The Boy Next Door – Episode 34

THE BOY NEXT DOOR

©️Authoress Adesewa

EPISODE THIRTY FOUR

ALEXA

“What title are you giving the play?” Kayla asked in her singsong voice.
We are at the cafeteria, and Rachel just introduced me to her friends, Sarah and Kayla.

Sarah is a plus sized teenager with a gap tooth which suits her oval face. She isn’t tall like Kayla who is tall, slim and lithe. She has the body of a ballet dancer and she has the kind of confidence which could be misinterpreted as pride.
Sarah is the most outspoken one amongst the three friends.

“I’m thinking of using Benediction as the title” I finally replied Kayla who was staring at me impatiently.

“Hmm. What kind of guy was Benedict Arnold?” Sarah asked.

“He was a great soldier who didn’t really get along with people. The only one who really liked him was George Washington and then Benedict betrayed him” I said.

Oh my gosh! What a way to gain friends” Rachel said.

“That’s really bad” Kayla said.

“Yeah” I agreed.

We all talked about the play and I promised to give them their scripts the next day.

The bell for the next period went off and we all left the cafeteria.

I went to the locker room to drop my lunch bag and also to take the notes I need for the rest of the day.

“Hi, Alexa” Jason said behind me.
I closed my locker and turned to face him.

“Hi, Jason”

“Why didn’t you eat lunch with us?” Jason asked.

“I ate with some friends today. We were talking about our History Day Project” I said.

“Okay. I thought you were avoiding us” he said.

Jason is partially correct because if I were to be completely honest with myself, then I’d admit that I jumped at Rachel’s offer to eat at their table because I didn’t want to feel awkward sitting beside Hunter and Oliver at the popular table.

Jason and I walked out of the locker room together. We met a lot of their football cronies on my way to class and I exchanged greetings with the ones I know.

💓HUNTER💓

I think I’m going insane at my young age.

Everyone is calling Dana by another name and I don’t know why they are all calling her a name which isn’t hers.

I have a feeling that something is wrong with me, but I can’t pinpoint what the problem actually is.

I barely listened to everything I was being taught in my class as I was trying to figure out what my problem is.
The class just went by in a blur and I was more than relieved to hear the final bell ring.

I got out of my seat and I went to the locker room to keep my notes back where it belong.

I went to the parking lot and I met Dana standing in front of my car.
I opened the doors and we both stepped in.

Dana has been staying with my family since she was seven years old.
I’m used to going to school and coming back from school with her.
We have grown inseparable over the years and I can’t even think of a life without her.

Today however, Dana and I didn’t talk to each other until we got home which is very unusual.

Nowadays, I have a feeling that Dana is avoiding me, but I don’t know the reason for that.
Dana and I hardly fight as we both understand each other perfectly, but ever since I recovered from coma Dana has been acting strangely towards me.

I hooted when I got to the gate of my parent’s house and mom came to open the gate.

I drove the car into the garage.
Dana got down from the car before me and she took fast strides into the house.

❣️ ALEXA❣️

I felt grateful that Hunter didn’t strike up a conversation with me because it would have been awkward.

I feel really bad that I have to be mistaken for someone I don’t even know.

I know I shouldn’t be avoiding he wouldn’t have lost his memory if not for me.
It might have been Ms. Kilpatrick who tortured him, but I’m also to be blamed.
If he hadn’t gone in search of the anonymous poster, he wouldn’t have been tortured and he would still have his complete memory.

“Good afternoon, ma” I said to aunt Kate who was also about to enter the main house.
She just came out to open the gate for Hunter and I to come in.

“Good afternoon dear. How was school?” She asked.

“It was fine” I said.

I went to my room and I discarded my clothes into the laundry basket.

I wore my pink bathrobe and I took a cold shower after which I wore a casual dress.

I begin to write the script for the play and I was on it for two hours.
Dinner was ready by the time I finished drafting out the scripts.
I printed four copies of the script in the study.

I got late to the dining room and I mumbled a greeting to uncle Evan before I sat down to eat.

Written by Authoress Adesewa.

💓HUNTER💓

Dana came into the dining room when we’ve all started eating.
She sat down and begin to eat her food.
Dana caught me staring at her twice and I had to look away and focus on my food instead.

I took my leave from the dining room few minutes later to do some assignments.
I got to my room and I set to work immediately.
I was able to finish two out of the eight works I have.
I’d do the rest later.

