15 years ago—2010
On a warm and sunny day in a small town of Plano, Texas a seventeen soon-to-be eighteen year old girl with wide blue eyes full of adventure and chestnut brown hair that swept loosely down her back, walked down the drive way of her house as she saw a large moving van go driving by. Allie made her way to her desired destination, the mailbox across the street, and to her surprise it was filled with different colored envelopes. After she grabbed them, she riffled through them while walking obliviously back across the street to her drive way.
A newly eighteen year old Dustin drove down the streets of his new neighborhood in his new black Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, he was driving smugly almost as if he didn't want to be there. As if coming back to reality, Dustin slammed on his breaks as a dumb-ass girl -so he thought- walked obliviously across the street. Allie heard the sound of screeching tires as she dropped the mail that she was once obliviously looking at, to the ground so she bent down to pick everything up.
A frustrated Dustin got out of his car and slammed his door as he walked over to the girl he had almost hit.
Dustin: Are you blind or just stupid?
Allie took a few steps back from the guy that has just ferociously approached her, as she held the now dirty mail in her two hands. Allie started to speak back in a smart-ass mocking tone of voice, she was good at that.
Allie: Well that's tough to answer, but I have a question for you. Are you a person or just a dick?
Dustin: Well I do have one of those.
A grin slid across Dustin's face as he spoke in a total douche like tone of voice, he was the only one that thought it was a priceless comeback. Allie rolled her eyes and sighed as if disgusted to the guy that was being ever so rued.
Allie: Not what I meant. You know if you would've hit me I sooo... would've sued.
Dustin: If I would've hit you, you wouldn't be here right now.
Allie: And whose fault is that?
Allie became defensive as she spoke, then she whipped her long chestnut brown hair as she turned to walk away sharply with anger. She then began speaking under her breath
when she was turned away.
Allie: Asshole!
Dustin: I heard that.
Allie whipped her head back around to face the guy that was ever so rude to her.
Allie: It was meant for you to hear.
It wasn't entirely meant for Mr. Rude Pants to hear, but Allie didn't care if he did or didn't so she just played it off as saying it out loud on purpose.
Dustin shook his head in annoyance as he got back into his car and drove away from the situation that gave him a perfect ending to a perfect day. NOT.
**********
Present Day- 2025
Lindsay: Uncle Dustin, you were such a jerk to her.
Lindsay looked up to her uncle with a look of complete shock, Dustin laughed out loud at his niece's reaction.
Dustin: Yeah I was at first, but you'll understand why a little later.
As if casually, Junior came into the living room wiping his hands on a dish towel, while looking curiously at Dustin and Lindsay.
Junior: What are you two talking about?
Lindsay: *looking up at her father in the doorway of the living room* He's telling me his life story.
Dustin: It's not my life story, it's just about my senior year of high school.
Junior: Oh with umm...
Junior's voice trailed off as he remembered something that was like word vomit and that should never be said ever again. In return, Dustin smiled as if to say it's all good.
Dustin: It's ok Junior, you can say her name, Allie.
Junior smiled sheepishly as he swung the dish towel over his shoulder and sat on the opposite side of the couch as Lindsay.
Junior: I'm staying for this story.
Even before Dustin could open his mouth to resume his story, he heard Nicole's ear pinching voice once again. To his surprise, she wasn't calling his name, relief came over him.
Nicole: Junior?
Junior: *sighing out of annoyance* I'm in the living room.
Nicole walked into the living room, she was frustrated with everything going on in her house that she didn't approve of. She tried to hide the annoyance in her voice as she spoke.
Nicole: Dinner's not going to make itself.
Junior: Nicole, the pastries have to sit awhile, so I'm going to listen to Dustin's story.
Junior reassured his wife, who tried not to glare at Dustin because he wasn't even acknowledging that she was even in the room.
Lindsay: Mom, why don't you sit down and listen too?
