I met Jeff last summer. I still remembered the day the family moved in across the street. They attracted pretty much attention because we hardly got any newcomers in this neighbourhood. This was a tedious place where everyone simply followed the same regularity every day. There was really nothing special going on around here. It was possibly a place where people would like to leave instead of moving in. I wasn't so positive about having a new neighbour at first. They could be a bunch of freaks for all I knew, just like most kids at my school.
Mum woke me up early in the morning, only to tell me how enthusiastic she was about meeting this new family. I, of course, had no time for all the bullshit she was throwing at me. I mean, gosh, it was only seven and I was having a summer vacation. I usually slept until twelve during holidays.
I made an uncomfortable turn and buried my face into the blanket. Mum drew the curtains and let the light filter in. Now, that was really wicked. I snorted and sat upright, still yawning and rubbing my half-closed eyes.
"What the hell, Mum."
"Watch your language, sweetheart," she said, hands on her hips. "Look, our new neighbours moved in yesterday and the least we can do is to greet them."
"Yea, right, the least I can do is go back to sleep now and join you in the afternoon."
I rolled my eyes and lay back down on my bed.
"No, you're getting up right now." She pulled off my blanket.
I groaned and slid out of bed. Why was she making such a fuss about some new stupid neighbours? Why did we have to greet them? Geez, and I thought there were enough people to welcome them already. They wouldn't miss us anyway.
Dad was already up reading newspapers. He was always up early even when he didn't have to work. He took a sip of his hot coffee and smiled at me. I was more like a walking dead. I could barely open my eyes properly. My mind was still drifting off to lalaland. I gobbled down a grilled cheese and egg sandwich and two slices of greasy bacon. I finished a bottle of fresh milk in a second flat.
"Get moving, Jane. We're going to drop by their house right now."
Mum picked up a box in shiny blue wrappers.
"How about Dad?" I asked.
"You and Mum go. I'm staying here."
"Look, Jane, after we're done, you can come back and continue your sleep."
I pouted and followed Mum obediently. We strolled down the street and crossed a road, finally arriving at our new neighbours' house. Mum rang the bell. I was still half asleep. Mum nudged me and asked me to look more earnest. I shrugged and made a grimace.
A young woman opened the door and immediately her mouth curved into an endearing smile. She was in her late thirties, I guessed. Quite a charming woman, more like the classic type of housewife. Her neatly combed natural brown curls made her look at least a few years younger and her gorgeous hazel eyes blinked with much anticipation. She was wearing an apron and she looked rather stunned at first by our sudden appearance. I tugged at Mum's sleeves, only to get a disapproving look from her.
"Hi," greeted woman.
"Hello there, we live across the street. Welcome to the neighbourhood," Mum said, handing her the gift.
"Why, thank you so much, er…"
"I'm Mrs. Arkensaw. This is Jane, my daughter."
I made a silly face and waved at her.
"She's adorable," the woman, whoever she was called, complimented with a gentle smile.
"I'm Margaret Woods. Just call me Margaret."
Margaret invited us into the house. I really considered heading home to sleep but Mum seized my hand. I sighed and followed her. We settled down on the couch. Automatically, my eyes roamed the living room which was still in the middle of furnishing. Some unpacked boxes piled up in one corner and the entire place smelled of dust.
"Sorry about the mess," Margaret apologised and put a tray of tea and biscuits on the table.
"It's okay. If you need anything, just call us," offered Mum.
"My husband is out for work but really, I also want to thank you on behalf of him. It's a really nice place, isn't it?"
And then they went on talking for what seemed like forever. Blah blah blah… I didn't even bother to listen. Adults' talk always bored me to death. I flopped down on the couch and cupped my chin, trying to figure out what to do besides falling asleep. Mum would definitely be mad if I slept in someone else's house. She always told me to keep myself interested even when something didn't appeal to me. I had to remain polite in front of someone that bugged me.
A couple of minutes later, Margaret must have noticed my expression.
"Well, it seems that we're forgetting Jane's here," she said with a giggle.
"That's alright. This girl is difficult at times," Mum said. I glared at her.
