After my dad died on a car accident that change my life, I was sent to my aunt Kiesha and her son Kiefer. We aren't really related but my dad and aunt Kiesha were best friends, and so are we.
Kiefer and Kiesha used to live next door to us up until a few years ago when they moved to Austria.
So here I am now pulling up to their little suburban house in a cab. The cab driver got out and started to take my bags out of the trunk. I could see Kiefer waiting for me to come. He wasn't that nerdy little chubby boy that used to play cops and robbers with me, he was tall and muscular. He had light shaggy grey hair, tan skin, and beautiful brown eyes.
"Samantha!" He said as he hugged me tightly and lifted me off the ground.
"Okay, Kiefer I saw you 2 weeks ago at the funeral and I skyped you last night so put me down." I said with a laugh, still hard mentioning the funeral.
"I know, I know. How you holding up Sam?" He said as he put me down and give me a glass of water.
"I'm fine, I guess." I said not wanting to talk about it.
"Here let me get your bags, my mom had to work night shifts at the cafe so it's just me and you tonight. You must be exhausted and starving, we'll order pizza." He said as he took the bags from the gate and I followed him into the house.
"Okay, sounds good." I said.
After a few hours of talking with Kiefer I could tell he wants to ask me something,
"Kiefer is there something you want to ask me?" I said while taking another bite of pizza.
"Well no, it's just that you told me you were doing fine before, but your social worker told my mom about what you're doing this past summer after you know what happened." He said looking at me concerned.
"After my dad died? Well, I'm fine." I lied.
"It's just that I'm going out more it's not a big deal." I continued.
"Not a big deal? I heard you went to bar and clubs, and would get so drunk, and not go to your foster parent's house until the next two days, so they would be worried sick about you."
"Listen it's fine drop it." I said which he accepted, but I could tell that I would hear more about this later.
After my dad died, I had to stay to my temporary foster parents because I wasn't able to get out to Austria right away. So what Kiefer said was true, I went out and got drunk hooked up with random guys, but it's what I had to do to keep myself from remembering...
After an awkward silence Kiefer walked me to my room.
When I got there what first caught my attention was the big window, and the seat beside it, I knew that that would be where I would be doing my all my drawing.
"Alright, you must be tired, so I'll leave you alone now. Good night Sam." Kiefer said.
"Night Kie." I replied back as he shut the door.
I stood looking at the room, taking all of this change in. I walked over to the window, kneeled in the seat and lifted the window open. I could see the front of the next house and along the side of it that led to the yard. I realized that this room is easy to sneak out of. I could just climb down the tree that leans against my window which would come in handy.
It was getting late and I still couldn't sleep. Not that I expected I would be able to. After that accident, sleep doesn't come easy. I got out of the bed tiptoeing to the window that I left open earlier. I took out my sketchpad, pencils and sat on the window seat and started to draw whatever come to me.
In the middle of me drawing a Lily, I heard a distant roar of an engine that started to escalate as it comes closer. I look out the window; to see someone on a black and silver motorbike with a girl wrapped behind them, slowly passing the house until it made a definite stop in front of the house next door.
I could still hear the loud roar of the engine, until the helmeted person turned off the engine, swung his feet of the bike, and lifted the helmet off. He then took the hand of a blonde skinny girl wearing a tight pink dress and help her off the bike. I could see that it's a boy with shaggy dirty blonde hair, and a beautiful bluish grey eyes. I stared at him for what seems like forever.
He held his helmet in his hand and opened his front gate with the other hand, the girl followed behind. As they walk closer to their door he stopped before the steps of his porch and turned to face my window and gave me a half smirk, his beautiful bluish grey eyes staring straight at me.
Realizing that he could see me staring, I quickly slid back against the wall to remove my face from the view of the window. After that I heard this mysterious boy chuckle, walk few steps with his heels clicking with every step, and then the opening and closing of a door.
I let out a deep breath, closed the window and walk back to my bed. I laid down staring at the ceiling thinking of that mysterious boy until I fell asleep.
I got up to the sun pouring into my room from the window. Looking over to a clock beside me I could see it's 11 am, I fell asleep at 5 am, so at least I got a few hours of sleep. I started to remember about that boy next door, making a mental note I will ask Kiefer about this mysterious neighbor.
I walk to the bathroom, smelling the frying of pancake batter in the air, which reminded me of the way my dad used to make them.
I walked downstairs to find that I was right. Aunt Kiesha was in the kitchen making pancakes.
"Samantha you're finally up, I thought I would finally have an early riser in the house, 'cause God knows my son doesn't like to make an appearance before noon." She said as her back was still turned to me.
Before I could reply or take a sit, Aunt Kiesha's arms were wrapped around me pulling me into a tight hug, as the spatula was still in her hand.
Kiesha was short and skinny, she had blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and wore round framed glasses. She was still wearing cafe scrubs from earlier.
I let out a deep breath preparing myself for some talk about my dad and put my arms around her patting her on the back. Everyone felt bad for me, they would always want to hug me and tell me everything would be alright. I hated that though, because I knew it wasn't going to be okay. The only person that could only tell me that and I would believe would be my dad and now he would never be able to.
When Kiesha pulled back, one hand in mine and the other is still holding the spatula, she tilted her head to the side and gave me a sad smile... Something that I've seen too often at the funeral and many times after that.
"Well Samantha, I hope you had a good trip here. How do you like your room?" She said to me as she blinked away her tears and turned back to the oven to finish making the pancakes.
"Yeah, it's really nice." I replied as I sat in the kitchen table.
"Oh, I'm glad you liked it. So you start your school with Kiefer in 2 weeks, I know you'll like it there. Any how, if you need anything just ask. I work weird hours and whenever I can get overtime. So, if I'm not here then Kiefer will be." She said as she flipped the pancakes, and place them in front of me.
"Thanks aunt Kiesha." I replied as I put syrup on the pancakes.
"No problem darling, I went grocery shopping so, if you're hungry help yourself."
Kiesha didn't get that I'm not on the talking mood. I'm not a morning person at all.
"These are good Kiesha, they taste just like my dad's." I said. Immediately regretting what I did because I could already see the tears forming in her eyes.
Thank God I could hear Kiefer coming up behind me, patting me on the head and sitting in the chair beside me. Which totally directed Kiesha's attention somewhere else as Kiefer grabbed a pancake in a dish with his hands and started to eat it with his hands.
"Kiefer Dela Vega, we are not animals we do not eat with our hands." She said as she grabbed the half eaten pancake from his hands and put it in a plate and handed it to him with a fork and knife.
As I started to laugh, Kiefer playfully kicked me under the table and I kicked back.
Next thing you know it I'm running away from him laughing hysterically through the living room.
I ran back to the kitchen where I then hide behind Kiesha's back using her as a shield against Kiefer, which look pretty funny since she was a lot shorter than me. Kiefer came trying to get me from around Kiesha.
"Stop it you two, for both 16 and 17 years old you act like you're 5 years old." She said trying to hold back a laugh.
Simultaneously Kiefer and I burst out in laughter and soon Kiesha joined in.
