My Nextdoor Neighbor: A Teenage Crush Tale

I woke up to a loud noise and faint chatter coming from the building across from our house. Normally, I don't get up early on a Saturday, but this Saturday morning got me really annoyed. I rolled on my bed and took a pillow to cover my face, blocking my ears with it. I desperately wanted to catch more sleep, maybe for another hour or so, before fully waking up. But the sounds from outside continued to filter into my ears.

'Urgh!...' I muffled my scream into the pillow and sat up. Then I checked my phone and saw that it was just 7:15am.

"What the hell," I grumbled under my breath and put on my flip flop slippers. I stood up, put on a t-shirt over my shorts, and walked out of my room.

"Good morning, Mom," I greeted, forcing a smile on my face when I saw her standing near the living room window, looking through it with her right hand behind her waist. She was six months pregnant with a baby girl who was going to be my very first sibling.

I still remember four months ago when my mom walked into my room with a wide smile on her face. "Henry, what are you reading?" she asked, leaning her left shoulder on my bedroom doorpost.

"Just a novel," I placed the book beside me on the bed and studied her face. "Why do you have that smile on your face, Mom?"

Then she straightened herself with the smile broadening even more and said, "You're going to have a sister," with her shoulders shrugged in excitement.

I jumped up from the bed with my jaw dropped in pleasant surprise. "You're pregnant, Mom?"

"Hm-mm," she hummed with a chuckle, looking at me as I rushed forward to give her a hug.

"Have you told Dad about it?" I grinned, pulling away from our hug.

"I will, when he gets back from work," said my mom as she playfully cupped my cheeks. That was the happiest moment I could never forget so easily...

"Hey hun.. You're awake," said my mom in a teasing voice as she turned to look at me. My dad was nowhere in the living room; probably gone to the office. He worked six days a week at a real estate firm and was earning just enough to provide for us.

"Yeah --" I rolled my eyes in response and moved forward. "And what's with the noise outside?" I asked.

"Uh... I guess a family is moving into the house next door," my mom answered, pointing her right thumb over her shoulder at the living room window.

"Oh no," I sighed in regret and rushed past her to the window, looking through it to see what was happening outside. I could see a moving van parked in front of the neighboring building with a guy removing boxes and carrying them into the house.

"It's a good thing, right?" asked my mom, who stood behind me smiling.

"No, it's not," I turned to face her with a frown. Nothing was good about them moving into the neighboring house -- not for me. If there was anything I cherished so much, it was my peace and quiet. I wasn't the type that loved to mingle or have people around. Even at school, I would always keep to myself. "Mom... You know there's nothing good about those people moving in."

"Maybe it's what you need, son," my mom countered softly and placed her right palm on my left cheek. Then a warm smile broke through her lips. "At least now, you have neighbors to talk to when you're bored. Instead of staying indoors all day."

"But I'm not complaining," I muttered with my face gradually turning red. "And besides.. my little sister is on the way -- I'll have her to converse with."

My mom laughed and said, "I know, I know... But look, all I'm saying is that you should come out of your comfort zone -- meet people, make friends, just build memories, son. I mean, you're 19 and I've never seen your friends." "Fine," I sighed, more than I'd like to admit, with my head lowered. My mom was right, I had no friends because I was an introvert -- always shy talking and meeting with someone. Books were my only companions and friends whenever I was lonely, bored, or depressed.

"Go say hi to the new neighbors," my mom's voice broke out in a tease, causing my heart to skip a beat as I quickly rest my gaze on hers.

"No!" I exclaimed with a high-pitched voice that expressed my nervousness.

"C'mon.. Just say hi and that's all. You can offer to give them a hand or something to show that they are welcomed into the neighborhood," My mom grinned, playfully poking my left shoulder before turning me around to face the direction of our front door.

"Uh -- um.." I protested, trying to bring my steps to a stop as my mom continued giving me a gentle push towards our parlor door. Then I planted my feet on the floor and turned to face her. "Why don't we uh... Go together -- you know, like a mother-son thing?" I suggested with a nervous smile. But my mom found my words to be rather funny than sensible.

"I know, but I want you to go first. I can always go later in the day to say hi to them," she said with an amused chuckle and spun me around; twisting the door handle open with her right hand before giving me an unexpected push out the doorway with her left hand behind my back.

'No no.. don't stare please,' I groaned in my mind as I stood stiff in front of our house entrance; staring at the guy who was about my age as he paused to look at me at the distance. Then he waved his right hand and I immediately faked a smile on my face and waved back at him from where I stood; still struggling to decide whether or not to take up my mom's advice.

"Henry," my mom's low whispering voice called to me from the parlor window. "Aren't you going over?"

"I WILL!" I growled under clenched teeth with my lips barely moving as I responded. Even my cheeks began to burn in annoyance at my mom's pestering voice. And why in heaven's sake was she still looking through the parlor window?!

"Okay. But I want to watch you leave before I go into the kitchen," her voice broke out again in a low tease and this time, more annoying than the first.

My breathing began to intensify with mixed feelings of nervousness and rage; I mean, 'what was the point of making friends with them when I could just go about my daily routine and mind my business?' The worst thing was that I had no say -- no power to question my mom!

So I moved forward, walking sluggishly to meet the guy who wore a wide smile and straightened to face me.

"Hi," I managed to say, bringing my steps to a stop in front of him.

"I'm Brian by name," he chuckled and extended his right hand for a handshake. "And you're?"

"Henry," I shook his hand briefly and pulled my hand back; dipping it into my knicker pocket.

"So you guys are, um... moving in?" I asked, pinching my right leg inside my pocket to remain calm when I realized how stupid my question was. Even a child could do better than what I'd just said!

"Yes, we are," Brian smiled with a steady nod of his head. "And I think I like the quiet of this environment -- compared to our last place that..."

Brian was still talking when my attention drifted as I caught sight of a girl as she came out of their house and was moving towards our direction to probably carry another box inside.

"Hi," I forced myself to smile when our eyes met the minute she approached.

She didn't reply to my friendly greeting but turned to face her brother Brian. "Mom said you should be quick taking these inside."

Then she lifted a box and walked back into the house without saying a word to me.

I must confess, I felt a bit embarrassed by her cold act. But what do I care, after all, I've gotten so much cold treatment from numerous girls - especially at school.

"That's my elder sister Nora, she can be a bit annoying at times," Brian said as if apologizing on behalf of his sister for her snobbish attitude.

"No, um... it's fine," I chuckled with a shrug of my shoulders; faking a smile as though his sister's action didn't get to me when in fact it did -- deep down I felt humiliated, like I should never have listened to my mom in the first place.

"So, um... do you mind helping me carry this into the house?" asked Brian in a polite tone.

"Ye--yeah.. sure, let me," I nodded in agreement before we bent forward to carry some boxes.

'I hope you're happy, mom,' I murmured in my heart as I walked, following behind Brian who led me into their house. I just had that feeling that my mom was still watching me from our parlor window.

****

I had just dropped the box I was holding on the tiled floor of their spacious empty parlor when I turned my head and noticed Nora coming out of their kitchen entrance with the collar of her shirt slightly damp with sweat... TO BE CONTINUED

Hope you enjoyed this first chapter of my fictional story. Do you feel Nora is naturally rude or will she warm up to Henry?

Drop you honest comments after reading. Smile.