The evening of September 2, 2014

"All right," Liz grunted as she put her bags down with a thud. "Welcome to our home away from home."

"WOW!" Patty exclaimed, her eyes wide with amazement as she took in the surroundings.

"How dull," I mumbled, my voice tinged with discontent. I had been dreading this move, and being on this side of the country didn't make it any better. Compared to Gallows Manor, with its grand architecture and meticulously arranged spaces, this new house felt starkly different and unsettling.

"Cheer up, Kid," Liz said, walking over and placing an arm around my shoulders in an attempt to offer some comfort. "You'll like it here after a few days."

"No, I won't," I retorted, feeling stubborn.

"Yes, you will," Liz said firmly, closing the discussion. I sighed in defeat and set my backpack down, glancing around the house. It was relatively small and lacked the symmetry I was used to. The furniture was mismatched, and boxes were haphazardly stacked in corners, making the space feel cramped and incomplete. It was hard to imagine making this place feel like home, especially since it was so different from the meticulously organized Gallows Manor.

I took a deep breath, trying to push aside my frustration. I reminded myself that it's only for a year. I can make this work. I was used to having my own room and a quiet retreat, but now I was surrounded by unfamiliar and smaller spaces, adding to my sense of displacement and discomfort.

A sudden thought struck me. "Do we have to unpack everything now?" I asked, trying to sound more exhausted than I felt. Liz shrugged nonchalantly.

"Only if you want to. Do you think we can unpack all of this tonight?" she asked, her tone casual but her eyes revealing a hint of uncertainty. I shook my head and plopped down on top of a box, the sound of cardboard crinkling beneath me. We sat in silence, the weight of the day's events hanging in the air.

My mind drifted back to the murmurs I had overheard about Feldt. Was any of it true? I had so many questions that needed answering—

"I know, why don't we get some food?" Liz suggested, breaking the silence.

"Oooh, are we going out?" Patty asked eagerly. "I saw a couple of restaurants on our way here."

"Hmmm, I was thinking we could order some carryout," Liz said with a thoughtful expression.

"That sounds good," Patty replied, her enthusiasm unchanged.

"I'm cool with that. Where are we ordering from?" I asked, trying to shift my focus from the discomfort of the move to something more pleasant.

"How about that Eddy's place down the street?" Liz suggested. "I hear they have the best barbeque wings in the area."

Patty and I exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. We quickly looked up the restaurant online and placed our order. Within the next half hour, we were settled in the living room with our dinner spread out on the coffee table. Liz had ordered a container of 20 chicken wings, crispy french fries, and golden onion rings, along with three cans of soda: orange Fanta, Cherry Coca-Cola, and Sprite. As I reached for the Sprite, Liz grabbed it first with a smirk.

I sighed and looked at the remaining cans. Oh well, Cherry-Cola is just as good, I thought as I grabbed the can. We all dug into our food, savoring the comforting flavors.

"So Kid, how was your first day?" Liz asked, her tone casual but curious.

"It was good," I said, not feeling up to going into details about the day.

"Come on, Kid," Liz groaned, looking up from her food with a raised eyebrow. "There has to be more to your day than just 'it was good.' Give me some details."

I let out a long, exasperated sigh. I knew I wouldn't escape this if I didn't elaborate.

"Yeah, come on, Kid," Patty chimed in, her eyes wide with anticipation. "How was it?"

"Like I said, it was good," I began, chewing thoughtfully. "I made a few new friends today."

"Really?" Liz asked, her eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. "What are their names?"

"William, Eric, and Gordon," I replied, feeling a bit more animated.

"Cool. How did you meet them?" Patty asked, leaning in with interest.

"In guidance," I answered.

"What's guidance?" Liz asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's a class where we learn about different problems around the world," I explained. "Even though we didn't do much work, we still got assigned homework." Liz and Patty burst into laughter.

"Really?" Liz asked between giggles. I nodded, grinning.

"Oh yeah, and my classmates came up with a nickname for me," I added.

