“Why are you here?” Nico repeated again. I couldn’t see his face, so I didn’t know the expression he was wearing now. There was a pause and he spoke again.

“Why are you here without getting me any gift? I thought we agreed that if you didn’t bring my gift on your next visit, I wouldn’t let you in.” I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Well, I have something for you.” I heard the man say at the door. “Come here champ.” I heard giggling from the kid and loud laughter as they stumbled in, the man, holding Nico in his arms.

There was a pause as the man moved into the room. I spun around in my seat to take a look at the new presence. He was the man I saw in a blue hat on the first day of the McLeans’ move here. His face was unmistakable. Nico got down from his arms and ran into the kitchen.

“Careful boy.” The man’s voice boomed from behind me, just as I’d turned back around. ”Hello sir.” I got up awkwardly as he scanned my face, probably checking to see if he knew the face but with the way he stared, it looked like he was only trying to confirm if I wasn’t a serial killer. I took that moment to take a closer look at him, as subtly as I could. His face had wrinkles that were quite obvious at the corners of both eyes and forehead. He had grey eyes, which looked to be scrutinizing. If he was Jamie’s dad, I wouldn’t say he looked a lot like his father but I guessed they had that one thing in common- that penetrating gaze that made one squirm even if you were the one at the receiving end or not.

He finally gave me a nod and looked up as Nicole appeared from the kitchen. She seemed fidgety and reached up to give him a kiss but caught herself and gave him a hug instead. He gave her a pat on the back briefly, before letting her go. Was that a strained relationship I perceived? Looking at them as they stood so close, he looked a lot older than her, probably more than ten years difference.

“Dinner will be ready in five.” Nicole croaked out to her husband and chose that moment to look at me. She looked up to him and back at me. “Honey, please can you get Jamie down here?” Wait, she was talking to her husband, right? She could call him honey but…why was she looking at me? While seconds passed and I was still having an internal battle on who she was talking to, she confirmed my doubts by repeating her question, this time, with my name. “Annie, could you help me get Jamie down for dinner?”

“Me?” It could have come out as a shriek if my voice hadn’t sounded like a strangled animal. I looked at the couple before silently clearing my throat. I mean, yeah, sure. And please, if you don’t mind, I’d like to place a call to my dad to hear his voice for the last time and to tell him to live his life, get married to Miranda and try his best to move on without me. Instead of spouting out all these though, I replied. “Oh, sure.”

Up the stairs and down the hallway to the last room on the left, I walked like I was being controlled by a remote. I took a deep breath and gave a knock on the bed. Once, twice.

“Who’s there?” I heard his voice and before I realized it, I was already tiptoeing back the way I came. To get things straight, I was not scared of him. I was only… okay, maybe just a little scared of him.

“I’m glad I was able to make such a great impression.”

I stopped moving, slapping my forehead, and disgusted at myself.

“Uhm, your mom asked me to get you so I’ll just-” I pointed down the stairs but stopped talking, spinning on my heels to see that the doorway was empty. He’d gone in, leaving the door open. I sighed. I should go back down to tell Nicole that he didn’t want to talk to me. It wasn’t fair. His little brother was the one who sent him upstairs, not me, so he should be the one to get him down.

Okay, let’s stop throwing tantrums like a kid and be rational. Wait! He left the door open. Why did he do that? If he didn’t want to speak to me, he could’ve just shut the door. Or maybe he wanted me to get the idea that I could invite myself in and then, when I did, he’d make me look stupid for coming into his room, uninvited. What if I was just overthinking all these and he wanted me to come in and tell him why I knocked? If this was a movie, I bet the viewers would be frustrated with me and scream for me to just get in already. Some other viewers could say that he is a douche for making my life so difficult now.

“Annie?” I heard Nicole bellow down the stairs and I had no choice but to go into his room. Curse him if he made me regret my entrance.

He looked up from his position at the end of his bed, facing the window. “Took you long enough.”

“Well, how was I supposed to know if you weren’t just trying to make a fool of me?”

“Whatever.” He said dismissively as he looked back out the window. I could see my room from here. My windows were open but the curtains were draped closed.

“Why are you here? Last time I checked, you were terrified that the boy next door was a murderer.”

