Love Thy Neighbour

“School?” I yawned, “What’s that?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Ant replied distractedly as he tugged on my blanket, “Maybe a place you need to go to?!” With that, Ant pulled off my blanket, leaving me bare with my mismatched pajamas.

I groaned as I curled into a ball, “Okay, okay. I’m up, I’m up!” I hated the feeling of having no blanket in bed; it made me feel naked and vulnerable.

“Then hurry up and get ready!”

I shut my eyes and try to will my blanket to reappear and my brother to disappear. It doesn’t work. “Since when were you so excited to get to school?” I whined.

“Since when were you not?”

“Funny,” I grumbled as I tried to throw one of my pillows at Ant. Missed. Darn. “Now get out, I need to change.”

“Alright, just hurry up because your little boyfriend is coming to pick you up in thirty minutes.”

“Ugh, so soon?! Wait, what?” I fell off the bed, now fully awake, “What?! Who?! Why?!”

Ant gave me a weird look. “Kal and Kaz are going to drop us off at school.”

Why them? But before I could complain or say anything, Ant threw the blanket over my head, “So hurry up.”



“Good morning Kal,” I greeted Kal as we got into the car. Kal nodded in return. As I began to buckle my seatbelt I grunted to the thing next to me, “Khristiano, now tell me in the least amount of words everything I need to know about school before we get there.”

Khristiano looked mock hurt, “What? No ‘Good morning Kaz, how are you? Thank you for carrying me home because silly ol’ me fainted and to return the debt I owe you my life’?”

I turned to Khristiano in horror, “Don’t tell me you…”

“Yeah, he did.” Ant replied dully, adjusting the radio station.

I threw a look of disgust at Ant. How could he?! “You’re my brother! Why didn’t you carry me?!”

“Because your heavy.” Ant replied in a ‘duh’ voice.

“Are you that weak?!” I groaned as I slumped into my seat. Great! Now I owe Khristiano! And I hate owing people! I turned to Khristiano and glared at him. “Since I never asked, you didn’t carry me. Also, the fact that you carried me is not true – I’ll never believe it.”

Khristiano raised an eyebrow.

“I owe you nothing!” I dramatically insisted.

“Only a life’s worth of servitude.” Khristiano replied coolly.

I groaned in frustration. It’s decided. I was going to ignore him for the rest of the trip.



“And how may I help you?” The office secretary smiled. She looked like those kind old ladies that gave children candy. I immediately decided I liked her.

“This,” Khristiano gestured at me, “is new here and we’re here to collect her papers, time tables and that stuff.”

The old lady warmly smiled at me, “Ah, Miss Lyzelle Costanzo, I take it?”

I couldn’t help but smile in return, secretly hoping she’d give me candy for being polite, “Yes, that would be me.”

The old lady then handed me a whole heap of papers. My smile faltered. Only a little.

“Here is a school map, this is your class schedule and this is your time table. Here is a list of all the teachers and this is the school pamphlet. You may want to read it as it contains the school conduct code and what is expected of you. Oh yes, and this is your student handbook, which you must keep with you at all times.”

I nodded. Great, what is with all this paperwork?!

“If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask a teacher,” the old lady turned to Khristiano, “or your friend.”

I must have made a face because the old lady opened her mouth but hesitated, “Miss Costanzo, is Mr. Valentino – ”

Khristiano interrupted her, “Will she need to see the principal?”

“Well, yes but – ”

Khristiano took my hand, “Okay, we’ll leave now. Thanks Heather. See you!” He then practically dragged me out of the secretary's office.

“What was that about – ”

“See,” Khristiano interrupted me and nodded towards the direction of a fancy looking office, “that’s the principal’s office.”

“Right then. Um. Thanks.” I looked at Khristiano. He was still holding my hand.

“Hey Lyzelle…” He began awkwardly, “Um, about your surname…”

“Hmm?” I gave him a weird look. Couldn’t he tell I wanted him to let go already?

“What is it?”

I frowned at him. Was he deaf? Didn’t he hear it before? “It’s Costanzo.”

Realizing he was still holding my hand, Khristiano immediately let go of my hand. “Oh okay. Just making sure.” Khristiano frowned and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

I stared at him for a brief moment before shrugging it off. Who cares? He was always a weird one. I sighed. “Hey, um. Will you come with me?”

For a brief moment Khristiano looked distracted.

I mentally groaned and repeated my question, only louder, “Hey, are you coming with me?”

At that, Khristiano had snapped out of his thoughts. “Pardon?”

“Khristiano, are you coming?” I exasperatedly asked.

Khristiano blinked, “Depends,” then smirked, “do you want me to?”

I looked at him weirdly, unsure by the tone of his voice, “Um, yes?” Why would I ask if I didn’t want him to? As if I wanted to face the principal alone when I could have another student with me.

Khristiano’s smirk grew wicked, “Alright Lyzelle. I’m coming.”

I blinked at him. “Okay then.”

But he just chuckled and shook his head, “Forget it, you don’t even get it.”

I frowned at him, “Get what? What do you mean?”

Khristiano opened his mouth, but a deep voice boomed from the office that marked ‘principal’ on it.

“Miss Lyzelle Costanzo?”