Christopher

It was on a breezy summer day that I saw moving trucks out my window. No one had lived in the house next door in year, so new neighbors were completely unexpected. A girl got out of the car that followed the moving trucks. I had never seen anyone that looked the way she did, but I thought she was pretty in a weird way. She had long black hair and wore the strangest clothes. She wore black pants that had chains on them, large black leather boots, a black band t-shirt and bracelets that covered most of her wrists. She stood looking at the house as if dreading going inside. I can’t say as I would blame her for not wanting to go in, that house has sat there forever empty doing nothing but collecting dust, cobwebs, and other creepy crawlers. I watched her slowly enter the house then I watched the movers carry in many boxes.
I left my window to sit on my bed and continued to think about her. I attend a public school, but it’s pretty much a school for “well off kids”. There is no dress code in my school but no girls dressed like her. I mean yes I had seen girls like her online, but never this close. I really wanted to meet her, so when my mom told me she had made cookies to welcome them to the neighborhood I offered to take them over.
Cookies in hand I crossed the street and stood in front of the old Victorian house. Honestly this was the first time I took a good look at it. The shutters were hanging by the hinges, or not present. The paint had greyed and most of it had chipped away. The windows that weren’t broke hung crooked in their frames. The yard had little to no green grass, and the vines crawled up the side of the house. The house was simply in extremely rough shape.
Putting the appearance of the house behind me I walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Inside I heard a woman yell for Aveira to answer the door. I then heard someone stomping down the stairs. The door opened and she stood before me.
“Yes?” she said looking annoyed.
“Uh, Hi I’m Christopher Denutta. My mom wanted me to bring these cookies over to welcome you to the neighborhood.”
“Thanks, I’m Aveira Mathews” she said “Umm, would you like to come in? I’m pretty bored and if you have the time you can hang out for a little while” she said looking at her feet as if afraid I would reject her, turn and run.
“Sure, that is if you’re not too busy.”
“Nah, my mom and dad are busy I’m just listening to music and putting my stuff away. Come on.” She gave me a cute grin and dragged me up the stairs.
As she took me up the stairs I noticed that the inside of the house was actually stunning. Everything was pristine, and nothing what I expected it to look like. If I wouldn’t have come inside I would have always thought it to be a trashed old house.
“So Aveira, where did you move from?” I asked trying to make conversation.
“Well my mom, dad, and sister lived in New Jersey. However my dad was told he would have to transfer or lose his job. So here we are in Cheshire Connecticut, minus my sister because she moved in with her boyfriend. But anyways how about you, how long have you lived here?” she said as she pulled down the stairs that go to the attic.
“Well I was born and raised here so I’d say I’ve been here a while” I snickered “Um, is your room really in the attic?”
“No my room is not IN the attic. My room IS the attic.” She said with a smile.
“Oh, ok”
“Don’t sound so shocked jeez like you have never wanted to have a whole floor to yourself. I mean if my parents piss me off I can just pull the stairs up and lock it so they can’t get in”
“Well I have thought about it, but with my mother it would never fly. She is a total control freak.”
“Not my mom she doesn’t care what I do. Hell I’m even allowed to smoke.” She said as she went to the window opened it, sat in on the small couch beside it, and lit a cigarette “You want one?”
“Uh…”
“No worries you don’t have to, I just figured it’s polite to ask.”
“No! I-i-i mean sure I’ll have one.” I took the cigarette she held out and lit it. Instantly I started coughing. My eyes watered, and my lungs burned.
“You’re not a smoker are you?” she said laughing whole heartedly.
“Not really, but I kind of like it. If my mother knew I was trying this she would kill me. I feel . . . alive.” I said joining her in laughter.
“Alive is good” she said as she lit her cigarette taking a long drag, and tipping her head back as she exhaled the smoke. “So where do you go to school? Maybe I’ll end up at your school.”
“I go to the Cheshire United High School. Don’t let them fool you though we couldn’t be less united”
“Is it like a Christian school or something, because I’m not into that kind of thing.”
“No, it’s a public school. They just want to make it sound all fancy.” I tried to mimic her so I took a long drag off my cigarette and blew it out fighting the urge to cough the whole time.
“Nicely done” she said patting the seat next to her as she noticed that I was still standing awkwardly holding my cigarette.
