Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
One is a woman with long dark hair walking a few steps ahead of a boy who is carrying two boxes so big, he can barely see over top of them. The woman laughs when the boy stops, puts the boxes down, and blows his hair out of his eyes. His hair is as black as hers and cut close to his head except for the top, which is long enough that it falls into his eyes.
I’ve never seen eyes that color before. They’re the most beautiful turquoise, bright, like the sparkling water of the ocean at my favorite beach in Cancun. With his tanned face and dark hair, they’re striking.
He's not Ethan, the son of the family that’s moving in. Ethan is fourteen, and this boy looks much older.
He bends down to pick up the boxes again but then stops, straightens, and looks straight at my window. I gasp. He can’t see me, can he? We’re too far apart. Even so, I swear those eyes are staring right at me. Maybe it’s the sun, or maybe I moved and it glinted off the binoculars? I freeze, not sure what to do. Before I can decide if I should duck down out of sight, he shifts his gaze to the boxes, lifts them, and continues toward the small cottage.
The sound of a car door closing has me swinging the binoculars back to the street. A black car parks at the curb. The windows are tinted so dark I can’t see in.
The driver climbs out and opens the door at the back. A man steps out. He glances at the house, then turns to extend his hand to help a woman out. They’re dressed like they’re going to work or a party or something. Not for moving.
I watch the couple. They look up at the grand house set on a hill, which used to look like ours, but is so much bigger now and prettier with everything being so new. They smile but not to each other. Just at the house.
When the other door at the back opens, I anxiously zoom in to see Ethan, the boy who will be my neighbor. He’s two years older than me. When Dad told me who was moving in, I secretly wished he were a girl because we’d probably become best friends then, but he’s not. Still, since his is the only other house for miles, it makes him the only kid around. The parents of my few friends from school don’t like to drive their kids out this far and Dad doesn’t like me going to anyone’s house unless he’s met them. He’s pretty weird about it. But the neighbors built a swimming pool, so Ethan will have to do.
And who knows? Maybe we’ll be best friends after all. Dad says to give him a chance, that not all boys are annoying. I’m not sure about that, but the swimming pool with its glistening water does make me want to try. It’s been a really hot summer.
“Phee?” Dad knocks once on my door then opens it.
I jump, turning from the window. I want to hide the binoculars behind my back because we have discussed what he calls me being nosy and what I call curiosity. My teachers tell me curiosity is a really good thing to have. I’d remind him of that, but I am kind of spying and I’m too late to hide them because they’re hanging from my neck.
He gives me a look but smiles, which means I’m not really in trouble. “What did I tell you about spying?”
“I’m not. I was just watching the movers.”
He raises his eyebrows.
“Fine.” I slip the binoculars off and drop to a seat in the bay window. It’s my favorite spot for reading and now, neighbor watching.
“Ready to meet the Foxes?”
I smile wide, jumping to my feet. “Yep! I’ll grab the welcome cookies.” I baked them with Tonia, our cook and housekeeper and the best second mom anyone can have. Most of my friends had nannies forever, but I have always had Tonia. I hurry to the door, and Dad scoots to the side.
“You’re wearing your bathing suit?” he asks as I run down the stairs of our house.
There are six bedrooms upstairs. One for my dad and one for me. Tonia lives with us, so she has the third, and the other three are just empty all the time. We never have visitors.
My father is an only child, like me, and both his and my mom’s parents are gone. I never got to meet any of them, and it upsets Dad when I ask about them, so I try not to.
We could move to a smaller house. We don’t need all the space. But Dad told me once how much my mom loved it. She decorated it herself.