The Boy Next Door

The next morning, I wake up to see that I'm not in the bedroom I'm used to wake up in. I really need to adapt to it, cause I kinda freaked out for a moment. I can smell eggs being cooked the moment I step downstairs, my mom has set up the table with breakfast and she's all cleaned and ready in a nice flowy dress. She has hair up in a bun and has even done her makeup.

"Good morning, dear." She takes a seat in front of me

"Good morning, mom. Nice sleep?" I greet back cheerfully

"Yeah, I wouldn't though if you didn't wake me up from the couch. How are you liking our new house so far?"

I nod, "Love it. It might need a bit more of decoration, I'll start filling the walls today."

"Ah yes, the walls. And Gail, go get ready after you finish eating, let me do the dishes for you. We're visiting our neighbors door to door today. I'm so excited to meet our new neighbors!" She chirps

I smile at her excitement and continue eating my breakfast. After I'm done, I place it in the sink for mom to wash. I head back upstairs to get ready. I pick out the outfit first, a denim dress and a brown belt around my waist to finish the look.

My mom always says to dress nicely every possible time, since the way a person dresses potray the person's personality. I stick on to that until this day.

I take a quick shower before putting on the dress and do my makeup. I don't really like to put too much makeup. Eyeliner, mascara and lip colour. Because no amount of makeup can actually hide the paleness of my skin. I look in the mirror once again, making sure it's all good. I put my hair in a ponytail since my hair's grown so long and I don't want to get hot. When I feel like I'm ready, I make my downstairs to join my mother who's already waiting for me on the couch.

"Ready?"

But suddenly our bell rings. Our first guest! She quickly heads to open the door with a big smile plastered on her face. Her smile grows even wider when she sees the person behind the door.

"Hello! I'm Isobel Gaskarth, I live right across your house. I saw you coming yesterday, but I figured you needed some time after arriving so I decided to visit the next day. Welcome to the neighborhood!" Isobel friendly greets

"Oh my, we were just about to visit you! I'm Katherine Olson, and this is my daughter, Gail. We just moved from Oakland, California. And thank you for the warm welcome!" My mom gestures me to shake hand with Isobel

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Gaskarth." I say politely

"Please, call me Isobel. Nice meeting you too, Gail. We have a little gift for you, it might not be much but this is the least we can do. Alex?" She says. And then a boy who must be Alex hands me a glass dish with covered with aluminum foil on top of it. A cake perhaps? Judging from his look, it clearly shows that he doesn't wanna be here.

"This is my son, Alexander. He goes to Dulaney High, and what about you, Gail?" Isobel introduces him, but Alex just stands right there leaning on the porch railing.

"That's where Gail's going!" My mom squeals.
They continue to talk about other things, while I can only smile and listen to them. Alex looks like he's about to blow up any second, he keeps his eyes fixed on his phone while occasionally grunts under his breath. Until my mom finally invites them in, she's laughing with Isobel as if they'd known each other for so long.

"Don't you wanna wait for your mom?" I ask

"Hell no! I have friends at my house but she forced me to come here. Get to know your new neighbors? Pfft, I'm outta here." He says before slamming the door shut behind him

I sit on the couch, letting out a sigh. Wow, so friendly.

"By the way, you should really take a bite of her pie. It's so good! She only bakes it on special occasions. So if you don't want it or have any leftover, just knock right in!" I can hear Alex shouting

What a really nice first impression, Alex. Just when I thought I had a neighbor my age, I didn't expect him to be a careless boy who likes pie.

"Where's Alex?" Isobel asks when they come back from the kitchen

"Err... He left already. He did mention about his friends coming over though."

"Ah yes, Alex and his band. Forgive him, Gail. He's not usually like that, but when it comes to his band, he sets everything aside, even his education!" Explains Isobel

"It's okay. Maybe it's just because you two just met, you'll get along with him." Mom adds in. Like that's gonna happen.

"Well thank you for your hospitality, Katherine, Gail. I'll leave you here to meet up the others. The smiths, jacksons, blakes, um well, and many others. They're really friendly, and once again, welcome to the neighborhood!" She hugs me and my mom before leaving.

"Well that's a good way to start the day."

