Sweat trickled down Jesse’s brow as he reclined on the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP4rMHmMBv
bleachers behind him. As he watched his classmates make yet another lap around284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2oSmYKkrq
the track, his mind was consumed by one thought:
It was fucking hot.
Jesse had been forced to transfer284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWicg15k6NI
schools. It was close to graduation, he hadn’t wanted to leave, but his mom had284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxT3l9wSRB
insisted. She told him he needed a “fresh start”. That wasn’t what he needed,284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3AQyFoxla
or wanted, but what did she care? Now here he was, sitting behind the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4UQH8X0v5
bleachers, avoiding the P.E. teacher, and this god-awful heat.
He turned to inspect the open field284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYBbi2AvRt
to his left, and instead of green, all he saw was blue. Pale, icy blue. Jesse284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qi43RFrYf
reeled slightly, taken aback by the sudden intrusion into his personal space.284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqJFrwPNFO
He hadn’t even heard the person approach, but here he was, sitting next to him,284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwV9UPpqN0h
staring. Jesse takes in the boy. Everything about him seems mundane. His baggy284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZU8oBdhaur
clothes, his short cut, blonde hair, even the shape of his face was just…284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLTSU81CdM
ordinary. The only striking feature on him were his eyes. Devoid of emotion,284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyrlaUZfkL
they made Jesse feel like he was looking into a deep, clear lake. One you would284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2r5Sttfmr6
drown in if you weren’t cautious enough.
Throughout Jesse’s pondering, the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsprjVoK7Fm
boy had remained silent, and it was beginning to make Jesse uncomfortable. How284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIQ1xFpTR7
could such an intense, empty gaze like that not? He didn’t want to be284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk32jDMzgfi
the one to break the silence. What would he even say? He dropped his gaze once284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vW8DxtVjd
he realized there was no figuring out who this person was and waited for him to284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHo81Lb2bc
say something. After averting his eyes from the penetrating pools of blue,284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGK7gvnnOUQ
Jesse shifted in his seat, folding into himself slightly, trying to make284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29F2CjMD4a
himself invisible. Why was he just staring? The silence between the two284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdkZKIiTDi
lengthened. Jesse shuffled his body slightly and looked at the ground,284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwh9ODELVXU
uncomfortable with the kid’s overwhelming presence. He could feel his gaze.
Flicking his eyes back towards the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfoqBpjtF6
boy momentarily, he catches the sight of the boy’s retreating back. His eyes284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyFzxijUBF
follow him as he gets smaller and smaller, noting that the boy was far taller284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk04tsSW0hu
than he had appeared. Far, far taller than Jesse was surely. Before long, the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikfACzN7Sy
boy was nothing more than a black speck in the distance, vanishing from sight.
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9plZIsifm0
Jesse let284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jbLxujKPK
out a breath, on he hadn’t realized he was holding, and tried to not let the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRtDCYZDAW
events that had just transpired consume his thoughts.
As the final bell rang, a vast284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjJsI2e3Yi
expanse of teens flooded the hallway. Jesse was jostled slightly as he fought284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AP4zlLbge
his way through the sea of bodies. The sooner he emptied his bag into his284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUFQ0i6caJ
locker, the sooner he’d be back home, in front of his computer. Today had been284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbzzeQrcVW
yet another dull day; pretending to listen to the teachers drone on and on;284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtph7pyDiD5
ignoring the petty cliques that had formed well before he had transferred to284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGBUY6xRRM
this lame ass school; barely stomaching shitty cafeteria food. The only284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxjipEc2Ga
memorable part of the day had been the mystery boy. Jesse couldn’t get his eyes284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZd3kuQFiA2
out of his head.
Having only been in this school for284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxUQvLOTbv
a month, Jesse sure as hell didn’t know all the kids that went here, but he284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAWJ1r2b6M
couldn’t help but think that he would remember someone so off putting. He284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVzwrhFj9T
shakes his head of the thought as he reaches his locker. Failing to put in his284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94nDHSozSu
code correctly the first try, he curses under his breath and spins the dial284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhV2jTsCrA
around again. Finally succeeding in opening his locker, he begins stuffing his284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrkMkzBOqS
textbooks onto the top shelf, feeling rather impatient.