Lindsay looked happily up to her mother, but Nicole didn't even look at her daughter as she spoke. Nicole looked, more like glared at Dustin, this time not being able to hold it back.
Nicole: I already lived it, I don't need to hear it.
For the first time, Dustin acknowledged that Nicole was standing in the room as he looked defensively into her eyes. He could feeling a tear wanting to stream down his face, but he held it in.
Dustin: I lived it too, but I don't mind telling it.
Nicole gave Dustin one last glaring glance as she walked out of the living room and walked into another part of the house, any part of the house that didn't have Dustin and his stupid story in it.
Dustin heard a door upstairs slam fiercely. Dustin just swallowed his breath and words that he would like to have said to Nicole, as he looked back to Lindsay and Junior whom looked engagingly at him.
Dustin: Anyways...
The image of Allie flashed through his mind as he began to resume where he left off...
**********
15 years ago—2010 *Awake- Bianca Ryan fades in*
Shaking off everything that had just happened between her and an ever so rued stranger, Allie walked inside her house as she began to smell the delightful smell of something that started to make her mouth water. When Allie walked into the kitchen, she saw her mother pulling what seemed to be a pan of brownies out of the oven and set it on the counter top.
Allie: What's the occasion? You got a hot date coming over and you want the house to smell like baked goods?
Lori: *letting out an annoyed laugh* No, these brownies for our new neighbors.
Allie's mother said as she started to cut the brownies individually with a knife.
Allie: Oh yeah, I saw the moving van drive by.
Allie remembered the large moving van that had passed her before she crossed the street. Then, like a bad part of her history, Allie remembered the guy that almost hit her with his car.
Allie: Then, I almost got hit by this jerk in a car.
Allie's mom looked up from where she was cutting the brownies into squares and to her daughter with disapproving eyes.
Lori: Allie honey, you really need to watch where you're going while crossing the street, someday I'm going to find you in the morgue.
Allie knew her mother didn't exactly mean it, but she still became slightly annoyed by the way her mother phrased it.
Allie: I feel the love mom.
Allie used to think that she was a spitting image of her mother when she was younger, but now she was opposite of Allie's chestnut brown hair and blue eyes. Allie sometimes considered them to be part ocean and part clouds while her mother just had oceans for eyes.
Allie placed the dirty mail on the counter top, hoping her mother won't notice the dirt stains on the envelopes, as she turned to walk out of the kitchen.
Lori: Oh Allie, when I'm finished cutting these brownies, you and I are going down the street to greet the neighbors.
Allie turned sharply back to her mother with a look of annoyance on her face, it showed in her voice also.
Allie: I have to go?
Lori: Yes, they're your neighbor's too.
Allie: *sighing deeply* Fine, come and get me when you're done.
Even before Allie could walk out of the kitchen, she heard her mother's voice behind her.
Lori: Done, let's go.
Lori smiled happily as she walked out of the front door with a plate full of neatly cut brownie squares. Allie let out a sigh of frustration as she followed her mother out, closing the front door behind her.
While walking down the street to her new neighbor's house, Allie couldn't help herself, the brownies on the plate in her mother's hands were just too mouthwatering.
Allie: Mom, can I just have one brownie?
Allie looked to her mother with pleading eyes as she tried reaching for the top brownie. Lori was quick to her daughter's actions, she swatted Allie's hand away.
Lori: No, they're for the new neighbors.
Allie's hopes just got shut down as she spoke with a slight whine.
Allie: Come on mom, I could take one, only one and say that a bird came and pooped on it or something.
Lori: *looking narrowed eyed at her daughter* Then, they wouldn't want the brownies.
Lori regretted the words she had just said as she saw Allie smiling mischievously.
Allie: I am so saying that now. Then, they will all be mine.
As Allie said her last words, she put her fingers together and threw her head back as she let out a wicked laugh like an evil mad woman plotting her next revenge. Lori just shook her head at her daughter while thinking, what am I going to do with you.
