Sweat trickled down Jesse’s brow as he reclined on the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbHbNqWZfA
bleachers behind him. As he watched his classmates make yet another lap around348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDx4mlOVwV
the track, his mind was consumed by one thought:
It was fucking hot.
Jesse had been forced to transfer348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQdz1HURgy
schools. It was close to graduation, he hadn’t wanted to leave, but his mom had348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqJWG1EtBl
insisted. She told him he needed a “fresh start”. That wasn’t what he needed,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbyemP4yi5
or wanted, but what did she care? Now here he was, sitting behind the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgI3tFPLfD8
bleachers, avoiding the P.E. teacher, and this god-awful heat.
He turned to inspect the open field348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgnU2vrwT0
to his left, and instead of green, all he saw was blue. Pale, icy blue. Jesse348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2PkZsZdUa
reeled slightly, taken aback by the sudden intrusion into his personal space.348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkcfxrjHB2
He hadn’t even heard the person approach, but here he was, sitting next to him,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DqzaqU3Ub
staring. Jesse takes in the boy. Everything about him seems mundane. His baggy348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOGtqXBSuD
clothes, his short cut, blonde hair, even the shape of his face was just…348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNkrcSAkZ6
ordinary. The only striking feature on him were his eyes. Devoid of emotion,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2rGjQdRUD
they made Jesse feel like he was looking into a deep, clear lake. One you would348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUE6P2OP6g
drown in if you weren’t cautious enough.
Throughout Jesse’s pondering, the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYlAsJpHs6
boy had remained silent, and it was beginning to make Jesse uncomfortable. How348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5TTPy488U
could such an intense, empty gaze like that not? He didn’t want to be348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGkP8pUtwm
the one to break the silence. What would he even say? He dropped his gaze once348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTYnr5RMHp
he realized there was no figuring out who this person was and waited for him to348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMwvkKk8nO
say something. After averting his eyes from the penetrating pools of blue,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsXXZ9sYEB
Jesse shifted in his seat, folding into himself slightly, trying to make348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUbS5E0tx9
himself invisible. Why was he just staring? The silence between the two348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPgif6SoYt
lengthened. Jesse shuffled his body slightly and looked at the ground,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHjSB8w4in
uncomfortable with the kid’s overwhelming presence. He could feel his gaze.
Flicking his eyes back towards the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0nDLr4vyD
boy momentarily, he catches the sight of the boy’s retreating back. His eyes348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyROcgQkyk
follow him as he gets smaller and smaller, noting that the boy was far taller348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOT1GjQDI15
than he had appeared. Far, far taller than Jesse was surely. Before long, the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiL2ryZQSO
boy was nothing more than a black speck in the distance, vanishing from sight.
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9irook5UWS
Jesse let348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi08hzJzBgQ
out a breath, on he hadn’t realized he was holding, and tried to not let the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs43q00VbIM
events that had just transpired consume his thoughts.
As the final bell rang, a vast348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFov26OtUw
expanse of teens flooded the hallway. Jesse was jostled slightly as he fought348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhg6rIj5lL
his way through the sea of bodies. The sooner he emptied his bag into his348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXERhBcgOy3
locker, the sooner he’d be back home, in front of his computer. Today had been348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDJIVYPgAn
yet another dull day; pretending to listen to the teachers drone on and on;348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61ijlBrpcY
ignoring the petty cliques that had formed well before he had transferred to348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrxHSsUS84
this lame ass school; barely stomaching shitty cafeteria food. The only348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8WAnQBlvx
memorable part of the day had been the mystery boy. Jesse couldn’t get his eyes348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6ClA2oyWi
out of his head.
Having only been in this school for348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmlKwXjyPb
a month, Jesse sure as hell didn’t know all the kids that went here, but he348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGWe0Dibww
couldn’t help but think that he would remember someone so off putting. He348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1rQ7YeO08
shakes his head of the thought as he reaches his locker. Failing to put in his348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZBKw1nQ98
code correctly the first try, he curses under his breath and spins the dial348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltkEB0Suyq
around again. Finally succeeding in opening his locker, he begins stuffing his348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVQMHRA0Vv
textbooks onto the top shelf, feeling rather impatient.
