Chapter Text
Louis POV
The SUV slowly made its way down the smooth, grey road. Mum was concentrated on her driving. My sisters were clearly anxious to finally see their new home. I, on the other hand, was quietly uncomfortable. The car made a turn to the right and we pulled up into the driveway of a small cottage-like household. Peachy brick and white windows made the place look like a decent home to my family, but I thought it might have been too fancy.
“Here we are,” my mum broke the silence, “So what do you think?” My sisters began to express their gratitude lightly. They said they loved the look; they admired the neighborhood, anything little girls would say. I just looked out the window and turned my head away. In the corner of my eye, I noticed that mum had moved her head. “Louis?” she spoke up, “What do you think?” I had no other alternative than to turn my head. My sisters were looking at me menacingly. They wanted answers too. Putting no thought to it, I murmured “It looks nice”. Mum was a little too preppy to accept that answer from her only son.
“Now, Louis,” she said with some that’s-not-a-good-answer tone. Shaking her head, she turned the car keys and stopped the engine. The girls stepped out of the SUV, and I made my way after them. Mum walked onto the porch and pulled back the screened door. She fumbled with her keys and picked for the correct house key. The door swung open, and we were greeted with a living room. There was a small fireplace in the corner that was pinned together with dark stones. The carpet definitely needed improvement. “It’s small, but we can make it work” Mum resounded. The girls scrambled about the place in search of their rooms. Thank gosh I wouldn’t have to share a room with my sisters. It would be too awkward.
“Louis” My mum called to me from the kitchen. I picked my head up. “Louis, can you get your stuff from the car and put them in your room?” I nodded my head in agreement. Somebody has to get my stuff, and I didn’t want any of my little sisters getting a hold of my belongings. I pushed the screened door open and entered the front porch. I walked to the back of the SUV and my hand reached for the button to have the door rise open. The door slowly made its way up above my head and I examined the row of boxes that were kept in the car.
Picking up the lightest box within arm’s reach, I turned my body around to start walking back to the front porch. However, I was stopped by a stranger that was looking at me from a distance. A tall figure with curly hair stood with his back leaning against the front door of the house across the street. A faint smile curled at the stranger’s lips. Creeper, I thought, I haven’t been here for a half an hour and there’s already an unwelcome visitor. However, I didn’t want to start off with a bad impression, so I just backed away, trying to dissociate the eye contact.
Stepping into the house again, my mom noticed I was looking a bit frazzled. “Honey, what’s up?” she asked with a concerned look across her face. “Nothing,” I tried to sound innocent, “I just have to get used to this place”. My mum smiled bleakly. She could sometimes tell if I’m lying. This time I was lucky, though. “Ok then, go find your room”. She let me go, and I smiled back. Turning into the hallway that leads to the bedrooms, I shook my head. How can that stranger across the street make me feel so shaken up in less than a second? I don’t know.
After dropping off my first box into my room, I returned to the SUV to pick up the rest. I found another small box that kept my belongings. Slowly, I spun around, almost hoping to find that stranger again. I halted to look across the street. The curly-haired stranger was nowhere to be seen. My mind fuzzed up a little bit. I was confused. As I walked back into my new home, my subconscious made an attempt to convince myself that this never happened. Boy, I was wrong.