It was a hot day in June, and eighteen-year-old Amy Calvano stood out on her front lawn in a short-sleeve shirt and pair of shorts watching movers carry furniture from a large van into the house next door. The neighboring property had been on the market for several months before the SOLD sign finally went up.
Other than the parade of movers, Amy saw no sign of the new occupants. People had been looking at the property for months, but she had never given much attention to who the prospective buyers might be.
Eventually, Amy lost interest. "I hope they're friendly," she said aloud to herself as she made for her front door.
Before she'd taken a half dozen steps, she heard the sound of a vehicle and turned back to see a bronze Subaru wagon pull into the driveway. The back of the vehicle was packed with belongings.
Amy watched as a woman got out from behind the wheel. She wore dark sunglasses and a scarf about her head, looking as if she'd stepped straight out of a 1960's movie. At the same time, the passenger door on Amy's side opened, and a girl in a long-sleeved, maroon button-down shirt, and some tattered blue jeans hopped out. The jeans didn't quite reach her ankles, revealing a pair of white ankle socks. On her feet were a pair of light blue sneakers to finish the ensemble.
The girl looked about Amy's age. She was lean with slender legs, a thin waist and rather flattish chest. She had straight, light brown hair that was parted in the middle and hung to her shoulders. Her complexion was quite pale, a stark contrast to Amy's duskier skin tone, which was passed down via her Italian ancestry.
Amy was idly studying the girl when she became aware that she was making eye contact. She gave Any a single wave, almost a salute. "Hey there," she called out in a husky voice. "Name's Meredith. Addison."
Amy waved back. "I'm Amy," she replied. "Calvano," she added, keeping with the established form of including last names. "You moving in here?"
"What gave you that idea?" the girl asked, smiling at Amy's stating of the obvious.
Amy returned a fake smile. "Lucky guess."
The girl approached to within a few feet of Amy and stopped. She placed one hand on her hip and hooked the thumb of her other hand in the front of her belt, almost as if she were posing for an unseen camera.
"So, uh...you live in there?" Meredith asked, cocking her head toward Amy's house.
Amy roused herself from her trance, and looked back at her house. Feeling sassy, she replied, "No, I live in the next town over. I just like to watch people move into their homes."
Meredith eyed Amy suspiciously for a moment, then formed a wry smile. "Looks like my new neighbor has a sense of humor."
"And a razor wit, so watch out. Other than that, I'm pretty harmless," Amy joked, enjoying their clever parries.
"Oh. Too bad," Meredith replied with a frown.
Amy made careful study of the girl's face. She had thin lips and large eyes that seemed to pull Amy right in, like a tractor beam. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the girl's irises were a deep blue. And there was a wash of freckles across her cheeks.
The girl started to turn away. Amy stopped her. "Need any help unpacking?"
"No, I think we've got it. But thanks."
"Meredith!" The older woman with the sunglasses was calling from the front door. Meredith looked toward her house and then back to Amy. "Better see what she wants. Talk to you later."
Amy watched as Meredith made for her house, slightly hunched with hands stuffed in her back pockets. Just before reaching the porch, Meredith spun about and flashed a smile Amy's way. She then bounded up the wooden steps and into the house.
Amy stood there for a bit watching the men carrying in chairs, sofas, lamps and boxes, wondering if Meredith might reappear. After a minute or so, she gave up and went back inside her house.
Amy was quite pleased, and relieved. Of all the possible outcomes, she actually ended up with a potential female friend moving in next door. Having just graduated High School, Amy had her whole summer to plan before heading off to college. Maybe she and Meredith might become friends? Meredith seemed friendly enough, and about the same age, though looks can be deceiving. It was possible that she was of college age, or perhaps she would attend the High School come fall. The neighborhood was full of kids who attended Condon High.
Once back inside, Amy replayed the encounter, as if trying to get a better sense of who this new girl was. It had been so brief that it almost seemed as if she had been transported down from the sky and then beamed back up again. But there was the moving van, and the Subaru packed with belongings. Beyond that, there wasn't much to build on.
Amy did find it odd that Meredith chose to wear a long-sleeve, button-down red shirt on such a warm summer's day. Looked nice on her, though.
=============
"Anybody home?" There followed a loud knocking on the front door.
Amy poked her head out the second-story window and spied her new neighbor standing on her front porch.
"Wasn't sure if the doorbell worked," Meredith hollered up.
"It doesn't. The door's open, come on in," Amy called down.
Meredith entered Amy's house and listened to the pounding of feet as Amy appeared on the landing. "Come on up," she said, turning back around.
Meredith followed Amy upstairs, down the hall and into her bedroom. "Nice," Meredith stated approvingly, as she looked around. Amy's bedroom had a homey feel to it. Wooden floor with a colorful throw rug, cream walls with some sheer curtains to soften the sunlight, and surfaces littered with books and other stuff. On the bed was a brightly colored blanket.
As Meredith looked about, Amy noticed that her new neighbor had what appeared to be a large notepad tucked under her arm. And like before, she had on a long-sleeve shirt.
"What's with the large notepad?" Amy asked, pointing to the book under her arm.
"It's a sketchbook," Meredith answered while checking out the shelves of books and wall posters, as well as Amy's messy desk and clothes yet to be washed or hung up.
"So you're an artist?"
Meredith shrugged. "I try to be."
"What are you sketching?"
"Haven't decided yet. But you never know when inspiration will strike," she replied as she picked up and sniffed a scented candle. "Cinnamon," she noted approvingly as she set the candle down and moved about the room as if she were a prospective renter. "I get tired of vanilla scents, don't you?"
Meredith gazed out of Amy's bedroom window. "I think my bedroom is on this side of the house. That could be interesting." She turned to reveal a sly grin. "How long have you lived here?"
"Ever since I was little," Amy answered, plopping down on her bed. "What's with the long sleeve shirt? Aren't you hot?"
"You think I'm hot?" Meredith teased.
Amy rolled her eyes. "Right. You know what I meant."