Just as he is about to slam the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQbd29AKUh
locker door, he overhears a hushed conversation two lockers down from his, and348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4ZzPBgBCo
slows himself, pretending to search for something.
“…parently he just got back. I348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFm69WPv1ug
don’t know what they were thinking letting that psycho back in.”
“Right?! Who knows what he’s348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1IOe3mwBp
capable of?”
“I thought for sure he’d be348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAkoQxaXAm
expelled this tim…”
The voices faded from ear shot as348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBluIbluui1
the owners drifted down the hall towards the exit.
Sighing and slamming his locker348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ193k3iuNWS
shut, Jesse followed behind at a distance. He had no clue what or who they had348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItfxjD6yJv
been talking about, but his stomach was turning knots.
He made his way out the door and348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrZLisgLFC
trudged down the road. He walked to and from school every day. It wasn’t really348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KwofW27TH
that he had to, his mom would have happily come to pick him up if he had asked,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SWjd51TDa
but he liked the solitude and silence of the short walk.
The driveway was empty when Jesse348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIvPaBY21D
arrived home, telling him that his mother had not yet returned, not that he348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNB4ikwQaZ
expected her home anyway. She’d been coming home later since they moved.
Sighing, he slid his key into the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxcT21xKGE
lock, but before he was able to unlock the door, a bang from his left startled348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7Csy6SmDa
him, making him flinch inward, his face scrunching up. Turning to look at where348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvS7O1WGKqD
the sound had come from, his eyes grew wide. The tall boy was standing on the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmV9lCWMsVD
porch next door, staring at him.
Again, Jesse noted just how cold348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rgEoJZNmJ
his stare was. Pale blue eyes, void of emotion, bore into his own olive-colored348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeo9rSB1Wmk
ones. Jesse stared back, uncertainty etched across his face.
Jesse cleared his throat,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApQ0BmTLiy
hesitating a moment before speaking.
“Hi, uhmm… I’m Jesse. I moved here348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgat7JAClhq
last week. I take it you’re our neighbor?”
Jesse’s question lingered in the348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddSPECtE57
air as the boy continued to stare at him. Becoming even more uncomfortable with348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZttxqPmP9
the kid’s intense eyes fixed on him, Jesse moved to unlock the door.
“Adam.”
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHoUSxhyfd
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxk7Z3B9Mt
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqAZKs6150
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0dqJInVLe
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnnGfDrKPT
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3CmqmKDLy
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPZIJUjkZQ
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZePtWGZgb
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMnmwKNEXd
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45JF67tftH
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡue6gp0vClJ
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsaUbKTc2Q
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkALz3OsX3y
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBpov838fc
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbVcITkrMM
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflqXS3fblc
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrN8UU6PwsU
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCF3SsoDOX
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWafxDxWG6
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53VQNqr8kX
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6gciwaxzH
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrKMyVaWoc
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAhJyv0x94
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z65HMQjYP
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5ZIPV1BBW
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDuTvqrfkO
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwt05TPaGZ
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2W4RH8uP5
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjmJTHUvdA
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPAcUySLr0
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TMMXPZzNo
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡks7LgsMhtH
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEOMIIJsg2
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNQCH8n3un
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfRt3x5kRA
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKTBhkaE9z
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4Kk5AZNqm
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrN4w4OV17u
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcITxsJeb8z
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8PTnSIzfy
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVsfdoV1cA
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8nPCnHPnm
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFKL9GUxti
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNOsugxkhe
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb18ptzDyk5
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJraTCFCT69
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJakX0tdf5T
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWPRZy14Ri
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcYkr4mc3M
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JJRAXUl0G
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrRnHqFicg
Jesse348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9m14M8Em0
whipped his head back towards the boy as the screen door of the neighbor’s home348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLlOaiDOOS
slammed shut. 348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qPk4IP3xV
348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfxlvRRPqo
