LEAH POV
Sitting on a lounge chair in the backyard, I watched as everyone had fun. Music was blasting from the speakers carefully arranged in one corner of the yard. Kids shrieked at each other as they chased each other around. Some of them were kids I recognized and had seen around the neighborhood a couple of times while the rest were people I was just seeing for the first time.
Some teenagers were sitting beside the pool, engaged in conversation while also laughing with each other. Parents were huddled together in small groups, drinking and laughing. It was the monthly block party and everyone was having fun—except me.
My eyes were glued in the direction of a trio of teenagers standing by the pool, laughing at something one of them had said.
The particular boy that had caught my
