Once Upon a Neighbor

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Declan

Declan Washington peered through his eyelashes, not moving his head as he searched for the person with the amazing laugh. It had rung in his ears clear as day, like church bells ringing on a Sunday morning. He smirked, seeing the long legged beauty that was just across the street. She sashayed as she walked, talking on a droid phone, her smile lighting up her whole face. Declan had to admit that he liked what he saw. She was wearing a pair of cut off jean shorts, a black tank top and a sleeveless shrug thing that was striped black and white and went to just beneath her shorts. On her feet were a pair of ankle cowboy boots, white threading going across each of the ankles. He studied the way her nose crinkled as she smiled revealing a few freckles on her nose, and the way her brown eyes would fall to the sidewalk as she walked.

My first fling of the summer, he thought to himself, absentmindedly stroking his dog's back. His pug, Albert (Al for short), was laying in the dry grass next to him, his head resting on Declan’s lap. Al’s little black nose was wet and just snortling booger bubbles, so he pushed it off of his camo shorts. In a quick movement, Declan had himself to his feet, and went walking over to the girl with the nice laugh. She looked around his age, certainly following the trendy side braid from that one movie. The....Hunger Games! That was it! Declan had gone to see it like 5 times with his ex girlfriend Angel. Angel had been so obsessed with that movie, dragging him along with her to go see that on some sort of like enormous double date. Thank god he was done with that girl.

“I know, mother. I am in Arlington safe and sound.” Her small voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked to her, smiling. She glanced up at him, holding out one index finger to tell him to wait. “Yes, I was already there.” She paused, looking down to the sidewalk again. “No, mom. I do not plan on getting knocked up while I am here.” Her brown eyes met his again and she rolled her eyes, pointing at her phone. She mouthed “mom” at him, and he grinned understandingly. “I just went for a walk, okay? I have to go, Mom, it is my turn at Jamba Juice. Love you.” She couldn’t seem to hang up fast enough, roughly shoving the thin smartphone into her back pocket.

“Your mother thinks you are going to get knocked up?” He couldn’t help but tease, his lips tilting into another grin.

“Well, yeah. I am a pretty terrible kid. Ditching my family for Arlington like that and all.”

“And why would you do that?” Declan asked, shoving his hands into his camo shorts pockets. He watched as she blew air out through her rosy pink lips.

“Once upon a time, my family lived here. And I like Arlington way better than where we live now, so... I think you get the point.” One of her hands shot up to her shoulder where brown hair rested in a braid and started fiddling with the end of it.

He snorted, why would anyone want to come back here? Personally, he would rather live anywhere but here. There were too many memories, too many mistakes that haunted him.

“Where did you live that was so bad that you would come running back to a place like this?” As he talked, he spread an open hand around the pathetic neighborhood. Almost every yard was rocked and void of any grass. The trees were tall, the only thing offering shade from the disastrous sun.

She wrinkled her nose at him, this time in distaste instead of laughter. “Look, I am not about to go spreading where I am living with some random guy on the street.”

“It isn’t random if you know my name.” Declan countered, shoving his hand back in his pocket.

“And I don’t. So excuse me, I think I will be on my way now.”

“Declan.” He outstretched his left hand to her. The girl dodged it, lunging to the left of him and took off brushing past him as she went. The smell of her perfume invaded his lungs, overriding his sense of smell and hearing. It was like he was at Niagara Falls, the rush of the beautiful waterfall blocking out all other life. When he finally escaped his thoughts again, he saw the girl who had the nice laugh about a couple yards away, walking along the sidewalk on the road.