MY NEW NEIGHBOR

Chapter 3

          It wasn't my favorite way to meet people, probably nobody's favorite way, but after everyone's insistence, I made my way up the stairs, alone and nervous, to find Graham's room. I had used up the amount of sass I could use and manage to get away with so there was no fighting it.

          Finding him wasn't a hard task and after fighting against the urge to slip into the bathroom to hide until my parents called up for us to leave, I followed the sound of someone humming to the last door on the right. A soft knock, more of a tap, almost as if I was hoping there was no one home, and the door pulled open to reveal a boy who was allegedly my age only unlike me he was in the peak of adolescence, taller with wider shoulders and an athletic build. He had the strong, handsome face of his father, the soft golden curls of his mother, and looked at me with eyes so blue they were almost colorless, underneath lashes that were a shade darker than his hair and much too long for a boy. 

          This was that awkward spot where I was supposed to offer something up. My name or perhaps the reason a random stranger was tapping on his door and staring at him. Welcome to the neighborhood? Our parents forced me to come up here? I have a speech impediment? Anything? No... I just stood there, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.

          "Graham," he said finally sticking out a hand that I hesitantly reached out and shook. I say hesitantly because I don't think I had ever shaken a hand before. His dwarfed mine with strong fingers that I was sure could crush my fragile birdlike bones if he tried.

          "Uh, Max," I finally muttered. Oh well. Better than nothing.

          "Neighbor?" He asked.

          I nodded. 

          "My mom made you come up here?" 

          Another nod.

         "I'm not surprised." He remarked, opening the door wider for me to step inside. "She's worried that it might be hard for me to make friends since we moved at the beginning of the summer."

          A third nod. I was beginning to feel like a bauble head. "Yeah. My mom whines about that a lot too. That I don't get out enough.There's not many kids our age that live in the building."

          I noted jealously that his room was bigger than mine... Or maybe mine was just cluttered with stuff. His of course was empty except for a step ladder, tarps, and painting supplies but I was sure I knew what it would look like before long. Trophies, athletic gear, posters of half naked women thumbtacked to the wall. He was that type of boy. The type that shoved heads in toilets.

          We stood awkwardly for a moment before he finally spoke. "I was just about to paint."

          "Do you need some help?" I asked the unavoidable question with a bit of trepidation, having never painted anything besides model airplanes. 

          Graham offered me a grin of straight white teeth that were much too sharp, making me self-conscious about my braces. "Sure."

          He looked at me for a moment with a thoughtful expression then left without speaking, leaving me to stand in awkward confusion for several minutes before he finally returned holding a shirt and a pair of sweatpants. When I only looked at them he said, "for you to change into. Y'know, so you don't get paint on your clothes."

          "Oh," I said in sudden stupid realization, taking them and waiting for him to direct me to a bathroom before finally realizing that he expected me to strip down right then and there, his hand out waiting to take my clothes.

          "I need a bathroom," I said softly, hoping he wouldn't push the issue even though I knew he would, most likely calling me a wimp, sissy, or fag in the process, but strangely enough... He didn't. 

          " Oh, yeah, sure. You passed it on the way down here. First door on the left... Or the last door on the right... Depending on how you're walking."

          I closed the bathroom door, leaning against it with a sigh. I really wanted to go home but that wouldn't be anytime soon. Our parents had a bottle of wine to get through and he had accepted my help with painting despite the fact I was sure he would turn me down. Add in the extra time our parents would squeeze in to assure our friendship and make sure we had time to get to know each other and I wouldn't be leaving for fucking ever.....

          I stripped down quickly, as I always did when I was anywhere besides my own bathroom but something made me pause and I turned slowly looking at my reflection in the mirror. The boy who looked back at me had a haunted look to his plain brown eyes, one that would never go away, a fact I had long ago accepted. My hair was it's usual inky black and a bit shaggy, reaching my collar and hanging across my face. My eyes trailed down my reflection's slim neck to the mess of scars that covered his torso. A jagged crisscrossing of knife wounds stretched across my chest and belly. I didn't even try to glance at my back. I shrugged the clothes on as quickly as I had taken mine off.

          Graham had already gotten started and even though he had yet to do anything, there was blue paint on his face and forehead. He looked a bit sheepish, his cheeks flushing a bright red and I couldn't help but laugh, easing the tension between us at least a little. 

          For one of those uppity popular kids he was somewhat reluctant to talk about himself where most would be bragging of their past and future exploits, instead coaxing out some of my interests and forcing me to talk by actually listening and asking pointed questions that I had no choice to explain. When we got on the subject of space, one I had been trying to avoid due to inability not to babble and prattle on about aliens, there was no stopping me. I could feel my movements grow more and more animated, my voice loud, talking quick, only pushed onward by the sound of his laughter. He had a nice laugh. 

         Time passed much faster than I thought it would and much faster than I would have liked. I know, I can't make up my mind, but he was easy to talk to and I frowned inwardly when his mom called up for dinner.

          Graham gave me another one of those sharp fanged grins, holding up his hand for a high five, another first for me, and I botched the execution making him laugh. It was strange to have someone laugh at me but not derisively and I found myself grinning stupidly back at him. He reached out ruffling my hair and giving me a shove... And though I tried to shrug it off, I still felt little butterflies fluttering around in my belly.

               "What did you think of our new neighbors?" My mom finally asked later that night, just like I knew she would, and I was honestly surprised that she had made it this long.
          
          I took a few moments to respond, knowing that she was dying for an answer, not to mention, I could see Alicia and her mom stealing glances at me, both just as interested. I had a past... A dark one and I didn't make friends easily. Those that I did I didn't keep long. I could never let anyone get close, never explain my scars, never deal with the pity in their eyes.
        
           "They were nice."
        
           "What about Graham?" Alicia blurted, unable to help herself.
         
          The response I gave was calculated, predetermined, already preparing everyone for the inevitable. I didn't want them getting their hopes up. "He was cool but I don't think we have much in common."

          "Both of you were sure laughing and giggling a lot," Alicia persisted. This couldn't be held against her. I knew how much she loved me, how much she wanted me to have a normal life but I couldn't... I never would. When I didn't speak, she continued. "You're still wearing his shirt."
        
           Alicia," I said softly, a warning.

          She put her hands on my shoulders. "I'm just saying... You have a reason to go see him... If you wanted."