Forgetting Noah

~ Chapter One ~

I was eight years old the summer the Cross' moved in next door. I remember the air being pressed with humidity as I was riding my bike down the road. I had just had my birthday the week before, and had gotten a shiny and new purple bike for a present. I was still shaky on two wheels, but I was learning.

Crawford, Louisiana was a small town and new neighbors didn't happen very often. So, when I saw the white moving van pull up in the house next door I was excited. The people who had lived there before was an older couple who had packed up the year before to retire along the sunny Florida coast. It has been vacant since Easter. The house was looked like an old Victorian, but was really only a few years old. It was a pale blue with a wraparound porch, and much larger than my house, which was an older two story brick. The house next door made ours much smaller in comparison.

As I rolled my bike to a stop in my driveway I watched a woman get out of the car. She was tall and thin with shoulder length dark hair. She looked just a few years older than my mother. Next, a man stepped out of the driver's side. He was also tall but had lighter hair, which was graying slightly by his temples. He smiled as he looked up at the house.

"Sam." I heard my mother call from behind me.

I turned to see her on our front porch, carrying a book and a glass of iced tea. She waved at me as she sat down.

I started to wheel my bike back to the house when I heard a voice from the neighbor's driveway. "Hi. I 'm Sydney."

Standing before me was a girl about my age. She had dark hair like the lady who had gotten out of the car, and a gap between her front teeth from a missing tooth. She was grinning at me.

"I just moved in next door." She continued. "Is your name Sam?"

I nodded shyly. I had always been a quite child.

"Do you want to be friends?" She continued to grin.

"Sure." I tentatively smiled back and clutched the handles of my bike.

"Sydney, mom wants us to come help unload the car," said a voice behind her.

She made a face at me and stuck her tongue out at the boy who had come up beside her.

"I'm talking to my new friend. Her name's Sam. She lived next door." She gestured towards me.

The boy was a few years older than us. He too had the dark hair like Sydney and the woman.

"This is my brother, Noah," said Sydney.

The boy turned towards me. He had dark blue eyes. "Hey."

My eight year old self blushed.

Suddenly the woman called from behind them, telling them to come help unpack.

"I'll see you later," grinned Sydney and turned and ran back to the van.

Noah gave me one last look, and then he too walked back the way he came.

"I like your bike," he said before he was gone.

I was left staring after him while their mother turned her nose up at me.

"Bye," I blurted out, but I didn't think he had heard me.

That was the day I knew I was in love.