The Boy Next Door, Chapter 1

"This is way too hot for June." I nod and readjust my sunglasses, looking at my best friend Alyssa.

"Agreed." Lyssa and I are lounging in my backyard on the deck chairs, soaking in the sun. We both graduated grade 12 yesterday and we plan on doing nothing at all for the next two months.

"Did you see your new neighbour?"

"Huh?"

"When I came over earlier I noticed this dude carrying a couple suitcases into the house."

"Which house?"

"Um, Mrs Findlay." Mrs Findlay is our elderly neighbour.

"Oh, that's nice."

"He was cute."

"You've got a boyfriend, Lyssa, remember?"

"Details." I shake my head. "You should go introduce yourself, Em."

"Yeah, that'll look real cool."

"Come on, he's cute and he lives right next door."

"Ever think that he could have a girlfriend?"

"Point taken. But what boyfriend moves in with his grandma for the summer?"

"How do you know it's for the summer?"

"Two suitcases. No furniture. In a cab."

"Point taken. Well if I see him around I'll say hi or something." This seems to please her cause she finally gives up and let's this neighbour thing go.

We spend the afternoon lazing about beside the pool, talking about nothing in particular. A perfect summer's day. She goes home as I'm called in for supper.

"So Emma, have a good day?" I suppress an eyeroll and paste on a fake smile. My step-mom Brenda annoys the hell outta me. She hates when I do nothing. Especially with Lyssa.

"Yeah, it was great. We talked about tanning and getting our nails done." She clicks her tongue.

"Well, you could have been in here helping me today. Jackie's banquet is tomorrow and I have lots of baking to do." Jackie is my stepsister. And according to Brenda, should be queen of the universe.

"Bren. She had a tough year at school, she deserved to do nothing today." At the end of last summer we found out my mom was having an affair with her boss. She moved out of the country with him and we haven't heard from her since.

After a stressful dinner, I go up to my room. I pick up my phone and dial Alyssa. Her mom picks up. "Hi, is Lyssa home?"

"No, she's out with Dustin. I'll tell her you called."

"Thanks." I hang up my phone and lay on my bed, my feet up against the wall. I look out my window at Mrs Findlay's house. As it just so happens, the neighbour boy's room is right across from mine. I watch him for a couple minutes before turning on my t.v. Spider Man is playing and I decide to watch it.

I end up falling asleep and wake up at 2 in the morning. My phone is blinking which means I've got a message waiting. The light's are out across the yard, not that I was looking. I go downstairs for a drink and something to eat. I find cupcakes and a loaf of banana bread in the fridge. I grab a cupcake and a bottle of water and go back upstairs.

Jackie's door is slightly ajar and her light is still on. I peek inside to see her sprawled out asleep on the floor, a book under her forehead. I shut my bedroom door behind me and sit back on my bed. I eat the cupcake while listening to the message.

"Hey Emmaleena. It's 11 and you're not answering, which means you fell asleep watching t.v again. Probably Spider Man, since it was on tonight. Admit it kid, you got a thing for that James Franco. He's actually not half bad. Anywho, Dusty and I are going out tomorrow night so you're on your own. Why don't you go to the old lady's house and say a casual hello to our mystery boy? Wear that skirt. You know, the brown one? And that light blue top. And wear those nice sandals you stole from me. I want those back, by the way. Oops, I gotta go. Call me tomorrow. No wait, I won't be here. I'll call you. Lyssa, out."

I chuckle as I delete the message. Should have known she wouldn't give up on that. I drink half the water in one go and lay back down, trying not to think about the boy next door. I'm going to a university 6 hours away come September. Summer romances are fun yes, but I've seen too many go badly at the end.

I sigh and tap my foot against the wall. Some kind of infomercial is playing on the t.v. It's boring but I'm too lazy to extend my arm and change the channel. I end up watching an infomercial about a thing to store clothes and one about a new kind of vacuum. I fall asleep halfway through a woman telling viewers how a cigarette dish changed her life.