Just as he is about to slam the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABJLmF7cow
locker door, he overhears a hushed conversation two lockers down from his, and284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp5vqha3Sr
slows himself, pretending to search for something.
“…parently he just got back. I284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiOP3KAnPW
don’t know what they were thinking letting that psycho back in.”
“Right?! Who knows what he’s284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDaPCfx3UJ
capable of?”
“I thought for sure he’d be284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzPx0ozHrf
expelled this tim…”
The voices faded from ear shot as284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNWOtjyEAI
the owners drifted down the hall towards the exit.
Sighing and slamming his locker284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzmqbz40Wy
shut, Jesse followed behind at a distance. He had no clue what or who they had284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28PzvukJi7
been talking about, but his stomach was turning knots.
He made his way out the door and284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybNuO1ehYu
trudged down the road. He walked to and from school every day. It wasn’t really284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwSRcXx9Gd
that he had to, his mom would have happily come to pick him up if he had asked,284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxtpISdx0a
but he liked the solitude and silence of the short walk.
The driveway was empty when Jesse284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCdtDPtPmE
arrived home, telling him that his mother had not yet returned, not that he284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XE44ItZ1U
expected her home anyway. She’d been coming home later since they moved.
Sighing, he slid his key into the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCcV5EIZ0z
lock, but before he was able to unlock the door, a bang from his left startled284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOkfBgXFCk
him, making him flinch inward, his face scrunching up. Turning to look at where284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZY46Dxdk4
the sound had come from, his eyes grew wide. The tall boy was standing on the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGzZ7apRac
porch next door, staring at him.
Again, Jesse noted just how cold284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVRSoOcu3I
his stare was. Pale blue eyes, void of emotion, bore into his own olive-colored284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexJ8RCfU9w
ones. Jesse stared back, uncertainty etched across his face.
Jesse cleared his throat,284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QckNUx0F7
hesitating a moment before speaking.
“Hi, uhmm… I’m Jesse. I moved here284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMEeF6kzsg
last week. I take it you’re our neighbor?”
Jesse’s question lingered in the284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA7jT35EyM
air as the boy continued to stare at him. Becoming even more uncomfortable with284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6kXNcUow8
the kid’s intense eyes fixed on him, Jesse moved to unlock the door.
“Adam.”
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoKm4lyqL4
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvY7ZTLge2y
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2ZMpnwGVg
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8aojRbZ4I
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGtMSlwaNe
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUr2GYapqz6
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1IqUPOM03
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SGheSsAXP
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vzo3tz9JJ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0O5WX35O9A
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOKdn1zl9S
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpnJg4Q1C1
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekVgMcMb6b
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsyUYcnDu2
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsagILhvz8p
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKRKlc1D6x
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XEe12R49n
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkO1lhM9Mx
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc55d4aWFDc
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWzdG69Uri
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwekNWQ0wQ7
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvXWzLesTM
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RFzQ1dg1l
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6C8Giwo1H
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6QVL8hPTl
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYVY0YsvG8
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJPiQPwwMl
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqhfbv4OHZ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQfiFcEnd0
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqv4ZSqBXDu
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2lBcZPesb
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp85rT15wUW
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPX3MGZlTox
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttkt2bcRyK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSwzoMSc6t
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZOJ4wLYdc
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxK3NWzlk2
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5Nx61lgE1
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvnzqzkVV0
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLhaQGnhn4
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0avgJnJaJ
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OogEDSj6g
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAofbjqCzI
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUmR2piNSP
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRJ9Rxsyjk
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpn0e0OxZo
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Mp0mG4BfX
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWz1GEvcsK
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCYrLwpnV0
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqhEpjS2zs
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j5ynE1eTd
Jesse284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUmtbm1Mt9
whipped his head back towards the boy as the screen door of the neighbor’s home284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2pW146Cso
slammed shut. 284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4yJ6Icxqg
284Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96OQI44228
