08 | King Kong

08 | King Kong

Paige's Point of View ~

There was an awkward silence between everyone until Madeline poked my shoulder. I kind of hurt, because her little finger was really strong. I turned to her and smiled.

"Here you go," She said in a small voice and handed me a little pink hard candy. She took another one out of her pocket and plopped it into her mouth. For a ten year old she is pretty immature for her age. It's quite cute though.

"Why thank you," I paused, "Maddie." She smiled at the new nickname I gave her.

"Big brother calls me that," She whispered quietly and pointed to Leo giggling. I turned my eyes to look at Leo. He was on his phone at the dinner table. How impolite was that?

Sarah was sitting next to Leo. Her body was stiff and she had a blank expression on her face. We've never been that close to somebody that hot before. I snorted at her uncomfortableness. She glared at me.

I wonder where their dad is. I didn't want to ask to be rude, but maybe he's on a business trip or something. Lily walked in with the dish of her homemade Lasagna. It smelled really delicious. All I've been eating is frozen pizza and that weird looking mac n cheese my mom bought at sprouts. It was the only thing in the fridge so I didn't really have a choice. Maybe I should go to the grocery store later this week.

"Paige, Honey, could you go get the silverware? Leo will show you where it is," Lily asked and my body stiffened. Sarah snorted and I glared at her. How ironic. Madeline was mumbling something to Sunny. Did I have too? I'll do it for Lily.

"Y-yes," I quickly sat up and left Leo behind in his chair. I heard his footsteps trying to catch up with me as I fast walked outta there.

I looked around the whole kitchen, and of course the last drawer I looked through was the one with the silverware. I picked up 5 forks and 5 knives, but my hands were too full to pick up any spoons. I spun my body around and practically bumped into Leo.

He was standing about 5 inches away from me. I backed up as fast as I could but bumped into the counter behind me. Why was I like this?

Leo smirked. He pushed me out of the way and grabbed the rest of the silverware that couldn't fit into my small hands.

"Ow," I said dramatically rubbing my arm where he had pushed me.

"I barely touched you," He retorted. I scowled and stopped rubbing my arm. I walked out of the kitchen without and left him without saying anything else. Why couldn't he just say sorry? It's not that hard.

I walked in on Lily cracking jokes while dishing out everyone's food. I put the silverware on everyone's place mat and sat in my seat.

Hours have gone by. Lily has been going on and on about how she loves to cook and wants to meet my dad. I told her I'd tell him and that he would love to meet her too. That was half a lie. I know he would love to meet her, but he doesn't really have the time to.

Me and Sarah thanked Lily kindly, and left the full household to go to my empty one. We hung out in our room for a while and finally Sarah spoke.

"Paige, he's got a thing for you," She said. I turned to her confused.

"Who?" I pretended I didn't know who she was talking about. It's not like I like him. He's not my type. And why would I like someone who would never like me back? It would be completely pointless.

"Please, Paige. You know who I'm talking about!" She screamed at me and pushed me off my balance so that I fell on the bed. I got up and put a fake blank expression on my face. I have a really good poker face.

"No, no I don't," I played dumb and she knew when I was lying.

"Paige I saw the way he looked at you. You looked at him the same way!" She yelled. She's known me for years, and she could definitely tell if I had a crush on someone, but she's wrong. This guy is a player. He might be my neighbor, but he's hot, and nobody hot would like me. Trust me.

Leo's Point of View ~

It had been two days since she and her friend left my house. She looked really pretty. I have to admit, her attitude has gotten annoying. She tends to be two different people and two different personalities at the same time. One second she's witty and sarcastic, and one second she's kind and caring. Why do things have to be so complicated?

When I was younger, around 8 years old, my dad brought me to the basketball court he used to go to when he was a kid. He told me how it held all his memories and how he learned everything he knew right there in that basketball court. He and his friends went there every Friday after school and practiced together in the blazing sun.

He wanted to be a professional basketball player, but he met my mom. He decided he wanted to be with her the rest of his life. They settled down and had me and my sister, Maddie.

