With a pair of cut-off jean shorts on and a white tank top, I bound down the stairs. My mom was mopping the kitchen and my dad was sitting in the living room, his laptop resting on his lap.
“Hey, where are you heading?” he asked, briefly glancing up at me from his screen.
“Maylee is outside. I guess we are going to hang out,” I answered, shrugging my shoulders.
He stifled a laugh as he nodded his head. “Well, have fun,” he said. I guess it was strange for him, too, to see me making friends.
Walking outside, a nice breeze rustled the tree branches lining our property. For a July afternoon, it wasn’t too hot outside.
Maylee looked glamorous as always in a pair of tan, khaki shorts and a light pink halter top. Her jewel studded sandals gave her a modest, yet sophisticated look. I, on the other hand, looked like I was the before picture from one of those styling shows.
“So, I was thinking that I never got a chance to get your number. I don’t have too many friends around here, so it would be nice to have someone new to hang out with,” she said, her voice sounding tiny and unsure.
For someone so beautiful, she sure didn’t have a lot of confidence.
“That would be great. To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of friends back home either.”
We exchanged numbers and then stood there for a moment in awkward silence. Finally, Maylee spoke up. “I haven’t shown you around Nicholasville yet. Want a tour?” she asked.
“That would be great,” I exclaimed.
“Great. Let me run home and get my car,” she said, turning on her heel to leave.
I started to follow her, but she spun around and stopped me. “Maybe you should wait here,” she said, her eyes glancing back toward her house.
I stopped, a feeling of unease suddenly washing over me. Maybe she was just a private person, but she almost seemed fearful for me to follow her to her house. Not wanting to pry too much into it, I just nodded. “Ok, I will wait right here.”
In no time, I heard a car heading my way. To my surprise, a red BMW pulled into my driveway. I wasn’t expecting that.
As she pulled to a stop in front of me, I smiled as I got into the all leather interior. “Wow, your car is really nice,” I stated.
Maylee smiled as I closed the door. “I know, right!”
Just like her brother, she sped off toward the road, leaving me with whip-lash as I held on for dear life.
We began to drive and as I sat back, enjoying the beautiful scenery around me, Maylee began pointing out certain landmarks as she pretended to be a tour guide.
I was in awe of the charm, but also curious about my new friend.
The next morning, I found myself helping my mom unpack the rest of the kitchen items. We turned up the music on her Pandora station and danced around as we worked. Dad had been busy outside, cleaning up the landscaping and mowing the front yard.
Even though the house was air conditioned, the scorching heat from the afternoon summer heat still warmed my body.
Deciding to take a break, my mom fanned herself as she sat down at the kitchen table and poured us both a glass of lemonade.
“So, how was lunch out with your new friends?” mom asked, as she sipped the delicious treat.
“It was ok. Maylee is really nice, but her brother, Ace, is odd,” I remarked.
“Odd?” mom questioned, raising her eyes at me.
I guess I needed to clarify. As someone who talked to the dead, odd could have multiple meanings.
“He doesn’t talk a lot and when he does, he seems to be angry,” I said. “He has these weird mood swings,” I added, rolling my eyes.
Nodding her head, mom just smiled. “He’s a teenage boy. That’s how they usually are.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I replied. “They told me they live with their cousins; their parents passed away a few years ago. But, when we were at the diner, people were looking at them strangely.”
“How so?” mom asked.
“I don’t know how to explain it really. Everyone seemed nervous around them,” I stated, shrugging my shoulders. To be honest, it was weirdly strange that I wasn’t the one people were gawking at.
“Well, don’t let others' opinions influence how you feel about them. Maylee sounds nice and since her brother drove you both, he can’t be too bad,” mom finished.
I guess she was right. I would just have to give Ace another chance.
“How about tomorrow, we head into Lexington and go shopping at the mall? We can buy you some school clothes,” mom offered. “You only have a week left until you begin your sophomore year,” she said, her eyes tearing up a bit.
“Sure, sounds great!” I added.
We sat for a few minutes more, before getting back to our task. By the time evening rolled around, I was ready for a nice break.
After dinner, I decided I wanted to go for a walk. Back in Salem, I would run along the streets in my neighborhood, the large trees shielding me from the sun. While it could get hot in Massachusetts, the weather was not as humid as it was here in Kentucky.
Leaving my house, I began walking along the tree covered road outside of our house. It was quiet here; only the sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves keeping me company. As I walked, I kicked tiny pebbles lining the roadway.
Suddenly, I began to hear a chatter of voices as I came to the edge of the one lane road. On the corner of the main road sat a large red brick house. Peering through the trees, I spotted a group of girls around my age. They were sitting in a group along a patio, bikini clad as they worked on their summer tans.
I wasn’t sure if I should turn around or not. Other than Maylee and Ace, I hadn’t met anyone else in town, but I also didn’t want to seem like a stalker walking up on them, either.
One of the girls noticed me and all four of their heads shot my way. Gulping down my own fear, I realized I didn’t want to seem lame and runaway. I would see them again at school, I was sure.
I waved, feeling like a complete dork.
“Hey,” a blonde called out to me.
“Hi,” I said, stopping and standing in the middle of the road.
“Come over,” a girl with bright red hair announced.
Sighing, I realized if I didn’t oblige, I could go ahead and mark myself as a loser at school.
I walked through the trees and into a well manicured lawn. The girls looked more like super models than teens as they sat watching me approach.
“Hey, you are the new girl,” the blonde said, smiling.
I stopped on the patio and tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. I suddenly was aware that I looked like a hot mess compared to these girls.
“Yes, I’m Lizzy. My family just moved here,” I say.
The girls share knowing glances and I can tell that my arrival was the talk of the town. I just don’t understand why.
“Is it true that your family is from Salem?” the redhead asks.
“Yep,” I say, popping the p.
“We are so rude. I’m Talia,” the blonde began. “This is Bonnie,” Talia said, pointing to the red head. “That’s Kate with the short hair that makes her look like a fairy, and the girl with the wavy brown hair is Amy,” Talia finishes.
The girls all wave at me and I awkwardly wave back.
“So, you will be going to East High School with us, right?” Bonnie asks me.