Not as they seem...

New Neighbours

After the excitement of the morning, Anna was almost glad when Zander and his friends weren't on the bus on the way home. She didn't think she would be able to take it. When she returned home, she entered her cold and dark home and clicked the lock behind her. She was used to this. Her father was usually late home. She flicked the heater on as she passed on the way to her where she dumped her bag in the corner. She slid out of her uniform, being careful to hang it up smoothly on the hanger. She changed into her leggings and an oversized jumper before heading out to the kitchen to get something to eat. She commanded Google to play top 40 hits and slid some bread in the toaster while music sprang to life around the house. It immediately made her feel better, less alone. Not that she minded being alone. She'd gotten used to it over the last couple of years.

In the begining, it weighed heavily on her. Like a thick fog does to an asthmatic. Making her struggle to breath. To function even. She'd spent many an afternoon and evening, just sitting at the kitchen table alone. Unable and unwilling to make her body move. It was her silent protest to the world. When ever she heard her fathers car pull in the drive, she switched back on. Jumping up and turning lights on and making it look like she'd been doing something worth while. Making it look like she was coping.

Her elderly neighbours at the time cottoned onto it first.

Bev and Barry were like her surrogate grandparents. They had lived next door ever since her parents had built and moved into that house. Well before she came along. When she did arrive, Bev and Barry doted on her. Not having grandkids of their own and her parents not having living parents of their own, it was a good fit for all. Not to mention that Bev and Barry had a fantastic pool that was always immaculately clean. Anna had spent countless hours during her childhood jumping off their spring board or doing underwater handstands.

Bev had been the first to notice noticed just how dark the house was, even after she knew Anna had arrived home. Then she looked for signs of movement, of anything happening within the house. But there was nothing, She let herself in one evening and found Anna sitting there in the darkness with tears streaming down her face. Her heart had broken all over again for the girl. After that, she started coming over after Anna got home from school, fussing over her with home made treats and making sure there was something for dinner. Making she she wasnt alone for extended periods while her father was at work. Eventually, as she saw Anna emerge from her grief, she slowly stepped back until she was only dropping over every now and again. Her Dad and Barry continued to have their Friday night whisky together and once a month, Anna and her father would cross the driveway and have dinner at their house.

However, with their age, Bev and Barry began to talk more and more about living somewhere warmer and eventually, over one of their monthly dinner Bev and Barry told their surrogate family that they were selling up.

The house sold very quickly. It was a four bedder with a pool in a great school district. That was no surprise. While Anna felt empty all over again after they left, they still kept in touch with facetime, messages and emails.

A family moved in 3 weeks after Bev and Barry left. Anna could tell, by the furniture and things that were being unloaded from the removalists truck, that there was at least one boy and a girl. She never really saw them much in the early days. Then one day, probably the first really warm day of summer, Anna had dusted off the reclining lounge on her back deck and stretched out in the sun, in her bikini top and shorts and with her latest book.

“Hey there," a girls voice had called out. Anna had dropped her book on her face in surprise. When she righted herself, she saw a girl, maybe a year or 2 younger than her but also in a bikini top and shorts, leaning over the decking next door and waving to Anna.

“Hey,”Anna called back apprehensively with a little wave before getting ready to continue reading.

“We just moved in not long ago,”the younger girl continued, “I'm Hannah.” she called chirpily.

“Oh hey- I'm Anna.” she called back.

The girl dissolved into giggles “How funny- I'm H'anna'h and you're 'Anna'!”

Anna thought this girl was a little loopy, but she appreciated the girls humour.

“What school do you go to?” Hannah called across the back yards.

“I go to Our Lady's? You?” Anna stood up to lean on the decking also. She could see other people moving inside Hannahs house.

“We just started at Eton,” the girl said, “That's me and my brother.”

“Cool,”Anna called, “Are you liking it?”

The girl giggled again, "This is crazy. Do you want to just come over?”

Anna shuffled uncomfortably and tried to think of an excuse. She couldn't.

“Come on,”the girl implored, “I was about to go for a swim- you want to join me?”

Anna couldn't really think a a polite reason to say no to this super friendly girl.

“Oh, Ok...sure.”Anna had answered.

Hannah had bounced in excitement. Even from across the yards, she could see the excited girls curly hair bouncing around her face.

“Come on! I'll meet you out the front.”

Anna had grabbed her towel and met Hannah on the walkway between the 2 driveways. She was still bouncing with excitement.

“Quick, come on.” she said,”I am soo hot. I can't wait for a swim”

She grabbed Anna by the hand and guided her back to her house.

Anna found it very surreal being back in Bev and Barrys place, when it was no longer Bev and Barry's. The new inhabitants had already started making changes. Painting was well under way and a wall had already been demolished between the kitchen and the living room. The place looked like a war zone, but she could see the potential. The old people vibe was on its way out and fresh and asthetic was on it's way in.

“Hey mum. This is Anna. She lives next door.” Hannah announced while pulling her new found friend through the house and towards the back door.

“Hi Anna,” an older lady in crisp, if not paint splattered, chino's and a white singlet had answered, setting her paint brush down for a moment to see who her daughter had dragged into the house.

“Hannah, be gentle!” she chided her daughter as they navigated their way through the half emptied moving boxes and renovation equipment sprawled over the living room.

“Hi,” Anna replied, “I like what you're doing with the place.”

Hannahs mum straightened a little and smiled in appreciation.

“Come on,” Hannah kept pulling her through. “Oh, and that's my brother-”

All Anna saw was a paint speckled hand waving out the hallway entrance as they exited.

“He's not very sociable,” Hannah said loudly, purposefully trying to get a rise out of her brother.

Their mother shoo'd them out the back door so she could continue painting.

On this first meeting with Hannah, Anna learnt that they had just moved from NSW. Their mum had been given a huge promotion to start a new branch of the investment banking firm she worked at here in Melbourne. Anna's dad hadn't really wanted to come, neither had her brother, but they eventually lost out. Her mum was very persuasive. Hannah was 2 years younger than Anna. She had come into year 7 at Eton. Her brother was older. He was in year 10. Yeh, they got along most of the time, but he was a pretty moody sort of guy, especially since they had moved. Her brother had been on the honor roll at their old school, and probably would be at Eton too. He was really smart. Hannah was mad keen into gymnastics and played about 3 different instruments. She made Anna feel a little intimidated by her accomplishments, but she couldn't deny that the girl was friendly as anything.

The girls had spent the afternoon swimming, sun baking, then swimming again. Hannah chatting easily with her new found friend. In the end, Anna's father had ambled out onto their deck, calling across the fence to the girls to enquire whether Anna would be home at all that day. They exchanged phone numbers and from that day on, despite the age difference, it was like they had been friends forever.