matter of time - harrington

volume eight

The house their mother parked in front of was different from anything the Turner children had ever lived in before. It was two stories tall with large windows. It had white siding on the top with navy blue shutters. The bottom half of the house was a vivid red brick. The garage sat on the right side of the house equal height with the bottom level. Eliza could see a window just above the roof of the garage and wondered briefly if it was anywhere near her bedroom. The window would be the best place to sneak out at night if she ever saw the need.

When Eliza exited the car the first thing she noticed was the silence. Everywhere else they lived had been louder, more active and lively. This house sat nestled on a long winding road with only a few neighbors around it. When she glanced across the street Eliza noticed another large white house similar to the one she stood in front of. For a moment she mused that her parents could have pulled up to the wrong house and had no idea, because the one across the street was almost exactly the same as this one. 

However when the front door of the house across the street slammed open and a young boy, probably around her brother's age, came running out, Eliza realized that the house across the street was most definitely occupied. 

He had dark hair and pale skin. He was tall, but probably not much taller than her little brother. He walked with purpose towards his beat up bicycle that lay on the ground at the end of the driveway. Eliza watched silently for a moment as the boy gathered his bike and then hiked his leg over it. For the first time since exiting the house, he looked up and met her curious gaze. 

The boy offered a small wave before he turned his bike and began peddling down the street. She was glad that there seemed to be a kid her brother's age so close by. Maybe Jack could make a new friend in this town and actually settle a little more. 

"Hey! Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna help us unload the car?" 

Eliza turned and smirked at her little brother's annoyed expression. Jack stood at the end of the walkway that led from the street to their new house with his hands on his hips and an eyebrow raised at his big sister.

"You just missed the kid across the street, he looked like he was the same age as you." 

Eliza replied as she gathered a box from the trunk of their mother's car and began to walk towards the house. 

Jack glanced across the street and shrugged before hurrying back into the house behind his sister. The Turners continued this pattern for nearly an hour before there was any more movement at the house across the street. Eliza was outside, her thick hair now pulled into a tight ponytail at the top of her head and the light jacket she'd worn in the morning discarded somewhere in the new house. She stood at the car looking over the few remaining boxes and trying to figure out which one weighed the least. After a long day of carrying boxes inside and up the stairs into her new bedroom, Eliza was tired and didn't want to strain herself anymore. She would leave the heavier boxes for her dad to deal with. 

"Hey, need some help?" The voice took Eliza by surprise, causing the girl to jump and nearly smack her head against the trunk of her mom's car. 

She stood up and grimaced slightly at her appearance before looking up and meeting the curious gaze of a boy around her age. He was tall with tanned skin and deep brown eyes. His light hair was styled immaculately. He offered her a small grin that nearly took the breath out of her lungs. Eliza straightened her back and smiled awkwardly back at the boy, all too aware of the fact that she had yet to answer his question. 

"Um, we're just about finished, but thanks for asking." 

She replied as she began to fidget slightly under his gaze. She'd seen cute boys before. After moving all over the country Eliza had pretty much seen what every city had to offer. But this boy was something different. He cocked his head slightly to the side and offered her yet another grin that she swore he was doing on purpose. 

"I'm Steve," He introduced himself. 

"Eliza," She replied with a small grin. 

She had no idea that this small greeting was going to change her life forever. Eliza would never look at the world the same again after meeting Steve Harrington. As she sat at her desk that night, days after Halloween with her mind racing over all of the things she'd overheard and begun to realize, she wondered if maybe things could have been better if she'd never met Steve.