickly run my brush through my hair, attempting to wrestle it into a ponytail and giving up halfway through. Down and natural it is then. I swipe some mascara on my lashes and add some tinted chapstick to bring some sort of life back into my face before grabbing my phone and backpack and heading downstairs.

The stairs creak in the quiet house as I make my way down them. I try to be as silent as possible, but realize there was no need as I round the corner into the kitchen to find Aunt Clara and Uncle Luke already drinking their coffees at the breakfast bar.

"Good morning, Leila," Aunt Clara chirps, giving me a soft smile while tucking a stray dirty blonde strand behind her ear. She gets up and moves to the other side of the counter to pour me a cup of coffee. "How did you sleep?" she asks, handing me the mug of steaming liquid.

I take a slow sip, savoring the burn of bitter coffee. No cream, no sugar. It's perfect. "I slept okay," I lie, taking another sip. Uncle Luke gives me a knowing look; clearly the effort I put into getting ready didn't hide the fact that I am very much sleep deprived. Not that my current state is any different from what I have looked like this entire summer.

"Are you ready for your first day?" he asks. I silently thank him for not saying anything about how I look.

"As ready as I can be," I reply, taking the empty chair beside him that Aunt Clara got up from. "New school, new people, but the classes are all pretty much the same as back home. How hard can it be?"

Aunt Clara and Uncle Luke exchange a glance and when they notice that I caught it, they quickly return to their mugs without another word. I know they are worried about me starting over in a new town, frankly I'm a bit worried for myself. I spent the summer locked in this house and on the rare occasions that I ventured over the threshold of the front door, it was under the supervision of my aunt or uncle. I'm not too proud to admit that I was scared being placed in a new environment and needed at least one of them with me at all times. I was fragile. I still am.

I look at my phone and gulp down the rest of my coffee. I kiss Uncle Luke's temple and hug Aunt Clara before walking out of the kitchen.

"I'll be home around two-ish, I think," I call over my shoulder, unlocking the front door at the same time.

"Okay, sweetie, I'll be home," Aunt Clara's voice floats down the hallway. "If you need anything, please text us!"

"I will, love you both,"  I call back. As soon as the front door closes behind me, I begin to shake. It's not from the chilly morning air. I'm nervous. I haven't even stepped one foot off the property by myself yet and I already feel alone. Taking a deep breath, I take the porch steps down to the sidewalk and slowly make my way to the street.

It's still dark out, but the street lamp at the corner gives off enough light to illuminate the immediate vicinity.  I hoist my backpack a little higher onto my shoulders and start walking towards the lamp. My bus should be here soon.

Stepping into the glow of the lamp, I let out the breath I didn't even realize I was holding. I look around at the houses of the neighborhood, taking in the white fences, dog houses, and differently colored front doors. A slight fog has settled on the grass, giving an eerie, yet serene feel to the street. I can still hear the noises of a few straggling crickets, probably hiding in the bushes or flowers lining the sidewalk. 

I smile to myself. This is definitely a place where nothing bad happens. It's just what I need, a nice change of pace from my hometown. As much as I miss home, it will forever be tainted with the bad memories of my recent past. My smile grows as I think about how all of that is over and I have a new life now. Maybe this year won't be as bad as I originally thought it was going to be. I feel less nervous, calm even.

Until I hear the snap of a twig from behind me.