[Rye]
Chapter //1//
The water was still because of the lack of breeze that afternoon. It was a little muggy without wind, but I didn't mind, because I got my peace and quiet, and I had dressed lightly to avoid overheating. I was stretched out on my back, lying on a flat expanse of rock right on the shore of the pond. If I stretched out my hands I could dip my fingers in the water, or grab a fistful of grass.
The sun moved from behind a cloud and shone in my eyes. I covered them with my arm.
There was a peaceful silence that I enjoyed here, since no one beside myself ever dared to come near. The sight was not menacing. Quite the opposite. The pond was the best part of the neighborhood; sunny, usually breezy, with good landscaping right on the edge of the forest, the tree line starting fifty yards from the western-most bank. It was almost like a park, and yet I had it all to myself.
I heard my best—and only—friend, Ruka, calling me. I didn't open my eyes. I didn't even acknowledge that I'd heard him. I knew he wouldn't come to get me.
It had become my place as I was the only one who dared get near. The rest of the population of Rye was scared shitless of this small body of water. Though, small as it was, it was actually quite large for a pond. The deepest point was over fifty feet deep, and it was almost crystal clear. Looking in on a nice day, I could see fish swimming about.
Ruka stood on the hill at the very edge of the field and waved, trying to get my attention. That was the farthest he would venture. I raised my arm to block the sun and opened one eye to look at him. He looked like he had something to tell me.
"I have something to tell you!" He cried. How did I know?
Slowly, deliberately, I sat up and allowed myself to adjust to my new position. I looked around lazily, taking in my surroundings and noting that nothing had changed. It was all just as I liked it. My gaze shifted to the edge of the forest and I frowned at the gray clouds I could see peeking. Still, I shrugged it off and stood, strolling over to my friend to find out what he wanted to tell me.
---X---
I lived in a town called Rye. It was a small, quaint little town full of good families with good morals and all that. Mothers and children and couples who never divorced, the whole nine yards. I'd lived there as long as I could remember.
And I hated it.
Not that I was treated badly or anything, because no one really gave a damn about who I was, where I came from, or what I did around town (which was nothing). As long as I didn't cause trouble—which I only did when I saw a need for it—I was left well enough alone.
My parents had died years ago in a car accident. I was passed along to my uncle Persona, who isn't actually related to me. Persona wasn't the greatest legal guardian, and he ended up dying of alcohol poisoning. Luckily for me, I was allowed to stay in the house he owned out in little old Rye.
Yippie.
Aside from being sweet, quiet, and all-around a "little dream town" it was the most uneventful place in the world. Not even uninhabited caves in the bottom of the ocean were as boring as this. Seriously.
Only one thing bothered me more than that: the people. The town was full of creeps and weirdoes, and it's not that I have to worry about being raped or anything (I can take care of myself) but it's troublesome for me when my gay neighbor Narumi is shouting cat-calls over the fence at me when I walk out in the morning. Or when that obsessed girl from three streets over starts following me around, though I've made it clear that I have no intention of dating her. Ever. In all honesty—and I've told her this—I would rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon than go out with her. She started a freaking club for others who want to follow me around obsessively.
Then there's that Imai girl a few blocks away who's got it bad for Ruka. She's cold and ruthless, money-hungry and has no mercy or remorse. Ruka has fallen prey to her get-rich-quick schemes many times and all of them seem to involve selling candid shots of him in compromising or embarrassing positions.
I think she just wants them for her personal collection. I've told this to Ruka and he doesn't believe me.
I just wish there was one person (other than my animal-loving, slightly girly best friend) who didn't bother me into oblivion everyday. Someone I could really get close to, someone who wouldn't be afraid to come to the water's edge with me.
But there's no one. Even Ruka is afraid of the water. I am alone.
---X---
I ran a hand through my hair to get the dark strands out of my eyes as a sudden wind picked up, rustling through the tall grass.
"What is it, Ruka?" I asked, slightly irritable from being woken. Lids half-closed, I look him in the eye. They're shockingly blue.
"You know that old house next to yours?" Of course I know the house next to mine, but I didn't say this. "The one that's been on the market for the past year and a half?" He seems excited, so I can only guess what's going on, with little chance that I'm wrong. Either it's haunted or…
"Someone's moving in?" I inquire. He nodded happily, blonde hair bouncing. He flashes a white-toothed smile.
"Isn't it exciting? Someone new!"
He was acting like a child, which I pointed out to him. He just flushed and stammered as he replied indignantly, denying it. However, we both knew I was right.
