Boy Next Door

“Mom, I’m home!” I yelled as I walked through the front door of my home. I was immediately greeted by my gray Siberian husky, Balto. I knelt down so I was eye-level with him. He started licking my face just like he always used to do when I was home. Balto started walking into the kitchen, so I followed behind him. I looked around the kitchen, but no one was in-sight. The house was abnormally quiet, which meant no one was home. I just figured that my dad was at work and my mom was at the store.

I walked back out to my car, Balto trotting happily behind me, to grab my suitcases. I brought each one up to my room one by one until the trunk of my car was completely empty. Balto hopped up on my bed and sat there, staring at me, while wagging his tail wildly in the air. I sat next to him and started petting him. I looked over at my gray suitcases and realized that I’m going to be here for the next couple of months, so I mind as well as unpack. Just as I finished hanging up all of my shirts I heard the front door open and close. I walked started down the steps and heard my mother talking to someone. I walked into the kitchen and looked over at my mom.

“Oh hunny! You’re home! I’ve missed you so much!” she said as she ran over to me and wrapped me into a bone-crushing hug.

“I’ve missed you too mom,” I said as I hugged her back. I stepped back and noticed that the person that my mom was talking to was now behind me. I turned around and saw my older sister standing there with a huge grin on her face. “MADISON!” I screamed as I hugged her.

“DANIELLE!” she screamed back with just as much excitement.

“How come she got a warmer hello than me?” my mom asked sarcastically.

“Because I didn’t think she was coming home until July. Why didn’t you guys tell me she was coming down earlier?” I asked, upset that I wasn’t notified about this earlier.

“Honestly Danielle, I didn’t know she was coming home today either. She just showed up and we decided to go out to lunch,” my mom responded.

“So Maddie,” I said turning around to face her. “Why did you come home early?”

“Yes Madison. Why didn’t you tell you’re very own mother that you were coming home four months earlier than planned?” my mom added.

“Because I have some very special news to tell you guys.”

“What?” my mother and I said simultaneously.

“Well, I was going to wait until Dad got home to tell you, but… I’M ENGAGED!” she said as she held up her left hand to show us the ring.

“Oh my gosh! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I yelled at her.

“Because I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Wanted what to be a surprise?” my father added as he walked into the kitchen. I jumped, not knowing that he had walked into the house.

“I’m getting married!” Madison squealed.

“Oh that’s wonderful,” my father responded.

After all the excitement about Madison getting engaged was over I went back up to my room to finish unpacking. A few minutes later, Madison came in with my phone. “You left your phone downstairs Dannie.”

“Oh thanks,” I said as she sat down on my bed. I sighed, knowing that she wanted to have a talk.

“So who are those guys on the background of your phone?” she asked. I gave her an ‘are you serious?’ look. I thought for sure she would know who it was since the background was the four guys on either side of me wearing their Ranger’s jersey and me wearing my NYU Violet’s uniform. “Oh, I’m just kidding. What I really wanted to say was, HOW THE HELL DID YOU MEET THOSE GUYS!” she screamed at me.

“Oh,” I said chuckling. “They’re kind of my best friends now.” I looked over at her and saw that her jaw had dropped to the floor.

“How did you meet them?” she asked me again.

“Well they went to dinner at the dinner I work at one night. We just started talking and instantly became friends.”

“Just friends?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Yes Madison. We are just friends, nothing more.”

“Okay,” she sang as she walked out of the door. I stuck my tongue out at her as she turned around and walked to her room. I finished putting all of my clothes away and went to take a nap on my bed with Balto lying on the foot of my bed.

“Danielle, wake up. It’s time for dinner,” my mom said as she shook me awake.

“M’kay Mom. I’ll be down in a minute.” I followed my mom downstairs and to the kitchen table where there were four bowls of pasta sitting on the table. Everyone sat down and started eating while catching up on everything.

After my sister told us that her wedding was going to be in September (Short notice, right?) she burst out, “Dannie has famous best friends!” I looked at her angrily, not wanted the attention on me.

“Really Danielle? Who are they?” my mother asked me, shocked laced into every word.

“Well Maddie, since you’re the one who brought it up, why don’t you tell them?” I said, with each word drenched in anger.

“Fine I will. Her new best friends are Marc Staal, Matt Gilroy, Michael Del Zotto, and Brandon Dubinsky.”

“So your friends are professional hockey players,” my dad said, shocked as well.

“Yes, I met them at the diner I work at when I’m at college.”

“Well good for you,” my mom said as she got up and started cleaning the dishes. I took this as an escape so I went upstairs to my room to go back to sleep.