More Than Neighbors

Gravel crunched as the moving van backed into the driveway, its blinkers flashing orange. I rested my head in my arms, watching as the removalist jumped out of the van and opened the back doors.

It was sad that our old neighbor, Mrs Whincop, had passed away, but new neighbors were exciting. Maybe they'd have teenage kids my age, or a young family that I could babysit for. Or maybe they'd have a cute dog that I could take on walks for some extra pocket money. Nevermind. It would probably just be another old couple, looking for a retirement house in a quiet neighborhood. There was no car yet, so they must've been on their way. The removalist said something to his workmate, and together, they began to carry boxes to the front porch.

I mean, it's not like I would be able to interact with the new neighbors anyway. The whole country was on lockdown, and this pandemic showed no signs of slowing. Every day, the news was packed full of updated statistics, each one more depressing than the previous one. Social media was blowing up with 'wash your hands' and 'stay at home'. I was staying at home alright. With nothing to do. Wake up, eat food, watch Netflix, eat more food, run on the treadmill, watch Netflix.

My thoughts were interrupted by a small red car pulling up in front of the moving van. A man who looked to be in his forties was driving. I kept watching and the passenger door opened. A girl about my age stepped out. She was petite, and had long blonde hair down to the middle of her back. She wore a white mini skirt and a pink tube top, despite the autumn chill. I smiled. Finally a neighbor who looked like friend material.

Soon enough, I got sick of watching the removalists carry box after box. Straight in front of me was a room which I hoped would be the girl's. Mrs Whincop had used it as her study, and waved to me whenever she saw me across the tiny garden between our two houses. I grinned as I saw the door open, and the removalists brought in a bed frame. The girl closely followed, and I saw her point to one of the walls, instructing the men exactly where to place her bed. The afternoon dragged on, but I found a strange pleasure in watching the girl's room unfold. Not in a stalk-ish way.

Sunlight streamed in through the gap in my curtains. I yawned and stretched, gathering my thoughts from the day before. New neighbors! I remembered the events from yesterday, and quickly rushed to my window. I found the girl peeking through her curtains at me, and I smiled and waved. She gave me a small smile, before retreating back into her room.

I got ready for the day, throwing on an oversized hoodie and pulling my hair into a messy bun. The restrictions put in place due to the pandemic meant that it would be at least a few months before I went back into the outside world, but I applied a bit of makeup anyway. I could hear Mum chatting to someone on the phone - this was her 24/7. After losing her job at the local jewellers, she now threw all her time and energy into her dream, which was to become a famous fashion designer. She was either making calls, or spending time in her studio. It was because of Mum that our house looked like the front of a home magazine. Everything was perfect, and all the decorations matched and were minimal. Every year, she did a renovation, changing up the styles so that everything was up to date with the trends.

I opened up my curtains, letting in the sunshine. It was the first autumn day in a few weeks that had been sunny and warm, and I longed to get outside after almost a month in isolation. Movement from the room across from me caught my attention. The new girl had opened up her curtains, and I could see that she was busily unpacking from the dozens of boxes piled up against one of the walls. My mum would love her style. Every piece of furniture was white, with black accents and small splashes of colour on the walls from Polaroids. She had plants dotting the room, adding to the aesthetic.

The girl caught me watching and gave me a small wave, then hurried to her bedside table and picked something up. She came to the window and held the object up so I could see. A mobile phone. She gave me a questioning look, and I nodded. Then I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down my phone number, holding it up to the window. Stranger danger. I know. But this girl, well, I trusted her with my life. Without even knowing her name. For all I now, she could be a serial killer on the run. But no. From the moment I saw her step out of her car, I just knew we would be best friends.

I saw her copy down the number into her phone, and she gave me a thumbs up. Two seconds later, my phone buzzed, and a message came through.

Unknown Number: hi

Me: hey what's ur name?

Unknown Number: amelia, u?

Me: courtney

Amelia: so this is weird.

Me: a bit :)

Me: how old r u?

Amelia: 16

Me: cool same! why did u move?

Amelia: ...

Amelia: dad lost his job over this damn virus, and he thinks he can find a job here. i thought it would suck, but maybe it won't be so bad if i'm friends with my next-door neighbor :)

I looked up and smiled. Amelia smiled back.

Me: don't take this the wrong way, but i'm glad ur dad lost his job

Amelia: the feeling is mutual

Suddenly isolation didn't seem so bad. In fact, now I didn't think I could ever look at it as a bad thing. If it hadn't happened, this girl would not be my neighbor. And that would suck. Just for the record.

Amelia: hey when this thing is over, we can actually hang out

Me: i am SO ready for a shopping spree

Amelia: OMG u just revealed my fav hobby

Me: i seriously don't know what i'd do if u weren't my friend, and i've know u 2 mins

Amelia: bffs?

Me: always

Amelia: forever

Me: til we die

Amelia: and beyond

Me: ily girl

Amelia: ily more

Me: not possible

Amelia: hell yeah it is

Me: c u on the other side of this thing

Amelia: looking forward to it

I grinned and looked up. Amelia was smiling too. She waved, and I waved back. We were going to get through this thing. Together.