"Really? What is it?" Liz asked, her laughter subsiding.

"Kevin Lewis," I said, continuing to eat. Liz and Patty erupted into laughter again.

"Who came up with that name?" Liz asked, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Mrs. Robinson and one of my classmates," I said. "I think they just came up with it on the spot."

"Clever," Liz said, taking a sip of her soda. Patty was still snickering.

"Did you meet any girls?" Patty asked, changing the topic.

The room fell silent, and both Liz and Patty looked at me with eager expressions.

"Yeah," I said, bracing myself for their reaction. Both Liz and Patty's eyes widened, and their mouths dropped open.

"Seriously?!" they exclaimed in unison.

I nodded. "Yeah, her name is Feldt Grace."

"Wait, she talked to you?" Patty asked, her voice filled with surprise.

"Yes," I said, sounding a bit defensive. "Do you guys really think that girls won't talk to me?"

"Well, you're new here, Kid," Liz said. "She would have to be a pretty special girl to talk to you."

"I never thought of it that way," I mumbled, taking another bite of my food and washing it down with a gulp of Cherry-Cola. This is actually pretty good, I thought to myself, taking another sip.

"Maybe you guys could be friends," Patty suggested.

"Or more," Liz teased, her eyes sparkling mischievously. I choked on my drink, spluttering and spraying it all over Patty.

"Don't mess with me," I said, my face turning crimson. "It's not like that!"

"Yet," Liz whispered with a knowing smile.

"CAN YOU STOP IT?!" I whined, feeling flustered. "I barely even know her; it's not that big of a deal!"

"If it's not that serious, then why are you blushing?" Liz asked, her gaze fixed on me and causing me to blush even harder.

"Well, I—" I started, but was cut off by Patty's next question.

"What does this Feldt girl look like?" Patty asked, her curiosity renewed.

I paused, thinking carefully. "She has curly, pink hair that she wears in pigtails and turquoise blue eyes."

"Like the girl who lives a few houses down from us?" Patty questioned.

My eyes widened in surprise. "What did you say?"

"Oh yeah," Liz began. "There's a girl who lives down the street that matches that exact description. Do you remember what her uniform looked like?"

I thought for a moment, trying to recall. "Tan pants, blue blouse, grey sweater, and black shoes," I said.

"Yeah, that was her," Liz confirmed. "The emblem on her sweater matches the one on your sweater vest."

I felt a sudden rush of nervous energy. She lives on this street?

"Is it the house on the corner?" I asked, my voice betraying my anxiety.

Liz nodded. "Do you want to go over there? We could introduce ourselves."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a mix of apprehension and curiosity. I shrugged, unable to find the right words.

We left the house and walked down the street toward the corner. My body shook slightly, and a knot of nerves had settled in my stomach. The house felt like a stark contrast to what I was used to; I had hoped for a sense of familiarity, but instead, I was confronted with a new kind of unease.

Why am I so nervous? It's just one of my classmates.

When we arrived at the house, Patty knocked on the door. We waited, the seconds stretching into what felt like minutes.

A tall man with dark blue hair opened the door, his expression initially stern.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but we just moved in down the street," Liz began, stepping back slightly to avoid crowding the doorway.

"Oh no, it's not a problem at all. Welcome to the neighborhood," the man said, his demeanor softening into a warm smile. He then looked at me. "My daughter goes to that school," he said, pointing at my uniform. "Are you in the eighth grade?"

I nodded.

"She's in the eighth grade, too. Her name's Feldt," the man continued.

"Yeah, I sit behind her in class," I said, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"Oh, you two should be friends then," the man said, his voice encouraging. "She's really a sweet girl once you get to know her."

"Yeah," was all I could manage to say.

"Well, I hope to see you around," the man said, waving us goodbye.

"Likewise," Liz replied, turning to leave. As I was about to turn away, I caught a glimpse of someone peeking down at us from the stairway.

I think it was Feldt.