Moving day. Such a glorious, exciting day. A few hours of driving and multiple doses of medicine to prevent the dogs from throwing up in my car preceded by a greasy gas station breakfast burrito. Yeah, you should envy me.

The house… it’s nice, I guess. I’m neither a pessimist or an optimist, I’m sorta in between, so I don’t think it’s “just enough” or “could be more.” I think it’s fine the way it is and it is perfectly sustainable for me.

The neighborhood is decent - it’s not too shabby, and people are happy here. I hope I’m happy too, except I don’t have anyone to be happy with. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet someone here, if this place is all it’s cracked up to be.

The second I got here I took the dogs inside and started unloading the boxes from the moving truck that had followed me all the way here. The boxes are filled with random junk from my past - trophies, awards, certificates, dolls, all that. Dang. When my overly sentimental mother was helping me pack, she must have snuck these in the box from my clearly labeled “trash” bin.

I was in the middle of disposing of the empty trash bin and moving it to the pile of other empty boxes and bins when footsteps startled me.

“Need any help?”

I whip around only to see…

Oh my gosh.

Christian.

“Oh wow… hi, Christian. Do you remember me?”

He widens his eyes as he takes me in. “Lindy. Yes, I do.” The last time I saw him was at the prom, where he dumped me. After that my parents conveniently decided to move and I never saw him again.

His eyes are hard steel, just like his muscles. It doesn’t help that he’s wearing a tank top…

He clears his throat. I blush deeply. He must have seen me staring at his massive muscles. “Would you like to come eat lunch with me? I take it you just moved here, and I could show you around.”

I had to stop my jaw from gaping. Dang, he moved quick. A date already? I mean… it would be our second first date, but still.

“Sure! That would be nice.” I smile. I’m only now realizing how much I’ve missed him.

He does too, and then looks back at his house. “Great. And my wife is an extrovert and knows practically everything about this neighborhood, so is it alright if I bring her too?”

Wife? Oh shit, I suck at reading signals.

No matter how many tears your cry. No matter how hard you try. No matter what you did for the other guy. No matter how much you think you’re fly. No matter Who it is or What it was No matter how many kisses and how many hugs

The following statement may open your eyes The Reality of Death is we all Die.

Bang. Bang. Bang. I groan and glance at my phone. What the heck. It’s 3:00 AM. Who the heck is at the door?! I throw my covers off and trudge to the door. I wrench it open and I see Alex standing outside. His hair is rumpled, his clothes ripped and muddied, his eyes bloodshot. I rub my eyes. “Alex?” He grabs my shoulders. “Can I come in? Please?” The urgency in his voice surprises me. That’s the only reason why I let him in. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. He bursts in and frantically starts pacing around the room. I snort. “What did you do? Murder someone?” Alex glances at me. I gasp and shout. “WHAT!” “Shhhhh! It was an accident. He came out of nowhere. And I...” I pace around the room. “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I’m an accomplice. In a murder. I’m going to go to jail. And rot and die in there.” I shake Alex’s shoulders. “I’m too pretty to die in jail!” Alex pulls my hands off his shoulders. “Calm down. No one is going to jail. We just need to get our stories straight.” “Our?!” I nearly shriek. “Oh hell no! I am NOT going to help you! Goodbye.” I try to push him out the door.” “Come on, Sara. Please! I need help. I need somewhere to hide the gun.. and-“ “The WHAT?! A gun?! I thought you said it was an accident!” “It was!... sort of. Kind of...” I shake my head. “Oh my god. You’re insane. I... you’re a psychopath.” I start hyperventilating. “Get out. Get out!” Alex faces turns from pleading to angry in a second. “No. You know why? Because if I’m going down. You’re coming down with me! I’ll say you made me do it against my will. It’ll be my word against yours.” “I’m so screwed,” I mutter to myself. Just then, I hear banging on the door. “Police! Open up!” I glance at Alex, scared beyond doubt. He raises his eyebrow. “What’s it gonna be?” he whispers menacingly.

Jon had been overseas for many years. After receiving news of his father passing he decided to come back home and take care of the ranch. Knowing his father died of violence, Jon makes a vow to never kill another man. He chooses to have a peaceful life. A simple life. The life his mother would’ve wanted him to have. She passed years ago. A fever took her.

Jon was alone in his new 50 acre home. He grew up working on this property, but years away from home have made him rusty. He’s going to need help maintaining his ranch. He heads into town to find a few ranch hands to help. He rides to the town saloon. He figures he can find a few out of work ranch hands who’d agree to work for him. Jon hitches his mount and walks into the saloon. He immediately takes a seat at the bar. Jon could use a drink.

