The Boy Next Door

A short story written just for the "love, love, love, love contest"..............................

 

 

The Boy Next Door

 

 

A short story

 

 

By

 

Jen -- JG

 

 

Tessa Jenkins lived next door to Johnny Perkins for as long as she could remember. And for most of that time she hated him intensely.

 

 

Well, maybe not ALL the time. She remembered they used to play in her sandpit sometimes. He was a bit older than she was, not too much mind, but, he got bossy, telling her not to jump off the swing when it was still moving, and to be careful when she wanted to run and the grass was slippery.

 

 

Tessa was all of four years old then and knew exactly how to make him stop telling her what to do. She filled her pink pail with sand and tipped it over his curly brown hair. Then she laughed! Johnny just stood there, with sand dribbling from his head, and down over his shoulders. His big brown eyes opened wide, and two plump tears rolled slowly down his cheeks.

 

 

He never said a word – just brushed his face with the back of his hands and walked away.

 

 

They never played together after that – well, not much anyway.

 

 

That was when Tessa first began hating Johnny – just a little.

 

 

Then lots of little things made it worse. The one big thing that topped everything else happened on her 6^th birthday! Johnny came to her party, and as she was about to blow out the candles, he dropped a slimy frog down the back of her dress. Everybody laughed at the way she screamed and jumped. She just HAD to run and have a shower and change into another dress. He was gone when she came back.

 

 

She declared then and there that she would never forgive him and would hate him forever!

 

 

Johnny went off to boarding school in the city, and except for the times he came home on holidays and Christmas and stuff like that, they never saw very much of each other for the next couple of years.

 

 

He was home on holidays when Tessa turned eight. He saw her playing in the back yard, climbed the fence, snuck up behind her and pulled her hair, then kissed her cheek, saying "Happy Birthday Tess" -- He leapt the fence back to his side, before she could move. The nerve of him! How dare he! Tessa stamped her tiny feet, tossed her blond curls and ran inside crying "I hate him, mummy, I HATE him!"

 

 

Her mother just smiled and wiped away the tears.

 

 

When Tessa turned twelve she was allowed to have a "Proper Birthday Party!" She was so excited and asked all her girl friends and a few of the boys in her class as well. Her mother suggested she ask Johnny, as he was back home on holidays, and because he’d been a part of their lives since they moved in next door.

 

 

"NO mum, I’m not asking HIM, I hate him!" Tessa shouted and Tessa ran crying to her bedroom.

 

 

Later that day, Johnny brought a box of chocolates in a gold box and a posy of flowers he’d picked from his mother’s garden. He left them on the kitchen table with a card addressed to Tessa.

 

 

After the party was over, Tessa opened the card and read " Happy 12^th Birthday Tessa, I hope you have a really good day." And it was signed "your friend ---- Johnny"

 

 

"Ohhh! I hate him!" Tessa cried and tossed the posy into the waste bin, but she took the chocolates to her room to nibble on while she did her homework. A little later, she sneaked back into the kitchen, retrieved the posy and chose a pretty vase from the dresser cupboard. She filled the vase, arranged the posy and took it back to her room.

 

 

Her mother saw this through the crack in the door and a small smile played around her lips.

 

 

Thing went on as usual, Johnny popping by when he came home from boarding school, Johnny being nice to Tessa, Tessa stamping and tossing her golden hair, fiery sparks flashing from her beautiful blue eyes. Johnny inviting Tessa to his end of year school dance and Tessa saying "I guess so, if I have to" looking absolutely stunning in her pink and silver sheath gown with pink and white flowers plaited through her golden tresses. Johnny not being able to take his eyes from her, and Tessa ignoring him all night, dancing with all his friends. She never let him have one dance, although he asked her several times.

 

 

On the way home, Tessa curled up in her seat with her back to Johnny and ignored him all the way back home.

 

 

When they got to Tessa’s house, Johnny got out and opened her door. Tessa looked up, and for just a moment their eyes locked, Tessa caught her breath. As quickly as it happened the moment passed and Tessa stepped out of the car and hurried inside, without a word.

 

 

Johnny left town and no one knew where he’d gone – or if they did, no one said so. And Tessa wouldn’t ask – after all she hated him, hated everything about him, the way he looked, walked and smiled. She even hated the way he smelled after a day’s hard work in the garden.

 

 

A year later Tessa turned seventeen. She was restless and couldn’t work out why. She’d been out on dates, but something was missing. She been kissed a few times, but it never felt right.

 

 

Her parents gave her a birthday dance party at the small local scout hall and all her friends were there. Tessa was restless, but couldn’t see anyone she wanted to talk to. She slipped outside and sat on one if the swings.

 

 

She was kicking her feet slowly to make the swing move when a pair of strong arms lifted her, spun her around and firm lips claimed hers.

He blue eyes opened wide in shock ‘ "Johnny!" You can’t kiss me like that. I hate you!"

 

 

Johnny kissed her again. "I know" was all he said.

 

Tessa found it hard to breath, her heart pounded, her legs trembled. A shiver raced through her body as Johnny eyes gazed into hers from just a breath away. Tessa eyes filmed with tears, and Johnny kissed each eye closed. When Tessa’s eyes next opened, they were filled with stars.

 

"Johnny Perkins" she whispered breathlessly, "How could you, you know I hate you."

 

"Yes, my darling Tess, I know --- and --- I hate you – too" ---his lips claimed hers.

 

As Tessa melted into his arms – she knew she would hate him this way ---- forever

 

 

The end

 

Author's Note

any and all thought, views, comments etc please - all welcome - thank you

Reviews

[SM Davis]

This is an absolutely lovely story!!! There were a few typos...but for the life of me I can't remember where because I became caught up in the story. Cute cute cute!! Love is a many spleandered thing. Thank you for reminding me of that. :0) BTW this is the featured piece in the "It is What it Is" Group. :0)

[Steffi]

In the beginning you have a lot of contradicting thoughts E.X.
"They never played together after that � well, not much anyway.
That was when Tessa first began hating Johnny � just a little." A few of these are ok but there are one to many in the beginning and its hard for the reader to really connect to the story.
Sweet romatic story. I like how when he was doing things that any woman would love she would stomp her feet and say she hates him :D Cute

[DarkAngelWriter]

Aww that was so cute! It was perfect for my contest =)

[A.J. Smith]

Jen, what a sweet, romantic, nostalgic story...so charming and heartwarming. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. You already know I'm completely enamored with your writing, and this is just another example why. I like your subtle focus on eyes throughout your story, tears and gazing and stars...oh, how important that is in love. your writing is so wonderfully readable, an easy pleasure. Your dialogue is so natural, very real, never contrived. I love how you tend to the details that make your story pop...like her mother smiling when she retrieved the posey from the trash. This is how young love should be.