1 Summer Thrill

"I dare you."

"Dare me to do what?"

"Go talk to him."

"Pass."

"Oh, come one. Live a little. We have to make memories before you leave."

Yeah, memories...

It is the summer after graduating high school and just like everyone else I went to high school with, I am spending my time "finding myself." By that, I mean lounging on the side of my pool, sipping virgin daiquiris with a splash of tequila from my mother's liquor cabinet. By my side is Trix. My best friend, my confidant, and the one who is always daring me to do something outrageous enough to get me into just enough trouble for her to help me get out of.

"Why is this even a dare?" I mumble, adjusting my large boho sunglasses to block the sun, beaming over our heads. Tilting my head back, I stare up at the sky as the pool float I'm in turns away from the house.

With my yard unfenced, we have been watching as movers unloaded boxes from the moving van, carrying them into the house. So far, we gather that only one person is moving in. A man. That alone has kept us floating around with curiosity, ignoring the glances of the movers who insist on nodding or winking every time they enter or exit the house. Although Trix likes the attention, I'd rather know more about the person moving. Why is he alone? Where is he coming from? Is it for a job or just the urge to be somewhere new? If I did the dare, I'd find out those things, but I refuse.

"I'm daring you because he's hot. I would climb that pole in a heartbeat if I wasn't with Carter." Trix flicks water over at me and I don't budge.

"You've barely even seen the man. We don't even know what his face looks like." I snort and when I look over my shoulder, she's shrugging, looking at me over her heart-shaped sunglasses with body glitter sparkling off her cheeks. Her long waves of strawberry blonde hair are trailing down her back with the ends tickling the water.

"Who cares, his ass in those jeans is all I need to know. If you go over and talk to him then you'll see his face."

Swaying my feet, I turn my float back towards the house just in time to see the man coming back out. We can't really make out his appearance because he's wearing a baseball cap, but Trix is right. His butt is cute. His arms are just muscly enough for my liking and his back is toned. The only downside is that any man moving into a house on his own is a man who is too old for me to take interest in. I just turned 18 a few months ago so I doubt my mother would be thrilled to find out her daughter waltzed over to the new neighbor's house in a bikini to welcome him.

"I'm not going over there." I giggle, wrapping my lips around the straw, drawing in sloshy daiquiri as my heartbeat quickens with the desire to just do it, but also from the nerves of the thought of doing it.

"Why is it that you've jumped fences, drank alcohol, broken into school, and beat up Amy Faulkner in 7th grade, but when it comes to guys, you're a complete chicken?"

Trix has a valid point. I've done a lot of adventurous things in my life but talking to guys was uncharted territory. Growing up with a single mom was most likely the cause of that.

For as long as I could remember, my mom was single. My dad left her after I was born and over the years, she dated, but no one stuck around. I never learned a lot about guys due to limited representation of a male figure in my life. I never had boys as friends and until middle school, I'd never had a male teacher. When it came time for me to put myself out there for the opposite sex, I was terrified. When my friends were talking about boys, I'd just listen and live vicariously through them, in awe of them having their first kiss so early in life. Mine didn't come until I was in the 10th grade. Demarcus Johnson, the captain of the football team, kissed me in his kitchen as a dare from Trix during one of his house parties. It was less than magical due to the number of people cheering us on, but I thanked Trix for that dare the next morning.

After that, I only had one other experience with guys and that was my 6th-month long relationship with Garett Lent at the beginning of my senior year. Things hardly became physical before he called it quits right before Christmas break and the annual senior trip to the Bahamas that I did not attend. The first day back at school, his arm was wrapped around another girl.

"I just...I don't know. Guys are weird to me." I shrug, knowing that Trix won't relate.

"Men are simple, my dear. Just show some boobs, lick your lips and they lose their minds."

"Is that how you got Carter?"

"That and the fact that I went down on him on our first date. He's been hooked ever since." She licks her lips as I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses.

"Gross."

"It's only gross if you've never done it."

Another valid point. I haven't done lots of things so I surely can't judge.

After another hour, we decide that we should go in and eat before we get sunburned. I'm still climbing out of the pool when Trix heads inside. As I'm walking towards the back door, I glance over at the house next door and when my eyes flicker towards an upstairs window, I see him. My feet slow as I stare up at the man staring down at me. I suddenly feel naked and vulnerable under his gaze. He isn't moving and doesn't appear to be embarrassed that I caught him. It's almost like he wanted me to catch him.

"Maddy, you comin'?" I hear Trix calling.

"Coming." I reply, but I'm still standing there, looking up at the mysterious man who just moved in next door. Finally, he disappears and I inhale sharply as if coming out of a spell. What was that about?

Grabbing my towel, I go inside and Trix is preheating the oven for a frozen pizza.

"He was staring at me." I say, confusingly.

"Who?" Trix asks as she pours more "Virgin" daiquiri into her tumbler.

"The neighbor. He was staring. Even when I saw him, he didn't look away. It was weird."

"No, it was hot as shit! He has the hots for his little sexy neighbor." She pokes at my side and I laugh, trying to push her away.

"Stop! That's gross. He might be in his 30's or something."

"And!? He's experienced."

"You need therapy."

"And you, my dear, need to get laid."

"Whatever, I'm going upstairs to change. I'll bring your clothes down."

"Okie!" Trix shouts before turning up the radio.

I bounce upstairs and in my room, I begin to untie my bikini top when I spin around on my heels. I rush over to my window, the window that faces my new neighbor's house, and I shut the curtains. No one has ever seen me naked before and I'd like to keep it that way. Even at pool parties, it always takes me a while to get used to the stares of guys I've known for years. I know I have a toned body and I'd like to think I'm good-looking, but in the experience department, I'm lacking. I've been called a prude more times than I can count.

After changing into a sundress, I put my shoulder-length brown hair into two French braids. Once I'm done, I grab Trix's clothes and head back down.

I find her on the sofa, flipping through the channels and at the same time, my mother is walking through the front door with bags of groceries.

"Hey, girls!"

"In here, mom!" I shout back.

I hear her feet coming in and when I turn around, the smile I usually greet her with falls.

"Hey, girls, I want you to meet the new neighbor."

The eyes that were just staring at me from his upstairs window are the eyes looking at me right now in my house only this time, I can see his whole face. He stands about a foot or two over my mother who is 5'8 without heels. His hair is dirty blond, mostly hidden under the baseball hat he's still wearing. His eyes are dark brown and his skin is tanned with a defined jaw along with full lips. As Trix would say, he's totally hot.

When I don't make a move, Trix pops up and walks over.

"Hi, I'm Trix." She reaches out and he shakes her hand.

He shakes her hand, giving her a curt smile. I look at my mom and her eyes are telling me to be polite and greet our neighbor, but it's almost like I can't move my feet. I guess he picks up on this and decides to come to me. Two large steps are all it takes for him to be in front of me.

"Hi, I'm Evan. Evan Young."

"H...hi, I'm Maddy." My voice shakes. Thankfully, no one notices what a nervous wreck I am right now.

Evan reaches out to shake my hand and when I take it, he squeezes just harder than one should, as if he's trying to say something without saying it. A chill runs over my arm and his eyes flicker down, noticing the raised bumps. I don't know why he has this effect on me, but he does. Surely, he knows we spent half the morning in the pool staring at him and he definitely took note that I wasn't disgusted when I caught him staring back.

"Nice to meet you, Maddy."

"Likewise." I say, pulling my hand out of his.

I believe my summer just became a lot more interesting.