The Boy From the Basement; Book One

Blue Eyes

            “Bye honey! Remember that the pizza will arrive shortly.” My mother calls out as she walks to the car. She is wearing a light cotton dress and my father is wearing jeans and a blazer. I wave and shut the door. I watch them get into the truck and keep doing so until I know they are gone for sure. I can hear sounds coming from below me—something scraping against something.

            I check and see if the key is in the jar—just as I suspected. He took it and I now believe I made a good decision in making a replica. If I didn’t I would just be sitting here wondering. I wait for the pizza to arrive and when it does I sit at the table and eat two pieces. I am ready to go downstairs and see the animal.

             I don’t know why but I start running in place and up and down the stairs. I do at least twenty jumping-jacks until I feel I am ready to go downstairs. Before I can even jam my key into the lock—the doorbell rings. The freaking doorbell! I groan and head for the front door. I slip my key into my hoodie pocket.  I am surprised when I see Nick standing on my steps.

            “What are you doing here?” I ask trying to sound calm. My nerves are killing me. I need to be down in that basement. Nick just looks at me.

            “You left so quickly last night. What happened?” Did he drive ten minutes over here to ask that question? He could have called—or was he spying on me? I sigh and let him in. I offer Nick pizza and he takes three pieces. While he is eating I tell him about Amanda and what she tried to do to me and Phoebe. Nick isn’t shocked but he was when she was crying to him about me pouring beer all over her.

            “She is ridiculous. I don’t understand why she is a bully all the time.” Nick says and I eye him.

            “And your not?” I challenge. I always see Nick picking on underclassmen and this one kid Mark. He was basically the male equivalent to Phoebe—super smart.

            “Okay well I don’t and won’t ever go as far as Amanda.” I roll my eyes.

            “Oh and I know you only invited me to your party because my parents wanted me out of the house.” I say and Nick does not deny this. He looks guilty.

            “I did want to invite you. That was just a coincidence that my father asked.” He says to me but I am not fully buying it. Nick hasn’t said more then maybe ten words to me in seven years—until now. Why the change? It had to be because my parents asked him to—because they didn’t want me to see the wolf.

            “Sure it was. Are you going to leave now that you have an explanation?” I ask and he shrugs his shoulders.

            “I dunno. I guess if you don’t want me here.” He eyes me and I smirk. Nick isn’t stupid.

            “Well I kind of don’t. I have business to take care of.” I say and he gives me a questioning look but I don’t elaborate farther.

            “Fine. But I’m not done with you.” I pause and what he says just seems like he knows something. Something I don’t know but I probably want to know.

            “Bye.” I say sweetly and he finally leaves. I wiggle my hands and shake them before I take the key out. I lock the front door and the back—don’t want anyone sneaking up on me. I have a feeling that my father is having someone look out for me and make sure I don’t do anything stupid—like go to the basement. I go upstairs and turn on my bedroom light and then sneak through the kitchen in the darkness. I get to the mud room and slowly stick the key in the lock.