The Boys Next Door
Chapter 1
"Hey Steph! Heads up!" shouted Jeremy from across the football pitch sized garden.
I looked up from my magazine just in time to see a football come soaring at me and hit me square in the face.
''Ouch!" I picked up the ball that had fallen on the floor and threw the football into the swimming pool where it made a slight splash and landed right in the middle. Score! Serves them right.
"You didn't have to do that did you now? Someone's got their knickers in a twist today," said Cole jogging up onto the patio and raising his eyebrows at me.
"You're a real asshole," I muttered at him.
"Touché. You love me really." He grinned an award winning smile.
"Believe what you want to believe Cole," I said rubbing my forehead. "That really hurt though!" I looked around for the person that kicked it, getting my evil eyes ready.
Blake sheepishly raised his hand "guilty?"
So he was my next victim....I turned my attention back to Cole.
"Awww darlin, do you want me to kiss it better for you?" Cole smirked.
"Shut up you." But even as I said this I couldn't help but smile.
This was always the way between us. He was always teasing and making fun of me, and I just put up with it, because they were the closest thing I really had to a proper family. And well, Cole was the only one who really knew the real truth.
I had known the Ryan brothers my whole life. Well, almost...since I was three anyway, and to be honest I can't remember much before that.
We moved to Vinewood in September 1997, my father, mother and I. I felt a pang of sadness as I remembered my dad. How he was then, before the accident. Then another pang, perhaps even worse, for my mother.
The Ryan family had invited us round their house, being next door, for a housewarming barbecue. It was very sweet of them in hindsight, not many people would do that these days. That was the day I first met them. Cole was the oldest, a couple of years older than me. Then came the twins who were my age, Jeremy and Blake, and then the youngest, Ashton who hadn't been born until a few years after we had moved.
We had became the best of friends, always playing outside on their trampoline, swimming in their pool or camping out until we got too scared of the noises in the dark so that we would run backinside eventually.
That was until the accident.
One night when I was nine, the three of us had gone to a family friends wedding and were on our way home when a truck ran a red light and - well you can imagine. Or not, as it was rather heartbreaking. My father and I survived with non life threatening injuries however my mother did not manage to make it.
After the accident, my father would come home late after work. He would be drunk and irritated. That's when the abuse started. He would blame me for my mothers' death as he shouted abuse at me and shoved me to the floor, hitting me time and time again.
After this happened, he would storm off to bed and leave me cowering behind the sofa. That's when I would run out to the bottom of my garden and sit down and cry.
One summers night, a couple of weeks after the abuse started I was out in the garden when I heard a rustling in the bush behind me. I was so scared I almost ran inside but before I could move I heard Cole's voice.
"Awwww shoot!"
Then I saw him emerge from the bush sucking his finger which was bleeding, he held it up "I got it caught on a holly bush. I didn't even realise there was one here," he explained quickly. Then he sat down next to me. "Shhh why are you crying Stephenie?" he asked me as he hugged me to him.
"Ho-w did y-ouu know I was out here?" I stuttered, wiping the tears from my eyes stubbornly.
"I was catching the chickens that had escaped," I smiled at the memory. It was almost a weekly chore trying to catch those chickens. "Then I heard you crying. I don't like it when girls cry." He wrinkled his nose.
"It's nothing really." I said determined not to cry anymore.
"Ohh come on, I've never seen you cry. You're the toughest person I know, apart from me of course. Why are you out here on your own?" he rocked me gently.
"It's nothing Cole," I said sleepily. For some reason he felt warm and safe.
"Okay Steph, but you're telling me tomorrow otherwise I will tickle it out of you!" he threatened.
"Sure sure" I muttered. I had started to feel sleepy at that point. Being sat there with him had suddenly made me feel zonked of energy. I always tried to stay strong infront of my father. Like that would encourage him to change, but it never hard. I think I ended up falling asleep, there and then, outside with Cole by my side+++--. Luckily that night was a warm one otherwise we might have frozen.
The next day I did tell him, everything. Which is why he is the only one that knows my secret.
And after that night, every time my father came home drunk and violent I would seek sanctuary at the bottom of the garden and Cole would sneak out and join me. Eventually Cole and his dad built a pretty little tree house up at the end of their garden so in the autumn we would snuggle up there with bundles of pillows and blankets. It got to the point that I couldn't sleep properly without him there. I didn't feel safe. I remember when he went off to Scout camp for a week when he was 14 and each night I lay in bed for hours scared that my father would come in and start to yell at me.