"Oh, Jane, why don't you meet my sons? You can play with them while I'm chatting with your mum."
Margaret hurried upstairs and returned with two figures behind her.
"Here, boys, come and greet our neighbours." Margaret shoved the two forwards. I cocked my brows, scanning them from head to toe. They were about the same age as me. One was wearing a white hoodie and black skinny jeans. The other one was wearing a grey sweater and denim pants. Both of them had brown hair and hazel eyes. I wondered who was older.
"Go on and introduce yourself," Margaret urged. "Tell Mrs. Arkensaw who you are."
"Um…hi, I'm Liu."
The one on the left who looked far friendlier spoke first. He had this bright smile on his face, the kind that could please many adults.
"I'm Jeff," his brother muttered behind him. He, like me, was not a bit interested. He kept his glance on the ground and his hands jammed tightly into his pockets.
"Jeff, do you expect people to hear you with that voice?" Margaret grumbled.
Jeff sighed and didn't respond. There was a moment of awkward silence.
"It's okay. Lovely boys you have," Mum said. I almost laughed at her remark.
"Okay, sons, I want you to meet Jane. Oh wait, how old are you, Jane?"
"Fourteen," I said. At that time, I had just passed my birthday.
"Really. They're no older than you. I suppose you can get along with each other and please, help them if possible. They aren't very, you know, active and all. It's always hard to start school again in a new place."
Like the hell I was really going to interact with them. Well, the one called Liu looked fine to me. He was actually quite handsome but Jeff was sort of emo. His bangs covered half of his brows. All this time, he didn't even look at me. It was not like I wanted to meet his eyes either.
Damn adults. They got us out of the house so that they could continue their conversation. Now, that was really embarrassing. I was stuck in the backyard with two eccentric loners. I thought of running home but that would seem rather rude. We stood there for a while before Jeff wandered off to sit under the tree. He shut his eyes and dozed off.
"Well, don't mind him. Um…he's like that," Liu said with a faint smile.
Like I really cared. I was planning to take a nap under the shades too but he had just stolen my spot. Anyway, this was not my backyard so I had no right to complain.
"Er…" Liu started fidgeting with his hands nervously. I frowned. Man, does he ever talk to girls? "Nice to meet you, Jane."
"You too, Liu," I replied curtly.
"So, what is this neighbourhood like?" Liu asked, kicking the ground.
"Like a hell."
"Pardon?" He raised his brows. I snickered, "I mean, boring."
"Oh…I see. You don't have much to do, do you?"
"Not really. It's holiday, you know."
"How about your homework?"
"Done."
I never left things till the end. I finished all my schoolwork the very first week of my vacation. I should regret it because now I had nothing better to do.
"Cool. I wish I could have that efficiency," Liu laughed softly. I didn't see how funny it was, but again I wouldn't blame him. He looked like he had never communicated with a girl before. What a jerk.
"Why did you guys move in here?" I asked.
"Oh, Dad's got a promotion at work. So yeah, he and Mum thought we could move to one of these 'fancy' neighbourhoods."
Now that was hilarious. As far as I knew, this wasn't a fancy neighbourhood. If they knew what they were getting themselves into, they wouldn't really think it was a wise choice coming here.
"Let me be honest with you, Liu. This isn't a fascinating place. If I were you, I wouldn't look forward to living here."
Liu glanced at me curiously. For the past fourteen years, I really got nowhere in life besides going to school and complying with rules. If I got any chance, I would absolutely start something new. Something far more exciting. Something more worth living for.
"You're strange, Jane," Liu finally said. "But cute."
What? Is that supposed to be praise or sarcasm?
I didn't expect to blush. I mean, let's face it, everyone who met me agreed that I was cute. And yes, I was damn proud of my looks. You can either say I was an arrogant piece of trash or a vain bitch. I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't even care.
"Don't lie like that, Liu."
Liu turned and blinked at Jeff. That weirdo still kept his eyes shut.
"What do you mean, Jeff?"
Jeff opened his eyes and got up. He sauntered towards us with a smirk on his face.
"Liu, don't call someone cute when she isn't," Jeff said. Those words hit me like a bomb. I glared at him.
