Quiet
five
"Shit, wonder how long the movers have been here for." Dad says as we pull up to what is to be our new house. It's far from new though. "You can have the first choice of room of course." Of course. Since Kyra will be staying in Seattle. Still can't believe you actually allowed her to live with her friend. Sounds like a disaster.
Dad opens the passenger door for me. I step out, taking in a deep breathe as I do. Smells like fish. I crinkle my nose. I follow Dad into the house, but he disappears down the hallway and I make my way upstairs. I peek my head into the first door on the right. Small. No closet. Next. I walk down the hallway to the next door. This must be the master. Mom and Dad will want this one. To the next.
I open the next door, which conceals a staircase. It's musty, and the stairs look like they haven't been used in years. I walk up them to a large attic space. There's a few old boxes in the far corner of the room, collecting dust. A large circular window looks over the other houses in this neighborhood, out of the trees with just a little view of the water. Perfect, this will be my room.
"Dyl? Are you up there?" Dad calls. I walk towards the stairs and wave him up. "This place could use a good dusting. Did you pick a room?" I nod. "Well which one?" I point to the ground. This one.
"You want to be up here? All by yourself? Why?" He asks and I point out the window. "Ah, well it needs a deep cleaning. You sure you're up for the task?" He asks with his hands on his hips. I cross my arms over my chest. I'm not incapable of completing simple tasks, Dad."Well okay. Come get a broom! You'll want to get started right away, I'll be sending the movers up with your stuff shortly."
I do as he says and gather cleaning supplies. I push the boxes closer to the door, kicking up a bunch of dust. I sure do like a challenge, don't I. I begin sweeping kicking up even more dust. I'm going to die from dust. I set the broom down and make way for the window. Stupid old house with stupid old windows. I try shoving it open but it won't budge.
"Need help?" An unfamiliar voice says from the door way. Who the fuck are you? And how did you get up those stairs without making a noise? Where's my dad? "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." The young man says, stepping forward. His unbrushed hair reaches below his shoulders. He's wearing a studded leather jacket and ripped jeans and for a brief moment I almost scream. But I don't. I step away as he approaches the window.
"It's an old house, you gotta push out at just the right angle." He says as the window pops open. Thanks, now again, who are you?
"I'm Collin, by the way. I didn't mean to scare ya. I'm with the other movers downstairs. Your dad said there might be some boxes up here to get out of the way?" He says, tucking his hair behind his ear. I look towards the boxes by the stares. "What you can't talk or something?" He asks, and I furrow my brows. You can take those boxes and get out of here now. "You know you look kind of familiar?" Yes, I know. Everyone has seen me get my ass kicked. Now go. Please.
He shrugs and begins picking up the boxes. "Well I'll see you at school I guess." What? "There's only one school on this side of town, and I live only a few blocks away, so I figured I'd see you there." He says before walking downstairs.
Great, that's what I need. Some strange punk kid to bother me at school. I'm so over this town already. Kyra had the right idea, staying. I should've told them I didn't want to leave, but even when I want to speak the words just don't come out.
Dad opens the passenger door for me. I step out, taking in a deep breathe as I do. Smells like fish. I crinkle my nose. I follow Dad into the house, but he disappears down the hallway and I make my way upstairs. I peek my head into the first door on the right. Small. No closet. Next. I walk down the hallway to the next door. This must be the master. Mom and Dad will want this one. To the next.
I open the next door, which conceals a staircase. It's musty, and the stairs look like they haven't been used in years. I walk up them to a large attic space. There's a few old boxes in the far corner of the room, collecting dust. A large circular window looks over the other houses in this neighborhood, out of the trees with just a little view of the water. Perfect, this will be my room.
"Dyl? Are you up there?" Dad calls. I walk towards the stairs and wave him up. "This place could use a good dusting. Did you pick a room?" I nod. "Well which one?" I point to the ground. This one.
"You want to be up here? All by yourself? Why?" He asks and I point out the window. "Ah, well it needs a deep cleaning. You sure you're up for the task?" He asks with his hands on his hips. I cross my arms over my chest. I'm not incapable of completing simple tasks, Dad."Well okay. Come get a broom! You'll want to get started right away, I'll be sending the movers up with your stuff shortly."
I do as he says and gather cleaning supplies. I push the boxes closer to the door, kicking up a bunch of dust. I sure do like a challenge, don't I. I begin sweeping kicking up even more dust. I'm going to die from dust. I set the broom down and make way for the window. Stupid old house with stupid old windows. I try shoving it open but it won't budge.
"Need help?" An unfamiliar voice says from the door way. Who the fuck are you? And how did you get up those stairs without making a noise? Where's my dad? "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." The young man says, stepping forward. His unbrushed hair reaches below his shoulders. He's wearing a studded leather jacket and ripped jeans and for a brief moment I almost scream. But I don't. I step away as he approaches the window.
"It's an old house, you gotta push out at just the right angle." He says as the window pops open. Thanks, now again, who are you?
"I'm Collin, by the way. I didn't mean to scare ya. I'm with the other movers downstairs. Your dad said there might be some boxes up here to get out of the way?" He says, tucking his hair behind his ear. I look towards the boxes by the stares. "What you can't talk or something?" He asks, and I furrow my brows. You can take those boxes and get out of here now. "You know you look kind of familiar?" Yes, I know. Everyone has seen me get my ass kicked. Now go. Please.
He shrugs and begins picking up the boxes. "Well I'll see you at school I guess." What? "There's only one school on this side of town, and I live only a few blocks away, so I figured I'd see you there." He says before walking downstairs.
Great, that's what I need. Some strange punk kid to bother me at school. I'm so over this town already. Kyra had the right idea, staying. I should've told them I didn't want to leave, but even when I want to speak the words just don't come out.