The Terror Next Door (Based on a True Story)

16)Antagonizing

"Tag You're It" by Melanie Martinez
Why? I have no idea. I can't get the song out of my head so I thought I would torture my readers with it.
Happy Reading!
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Sophia suffered only a sore ankle and a couple scrapes after the Halloween fiasco. The scariest part wasn't her injuries, but rather, how intent on Blake seemed on Sophia thinking she was going to die. No normal person would do that to someone. Something good however came from that ugly night. It was apparent that Sophia's mother was now at proverbial war with Mrs. Bradshaw.

Gone were polite waves or dutiful head nods when the women would occasionally encounter each other in their individual drive ways or backyards. Now there were only cold stares and snarling comments if one of them dared to speak to the other. It seemed Sophia's mother now wholeheartedly believed the neighbor boy was no good. Mrs. Summers, however, now linked the 'no good' philosophy to the entire family. She disliked the other sons along with Blake's mother and father, linking bad parenting as to why he was terrible.

Mrs. Summers no longer allowed any child of hers outside alone, not even her eldest. She even made her husband install a brand new security system that the family needed to borrow money from grandparents to afford. Once Mrs. Summers sat Sophia and Alex down and questioned every last moment of strangeness they had encountered with Blake Bradshaw, she became convinced the boy was a psychotic rapist and murderer. Why she linked rapist with that conclusion Sophia didn't know, but, she wasn't going to argue the point with her angry mother.

If anything, Sophia was very relieved her parents were finally taking her fears seriously. Mrs. Summers even gifted her a brand new lock for her school locker. From now on only a single key could open the locker and that key was to be worn on a chain around Sophia's neck. Mr. Summers provided a better way of securing the girls windows other then Alex's boards. He put a child-proof lock that prevented anyone from opening it inside or out.

Two weeks after the Halloween incident Sophia's mother and father were outside chopping down bushes. It had to be done before the cold front came within the next week. Sophia and two sister were outside helping as well, so they were able to witness how Mrs. Bradshaw was outside in a -too revealing- of a bikini. The woman had set up a lawn chair in her driveway. From where she lay down on her long chair, she was directly placed across from the area Mrs. Summers and her husband were in. While watching the Summers' family, Mrs. Bradshaw would slink up and down her driveway in sky-high heels while attempting to flaunt her bathing suit with a thong bottom. It was apparent the woman's husband had no idea what she was up to given by the time the man was home from work later that evening, Mrs. Bradshaw's antics had stopped.

The incident repeated after that. Every day Jenny Bradshaw would attempt something similar. She would blare pop music too loudly whenever the Summers or their children were outside, leaving them to no longer enjoy the warm afternoons. Mrs. Bradshaw would allow her elder son to sit out in the backyard with his friends each night. They would build a bonfire while laughing and talking incredibly too loudly into the early morning hours.

Sophia was still adamant that Blake Bradshaw was no good but nowadays her parents were so very focused for their complete disdain for Mrs. Bradshaw they paid Sophia's worries little notice.

One brisk day in November a nice two weeks after what was dubbed the Halloween fiasco, Sophia was being walked home by Dylan. "So, has that neighbor kid tried anything?"

"Nope," said Sophia. "After the whole thing with the chainsaw my parents believe he's a psychotic weirdo."

"Better late than never that they realized it," Dylan grinned as they rounded the block that Sophia's house was on. "Oh, cool. Is that why your folks are putting a fence up?" Sophia and Dylan watched with raised brows as Mr. Summers and his eldest son were putting up fence posts. The comical moment was seeing how their fence was six-feet high and only five feet wide. They possessed a total of six similar fences, each seeming to block out any place where you could possibly see the Bradshaws. The father and son were nailing in the final nails on one post when they spotted Sophia coming.

"I think your fence is a little short, dad," Sophia chuckled.

"Unfortunately we live in a neighborhood that deems it inappropriate to have a full yard containing a six-foot fence," muttered Mr. Summers. "So we had to improvise." He nodded his head at the posts.

"Ahh, so you guys are putting these up in all the places where we would see..."

"That horrible woman who insists on being near naked in front of small children," finished Mrs. Summers with a smile. "Let's see if she wants to walk around in a thong where no one can see her. Ha, ha!" An hour passed. Dylan stayed and helped Sophia's father and brother install the final fences. By the time it was done and it was getting dark outside, Sophia's family headed for the house while she walked Dylan to the street. According to him, he was only four blocks away from the Summers home.

"I had a really fun time," Dylan smiled warmly.

"Ohh yeah, putting up fences to stop a crazed naked woman must have been riveting," Sophia nodded seriously.

"It was," he laughed. Sophia chuckled with him. For a brief tender moment it looked as though Dylan wanted to kiss her. The moment was ruined by a clearing of a throat.

"To my knowledge a fence of this magnitude cannot be placed in a Schaumburg yard," said Blake Bradshaw, suddenly emerging from a shade of trees. Sophia cringed. Dylan watched Blake in annoyance. "Well to my knowledge, an artistic piece in this neighborhood can consist of being seven-feet high at the maximum. Considering the fence isn't connected, no neighborhood rules were broken."

The corner of Blake's lip twitched in a smile. He ignored Dylan's comment."Do send your parents a thank you for me, Sophia. Courtesy of their 'artistic pieces', my parents had a very awful fight. My father believes my mother is having an affair with one of your brothers or even your father."

Sophia nearly laughed at the stupidity of such a remark. Her father and brothers felt Mrs. Bradshaw was the epitome of creepy. They would never touch the desperate woman with a ten-foot pole. She did not have to defend her father or brothers for Dylan beat her at replying.

"Really?" he countered with a laugh. "Because the real reason for the fences is your Ma dresses like such a whore around children that putting a fence up was the only way NOT to see her." Blake did not say a word in retort. His fists clenched together so very tightly, his knuckles started to turn white. "Go ahead, take a hit," said Dylan bravely. "I'll knock you on your ass, kid."

Sophia winced at the stupid way Dylan was antagonizing the boy. Blake had bulked up within the last month along with having gotten taller. His arms held taunt muscles and it looked as though he was working out to keep himself bulky. It only gave the boy a more of a menacing appearance. More than likely it wouldn't be Sophia's new boyfriend paying for his words; it would most likely be her. A toying smile took root on Blake's face. He ignored Dylan to supply a smile to her direction. "I'll see you around Sophia."