My Neighbor Is an Alien

Springshire was a small town with a population of about five hundred people. It was an old farmer’s town. Most of the people who lived there were older folk. It was a conservative town. The people were kind and most of the time wouldn’t hesitate to help a neighbor.

Stephanie was a college graduate with an elementary teaching degree. She found a job as a fourth grade teacher in Springshire. She had a small one story house with neighbors on each side. One house was empty until just the other day.

One day in the afternoon around 4:00pm she sat on the cement stoop of her back door and watched as a moving truck parked in front of the empty house. A slick black car pulled up behind it and out of it came a man and a boy. The boy looked to be about the age she would be teaching. Stephanie tilted her head; she thought it would be interesting to live by one of her future student. The man looked to be in his early thirties.

Stephanie brought her mug of hot hazelnut coffee up to her lips with both hands and sipped at it. She noticed the father of the child look her way. She thought it would be kind to wave, so she did with a warm smile on her face.

The man gave her a cold, emotionless look and proceeded moving in to their new house. Stephanie dropped into thought, keeping an eye on her new neighbors. It was the most excitement she had all day, and that was saying a lot for teaching a fourth grade class full of kids who constantly were bouncing off the walls. It was a Thursday too, the day before everyone’s favorite day.

It was nearing supper time and the sun was setting. Stephanie finished her coffee and mixed up some instant potatoes. She walked passed dining room where her large florescent rectangular fish tank was. She set down her plate of food and picked up the fish food lying on the counter. “Supper time for you too, fishies!” she said as she pinched a good amount of fish food in her fingers. She held her hand over the tank, but before she had even dropped the food into the tank, all the fishes swam to the top and swarmed. It always gave her a chuckle to see them do that.

The night continued being a silent one.

---

It had been a couple days later. The new neighbors were moved in and comfortable. Soon Stephanie was notified of the new student, whose name was Ryan. He was going to be in class tomorrow. Stephanie once again made her some coffee and sat out on the stoop of her porch again. She was mulling the thought of visiting her new neighbors and saying hello to her new student. Her curiosity to know these new people pushed her into giving in. After setting her finished coffee mug in her door, she went up the sidewalk a little ways and stopped at the front door. She saw a doorbell, but wasn’t sure if it would work or not. The house was older, so maybe the doorbell didn’t work. Stephanie tried it anyway. She put her ear close to the door to hear it go off. Stephanie was just peeling her ear from the door when—

Startled, she looked up to the door, the man stood there looking at her coldly. The outside door was still closed. He didn’t bother opening it. He seemed rather intimidating, and his look was, as far as Stephanie had seen, always cold.

“Hey, neighbor!” she announced with a proud look on her face, “I’m your next door neighbor, just across the way,” she pointed with her thumb, her head inclined in that direction.

“I saw you yesterday.” He said, his voice was low and bass. He had mildly long hair that was slightly curly at the ends, and a little more than just a five o’clock shadow. His eyes were hazel and his eyebrows full. He was a toned man, probably, as one would assume, very handsome looking, a little too handsome. There was something about pretty men that Stephanie just didn’t like.

“I hear your son is enrolled into our school. I’m his homeroom teacher, Stephanie Moore.”

The man finally seemed to give her way. He, even though he seemed annoyed to do so, opened the door to give her his hand in greeting. “Matt Hamilton.” He shook.

“Well, it’s nice to have someone in this empty house. I’m a little new here too. But, I like to get to know people.”

Matt could plainly see that in her. He gave her a wide-eye look, almost as if to say, you-don’t-say?

“Well, you know where I am, if you need anything, feel free to come by!”

Matt nodded. “I’ll make a note of that.”

Stephanie smiled awkwardly, “Well, okay,” she said, still feeling awkward. She lifted her hand, “Bye!” she waved.

The man nodded again and shut the outside door, sneaking back inside the house and then shut the inside door. Stephanie then hopped down the stairs and made it back to her place, and started supper.