Can I Stay?

Chapter One

I remember there was a time when I was alone. That large portion of my life was darkness, almost like a dark room that I was in the middle of. I always tried to search in that dark room for some kind of exit, something, anything. But then the light appeared, and that source of light was none other than a boy. The first time I met him it was when I was playing in the backyard with my dog, we had been playing chase. But quickly something caught her attention and she ran into the bushes making me pout. "Sunny, come here Sunny. Mom said I can't let you get into the bushes, you always dig something up come here." I frowned as Sunny came out of the bush wagging tail and a ball in her mouth. "Where on earth did you get that." I reached out and took the ball from Sunny and groaned as I tried to shake off the ball because of how slimy it was.

"God Sunny, where did you even find this? Mom literally never gives you tennis balls because of how crazy you go over them." I chuckled as I looked at Sunny who was twirling in a circle and barking at me wanting me to throw the ball. "Ok alright, fine just one throw alright" I grinned as I brought my arm back and threw the ball and Sunny ran right after it.

"Hey! That wasn't your's!" I turned towards the voice and frowned as I came face to face with my neighbor. I crossed my arms and raised a brow, "Really I don't believe that-" "It literally just went over the fence what are you talking about." I sighed and looked at the boy "Listen unless you can prove that it was your ball then I won't be giving it back to you." "Listen it is my ball! I literally tried to hit you- shit." I scoffed "Unbelievable you tried to hit me with it!" "Hey! Don't act like I'm the bad guy, what the hell" the boy scoffed as he turned around. I sighed and whistled as Sunny came over to me and dropped the ball at my feet. I bent down and picked it up then immediately threw it at the boy "There you got your ball back happy?" The boy held the ball in his hand reluctantly mumbling "It's all slimy now, what the hell."

I sighed and looked at him "Listen, there isn't much that I can do about it you know. It's really your fault that you threw it into the yard of a dog owner." "Well, maybe I wanted to tell you to stop being so loud, is that so unbelievable?" I laughed as I looked at him "by what? Hitting me with the ball and then what?" He raised a brow as he looked at me and mumbled "What do you mean?" I sighed and walked closer to him, "I think that you should be owing me an apology as well."

"Only if you properly owe me one for your dog slobbering the ball in the first place." I huffed and mumbled, "Fine, I'm sorry for Sunny taking your ball, and well Slobbering all over it." I rolled my eyes as he smirked and then nodded saying "Alrighty, well I am sorry for throwing the ball over in an attempt to hit you." I nodded as he finished and turned around to continue playing with Sunny until I heard him clear his throat. I turned towards him seeing his cheeky smile as he held out a hand and said: "I'm Sebastian, I really am sorry for all the trouble I caused can we perhaps start on a new foot?" I looked at him confused, but sighed after a moment and held my hand out "Fine. I'm Aliyah, it's nice to meet you Sebastian, and hopefully get to know the real you." I watched as he grinned nodding his head and saying "Same to you!" then he was gone, but that wasn't the last time that I saw him, it was just the beginning.

After coming over to my house and playing with me in the backyard for months, the time passed and soon enough we were heading into 7th grade. I couldn't believe it when I walked into class and Sebastian was there, but he was in the back reading a book. I tried to keep my head down and sit in the front corner, a usual spot in many of my classes. That was until I heard him call me "Hey Ali! Come sit back here with me." I sighed and looked up at him and sent a shy smile before walking over to him. While I was used to his company at home, I never really saw him last year or years before in school.

I also just kept to myself, because I didn't know if I was bothering people, and I guess I was just shy. I looked up as Sebastian touched my arm breaking me out of my trance and making me realize I was already seated next to him. "Hey, are you ok?" I looked at him and nodded slowly, but I felt something was wrong my chest felt tight. I took a breath of air which felt shallow and I tried to look away from Sebastian's concerned face as I tried to calm down.