When the winter months came it got far too cold for us to be sleeping in a tree house so either I would sleep round the Ryans by invitation or I would somehow sneak Cole into my house. My father would kill me if he ever found out however I think their mother, Susannah got used to the fact that I spent most nights round their house. But I think she believed that it was because my father was never home, not the fact that he abused me.
I was now 17. Tomorrow I would be going back for my last year at sixth form. I've survived for 8 years, only one more to go before I could get the hell away from my father.
I looked at the boys now.
The family had gone away for a month over the summer holidays to Australia. They had invited me but I couldn't go because I had to work most of the summer to earn money for university next year. I had missed them all terribly and as soon as they had got back yesterday I had practically jumped on them. Not in the dirty sense, just the excited, 'friends that you haven't seen in weeks' sense. Well it started off that way until I noticed how much they had changed over the summer. I guess not seeing someone for a while changes your view of them.
Cole was now 19, he was studying an engineering degree at Vinewood University. I had been sneaking looks at him whilst they played football. Since he had got back from Australia he seemed different. He was always extremely attractive but I had just never noticed before? I guess I just always thought of him as the guy best friend that would always be there for me. He had also been dating my best friend, Madison for about eight months now. Ohhh god, imagine if she found out about our sleeping arrangements?
Does that make me a bad friend?
Luckily my father had been away for the last two months on a business trip to China so I was sleeping well anyway, but he was coming back tomorrow and the long flight would no doubt make him restless and aggravated.
I pondered for a moment whether I should go and ask Susannah whether I would be allowed to stay round tomorrow night. But then she would get nosy as to why. I mean don't get me wrong I love her and all, I mean she's the closest woman I have to a mother and I'm sure she counts me as the daughter she never had, but sometimes she asked way too many questions. Maybe if I just stayed round late and pretended to nod off, that would save a lot of questions?
Coles voice snapped me out of my reverie, "I think you want to go and get that ball, don't you Stephenie?" He said with a wicked smile gesturing to the pool.
"Um no, I'd rather not..." I mean it was a nice day and everything but not really warm enough to go swimming.
"I think you do." He edged closer to me taking his shoes off in the process.
Ohh he wouldn't.
"Don't even think about it Cole Nathaniel Ry-" I was cut off by Cole lifting me bridal style and carrying me to the pool edge.
"Put me down Cole!" I cried hammering against his solid chest. I could practically feel his muscles beneath his cotton white t-shirt. I immediately stopped squirming as a blush crept its way onto my face. I could hear his brothers whistling in the background.
"Say bye bye Stephenie," he whispered to me before dropping me into the pool.
The initial shock as the cold water hit me was horrible but after that it was quite pleasant. I swam to the surface and came up spluttering.
"Cole you are a dead man!!" I yelled at him through blurred eyes. I could just make out his blurry figure doubled over laughing. I rubbed my eyes so I could see properly just in time to see Ashton come up behind his older brother and push him in!
Now it was my turn to laugh as Cole surfaced also coughing and spluttering.
"Haha! Little brother:1 Big brother: A Big Fat Zero!" shouted Ashton snorting. Blake and Jeremy were making their way over from the far side of the garden sniggering.
"You're going to pay for that Ash!" Cole said loudly from beside me. He did look a bit pissed off.
"You did sort of deserve it," I pointed out to him. "You know I was going to plan to stay down in the water when you dropped me, pretend I was drowning, so you'd have to come save me anyway. Either way you would have ended up wet." I shrugged smiling.
"Thats what she said," he smirked turning to me all traces of angerness gone.
"Ohh shut up with the innuendos," I slapped him lightly though smiling. "You are so immature!"
"Nah I don't think I will actually."
"Now why doesn't that surprise me?"
He looked at me. It wasn't a weird look. It was like he was looking into my soul or something. I know that sounds sappy but it did feel like that.
"Steph, I need to tell you someth-" but he was interrupted by the arrival of Madison.
"Stephenie!!! Cole!!!" Madison squealed as she ran over to the poolside where she stopped abruptly making sure she also did not fall in.
"Er, why are you in the water, it's so cold?" she sounded horrified. Ahh how I did love my best friend and her dramatic tendencies.
