had been Maddy's brother Scott's room. He had been my very first crush until I finally realized that 16 year olds don't date 9 year olds. Maddy and I had both cried our eyes out when he left for college. I could still remember peaking in at him in his room and watching him while he played his guitar. Of course, he'd always catch me and tell me to come it. He'd pull me up next to him on his bed and play me a song. I never saw him again after he went off to college. He never came back to visit.
I looked at the wall opposite Scott's room where you could still see the pencil marks marking Maddy's, Scott's, and even my height. Mine and Maddy's final mark had been made a couple months before she died. I had been about 2 inches taller than her. It took me a moment to notice that Margaret was standing behind me.
"Oh, I've been meaning to paint over that," she said. "Must have been left behind by whoever lived here before."
I nodded. Suddenly the memories were flooding me and I couldn't take another moment in that house. I ran back into Halley's room
"Halley I need to go," I said.
"Why? What's wrong?" she asked me. "Oh God, what did my mother say to you?"
"No, it's nothing," I said quickly. "I just really have to go. I'm sorry."
She nodded. "Okay." I grabbed my stuff by the side of her bed, ran downstairs and out the door.
The air was cool and felt good on my face. It wasn't very late yet, just beginning to get dark. I could see my dad's car parked in the garage, which meant he and Jasmine hadn't left for their date yet. I didn't feel like going home so instead I walked down the street to Cael's house. When I rang the doorbell it was his father who answered.
"Nev!" he said with a huge smile plastered across his face. "I haven't seen you in ages! How've you been?"
"Pretty good, I guess. And yourself?"
"Oh, I've been alright, just exhausted," he said with a sigh. "I've been swamped with work for the past few weeks." Both Cael's parents had just recently opened a new 50's restaurant on the other side of town. They seemed to be having a little bit of trouble getting things running smoothly.
"So, what's with the stuff?" he asked. "Camping out?" I looked down at the back pack, pillow, and sleeping bag in my hands.
"Oh, I just came back from a friend's house," I explained.
He nodded. "Well, come on in," he said. "I'll get Cael for you." I went in the door and closed it behind me. "Cael, could you come down here?" his father called. "Nevaeh's here."
Cael came bounding down the stairs. When he saw me he looked surprised, not to mention uncomfortable. And then behind him, a girl came trotting to his side. I felt myself do a double take.
"Oh, hi Nev," Cael said quietly, looking slightly embarrassed. Not baby or babe, just Nev.
"Um, hi," I said. I suddenly felt stupid standing there with my pillow and sleeping bag.
"Hi," the girl said smiling brightly. "I'm Kyla. Cael's obviously not very good with introductions." She nudged him in the ribs. He blushed. She was pretty. Not gorgeous, but still pretty. She had dark brown hair that was a mass of curls, brown eyes, and somewhat dark skin. She was thin and real short, much too short for Cael.
"So you're Nevaeh," she said. "Cael told me about you."
"He did?" I asked surprised.
"Yeah, he told me you guys were really good friends," she said.
I nodded. "Well, he didn't tell me anything about you," I said eyeing him.
"Well I guess I'll just have to tell you about myself then," she said. She came the rest of the way down the stairs and sat down on the couch, motioning for me to come sit next to her. Cael sat down in the chair opposite the couch in silence.
"When did you meet Cael?" I asked her. I could tell that Cael was avoiding my eyes.
"Oh, just a few weeks ago. We work together," she said.
"Oh, okay," I said. "So what are you guys up to this evening?"
"Oh nothing really," she said. "We're just hanging out. We were thinking about going to see a movie. Do you want to come?" Cael
I looked at the wall opposite Scott's room where you could still see the pencil marks marking Maddy's, Scott's, and even my height. Mine and Maddy's final mark had been made a couple months before she died. I had been about 2 inches taller than her. It took me a moment to notice that Margaret was standing behind me.
"Oh, I've been meaning to paint over that," she said. "Must have been left behind by whoever lived here before."
I nodded. Suddenly the memories were flooding me and I couldn't take another moment in that house. I ran back into Halley's room
"Halley I need to go," I said.
"Why? What's wrong?" she asked me. "Oh God, what did my mother say to you?"
"No, it's nothing," I said quickly. "I just really have to go. I'm sorry."
She nodded. "Okay." I grabbed my stuff by the side of her bed, ran downstairs and out the door.
The air was cool and felt good on my face. It wasn't very late yet, just beginning to get dark. I could see my dad's car parked in the garage, which meant he and Jasmine hadn't left for their date yet. I didn't feel like going home so instead I walked down the street to Cael's house. When I rang the doorbell it was his father who answered.
"Nev!" he said with a huge smile plastered across his face. "I haven't seen you in ages! How've you been?"
"Pretty good, I guess. And yourself?"
"Oh, I've been alright, just exhausted," he said with a sigh. "I've been swamped with work for the past few weeks." Both Cael's parents had just recently opened a new 50's restaurant on the other side of town. They seemed to be having a little bit of trouble getting things running smoothly.
"So, what's with the stuff?" he asked. "Camping out?" I looked down at the back pack, pillow, and sleeping bag in my hands.
"Oh, I just came back from a friend's house," I explained.
He nodded. "Well, come on in," he said. "I'll get Cael for you." I went in the door and closed it behind me. "Cael, could you come down here?" his father called. "Nevaeh's here."
Cael came bounding down the stairs. When he saw me he looked surprised, not to mention uncomfortable. And then behind him, a girl came trotting to his side. I felt myself do a double take.
"Oh, hi Nev," Cael said quietly, looking slightly embarrassed. Not baby or babe, just Nev.
"Um, hi," I said. I suddenly felt stupid standing there with my pillow and sleeping bag.
"Hi," the girl said smiling brightly. "I'm Kyla. Cael's obviously not very good with introductions." She nudged him in the ribs. He blushed. She was pretty. Not gorgeous, but still pretty. She had dark brown hair that was a mass of curls, brown eyes, and somewhat dark skin. She was thin and real short, much too short for Cael.
"So you're Nevaeh," she said. "Cael told me about you."
"He did?" I asked surprised.
"Yeah, he told me you guys were really good friends," she said.
I nodded. "Well, he didn't tell me anything about you," I said eyeing him.
"Well I guess I'll just have to tell you about myself then," she said. She came the rest of the way down the stairs and sat down on the couch, motioning for me to come sit next to her. Cael sat down in the chair opposite the couch in silence.
"When did you meet Cael?" I asked her. I could tell that Cael was avoiding my eyes.
"Oh, just a few weeks ago. We work together," she said.
"Oh, okay," I said. "So what are you guys up to this evening?"
"Oh nothing really," she said. "We're just hanging out. We were thinking about going to see a movie. Do you want to come?" Cael
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