The New Neighbor

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Chapter 1

I sighed. Sometimes summer could be so boring. I reclined on the couch with a ragged novel clutched in my hands and watched my little brother mess around with his plastic toy firetruck. I sighed again, louder this time, and leaned my head back over the couch armrest to stare into the kitchen.

"Sadie, if you are having trouble with your respiratory system you might want to call a doctor," my mother said while fixing dinner. I swung my legs over to the floor and got up, stepping over my brother's trucks and walking bear foot to the kitchen.

"Mu-um," I whined, "summer is annoying me." She looked up from the salad she was preparing and met my eyes.

"Well it won't annoy you for much longer. School starts on Monday," she replied.

"But mum!" I protested, "school annoys me too!" My mother rolled her eyes and went back to fixing dinner. I sighed again. Maybe I was having issues with breathing properly today.

"I'm gonna go take a ride, kay?" I asked, not pausing for an answer as I grabbed my helmet and walked out the front door. I skipped around to the garage and stared at the mess in front of me. It stared back. Brows furrowed, I tugged out my bike front the tangled heap of junk. It resisted, but after one last strong pull, it came crashing down on to me and I fell backwards, the bike covering me.

"Oww", I mumbled, pulling the bike off of me and standing up. Stupid bike. Suddenly, from behind me, someone coughed. I spun around on my heel and found myself staring at a boy about my age. My brows furrowed in confusion, my lips pulled down in a frown. Who the he'll was he? I gave him a quick one-over, and sucked in a little breath. Whoa. Hot guy. He had tussled, deep brown hair hanging over his forehead and piercing green eyes. His features were chiseled and, my eyes running over his chest, his body was totally fit. Wow, I could even see his six-pack through his thin white shirt and his arms were defiantly muscular.

Ugh. Stupid girl. Stop staring at the poor boy, you don't even know him.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked. Okay? Of course I'm okay, why would he - oh! The bike.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Stupid bike", I shrugged. A question popped into my head. "Um, no offense or anything, but who the hell are you?" He grinned at me.

"Sam Hughes, just moved next door", he said, jerking his thumb next door, "I was walking around the neighborhood; my mom made me go say hi to the neighbors", he scowled, "and I saw you fall. I wasn't, y'know, spying you or anything. I'm no stalker, don't worry."

I returned his smile. Cute, funny neighbor boy. Great potential, especially for me, the stupid little unloved virgin. Ick.

"Hey! That's totally cool! There is, like, NO other kids on this block. Just a bunch of mid-life crisis type people and the old lady who yells at me whenever I walk by." He laughed. Two points! "So", I asked curiously, "where'd you live before?"

"Florida, which is awesome. I totally miss it already. But Alabama isn't half bad", he shrugged. Huh. Florida. Explains his tan.

"Excuse me, half bad? I don't think so", I said playfully. He grinned.

"Uh, I mean Alabama is amazing. Awesome state", he laughed.

"You better believe it! Um, well, I'm gonna go take a ride. Didn't get crushed by this stupid thing for nothing", I said, gesturing at the bike on the floor. He nodded.

"Cool. See you around", then left down the street. I smiled to myself, humming. Maybe these few days left of summer wouldn't be as horrible.

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