Girl Next Door

1995

It was her eyes that drew his attention, like two clear blue pools. Then that bright red hair down to her shoulders caught the light. It was thin, maybe not quite growing out evenly, nevertheless he stared.

That is until his parents made him look away from the window. Dinner was ready and despite wanting to stay where he was Max got down off the back of the couch, put his feet on the floor before toddling over to the dinner table.

Looking at his plate wasn't nearly as good as looking at her. Max moved the pea around with the end of his fork, his attention still otherwise occupied. He wanted to ask mommy who that girl was, but didn't know how to say it right. He tried a few times, but they didn't get what he was trying to say. Adults always did this in Max's opinion then they would say something like 'you'll understand when you're older' which never made any sense because it seemed to Max that all growing up meant was being bad at understanding things.

And then they were talking about tomorrow. Max wasn't excited about it and he really didn't want to talk about it, but still his parents went on. Whatever this 'preschool' thing was Max wanted no part in it. He didn't understand why he couldn't just stay here. It was where he'd always been as long as he could remember and Max could remember quite a way back he was sure. Why Max could even remember when dad's couch had been under the window instead of the back wall! That had been quite the change around here. Yes, Max was sure he was old enough to decide not to go to this dreaded preschool.

So how was it that he still ended up standing on the front steps of that strange building watching his parents walk away. Didn't they want him anymore? Why were they leaving?

He wouldn't go inside. He'd stay right here and wait for them to come get him. Because they would come back, right?

Another grown up told him to come inside with a smile on her face, but Max just sat down firmly on the ground. He would not be moved. Despite his determination the next moment he found himself being lifted up into the air and carried inside. He was wiggling with all his might, trying to make her put him down. What if his parents came back and he wasn't there? How would they find him?

By the time his feet touched the ground, Max didn't know how to get back to that front step. The way they'd come through was closed now and there was more than one door it could have been. His parents would look for him, right? They wouldn't just give up if he wasn't sitting right where they left him?

"There isn't that better," the grown up who called herself teacher said. "Now take your shoes off and then you can go play with the other children."

Max was fully prepared to leave his shoes on and sit down right where he stood, never to move again, when he saw her. That girl with the curly red hair was just on the other side of the room, playing with some blocks.

For the moment distracted, Max ditched his shoes and walked over to her. He didn't get that close but instead starred at the block she was moving with her hands.

"See they go in holes that right shape," the girl said as if speaking to him. And then she put a square block into a square hole. "You try."

And Max did. First he looked at them, making sure he got it right before lifting a shape with a few extra sides than a square and placing it in a hole with the same number of sides. It went in easily.

"You got it!" the girl said with a little giggle.

As he listened to her laugh Max realized he wanted her to be happy all the time and always laugh just like that.

"I'm Max," he said to her looking up at her face instead of the blocks.

"Zoey," she replied.

"Will you be my friend?" he asked.