My mom asked me earlier in the day to take Maddie to the park to play around the time it was now. I got up and walked to Maddie's room. I knocked on the door that was already open and she looked up. She was in a pink princess dress playing with her stuffed animals.

"Get ready, let's go to the park," I told her and raked my hand through the messy hair I didn't bother fixing this morning.

She jumped up and smiled, "I'm ready! I'm ready! Lets go!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the house. She was pretty strong for her age.

Later that day, after we came home from the park, I was sitting on my bed looking through Instagram when I heard a loud crash coming from outside. I turned my head and saw a hand grab the wall from outside. A head popped through the window.

Carson. I met him a week ago at a party I went to after I just moved. He was cool.

"Bro, the window across from yours has a girl in it," He said and calmly pulled the rest of his body into my room and fell on the ground by my feet.

"How did you get up here?" I asked him, ignoring his words.

"Dude," He started, "There is a girl living 8 feet away from you," He repeated, "Besides there's literally a tree next to your house I climbed it," He explained.

How did I not notice a tree?

Carson wouldn't stop bothering me and asking questions about Paige, so I told him everything. From the Romeo and Juliet book in her hand, to the dinner party. He smirked at me.

"Woah," He stared at me, "You got a thing for a nerd," He turned to look into her room.

I groaned. Why does everybody think I have feelings for her? I don't. She's not my type, and I don't do relationships. I could tell what he was thinking;

"Your really a dumbass, Carson," He turned around to look at me. He scoffed and crossed his arms against his chest.

"Do I look like a mirror to you?" He glared at me playfully and I just scoffed.

His eyes suddenly widened and an evil grin spread across his face. He quickly ran over to the window and opened it, poking his head out.

"Stop-" I started but was interrupted by Carson yelling out the window.

"HEY! BEACH PARTY AT 9 TOMORROW! BE THERE!" He yelled. I'm not going to that party now.

"What? Who are you?" I heard a soft voice ask.

"I'm," He paused, "A mistake," She snorted at his response to her question. I didn't want to get any closer to the window because then she'd see me. I sat there frozen, listening to their conversation.

"Can you come? Please? Please? Please?" He begged like a little kid.

"What's in it for me?" She asked skeptically. She was probably thinking it was a prank or something. It's not like we are low enough to do something like that.

"It's a party, everyone likes parties, Paige." He was right. Parties are fun and better than staying home alone with nothing to do. Plus they distract you from the real world.

"How do you know my name?" She questioned.

"I've heard a lot about you," He turned around to face me and winked, making his fist in a thumbs up sign and he turned back around to talk to her again. All I told him was what happened. It's not like I told him every single detail about her. He was being dramatic.

"I know you're in there, come out from the shadows, Batman," She broke me out of my thoughts. Carson snorted at her joke.

"Stop being so sketchy," He told me while walking over to me. He pulled me by the arm, towards the window. I try to fight back but he's somehow stronger than me.

"Dude, you're going to have to ask her out sometime," He managed to pull me all the way to the window. I grunted and looked back at him. Facing my back towards the window.

"Why would I ask her out? She's not even that attractive." I whispered so only he could hear me. His eyes widened and I realized he wasn't looking at me. He was looking in her direction with sorrowful eyes.

I turned around to see her pretty brown eyes filled with heartbreak. She was upset. I didn't realize I said it so loud. She had heard me insult her.

She shut her window quickly and walked away so that we couldn't see her anymore. I felt bad.

"Dude, What the fuck?" He started, "She's cool." He scolded me as if I were a child about to go on a time out. I know that. I know she's cool.

Suddenly Carson is jumping out the window and onto the tree

"What are you doing?" I ask him. He turns around and looks at me.

"Bro, I'm King Kong," He yells so loud the whole neighborhood can hear. I haven't met any of my other neighbors besides Paige, and her friend that came over for my mom's dinner. But I didn't really talk to her.

He carefully climbed towards Paige's window. He lifted his hand up to open her window. Click. It opened.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled at him, but he ignored me and turned around.

"Saving your love life, man!" He said and climbed in to her room before I could say anything else to stop him.

***