I was feeling sleepy so I switched off my reading lamps and I fell back on my bed.

☀️TUESDAY☀️

❣️ALEXA❣️

I saw Kayla in science class this morning and she said we can talk about the play during home room.

We have home room after lunch and right now I’m on my way to the cafeteria.

I have no chance than to sit with Hunter and his friends today.

“Hi, guys” I said as I slipped into my seat which is between Hunter and Landon.
I wish Landon and I could swap seats so he’d sit beside Hunter and I’d sit beside Jayden.

The guys were talking about football which is a subject I’m not interested in, so I pretended to be invisible and I faced my lunch squarely.

“Alexa, wait” Landon called frantically.
I was almost at the locker room when I heard his voice.
I turned back and wait for him to catch up with me.

“Hey” I said.

“Can we talk for some minutes?” Landon asked.

“No problem” I replied.
I quickly removed the books I need and returned my lunch bag into my locker.

Landon was still standing outside the locker room where I left him.
We both walked to an empty classroom and we sat down on different chairs.
He sat on a chair opposite mine, so we were facing each other directly.

“What is going on between you and Hunter?” Landon asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked back.

“I noticed the tension at lunch table today, and he called you Dana yesterday” Landon said.
I don’t know when he called me Dana yesterday but I guess it doesn’t matter.

“He has been calling me that since he wokw up from coma” I explained sadly.

“Oh! That’s so sad. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“I’m not sure. The doctor said he’d still regain his full memory, but we don’t know when” I said.

“I understand how you feel about all these. Don’t worry too much. Everything is going to be all right” Landon answered me.
I nod slightly.
I really hope everything will be fine.

Landon and I left the classroom and I got late to home room.
Sarah was the first person who spotted me and she beckoned me to join them.
I went over to meet them and I sat beside Sarah.

“Hi, girls. I’m sorry I came late” I said.

“No problem, are you with the script?” Rachel asked.

“Yes” I replied as I gave each girl a copy of the script.

“You can go through the script today, and we’d decide when and where we’d do the rehearsals” I said.
The girls all agreed.

“I just finished reading my script. This Benedict Arnold guy is seriously messed UP.
Kayla said like she wants to talk some sense into the guy’s head if she could meet him in real life.

“Yes, I agree” Rachel said.

“Alexa, what do you think?” Kayla asked me.

“I think Benedict thought if he turned over West Point to the British, he could end the war.
He thought he could bring peace, and be a hero” I said.

“I always believed the guy was just a betrayer” Sarah said.

“Yeah, that’s what most people believe, but…” I left the word hanging.

“We could show the other side?” Kayla asked brightly, helping me to complete my last statement.

“Yeah” I said.

“Wow! I love it” Kayla exclaimed happily.

The bell for last period was rang and we all stood up.

“Where are we having our rehearsals?” I asked no one in particular as we all made our way out of the class.

“Can we come to your house?” Rachel asked.

“Yes”

“Okay, we’d come after school tomorrow” she said.

“Alright, see you girls around” I said as I hurried off to my last class for the day.

💓HUNTER💓

Today has been hectic like hell.
Our test is fast approaching and the teachers are usually too strict with the tests and exams.

I hope I won’t fail because I haven’t read for some weeks now plus the fact that I missed school for some time.
I’m still going through the notes I got from a friend.
I have to create a reading timetable and I’d make sure I follow the timetable strictly.

I head to the parking lot immediately the bell for closing time went off.
I opened the doors of my car and I sat behind the steering wheel waiting for Dana.
I didn’t have to wait for long before she came.
She entered the car and we didn’t say anything for some time until I broke the silence.

“Dana, why are you giving me the silent treatment?” I asked her.
She looked at me quizzically.

“I don’t know what you are talking about” she said.

“I don’t know what I did wrong. If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me” I begged her.

Dana burst into tears immediately and I got more confused.

“You didn’t offend me. It’s me… I should be the one apologising” she said with tears running down her face.

I pulled her into a hug and I felt her body stiffen. I started soothing her and she relaxed into my arms after a while.
I bet she is not in the mood for a conversation right now.
We’d still have plenty chances to talk to each other.

Dana lifted her head from my arms and placed it on her laps.
I placed my hands on the steering and I set the car into motion.

TBC.

Peace out✌️💕💞✌️
©️Authoress Adesewa✍️✍️