Sweat trickled down Jesse’s brow as he reclined on the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZE2zTlXQs
bleachers behind him. As he watched his classmates make yet another lap around197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRe8Rs95M5P
the track, his mind was consumed by one thought:
It was fucking hot.
Jesse had been forced to transfer197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3CIOkZYv1
schools. It was close to graduation, he hadn’t wanted to leave, but his mom had197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb7WJG8p5k
insisted. She told him he needed a “fresh start”. That wasn’t what he needed,197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdPblAMn7h
or wanted, but what did she care? Now here he was, sitting behind the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPCpRqvD2l
bleachers, avoiding the P.E. teacher, and this god-awful heat.
He turned to inspect the open field197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArgkwjXZqc
to his left, and instead of green, all he saw was blue. Pale, icy blue. Jesse197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cVAKHql1E
reeled slightly, taken aback by the sudden intrusion into his personal space.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOt3DuUFCLO
He hadn’t even heard the person approach, but here he was, sitting next to him,197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzgy1XjOPV
staring. Jesse takes in the boy. Everything about him seems mundane. His baggy197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVt6PzSmMF
clothes, his short cut, blonde hair, even the shape of his face was just…197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BhMrvdbPl
ordinary. The only striking feature on him were his eyes. Devoid of emotion,197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYGHyCoHPE
they made Jesse feel like he was looking into a deep, clear lake. One you would197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuY5T4rWwwQ
drown in if you weren’t cautious enough.
Throughout Jesse’s pondering, the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKobTZioKDl
boy had remained silent, and it was beginning to make Jesse uncomfortable. How197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvklQjClG7
could such an intense, empty gaze like that not? He didn’t want to be197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4JYjKbMyi
the one to break the silence. What would he even say? He dropped his gaze once197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcUUdHBosd
he realized there was no figuring out who this person was and waited for him to197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAZaJ564ho
say something. After averting his eyes from the penetrating pools of blue,197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgvQWp77Lh
Jesse shifted in his seat, folding into himself slightly, trying to make197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxe81rW9JJG
himself invisible. Why was he just staring? The silence between the two197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPWhh5Cukz
lengthened. Jesse shuffled his body slightly and looked at the ground,197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5y6nmC8gj
uncomfortable with the kid’s overwhelming presence. He could feel his gaze.
Flicking his eyes back towards the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJ9MTGG6nh
boy momentarily, he catches the sight of the boy’s retreating back. His eyes197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSuqQCkkpA
follow him as he gets smaller and smaller, noting that the boy was far taller197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWsXVFS4Sq
than he had appeared. Far, far taller than Jesse was surely. Before long, the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ylf7BuAb0
boy was nothing more than a black speck in the distance, vanishing from sight.
197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDPhaLmTCh
Jesse let197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9yKtMx59H
out a breath, on he hadn’t realized he was holding, and tried to not let the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAH6bpqXW7X
events that had just transpired consume his thoughts.
As the final bell rang, a vast197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IMCzsuZcr
expanse of teens flooded the hallway. Jesse was jostled slightly as he fought197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSmG6st2nm
his way through the sea of bodies. The sooner he emptied his bag into his197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fftBb0HUT
locker, the sooner he’d be back home, in front of his computer. Today had been197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9H1Eyaf3As
yet another dull day; pretending to listen to the teachers drone on and on;197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQJr092LQt
ignoring the petty cliques that had formed well before he had transferred to197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEaFy4019Z
this lame ass school; barely stomaching shitty cafeteria food. The only197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyX3sC6eIC
memorable part of the day had been the mystery boy. Jesse couldn’t get his eyes197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5U6nWT6sp
out of his head.
Having only been in this school for197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TGnxsQ9lo
a month, Jesse sure as hell didn’t know all the kids that went here, but he197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsKnGS3B1T
couldn’t help but think that he would remember someone so off putting. He197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0ezW1NWCz
shakes his head of the thought as he reaches his locker. Failing to put in his197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSj4vHUEEh6
code correctly the first try, he curses under his breath and spins the dial197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SrvAMfkrx
around again. Finally succeeding in opening his locker, he begins stuffing his197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCONSezlKC
textbooks onto the top shelf, feeling rather impatient.
Just as he is about to slam the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksyJlC27ri
locker door, he overhears a hushed conversation two lockers down from his, and197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeEdHpCFCd
slows himself, pretending to search for something.
“…parently he just got back. I197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexFfAvEVbT
don’t know what they were thinking letting that psycho back in.”
“Right?! Who knows what he’s197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L0MSMPbGf
capable of?”
“I thought for sure he’d be197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04QFnm3FVg
expelled this tim…”
The voices faded from ear shot as197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5ghKCd2oQ
the owners drifted down the hall towards the exit.
Sighing and slamming his locker197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY06ptzHo0c
shut, Jesse followed behind at a distance. He had no clue what or who they had197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QxrMOs9SG
been talking about, but his stomach was turning knots.
He made his way out the door and197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1D5o2j2kf
trudged down the road. He walked to and from school every day. It wasn’t really197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISumYKwAY7
that he had to, his mom would have happily come to pick him up if he had asked,197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQJGOZSFhv
but he liked the solitude and silence of the short walk.
The driveway was empty when Jesse197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCxqH3EQLV
arrived home, telling him that his mother had not yet returned, not that he197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUxWETjDbS
expected her home anyway. She’d been coming home later since they moved.
Sighing, he slid his key into the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwTzW8OcbZ
lock, but before he was able to unlock the door, a bang from his left startled197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyskQySWRun
him, making him flinch inward, his face scrunching up. Turning to look at where197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLK3FoCcFz
the sound had come from, his eyes grew wide. The tall boy was standing on the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZKuZiBY0J
porch next door, staring at him.
Again, Jesse noted just how cold197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXic51nhLo7
his stare was. Pale blue eyes, void of emotion, bore into his own olive-colored197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Cg6Vl2feU
ones. Jesse stared back, uncertainty etched across his face.
Jesse cleared his throat,197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3zCKAUzUh
hesitating a moment before speaking.
“Hi, uhmm… I’m Jesse. I moved here197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XbzRoMIbE
last week. I take it you’re our neighbor?”
Jesse’s question lingered in the197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwvolLmu7s
air as the boy continued to stare at him. Becoming even more uncomfortable with197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CJ7HlcrKA
the kid’s intense eyes fixed on him, Jesse moved to unlock the door.
“Adam.”
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Jesse197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4ulnaShnA
whipped his head back towards the boy as the screen door of the neighbor’s home197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RatbAX0H5
slammed shut. 197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXvpQtIO4j
197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh5vvbuOxP
