Chapter 1: The New Neighbors
"Hey Caree. Those people moved in today," Alyssa Wellington said excitedly over the phone.
"Cool. Are they nice?" Caree Marx asked with the same enthusiasm while tucking her shoulder-length, dirty-blonde hair behind her ears. She could tell her round blue eyes were sparkling.
"I don't know. I haven't talked to them yet. There's a girl there. She looks about our age," Alyssa said.
"I think I'll go over there and meet them. I know you won't. Even though they are your NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS!" Caree said, laughing.
"You do that Caree. I'll be at my house when you're done!" Alyssa said and hung up quickly.
Caree nervously walked up the porch steps. She took three quick breaths and rang the doorbell. A young girl with coal black hair answered the door. Her green v-neck sweater matched her emerald green eyes. "Hello?" she said questioningly.
"Hi. My name is Caree. I don't exactly live around here, but my friend is your next-door neighbor. She said a girl our age moved in so I dropped by to say hello," Caree said nervously playing with her fingers.
"Oh. That was very nice of you. My name is Sharon Ward. You are the first to come by Caree. I must return the favor of your kindness," she said studying Caree closely. Caree smiled at her nervously. Sharon smiled back. "Oh you rode your bike here," Sharon said gazing at Caree's bike.
"Yeah. Do you want to go for a bike ride?" Caree asked. "Sure. Mom! I'm going on a bike ride! Bye!" Sharon yelled through the screen door excitedly. She stepped outside. "Oh my gosh its freezing out here. Let me just get my coat."
"Well, yeah, I mean it is December," Caree said laughing, her breath steaming the frigid air.
While Caree waited for Sharon to get her coat Caree looked around Marion Court. Despite the numbing cold no snow had fallen on the dead grass. A few seconds later Sharon's garage opened, startling Caree. Sharon appeared in a green winter coat that also matched her eyes perfectly. She walked over to a black and green bike and walked it down the driveway while Caree ran down to where she left her bike.
Caree and Sharon rode through the subdivision talking casually. "Do you want to meet my friends Chris and Ryan?" Caree asked when they turned onto Laurel Oak Lane.
"That would be nice," Sharon answered. They rode their bikes over to Chris's house first. Caree rang the doorbell. Christian Stephons's tall figure appeared at the door, shaking his sandy blonde hair out of his face. He was followed by Ryan Harringway. Ryan's brown eyes, which always seemed to be dancing, matched his brown hair.
"Oh no," Chris muttered. He conjured a look of horror on his boyish face. Caree started laughing. Sharon looked up at him, wondering what Caree thought was so funny.
"Was sup?" Ryan shouted. Sharon and Caree both laughed.
"Hey Ryan," Caree said. "This is Sharon Ward. She just moved in next door to Alyssa," Caree greeted.
"Hey," came Chris and Ryan's replies.
"We have to go we just stopped by so Sharon could meet you," Caree said in a rush after a minute of uneasy silence.
"Alright see ya!" Ryan yelled as Chris quickly closed the door.
"Where do you live?" Sharon asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.
"Not in this sub. Do you want to ride by my house?" Caree asked. Sharon nodded. The girls pedaled down D.W. Seaton talking casually about their interests. "Wow, we have a lot in common," Caree said grinning.
"Friends tend to," Sharon stated, her green eyes on Caree.
"W-what?" Caree stammered.
"Friends always have a lot in common. We are friends… right?" Sharon asked.
"Well I guess," Caree answered uneasily.
"I like having friends," Sharon said in a low creepy voice.
When they got to Caree's house, Cameel's friend Bridget stopped by. "Hey Bridget!" Caree said happily.
"Hey Caree! Who is this?" Bridget asked, her long, dark hair flowing freely behind her pale freckled face. She pulled at her white fur-trimmed coat.
"Oh. This is Sharon Ward. She just moved in by Alyssa. Sharon, this is my friend Bridget Jenkins. We've been friends since third grade," Caree said excitedly.
"Is she your best friend Caree?" Sharon asked, blankly staring at Bridget.
"Well actually all of my close friends are my best friends," Caree answered awkwardly, slightly confused by the question.
"What time is it Caree?" Sharon asked a short while later. She turned and stared at Caree, her emerald green eyes sparkling.
"Uh, three-thirty," Caree said glancing at her watch.
"I better get going. We have a lot of unpacking to do," she said.
"Do you want us to ride our bikes home with you?" Caree asked.
"No it's ok. I remember the way home," She said and smiled. She blew Caree a kiss and left.
"Ok, that was kind of odd," Caree said as Sharon turned the corner.
"A little? Caree that girl is messed up!" Bridget exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Caree asked sitting on the cold grass.
"I don't know. Maybe it's her eyes. They seem to look inside you, not at you. She just gives me the creeps," Bridget said with a shiver.
"Well she likes a lot of the same things as I do," Caree said with a shrug.
"Caree! You don't think that she's weird?" Bridget said, joining Caree on the grass.
"No. What's wrong with her?" Caree asked.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just about that whole 'Best Friend' thing," Bridget sighed.
"Bridgie, she was just curious that's all. Yeah, sure it was kind of weird but nobody's perfect," Caree said, surprised at how defensive she was being. She herself thought Sharon was a little strange.
Bridget smiled. "Yeah maybe I'm just paranoid. But the whole kiss thing? Please don't tell me she's a lesbian!" Bridget said.
"I don't think so, because if she is I'll introduce her to someone else. No way am I going through that again!" Caree said laughing.
