Escaping For Love

Penelope

Pen pushed all of her poker chips to the center of the table. Her dad said, "I talked to the new neighbors this morning. They have a son about your age, you should talk to him. He is right next door after all." Her dad gave the look at her.

"Dad, I am fine with all the company I have now. It is just my books and my parents that let me be happy. I thank the Lord for His blessings upon me, you know."

"Yes, but it is always nice to make new friends." Her dad then, pushed all his poker chips to the center of the table knowing he would win this game with his only daughter.

"Dad, I'm fine with what I have." Pen said, blowing his attempts to get her out of the house off. She laid down her hand of cards. "Straight flush." She said to him.

Her dad whistled, "Dang." He laid his hand down. It was a four-of-a-kind. He held his hands up in surrender. "You win, little ace."

Her dad was still handsome at fifty, with most of his blonde hair and bright green eyes. Pen looked like him except she had her mother's midnight black hair.

"You remind me so much of your mother. She even beats me at playing cards like you, too. I heard she did well at her job interview today, she should be heading home now." Her dad started clearing up the chips and cards for dinner was going to be prepared soon.

"Dad, the Lord knows how hard working Mum is, she totally aced the job!"

"Of course!" He father heads to the kitchen to start supper. They were having pasta with meatballs like on every Sunday.

Pen went over to the kitchen entrance. "Do you need any help?" She asked.

"Nah, I'm good. I know you wanna post about that new book on your website." Her dad replied.

"Thanks!" Pen ran up to hug him and then went up go her room. She got on her favorite social media, BookNerds.com, and logged into her account. She added the status update:

"Finished that book today!!! Loved it

She then backed away from her computer and went to her book shelf to read another book. Through the window, right across from her was a boy unpacking clothes from boxes. Pen made eye contact with the boy and she turned away, closing her curtains.

Who could that young man be? And why did he have to be staying right across from my room?

Pen cleared her mind from what just happened and sat on her bed. She opened her book and started reading. The title was "Rose Petals" and since roses were her favorite flower, the book was perfect for her. After a couple of chapters, the characters in the book were in a serious relationship. There was an enchanted rose that would lose one petal if there ever came a problem between the two characters.

Hopefully my love life won't end up so fragile.

Then, there was a small bang coming from the window of her room. Suddenly, another bang hit the glass. Pen opened her curtains and saw the boy from next door throwing small gray stones at her window from his room. He gave her a signal that looked like he wanted her to open her window. She did.

The boy smiled at her. He was not handsome, but unique looking, with hair the color of caramel and the brightest blue eyes, eyes that Len only saw a couple of times, in her mind while reading books.

"Hey!" The boy called out to her. She greeted him back. "I'm Nick and me and my mom just moved here."

"Nick? Like Nickelodeon?" Pen asked with a timid smile.

"Nah," Nick said back, "Like the Jonas brother."

Pen laughed and introduced herself.

"Pen? Like the writing utensil?" He asked. "Nah, short for Penelope." She answered.

"Why did you close the curtains before? I hope I did not blind you, my looks can be pretty extreme." Nick said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Nah, I just did not want to see you unpack your boxers." Pen gave a little smirk while Nick laughed a little.

"Funny, very funny."

"So, why did you have to throw rocks at my glass window?" Pen question, " . . . just asking."

"Well, how else am I going to get someone's attention if they have their window down and curtains closed?"

"Good point." As a light bulb sprang upon Pen's head.

"Hey, do you like to read?" Pen asked innocently while grabbing the nearest paperback.

"Yeah, why?" Nick asked her with a confused look.

"Heads up!" Pen shouted as she through the book at his head. "That's for the rocks."

Nick laughed and caught the book before it hit him. Nick began to read the title with an attitude. "Romeo and Juliet, a classic no doubt. Is this one of your favorites?"

"Of course! Why don't you give it a try and let me know what you think, all right?"

"All right." Nick starts opening the book to read but Pen stops him.

"Are you going to just leave me here staring at you reading?"

"Only if you are comfortable to do it." Nick jokes and puts the book on his dresser.

"Do you have any favorite books, Nick?"

Nick shrugged. "I like action and stuff. And dystopians."

Pen quirked her eyebrows. "Dystopians?"

Nick put his hand over his heart in a dramatic way. "You've never heard of the dystopia genre? Alright, Miss Classic, hang on." He said as he walked away from the window. He came back with a paperback that looked about 300 or so pages long. He tossed it at her and Pen barely catches it. "That, my friend, is a real book."

Pen slowly read the title, "Divergent."

"Yeah, it is really good. Maybe if you like the first one, I'll let you read the rest of the series."

"O-kay."

"We could read together at the library tomorrow after school if you want."

There was a awkward moment of silence before Pen spoke. She did not know how to put it in words about her fear. "I am not a big fan of the outside world so much, okay? I am home schooled."

"Really?" Nick puts on a curious face letting his eyes squirt a little. "Why? What are you so afraid of?"

Pen froze, her lips parted in memory.

fire...darkness...dead silence from a small, cold body...

"I.." She stutters, "I don't talk about it, okay?" She said, her voice now hard as stone. She glared at him through the darkness. "I have to go." She said as she slammed the window shut. Then she runs to her bed, sobbing loudly.

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