Ms. Lovat

Coraline snarled out the window as they reached the driveway. "How many schools are there in Ashland?"

"Just the one, Coraline." Her father answered, stopping the car and pulling the keys out of the ignition. "We live right next to the Lovats, and they are also our landlords. You can't avoid them forever."

"Oh I can, just watch me." Coraline laughed, stepping out of the vehicle.

"Hello again!" An old woman said, immediately embracing Coraline as she stepped out of the car. "It's so good to see you, Darling."

"Hey, Miss Lovat," Coraline replied, trying to hold back her frown.

"It's been so long," Miss Lovat separated from her. "It wasn't the same without you."

"How sweet! How are the... um... whatever their names are, the women downstairs?" Coraline asked as she pushed the strands of hair away from her face before she crossed her arms. It was a pretty windy day today, and she definitely hadn't prepared for it. As she rubbed her arms to gain warmth, Coraline remembered how she had packed her coat into one of the boxes, one of the first things to go in the truck. Great, she thought.

"April and Marium? Oh great! They finally got married last week."

"Oh really? Wow, I had no idea they were together."

"They're not, but they knew they wouldn't find anybody else, so..." Coraline laughed.

"And Mr. Bobinski?"

Miss Lovat frowned and went silent. "He died just last year."

"Oh no!" Coraline's smile dropped. Out of her three neighbours, she had actually liked Mr. Bobinski and his pet mice a lot. What about Wybie? "What happened?" She asked before she could finish her last thought.

"He attempted to jump from the top of the Pink Palace, down into a small bucket, said the mice told him to." Miss Lovat sighed, "It was the only trick he couldn't pull..."

"My condolences, Miss Lovat, that must be hard. But if I may ask, who lives there now?"

"Isabelle Richards, whom my grandson is dating,"

"Oh," Coraline responded, pretty shocked at how someone could enjoy being in the presence of Wyborn Lovat.

"Talking about my grandson, you and him were pretty close. You kids should catch up!"

Coraline ground her teeth together, as she peered behind the old woman to the Lovat's house, where a blind quickly shut, so fast she wondered if she even saw it happen.

"Maybe later, I have to unpack for now. Goodbye Miss Lovat!" Coraline began to walk away, waving goodbye and heading toward the moving truck.

Hopefully, that would be her first, and last encounter with the Lovat's.

—

There she was, standing right in front of his house, talking with his grandma, Wybie thought. From where he was standing, Coraline looked just like she had when he was younger, the only difference being her hair. It was still blue, however now it had flowed down her back, ending at her waist. Wybie could barely make out her face, however, she still wore her yellow boots. Instead of her iconic yellow rain jacket, she wore an oversized striped dark green hoodie, with baggy jeans that were cuffed up so you could see the boots.

With her arms folded against her chest, Coraline's hair flowed in the wind, constantly getting in her face as she talked to his grandma. Suddenly, Coraline looked up toward his house, and Wybie had to act fast. He dropped the blind so quickly he prayed she didn't even notice. After waiting for a second, Wybie opened the window but found out Coraline had begun unpacking. As Wybie started to shiver, he closed the window again.

"Wyborn!" His grandmother called. "Help your friend unpack!"

He opened his mouth to protest, but he realized he could use this to mix things up.

"You know what, maybe I will."