The Gang Leader's Impostor

CHAPTER THREE

When I got home, it was already dark outside. The moon cast long shadows across the yard, and I knew my mom wouldn’t appreciate me spending nearly all of my allowance before even setting foot in school. My new clothes and haircut might impress my classmates, but they wouldn't impress her if she knew the cost. I decided to circle around to the back of the house, avoiding the front door entirely.

The back gate was a little high, but since it was made of bricks, the ones sticking out could easily help me scale it. I tossed my shopping bags over first, wincing in pain as I heard a soft thud when they landed on the other side. I rolled up my sleeves, getting ready to climb. I took a deep breath and jumped, grabbing onto an awkwardly placed brick. I must have looked like a frog clinging to the wall, but it worked. Hopefully, no one could see me.

Slowly, I began to ascend, feeling the rough surface scrape against my palms.

I was almost at the top when I heard a chuckle from behind me. My heart skipped a beat, and I looked up, squinting through the darkness. There, sitting on the rooftop, was a guy smoking a cigarette, his face partially obscured by the light shining directly behind him. He grinned down at me, amusement clear in his posture.

“What’s with that expression?”

“What?” I called out to him, half-hoping he was talking to me and I wasn’t just answering random questions from a guy who was actually on a call.

"Did you forget about me already? 'Cause I didn’t," he said, his voice carrying a hint of mockery.

I ignored him at first, assuming he had mistaken me for someone else. After all, no one in this neighborhood knew me. I was the new kid, a ghost among strangers. But something about his silhouette tugged at my memory. As I reached the top of the gate and our eyes met, the realization hit me like a freight train. It was him—the guy from the mall.

My grip faltered, and before I knew it, I was tumbling over the gate, landing flat on my back right in the middle of my mom’s new flower pot. Pain shot through my body, and I winced, hoping I hadn’t broken anything. But the fear coursing through me was far worse than any physical pain.

The guy from the mall was my neighbor.

I lay there for a moment, trying to catch my breath, my heart pounding in my chest. What were the odds? How could this happen? Panic and dread mingled with the throbbing pain in my back. I struggled to my feet, careful not to make too much noise, and quickly gathered my bags.

From the rooftop, the guy’s laughter rang out again, and I glanced up to see him watching me with that same infuriating grin.

“Welcome to the neighborhood,” he called out, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Ignoring him, I ducked inside the house, my mind racing. This was bad. Very bad. I had hoped for a fresh start, a chance to leave my past behind. But now, it seemed like the new trouble I made had followed me here, waiting to catch up at the worst possible moment. I just had to hope that he wouldn’t make my life a living hell—or worse, that we weren’t going to go to the same school.

I closed the door quietly behind me, leaning against it and closing my eyes. This was supposed to be a new beginning. But now, it felt like the same old nightmare, just with a different backdrop.

Even as I walked past the kitchen, I could still hear the guy’s chuckle ringing in my ears. It was like a haunting echo, mocking me with every step. I paused to catch my breath at the foot of the stairs, sinking onto the floor, deep in thought. The guy on the rooftop looked like he could be a bully—my age, already smoking, and with a build that told me he worked out regularly. The more I thought about it, the more certain I became that he probably goes to the same school as I do. There weren’t that many high schools in our city, after all.

Before I could finish my thought, a loud cough startled me. I looked up the staircase, and my soul almost left my body in shock. My mother was standing there, a sheet mask on her face, curlers in her hair, and wearing a black robe that made her look like she was floating.

“Ma! You scared me!” I yelled, clutching my chest. “What are you doing looking like a ghost?”

Her eyes narrowed, fuming. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?! It’s half past eleven already! And what’s with all the bags? Did you go shopping?”

My eyes went wide and I kicked the bags away, watching as it skidded behind the staircase before smiling up at my mom. “Those bags? They’re empty. I just ... uh—”

“Just what?” She took a step down the stairs, and I gulped. “Don’t even think about lying to my face, Alexander.”

I let go of the breath I didn’t realize I was holding and sighed. “Fine. I was shopping. But I only did that because—"

“What were you thinking, spending most of your allowance already, Alex?! What the hell had gotten into you? You haven’t even started school yet and you’ve already spent this much?”

“But, ma, I promise—”

“You’re grounded until school starts in four days! And no TV!”

I sighed and nodded, sulkily walking past her with all my paper bags in tow. I knew better than to argue when she was in this mood. I trudged up the stairs and into my room, not even bothering to turn on the lights. I just needed to clear my head, to figure out what to do next.

I headed straight for my window and peered out at the neighbor’s rooftop. Relief washed over me when I saw that it was empty. But as I was about to heave a sigh of relief, my eyes landed on the open window right across from mine. My heart skipped a beat, and I nearly jumped.

The guy was standing there, sneering at me. “Stalker much? Tell me, do you do this a lot or is it just for me? I saw you sneaking a look at the mall, and now I caught you again.”

I felt my face flush with a mix of embarrassment and anger. "I’m not stalking you," I retorted, trying to sound confident but failing miserably.

He laughed, a sound that made my skin crawl. "Sure, whatever you say," he said and shrugged, making it apparent to me that he thinks I’m a liar.

I scowled at him. “You think you’re all that, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do. Just admit it. You were just pretending to not pay attention so you could bump into me.” He flashed me a teasing grin and perched his head on top of both his hands.

I flashed him the same teasing grin and copied his position, glaring at him. “I swear I’m trying my absolute hardest to see things from your perspective, but I just can’t get my head that far up my ass.”

“You know, you look like a sane person, and then you open your mouth—”

“Oh, shut the hell up!” I’m now absolutely fuming. If he were facing me and there wasn’t an entire backyard separating us from each other, I knew I’d fold but not this time. He’s trying to piss me off and it’s working.

“I’m impressed.”

“Well, that makes one of us.”

“You’re quite feisty for someone your size.”

“I thought that was already established.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest and tilted my head to the side, eyeing him.

He tilted his head too, not even at the least bit fazed. “Wait, you think you can defend yourself? That’s cute. You’re 147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bones. Sarcasm is your only defense.”

“I’d splash water on you if I had some.”

“Did I hit a sensitive spot?”

“I’ll hit you in a sensitive spot if you don’t shut the hell up!”

I shut my window with more force than necessary, feeling my pulse race. This guy was going to be a problem, I could already tell. I sank onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling, the reality of my situation settling in. I had hoped for a fresh start, but it seemed like trouble had followed me here.

I lay there, replaying the day’s events in my mind. I had been so excited about the new haircut, the new clothes, the new beginning. Now, everything felt tainted by this looming threat next door. My thoughts raced, searching for a solution. I couldn’t let this guy ruin everything for me, not when I was so close to finally being normal.

As the minutes ticked by, I resolved not to let him intimidate me. I’d worked too hard to let someone like him drag me down. Next week, I’d go to school with my head held high, ready to face whatever came my way. And if he tried to mess with me, I’d deal with it then. For now, I needed to get some sleep and gather my strength. I think I’ll need it for tomorrow since he is after all my neighbor.