The Newness Of Life

Chapter 5: Next Door

9th July 2016

As far as I know, most people think you can't be just friends with the gender you're attracted to. Apparently this is a biological fact. It might be true, I suppose - except it isn't for Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, or for me and my best friend next door. Well, that might be something to do with the fact that he's gay.

I knocked on the door of 17 Cherry Lane, Shipton-upon-Thames, and waited impatiently on the doorstep, my heavy rucksack weighing down my shoulder. A few seconds later a face came and pressed itself against the glass of the window next to the door and a hand waved frantically, before the door swung open revealing the short little girl in the purple dress. She came running into my arms and I swung her upwards. She gave me a tight squeeze, squealing "HI!" as she did so, before she lent out, telling me she wanted to get down. When her feet touched the floor she went scampering off in the direction of their kitchen.

From down the stairs in the sitting room came jogging my best friend in the world, Lucas.

"Your day just got better because, my friend, I have arrived!" I proclaimed, before bowing deeply. He laughed as he came closer.

"Of course, my lady, since your presence is the basis of my very existence," he said, bowing slightly, but with a flourish, in return, before pulling me into a hug. He laughed as I shrieked because he had trapped my arms when he hugged me and he wasn't letting go. I laughed, then kissed his cheek in greeting, but when he still wouldn't release his hold I had to use desperate measures.

"Olivia! Help! HELP ME! Your brother has captured me and I am now his prisoner! HELP!" I yelled towards the kitchen.

Straight away I heard the sound of a chair scraping backwards and clattering footsteps as she raced. She rounded the corner with a focused smile on her face, her long red hair streaming behind her as she ran to save me.

"Let Lucy go, you silly annoying monster," she shouted trying to hit Lucas into letting go of me. She was wacking him over and over on his back but he still wouldn't let go. She stomped around to in front of his face, so he spun me around quickly as a kind of bodyguard.

"You wouldn't hit Lucy on the front would you, Livvy?" he asked with mock horror. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"No, I wouldn't, because it would hurt her boobs," she informed him with a haughty look. He amost choked and started coughing, letting go of me to bend over and gain his breath, I stepped forward and held out my hand for a high-five, and she slapped my hand with a grin.

"I remembered what you said about Lucas being really awkward about the 'female anatomy'," she said with fingers as quotation marks and a huge grin, "and you appear to have been right."

She looked around me and nodded slightly, as if agreeing with herself. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide and she raised her finger to point behind me, shrieking. I turned quickly but not fast enough, because I found myself shoved out the way in favour of a small screaming girl. Lucas picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, before walking slowly back to me.

"Err, Lulu," he started with a childish frown.

"Yes, Luky?" I replied in the same tone.

"I seem to have misplaced Olivia. Have you seen her recently?" he asked, looking around while still mainting his grip on her legs (with her still screeching like a banshee).

"Hmm, no, but let's have a look..." I responded, and we began play-searching the room, looking under cushions and inside plants to 'check' if she was there. Livvy was giggling furiously and most definitely enjoying it, but her face was going a bit red so I thought it best if she was put down before all the blood rushed to her brain.