“Honestly Aveira I don’t mean to sound rude, but why did you invite me in? It just doesn’t seem like you would hang out with a guy like me.”
“Well you made the effort to welcome us, not many people take the time to get to know us; especially not me. I saw you looking out your window at me, and I thought you were cute. So I kind of hoped I would run into you eventually.” She looked up from under her eyelashes as if embarrassed that she admitted that.
“Oh, well honestly when I saw you I thought you were cute and told my mom I would bring the cookies over.” I felt my cheeks burning, which meant they were a bright shade of red.
What happened next shocked me. I watched her snuff out her cigarette in the ash tray; she took mine and did the same. Then she leaned over and kissed me, right on the lips! Yes I am in high school, but I had never kissed a girl before. Her lips were sweet and tasted like coffee. Her hair which fell slightly into our faces smelled like vanilla and coconut. Even though I knew that we just met, it felt right somehow. She pulled away just enough to rest her nose on mine and look into my eyes.
“I promise I’ve never done that before.” She said.
“Never done what?” I asked.
“I’ve never kissed a complete stranger before.”
“Well I’ve never kissed anyone before.”
“Really?” she asked looking shocked.
“Yeah, I’ve never found someone who I found myself wanting to kiss.”
She pulled away then asked “did you want to kiss me?”
“Honestly?”
“Honestly.”
“I wanted nothing more than to kiss you. You’re different than the girls I go to school with, you say what you feel. I think that is amazing. You’re beautiful, and I think it’s awesome how unique you are.”
“Really? You mean that?”
“Really, I mean that” I said catching a glimpse at my watch. I knew I had been here to long, and mother was surely to be angry with me. “But I do have to get going my mom is going to be crazy mad at how long I’ve been out”.”
“Well ok, I’ll walk you to the door so my mom doesn’t harass you with questions on your way out.” She said as she pushed the attic stairs down. But before I got on the stairs she grabbed me and placed a quick kiss on my lips. “Something to think of later” she shooed me down the stairs, following close behind.
Once at the front door she gave the generic “nice to meet you” because her mother in the next room over, and shut the door behind me. But not before giving me the cutest smile I had ever seen.
I walked back across the street to my home still thinking about what had just happened. I couldn’t believe that something as simple as a kiss could make someone feel so strange. I was confused, happy, and hopeful that maybe it would become something more than a kiss of a new found friend.
My mother met me at the door, freaking out as I knew she would be.
“Where on Earth have you been young man? I send you to do a simple task that should take no longer than a few moments and you’re gone for an hour!” she said waiting for my response.
“Well I didn’t mean to be gone so long, and I’m sorry. I took the cookies over like you wanted, and I got talking to the Mathews’ daughter Aveira. I didn’t mean to lose track of time.” I said hoping she wouldn’t pry.
“They have a daughter?” she said the anger in her voice changing to a noisy curiosity.
“Yes they have a daughter, her name is Aveira. Why does it matter?”
“I was just wondering. So tell me what she is like. Will she be going to your school? Is she a good girl? Does she do any sports? Why do they live in that awful rundown house?” she said assaulting me with questions.
“Well she will most likely be attending my school, I think she’s a nice girl, and no she doesn’t play sports. Oh and as far as their house maybe you should go visit and actually look at the inside before you call it awful. It’s actually really quite nice on the inside, and they plan on fixing up the outside as well.” I said suddenly annoyed with my mother.
“No need to get snippy with me Christopher, I was simply asking. Have you taken a liking to this girl?”
“What if I have?” I said thinking back to her beautiful smile, and bright eyes.
“Oh good, maybe I will invite them to dinner to get to know her. If you like her than she must be something special indeed.” she said heading back to the kitchen to finish cleaning. Before she made it to the kitchen she turned back to me and said “Oh and Christopher?”
“Yes?”
“Why on Earth do you wreak of cigarette smoke? They don’t smoke in the house in front of guests do they? Why that would be so rude!”
“Well if you must know her parents smoke, and it is their house who am I to tell them what they can and can’t do in their own house. As you just stated I was a guest.” I said wanting to yell.
“I don’t know what has gotten into you Christopher John Denutta, but you can just go up to your room until you can speak with me with respect.” she said looking sincerely agitated. And when I didn’t go up to my room right away she half shouted “Well get going Mr.!”