"I know what you're thinking. You're one of those who think you're the best and nothing really gets your interest besides yourself. Ain't I right?"
"What? Is this a joke?" I scowled.
"Jeff, stop it," Liu came between us and smiled at me. "Sorry, Jane, don't mind his words."
"I'm just telling the truth." Jeff shrugged. "I mean, I can tell from your face you don't like us but it's not like we care. Either way, we'll make the best of this neighbourhood in our own way."
"Shut up," I growled. No one had ever talked to me like this! I glowered at Jeff. He grinned.
"So you're the older brother?"
"Does that matter?" Jeff laughed.
"We're twins...fraternal twins," Liu answered.
"Right," I mumbled. "No wonder you two aren't a bit alike."
"Now I'll call that cute," Jeff mocked. "You look cute when you're angry."
I gritted my teeth. Liu gave me a reassuring smile. I swung my hands and began to walk away.
"Jane?" Liu called out.
"Hey, I was just kidding."
Jeff giggled but I didn't look back. I didn't feel like speaking to these two jerks anymore.
I stomped across the street and got back home. I didn't care if Mum got mad at me. I just couldn't spend another second facing that cheeky boy.
oOo
I didn't really talk to the two brothers until a week later. Whenever Mum went to chat with Margaret, I would just stay home. She did ask me once or twice to go with her, but I didn't want to see Jeff. He was so rude to me in our first meeting.
Unfortunately, I bumped into him later in the grocery store. I spotted him first and pretended I hadn't seen him. I was running errands for Mum that day. I figured I might go to the market for some fresh air. Playing video games in my room all day just wasn't the best option. Things got pretty tiresome when you repeated the same routine every day.
I pushed the trolley and sneaked behind one of those shelves. Darn, I didn't want Jeff to see me. He was in the drink section. I slipped into the snack section. It was empty and that would mean only one thing. I smiled. Swiftly, I grabbed a couple of chocolate bars and slipped them into my pocket. Now, that's what I would call fun. I forgot how long I had been hooked on this but stealing always gave me a sense of pleasure. Of course, I only did it when nobody was around. I wasn't really afraid of getting caught. I knew I could play innocent. I got caught once when I was nine or something. I dealt with it so well the shopkeeper actually let me go.
"So, is this your interest?"
I almost jumped in fear. I dropped a pack of gums and tuned around. Jeff stood behind me with a devilish smirk.
"Hi, Jane, nice hobby you have," he quipped. I began to tremble. Hastily, I put my loot back onto the shelf and stared at the ground.
"No, you can keep them. I ain't gonna tell on you anyway," he said. "You're lucky it's only me."
I nodded. He strode forward. I stepped back.
"What's wrong? I don't bite."
"I gotta go," I mumbled and left as fast as possible. I even forgot all about the errands. I ran out of the store and crossed the road. I missed the light and a truck came speeding down. The driver attempted a brake. I froze, barely able to scream. A hand suddenly grabbed me and pulled me back to the sidewalk. My mind went blank. I collapsed to the ground.
"Hey, are you alright?"
I looked up, still quivering. Jeff offered me his hand.
"Jane, are you alright?" he repeated, concerned. I managed to nod.
I nearly broke down. I never thought death could be so close. Everything just happened in a blink of an eye. If Jeff hadn't come out and saved me in time, I could have been run over by the truck and torn into pieces.
"Jane, I'll walk you home, okay?"
I didn't answer but I let him accompany me. We walked down the street in silence. I knew I should probably thank him. I peeked at Jeff. As usual, he kept his head down, his face emotionless. In fact, I could hardly see his eyes from this angle because his flippy bangs covered them.
"Jane, sorry about the other day," he piped up. "I didn't mean to be rude on purpose. I was just teasing you."
"It's okay," I said. "I wasn't being very nice either."
"And I think you've forgotten this," Jeff pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket.
"Huh?"
"Well, I'll just say we both have something in common," he snickered. I didn't realise he could have such a handsome smile.
"But I'll say, Jane, you need more practice on this. You can easily get caught."
"So, you're a pro?" I raised my brows.
