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CHAPTER 5: Sundown

Emily's POV

I unpacked the last box of my stuff and was finally able to find my art supplies. They weren't much, just a set of pencil crayons, a couple pencils and a notebook.

My parents had never really supported my artistic endeavors a great deal. They had bought the pencil crayons as a gift for me but after that they had put their foot down.

I had on one of my brother's old band t-shirts and a tattered pair of jeans. I had been anxious to find my notebook so that I could draw one of the beautiful New Mexico sunsets.

They were so much more beautiful than the ones in New York, with the red sun disappearing behind the mountains. I had been itching to try and capture the colours.

I went and sat out on the front porch with my small notebook nestled between my knees. I started to use my coloured pencils to the best of my abilities. I heard the door open next door.

Olive came outside to pick up some of her toys she had left out.

"Hi Emily!" she called when she saw me.

"Hey Olive," I replied while I put down my pencils and tucked my notebook under my arm.

"Emily," she said excitedly. "My grandpa's come to live with us! You have to come meet him. He's the best."

"Sure," I agreed and followed Olive into the Hoover house.

I had no idea what to expect while Olive towed me into the living room.

Inside, Dwayne was in there sitting in a chair reading his Nietzsche book, probably ordered to be polite to his grandfather and "spend time" with him.

On the couch was an old man who was wearing outdated clothing.

"Grandpa this is my friend, Emily. She lives next door," Olive introduced me.

"Hi there," he said, then he turned to Dwayne. "See kid, there's a girl you can get some with."

Dwayne's ears began to redden and he buried his head further into his book, trying to block out the world. Which didn't seem like quite a bad idea to me at the moment. This was a very… interesting introduction to say the least.

"That goddamn Sunset Manor had to go and kick me out when I gave them my damn money. Now I'm stuck living out my days on this couch."

Olive had left the room to go put away her toys.

"That's too bad," I said trying to be polite. "Why did they do that?"

"Cause I was snortin' heroin for fucksake. Now I don't say you go doing that stuff at your age but when you're old you do whatever the fuck you want y'hear?"

I just nodded my head uncomfortably, while Olive came back into the room. She asked me if I wanted to come help her pick out a costume for her upcoming pageant which I agreed to, happy for the excuse to leave her grandfather behind.

When I was leaving later that evening I passed Dwayne on the way to his room. He gave a slight nod towards me. I nodded back. This was second time today he had bothered to actually acknowledge me, the first being at lunch. I was starting to get confused by him.

The next day at school when I arrived at my usual spot for lunch and unpacked my regular sandwich, Dwayne pulled out his notepad. He scribbled something that passed it over for me to read:

Sorry about last night

He's always like that.

"No problem," I replied softly.

We exchanged a short glance and then went back to our normal lunchtime routine of ignoring each other.

The day after at lunch when I was approaching, Dwayne actually looked up. I decided to give a small wave, which he returned with an even smaller wave.

He was really starting to surprise me. Maybe he wasn't such a complete rude, jerk after all.

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