Sweat trickled down Jesse’s brow as he reclined on the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUnm8ij3wi
bleachers behind him. As he watched his classmates make yet another lap around350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubbo3cPZg6
the track, his mind was consumed by one thought:
It was fucking hot.
Jesse had been forced to transfer350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLk2Jcdkejk
schools. It was close to graduation, he hadn’t wanted to leave, but his mom had350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnw3SaS65K
insisted. She told him he needed a “fresh start”. That wasn’t what he needed,350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBRWil2yLv
or wanted, but what did she care? Now here he was, sitting behind the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3vgnAHGos
bleachers, avoiding the P.E. teacher, and this god-awful heat.
He turned to inspect the open field350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlQm5ehyZw
to his left, and instead of green, all he saw was blue. Pale, icy blue. Jesse350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gpGzxvMrE
reeled slightly, taken aback by the sudden intrusion into his personal space.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklm6n4GV2F
He hadn’t even heard the person approach, but here he was, sitting next to him,350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZCfE0Di8R
staring. Jesse takes in the boy. Everything about him seems mundane. His baggy350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZNZocCqGp
clothes, his short cut, blonde hair, even the shape of his face was just…350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RP798fSwk
ordinary. The only striking feature on him were his eyes. Devoid of emotion,350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2StDkUxxW0
they made Jesse feel like he was looking into a deep, clear lake. One you would350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCbxqgBkRq
drown in if you weren’t cautious enough.
Throughout Jesse’s pondering, the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnlmoO01ji
boy had remained silent, and it was beginning to make Jesse uncomfortable. How350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOSnsDhSv4
could such an intense, empty gaze like that not? He didn’t want to be350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdJNHk9hYJ
the one to break the silence. What would he even say? He dropped his gaze once350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhq9Wuq07b
he realized there was no figuring out who this person was and waited for him to350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRNRf3CQh3
say something. After averting his eyes from the penetrating pools of blue,350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpWP24f1xM
Jesse shifted in his seat, folding into himself slightly, trying to make350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJfLcKBzPp
himself invisible. Why was he just staring? The silence between the two350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ivRufmPLb
lengthened. Jesse shuffled his body slightly and looked at the ground,350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1PsjElixK
uncomfortable with the kid’s overwhelming presence. He could feel his gaze.
Flicking his eyes back towards the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MgCGQUVXB
boy momentarily, he catches the sight of the boy’s retreating back. His eyes350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4qyqXgYgM
follow him as he gets smaller and smaller, noting that the boy was far taller350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EPwpi3emi
than he had appeared. Far, far taller than Jesse was surely. Before long, the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJC2SRx8Ff
boy was nothing more than a black speck in the distance, vanishing from sight.
350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGY9kgbqYE
Jesse let350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7xAEWNMvV
out a breath, on he hadn’t realized he was holding, and tried to not let the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yNAGnyxJQ
events that had just transpired consume his thoughts.
As the final bell rang, a vast350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGE74MxP79t
expanse of teens flooded the hallway. Jesse was jostled slightly as he fought350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSas6HxVjnR
his way through the sea of bodies. The sooner he emptied his bag into his350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHA9ZV707uM
locker, the sooner he’d be back home, in front of his computer. Today had been350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZWYvKchAU
yet another dull day; pretending to listen to the teachers drone on and on;350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJegUWpsAd
ignoring the petty cliques that had formed well before he had transferred to350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofdQhqWDyD
this lame ass school; barely stomaching shitty cafeteria food. The only350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1GVmY07uz
memorable part of the day had been the mystery boy. Jesse couldn’t get his eyes350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡev17AGGwWs
out of his head.
Having only been in this school for350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiQpViUZLx
a month, Jesse sure as hell didn’t know all the kids that went here, but he350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISaTEv42ec
couldn’t help but think that he would remember someone so off putting. He350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEPRwUoV6e
shakes his head of the thought as he reaches his locker. Failing to put in his350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4rfRHpAOD
code correctly the first try, he curses under his breath and spins the dial350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUH34fKBwh
around again. Finally succeeding in opening his locker, he begins stuffing his350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKsQAc5pnI
textbooks onto the top shelf, feeling rather impatient.
Just as he is about to slam the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MOdsK0LS9
locker door, he overhears a hushed conversation two lockers down from his, and350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoan4CrHq6g
slows himself, pretending to search for something.
“…parently he just got back. I350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfm4gj37I4p
don’t know what they were thinking letting that psycho back in.”
“Right?! Who knows what he’s350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuakIDDkydO
capable of?”
“I thought for sure he’d be350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkU2sIrUmA
expelled this tim…”
The voices faded from ear shot as350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBgWxNwMdx
the owners drifted down the hall towards the exit.
Sighing and slamming his locker350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXF6TLyak17
shut, Jesse followed behind at a distance. He had no clue what or who they had350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHHZVOJtdi
been talking about, but his stomach was turning knots.
He made his way out the door and350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AuHVPtZqe
trudged down the road. He walked to and from school every day. It wasn’t really350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIfTaaIE0H
that he had to, his mom would have happily come to pick him up if he had asked,350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhFLa5V6tB
but he liked the solitude and silence of the short walk.
The driveway was empty when Jesse350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuckA69G4FB
arrived home, telling him that his mother had not yet returned, not that he350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEMecv84V7
expected her home anyway. She’d been coming home later since they moved.
Sighing, he slid his key into the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolA1ePAOOQ
lock, but before he was able to unlock the door, a bang from his left startled350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjrZ7liudU
him, making him flinch inward, his face scrunching up. Turning to look at where350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDj9OR3jY6Q
the sound had come from, his eyes grew wide. The tall boy was standing on the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7W4eDPEov
porch next door, staring at him.
Again, Jesse noted just how cold350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJst9zM3zP
his stare was. Pale blue eyes, void of emotion, bore into his own olive-colored350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrrANo6I8G
ones. Jesse stared back, uncertainty etched across his face.
Jesse cleared his throat,350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkoyKqSNAH
hesitating a moment before speaking.
“Hi, uhmm… I’m Jesse. I moved here350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsI4EDG2BoN
last week. I take it you’re our neighbor?”
Jesse’s question lingered in the350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIp69o57fCj
air as the boy continued to stare at him. Becoming even more uncomfortable with350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcreaZxGJZf
the kid’s intense eyes fixed on him, Jesse moved to unlock the door.
“Adam.”
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Jesse350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERm0P76OBf
whipped his head back towards the boy as the screen door of the neighbor’s home350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrywtu8nUE
slammed shut. 350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡro1KhVXjve
350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3j7888m3uG