I was curious to know what kind of person would be moving in, and I hoped it was someone sensible and not annoying. Perhaps someone our age that I could hang out with. On occasion.
"When?" I asked suddenly. Ruka was quick to answer.
"The moving truck is out there right now. It's been there about an hour, and they've started unloading. To be honest, I hadn't heard about this until they drove up." Neither had I. Troublesome.
I clicked my teeth, producing one of my famous sounds: "tch." I shoved one hand into my pocket while running the other through my hair again—a habit that I had. A quick glance at my watch to see the time, and another look at the approaching storm clouds and I'd made up my mind.
"I'm going home," I announced. And without another word, I turned and headed in the direction of my house. And, coincidentally, the home of my "new neighbor."
Ruka was quick to follow me, grinning something about wanting to see who it was. I heard "cute" and "girl" thrown in there and I knew it was time to tune him out. He rambled on and I let my mind drift.
---X---
My house was on the smallest street in the tiny town; Rye street. Named after the town and all that. There were only six houses on each side. Mine was the fourth down, coming from the pond. The fifth down was the formerly-empty house, and the third (the house on the other side of mine) was that freak Narumi's. The others were inhabited by people not worth mentioning, since I didn't know who they were.
I trudged down the road, not bothering with the sidewalk, since there was never any traffic, until I reached my house, best friend still in tow. Without even glancing at the people running to and from the big orange moving truck, I slid into my house and closed the door. As soon as I was inside, I headed to the kitchen for a soda. Ruka headed for the living room to peek out the window.
"I think I see someone," he said, separating the blinds with two fingers. He looked like a snoopy neighbor from an old movie.
I leaned against the counter, can in hand, watching him watching others. I didn't care who was out there. "You look like a serial killer," I warned him. He quickly withdrew from the window, throwing me a sour look.
"You ruin things for me," he said before joining me. He rooted through my fridge without asking, knowing he didn't have to, and pulled another out another can. He joined me in leaning against the counter and we both drank in silence that I knew wouldn't last. A few minutes later, Ruka spoke.
"I think I saw someone our age."
"Hn." Another one of my famous words.
"They were kind of short, though. I could be wrong."
"Hn."
"Or it could be a girl."
"Hn."
"Shouldn't we be good neighbors and offer to help them?"
"Hn." The greatest part about that word was that it had so many meanings. Not only did it make me look mysterious, but it made whoever asked me a question very happy, as they got to do whatever the hell they wanted and feel like it was advice.
"Or bring them dinner or something?"
"Hn."
"Housewarming gift?"
"Do what you want." I crushed my can in my fist and tossed it into the recycling bin in the corner. "I've got a book to finish." I headed upstairs to find the summer reading we'd been assigned for the following year of school. Not that I didn't have time. It was only June.
"I know what you're doing," Ruka called up after me. "You're trying to get a better view."
Like I would. If I wanted to see these people, I would've gone outside.
"Good idea." To my dismay, my friend completely missed the fact that I had asked him to leave if he wouldn't change the topic of conversation and stop obsessing over my new neighbors. He followed me up the stairs and into my room. He took his place in his usual bean bag chair. I took out my book. Ruka just stared at me.
And stared.
And stared.
And stared.
Five minutes went by. Then ten. Then fifteen. Until I could no longer take it.
Slowly, I put down the book and sighed. I'd read the same sentence thirty-seven times, distracted by the gaze that lingered on me.
"Does it really matter than much to you?"
His face brightened as he smiled hugely and nodded in an exaggerated fashion that furthered the image of "little kid" that I had that day.
I sighed again and got up off my bed. "Alright, then. Let's go." I shoved my hands into my pockets and let Ruka lead the way.
---X---
The truck was still being unloaded, and from what I could see, most of the contents were furniture or large boxes with varying labels like "M's room" or "Library" or "attic". I wondered who 'M' was.
Ruka walked right up to the back of the truck and looked in at the movers. They ignored his presence, focusing solely on their job as they lifted a huge white sofa out of the back. They slowly carried it in through the front door and I heard a sudden shout.
"No, that goes over there!" It sounded rather distant, as though the person was calling across the house to someone. And judging by the authoritative tone, I guessed it was the owner of the house.
It was female. And not our age.
Disappointing.
The owner of the voice walked out of the house and eyed the truck, possibly wondering whether or not to just finish the job herself. She looked tired, hair disheveled, clothes wrinkled. And she had a not-totally-unfortunate-looking face.
Another person called to her and a man joined her in the doorstep. They talked for a few minutes about something and it seemed that they were arguing—something trivial because he wrapped an arm around her shoulder not seconds afterward.
