New Neighbor

I stood in the towns only normal sized store with Faye, I held the small basket you can get instead of a cart, while she shopped. "Tape, ibuprofen, toothpaste.." As she read off her list she would toss the items at me so I could put them in the basket.

Faye had questioned the cut on my face, I simply told her the truth. Nothing to hide. She laughed up until the part where i went into his house. "Bo" She had said in her sisterly tone "How stupid can you be? going into a strange mans house is like strike one in mom's rule book!" Though she didn't like it, she kept her mouth shut and didn't breathe a word of it to our mother.

"Do you remember what kind of battery's we need?" She ask looking at me, we stood in front of a rack of battery's and flashlights.

I opened my mouth to answer that I didn't know when her phone began ringing. She dug it out of her jean pocket and pressed it to her face, pushing the 'talk' button.

"Hey baby" I rolled my eye's it was her boyfriend, Max. It's not that I hated Max, it's that they had a very mushy gushy, lovey dovey relationship. One that made me want to gag. She paused for a minute then giggled like she was back in high school. She turned to me, covering the mouth piece.

"I'm going outside for a second, you can check out" She threw the crumpled up list and her wallet at me and hurried out the store.

With a groan I smoothed out the list and tried to read our mothers bad handwriting. There was one thing left we hadn't gotten, pens. I found the pens easily, they were on sale in a big cardboard box. I looked inside, there were many different types. Pain white and black, little kiddy rainbow ones and a million different patterned ones. I went to grab a pack of the plain ones just as someone else did. "Sorry" I mumbled quickly grabbing another kiddy packet.

"It's-oh hey it's you" Wondering what this person meant I looked up to see Enrique standing there the plain pens in his hands.

"Hi" I tried to keep the strange girlish glee that was creepy up my throat out of my voice.

"How's your face?" He gentle touched my cheek turning my face so he could see it better. "Look like it's healing okay"

"The stinging stopped so it must be" I smiled and absentmindedly went to touch my wound, but my fingers came in contact with hand instead. He must thought I was pushing him away, because he dropped his hand and murmured an apology.

I missed the feeling of him touching my face.

"So how are you?" I said, putting the pens in the basket and looking at him.

"I'm doing good, trying to settle in, it's hard not knowing my way around. It took me almost an hour to find this place" He laughed and a little giggle escaped my throat.

"Well if you ever need directions I'd be glad to help" I stated looking down.

"Well since you say that, would you mind showing me where the Julia's BookStore is?" I was surprised and happy that he asked about shop.

"That's my moms shop" I grinned "I can show you, but I need to check out" I offered, motioning with the basket to the checkout counter.

"Oh go ahead, I need to get some stuff anyway, say we meet outside in ten minutes?" He questioned, I nodded, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

I sat on the old wood bench outside the store after putting what I bought in the car. Faye was still on the phone with Max and was so caught up with her conversion she only waved me away when I told her.

Enrique came out of the store, only a small bag in hand. I stood up quickly, smiling "It's right down the rode, we can walk- "Or we can take my car" He said "It's very hot out and I get over heated easily" He explained.

"Uh okay" I was very unsure of the situation. I could here alarm bells going off in my head and my mothers voice warning me 'Never get a strangers car!' But he wasn't a stranger exactly, I mean if he had wanted to hurt he could have done it when I went inside his house.

Besides he's perfectly nice...right?

He put his hand on my mid back and lead me to his car, opening the door for me. I climbed in quietly and he shut the door.

The drive was silent, awkward and seemed to last a life time when it was only a two minute drive. "It's right there" I pointed out the window, finally speaking. He parked along side the curb and we got out.

Inside the store it was cool and dark, with not any noise, it was one of those slow days.

"Mom!" I called out.

"She isn't here" Said Lucy, the hired summer help, coming out of the back room. "And I'm leaving too, business is really slow, might as well take my lunch break" She said grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. "You can help your little friend there out yourself, buh bye" She walked out without a second glance back.

Looking at Enrique, I clasped my hands together "So what are you looking for?"