That house always sat there, staring at me, mocking me with its fence. It seemed so closed off from the rest of the neighborhood. All the other lawns were al open, only to be separated by the next driveway or a hedge. But this seemed so much more private, so much more excluded.
Alfred sighed and stood, stretching his back. He didn't know how many hours he'd sat there since he moved in, just staring at that house, waiting for the boy to come out.
He didn't know why he liked watching the other boy walk around the garden, and sometimes even come out of the gate and get the mail. It just intrigued him the way the glasses framed his indigo eyes, and how his hoodie fell so loosely on his body.
Never had Alfred seen the blond without his hoodie, even in the scorching summer. The boy simply rolled up sleeves.
Alfred walked to the fence and touched it with his knuckles. He inspected it. Still, 16 years of age, he was so intimidated by this fence. All he wanted to do was knock on the door and talk to Matthew.
Of course they'd talked before, at block parties and he even saw him at school or at the super market from time to time, and even though they lived so close, and were the same age, they had never hung out, or played video games, or just really bonded, and Alfred wanted that more than anything.
Overcoming his ten year fear, he pushed open the gate, taking a deep breath and stepping inside the garden, on the carefully placed pathway. He didn't know why it didn't just lead in a straight line to the house, it kind of curved and winded. He followed it, telling himself it as because he didn't want to step on the grass, but in his subconscious knew it was because that's simply how the path lead.
Alfred reached the blue door and stared for a minute. He peeked through one of the windows into the house and saw how carefully well kept and clean it was. He thought back to his house and imagined the clutter and all that his British guardian and himself had been able to accumulate.
Gently, he reached up, and knocked on the door three times.
He waited a moment, and turned to head back, but he heard the door open, "Alfred?"
He turned back around, and smiled at the boy at the door, "Hey, Matthew," he said, smiling his most charming smile.
The boy hid behind the door, "Wh-What is it you need?"
"Just to hang out."
"What?"
Matthew had never been asked to hang out. He was kind of a loner.
"I've been here for ten years and we never really talked. Hey, where's your dad?"
Always so nosy.
"He-He's at work. He's not home much," the other boy fumbled with the door and Alfred laughed.
"I'll have to keep you company then! Don't you ever get lonely?"
He nodded.
"Well then whenever you get lonely just come to my place! Because honestly, that gate scares the shit out of me."
And that was the first of many times he made Matthew laugh.