He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

1)My Doorbell Rings More Than A Hooker's Phone

Three years later

Christina

I'm chewing gum as I walk through the front door and man, is it chewy. Granted it's been in my mouth since lunchtime, but whatever.

"I'm home!" I yell, dumping my schoolbag at the foot of the stairs and heading straight for the fridge. There's no answer, which means I'm home first and have the house to myself, which means I can play my music as loud as I like.

Spitting my gum into the trash and grabbing the jar of Nutella and a spoon, I bound up the stairs and into my room.

My room is my sanctuary, there's your standard bed-wardrobe-desk combination, a wall of band posters, a carpet disguised as a sea of dirty T-shirts and a large window complete with window seat that mirrors the neighbouring house. The empty neighbouring house that's been empty for nearly three years exactly. There's a large oak tree growing in front of my window that stretches over to next door. Seth and I used to climb across to each other's rooms on it until Seth fell one day and broke his leg.

A pain shoots through my chest as I look into the empty bedroom next door that used to belong to my best friend, before he left with no warning. Tears prick my eyes. For a moment all I do is sit on my bed and stare at the house before I snap myself out of it and bound across to the CD player.

Before I can put the Rolling Stones on, the doorbell rings and I groan. Just bleeding typical. Whenever I'm alone, that doorbell rings more than a hooker's phone.

Dragging myself to the door, I answer it to find Jenny on the doorstep, the only female who has ever bothered to befriend me. She looks at the Nutella covered spoon in my hand and raises an eyebrow.

"I sincerely hope you saved some for me." She says by way of a greeting. She smiles sweetly, knowing full well I'm home alone and want it to stay that way.

"What are you doing here, Jen?" I ask, leaning against the door frame.

She twirls her dark brown hair around her finger.

"Oh, I was on Facebook, you know, as usual and I happened to notice that the very hot and very single Logan Adams is moving house." I rolled my eyes. "Not that I was stalking him or anything! Because I wasn't, I just accidentally clicked on his page and then just randomly saw this comment from Jesse Parker and-"

"Just get to the point, Jen." I say, interrupting her rambling.

"Okay fine. Logan Adams is moving in next door." She points to Seth's old house and right on cue, a large moving van turns down the street.

"W-what? T-that house?" I ask, slightly shocked. A quick flash of disappointment comes across me and my face crumples. I guess I still thought he'd be coming back.

"Yeah, isn't great! Logan Adams, you're so lucky, Chris! He'll be right next door!"

"Logan Adams is an idiot." I say abruptly, even though I'd never spoken a word to him in my whole life. I was very tempted to slam the door in Jenny's face and march upstairs to finish my Nutella and not think about Seth. Or Logan. Or anyone. But I didn't because I'm a fabulous friend so I invited her in where she could watch the whole moving-in thing from the sitting room window.

Half an hour later and Jenny and I are lying on the floor. We got bored of watching since Logan took his brooding self into the house, dragging one box, and hasn't reappeared since. Jen and I are talking about Supernatural and eating popcorn.

Eventually we lapse into silence, which isn't ideal because my mind drifts to Seth again no matter how I hard I try to get him out of my head. I grimace and rub my chest, trying to get the ache away. Unfortunately, Jen notices.

"What's wrong?" She asks, sitting up and crossing her legs. I look warily at her. Jen has a knack for making me spill my guts, like a toothbrush down my throat and I really didn't want the humiliation of admitting I still thought about Seth. It's been three years for God's sake. I told Jen I was over him ages ago. I thought I was over him ages ago.

"Oh, nothing." She's wearing a no-bullshit-or-I'll-punch-you expression on her face so I sigh.

"It's just, it's Seth's house." Jen nods, understanding. "It'll be weird, you know?"

And it will, but I'll be fine. I always am.

"Chris," Jenny says. "You'll be fine. You always are." I opened my mouth to tell her that's exactly what I said when the doorbell rang again. I swore a couple of pretty words and went to the door, Jen on my tail. I opened it with a very cross

"What?"

Logan Adams stood on my doorstep in all his sulky glory. Jen gasped involuntarily. "What?" I repeat. Jen punches my arm.

"Shut up. It's Logan!" She hisses quietly in my ear.

"Yes, I am." Logan says. Obviously not quietly enough, Jen. I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow at him, not looking at his tousled brown hair or his sparkling blue eyes or his chisled jaw or his arms. Well, I say not looking, I mean trying not to look. Well. I say trying. But you can't blame me.

"Yes, you are and yes this is my house and yes I am busy, wow, how did you know?" I say, before I can stop myself. I get sarcastic when I'm nervous. I can feel Jen seething in anger at me for humiliating myself and her. Logan smirks.

"Feisty."

"In plainer terms," I reply, "What the hell do you want?" Logan shrugs.

"Your humoungus tree is blocking the light into my room. What I want is for you to cut it down."

"Eh, no?" I splutter at him. Cut down the tree? What? He's only been here half an hour and he is annoying the cheesus out of me.

"Eh, yes?" He mimicks.

"No." I say. I turn to Jen for support but she's gazing at Logan like he's the bee's knees. I don't even think she can hear us.

"Yes. You have to."

" I do not have to! You haven't even been here an hour! One hour!"

"I know, and I want something done about the tree before I have to live here any longer."

I gaped at him. "It's my tree. It's been there for years. It's not coming down."

"And why not?"

"Because it's my tree. And I am not cutting it down for some bad boy wannabe who just moved in!"

Now it's Logan's turn to splutter. "Wannabe? I'm the wannabe? What about you, the girl who wants to be the best at everything, including being a boy, Chris."

Fuming, I slam the door in his face.

***

a/n

Okay, so that's chapter one.

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Hope you enjoyed it! :)

~Mel