As Lori and Allie approached the drive way of the new neighbor's house that looked to be a white maybe three or four story house, Allie saw the large moving van parked in the drive way that once passed her along the street. She could see cardboard boxes all around, but no people in sight.
Lori came to the front door of the house with Allie trailing slowly behind, she firmly held the plate of brownies in one hand as she knocked with the other on the front door. Allie waited impatiently at the front door that was unanswered to her mother's knock, she stood on the side of her mother that held the plate of brownies out in the opened.
Allie: Oh well looks like no one's home, so let's go home and eat these brownies.
Allie once again tried reaching for the top brownie, but Lori shifted the plate of brownies to the opposite hand from where Allie stood.
Lori: NO!
Suddenly, Allie and Lori heard a soft delicate voice come from behind them.
Kathleen: Hello?
Allie and Lori turned around to see a women about Lori's age with green eyes, fair skin, and long blonde hair of what Allie thought was a total mom's hair-do.
Lori: Hi, we came here to welcome you to the neighborhood.
How corny can you be? Allie thought. She followed her mother, whom had the biggest smile on her face Allie has ever seen her mother make, over to the new neighbor.
Allie felt a pang in her stomach as she saw her own mother pass the plate of brownies over to the new neighbor, she wanted those brownies. The new neighbor noticed that Allie couldn't take her eyes off the plate of brownies that she now held in her hands.
Kathleen: You can have one if you'd like?
A smile of delight came across Allie's face just as she began to lick her lips with the thought of the juicy brownie in her hand.
Allie: Sure, thanks.
Lori took her fingers and pinched Allie on her arm. Allie looked to her mother annoyed, but knew what her next line should be.
Allie: I mean, no that's ok.
Allie took her own fingers and pinched her mother back on the arm this time around. Lori grabbed Allie's hands and held them by her side, so she couldn't do it again. She tried to act like nothing was going on in front of someone that they had just met, she smiled gracefully as if trying to hide a secret.
Lori: We live just down the street.
Allie tried her best to smile, but she was still angry with her mother for not only pinching her, but for not letting her have a damn brownie.
Kathleen: Well pleased to meet you, I'm Kathleen.
Kathleen spoke with a smile. She seemed like a really nice person, maybe even too nice at times, Allie thought to herself.
Kathleen: Why don't you come inside and meet the whole family.
Lori smiled as a gesture to give the green light. Lori and Allie followed behind Kathleen into the house through the front door, they turned to each other and gave one another the stink eye for what happen between them earlier.
Kathleen: New neighbors are here.
Kathleen said as soon as she stepped foot into the front door with the plate of brownies still in hand. When Allie made her way through the front door with her mother, she heard two sets of footsteps come down the stairs. The first were very loud footsteps, then ever so quiet, almost like they weren't even there, they both came into the entry way where Allie stood with her mother and Kathleen.
The first footsteps Allie heard, the loud ones, belong to a girl that looked to be about her age. The girl was slender, green eyed, fair skinned, and had long blonde hair, she looked almost identical to Kathleen so Allie knew that it was her daughter. The second set of footsteps, the silent ones, belong to a man that looked to be a few years older than Kathleen, with droopy almost tired green eyes, and sandy blonde almost brown hair.
Does everyone in their family have green eyes? Allie thought to herself as she smiled welcomingly at her new neighbors.
Kathleen: This is my husband Rob and my daughter Nicole.
Kathleen addressed both Rob and Nicole individually as she spoke their names.
Lori: I'm Lori and this is Allie.
After the whole "Hi. How are you doing? Welcome to the neighborhood." speech was over, it was as if there was nothing else to talk about. Kathleen, Rob, and Nicole just stood there, smiling like goofs as if they were holding a pose for a family photo. Allie figured that it was up to her to break the ice, she was good at that, so she looked over to Nicole.
Allie: So... are you going to the Plano Senior high school?
Nicole smiled as if she was happy someone her age was actually talking to her, Allie thought.