Deciding against standing around awkwardly, I moved to his study table and sat on the chair.

“If I didn’t see the news, nothing could’ve changed my mind about that. If we asked my other personality what she thinks about this, she’s still skeptical. For all she knows, a criminal could make up whatever shitty story and deliver it to the news.” My eyes widened as I realized something. “How did you know I thought-”

“You weren’t so sneaky last night and I knew you were terrified.” I could see his smirk from the side of his face. “And what’s that I hear about another personality? Who’s she?” He turned his head, facing me.

I felt like I’d begun to shrink twice my own size and I became conscious of his eyes on me. I shifted uncomfortably. He looked half-amused and half-serious and his hair looked ruffled indicating that he’d run his hand through it so many times. I felt a sudden urge to smooth it back.

Of course, not because his hair looked so soft but only because I hated to see stuff in disarray. A picture of the state of my untidy room flashed in my head and I mentally shrugged. So, what if that was the best excuse I could give for wanting to touch his hair? I was only joking about the other “personality” stuff but half of me wanted to make up something about it if it would keep that expectant look on his face. This was a new look to me, compared to the angry expressions and smirks he usually shot at me. Wait, where the hell did this half part of me come from?

“Just someone.” I got up to leave his room before I thought about more stupid things. “Your mom sent me up here to call you to have dinner.”

I also felt the need to mention, “Your…uhm…dad’s around.” I continued talking, like the impulsive girl that I was.

“I think that’s why your mom sent me you. To give room for her to explain that I’m only a neighbor and not a serial killer. Honestly, you both have a lot in common. You both look like you hate the whole world and everything in it.” I went on, counting with my fingers. “You both stare at me like I stole your favorite toys. His first time meeting me, I bet he hated me. The first time I met you, I hated you.” I didn’t know if I was sane anymore but what I knew for sure was that I’d done something wrong to God for him to punish me with such mouth that couldn’t ever stop speaking when it was supposed to stop.

“You can leave now.” He moved towards his desk where I’d just got up from and I decided to make light of the situation I got myself into. What was wrong with me? And what if he was riled up by my statement? I shouldn’t rectify anything. But I did anyway.

“Just do me a favor and come with me so I won’t die during dinner.”

“Have fun dying alone.” I couldn’t see his face because he now sat in front of his desk, turning on his laptop so I wasn’t sure if he was being serious.

“I’m being serious here.” I said, louder.

“You aren’t saying anything relevant.” Okay, he was being really annoying now. He plugged his phone into his laptop and I looked at what was displayed on his screen. Seriously, he was watching Netflix now? I took a daring step and pulled the earphones away from me and he turned to look at me, that scrutinizing gaze written all over his face.

“You know what? You’re doing that again. The same look your dad had all over his face when he came in.” I swept my hand above my face in a quick gesture.

“That’s exactly what it is. You guys both look so alike. You could go on and on about him being a bad father or whatever this whole thing is, but if you don’t get your shit together and forgive him for whatever he did or didn’t do to you, you’re only going to end up being like him. You know, you’ll always be like the people you hate and you’re gonna regret it fair or not.” I kept on going; giving a lecture about something that didn’t concern me to someone I didn’t care about. “All this hate is only going to put your mom in grief and your little brother would be the only responsible kid around here.” I said, referring to the night Nicole had to pick him up from the police station (according to what I’d heard.) and his brother’s tactic to calm his mom down today (Even though he was a mischievous kid.)

He was still staring at the paused movie on the screen. I was sure he could hear me but I wasn’t sure he was listening. There’s a difference. “I have only my dad and despite the stuff that he does that I don’t approve of, I have no choice but to let it go.” I scoffed. “You have both parents and you deliberately want to throw one of them away? You’re only gonna end up throwing both away.”

“Get out!” He finally spat at me. Well, I was surprised he didn’t kick me out sooner.

“I’m going to leave only when I want to.” I folded my hands stub across my chest, standing and counting to ten in my head. His eyes flamed dangerously at my stubborn stance and when my ten seconds were up, I turned on my heels to walk and paused slightly to acknowledge Nicole who was at the doorway before walking out. Oh my God. I’m dead meat. I internally screamed