"I won't call myself a pro. I only do it when there's something I absolutely need," he said. "How long have you been doing this?"
"I…don't know." I pondered for a moment. "Maybe 5 or 6 years."
"Oh, cool."
"Seriously?"
"What?"
"You really think it's cool?"
There was something mysterious about his eyes. They concealed so much. He had these beautiful features with him I never seemed to notice before.
"Yea. And I thought you were a goody-goody."
"No, I'm not," I said. "Do I look like one?"
"Sort of."
"How?"
"Well, like you really listen to your mum and you don't look like the type that goes clubbing, drinking and all."
"That's just because I can't. It doesn't mean I don't want to do those things."
"No wonder you think life is boring."
"And it's not like your parents allow you to drink either."
"No, but I don't think they can stop me when I get into high school."
"You're damn right."
We kept chatting until we reached home. I must admit I had totally misjudged Jeff. I thought he was a freak like other boys at school but no, he wasn't. There was something more about this guy. He was so intriguing. He was so bold. He seldom hesitated when he spoke. He simply said whatever came into his mind.
"So, see you around, Jane."
We stopped in front of my house.
"Sure."
He waved me goodbye and jogged back to his house.
oOo
"Well, I saw you with Jeff yesterday. Getting on well with each other, huh?" Mum giggled the next morning. I rolled my eyes and took a bite of my pancake.
"I heard from Margaret that he's a bit anti-social. Be nice to him."
Mum sat down across the table and smiled.
"Whatever."
"Hey, I've got something to do in the charity shop this afternoon. Maybe you can go play with Jeff and Liu?"
"Why? Can't I just stay home?"
"Honey, I don't want you to stay indoors every day. The next thing you know you're gonna rot."
"Fine."
So, I went to find the Woods after breakfast. Margaret seemed elated to see me. She invited me in almost instantly and got me lots of snacks. The house looked furnished this time. The family had put a lot of effort into decorating their sweet home.
"Jeff, Liu, come down at once!" Margaret yelled and then looked back at me. "Jane, I'll be out to the town later. I want you to keep those boys occupied. I don't like them playing video games."
"Right."
Funny she should say that. I guessed I knew what I could do with Jeff and Liu.
When Margaret left the house, I exchanged a look with the boys.
"So, what's this game you guys are playing?" I asked.
"Wanna try?" Jeff chuckled.
"Why not?"
Let's say, I didn't really see it coming. I never thought Jeff and Liu were into this kind of things. Well, Liu wasn't so keen on horror stuff, but he usually followed his brother. Jeff showed me his collection of games. I just couldn't believe my luck. Mum never let me buy any video games, though occasionally I would sneak into a shop and steal one or two. I forgot when I started getting addicted to violent games. I just didn't feel comfortable with the games most girls played these days. Stuff like Cooking Mary, Farm Village and Pet Shop really pissed me off.
"I didn't know you like gore," said Jeff.
"Why, I love it."
"You're really different from other girls."
"You can say that again."
We sat in front of the TV and played for a long time. Jeff got much brighter when he was playing creepy games. He smiled a lot whenever he hit the buttons and shot the characters full of holes.
"Damn," I cursed and tossed the controller away. Jeff beat me in all levels. Well, at least, I was better than Liu. He didn't even know where he was going in his game. He kept mistaking his own teammates for enemies and accidentally killing them. It didn't surprise me when he lost in almost all the trials.
"What?" Jeff taunted.
"Stingy," I grumbled. "You could at least let me win once."
"You're funny, Jane. I thought you like to play fair."
"Don't tell me to play fair when you've beaten me ten times."
"Okay, sorry, I'll let you win this time then," Jeff laughed when he saw me pout.
"Can you two not forget about me?" Liu sighed. "I'm getting killed here…"
We both laughed and went to help Liu. He was pathetic.
"Let me take over," Jeff offered and in no time, he slaughtered all the enemies and resurrected Liu's character.
Liu's eyes glimmered with delight. I could tell how much he adored Jeff.
"Here you go. Don't kill yourself again."
Jeff handed the controller back to Liu.
"So, back to our game," Jeff said and scooted closer to me. "Ready?"
"Can't be more ready."