Jon calls over the bar maid. “Jonathon Nolan? Is that you?” says the bar maid. It’s not uNeil she speaks that Jon realizes that this is Crystal Bracey, Jon’s first and only lover. “Crystal?” He responds. “I was sorry to hear about your dad. He was a good man.” says Crystal. “Thank you.” Jon replies, looking down at his hands, ashamed.

Jon promised Crystal that he’d marry her years ago, before he left for the war. He intended to marry her, but got cold feet. When the war started, he joined the army and never came back home. He tried to forget about Crystal but still kept a picture of her in his wallet. She’s the only girl he’s ever loved.

“This will be my new fresh start!” I thought, excited to begin anew. I skipped along the sidewalk onto my new house. I walked right into my house, it looked so new and different.This will be great!, I thought. Everything was different and this year was going to be awesome! I decided to go back outside and walk my dog. Then I saw a boy, a boy with chestnut hair, a little taller than me.Then I saw his face.. oh no. This can’t be happening! Why is my crush from elementary school here?? The boy stopped walking, turned at my direction and started walking towards me then stopped about 6 feet from me. “Ah it’s you. Your Callie from my elementary school. Welcome to the neighborhood.” He said, then walked to the house next door. He lived next door? Oh no, oh no, oh no. My fresh start is ruined...

Just moved to a new home. Its much further away from the city but it means that I get more rooms. Definitely wanted a gym room as I’m obsessed with fitness. As I was moving cardboard boxes from the van. They weren’t too heavy but as I looked across the fence to my neighbour next door. What I saw was like seeing a ghost. I dropped the box and it crashed as it collided with the floor. The contents sounded fragile. My neighbour, was a stunningly handsome man who was just in his joggers. He was taking out the trash.

“Are you alright?” He said.

“Oh yeah I’m fine.” My face bubbled with embarrassment. I reached down and picked up the box and making sure there was any damage. I can hear the clatter of the items inside and I dreaded the chaos that would be inside.

“I’m Jamie.” He said.

His voice was so familiar. It brought me back to my days in school.

“Greenbell?” I asked curiously.

“Yes. Do I know you?”

Oh. My. God. He was my first crush at school. He was skinny then but boy did he fill out now. I remember the times when I would stare at him longingly in PE.

“Oh yes. You do. It’s so good to see you. So do you remember...”

I suppose I should start from the middle of it all, I mean, if I start from the beginning, I would take up the whole ducking 750 words. When I moved to mulligan village, I was angry. Bored. We moved around a lot so I was used to it. But nothing prepared me for who I saw. Alexa. I had known her before. I was sure of it. “Hey” said Alexa right as I had gotten out of the car. “Hey-“ that’s when I realized

She was the girl I was in love with.

I stepped out into the porch and breathed deep. The air smelt like a new start. I was content. I’d successfully left Derek Walters and all that he ignited in me behind. I was free from him here. Finally.

Derek had not only been my best friend in the world for ten years, he’d been my entire world. I Loved him like no one person should ever love another. If he called, I answered; he said “jump” I said “how high.” Our relationship was the stuff of legends. Whenever I’d meet his lady friends they’d all say to me “oh my gosh, you’re Ryan! I’ve heard so much about you!” We were often mistaken for boyfriends by every bartender, waitress and theatre usher we encountered.

It was a painful bliss, though. I carried this deep crush for Derek around with my like a loadstone on my heart. He couldn’t see, or at least I thought he couldn’t see what I was carrying deep down. It wasn’t until Ashley entered the picture that things boiled over.

He started bringing Ashley around about a year ago, and when I say “bringing around” I mean he brought me on their dates and vice versa. Ashley is sweet, I do enjoy her, but I also wanted to see her fall off a cliff. I wanted to rip out her eyes and ruin her hair, my jealousy consumed me, quietly. Every time I saw them kiss or cuddle or laugh or hold hands I’d nearly puke with envy.

A few months ago, they sat me down, showed me the ring and told me they’d set a date. I felt my stomach bounce off the floor. I dreamt of stabbing Ashley with a steak knife. I became a person I didn’t know. Irritable, short, and constantly haunted by how much I loved Derek.

Maybe if he knew. Maybe if I just opened up it would help.

So I took him out to dinner and just spewed everything that sat on my heart. I tore open my chest and let him see my heart thumping his name.

