She Fell For The Boy Next Door

Friday afternoon. The end of the day.
“Holidays!” Alice whooped, laughing and kicking up snow.
During a New Hampshire Christmas, snow was everywhere. Alice was not fond of it, but she was so happy she didn’t care. Cale chuckled, reaching for Alice’s hand, intertwining their fingers. His hand was warm and Alice’s fingers were soon heated up, although the rest of her body remained cold.
“Mine or yours?” Cale asked, his routine question.
Alice tipped her head back to face him and smiled.
“Yours” she said.
Cale switched hands, grabbing Alice’s left with his left and slinging his right arm around her shoulders. He matched his footsteps to hers and she giggled girlishly.
As soon as the sound left her throat, a sharp look of shock crossed Alice’s features. She wasn’t the only one surprised.
“Where did that come from??” Cale asked incredulously.
“I don’t know” Alice replied with a small pause between each word.
“You’re cute” Cale said, laughing.
Alice rolled her eyes.
“Uh huh” she said sarcastically.
Cale ignored that and gently pushed Alice up the steps to his house. Walking through the front door, she was immediately knocked backwards by a furry gray and white husky puppy. She landed in Cale’s arms, resting easily as the dog continued to leap up on her.
“Saffy, down!” Cale commanded, carefully leaning Alice back onto her feet.
Saffy sat, tail wagging maniacally, her tongue lolling in a happy doggy grin.
Alice knelt down and patted Saffy, scratching behind her ears.
“That dog just loves you, girl” Cale’s dad said as he came through to the entry hall to greet his son.
Alice grinned at him and stood, facing him for their customary hug.
“I hear you’re dating my clown of a son?” William said, fondly ruffling Cale’s thick hair.
Cale batted his father’s hand away, ducking out of his reach.
“Yes” Alice said, smiling shyly.
William’s warm smile turned serious and he stared at Cale sharply.
“You take good care of her, OK?” he said solidly.
Cale wrapped one arm around Alice’s waist and pulled her to his side.
“I will” he said, mostly to Alice.
William nodded, satisfied.
“I bought something for you; it’s up on your bed” he told Cale slyly.
Alice missed the wink he gave Cale but Cale didn’t. He was horrorstruck, glaring coldly at his dad, before he let go of Alice and flat out sprinted upstairs to his bedroom.
Slightly confused, Alice followed him up. She paused at the threshold, watching as Cale’s shoulders tensed beneath the fabric of his white T shirt. He was holding something in his hands, staring down at it.
Alice moved into the room, changing angles until she could see Cale’s face properly. The clearly angry, fixed expression on his face worried her. Alice walked towards Cale and put her head on his shoulder. She glanced at the box he was clutching and froze, gripping tightly to Cale’s right hand.
“Arrgh, I do not like my dad right now!” Cale groaned, frustrated.
He sat on the edge of his bed and tossed the brightly colored box onto the carpet.
Alice said nothing, rubbing her thumb over the back of Cale’s hand. She knew he would rant for a while before quieting down.
“I was taught all this when I was 13, why is he throwing it at me now? He doesn’t believe in the same values or morals as me, can I move in with you?” Cale muttered loudly, half to himself.
“You love your parents, and you know it” Alice chastised him, kissing him on the cheek multiple times.
“I’d still rather live with you” Cale argued pleadingly, widening his green eyes and giving Alice his puppy dog look.
She glanced swiftly away, throwing her hands up in front of her face.
“No, don’t give me that face!” she begged him, turning fully away from his gaze.
Alice bounced off the bed, snatched the box off the floor. She pulled out one of Cale’s drawers, lifted his T shirts out of the way and tucked the pack underneath.
Turning back, Alice saw Cale looking at her, disbelief apparent in his eyes.
“You want me to keep them?” he asked, shocked.
Alice shrugged.
“I don’t see why not” she said with a tiny smile.
Cale raised an eyebrow, and then he changed the subject.
“Who is it that’s coming to see you from L.A.?” he asked.
“Abbey” Alice replied, lying on her stomach on the floor.
“When’s she arriving?”
“Tomorrow afternoon” Alice told him, lazily closing her eyes and resting her head on her arms.
Cale got down on the floor next to her and ran his fingers through her hair, producing a smile and a search for his hand. He gave it to her and she kissed his palm.
During the next four hours, Alice went home, had dinner, kissed her parents and her sister goodnight, and went to bed.
At precisely midnight, a piece of the moon shone silver in the night sky and Alice was gone. She had disappeared into the black.