Anna || HS

CHAPTER 3

~Late Summer/Fall 2008~
Anna- 14
Harry- 14
Sofie- 12

Anna POV:

We had been in England for a little over a week, and aside from leaving our family, the move to England had been relatively easy. The house that mom rented was the perfect mix of spacious and comfy. It was very much an English house with quirky features and a brick exterior that looked like it was right out of a storybook. It already had a lot of furniture when we moved in, but mom took Sofie and I to pick out decorations and bedding for our rooms. The rooms were actually the most 'put together' ones that Sofie and I had ever lived in.

The town itself was on the border of the English countryside. Holmes Chapel had a main street area with a few quaint shops and restaurants, as well as a couple bigger chain stores in other parts of town. We had quickly become acquainted with the hardware store, needing things for the house after moving in.

Sofie and I had done a little exploring on our own a couple days after we settled in, and had grown especially fond of the little book store and the bakery in town, W. Mandeville. They had the best pastries, but even better, the little old ladies who worked there were the sweetest people on the planet. They reminded both of us of Gram back in South Carolina, and their desserts even rivaled hers.

We had been so busy getting settled that we hadn't met many of our neighbors. The weekend was approaching, though, and the weather was going to be lovely, so we  invited the Hudson's over to grill some food and play yard games.

On Friday around lunchtime, I noticed a car pull up to the duplex a few doors down. Some teenagers hopped out of the car and someone, who I assume is their mom, came down the front steps to engulf the children in a big hug. The gentleman in the car took the luggage out of the trunk and carried it inside as the group walked inside the house behind her.

About thirty minutes later, I noticed the man leave alone and thought nothing of it as I continued to help mom clean up the flower beds in front of the house as we waited for the Hudson's to arrive.

It's now later in the afternoon, and a car pulls into the driveway. I don't remember Sofie ever screaming as loud as she did when the twins got out of the car and ran to the front yard.

Rose and Chloe were born six months before Sofie when we were all living in Germany the first time. Our families were pretty much inseparable and I would say that moving away from them was just as hard as when we've had to move away from blood relatives. They really are such good friends, and I'm glad that mom has that type of support so close by once again.

The three girls collapse in a hugging pile on the front steps and I see the boy from a few doors down looking our way and laughing at the sight. I simply raise my hand in a wave with a small grin, looking back over my shoulder as I step down onto the front steps, hugging Mr. and Mrs. Hudson and peeking back to see the tall boy still watching our interactions.

"You should go and say 'Hello'," mom urges as she bumps into my shoulder, pushing me in the direction of his house. I know it was not a suggestion, so I start down the remainder of the front steps and turn towards the yard he is standing in.

Mom calls from behind, "don't forget your manners".

I walk down the sidewalk to greet the neighbor boy. As I get closer, he starts to walk towards me and gives me a sweet smile; popping his dimples. He is anxious, sliding his hands into the pockets of his shorts and looking down at his feet as he walks the short distance for us to meet in the middle of our two houses.

He is handsome. Some teenage boys go through an awkward phase of looking like they just haven't grown into their looks yet. Not him. He was one of the lucky ones who probably started as an adorable little boy, and skipped the whole awkward phase. That, or I missed it. Either way, he was handsome.