Black Butterflies

Chapter 2: New Neighbour

Moose

"Welcome to Hills Town," I repeated the boy's words mockingly as I entered the door of our new home. "Welcome to Hills Town my ass."

I didn't realize the person who bumped to me earlier is a girl and her name is Andes. She's also one of Li's friends. Turns out Hills is home to music and yes, Li is giving the whole town a concert tonight. He offered me 50% discount on one of the tickets while his friends got free frontrow plus backstage pass. I wouldn't care nor mind, they all seem pretty close.

And by the way, Andes isn't actually rude like I thought. She claims that she hasn't seen me earlier which was the cause of her speeding past. Whatever dude.

"Hey mom! I'm home!" I basically shouted once I'm in the living room. Mom emerged from behind the bead curtain separating the living room from the Art room, a paintbrush in her hand and her face has a few smudges of white and blue paint.

"Enjoyed your trip?" She asked as she wiped her hands on her painting apron. "I was just trying to add colour to the Art room. Emphasis on trying."

"Yeah. It was cool. Met some people at once. They're friendly too," I replied. I craned my neck to look at the Art room and sure enough, there are three canvas papers laying on the floor with paintbuckets beside them. Each canvas has different abstract patterns and a lily flower at the center. Mom loves lilies. "Woah. Mom, you should teach me how to paint sometime. And I can't believe you managed to paint all those in just" — I looked at my watch — "two hours."

"That? Oh please. Just take a paintbrush, dip it in paint and wave that sucker above an empty canvas paper and you're done," she said with a smile. "And yes. I finished them in just two hours 'cause I'm a pro at painting." I didn't respond. I just smiled back and nodded.

"I'm going to my room." I pointed upstairs and ran up.

I remember the people I met. Li, his twin sister, his girlfriend, his girlfriend's brother and some other people. And Andes. Andes has this natural white hair. Its not bleached nor dyed, its natural. She even has a prosthetic right arm and heterochromania eyes. I think that pretty cool.

Andes

That guy seemed pretty cool. He's not talkative like the others but what do I know? Mikai was like him once, now Mikai complains about almost anything and everything in the world.

I reached the lawn of our home that sits far from the heart of Hills Town. I kicked up my skateboard and literally kicked the door open. I immediately decided to make some noise since we're far from having neighbors. The only neighbors we have are the gnarled trees and a few squirrels. Not to mention some birds who decided to turn the old shed to their breeding nest.

"Dad! Dad! Dad where you at?" I shouted as I entered. I heard Green Day blasting from his room. "Dad!" I screamed this time. Dad suddenly sprang from the other side of the white door leading to his room holding a baseball bat.

"Who goes there?" He asked, posing battle ready. He dropped the bat and stood straight when he saw me. "Oh you. I though its a thief. Didn't know its just the devil."

"Why would a thief call you dad?" I asked. He shook his head and headed to the kitchen.

Dad is big guy with a soft heart and fun personality. He have a beer belly and his black hair have some white pushing out of his scalp. His dark complexion stands out in our white painted walls. He would often joke about his thick eyebrows saying its a wool glued on his forehead.

"So dad," I started. Dad have his head inside the fridge, scanning the cold appliance. "We have new neighbours," I said. Dad already have his hand on a container of salad with the label 'Harry's'. We label our food so we won't fight over it.

"Uhuh?" He said and took it out, closing the fridge door in the process. "So what?"

"They live in the gray house." I walked to the fridge to take a slice of cheeza. I recalled Moose or whatever his name is, talk about where he lives. "They even have a car." I went on about how the Montero looks like. Again, I asked Moose about it and he told me, I mean us, that. Dad chuckled at the name of the car.

"Montero huh?" He chuckled.

"Haha. Yes. I can't believe some one out there would name a car brand after us!" I wheezed with laughter and Dad slammed his palm on the tabletop while giggling like a teenager finding out who their best friend's crush is.

Then his face went serious.

"Whatever Andes. Eat you food and do your homework then go to bed," he ordered.

My smile dropped as well.

"But I don't have any homework," I tried to protest.

"Well then study for your exams." Dad spooned his salad and put it in his mouth. I didn't even see him chew, I just saw him swallow.

"But our exams are still in two months!" I protested loudly. My arms were raised above my head and I'm half standing half sitting.

"It doesn't matter. You have homework and your exams are tomorrow." Dad grinned like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

"Tomorrow's Saturday. And who gives home works before an exam?" I plopped down on my seat with my arms crossed and a pout on my lips.

"Your horrible teachers." Dad snickered.

"Gee. Thanks dad." I got up and headed out the door. "I'll be at the Bandits HQ!" I called out as I rode my bike to the HQ. I still don't have any idea why they decided to name it 'Bandits Headquarters'.

Moose

I'm looking out the window. Our next door neighbor was tending his carrots earlier and now he's feeding the roosters he keeps in triangular coops. He looked up at me and waved, I returned the friendly gesture and watched him throw another handful of crushed dried corn which the roosters started to peck off the ground.

He looked at the house and he said something I couldn't quite understand because of the glass barrier between me and the outside of the house. Then, a woman stepped out of the porch with a confused look on her face. She said something too which caused the man to point at me, or at the house. She looked over and gasped then rushed in the house.

Several seconds later, she came back out with a basket on her hand and headed to our yard. But before she did, she shouted something at the man who I assumed was her husband. He grimaced and put down the rooster he was petting. Then they headed to our yard.

Guess we'll be having guests tonight.

Edited.

The photo above is Andes. As the watermark says its made with Live Portrait Maker.