Sweat trickled down Jesse’s brow as he reclined on the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sQhKBN067
bleachers behind him. As he watched his classmates make yet another lap around233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd91qfnv0x9
the track, his mind was consumed by one thought:
It was fucking hot.
Jesse had been forced to transfer233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRG0wvYVC4
schools. It was close to graduation, he hadn’t wanted to leave, but his mom had233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxHz4vHar6
insisted. She told him he needed a “fresh start”. That wasn’t what he needed,233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiOurv6QHG
or wanted, but what did she care? Now here he was, sitting behind the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eiOFrEpx1
bleachers, avoiding the P.E. teacher, and this god-awful heat.
He turned to inspect the open field233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJtmqtpcPP
to his left, and instead of green, all he saw was blue. Pale, icy blue. Jesse233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7w6RDyJLu
reeled slightly, taken aback by the sudden intrusion into his personal space.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpVeWeXSJB
He hadn’t even heard the person approach, but here he was, sitting next to him,233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRkxHhvstf
staring. Jesse takes in the boy. Everything about him seems mundane. His baggy233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0f4nFJmFs
clothes, his short cut, blonde hair, even the shape of his face was just…233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nvnyKaa6Z
ordinary. The only striking feature on him were his eyes. Devoid of emotion,233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeGBLA5VZ1
they made Jesse feel like he was looking into a deep, clear lake. One you would233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMwZDoUwTf
drown in if you weren’t cautious enough.
Throughout Jesse’s pondering, the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJtxKJ2uLG
boy had remained silent, and it was beginning to make Jesse uncomfortable. How233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUo2hZAFIx
could such an intense, empty gaze like that not? He didn’t want to be233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFDrF9c0fa
the one to break the silence. What would he even say? He dropped his gaze once233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeROuxU7M9f
he realized there was no figuring out who this person was and waited for him to233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadV72tMkVc
say something. After averting his eyes from the penetrating pools of blue,233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvj9JbmeXp
Jesse shifted in his seat, folding into himself slightly, trying to make233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe0RWsFXuf
himself invisible. Why was he just staring? The silence between the two233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfW6h23V7Yg
lengthened. Jesse shuffled his body slightly and looked at the ground,233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFb8RjLstMQ
uncomfortable with the kid’s overwhelming presence. He could feel his gaze.
Flicking his eyes back towards the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9B59srv5JO
boy momentarily, he catches the sight of the boy’s retreating back. His eyes233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82xwkDmh60
follow him as he gets smaller and smaller, noting that the boy was far taller233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3C9esWaXi
than he had appeared. Far, far taller than Jesse was surely. Before long, the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOctEaF72JA
boy was nothing more than a black speck in the distance, vanishing from sight.
233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohbRJHyszG
Jesse let233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BEIc3AvJl
out a breath, on he hadn’t realized he was holding, and tried to not let the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡav2ca86GDQ
events that had just transpired consume his thoughts.
As the final bell rang, a vast233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9C7vB1TWq
expanse of teens flooded the hallway. Jesse was jostled slightly as he fought233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8v8tkTKMF
his way through the sea of bodies. The sooner he emptied his bag into his233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpeWeZAiDZ
locker, the sooner he’d be back home, in front of his computer. Today had been233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1jVxFfdb6
yet another dull day; pretending to listen to the teachers drone on and on;233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJZmHk07jZ
ignoring the petty cliques that had formed well before he had transferred to233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFvs6XDRd5
this lame ass school; barely stomaching shitty cafeteria food. The only233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiw4IdMZ4M
memorable part of the day had been the mystery boy. Jesse couldn’t get his eyes233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4nT8s1NB3
out of his head.
Having only been in this school for233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GoIVi4ILA
a month, Jesse sure as hell didn’t know all the kids that went here, but he233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXqsGeAbNU
couldn’t help but think that he would remember someone so off putting. He233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ2m19tO1h
shakes his head of the thought as he reaches his locker. Failing to put in his233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnReuiMnqmu
code correctly the first try, he curses under his breath and spins the dial233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnhMdOfKPI
around again. Finally succeeding in opening his locker, he begins stuffing his233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5KYcrLPoz
textbooks onto the top shelf, feeling rather impatient.
Just as he is about to slam the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDXr6uOCIr
locker door, he overhears a hushed conversation two lockers down from his, and233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSZi1tqENO
slows himself, pretending to search for something.
“…parently he just got back. I233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaUqXLHL40
don’t know what they were thinking letting that psycho back in.”
“Right?! Who knows what he’s233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy93bHOWebp
capable of?”
“I thought for sure he’d be233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvw137UgQ4A
expelled this tim…”
The voices faded from ear shot as233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDGc5mFngO
the owners drifted down the hall towards the exit.
Sighing and slamming his locker233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡar1dUPd4nV
shut, Jesse followed behind at a distance. He had no clue what or who they had233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDTeEMK1yL
been talking about, but his stomach was turning knots.
He made his way out the door and233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4eFhCxrJ5
trudged down the road. He walked to and from school every day. It wasn’t really233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1fjAzT9aY
that he had to, his mom would have happily come to pick him up if he had asked,233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dQrTdUHeP
but he liked the solitude and silence of the short walk.
The driveway was empty when Jesse233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtoasiXN60
arrived home, telling him that his mother had not yet returned, not that he233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8DVYauQj8
expected her home anyway. She’d been coming home later since they moved.
Sighing, he slid his key into the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrNuimXgsd
lock, but before he was able to unlock the door, a bang from his left startled233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKr0q9cK1u
him, making him flinch inward, his face scrunching up. Turning to look at where233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeAMDDBHKH
the sound had come from, his eyes grew wide. The tall boy was standing on the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgAZhiEdQo
porch next door, staring at him.
Again, Jesse noted just how cold233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20RbPNPvMr
his stare was. Pale blue eyes, void of emotion, bore into his own olive-colored233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoSJDlQDBD
ones. Jesse stared back, uncertainty etched across his face.
Jesse cleared his throat,233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqTqQY0Rvh
hesitating a moment before speaking.
“Hi, uhmm… I’m Jesse. I moved here233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyxL5XyRrh
last week. I take it you’re our neighbor?”
Jesse’s question lingered in the233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmwzXUgoHw
air as the boy continued to stare at him. Becoming even more uncomfortable with233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZVphTFF9w
the kid’s intense eyes fixed on him, Jesse moved to unlock the door.
“Adam.”
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Jesse233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwY9qcb6BPd
whipped his head back towards the boy as the screen door of the neighbor’s home233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqWMNojtRt
slammed shut. 233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcjNGqiD5m
233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKA1P6KJfw
