Dear Neighbor Boy,

You've Got Batter Right There

*Asher's pov*

Holy shit! Hazel was coming over today and after last night, I was not prepared.

I looked in my closet about twenty times to try and find a nice shirt. I decided on a white long sleeved shirt with my black Led Zeppelin t-shirt. I cuffed my light jeans and put on my black converse.

I paced back and forth as I thought about what happened last night. Hazel was on top of me. And who knew that Spiderman shorts could be so hot?! Not that I thought Hazel looked hot...

"Hey, Asher. We're leaving. Go downstairs with Ava. Hazel's going to be here soon. Bye!" My mom said quickly as she stuck her head in my room. Her and my dad blasted out of the house to get out of there.

I descended down the stairs to find Ava deep in a bowl of Lucky Charms.

"Ava, no! You know you're not supposed to eat that! You already have three cavities!" I scolded her as I tried to pry it from her hands.

"Mom and Dad aren't here, so it doesn't count!" Ava put her hand on my cheek to push me away, squishing my face.

We struggled with each other for a few more seconds until the doorbell rang and we froze. I ran to the nearest mirror and fixed my hair from our little quarrel.

I ran over to the door and opened it casually, leaning against the door frame and grinning. This was only a facade, on the inside I was flipping out.

Hazel was standing there and smiling up at me. I had a brain fart.

The next thing I said kinda sounded like crazy gibberish. I choked on my own words.

Hazel's eyes widened and she looked alarmed. "Are you okay?! What happened?!" She stepped over the threshold and started jumping around the house.

She was looking behind furniture and walls for something. "Did a few secret ninja spies break in and change the wiring in your brain to speak their weird ninja language?!"

Then she walked over to me where I stood dumbstruck, grabbed my face, leaned in and shouted,"IT'S OKAY! I'LL GET YOU OUT OF THERE! I JUST HAVE TO FIND THE NINJAS AND FORCE THEM TO CHANGE YOU BACK!" She spoke slowly and enunciated every word carefully as if I were a different species.

Then my brain finally started working. I put my hands over hers and removed them from my face, but I didn't let go of them.

I scrunched my face and said,"N-no! No. No spy ninjas came and changed my language. Where do you get these ideas?" I laughed softly.

She laughed and shook her head. "I know, I was messing with you. But why were you talking like that?" She tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy. Goddammit! Wait... How did I answer that?

As I struggled to come up with a logical excuse, Ava interjected from her place at the table,"You made him nervous."

She looked at Ava with wide eyes. "Why would I make him nervous??"

Then an idea kicked into my head and I butted myself back into the conversation. "Because! I was nervous that you would have a hard time helping me with Ava. You know, since she's such a little devil." I looked over at her and smiled through gritted teeth.

"Hey!" Ava yelled defensively from the table with a mouth full of Lucky Charms.

Hazel looked back at me and laughed. "It's okay. I have six brothers and one of them's her age. I think I can handle her."

I closed the front door behind me and ushered Hazel to sit on the couch.

"So...uh, you want some breakfast?" I asked next to her as I scratched the back of my neck nervously.