The perfect neighbours

Chapter 7:Mother James and emotional finn

I walked into the house and went straight to the laundry room to put back the washing basket and the soaps. A minute later I was out and as I closed the door I heard a knock on the front one.

"Who is it?!" I shouted. "Its me Rachel! Open up sweety" how did she know that I'm home?! Anyways I went to open up and she had a wide grin that didn't stop me from smiling back, in here hands she held a small but cute basket about the size of a popcorn bowl.

It was covered with a clean or new? Dishcloth. She spoke,"Here! I brought you these! They're fresh from the oven. Im not creepy or anything but I just saw you walk in and thought why not bring you something?! Hey! Can I come in perhaps if you don't mind." I stepped aside,"Oh sorry how rude of me, please do come in"

she walked in and straight to the kitchen as if she knows where it is and she didn't even trip on the step that I always trip on before entering the kitchen. It's like she knew it is there. Weird right? Anyways she placed the basket on the counter and said,"Do you mind if I just sit in here for a while. I'm bored alone in that big house. We could drink a cuppa tea, chat you know. Okay thank you" she sat on the chair before I could speak.

She kept going on and on sayin'all sorts of things. I wasn't listening. I have so many questions. I wanna be alone! I want her to leave! I laughed when she laughed so things wouldn't get weird. It was when she said she was leaving when I came back to  reality.

I walked her to the door and before she stepped out she turned around fiercely and looked at me weirdly,"What did you see last night?!" "Pardon me?" "At what time did you sleep last night?!" "At around..."

I wanted to say 00:30am but remembered that she was probably sent by her husband to investigate further so I lied and said," well I think at 21:00pm... I know I'm in matric I'm supposed to be sleeping at 3:00am or don't sleep at all and just study but I'm trying okay... I'm trying to stay awake and I'll..."

She cut me,"No! Don't stay up! Sleep at 20:00pm or else..."she narrowed her eyes and I felt threatened, "I'm sorry are threatening me? Cause this is home and you can't tell me what to DO!" "Fine then have it your way! But I swear..." She didn't finish talking and just walked towards the gate, opened it and left, I looked at the neighbours on my right and no one was home.

Argh! What a bitch! Atleast I didn't eat the muffins she made. I think I'll just throw them away. I threw them, cleared up the counter and washed the cups and saucers. I was done when someone knocked again. Argh! I think I should lock the gate, people can't seem to stay at their houses.

They'll keep knocking and knocking. I'm not opening this time around. The knock went fiercely and then started becoming a beat. The fuck is this about?! I opened the door with my eyes shut shouting,"what?!" I opened them only to find a grinning Finn. I closed the door embarrassed and opened it again. "what are you doing here?!" "Oh simple, to see you!"

"Well you saw me now bye bye" he held the door then said,"hey wait?! Chill? Breathe!" I laughed,"You're so annoying" He smiled and said,"I know so can I come in" "Um no you can't, just tell me what you want" he looked at me weirdly enough to persuade me to shift and allow him to come in,which he did.

"Wow this is fancy..." He said as he touched one of mom's antique vase. I slapped his hand and said,"Don't touch that! Please? Breathe? Okay?" He looked at me, laughed and said,"That does make someone laugh. I wonder who taught you" I looked at him blankly.

He pushed the curls out of his face and said,"So where's your room?!" I didn't say anything and he literally ran upstairs, I ran after him saying,"That's not mine!" We got there and he opened the door. I noticed that he had his bag on."Hey where's your car? Why are you here with your bag?  Hey dude!"

He was everywhere, throwing himself on my bed, sitting on the window bench and throwing the pillows on the floor. I protested realising that I'd have to clean up after this,"HEY! STOOOOP! Okay? Just fucken stop! What are you doing?!" He looked at me shocked with my textbook in his hands which he eventually threw on the floor.

He came closer to me throwing his bag on the floor. "Um I didn't say come to me... I said stop" I said as I back up and eventually sat on the bed. He sat next to me, I felt heartbroken,torn,hurt and wondered why all of a sudden.

It's not you it's him. Ask him what's wrong! But then we'll think I'm nosy. Ahh he came to you.

I looked at him, our eyes locked and I felt the sudden urge to just make out with him. My eyes moved to his lips which he licked causing a sudden heat rush to travel down my spine.

Snap out of it Angel, don't do it not now atleast. But... No buts COMPOSURE!

I stood up."Oh my gosh, what was that?" I took a deep breath and sat down, looking at him much more focused now and softly said,"Are you okay?!" He didn't say a word but just looked at me. "I'm guessing you're not okay, so what happened?"

"I... I have something to tell you"  "mmmhhmmm I'm listening" he took my hand and said,"I... I um I think I love you" "what?! That's ridiculous" I think I love you too."what do you mean? I'm not even in the list of the most cute girls in school,I beat people up , I'm rude I'm a messy."

He looked at me then said,"Well I have hazel eyes" I smiled and said,"And what does that suppose to mean?" He looked at me shocked and said," Well I thought we were just naming things that make us beautiful"

I blushed and turned around releasing a silent scream before turning towards him with a serious face. "Um I don't know what you're on about but it's only been 2 months perhaps I only talked to you 2weeks ago and you already have feelings of some sort for me? Shocking isn't it?"

He stood up and said,"Well not really... Its..." Before he could continue my phone buzzes. I quickly ran to my bedside table and picked it up reading the message from Tina:
-hey sis I'm on a date and I'm gonna probably be late please cover for me.

I replied-its only 2:00pm you'll make it.(smiley face)
... I put the phone down and looked at Finn,"I'm sorry but you were saying?"  "Let's go out? Like now? And no it's not a date... Yes thank you!" He grabbed my hand and ran downstairs with me. What's this thing about people taking decisions for me?!

"Wait! I don't have any shoes on!" He pointed at the pair of sandals resting on the door way. I shook my head,"Those are my dad's... I'm going upstairs to put on some shoes okay?"  "No you'll take forever... I'm coming with."  I rolled my eyes,"Fine!" I ran upstairs and found a pair of cute sandals, put them on and tied my huge soft afro into a loose bun. We walked downstairs and I went to the backyard to check on my clothes,locked the back door and we left after I locked the main entrance.

No one will steal my clothes ,atleast I hope. We arrived at the mall,went to burger King ate until we couldn't,left there and played a few games like one or two? Moments later we walked shop by shop window shopping.

It was fun watching him try out ridiculous clothes and take pictures of that with his camera. I couldn't stop laughing when we got to his car.

Finn can be really goofy, even in public especially today. I don't know why. "I'm curious" he looked at me then started the engine, I continued,"Why are you so goofy today" " Am I not like this everyday?" I shook my head no.

"Well it's cause I did something I thought I'd never be able to do. I proved my ego wrong and it feels good" I smiled,"Well that sounds great I think you should always prove your ego wrong" he looked at me,"why? You like me goofy?" "I didn't say that!" "Why then? You think it's cool?"

I laughed,"Why are you putting words in my mouth?" He laughed,"I'm not I'm just curious!" I cleared my throat,"I think you're..." I couldn't continue as I saw my mother walking hand in hand with the same guy from the other day. Finn followed my gaze and backed up. Driving away from the incident and as fast as possible.

I was silent not because of what I saw but because the guy she was with was Frederick Douglass,the maintenance guy.