The jerk next door

Chapter 2

When I finished with my room, I went downstairs to help mom with the rest. It’s gonna take a few days till we settle in fully, but I enjoyed every second of it. I decided to take a break, so I walked to the garden with my book in hand and sat in the hammock. The weather was nice and sunny, perfect for sitting outside and reading. I heard noises from the neighbour's garden but I didn’t pay attention, as I was reading and I closed out the world around me. Suddenly, something hit me hard on my head and I fell out of the hammock and hit my head again when I reached the ground.

‘Ouch and ouch´

My head was pounding and pulsating from the double hit and I tried to get up but fell back onto the ground again.

“What the f**k?” I groaned in disbelief when I saw a soccer ball rolling on the ground not so far from me. I guess that was the culprit.

“Hey you, could you pass the ball?” I heard a voice and I looked in its direction to see a guy poking his head above the tall fence with an annoyed expression on his face. I was still sitting on the ground, waiting for the dizziness to pass, when he talked again impatiently.

“Will you give it back anytime soon?” He asked sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

“Can’t you see that I have a hard time getting up since your ball hit me that hard? You should say sorry first. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” I scolded him and tried to get up slowly again, but I felt dizzy so I stayed in a half-standing position, holding my head in my hands.

“I hit someone with the ball so that’s double score, guys.” The boy turned his head around and shouted to someone and I heard cheering and laughing behind the fence. “Now give my ball back, princess, I don’t like to repeat myself.” He said rudely.

'Who does he think he is?' I finally managed to stand up and I walked towards the ball to pick it up from the ground. ´You f**ker.´ I cursed him in my head when I felt my head throbbing when I straightened up again.

“Finally,” he said, he was clearly annoyed and I walked towards him.

“You know, you found the wrong neighbour to mess with” I said while throwing his ball repeatedly in the air with just one hand and catching it after. “...and since you even laughed at me, I will keep your ball till you learn some manners and say sorry for hitting me with it.” Now I was walking back to pick my book up and headed inside.

“Are you f***ing serious? Come back here right now you...” He shouted after me angrily, but I couldn’t hear the rest of it because I had closed the door already. The insolent jerk had the nerve to laugh at me, let’s see who’s laughing last.

After a few minutes, I heard the doorbell ring and I saw my mom getting up from the table to open the door.

“No mom, I got it, I know who it is, I will explain it later.” I told her quickly and she went back to do her things with a hesitant ‘okay’.

I opened the door to see the same guy with the same annoyed expression on his handsome face. He was tall and a bit muscular, he had dark brown hair and blue eyes. Yes, he was handsome, I must admit, but he was definitely a jerk.

“Can I help you?” I asked him with a smirk. He looked at me with an ‘are you serious’ look and I couldn’t help but chuckle at him.

“You have ten seconds to give me my ball back,” he said seriously.

“Well... what a nice way to greet your new neighbours... and what ball are you talking about?” I asked him while I was pretending to think about it.

“Don’t play with me, little girl.” He said threateningly, and I burst out laughing. He looked surprised at my outburst.

“Little girl?” I asked, still laughing when suddenly I became serious too. “Listen here pretty boy, I told you to say sorry and you will get your damn ball back.” I said and glared at him. First he looked taken aback, then he just glared back at me.

“That’s not gonna happen and here is my advice...”he said and leaned closer to me “...you don’t want me as your enemy.” He said in a low voice.

“O-kay...” I said mockingly, “I guess you need to buy another ball then.” I shrugged my shoulders and closed the door in his face before he could say anything. He rang the bell a few more times but I didn’t open the door, instead I sent mom, after explaining everything to her. She chuckled and agreed right away. That was why I loved her so much. We had the same sense of humour and we always had lots of fun. I was standing behind the door when she opened it.

“Oh, hi. Can I help you?” She asked sweetly. I tried to peep to see his reaction and it was priceless. He looked nervous suddenly and stuttered while he scratched the back of his neck.

“Uhmm.. I'm sorry, ma´am. I am Ryan and I live next door. My ball flew over the fence. Can I get it back, please?” He said and my chin hit the floor in surprise. So he COULD be polite after all. ‘Sorry’ and ‘please’ in one sentence?

“Sure darling. Mia, can you come here please and help this boy out, I have a lot to do.” She shouted like I was not standing just a few steps away from her and I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. I came into view when my mom walked away and I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I burst out laughing. He crossed his arms in the front of his chest and said...

“Are you done?” I was still laughing when I took his ball in my hand from behind the door.

“I guess I got my ‘sorry’ and even a ‘please’ so here you go.” I said satisfyingly and threw his ball straight to his head but he caught it. 'What a pity.' “Now we are even and just an advice...'' I started and leaned closer to him just like he did earlier. ''...next time be smarter.” I told him sarcastically and closed the door. I will never forget his surprised face.

“That was hilarious mom, thanks.” I said laughingly.

“Anytime sweetheart. You found your first friend, I see..” She giggled.

“I guess I did.” I said and burst out laughing again when I remembered his nervous face. Actually he looked cute. What a pity he was a first-class jerk with a huge ego. I think I will have fun with this one. This city won't be boring after all.

*

*** Ryan’s POV ***

*

''Arrrrgg...'' 'That b**ch is so annoying and she had to be our new neighbour, fantastic’, I thought to myself sarcastically when I walked back towards my house. She would see who she was messing with. I will be her nightmare and that’s a promise.

“Hey Ry, did you get it back?” Tyler, one of my best friends, asked when I walked through the front door angrily. He was sitting on the couch in the living room with his foot on the table. Dominic, his twin brother, who was my other best friend, was eating something in the kitchen like always.

“Yeah, I did. That b**ch tricked me into saying sorry to her, before giving it back. She is annoying as f*ck.” I groaned angrily and they burst out laughing.

“Seriously man? What did she do?” Dom asked with his mouth full of food. ‘Ewww’. I told them what happened and they were laughing like two crazy idiots.

“Shut the hell up and take your f*cking foot off of the table, Tyler.” I scolded him. Nobody talked back to me the way she did and yes, it was hurting my ego.

“I want to meet her, man. She seems cool.” Dom said while the food was falling out of his mouth.

“Me too. I want to see the girl who dared to talk back to you.” Tyler said smugly.

“Can’t you eat normally?” I asked Dom with a disgusted face. They were so annoying sometimes. Why was everybody annoying me today? First that stupid girl and now these two idiots, I needed a break. I went upstairs to my room and sat down on my bed. I thought back to that girl. She was pretty. I must give her that. I liked her long hair and the colour of her eyes. It’s a pity that we started our 'relationship' on a bad note, but she chose this way so I will just let her have it. She will pay. I hoped she was going to our school. It would be easier then.

I looked out of the window and my eyes caught on something. That girl, she was lying on her bed with a book. I could see her from here. The two houses were only a few meters away from each other, so I could clearly see into her room. This could be useful in the future , but if I could see her, that means she could see me too. With that thought, I got up and closed the curtains by that window. I needed a plan on how to make her life miserable and to make her regret that she talked back to me.

“Ry, look what I drew.” Roni, my little sister, barged into my room without knocking. She was the only one who was allowed to do that.

“It’s really nice Roni, you are good at this.” I praised her. She was 7 and very adorable. She looked like me, by the way. I went downstairs to kick those two annoying friends of mine out of the house since it was late already and I just wanted to sleep.