Chapter 2 I Saw Her First, I Should Have Called Dibs
Moving sucks. My parents love to be on the move: Mom is an artist, and she loves being influenced by new people and places, so by nature, we have moved every few years as a result of her wanting to build her internal catalog.
When I was younger, it felt great getting to be the new kid, the center of attention, or getting to reinvent myself as a new person at a new school.
But over time, it has gotten old, not just for me but also for my older brother Daniel.
Last year, Daniel got into a little too much trouble.
He got caught drinking and driving after a party, and then only a few short weeks later, he was arrested for breaking a window at a rival school.
My parents started getting this idea that we needed to get out of the major metros and get into a place that gave us what they liked to call “roots.” I can’t say that I was all that interested in growing roots, but I did like the idea of not having to be the “new” kid again after this year.
As part of my parents’ new “roots” plan, they had agreed to stay in the same place to let us finish out high school.
For me, that would mean being able to spend both my junior and senior years in the same school.
I know Daniel was pissed; he was headed into his senior year and had all but been told he was going to be starting varsity on the football team.
No small amount of fighting had taken place over the last few months, but my parents were not backing down.
So, here we are in Oklahoma. My grandma had been from this town, and she’d always hoped to come back, but life had other plans.
I think my grandma’s memories got my parents to start their search here.
Then, my mom saw the house online and was so excited, I’m not sure even Dad could have talked her out of it.
According to her, this house was it: with an art studio off the garage and rooms for Daniel and me upstairs.
It checked all the boxes, except it was outdated.
So, they bought it via the online listing and contacted a few companies to give the place the updates it needed.
That gave us one more summer to spend with our friends, playing one more summer season of baseball with my team.
I was going to miss them. Daniel had spent the summer hooking up with a new girl each week on what he called his “farewell tour” before our parents shipped us off to the middle of nowhere.
Mom, in all her artist glory, had pictured the colors and light of each room, giving us options for our new spaces.
On the drive here, Daniel and Dad had been passing back-and-forth jabs.
Daniel was sure that the football team sucked, and Dad kept telling him that in Oklahoma, football was the main focus.
Dad had let Daniel know that the school had even made the playoffs last year.
Daniel didn’t want to hear it and just kept picking one hot topic after another, baiting Dad to continue their argument.
I stayed out of it. I’d looked into the baseball program, and the team looked solid.
I was worried about trying to make the starting lineup, but I am a good player; I’ll find my place.
I’d been on the competitive baseball circuits in every place we’ve lived since I was eight.
It was something that I enjoyed, and I loved being at a ballpark.
***
When we finally got to the house, I made my way to what would be my new room.
In the last house, we had to share the converted attic space.
It was going to be nice not to have to share a room with Daniel.
We get along fine with eleven months separating us, Grandma always called us her Irish twins and the opposite sides of the same coin.
But we still butted heads here and there and I was looking forward to my own space.
As I walk around my new room, I imagine getting to make it my own.
A movement catches my eye outside the window.
As I move closer to the window, I realize the movement is a girl running around the backyard next door.
Even from this distance, I can tell that she is hot: from her blonde hair pulled back out of her face to the lines of her body as she is zigging this way and that way, with the soccer ball at her feet.
As she races across the yard, she takes a running kick, sending the ball flying into a makeshift goal.
She throws her hands in the air, celebrating like she just scored the game-winning goal.
She is beautiful; from the window, I can just see her profile, but she is smiling.
I don’t think I could look away if I wanted to.
As I watch, I see her fully turn towards our house.
For a moment, I think I have been caught staring but realize that she is looking in the direction of the backyard and not at me in the window.
She waves at someone before making her way to the low fence separating hers from ours.
From my room, I can just make out the flush of her cheeks and the full effect of her smile.
Then something else catches my eye, and I get a glimpse of the person that she is waving to.
Well, fuck, I think as my brother comes into view.
I don’t want him to run her off before I can even meet her.
With his recent attitude, it’s anyone’s guess if he will be a jerk, or worse, if he will try to flirt with her to start his new school list. With that thought still ringing in my head, I hurry down to the backyard to meet our hot new neighbor.
***
I find myself rushing to move from the window through the boxes to my destination of the backyard.
As I make my way off the back porch, I can tell when she spots me because she looks away from Daniel.
I can’t help but notice that she gives me a once-over.
I don’t think she realizes that she does it, or maybe she does because she gets a little blush staining her cheeks.
I make my legs move just a touch faster, eating up the distance between us.
I run a hand through my hair before saying, “Hello, I’m Drew Davis.
” She smiles and responds, “Hello, Drew. I’m Annie Campbell, so nice to meet you.
” I can’t help but think, yes, it is nice to meet you.