The Case of the Woods

Chapter Two

 

     Just about two days after me and Leroy's conversation about the old house, a moving truck pulled up in front of it. Me, Leroy, and Dylan watched from my front yard in silence as about five men moved pieces of furniture into the house. I examined each man, wondering which one could be the new home owner. The men helped each other carry a long couch into the building. They were all wearing the same jumpsuit, so I concluded that none of those five men were the home owner. My father walked out behind us, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand.
     "Don't stare, you might scare them away," he joked before taking a sip from his mug. Gosh, the jokes that dads make. More annoying than humorous.
     "If they're moving into that house, then I don't think anything can scare them away," I told him, still watching the men across the street. Leroy nodded in agreement, digging his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket. My dad looked from us up to the working men, his hand on his hip. We all sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound was the chattering of the men across the street. My dad reached down and rubbed my head before turning back into the house. I ignored him, choosing to keep my eye on the men instead of talking back to him. Dylan groaned, standing up beside me. I could tell that he had something to protest about.
     "This is boring. What about we play a board game," Dylan suggested. Me and Leroy looked over to him with sort of annoyed expressions. Dylan looked as us, wondering what he did wrong.
     "We've been waiting for people to move into this house forever. I'm waiting until I find out if there is anyone my age," I told him in an angry tone. Leroy tapped my shoulder rather aggressively, pointing to the house with his other hand. I looked over to the men in a hurry, my eyes suddenly widening. A boy about the same height as me emerged from a black van in the house's driveway. From what I could see, he was pale with dark eyes. He had black hair with stylish bangs. He wore a fluffy black jacket, the hood over his head. I watched him walk over to a man in a black suit who had his back turned to us as he looked at the house. He tugged on the man's sleeve, speaking words I was too far away to hear.
     "He looks about our age," Leroy stated, looking over to me.
     "He does. Maybe we can meet with him someday when he's outside," I suggested. Leroy nodded, looking back over across the street. Suddenly, Leroy's eyes squinted and his lips puckered.
     "He looks like he hasn't seen a ray of sunshine since birth," Leroy croaked in a disgusted tone.
     "You're right. But it's not right to judge him before we meet him," I advised my friend. "Tomorrow when he is outside, we will dart across the street and introduce ourselves."
     "Yes—tomorrow," Leroy nodded.
     "In a friendly manner, that is. We can't let our first impression be vile," I said.
     "Of course not—" Leroy slightly shook his head, his eyes blinking rather quickly.
     The boy meekly glared over his shoulder at us. He knew—he knew we were staring. I held my breath, my heart rate suddenly getting faster. He looked back at the suited man, speaking more words to him.
     "I'de bet he's telling on us," Dylan mumbled.
     "Hey, what's the worst that can happen," Leroy shrugged.
     "We get in trouble by those people," Dylan replied, pointing across the street. I chose to keep watching the people instead of investing in their argument. Another person slid out of the van and strolled over to the suited man. Right behind him was a woman. She had a dress on and carried a small handheld purse. They all had matte black hair and they were all dressed in black clothes as well. It's like they just got home from a funeral, except their hair was fairly tousled. They looked like a perfect match for that house: scary and dark. It looked like a father, mother, a small boy, and an older boy. The older boy looked to be in his mid to late twenties, and the younger boy looked to be around eleven to thirteen. Again, it was very hard to tell considering the distance we sat from them. The father wore a black hat that I've never seen before. The mother had a black headband with white roses attached to it.
     The two children walked into the dark house, closing the door tightly behind them. The mother and father stayed outside and chatted with the men who delivered their furniture. I stood up and stretched my arms. Maybe I will get a new friend after all.