My mother always told me to keep out of the Smith's yard, but she didn't have too, none of us neighborhood kids would dare breathe heavily on it. I knew as well as anyone else that to step foot on their yard was to wish for death, and I never went near the place, which was hard considering I lived next door from it. But it didn't really matter if I went in the yard or not, because my fussbudget of a mother was always in my hair for one thing or another, especially back in those days, before everyone knew for sure I was sick.

In fact in all my seven years of living in Woolton, nothing, not even my younger brother and his friends dared to disturb the silence that fell eerily on the Smith's yard, until one Saturday morning when something did. That was the day John came to stay.

I was sitting quietly minding my own business in the fort I'd made for myself out of the bushes in our front yard, when a car rolled down the street and stopped in front of the Smith's yard. I stopped my playing and stayed as still as I could, not wanting anyone to see me and to tell my mother on me. I heard the click of heels as a car door opened and shut.

"Come on John love, we're here." A mother like voice called. A boy answered.

"No! I'm not going, I'm staying with you."

I gasped. Back then you didn't sass adults. You just didn't, why my mother would've struck me for saying no to her like that. Curious, I peered out from the branches of the bush. Standing on the walk way was a very tall, very young, and very pretty woman. She had a high face, and pretty red hair, with a free flowing dress, and with one glance at her, you wished you knew her. I already preferred her over my less pretty and much meaner mother. I couldn't see who she was talking too, because he was still in the car.

"Come on Johnny, please. Don't make this harder than it is on me." The woman pleaded. "I'll visit you every day."

"But Mimi's mean mummy!" The boy's whining throws this kind woman made me angry. If my parents were that nice with me, I'd listen to their every word. This kid seemed like a brat, and our neighborhood didn't need any more brats. I had the urge to spit on him, but then I remembered he was being forced to go on the Smith's property, and pitied him. The woman went on.

"Nonsense John, your Aunt Mimi loves you very much, and so does your Uncle George, you know that."

"It's not Uncle George I'm talking about." The boy, John I figured, mumbled.

Suddenly I heard a door open and more footsteps as Mrs. and Mr. Smith walked out to greet the woman and her boy. I quickly drew away, feeling as if they could see me there. Mr. Smith was alright, he taught me how to plant roses actually, but Mrs. Smith didn't like me, or any kids wandering about for that matter, and had the whole neighborhoods mothers on a list by the telephone, or so the rumors said.

"Hello Julia, hi there John." Mrs. Smith greeted them with a wide smile, and looked nicer than I'd ever seen her.

"Hello Mary, George, John be a dear and say hi to your aunt and uncle, look at how happy they are to see you." The woman, Julia told her son, and he stepped out of the car, so I got a look at him for the first time. I'd expected him to look like his mother, tall for his age, with red hair and handsome, but he didn't match her at all, and if he hadn't called her 'mummy' I would never had thought them to be mother and son. He was average size, with curly light brown hair, and small eyes. He had a pair of thick glasses poking out of his back pocket.

"Hi Uncle George, hello Aunt Mimi, how do you do?" He asked, acting like an angel rather than the little brat he'd been acting before.

But then again, Mrs. Smith had a way of making all children behave better. Though he did seem to legitimately enjoy his aunt and uncle which made me smile for some reason. Maybe it was because the Smith's always seemed a bit lonely, or maybe it was because it was looking more and more likely that I'd have a neighborhood friend around my age, rather than my little brother Tony's age. I didn't notice a bee flying around the bushes until it flew right under my ear, startling me and causing me to jump. It was only a honey bee, and it flew off with little interest in me, but it almost cost me my cover.

Looking out from the bush, I saw the adults where all too busy talking about boring personal things I'd lost interest in to notice a moving bush and I sighed. That had been close. But then my eyes went to the boy, John, who was staring intensely right at me, squinting a little, as if he'd seen something. I knew he'd seen me, he had to.

"-yes I'd love some tea sister, John would you like any tea?" Julia was asking her son, the adults where moving inside and I let out a sigh, knowing I could dart back to my house as soon as the coast was clear.

John shook his head. "No thank you, I want to stay out here."

"John-" Julia started.

"Aw let the boy be, go ahead and play John, I'll carry your bags inside." Mr. Smith told him with a wink, and John's mother gave in. As soon as the adults had left, John made a beeline throws my bush and before I could think to flinch he was yanking on me.

