she asked.
“It’s a gift basket,” her mother replied, with a smile.
“Who gave you a gift basket?”
“No one did. I bought it for next door.”
Jodie nodded,
“Oh, that was thoughtful of you.”
“Thoughtful of us and you’re taking it round.”
Jodie exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes,
“Oh come on Mum...”
“Don’t argue. You need to introduce yourself. And I’m busy.”
Jodie gave her a look, noticing the glass of red wine, half empty, in her hand, and replied with as much sarcasm as she could muster,
“Yes, I can see you’re really busy. Whose gift basket did that come from?”
Katy merely sighed.
“Just do it, Jodie. It’s a nice gesture.”
Jodie didn’t answer. She knew her mother too well, safe in the knowledge that no matter how much she argued, in the end she would still have to take the basket next door. And right now, she was too tired for that argument. So she relented.
“Fine, can I get changed first?”
Katy smiled.
“Of course you can. I’ll order pizza.”
Katy walked off into the living room, sipping at her glass. Jodie gave another sigh before starting to make her way up the stairs, stopping only to drop her bag in the hallway, next to the gift basket. She had made it up three steps before she heard her mum yell:
“Bag!”
Jodie grunted and slowly retook the few steps back down to re-claim her abandoned bag, offering an unconvincing
“Sorry!”
Jodie entered her bedroom and closed the door, flopping down on the bed. It felt good to be back in her own space, where she could clear her mind, surrounded by her belongings.
It was her little island of calm in the middle of an often tempestuous sea. She had only one or two posters on her walls, leaving more space for shelves and her large wardrobe, which took up almost one whole side of the room. The only other significant feature was her window, which looked across to the house next door.
The house next door, being the same design, also had a window which looked across to Jodie’s room, as if someone were holding a giant mirror up the side of the house. With a mere ten feet between them, you could almost lean out of the window and shake hands with your neighbor. That’s if you knew them, of course, which Jodie didn’t.
As habit took over, the first thing Jodie did as she got up from her bed, was close her blinds. She could see there was no one in the room across from her, the light not being on and with no sign of life inside, but she didn’t want to take the risk of being seen undressing.
Her school tie was the first to go, followed by her shoes, skirt and blouse. She jumped into a pair of jeans, grabbed a t-shirt and gave her hair a quick brush, checking her complexion in her dresser mirror, before turning back to the window and opening the blinds back up. She was surprised to find the light in the room opposite was now on and there was somebody there, rummaging through a box of books.
She could only see their back, but could tell by the build that it was a young man, wearing a white t-shirt. Jodie squinted, hoping he would turn around and at least give her a look at his face, but before that opportunity presented itself, she heard her mother shouting up the stairs.
“Jodie! The pizza is on its way. Are you going to get going or what?”
Basket in hand, Jodie left the house and walked the twenty steps next door, going through a series of ‘hellos’ in her head, trying to find one that said ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ , without making her sound like a complete dork.
In the end, all this fretting over heirs and graces would prove pointless and mute as her knock on the door was greeted by the confused face of Sean Lewis.
He stood in the doorway, eating an apple. Jodie froze, not sure what to say. Indeed, what does one say when confronted with the new kid in school, gift basket in hand?
It was while pondering this question that she realized he was wearing a white t-shirt and was clearly the young
“It’s a gift basket,” her mother replied, with a smile.
“Who gave you a gift basket?”
“No one did. I bought it for next door.”
Jodie nodded,
“Oh, that was thoughtful of you.”
“Thoughtful of us and you’re taking it round.”
Jodie exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes,
“Oh come on Mum...”
“Don’t argue. You need to introduce yourself. And I’m busy.”
Jodie gave her a look, noticing the glass of red wine, half empty, in her hand, and replied with as much sarcasm as she could muster,
“Yes, I can see you’re really busy. Whose gift basket did that come from?”
Katy merely sighed.
“Just do it, Jodie. It’s a nice gesture.”
Jodie didn’t answer. She knew her mother too well, safe in the knowledge that no matter how much she argued, in the end she would still have to take the basket next door. And right now, she was too tired for that argument. So she relented.
“Fine, can I get changed first?”
Katy smiled.
“Of course you can. I’ll order pizza.”
Katy walked off into the living room, sipping at her glass. Jodie gave another sigh before starting to make her way up the stairs, stopping only to drop her bag in the hallway, next to the gift basket. She had made it up three steps before she heard her mum yell:
“Bag!”
Jodie grunted and slowly retook the few steps back down to re-claim her abandoned bag, offering an unconvincing
“Sorry!”
Jodie entered her bedroom and closed the door, flopping down on the bed. It felt good to be back in her own space, where she could clear her mind, surrounded by her belongings.
It was her little island of calm in the middle of an often tempestuous sea. She had only one or two posters on her walls, leaving more space for shelves and her large wardrobe, which took up almost one whole side of the room. The only other significant feature was her window, which looked across to the house next door.
The house next door, being the same design, also had a window which looked across to Jodie’s room, as if someone were holding a giant mirror up the side of the house. With a mere ten feet between them, you could almost lean out of the window and shake hands with your neighbor. That’s if you knew them, of course, which Jodie didn’t.
As habit took over, the first thing Jodie did as she got up from her bed, was close her blinds. She could see there was no one in the room across from her, the light not being on and with no sign of life inside, but she didn’t want to take the risk of being seen undressing.
Her school tie was the first to go, followed by her shoes, skirt and blouse. She jumped into a pair of jeans, grabbed a t-shirt and gave her hair a quick brush, checking her complexion in her dresser mirror, before turning back to the window and opening the blinds back up. She was surprised to find the light in the room opposite was now on and there was somebody there, rummaging through a box of books.
She could only see their back, but could tell by the build that it was a young man, wearing a white t-shirt. Jodie squinted, hoping he would turn around and at least give her a look at his face, but before that opportunity presented itself, she heard her mother shouting up the stairs.
“Jodie! The pizza is on its way. Are you going to get going or what?”
Basket in hand, Jodie left the house and walked the twenty steps next door, going through a series of ‘hellos’ in her head, trying to find one that said ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ , without making her sound like a complete dork.
In the end, all this fretting over heirs and graces would prove pointless and mute as her knock on the door was greeted by the confused face of Sean Lewis.
He stood in the doorway, eating an apple. Jodie froze, not sure what to say. Indeed, what does one say when confronted with the new kid in school, gift basket in hand?
It was while pondering this question that she realized he was wearing a white t-shirt and was clearly the young
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