"Madison, you might want to keep your lead on Cole, earlier Stephenie declared her undying love for him, and now their getting jiggy in the pool together!" Ashton roared with laughter.
I rolled my eyes. He was such a younger version of Cole it was ridiculous.
"Can I just clarify that I did not!" I retorted, "he threw me in!"
Madison just giggled "get out of the pool and stop flirting with my boyfriend."
I made my way to the pool side and hoisted myself up onto the ledge where I was helped up by Blake.
Now, Blake and Jeremy were twins like I said, however they were unidentical twins. They were both 17 like me. Jeremy was the sporty, preppy type of guy. He was captain of the under 18 rugby team for the county as well as the college. He was also liked by lots of girls, who in turn he liked. I guess you would say he's a player, if we're talking in those terms. Blake on the other hand was less popular. He was still popular among the girls with his good looks but was more of the artistic, reserved type.
"You are really wet Miss Gilbert." He always called me that. At first I thought it was really weird but it had grown on me and now I thought it was just kind of sweet. He draped a towel over my shoulders rubbing them gently.
"That's what he said." I murmured shivering slightly.
"Oh dear I think my brothers dry humour may have rubbed off on you." He let go of my hand gently.
"Possibly, ahh well" I smiled at him. "Thanks for the towel!"
"Madison, I need to talk to you." I heard Cole say from behind me.
"Ohh righty then, in private or here?"
"I think it better be in private." Cole looked slightly guilty.
She nodded "okay lead the way." She followed him into the house.
I looked at Blake puzzled. He shrugged. "Want to play some football? Might make you dry off quicker."
"I'm not any good at it you know," I replied taking the ball anyway.
"Meh, neither am I, so we'll be even matched" he grinned.
I matched his grin and took a shot at the ball and....missed. Instead I ended up rolling my foot over the ball and falling over in a mess.
"Ouch I think I've twisted my ankle" I chuckled. This should not be funny but it was.
Blake came over and gave me a hand again. "I think we need to get you a permanent bodyguard Miss Gilbert, we can't have you falling over all the time."
I grabbed his hand and hoisted myself up dusting off my bum in the process and then putting one arm around his neck as he put his arm around me to hold me up. "Oh and who would you suggest? Yourself?" I asked him, grimacing from the shooting pain in my foot. He guided me to the patio whilst I started hopping along like a bunny rabbit.
"Oii y'all need to stop flirting in front of the kids" Jeremy shouted at us gesturing to Ashton.
"I am not a kid!" Ashton jumped on Jeremy and they started rolling around on the grass playfully throwing punches.
I laughed but stepped back from Blake who was watching me.
A few minutes (of failing miserably at playing football) later, we heard yells coming from inside the house.
"How could you do this to us? We were perfect!" I could hear Madison sobbing.
I creased my eyebrows together in confusion. What. The. Hell? Blake came and stood next to me looking equally puzzled.
"I'm sorry I've met someone else..." I could hear Cole trying to reason with her. Their voices were getting louder as they approached
"Oh this is absolutely fantastic! So you were cheating on me? You're the worst person ever. I never want to see you again Cole Ryan!" With that Madison stormed out of the house crying like mad.
She didnt see me sitting down and just walked out of the garden. I tried to get up and follow her but I just ended up falling over again. Stupid ankle.
Blake just picked me back up again. It would seem I do need a permanent bodyguard. To save me from myself.
Cole emerged from the house looking apologetic and turned to me.
"I can't believe you cheated on her Cole?" I blurted out. He looked as if he was going to say something so I cut him off. "I don't even want to hear it, you just broke my best friends heart for some slut? You're unbelievable!" I turned away from him disgusted.
"Stephenie! I nee-"
"Shut Up Cole" I shouted. "Jeremy, can you take me to the doctors to get my ankle checked please?"
He glanced up from where he was still rolling around with his brother. "Uhhhh sure" he got up and dusted himself off. "I'll just grab my keys, two secs." He ran into the house.
"Blake, help me get to the Jeep?" I was blatantly ignoring Cole but I wasn't going to forgive him. What he did to Madison was horrible.
"Of course Miss Gilbert." He again wrapped one arm around my waist and hoisted me up. Cole just stood there looking ashamed.
Thats good. Serves you right I thought.