My girl next door

In a time where most people can't be bothered to look outside their window, I thought the dare would be fine. 

I never expected to fall in love with the girl next door. Especially since I've never seen her before. 

She moved in over the summer. I was going to say hi to her once school started. I never really go out much in the summer. People just come here. 

I mean, who wouldn't? I have a pool and an amazing garden in my backyard. A library that is full of books. There is no reason to leave home. And all my friends find my house to be so cool they prefer to hang over here. 

So when one night they dared me to write a note to the new girl next door, I did it. 

What person looks out their window anyways? 

She does. 

I wrote a simple “hey, how are you? I'm Sandra”. And left it. I thought I'd leave it there for a few days.

For some reason, I felt I needed to look out the window the next day. And I saw something in her window. 

“Hey. I'm good. My name is Katie. What's with the note in the window?”

I could have left it there if I wanted to. Instead, I replied. 

“A dare. Why did you reply?” 

It was a miracle she continued to talk to me after that. 

I waited for a few hours after I wrote that.l Played a few video games. But after only a few minutes into my last game, my thoughts wandered to if she had replied. 

So after that game, I peeked through my curtains. 

There was another note. 

“I was a bit lonely. Plus my pendulum told me to. My cards seem to think you're someone special.” 

She was lonely. I've never moved a day in my life. It must be hard for her. 

I found myself writing another note. 

“Are you settling in ok? And are you a witch?”

Again I wait. I found I became more and more impatient as I waited for her reply. And when I see her reply…

My heart skips a beat. 

I see a silhouette in her window. And there is another note.

“I am. To both questions. Why do you keep replying?”

I don't fully know why I kept replying. Felt like fate was making my heart race. Making me want to reply to her. 

“Why not? How's your day been?” 

I didn't even know if she would reply that night. But within ten minutes I found myself reading another note.

“I've been good. What have you do ne all day?” 

I found myself being honest with her. 

“Video games. Do you play?” 

Just as I'm putting the note into my window, there she is. Waiting for my reply.

Her hair looked soft. I remember how cute she looked in her little nightgown. She smiled, pulling her notebook out from next to her as she read my reply. 

“Only a few. I prefer my books.”

A bookworm. I indulge myself from time to time too. 

“You should see my library. I think you'd like it.” 

I watch her giggle. So cute. 

And before I could react, my fingers wrote two words. And held them to the window.

“You're cute”

I watch as the shock on her face softens. And she writes on her pad. 

“Thanks. I wish I could, but I'm kind of on house arrest.” 

This came as a shock for me. How could such a sweet, carefree soul be tied down to a home? And why?

That was what was written on my next note. 

“Why?”

And she smiled, writing on her pad. 

“You don't know my past. I could be a murderer for all you know.”

“No. You couldn't be. Too sweet. What murderer looks outside her window?” 

Another smile. It makes my heart skip a beat. 

“You really want to know?”

All I do is nod. 

She smiles, writes something on the pad, and puts it in her window, disappearing into her room. 

“Night! 985-274-4537”

A phone number. Girls smooth. 

So, I text her a simple goodnight and lay down on my bed. 

I can't sleep. She's got my head in the clouds. 

I knew I was pan, but I never thought…

I wake up to a call. I look to see who it is. 

‘Window girl.’

“Hey. sleep well?”

“Of course. You?”

“Yeah. go to your window. I want to see you.”

I walk to the window to see her sitting at a little desk, covered in crystals, herbs, candles. And some cards laid out on the table. 

“Early morning witchcraft I see. Anything about me?”

“It may have crossed my mind to ask him about you.”

“Him?”

“Apollo. My deity.” 

“As in sun-chariot party boy Apollo?”

She giggles. I hear her laugh for the first time and it's as if music had played for a second. 

“Yeah. that's him. How are you so far today?”

“Better, now that I've woken up to a beautiful voice and I see a beautiful piece of art in front of my window.” 

She looks at me. Looks around her room. Fidgets with her sleeve. 

“D-did I say something wrong?” 

“N-no. but I need to tell you something.”

“What is it, Katie?”

“There are two reasons I'm not allowed to leave the house. One is… I-I like girls.” 

I scoff. Are her parents imprisoning her because she's gay? 

“And where I used to live, I killed someone.”

I pause. Killed someone?

“What do you mean?” my voice is barely a whisper.

“He was some drunk white guy. Thought that because he believed in God he had the right to… to…” The sun reflects off of her tears. I hear her sobs through the phone. I want to hold her in my arms so badly… tell her everything is alright.

“Did he hurt you?” 

She nods. I can't tell you the rage that filled my head at that point. I couldn't believe some guy had thought so low of this beautiful flower in front of me. 

At that point, I knew that she was my world. 

“You're not dangerous. At all. You're not even remotely a bad person.”

I hear her sniffle on the other end. She looks at me and smiles. A beautiful smile, blessed by the sun. 

My mom calls to me for breakfast. She likes us all to sit and pray together and talk. 

“Listen. Katie. I got to go. Keep your chin up for me though, alright? I'll call you a bit later.”

She sniffles in reply. 