Aveira

It had been about twenty minutes after Christopher left, and thoughts of him were still swirling through my mind. I had never been so forward with a complete stranger. He was cute, obviously smart, and well mannered. Any boy like that was worth giving a shot. But I also hoped that if something did happened where we became more than friends his parents would accept me. Because he looked like he was well off, and my family is just so dysfunctional. As I continued to think about the day’s events my stomach growled with hunger. So I had to leave my attic paradise to go to the kitchen to get a snack. Maybe one of those yummy smelling cookies that Christopher’s mother made for us.
Of course I ran into my mom coming down the stairs.
“Oh Aveira I was just coming to ask you who came to the door earlier. I heard someone knock, you answered it, and then you disappeared. Oh and what’s with the cookies in the kitchen?” she said
“Well if you let me answer one question before you ask twenty more I’ll tell you. It was the neighbor’s son Christopher bringing cookies to welcome us to the neighborhood. He seemed nice so I asked him to hang out for a while, you did say you wanted me to make some new friends.”
“Well that’s good honey, come into the living room, have a cigarette with me, and tell me all about this boy.”
“I was just coming down to get a snack mom, and we barely talk anymore anyways.”
“Aveira I just want to take some time and talk to you. You have been in that attic all day, and I know you didn’t really want to move. Just come talk to me sweetie, you don’t even have to tell me everything.” She said winking, as she turned around and headed for the living room.
Yes my mom was annoying at times, even downright embarrassing. But she in truth was my best friend. Because I’m “Different” I didn’t have many friends in my old school, so she had always been my girlfriend more than a mother. That’s how I began smoking at home, and it was pretty cool. I mean really, what other sixteen year old girl can say that she smokes at home . . . with her mother? But when my dad took the new job I didn’t speak to them the month before the move. However I did miss talking to my mom and maybe moving here wasn’t such a bad thing after all. I met Christopher, and in truth I have a crush on him.
“Ok spill the beans girl, I know something’s up. Your so smiley and giddy” she said lighting her cigarette then handing me the lighter.
I took the lighter and repeated her actions. Then I said “Ok so he is so cute mom, you have no idea. We went up and I showed him my attic paradise, and he didn’t call me weird once. He didn’t even give me any dirty looks! He lives across the street in the big beige house, with his mom and dad. I didn’t know if he smoked or not so I offered him a cigarette, to be polite. Well turns out he doesn’t smoke but he took one anyways and coughed it out like a real trooper. It was just funny, and I am talking like such a girl right now!” I said catching my breath, and confused because I had never swooned over a boy before. It just wasn’t me.
“Well if he has got you this worked up he must be a nice young man” she said exhaling the smoke from her already tar blackened lungs.
“If I invite him over again do you promise not to embarrass me? Really mom I made a new friend like you wanted me to, I just beg that you don’t chase him away with your abilities as a parent to chase friends away.”
“I promise V I won’t poke fun in the presence of Precious Christopher” she said and pushed my playfully letting me know she was just kidding about the whole “precious Christopher” comment.
“Thanks mom” I said putting my cigarette out in the ash tray and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m actually going to grab a cookie and head to my room for a while.”
“Okay sweetie, it was nice talking to you again. I really missed it.” She said smiling as her eyes filled with tears.
“Okay mom no crying I’m going now.” I said dashing to the kitchen.
I grabbed a couple cookies that Christopher’s mother had made, and headed up to my room. I climbed my creaky pull-down attic stairs, and pulled them up behind me. Then I flopped backwards on my bed. I let out a long sigh and begin to nibble on my cookies. They were delicious! Christopher’s mom could cook! Well she can either cook, or put pre-packaged cookies on a cookie sheet well. I giggled to myself at that thought. Then snapping me out of my day dreams my cell phone began buzzing on my dresser where I had left it. I got up and rushed to answer it hoping it would be him.
“Hello?” I said trying not to sound too excited.
“Hi sweetie, just wanted to let you know that you start school tomorrow. I filled out all the paperwork today.”
“Okay mom, but I don’t see why you couldn’t have told me that when I was just downstairs talking to you.” I grumbled
“It completely slipped my mind, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, just tell me one thing.”
“What V?”
“Please tell me that I’m going to Cheshire United High School.” I said closing my eyes and crossing my fingers.
“How did you know? Is that where Christopher goes?” she said and I could tell that she was way too interested in this for her own good.
“It doesn’t matter mom, bye.” I said hanging up the phone.
I felt like an idiot having rushed for the phone. I didn’t even give him my number! How could he call me if he didn’t have my number?! I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and set my full attention on choosing an outfit for tomorrow. I tore through the boxes that were labeled clothes, and the other boxes labeled shoes. I went through piles and piles of shirts, skirts, corsets, stockings, jackets, and shoes. Then I found the perfect outfit. It was a small black corset dress that had ruffles that fell just above my knees. The top part of the dress was covered with intricate red lace over the black. It has a plunging V neck that shows just enough cleavage to get the desired attention. I paired that with black fishnet stockings and a pair of black leather boots that buckled all the way up the side and ended below my knees.
I held the dress up to me and spun around in a circle before allowing myself to fall back on my bed. It wasn’t that late, and I shouldn’t have been tired because of how excited I was for the coming day. However as soon as I had fallen on the bed, I found myself drifting off to sleep.
I woke up just before my alarm went off at 6:30 in the morning. I felt like I hadn’t slept at all last night, even though I know I got more than enough sleep. I grabbed my towel, and clothes and headed for the bathroom to prepare myself for the day.

