The Boy Down The Street ✓

ii.

Walking back home from work, I noticed that there was a car in the driveway of the blue house. There had never been a car in the dirveway. Well, not since old man McAllister passed away a year ago. The car looked to be some sort of Tesla (I've never been good at cars) and it honestly didn't look like the kind of car the owners of a house like this one would have.

Now I'm not saying that the house looked ratchet. In fact, I think the little blue building is adorable, but seeing as how small and simple it was, a Tesla really didn't feel like a fitting car for it.

I looked at the car for maybe a second or two more before shrugging and skipping off. Well, not skipping but...argh whatever. On my way down the street to my home, I thought about the strangers and the Tesla in the driveway of the blue house. It all just seemed like an odd thing to see all in one day in such a tiny town as this one.

As I already mentioned, this town is small. So small that everyone knows everyone, so when you meet a stranger, you just kind of know that it's probably someone new to town.

"Mum I'm home!" I exclaimed after entering my family home, the house I grew up in. I heard sounds coming from the kitchen, so I made my way across the living room and into my mother's 'workroom'. "Hi sweetie, how was your day?" My mother's melodic voice asked, her back turned to me.

"It was good. Nothing too special. I did meet some new faces at the library though so that was interesting." I told her, sitting down on one if the stools at the counter. "Oh really, hunny? I actually met our neighbour from down the street today. Ms Oxford I, think."

I raised my eyebrows, "really?" My mother let out a bright giggle, "yes. And she and her son are coming for dinner today. Isn't that exciting!" Mum turned around to face me and I nodded. "Well, chop chop. You need to go get ready, they're coming here in fifteen."

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang and who did I see when I opened the door? The pantsuit lady and the kid with crutches. "You must be ms Oxford. Come on in." I let the two inside, the boy seemed to struggle for a second before regaining his balance. "Oh just call me Clarisse," said the lady, shaking my hand. "And this is my son, Devin," she continued, gesturing at the short boy next to her.

Right at that moment, my mum called for Clarisse to get to the kitchen. I looked at the kid in front of me and smiled, "hi, I'm Nicholas but people call me Nick." I outstretched my hand. The kid  looked at the hand for a second and positioned his crutch so it wouldn't fall before gripping my hand with his own, "Devin. Though I'd rather be called Dev." I noticed a small pained look in the boy's eyes.

After our brief introductions, we made our way to the living room. Dev sat on the sofa almost instantly, sighing in what sounded like relief as he did so. I noticed that Dev didn't have a cast or bandage on either of his legs and got curious.

"So, Dev if you don't mind, what's up with the crutches?" I asked without even realising. Dev looked at me with furrowed brows, "Just an accident.." he muttered, looking down at his lap.

The dinner went..well. Dev and I's mums talked constantly, sometimes asking a few questions from one of us. After Dev and his mum left, I sat on the sofa with my mum and we watched TV for a while.

"You know, I think you should hang out with Devin every now and then." Mum suddenly said.

I looked up at her in question, "why?" I had nothing against Dev but mum had never really been one to encourage me to hang out with someone.

"Why not? Clarisse told me that Dev doesn't really have too many friends since he can't get out of the house very often." Mum answered. He doesn't get out much? That got me even more curious. Maybe it had something to do with the crutches?

"Sure, I'll hang out with him."

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