Reality

Welcome Home

((Part 2 of 2))

Louis 

I drive up to the house and pull into the large driveway. There are two cars here, a huge black SUV and a tiny red Prius. I wonder if they belong to the other people living in this house. A family, most likely. Soccer mom driving her kids in the SUV, and the husband or boyfriend driving the Prius to work. Does she even have kids that I'll be sharing a space with?

I don't actually mind living in a place with kids. I think it could be fun, especially since they're always so unpredictable and unintentionally funny. Kids are entertaining. I'm starting to look forward to this.

Sitting in my car with the engine on, I just stare at the house in front of me. It's a whole lot bigger than it looks in the pictures Eleanor showed me. The colors are more vibrant and everything is just a lot prettier. 

The longer I sit here in the car, the more excited I get thinking about how this whole thing might turn out to be much better than I was thinking. I'll need to send Eleanor a thank-you text message when I get settled in the house. It was all her idea in the first place.

Getting out of the car, I open the trunk and pull out my two suitcases before I drag them up the walkway to the house. I don't know what I'm supposed to do when I go inside. Should I knock on the door and wait for the family to let me inside? I mean, I have a key and all, but is it rude to just walk in?

Playing it safe, I knock on the front door and patiently wait for someone to open it. I can hear laughter coming from the inside, and a smile appears on my face as I can't wait to meet this family. There's heavy footsteps getting closer, I'm assuming it's the husband or boyfriend. Suddenly the door quickly swings open, and I'm face to face with a guy at least twice my size in muscular physique. A couple tattoos are inked on his arms, which are made visible as he raises his arm to lean on the door frame.

"Hey! What's up, Pee-wee Herman? What can I do for you?"

I'm a little taken aback at how much I can just see his confidence radiating from him. It takes me a moment to decide whether it's confidence or cockiness, and by the amused smirk on his face, I know for sure it's cockiness. 

"Uh. I, uh-"

"C'mon," the guy laughs, taking a step forward to hit me on the shoulder. "Spit it out. What d'ya need?"

"Liam!" I hear a female voice call from inside the house. It's only a few seconds before a really beautiful brunette is standing next to this guy in the doorway. She looks over at me, and I literally freeze on the spot. "Hey, you're Lewis, right?"

I break from my trance and shake my head a little, "Um. No, it's Louis. It's pronounced loo-wee."

"'It's pronounced loo-wee'," the Liam guy mocks me, making himself laugh. "What a fancy pants. Loo-wee, Pee-wee. It's about the same thing."

"Um, no it's not," I furrow my brows together as I stare back at him.

"Anyways," the girl speaks up, frowning at Liam before looking at me. "Sorry for not getting your name right. It just looks like it's pronounced differently. Um, I'm Mikaela, pronounced mih-kay-lah, and this is Liam, lee-yum." 

She smiles at her poor attempt at making a joke of the whole mispronunciation of my name.

"Hi," I awkwardly greet them, not liking this Liam guy at all. He simply rolls his eyes before he walks away, causing Mikaela to shake her head and smile at me.

"Well, come in! It's really nice to meet you! You're from Seattle, right?"

How does she know this? Did she stalk me before I got here? Do I actually know her? I highly doubt I'd forget a face like hers, but it would seem like the only plausible answer.