The Boy Next Door *UNDER REVISION*

Chapter 1: Who's That?

Well, here we go (: xx.

I was seven years old in the summer of 2003. I was carefree and enjoying the first days of summer in my pool. I remember that day being particularly hot, so my sister, Ava, and I were out in the pool early that day. We were splashing and playing ridiculous pool games, when I noticed big moving trucks coming down our street. I swam to the edge of the pool and wiped the water from my face as I watched a family emerge from a car I'd never seen in our neighborhood before. I saw an older dark haired girl, another dark haired child who was a boy, a toddler and an infant in the mother's arms. I watched the boy looking over at our pool, envy in his eyes. I was about to wave to him, when my mom came outside onto the deck.

"Hi kids," she smiled at us sweetly as she leaned over the wooden railing at us. 

"Hi mom," I replied with a toothless grin. She seemed to laugh a bit as she walked to the edge of the pool. 

"I'm going to go and say hello to the new neighbors and to see if they need help. You want to come with me? It would be nice for the kids to have a few friends," she smiled at my sister and me. I looked back at Ava and she shook her head.

"I'm staying here, you can go Miranda," she giggled as she shot me with a squirt gun. I wrinkled up my face and looked at my mom. 

"I'll come with you mommy," I replied as I scrambled out of the pool and wrapped myself in a towel. She took my hand and we made our way across the street. The kids were outside staring up at the house as we made our way over. 

"Hi kids, my name is Mrs. Sander's I live in that house right over there," she extends a finger toward our house with bright, pink nail polish glistening in the sun. "Where are your parents?"

"They're inside looking at the house," the oldest girl said while looking at me.

"I'll go say hi to them okay? This is my daughter Miranda," my mom said putting her hands on my damp shoulders. I grinned as my mom went inside. I stood looking at the kids and the boy who was smiling at me slightly.

"What's your name?" I asked sitting on the grass. They sat too and grinned.

"My name is Waliyha," the oldest girl said pointing to herself and then she looked at her brother. He looked down and then looked up at me shyly.

"My name...is Zayn," he said quietly and I smiled at him to reassure him. He returned the smile and he nudged his little sister. 

"I'm Doniya," she smiled widely at me. I laughed and looked over at my house.

"Do you guys want to go swimming?" I asked and Zayn eagerly looked at Waliyha for an answer.

"Well, we need to ask my mom, and I'm sure you have to ask yours too," she replied and Zayn grinned. She took my hand and led me inside the house. My mom was talking with their parents and holding the baby. I went to her side and she looked down at me.

"Oh, this is my daughter Miranda! Miranda, I'd like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Malik and their other child Saffa," my mom smiled and I shook their hands. 

"Nice to meet you," Mrs. Malik smiled with twinkling eyes. Waliyha looked at her mom and I looked at mine.

"Can they come swimming?" I asked my mom and she looked to Mrs. Malik.

"They are more than welcome to come over, it''s a very hot day, I'm sure your kids are pretty stressed out as well," my mom explained, smiling at Mrs. Malik. 

"I don't see why you can't, go ahead," Mr. Malik replied smiling at Waliyha. She grinned and ran outside to get her siblings. 

"You can come upstairs while we change," Zayn offered as they went upstairs. I followed behind him and sat in the empy room while the kids went into the bathroom to change. Zayn came out and smiled at me. 

"Do you have any brothers?" he asked sitting next to me on the floor. I shook my head and he pouted with a sigh.

"I have a little sister though, her name is Ava," I replied, standing up as Waliyha exited the bathroom.

"Okay, we're ready," Waliyha said as she came out holding Doniya's hand. She was smiling at me in her cute little, red bathing suit. 

"Okay, follow me," I grinned skipping out of the house with the others right on my heels.

"Have fun!" I heard my mom yell as we raced out of the house and across the street. I rushed inside to grab three more towels and laid them out for my new friends. I took them over to the pool and Ava looked at them with curiosity in her bright, little blue eyes.

"These are our new neighbors, Ava, this is Waliyha, Zayn, and Doniya! Doniya and you are about the same age," I smiled and Ava grinned at her. 

"Zayn!" Waliyha squealed as he pushed her in. He laughed and Doniya clapped as she climbed in and grabbed a tube to float in. 

"You're next!" Zayn grinned looking at me, but I jumped before he could push me in. Waliyha was glaring at Zayn, but she got over it quickly after finding some dive sticks. 

"Cannonball!" Zayn yelled as he jumped in. That was the beginning of the best summer I'd ever had.