When I was finished with my protestations of love, he looked at me bemused. He leant in an said “thank you for saying all of that. It means a lot.” Here it is, here’s when he lets me down easy. Okay, this is probably what I needed, this is what I need to hear.

“And you’re right,” Derek continued, “we are in love. This is a romance between us. We’re in a relationship. It just happens that I am straight right now and also in a romantic situation with Ashley, but, you’re right, we are in love.” And then the sick bastard took my hands in his and kissed them.

What the hell was I supposed to do with this information? And what the hell kind of an answer was that? My thoughts were a cyclone of confusion and frustration that swarmed around my head like angry bees. I was driven mad with conflicting emotions for days.

The day I received theirs save the date was the day I decided to move. I wouldn’t tell Derek, I just wanted to quietly remove myself from that nonsense; third wheel stories don’t interest me all that much. So I moved three towns over.

Now here I am! A new beginning! A new home! A new sense of self.

Oh! A moving van next door! Looks like the people next door are after new beginnings too! Is that? Oh my God. No, it couldn’t be. Son of bitch, it is.

Derek and Ashley are moving in next door...

“Here we are, home sweet home!” Another town, a new street. New neighbors I have to meet, a new school. Why do I keep having to deal with this?! It’s not fair, I want to be in one school for longer than a year. Just have a friend who I’m close to, because we’ve done a lot together.

I begrudgingly walk in the front door. Movers are coming in and out, with boxes. I grab my skateboard from the back of our car. “Dad , I’m going to roll to the park down the street ok?” He gave a wave of permission and I was off. The wind blew by as I sailed from my cul de sac to the run down playground with a couple slides, a tire swing & sad looking jungle gym.

I saw an attractive guy, on the nearby monkey bars, lifting his feet so she could swing across them with ease. He catches my eye and I feel my face blush and my mouth goes dry. His reddish brown hair glints in the sun and his tan skin looks caramel like against his white sleeveless shirt.

“Hey, where’d you come from? This is a pretty private area, so you must be new because I don’t know you. I’m Sheldon, what’s your name?”

I lick my now dry lips and attempt to speak. “Hi I’m Dahlia. I am new we came from DC, for my dads job. He works in politics so we move a lot.”

The silence was awkward but he broke it. “Really? What’s your house number? Mine is 327.” I suck in a breath because I’m in 328. I whisper a silent prayer, hoping I don’t embarrass myself, or my dad embarrass me. Because this guy is hot

“Moving day. Moving day.” Bailey sings at the top of her lungs. She has her ballerina tutu on and a baseball cap sat on her head. Her fingers brush over my new bedroom walls as she moves around the room. “It’s not moving day anymore. We’re already at the new house, so moving day it over.” I point out the obvious to my oblivious sister. Her cute pixie features make me smile every time I see her sweet face. Her ears stick out from the cap. She’s cute and innocent. The way I always want her to be. She means everything to me. “Ok.” she giggles and I can’t help but giggle with her. “Mum said we’re going next door. The neighbours want to meet us.” she pats her tutu so it’s sitting in the right place. ‘Alright. Let’s do this.” I sigh dramatically and grab Bailey's hand on my way out my bedroom.

Mothers already by the door in her long coat. A teal green with silver sparkles coating the sleeves and collar. Her eyeshadow matches as well as her shiny silver shoes. She doesn’t say anything to us but opens the door and waits for us to walk out first. She always likes to be behind us whenever we’re walking. She says you're most vulnerable when you know someone’s behind you and you have no idea what they could do. I hold back a groan and instead grab my coat. I keep my hand securely in Baileys and pull her along with me.

Outside, the artificial green grass stands out against the perfect white pavement. The big, white houses along this street are filled with people who have the perfect life and perfect family. I haven’t met any of them yet, but the fancy cars and neatly cut rose bushes gives the impression that they’re all living a very comfortable life.

“Best behaviour tonight.” Mother says before reaching the neighbours door. She pulls the golden eagle head and it makes a loud knock when it lands back on the wood. “Take your own advice.” I mutter back.

The door opens and I lose myself completely. A tall guy stands there, staring at the three of us. His oceanic blue eyes dazzle down at us. His sandy brown hair begs to have a hand run through it. His jaw is as sharp as a racer and I bet if I ran my palm along it it would definitely bleed. “Ladies.” he greets us. His voice is a beautiful melody that hypnotises me. How could that voice be as angelic as it was all those years ago?

A gasp leaves me without knowing and suddenly his sharp eyes focus in on me. His head tilts, he rubs one of his rough hands along his jaw and I realise he has no idea who I am.