"I knew someone was in their- hey you're a girl!" He had dragged me out of the bushes in a rough like way like a young boy might, and he instantly let go as soon as he saw my, now dirt clad dress.

"So! Why'd you do that for?" I shouted, ready to fight him if I had too.

"I saw you, you we're spying on my family. What's wrong with you, haven't you got a family of your own to spy on?" John huffed.

"I wasn't spying, I was staying hidden and watching. 'sides this is my yard, and I can do whatever I want in it." I informed him.

"Nuh uh, this is my aunt and uncles yard." He argued.

"Not this side. See, that's my daddy's other car. He's away in France now, he travels a lot, he works for the government." I pointed throws my father's shiny blue car and suck my nose in the air like I'd seen my mother do when she talked with 'common women'.

"You're really snooty, you know that right? I'll betcha you think you own this whole entire huge neighborhood."

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh"

"Nope I don't, I'm just a lady." I started walking throws the front of my house to go inside. John smirked.

"No you aren't. You probably don't have any friends I'll bet, and I'll bet you tattle to your mummy about everything. That ain't no lady. A real lady isn't afraid to say whose boss." He was testing me, seeing how far I'd go, and having a little brother I could tell.

"Ha, you don't even know me. I am so a lady, my mother-"

"Told you so? Well mother's lie you know. They tell you a bunch of poohy because it's easier than tellin' the truth. Take from me, I'm almost seven and my mummy lies all the time." John smiled like he was all wise to it. He was bigger than me, but even Tony, who was too years younger than me, was bigger than me.

"I'll bet you your four. Maybe even three."

"No I'm seven! I'm older than you even, and I know mother's lie." I insisted.

"Then why are you so small?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I've always been like this. Mum says I just don't grow as fast as the other kids."

"Why?"

"I couldn't tell you, it's a seven year old thing. Though it's just like a six year old to ask why." I laughed.

"Tell me why!? Come on, please" John begged.

"Nope. I've zipped my lips and locked them with a key, now you can't get a peep out of me." I chanted.

"I'll bet you don't even know, I'll bet no one knows why, I'll bet you're just strange."

I gulped. John was right. I didn't know how he knew but he was right. Mother had been getting worried about how I was always so small and couldn't breathe very well sometimes and even the doctors she sent me to didn't have the answer to John's question.

"What's wrong?"

I turned to John wiping the blank look off my face. "No, I know why, I know exactly why. It's because I'm suppose to be like that. It's a part of who I am, I'm really a very important kid, but I can't tell you everything 'cause it's a secret. But where I'm from, everyone looks like me." I explained quickly.

"Really?" John wondered.

"Yep, wouldn't tell a lie."

"Whoa, I wouldn't tell, I swear to it! I don't even have anyone to tell." John was curious, curious like I was, and I knew he wouldn't walk away after being told a story like that.

"Well I suppose I could tell you all about me, but first I have to know you're safe and that I can trust you. We have to be friends first."

"Fine." He huffed, obviously not happy about being friends with an older girl. "So what's your name?"

"Oh, Audrey, Audrey Anna Marie Calloway." I said quickly. "Shake?"

"John, John W. Lennon" John smiled, taking my hand.

"What's the W for?"

"I don't know, I guess you'll have to be my friend to find out." John winked at me, and I felt my face grow hot.

"You're from around here aren't you Audrey, because I'm not." He added.

I nodded, I knew he was too clever for lies.

"Well I'll see you in a bit friend, I think my auntie's calling me." John said. I blinked confused.

"But-"

"Well where still friends aren't we? We have too be, we shook on it didn't we?" John said happily, shaking his head at me, like I was stupid for thinking otherwise.

"Yeah, I guess we are, see you around John." I found myself saying.

He nodded and ran off. I watched him bolt into the Smith's house before muttering 'Yes!' to myself. I had scored a friend, a real true friend, and I could tell we where going to be friends a long while, because we were a lot alike. I just didn't know how long, and back then, I couldn't imagine how long John and I'd be buddies. But I knew he'd be back in a bit, just like he said, and that as enough for me.

I was walking home one day and this idea and story sort of just came to me, so I tried making something of it. I know it isn't very good, but I can't shake it from my head so I figured why not share it here. I'd love to hear what you readers all think about it, so please review. I'd love to know what you like, what you hated and how I can improve, because I really want to make this story the best I can. Thanks for reading this far :).