*****
I watched as the moving truck sat there, a woman about the same age as my mom going back and forth every few minutes grabbing things and bringing them towards the house. I couldn't tell you why I kept looking, but I did. It was only after watching the woman complete a couple more trips back and forth that I saw her. Off to the right side was an oak tree and there she was, sitting all alone underneath.
She’s too far away for me to tell what she’s looking at, but from where I stand now, she looks to be my age. It’s only when my mom spoke to me a minute or two later, my eyes still locked on the new girl that I decided what to do next.
“New people moving into the Forester house? Anyone interesting?”
“Nah not really, looks like a girl and her mom.”
“A girl, huh? What the heck are you doing standing here then?”
My mom is always trying to get me to meet new people. She hates the guys I hang out with at school and I swear she hates their girlfriends even more. A new girl in the neighborhood was like Christmas for her. Now there would be a girl she could cross the street and get to know and try and hook me up with.
She did bring up a good point though. The right thing to do would be to go across, introduce myself and offer to show her around. It’s what any good neighbor would do.
Or at least that’s what I told myself in order to make the short walk over.
Whether my mom was the reason I was doing it, or I was just listening to some voice in my head pushing me in that direction didn't matter. It was just something I had to do.
The closer I got to her, I realized that she was lounging back against the tree and she was tapping away on her phone. Now that I know she’s not completely alone out here, I felt like an intruder. The last thing I want to do is meet her for the first time and piss her off.
“Do you always stare at girls when they aren't paying attention, or is this a special treat just for me?”
I want to slap myself so hard right now. While I had been worried about bothering her by saying a simple hello, she'd caught me staring and was calling me on it. I had to admire it though, given my general size, people didn't usually go out of their way to talk to me the way she did. It’s obvious I didn't even rate on her fear radar.
“Nope, I just save that for new girls that sit under trees.”
“Good to know. So—umm, did you need something?” she stammers, her voice less clear then it had been only a second before. From self-assured to awkward. This is a change I hadn't expected.
“My mom saw the moving truck and suggested I come over and introduce myself. Well introduce my family I guess. I can't really be sure. Anyway, here I am.”
“Nice to meet you 'here I am'. I'm Serenity. My mom, the lady that refuses to let the moving men help her carry stuff inside, is Rachel.”
Again she spoke without a hint of awkwardness, making me question if I'd just imagined the earlier slip. I was already perplexed by this girl and I hadn't known her but two minutes total.
“My name is actually Graham.”
“You got a last name 'my name is actually Graham'?”
“Hudson. Graham Hudson.”
“Well nice to meet you, Hudson.” she says as she starts shifting from her position, preparing to stand.
I wish there is something I could say that would stop her since I knew what was about to come next. I wasn't quite ready for this conversation to be over.
“So, is that your boyfriend you were texting?” I shot out, preparing for the mental beat down I'd be giving myself later over the stupidity of the question. Though given that I'd heard her talking on the phone as I walked up, it wasn't entire invalid.
“Umm—no. That wasn't my—umm—boyfriend.”
There’s the awkwardness again, almost as if she was hiding something and I somehow figured it out when I'd come across her. She most definitely hadn't been expecting me to ask that.
“You just like talking to yourself then?”
“Something like that.” she shot back, her voice icy. “Look, it's been fun, but I should really go help my mom before she injures herself.”
I watch as she practically runs from me toward the truck where again, her mom is carrying another load out, ready to bring it into the house. I wasn't entirely sure what I said, but whatever it was, I upset her, something I hadn't been attempting to do. What had only been a joke had now become so much more than that.
Realizing that it was probably my cue to leave and head back home, I turned to go, but not before calling out to her one last time.
“I'll see you at school, Serenity.”
Holding On To Heaven Page 25