Being Neighborly

Chapter 7

"Babe, this chili tastes exactly like my mom's," Uncle Luke proclaims before shoving another heaping spoon into his mouth. "It's so good," he mumbles around the food.

"Luke, you're not in a frat anymore. Can you please chew and swallow before you start speaking," Aunt Clara rolls her eyes. I giggle, spooning myself another bite of chili. Despite having been married for a couple of years and taking me on as their dependent, they still act the same as they did when they first met in college. It's sweet.

"Sorry," he apologizes, wiping the corner of his mouth with the neck of his t-shirt, which was already stained with the dribble of cili he dropped on himself earlier. Aunt Clara rolls her eyes again at his childish and messy ways. "So, Leila," he turns towards me. "I already know school went well, but I want the actual tea."

I look at him blankly.

"That's what you guys say now, right? Tea? Or is it still gossip?" he muses around his bowl. "It can't be 'what's the 411', can it?"

"Uncle Luke, come on, you're not that old," I smile at him. I set my empty bowl down on the patio table and pull the red wool blanket I was sitting with around my shoulders. I should have taken Aunt Clara seriously when she told me to wear a long sleeve shirt to dinner. "And honestly, there isn't much to tell. It's only been one day, I've only made one friend."

"So you're telling me you really only interacted with one person today?" he teases. Uncle Luke, unlike his wife, will push me for information when he wants it. I think he just likes to be included since his office job isn't exactly the type of social atmosphere he had hoped it would be.

"I mean other than people introducing themselves and the class president dragging me around to show me the school, yeah I only really interacted with one person," I sigh a little. I know I keep telling myself this is good progress considering I wasn't planning on talking to anyone at all today, or ever, but I wish I had met more people that I found interesting.

Or got a word out of the most interesting person. The most mysterious person. The most gorgeous person...

"Okay, fine," Uncle Luke says, not looking satisfied with my answer. "What about any cute boys?" He looks to his wife. "Or girls?" he raises is eyebrows in question. I love that they both don't make assumptions about anyone.

"Boys," Aunt Clara confirms with a nod, getting up to clear the table and taking her blanket with her.

"So any cute boys?" he reiterates, leaning forward in his lounge chair in anticipation. "Is there anyone I will need to give a good talking to?"

I shake my head as an answer. I certainly am not going to tell him about a certain next door neighbor that has peaked my interest more as the day has gone by. Ever since he caught me looking into his room, or at least I think he caught me, I can't stop thinking about him. Why was he at his window in the first place? Was he going there to look into my room or was he just going to let in some air? As intriguing as he is, he's also kind of creepy. Maybe Uncle Luke will need to give someone a talking to, for completely different reasons.

"I don't believe you, but I'll leave it alone," he says. I exhale in relief. "For now. If I find out that later tonight or even tomorrow that you and Clara are having some girl time and start talking about boys without me, I swear I will be pissed!"

"Don't worry, we will send you a formal invite to girl time," I laugh, getting up from my seat to head inside. It was getting really dark, the stars beginning to become visible in the night sky. The suburbs are a nice change of pace from my California city life. It's more peaceful, open. It's exactly what I need.

Aunt Clara insists that I don't need to help clean up. I know it's partially because she's just happy that I stayed for an entire meal and held a full conversation during it. I do feel guilty and make a mental note to start stepping it up on the chores front from now on. I've been living in their house for too long for me to not have any household responsibilities.

I'm unsurprisingly exhausted from today. It has been a while since I spent more than an hour out of the house. Even though it is barely 9:30, I crawl into bed and begin to drift into a dreamless sleep.

4:19am

That's what my phone screen displays when I pick it up. My throat is so dry that it is physically painful to try and swallow. Why do bodies become this dehydrated overnight? I just want to get a full night's rest for once and it was finally happening until now. I sit up in bed and squint through the darkness to try and locate the glass of water I had brought upstairs with me.

I turn to my bedside table and make out the outline of the cup. I reach for it and chug as fast as I can. I can't afford to lose any of my tiredness or else I won't be able to fall back asleep. Placing the emptied cup back onto the table, I roll over onto my other side to try and get comfortable.

That's when I notice a faint glow coming from outside my window. I stand up, forgetting all about trying to achieve another two hours of sleep, and pad over to the window. I push the curtains aside and discover the source of the light.

It's coming from next door. From his room.

His curtains are partially opened so I can't really see into the room, but all the lights are definitely on. At this hour? Maybe he fell asleep with them on.

A shadow passes by the window and I leap back into bed. Cautiously, I lift my head from my mattress to try and see if he's standing at his window. He's not.

But the shadow keeps making periodic passes. He's...pacing? What is he doing?

I'm curious, but not curious enough to risk getting caught being a Peeping Tom. Again.