Nicole: Yeah I'm a senior.
Allie: Really? Me too. Hey, you already know someone in your new school.
As she spoke the words, Allie felt herself become surprised that she had actually said the words with delight, and not sarcasm. She noticed that Nicole did too, because she smiled to Allie as if relieved.
Nicole: Thank god.
Kathleen: Nicole is a little nervous about going to a new school.
Kathleen said as she tried to help her daughter in the conversation. Nicole smiled sheepishly, but Allie just smiled reassuringly.
Allie: Don't worry, it's a good school.
Not a complete lie, Allie said to herself, sometimes school was a drag but friends were what made the school enjoyable.
Suddenly, the door that lead to the garage of the house swung open. From the garage, Allie saw a younger man emerge while holding a large box in his hands, she figured that had to be Kathleen's son. Allie couldn't see Kathleen's son's face because the large box hid him from her staring eyes. Before he made his way up the stairs and past everyone without a word, Kathleen stopped him with the sound of her voice.
Kathleen: Dustin, say hi to our new neighbors.
Dustin brought the box down from the view of his face, and as he did Allie's eyes opened wide and felt like they were going to fall out of her head, then roll to the lemon fresh entry way floor. She couldn't believe what or who she was seeing.
Dustin: Hi.
Dustin smiled as best he could, even though he didn't want to, when he looked at Lori - whom was smiling back welcomingly at him. Then, when he stopped on her daughter, it was as if he was realizing who she was.
Dustin: Hey, you're the girl I almost hit with my car?
Everything in Allie kept her from screaming ASSHOLE! out loud, but she didn't have trouble screaming it on the inside. Allie folded her arms across her chest as she stared narrow eyed and narrow mindedly at Dustin.
Allie: Yup, that's was me.
Dustin: Ok, well nice running into you again.
Literally, Dustin thought to himself as he grinned to Allie, she just smiled smugly as if not amused. Even though she wanted to punch the guy, she couldn't help herself from watching Dustin walked up the stairs. As she did, she noticed something that she hadn't noticed the first time she ran into him. Dustin was the only one in his family that had blue eyes, the rest had green; his eyes had a twinkle with a hint of pain or a secret in them that made her wonder. Despite that fact, they were total oceans, Allie thought to herself.
She also noticed the way that Dustin's light almost dark brown hair shined once the sunlight that seeped through the upstairs window, hit it. And, they way that his arm muscles tightened as he lugged the large box in his arms, up the stairs.
Soon enough, Allie snapped out of her admiration and for the first time became uncomfortable. Everyone that was left standing in the entry way of the new neighbor's house, was staring curiously at her and she knew why; so she spoke with slight annoyance.
Allie: I was walking across the street, not looking where I was going, then he slammed on his breaks as soon as he saw me.
That was the summed up version of what had actually happened, Allie didn't feel the need to tell Kathleen that her son was such an asshole to her.
Kathleen: Well I'm glad you're ok.
Kathleen spoke as if she was gasping for air fearing for Allie's life, Allie thought it was a bit overdone and a little rehearsed in a way.
Allie: Yeah, it wouldn't be the first time, I'm very accident prone, I think it knows me by name now.
Allie smiled sheepishly as everyone around her let out a little laugh, Lori laugh mostly because she knew that her daughter really wasn't kidding.
After the laughter subsided, Kathleen looked to Nicole as she held the plate of brownies that Allie still wanted to get a hold of, up to Nicole's hands.
Kathleen: Nicole, why don't you and Allie put these in kitchen?
Allie liked that fact that her name was associated with the brownies and became excited as she looked to Nicole, who now held the plate of brownies firmly in her hands.
Nicole: Come on Allie, you can help me eat these brownies.
Allie: Love the sound of that.
As Allie followed Nicole up the stairs, she turned back to her mom and stuck out her tongue in a playful manner. Lori just shook her head at her daughter and sighed.