I glanced down from my bedroom window in awe at the scene that was happening below. There was a truck full of stuff, and people were carrying it into the house next to mine. That house has been empty for a year now ever since the man next store decided to move out. The last time I saw him he was on a bed with wheels and was being carried out of his house. I was jealous. Not because of the bed with wheels. I was jealous because he got to go in an ambulance. I've always wanted to ride in one, but I haven't so far. I guess that Mr. Carry like that ambulance so much because he never came back to the house.
"Hattie," called my dad as I heard him walk up the stairs. I tore my eyes from the window to see him standing there with a smile on his face.
"Are you watching the new neighbors move in?" he questioned as he raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, they look interesting," I said as I motioned out the window.
"I bet," he said as he leaned against the door frame. "How about some lunch?"
The mention of food triggered something in my seven year old brain and a smile spreads across my face. I hopped down off the chair I was using to look and began to skip towards my dad, my blond pigtails bounced too. I grabbed my fathers hands as he led the way down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"How PB&J sound?" he asked as he used his free hand to open the pantry.
"Yeah," I laughed as I let go of his hand and went to go side on one so the kitchen stools.
"So," my dad starts saying as he prepares the food. "I talked to the new neighbors this morning."
"So?" I ask as I focused on the food.
My dad couldn't help but laugh. "So. They have a son your age."
"Really?" I asked. The thought of having a friend next door to play with intrigued me
"Yeah. His name is...um...I forget his name but you two will get along," Dad said. "Actually his parents will send him over in a bit to play with you while they help the movers."
"When?" I ask as I stuff my face with food.
"In a little bit," he says, biting into his sandwich. "Your mom invited them over tonight for dinner as a little welcome to the neighborhood."
"Where is mom?" I asked as I looked around.
"She had to go pick up a few things from the office," dad tells me.
"When will she be back?" I ask as I swallow the last piece of my sandwich.
"In about an hour. She has to go pick up things for dinner."
The doorbell suddenly rang, and I felt a surge of excitement rush through me. My father got up first and I trailed behind him as we went to the door.
My dad opened the door before I got there but I could see two adults standing there in the outside doorway. I watched them talk from a distance. I couldn't hear them, but I bet they were talking about boring adult stuff.
My dad turned, his eyes looking for me until he saw me peeking next to the wall. "Come here, Hattie. Say hi to the Kings."
I walked towards the two adults I didn't know. The first one I noticed was the woman. She had blond hair, like me. She wore a white button down shirt and dark blue jeans. Her outfit was completely different from my mother, who always wore pantsuits. The man looked like the complete opposite. He had dark shaggy hair that fell into his eyes. The man dressed like my father did when he didn't have work. Dark jeans and a t-shirt.
"Hi Hattie," the woman smiled brightly when she saw me. "I'm Emily. Oh my, what a beautiful young lady you are."
"Thank you," I said softly as I stayed by my father's side.
"I'm Gerald," said the man next to Emily. "And this young man hiding behind me is our son, Jasper."
I peek around to see the outline of a boy. I couldn't see what he looked like since he was behind his father's leg. As if he could hear me, he stepped out.
Jasper was a few inches taller than me, but I care. He had his father's dark hair but it was much neater. His clothes are what kids our age normally wear. Jeans, shirt, and sneakers. He remained quiet as he looked at me.
"Hi Jasper," my dad said as he held out his hand to him.
Jasper looked up at his father, who gave him a small nod, before talking my father's and. I couldn't tell what he was thinking by the expression on his face.
"This is my daughter Hattie," my dad says as he squats down to our eye level. "Why don't you too go play in the backyard."
"Ok daddy. Come on Jasper," I say as I take him by the hand and pull him through the house. He didn't say anything, but I could hear his mom chuckle.
I push the backdoor open and the door creaked on the hinges. The yard wasn't that big, but it was all I needed.
"What do you want to do?" I asked Jasper. "Do you want to go on the swings? Or the trampoline?"
Jasper eyed the whole yard and his eyes stopped in the trampoline. He began taking his shoes off.
"Where are you from?" I asked him as I walked to the swing.
"Portland," he answered as he hopped on.
"I know that place," I said in excitement. "It was in a movie I watched."
Jasper didn't say anything as he started to jump. The springs began to moan the harder he jumped. "Are you going to start school tomorrow? I'm in Miss Becky's class."
"I don't know," he said as he kept his eyes focused of me.
"How could you not know?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
"I just don't," he says as he stops bouncing. "You ask a lot of questions."
"I'm just curious about my new friend," I say as I swing gently.
Jasper stood there quietly as he frowned at me. By the look on his face, I could tell he was upset, but I didn't why. Ungracefully, Jasper plopped down on the trampoline and scooted himself off into the grass. He didn't bother to put his shoes back on as he walked right up to me.
"We are not friends," Jasper says roughly as he puts his hands on my shoulders and pushes. I landed on my but in a bare patch of grass. I could feel tears well up in the corner of my eyes as I looked up at him. "We will never be friends."
Something snapped in my too. He was in my backyard, playing with my toys. He wasn't allowed to push me around. I quickly scrambled to my feet and then tackled him to the ground.
"Well I don't want to be your friend either," I say as I push his face into the grass before getting up. I didn't even look back as I walked into the house.
I entered the house and I saw my mom standing in the kitchen with a knife in one hand and a phone in the other. She was chopping carrots vigorously as she talked.
"I don't care what your clients want. The Peterson's already put a down payment on the house. I don't care if your client is some hot shot millionaire, he's gonna have to find another house," she snapped at the phone.
"Mommy, Jasper pushed me," I said as I stood next to her.
"Lee, hold on. Hattie, sweetie, mommy is on the phone right now," she said as she barely looked down. "Go play in your room."
"But mommy," I began to say.
"Hattie, please. Mommy is busy right now."
I nod as I began to walk to the stairs. Mommy is always busy. I sulk up the stairs but immediately recover when I'm in my room.
Pretty soon, time flies as I play with my toys. I play with my dolls, have a party for Mr. Bears birthday, and before I knew it, my father was calling me down for dinner. I happily jump down the stairs and into my father's waiting embrace.
"There she is," dad laughed as he tickled my stomach. "How was playing with Jasper?"
My smile fell. "I don't like him."
"What? Why not?" He asked.
Before I could answer, the doorbell rang, and my dad set me on the ground to go answer it. I had forgotten that the Kings were coming over, and the thought of seeing Jasper made my stomach churn.
"Hello," Emily says as the doors open.
"Hey, welcome. Come on in," dad says as they come in.
Emily was now wearing a sundress, and Gerald was wearing a button down blue shirt. I don't know why they changed, they looked fine this afternoon. Walking behind them was Jasper, who had changed clothes too.
"Hello," my mom says as she walked into the hallway and went to shake their hands. "I'm Elenore."
I watched as the adults talk, but I lost interest in them fast. It wasn't my fault, they were boring.
As they made their way in, my eyes never left Jasper. I watched him as he kept his eyes on my mom. As if he felt me watching, he turned towards me and stuck is tongue out at me.
Yep. We weren't gonna get along.