Christopher

I woke up late! How could this happen? My mother always got me up for school. I rushed to my closet to grab the clothes that were hung up in outfits my mother thought were appropriate. I threw on the first on I got my hands on. It was a pair of black slacks, and a long sleeved button down light blue and white striped shirt. I combed my hair, brushed my teeth, and ran downstairs to put my shoes on. After I had each shoe on the right foot I saw a note hanging on the fridge.

“Christopher,
Sorry I couldn’t get you up this morning. I got a call from my sister, who lives a couple towns over. She is ill and needs my help so I won’t be home this week. Your father will be out of town for the week as well as he is on another of his wretched business trips. I expect to come home to a clean house, and school work done.
Love you xoxo Mommy”

They are gone for the week, both of them at the same time?! I almost couldn’t believe it, but right then I needed to get my backpack and get on the bus and to school. I ran out the front door just as the bus started to pull away. Luckily the driver saw me and slowed the bus back to a halt. I was walking down the aisle of the bus when I saw her. She was simply gorgeous, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“I saved you a seat” She said batting those long lashes at me.
“Oh, t-t-thank you Aveira.” I tried to smile knowing that I probably looked like a fool.
I took the seat next to her and tried not to notice just how good her perfume smelled, or how pretty her eyes looked even under all that make-up. Her make-up was even beautiful to me. Never had I seen a girl so confident in herself that she dressed however she pleased with no cares what other’s would think

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 08.09.2011

Alle Rechte vorbehalten