The Next Door Neighbour

Chapter 13//Gold

Brayden's POV

ON SUNDAY EVENING, Brayden found himself lazing on the couch in the living room, with Shailene on the floor leaning against the couch, knees pulled into her chest. She had insisted on coming over (what's new?), saying that it was much more fun to annoy him than to study for their upcoming science quiz.

     "I'm gonna fail anyway," she'd said nonchalantly, then waltzed straight into his house and made herself at home.

The chill of fall still hadn't settled in completely, so it was nice enough to go outside without a winter jacket, but too cold to stay out and skateboard — according to Shailene, anyway. That left them stuck inside, forced to watch reruns of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (not that Brayden had any problems with that — it was a great show) while his mom busied herself in the kitchen and tried not to watch them too openly.

Brayden let his eyes wander from the tv to Shailene. He wondered why she always sat on the floor at his house — probably because she knew if she tried to sit next to him, he'd immediately shove her right off the couch. But he'd help her right back up anyway, so he didn't see what the problem was. It didn't matter anyway though. If his mom saw them sitting together, she'd ask to see the ring.

Brayden's eyes travelled to her hair. It really did look like Rapunzel's, despite falling to her elbows as opposed to trailing behind her for miles. It was still straight from the day before, and fuck, did she look good in white. Brayden thought it was ironic that she'd been dressed as an angel given how mischievous she normally was all the goddamn time. But he couldn't deny that she'd looked ridiculously beautiful as an angel (and even better wearing his hoodie, even though she'd made him hold her wings).

Thinking about Halloween made Brayden want to smile. He wasn't sure he'd ever had that much fun with her. But apparently she was fun to be around. Even when they were just sitting around watching crime comedies. Even when there was nothing to say —though he suspected she'd been quiet today because she was catching a cold. Served her right for wearing a party dress to go trick-or-treating (not that Brayden was complaining about it).

Brayden listened to Shailene laugh at the cheesy jokes and take a sip of her hot chocolate (seriously, how was she not sick of that yet?), until suddenly the peace was interrupted by a gasp from the kitchen.

Brayden whipped his head around to see his mother standing at the island, surrounded by grocery bags and looking distraught. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Mom?" he called, letting a note of bewilderment blend with the concern in his voice. "Is everything okay?"

"I forgot to buy the sweet potatoes!" she cried in a tone of urgency one might use when calling for help after being stabbed. But maybe his mom thought this sweet potato crisis warranted the adoption of that tone — who knew. "How am I going to make a sweet potato casserole without sweet potatoes?"

Brayden shrugged apathetically. His mom looked at him as if suddenly remembering he was there, and that his job as her child was to do things for her.

"Oh! You'll go pick some up for me, won't you, dear?"

(Funny how she only called him "dear" when she wanted something.)

"Sure, whatever." He began to stand up from the couch, and so did Shailene (from the floor, anyway). "I'll just quickly run to the gro—"

"No!" Brayden froze, half-standing, half-hunched over, looking like a confused and slightly scared caveman. "You have to get them from the organic farmers' market, remember?"

Ah, yes. He'd somehow forgotten his mom was going through an all-organic phase at the moment. Everything they'd eaten for the past week was organic and thus eight-times more expensive than regular food. Brayden couldn't say he was a fan of wheatgrass and pulses, but at least she hadn't forced them to go vegan yet.