They hadn't noticed us yet, so Ruka decided to make the first move and started up the walk. I followed.
"Hello," he said in his most friendly, likeable tone. "My name's Ruka and this is Natsume. Welcome to the neighborhood." He stuck his hand out to shake. The woman shook first, grinning.
"Yuka Azumi. Nice to meet you, too. I take it you're the new neighbors then?" The man beside her—dark-haired and somewhat strange looking (like a sleaze in my opinion) stuck his meaty hand out as well, introducing himself as Goro. I shook neither of their hands.
"Well, I'm not. Natsume lives in the house, I'm just his best friend and a regular visitor."
"I see."
"So, where are you moving from?" Ruka asked, starting up a normal conversation.
"A small town like this one, a few hours' drive away. Trousseau."
"Oh, really?"
I tuned them out and turned my attention to the man. Call me judgmental, but I didn't like the look of him. Dark hair, dark eyes, and slightly tanned skin stretched taut over thick muscles didn't exactly make him approachable. His face was menacing and his eyebrows seemed to be at a permanent tilt downward. And, on top of all that, his teeth were bad.
I sized him up. I might have been able to take him if we fought, but I was skilled enough that it would've been a close match. And I didn't doubt that we'd have a fight at some point in our lives. Not one bit f doubt, not with a face like that. He had the air of a troublemaker, something slimy and gross about him that I didn't like and I didn't intend to let it go.
The woman on the other hand—his wife I presumed—had short brown hair cropped to her chin and a sweet (but simultaneously no-nonsense) face with big brown eyes. She was normal looking. I didn't know how she ended up with someone like "Goro".
"Well, I'm sorry, Ruka, but we've got to get going. Lots of unpacking to do and we're hoping to get the truck emptied before dark. It was nice to meet you, though, very sweet of you to introduce yourselves."
"Where's Mikan?" Goro asked, looking around. "She should be helping. She can take her boxes up."
"I have no idea," Yuka replied, sounding somewhat peeved. "That daughter of mine always finds a way to disappear unless I'm watching her at all times." She inhaled deeply and shouted her daughter's name. "She's probably fallen down a well," Yuka joked.
There were no wells in Rye. Not that I knew of. I didn't laugh.
"What is it, Mom?" A breathless voice asked. I looked to the origin and found myself staring at a girl of no more than sixteen, like myself. She was short, slender, and the spitting image of her mother. This girl's hair was longer, though, and bound in two pigtails on either side of her face. She looked like she had just run, and adjusted the waist of her ill-fitting jeans, pulling them up as she approached her parents.
"Just wondering where you went, dear. You should help bring boxes in. Oh, and these are the neighbors, Ruka and Natsume. I think they're about your age." The girl wasn't stupid, she could see that if she wanted.
I didn't shake this "Mikan"'s hand either. Just looked at her. She was getting weirded out.
"I was exploring, Mom," she explained. "I need to know my way around. Man, I really love it here already!"
I could tell within minutes of meeting her that she was the sickeningly optimistic type. She would be hyper and jumpy and all around annoying.
Exactly the opposite of what I was hoping for.
The two started in on an argument and they were equally matched. I tapped Ruka's arm, signaling that I thought we should leave. Having done my good deed foe the week, I turned and walked back toward my house. Ruka said 'goodbye' for the both of us and hurried after me.
"You want to stay for dinner?" I asked. He nodded.
"Sounds good. What are we having?"
"Pizza." Three out of the seven days of the week I had pizza. I was too lazy to cook for myself.
"Alright. Shall I call?"
"Hn." Once inside, I tossed him the cordless phone from the living room and settled into the couch. He dialed a number he'd committed to memory and looked at me silently from across the room while he waited for the pizza place to pick up on the other end.
"What?" I asked, suddenly disturbed by his gaze. I was starting to feel almost self-conscious.
"Nothing," he replied. "Just thinking."
"About what?" I asked, though I knew the answer. What else but the neighbors?
"Not much, just…" he paused.
"Spit it out."
"That Mikan girl sure was cute," he laughed. I turned my head and "hn"ed, which was neither agreement or disagreement. He was looking to see if I was interested.
"More like annoying. I can't believe that troublesome girl is going to be living next to me." I tried to convey hatred in my voice, but it came out sounding devoid of all emotion.
In all honesty, I was curious to see how things would turn out. I had a feeling that this was not a boring family.
I just didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
A/N: Something that came to me in a true moment of inspiration when I saw something out the window of my car. I'll tell you later what I saw. It's nothing special but to tell you now would spoil something I have in store. Review, please. Without feedback I won't continue.