It was a warm and humid day in early May, and after a long winter Janie was glad to see the sun again. Layers of sweaters she gladly traded in for a simple spaghetti-strap, black tank top. She had been driving around running her usual errands, when she pulled up to her house. Her long blonde hair drawn into a loose braid down her back to keep from getting windblown while driving with the windows down. Chopping it off would be the easy way out, but her hair was her pride. No longer driving, she undid the braid musing one hand through it letting it fall just past her breasts. Before heading directly inside the house, Janie went to get the mail.
Living at the end of a cul-de-sac, the community-shared mailbox reside several meters from where she lived. Stepping over an obstacle course of tossed aside kids toys, a water hose, and gardening tools, she retrieved her mail and headed back to the house. Several neighbors, Janie noticed, were out and about getting chores done of their own or just soaking up some sun. The buzz of lawnmowers and bees could be heard as she made her way back.
Janie stood in the yard for a moment, sorting through junk and bills. Taking a moment to toss the junk mail into the trash bin, she was interrupted by a shirtless young man extending his hand.
"Hi, I'm Sam." In her glance over of the neighborhood, she had somehow managed to overlook Sam. She noticed a pile of fliers for Calz pizza in the other hand.
Not wanting to leave him hanging, she offered her hand in return. "Janie," She replied, half annoyed, half amused. He seemed like the typical asshole she made a point over avoiding. Hat on backwards. Music blasting too loud from earphones. And a half-hearted attempt at a six-pack he didn't mind flaunting. The view wasn't bad.
He started asking her questions. The usual, "Where did you go to high school? What do you like to do for fun? Do you live with anyone? Is anyone home right now?"
She answered his questions, keeping her answers short, simple, and curt. "Not around here. This is my brother's house. Alone for the moment. Bye, now."
The sun was beating down on her more than she liked and she was getting impatient. Janie was eager to get into the cool house and get on with other things. She didn't have time for entertaining young punks. His smooth baby-face dotted with little fuzz and half-grown goatee indicated he was at least a few years younger. Not her interest.