Crystal stepped away from the window and tripped over the magazines on the floor. She reached out to catch her balance--- and dropped the phone. When she picked it up again, she accidentally disconnected it.
"What's going on?" Lynne shrieked, after Crystal hit redial.
"Sorry," she said. She shut her eyes. She felt a little sick.
"What's he doing?" Lynne cried. "What's he doing?"
Crystal's face burned. "I don't know. But I'm pretty sure he caught me watching him."
"So what? Look. Look!"
"Hold on." Crystal peeked out of the corner of the window. The boy had pulled his shade all the way down.
"His shade is down," Crystal sakd. "That proves it. He caught me."
"So what?" Lynne demanded
"So what?" Crystal cried. "What am I supposed to say when I meet him? 'Oh, hi. I'm Crystal--- the girl you caught spying on you the other day?' That will make a great impression."
Why did I have to sit in him? Crystal thought. A major babe moves in the right next door, and blow it.
Lynne snorted. "If he's that great, he must be used to girls staring at him."
"He is. He is that great;" Crystal said solemnly. Maybe he is the guy I'm supposed to meet this year, she thought. The boy next door.
The girl next door. Who does she think she is? Staring into my bedroom. Wearing that low-cut leotard and those jeans. Red lipstick smeared over her lips.
Disgusting.
I watched the girl giggling away as she talked on the phone. She's pretty, I admitted to myself. High cheekbones like a model. Wavy red-brown hair down to her shoulders.
Sure, girls like that are always pretty. They know you can't resist them. What bad, bad, bad, bad luck.
My family moves away from Harris. Away from the town where Dana Potter lived. And what happens?
We end up next door to a girl exactly like her!
We'll, I'll keep my distance. I won't let anything bad happen.
I won't.
I won't.
What happened with Dana. . . . That was a one time thing. A freak accident.
Yes.
I'll---i'll keep my distance. And this time . . . .
I stared down at my hands. They were shaking. I shoved them into my jeans pockets.
This time I'll be fine, I told myself.
No accidents this time.
From now on, no one has to die.
YOU ARE READING
The Boy Next Door
Historical FictionLauren and Crystal think Scott has it all. He's handsome. He's the new star of Shadyside High's football team. And he's moved in right next door! Both girls will do anything. Say anything. Try anything to get the chance to go out with him. That's al...
