Both of Us:
September
Patricia Williamson pressed her hand firmly in the middle of her car's steering wheel, allowing the blaring horn to be heard as she struggled to drive through this "dumb American town" she moved to only 3 days ago. When she received a call from the principal of her son's new school informing her of his misbehavior, she had to get there as fast as she could. It was his first day at school for heaven's sake, he couldn't have stayed out of trouble for at least the first week? Who knew 8 years olds were so mischievous ...
Patricia quickly parked her car into the first parking spot she found and let her heels take her to the front of the school, before she realized she had no idea where the principal's office was. She had only ducked in a side door to drop Nick off earlier that morning, not the front door. She entered to see a banner that said something about the 'Mountain Springs Mice', but nothing about how to gauet to the principals office, and for an elementary school, Mountain Springs was pretty big.
Patricia was considering calling the principal's number back for directions on how to get around this labyrinth of a school, although it would be extremely embarrassing, but when she turned down the hall she hoped it was located on, she ran directly into a tall, brunette man with a clipboard that happened to smack her coffee cup, spilling a few drops onto her clothes.
"Watch where you're going would you?" She spat, before sliding past him as the man held his hands up in surrender. All she wanted was to get her son and get out.
Eddie Miller sat in the office of Principal Hollifield, a tall, blonde woman who he'd heard does a great job of running the elementary school. She had called him here during his own planning period because apparently, his son Zack had been misbehaving in class today, which Eddie did not believe at all. Zack was not the type to act out like Eddie had as a child. He was a shy third grader who just enjoyed Legos and Power Rangers, not tormenting his teachers and peers.
But somehow still, Eddie was stuck waiting in the office for some parent whose kid must have made Zack get in trouble, it was the only explanation.
"Sorry I'm late," Eddie heard a British accent say from outside. "There was um... lots of traffic." The door then opened and Principal Hollifield walked over to her desk, and a British woman, whom he had actually just ran into in the hall 15 minutes ago, followed behind. He thought he saw a quick scowl from her, but he wasn't quite sure.
"Ms. Williamson, this is Mr. Miller, and Mr. Miller, this is Mrs. Williamson," the principal, stated, introducing the two. "I've called you in here because both Zachary Miller and Nicholas Williamson exhibited inappropriate behavior that will not be tolerated at this school."
"May I ask what exactly they did?" Eddie questioned, still bewildered that Zack would do something of this sort.
"Well, Mr. Miller, they had what Nicholas called a 'pee fight' while on a restroom break, and I'm sure you can figure out what that is," Principal Hollifield stated, and Eddie nodded.
"I am very sorry for my son's behavior Mrs. Hollifield, and I can assure you this won't happen again," Ms. Williamson stated. Her tone seemed sincere, but Eddie could sense that it was fake. Surely whomever her son was got into trouble a lot, making her all to familiar with situations like this. It almost made Eddie angry that Zack had gotten mixed up in this.
After a few other words were exchanged between the three adults, they were told to go get their kids and take them home for the day. Eddie exited the office to see a sad looking Zack on the bench, along with another child, who he assumed was Nicholas.
"I'm sorry..." was the first thing a guilty-looking Zack muttered when he slumped off the bench.
"I know you are, but you're gonna have to sit in my classroom for the rest of the day until you change clothes, ok?" Zack nodded.
On the way out of the school though, he practically ran into Nick and his mother again. "And we meet again..." Eddie muttered under his breath as his angry power walk to the car came to a stop.
"Unfortunately," the woman who's first name he did not know mumbled with a roll of her eyes before quickly walking away, her son following behind.
Eddie scoffed, it was his only self defense mechanism at this point, and beside him, Zack did so to, not even knowing the slightest bit what was going on.
Well, what was going on? Eddie had quite literally walked into what he figured would be his biggest problem. The parents here were overprotective and almost a tad bit crazy, per usual, but Nick's mom... she was ten times worse.
He couldn't decide if it was the accent, or the way she walked around like she owned the place, but regardless of what it was, Eddie decided that they definitely weren't friends, but enemies.
"A pee fight? Really Nick?"
Nick sighed, "I'm sorry, ok?"
"Not good enough," Patricia huffed. "You couldn't have gone more than the first day without getting in trouble, how do you expect to make friends huh? I know you didn't want to move here but that doesn't mean it's okay for you to misbehave!"
"I know mom, and I did make a friend. Zack is my friend." He mumbled, staring out the window as the houses passed.
"Try to pick friends that you don't get into trouble with."
"I wouldn't have to make friends if you didn't make me leave Liverpool!" He shouted, finally finding his voice. "I want to go back!"
"Well we're not," Patricia stated, and left it at that for the rest of the car ride.
Patricia huffed as she opened and then closed the refrigerator door for what seemed like the fiftieth time. She didn't know why she just expected food to be in there, but she did, and ended up checking more often then she would like.
She wandered back to the sad-looking couch, only a few steps from the kitchen, and pulled the handle that turned it into her bed, piling on all the pillows and blankets she could to keep warm.
She then slowly walked into the only bedroom of her new apartment, where Nick, fresh out of the shower, was watching a movie in his bed. His eyes met hers as she sat down.
"I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier... I know this move is a tough one," Patricia started, not really knowing how to react to her son's outburst earlier.
She thought the move would be easier for everyone, but so far that had proven to be wrong. So far she had no job, her son was labeled as a troublemaker, and she'd already made an enemy and a half. But she'd needed to get out of Liverpool, since nothing had been tying her down for a while. She really didn't know how she had even stayed that long with her parents basically breathing over her shoulder.
"How about we get a candy bar each from the vending machine down the hall, yeah? As a truce?"
Nick eyed her carefully, "A truce for what?"
"Well, you will stay out of trouble at school," Patricia started, " and I will... try to be more understanding?"
Nick stuck out his hand to shake his mom's. "You've got yourself a deal."
Eddie drummed his fingers on his steering wheel as he waited at the stoplight. Zack had fallen asleep in the back of the car, high school history lessons would definitely make a seven, almost eight, year old boy exhausted, and when you added in the traffic it took to get home, it made for a tired Eddie as well.
He pulled his car into the parking lot nearest to his apartment building, and rested Zack over his shoulder before walking inside.
When the elevator reached the third, and final, floor in their small apartment building, Eddie noticed some boxes outside of 3B, the empty (or so he thought) apartment across from his own, 3A. The door was slightly open, and he could make out the sound of rustling through more boxes inside, as he was putting his own key in the door, hoping not to wake his own son. Although, he couldn't deny he was a little curious about who their new neighbor was.
Eddie quickly turned when the door to 3B opened fully, revealing a still stressed "Ms." Williamson, whose eyes went wide upon seeing who she had just moved in across from, and an amused Nick with a gasping look on his face.
"Looks like we're neighbors," Eddie chuckled, laughing to himself at the irony. He didn't want her here, directly across from his own home, but by the looks of it, she didn't want to be there even more, and that was enough to make Eddie happy. He opened his apartment door and strode inside, but not before hearing the "Oh great..." that was mumbled under Patricia's breath.
Merry Christmas Dancing Through Daisies, and anyone else reading this! Also shout out to ShadowSwan for putting this together, it was really fun! This story will have 4 parts, so I hope you enjoyed the first one and I'll be back tomorrow!