Heal My Wounds

Chapter 1 - I'm Your New Neighbor

Oliver was a twenty-two year old man who lived in a rather large, modern city in California since he was nineteen. Oliver moved with his longtime boyfriend Francois. He had moved there from England for reasons no one really knew of. 

When Oliver spoke, his English accent was still thick. Though it wasn't the only thing that separated him from the citizens who lived around him. His looks helped with that too.

Oliver was short for his age, only standing at a height of five foot two inches. He had cheeks like a child too, smothered in freckles and a seemingly constant blush that only stood out because of how pale he was. His rather odd shade of blonde hair was always messed up for some reason, but it added to the child like vibe he gave off. Even down to his bright blue eyes, he just looked so much younger than he really was... Everyone around him, no matter where he went in California, seemed to be too old for their age, also tan beyond belief and were rather tall. This didn't intimidate Oliver, he liked being different. Beside his looks, he had some interesting hobbies.

Oliver loved baking with a passion and he was pretty good at it too. His neighbors always got overly excited when he came over and offered out his little colorful cupcakes.

Oliver loved his home that was shrouded in pinks, blues, and purples. He kept everything arranged perfectly as not to push a tacky feel. Francois had moved out and severed the relationship with Oliver about three years after they moved to California, so Oliver had only been managing alone for a year at the age of twenty-two. The cheery, blue eyed blond often had to throw the feeling of loneliness to the wind and find things to occupy his time.

'Why did Francois leave?' one might have asked if Oliver hadn't told them all. He had to by law. "He was getting lippy with me, and he wasn't too kind. He'd been drinking, and I wasn't sure how to avoid a fight, but he swung at me so I pushed him out the window...It broke the screen and his arm, but he chose to press charges against me, so now I'm considered a neighborhood criminal,  isn't that funny?" He had been giving that speech for a year whenever new people moved in, this embarrassed him to no end, so he always brought cupcakes and flowers along to lessen the blow.

One day in summer, Oliver was working at the flower shop he owned, which was very successful. The house next to his had went up for sale a few months ago and he was informed that he would be getting a new neighbor that day. So as he finished up some sales he picked out a lovely bouquet and headed back home with a smile on his face.

There was a few signs of someone moving in next door but not the person themselves. Oliver was glad too, this bought him time so he rushed inside and made a batch of red velvet cupcakes with a smile on his face. When he finished, he frosted and put them on a plate in a thoughtful pattern.

The blue eyed man changed his outfit into a simple white button down and some khakis. He then grabbed the bouquet made up of different types of flowers all in shades of blue and pink. Before he left, he stopped at the mirror and practiced his speech like he always did before having to tell his neighbors he was a criminal. "He pressed charges, but I have no clue why, I didn't do anything against him, even though he swung at me first.." Oliver suddenly felt self conscious about his accent as he spoke slowly to himself. He shrugged it off though and opened the door, making his way out into the street. He broke out into a grin after seeing a truck and a small moving van outside the house. He found the courage to go over and meet the new neighbor once he saw this. Oliver was shocked, his new neighbor was good looking, and made him feel intimidated and curious all at the same time, just from one glance.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," Oliver started, " I know you're probably really busy, uhm, actually I can help after I introduce myself really quick.. I'm Oliver Kirkland, your new neighbor.. Here we are-" Oliver handed over the flowers and the cupcakes. "Also there is something I am obliged, or forced, whatever floats your boat, to tell you by law. About a year ago I shoved my boyfriend out a window because he tried to hit me. He for some reason pressed criminal charges on me, and now I'm on the neighborhood watch because of it. I swear though, I'm not dangerous." Oliver tapped his fingers on his hip softly as he spoke, a nervous gesture that he often did when talking.

Allen's eyes looked back and forth slowly from the gifts and to the neighbor that had given them to him. He thought about leaving them on the ground and walking into his house till Oliver went away but thought against it.

Taking a breath through his nose and clearing his throat, "thanks, uh, neighbor. Name's Allen Jones, that's all you really need to know honestly. The flowers are nice. Um, these cupcakes...what's in them?"

He looked Oliver over for a couple seconds, noticing how short the other was compared to his height of 5'10". He guessed he could be five foot two, maybe three.

Allen at 19 going on 20 years of age, had many tattoos littering his body and some piercings on his face. His hair was a dark reddish brown and had this one cowlick that stuck out and would never go down on it's own, it came out even if he were to style his hair back. He was well built and was tanned from head to toe, which was more apparent from a white tank top that was slowly getting covered in sweat and his ripped up jeans.

Allen also had on a pair of dark sunglasses that he moved to his head when Oliver came out and was in front of him. He was what most people would call punk rock. He called it being able to just afford clothes, some pairs of shoes and a pair of combat boots. Another thing that would ward people from talking to him were his maroon eyes that had a kind of reddish tint to them. They were the reason why he always had a pair of sunglasses with him at all times just in case even if they were  in his jacket and not on his face.

The man standing in front of him looked really cheery and he kind of reminded Al of an upbeat kid who had a little too much candy and was dressed very plainly. He thought Oliver was kind of cute though and he liked the thick accent he had when he talked. Allen squinted his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

That story the Englishman gave him about shoving his boyfriend out a window and being on neighborhood watch didn't match how this guy looked.Oliver looked too cheerful and soft to be a criminal. Whatever the case, anything that this dude did would lack in comparison to what Al has gone through, experienced, and done. it was most of the reason why he was here, moving into this house, but he didn't want what he had done to get out to everyone because then he would have to move again for the umpteenth time. Once the neighborhood heard what he had done, he would be out of there with two shakes of a lamb's tail.

Allen waited for the other to respond and just stood there looking around with a bit of nervousness. He wanted this conversation to end quickly so he could finish putting his things in his house before other neighbors would want to start chatting him up and then find out about his past. He wanted to stay in the neighborhood for a month or two in the least. His stay would usually only last a week. It really bummed him out and each time he got less and less social by the time he arrived in the new living arrangement.