The Boy Next Door

Childhood friends

It all started the summer before second grade, As I lay down on the grass, gazing at the blue skies that drifted lazy in the gentle breeze, dappled sun shone through the trees, I felt the meadow and floral blooms as much as they were around me. As I approached the back door of the house, I could hear the murmur of voices from inside. My curiosity piqued, I hurried into the living room to find my mom engaged in conversation with a stranger, someone I wasn't so familiar with.

"Kat! We have a visitor!" my mom exclaimed, drawing my attention to the unfamiliar woman standing beside her, accompanied by a little boy who I assumed to be her son.

"There you are! Kat, this is Ms. Sanders. She has been my close friend ever since we were in high school. This is her son, Seth," my mom introduced, her smile warm and welcoming.

As I looked at the boy, I couldn't help but notice his dark brown hair, olive skin, and the mole under his left anthracite black eye. He was absolutely breathtaking. Though he looked at me with a strange expression, I hoped we could be friends. After all, I didn't want this to turn into a bad first impression.

"Aw, your daughter looks super adorable!" Ms. Sanders complimented, her tone friendly.

"Of course! Just like her mom," my mom replied proudly, the two women sharing a laugh.

"Well, me and my son just moved into the neighborhood. Oregon didn't work out for us, so we decided to move here. At least now Kat has a friend to spend the weekends with!" Ms. Sanders explained.

"Oh, I'm glad that you made up your mind to move here," my mom responded warmly.

"Well, I was thinking of putting Seth into Kat's school, is that alright?" Ms. Sanders asked, her gaze shifting to me.

"Why not! It would be fun to let the kids go to school together, right Kat?" my mom suggested, turning to me with a smile.

"Okay," I replied, agreeing without fully comprehending that this would be the start of our long-lasting friendship.

"I'll be leaving for an urgent business, so I might have to leave Seth with you for 3 days. Sorry to interrupt you again, Sharon," Ms. Sanders apologized.

"No worries, I'll take care of the kids," my mom reassured Seth's mother, her kindness evident.

The next day, Seth's mother left for her business, leaving Seth and me to entertain ourselves at home. We spent the morning playing with toys, but as the day wore on, Seth grew restless.

"This is so boring! We've been playing inside this house all day now. Why don't we just go outside and play?" Seth suggested, his impatience evident.

"Nope! I'm not going. It's so hot out there! Plus, my mom would complain if our clothes get dirty!" I protested, trying to dissuade him. But Seth unexpectedly grabbed my hands, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"C'mon, it will be fun!" he insisted, his enthusiasm infectious.

"But I don't wanna go!" I exclaimed, feeling torn between staying in the comfort of home and venturing outside into the sweltering heat.

"We'll be back, Ms. Stewards!" Seth called out as he pulled me towards the door, determination in his voice.

"Wow. I never thought Seth would be able to drag Kat out of the house," my mom chuckled from the kitchen, amused by our antics.

Seth led me to a local playground in our neighborhood, where there were tons of kids everywhere.

"I shouldn't even have come here in the first place," I complained under my breath.