---

The next few hours is a blur. My cheeks hurt from smiling too much, but I like it. I remember meeting many new faces, and they welcome us with open arms. I'm starting to love it here.
When we get back to our house, I head to my room straight away. After taking a long hot shower and putting on comfy clothes, I don't even bother drying my hair. I search for my sketch book and drawing pens and begin drawing.

My bedroom walls back in our old apartment were filled with my drawings and I intend to do the same with these walls. I don't consider myself as an artist, I basically just draw whatever that's in my mind that day. When people write in diaries, I draw. It's just a way of expressing my feelings. Some days it would just be lines or circles. Sometimes colours dominate my drawings, but not too often. Diaries are supposed to be kept a secret, but I put my drawings each and everyday, taping it on the wall. Am I not afraid of people knowing my secrets? People would only look at them as a random drawing, but each of them hides a different story that only I could understand the meaning of. Sometimes the bedroom walls become my only friend. (And yes people, pun intended.)

I keep drawing until the room starts to darken because the only light coming is from the full moon outside the window. I turn the lights on and tear the page off my sketchbook before taping it on the wall. New walls, new chapter.

A knocking sound comes from the door. I was just about to open it, but my mom walks in anyway.

"I don't really feel like cooking tonight so I ordered pizza. Is it fine?"

"It's cool. I like pizza." I murmur

She realizes what I'm doing, "Bringing your old habit to Baltimore, huh?"

I answer with a nod, "Can't help it."

"So.. First day of school tomorrow. Are you excited?"

"I don't know.. I'm kinda scared, I guess?" I say truthfully

"It's okay to be scared. But I promise you'll fit in right away, I know you can do it."

I'm not exactly an introvert, I can make friends, I have lots of friends back in Oakland. But what if they're different?

What if they don't like me? But I know being sad won't make things any better, and I'm doing this for her.

"I can drop you off before work in the morning, but I'm afraid you're gonna have to take the bus home. Or maybe ask a ride with Alex." She suggests

"It's okay, I'll take the bus. And yes, I can do it. I believe." I nod. I don't really think asking Alex for a ride is a good idea.

"That's the spirit! Now let's have our dinner, shall we? The pizza's still warm."

---

After inhaling a whole pan of pizza just for the two of us, I decide to go to sleep early with a happy tummy, thanks to the delicious pizza. If pizza doesn't make you happy, then I don't know what it. I turn off the lights and crawl inside the comforter. I don't fall asleep right away, I'm not really that tired.

I gaze out the window, realizing that I haven't drawn the curtain yet. Lazily, I wake up from my bed to draw it, but an interesting sight catches my attention. From here, I can see a room with the light still on, and the curtains unshut. Inside, Alex is on his bed, busy fiddling with a guitar. Another guitar, an electric one rests just beside the bed. I watch him play for a while, even from here I can see his fingers sliding from frets to frets smoothly.

I don't know how long I've been staring at him but I finally close the curtain and crawl back to bed. I'm still wide awake, my head is still filled with thoughts. It suddenly comes flooding in, the memories. An acoustic guitar leans against the wall on the corner of my room where I'd put it yesterday. I don't play, I don't even know a single key. It was my father's, he used to play the guitar in the backyard at night with me and my brother, we would sing along to his playing and mom would join us with a tray of smores. We were a happy family, until that one day when my mom out of a sudden sent me and Harry to stay at my aunt's for a week. I couldn't wait to show them the drawing of the four of us that I made with Aunt Mary. When we got back from Aunt Mary's, our parents tried their best to explain about their divorce to us, being only kids. I slowly crumpled my drawing inside my fist, I didn't expect that ever happening to us. Dad told Harry to pack his bags and just with that, they were gone. They agreed to sell the house and split the money they got from it, dad and Harry moved to San Diego and me and my mom moved to our old apartment. About the guitar, dad somehow left it in the house when he left, and I still have no idea until now why did I pack it with me.

I blame him for not taking care of me and my mom. I remember how devastated my mom was the first couple of months. I don't even know why they separated in the first place. Everytime I try to bring to the bring the subject, she'd just shrug it away. But why would he? She's the strongest, most beautiful and independent person I know in this world. Why would he even want to get a divorce? Didn't they love each other? Or does love really exist? I don't know. But I do know that love sucks.

Notes

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