“Love you”

and I hang up. 

At first, I thought it was just a fluke. like saying 'you too' to a waiter who says ‘enjoy your food’ or saying it at the end of a conference call with your boss. 

Then I realized: my heart was speaking. 

In a bit, I decided to write another note. 

“Could I invite you over for dinner?” 

I waited for a moment. But she didn't come to the window. So I texted her. 

“Go to your window.” 

No reply. No Katie. 

I called her. She didn't pick up. 

So I left the note in the window. That's when my mom called me downstairs. 

And there she was at my door. Slightly cowering behind a woman. Until she sees me.

“Sandra. These are our new neighbors. Say hi.” I smile. I know. We've been talking. 

“Hi. how are you?” I'm talking to her mom, but I can't take my eyes off of Katie. She was in a long skirt. looked like a cottage girl. She is a witch after all. I'd seclude myself in a cabin with her if it had internet.

Even if it didn't we could read books together. She could teach me magic. 

We would fall asleep with our eyes to the stars and wake up to Apollo's sun.

“Katie, say hello.” her mom sounded nervous. As if Katie would lash out at any moment. 

That's not my girl.

I can't call her that. I don't even know if she likes me back. 

“Well, why don't you and I get to know each other and our daughters can hang out. I'm sure Katie can find something to entertain herself, and Sandra would be fine to show her around.” 

Boy would I. I think I'll show her the garden first. Then the library.

I'll show her my favorite place in the whole house. 

“Uh, I don't know-”

“Please. What's the harm?” 

Katie touches her mom's arm. As if to say, ‘it's alright. I'll behave.’

She may. But could I?

And with that, Katie and I are walking to the back of the house. 

“I have to ask. Do you like me, Sandra?”

Right as I'm about to reply, everything dissolves to warm light. 

I fell asleep in my nook. 

Katie had texted me. Called me. I called her back and walked to my room, where I could see her. 

“Hey.”

She looked up at my window. I remember how sad she looked...

“Hey. what's up?”

She shook her head.

“Nothing.” it's more than that. So much more. 

“Could you teach me a bit about witchcraft?” 

She looked so surprised at my question. 

I may be agnostic. That doesn't mean I'm not open to believing in magic. 

Especially when I saw a perfect angel in my sights. 

All she did was nod. I smile. That's all the answer I needed.

“You know, you really don't seem like a Sandra Dee.”

“To greaser for you, Katy Keene?”

“Who?”

I really needed to meet her. I needed to show her my childhood. 

“Nevermind.”

“Sandra?” 

“Hm?”

“What do you think of me?”

What does she mean? I think she's beautiful, wonderful, free, angelic, among things I couldn't even begin to explain.

“You’re great. Why?”

“Sandra. I like you.”

“I like you too.”

“No, like, like you.”

That emphasis. So cute.

“I know.”

She just stared at me. Too cute. 

“I wish I could hug you right now.”

“Me too.”

“My mom's calling. I need to go. I'll… talk to you tomorrow.”

“Yeah. see ya cutie.”

I watched her face go red. I grinned. 

The next time I saw her, the sun was reflecting off of her tears again. I couldn't believe what she had told me. 

“I don't know if I'll ever be back. I could go to prison for all I know.”

“No. no, you want. It was in self-defense. There's very little a lawyer could do to make you go to jail.”

“Sandra, I killed a man. The law there won't back a gay witch. If anything they'll burn me at the stake to repent for my sins to god.”

I watch her pace in her room. 

“What games do you play?”

She looks out the window at me. 

“Sandra. I'm going to court. You're asking about video games?”

“Just trying to get your mind off of it. Can't have my baby wrinkling her beautiful face like you've smelled dog crap.”

Her face loosens with a smile. I see her brush a tear off her face.

“Mostly survival and puzzles.”

“Do you have any multiplayer?”

“A few. Why?”

“I want to play with you.”

A blush.

“You have DST?”

“Yeah. how'd you know?”

“Seemed like a game you'd like. I'll host a game. Stay on the phone, alright?” 

“Yeah.”

We played all night. We laughed, cried, and screamed with each other. 

And the next morning she was gone. 

She was carted off in the morning to go to court. Her final plea. 

I heard it through the gossip channels first. The neighbor's daughter was put in a women's prison for 90 days. Everyone I heard from said that she needed longer. But I know her. She shouldn't even have a day in that hell.

 I went to see her. And we just talked. Hugged for the first time. Shared our first kiss. It gave us both hope. 

But the next week a different rumor went around. 

The girl was in emergency care. She was stabbed. 

Stuck in a coma.

It was at one point in time that I wished I could switch with her. 

I even prayed to Apollo for help. Hoped that maybe being her patron he might care for her enough to save her. 

Maybe God would save her for me. 

By the time she woke up, half of her sentence had gone by. She told me that during the coma all she had was nightmares.

And I was her knight in shining armor. 

After she got better, people thought the law needed to play out.

So they sent her back to that hell hole.

And with that, they sealed my baby's death. 

The guy she killed was apparently some religious nut in a gang. And that gang was out for my sweet angel's blood.

I'm still out for theirs.