Sweat trickled down Jesse’s brow as he reclined on the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUq39CyL0pP
bleachers behind him. As he watched his classmates make yet another lap around167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAilrQUutX
the track, his mind was consumed by one thought:
It was fucking hot.
Jesse had been forced to transfer167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIkzPSmxp3
schools. It was close to graduation, he hadn’t wanted to leave, but his mom had167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhqPY21EgW
insisted. She told him he needed a “fresh start”. That wasn’t what he needed,167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlg3HmBwyyj
or wanted, but what did she care? Now here he was, sitting behind the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqs9dj3Kte
bleachers, avoiding the P.E. teacher, and this god-awful heat.
He turned to inspect the open field167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSupgXeCY0F
to his left, and instead of green, all he saw was blue. Pale, icy blue. Jesse167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mRzLdrAFV
reeled slightly, taken aback by the sudden intrusion into his personal space.167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBfFGzHHad
He hadn’t even heard the person approach, but here he was, sitting next to him,167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQenzmuvne
staring. Jesse takes in the boy. Everything about him seems mundane. His baggy167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5cLFzq54q
clothes, his short cut, blonde hair, even the shape of his face was just…167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAncBjGYRqb
ordinary. The only striking feature on him were his eyes. Devoid of emotion,167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxJBGU2iuF
they made Jesse feel like he was looking into a deep, clear lake. One you would167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOo3HccGp6J
drown in if you weren’t cautious enough.
Throughout Jesse’s pondering, the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLsqX2QWSS
boy had remained silent, and it was beginning to make Jesse uncomfortable. How167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53oK7PSASJ
could such an intense, empty gaze like that not? He didn’t want to be167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdQxTLHmon
the one to break the silence. What would he even say? He dropped his gaze once167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUBUXFPasj
he realized there was no figuring out who this person was and waited for him to167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvP5RdJW7G
say something. After averting his eyes from the penetrating pools of blue,167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULIflB7zhz
Jesse shifted in his seat, folding into himself slightly, trying to make167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPgjlWovwq
himself invisible. Why was he just staring? The silence between the two167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj38Y4hrQGE
lengthened. Jesse shuffled his body slightly and looked at the ground,167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1FiEoCwar
uncomfortable with the kid’s overwhelming presence. He could feel his gaze.
Flicking his eyes back towards the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3OIsd7mk6
boy momentarily, he catches the sight of the boy’s retreating back. His eyes167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraf8YNNBz4
follow him as he gets smaller and smaller, noting that the boy was far taller167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJEe3WJvZ1
than he had appeared. Far, far taller than Jesse was surely. Before long, the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpHQthbA9Q
boy was nothing more than a black speck in the distance, vanishing from sight.
167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Vrvbowmrv
Jesse let167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8dRqrcR8W
out a breath, on he hadn’t realized he was holding, and tried to not let the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsxQZbUKj0
events that had just transpired consume his thoughts.
As the final bell rang, a vast167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vqtWSlIKN
expanse of teens flooded the hallway. Jesse was jostled slightly as he fought167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0bhPWTxaE
his way through the sea of bodies. The sooner he emptied his bag into his167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4dHsw4ziy
locker, the sooner he’d be back home, in front of his computer. Today had been167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26GHI2LEyf
yet another dull day; pretending to listen to the teachers drone on and on;167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXh1c5oIZ6
ignoring the petty cliques that had formed well before he had transferred to167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImvPv0NrsF
this lame ass school; barely stomaching shitty cafeteria food. The only167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGO0U1Wkc3r
memorable part of the day had been the mystery boy. Jesse couldn’t get his eyes167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iGAEQu0MD
out of his head.
Having only been in this school for167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPQ5BuX0IL
a month, Jesse sure as hell didn’t know all the kids that went here, but he167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1VQ2Q6gHz
couldn’t help but think that he would remember someone so off putting. He167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGVqmq7vCC
shakes his head of the thought as he reaches his locker. Failing to put in his167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkN8BMXOuq
code correctly the first try, he curses under his breath and spins the dial167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQooWTen9c
around again. Finally succeeding in opening his locker, he begins stuffing his167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU597sipAhh
textbooks onto the top shelf, feeling rather impatient.
Just as he is about to slam the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5KtjPpCAS
locker door, he overhears a hushed conversation two lockers down from his, and167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwDk7OCQNS
slows himself, pretending to search for something.
“…parently he just got back. I167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCb0FlHYSVg
don’t know what they were thinking letting that psycho back in.”
“Right?! Who knows what he’s167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZoKkxZyk2
capable of?”
“I thought for sure he’d be167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpIHRJ4xSF
expelled this tim…”
The voices faded from ear shot as167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LOj7WrNCQ
the owners drifted down the hall towards the exit.
Sighing and slamming his locker167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0XTzS2PmP
shut, Jesse followed behind at a distance. He had no clue what or who they had167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurPPzwEQoj
been talking about, but his stomach was turning knots.
He made his way out the door and167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBMWnzQZMX
trudged down the road. He walked to and from school every day. It wasn’t really167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzTOuXDg9U
that he had to, his mom would have happily come to pick him up if he had asked,167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuTWHhxKP5
but he liked the solitude and silence of the short walk.
The driveway was empty when Jesse167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTf8ill2oR
arrived home, telling him that his mother had not yet returned, not that he167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvN3aObImy
expected her home anyway. She’d been coming home later since they moved.
Sighing, he slid his key into the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEQgnrfZ5Z
lock, but before he was able to unlock the door, a bang from his left startled167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHqxYsmzaZ
him, making him flinch inward, his face scrunching up. Turning to look at where167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLyAOoHghW
the sound had come from, his eyes grew wide. The tall boy was standing on the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKSPoJzAzC
porch next door, staring at him.
Again, Jesse noted just how cold167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblJZiFL5Ft
his stare was. Pale blue eyes, void of emotion, bore into his own olive-colored167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayTBGbPXiN
ones. Jesse stared back, uncertainty etched across his face.
Jesse cleared his throat,167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHbkh3AZwU
hesitating a moment before speaking.
“Hi, uhmm… I’m Jesse. I moved here167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57zaiV1QfC
last week. I take it you’re our neighbor?”
Jesse’s question lingered in the167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW44zkCR0v4
air as the boy continued to stare at him. Becoming even more uncomfortable with167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGHdCoiVw4
the kid’s intense eyes fixed on him, Jesse moved to unlock the door.
“Adam.”
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Jesse167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqFG84qmQo
whipped his head back towards the boy as the screen door of the neighbor’s home167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNn28RjBzr
slammed shut. 167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJlzVTOBJz
167Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSH6JZoGlK
