One House Behind | ✓

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤

Shelly

As the sky got darker and Tanner's mom texted him to come home, we said our goodbyes. My thoughts were still jumbled but I at least got most of my homework done. It was only math that seemed to be hard. I didn't understand Algebra II like I did with it the first time around.

I had packed everything up and waved him goodbye before he turned to walk away. I watched him until he hit the end of my view. Sighing, I walked inside with everything in my hands. Setting everything on the counter in the kitchen, I locked the door to return to see my parents sitting at the table.

"What's for dinner?"

"Do you like him?"

"Mom, he's a friend. That's all he'll ever be."

Was I blushing?

"That's the thought," my dad said.

I shook my head with a small smile on my lips. Grabbing my stuff, I put them in their respective places in my room. That's when I realized that I still had to get my work back. I texted Tanner and he said that he would be free in an hour.

After dinner was when I'd get it back.

So I used that free time to take a shower and to make my own dinner. My parents had declared nights where they didn't cook whatever nights. I liked the name and it stuck.

Tonight was a whatever night. I had gotten out the mac and cheese. Boiling the water, I turned my phone on to see it was one of my friends.

And my ex-crush.

A slight sneer made its way to my mouth as tainted memories of my crush on him zipped through my mind. All my friends had told me his schedule, his usual hangouts, his friends' names, and anything related to him. And then when I spoke about him, they'd call me a weirdo for knowing it. As if they weren't the ones giving me the information. Maybe I was a stalker but not Tanner's. He'd get a kick out of that.

I was going to send him a text but remembered he was having dinner with his family. After I finished my food, I walked to my parent's room to see them lying in bed. Sitting at the corner of it, my dad kicked my back.

"Ow!"

"Finish all your homework?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Yeah?"

It was like he knew. I shook my head a no. He narrowed his eyes and I just shrugged. He put his hand to his forehead before moving it away. I laughed.

"So that boy did nothing to help?"

"He did. I understand everything now."

That was a lie. I didn't understand anything. We just sat outside and did homework together. It was just for now, sooner or later we would end up using our time to talk and mess around.

"Which reminds me, I'll be back."

I decided to wait for the homework return. I had put on a sweater but kept my legs uncovered in shorts. It was too hot to be completely covered.

"Shelly?" Tanner asked as soon as their door opened.

"Yep."

"Here."

I heard quick footsteps to the fence. His hand reached over the fence. That's when I realized how tall he was. Even without trying, he was able to reach over.

Standing on my tippy toes, I grabbed the paper. It hadn't gone how I thought. I thought we would touch hands like in books and movies but it was simple. We touched opposite ends of the paper.

Which was probably safer for now.

"Enjoy dinner?"

"It was spaghetti night. Who wouldn't enjoy it?" he scoffed out a laugh.

"Oh, so I found something out."

"What?"

"I am a stalker. Just not for you."

"See, I wasn't wrong. You were."

"Tanner, don't start." I mocked anger.

"I won't. But hey, are you coming over here tomorrow?"

"I thought that's how this works." I felt my forehead indent harshly.

"Just wanted to make sure when to tie my sister down."

"Younger or older?"

"She's younger. Eleven months. It's kinda frustrating. She's in your grade I think. Junior right?"

"Yeah."

"Then she is. Her name is Susie."

"I'll look her up."

"Okay, I got to take a shower. See ya tomorrow."

"Okay."

And then we stood there for a second. Neither moving away from the fence. I knew he knew I was here, we were so in-tuned with each other's sliding doors. Once we had spent enough time standing there, letting the shared silence envelop us, we shuffled away from each other.

Inside my room, I looked at the paper for some reason. At the top, a paper clip held another paper close to it. At least his writing wasn't chicken scratch.

And just because you are coming to my house doesn't mean you can stalk me more!

I shook my head at his weird self. I took the paper and put it in an envelope I put special papers. Without knowing, Tanner had made a part of my life fun and I hoped nothing would change that.