The mid-summer sun seemed to taunt me as I stared out my window. Such a beautiful day had been wasted away eating junk food and watching romantic comedies. Of course, I hadn't planned for my summer to be quite like this. I was supposed to be spending my time with friends or sneaking out, maybe doing something I shouldn't be. I was lost in my own wishful thoughts when a moving van pulled up to the house next door. Out of curiousity, I ran to the other window to get a better look at who would be my new neighbors. And my new neighbor was...a cardboard box with legs. Nice legs...Athletic legs...Tan and muscular.
I strained my vision hoping to get a better look at the boy behind the cardboard box. Unfortunately my x-ray vision wasn't working. I watched him for a long time, but not once did I feel bored or disconnected. Something intruiging about him kept pulling me in. At last he put down the cardboard box, and though I could only see the back of his head, it struck me: the boy of my dreams. I'd been watching him for quite sometime now. My first sightings of him dated all the way back to the sandbox. Now, as my new neighbor, I would be seeing him all the time--everyday even. Suddenly, summer didn't seem so dull. And there was the possibility of getting to know him a little better, if you know what I mean.
I was only amusing myself with my ridiculous daydreams, so I snapped back to reality and took a closer look. Then, something very strange happened. At first I thought I was going insane, seeing double vision or something. There were TWO cute boys moving in next to me. Adam, the boy I secretly admired, and his younger looking brother. But the younger one disappeared into the house and he quickly escaped my thoughts. I was much too consumed with Adam, just like I've always been. When I was five I offered him my half-eaten lollipop. When I was seven I broke my arm jumping off a swing while trying to impress him. When I was ten I wore makeup to school in order to look more like his middle school girlfriend. When I was twelve I tried to compensate for my awkwardness by stuffing my bra and twirling my hair.
By the time I was sixteen he still hadn't noticed me much at all. Not even when I strutted down the hall in my favorite stilettos and sprayed myself with expensive perfume. I used to stare at the stars and smile just knowing he was under the same sky. You could only imagine my enthusiasm when I learned that he had moved in next door. I fancied myself with the idea that if I baked him a batch of "welcome to the neighborhood" chocolate chip cookies he'd have to invite me in...and then, well, all of my wildest dreams would come true of course. We'd sit on his living room couch for hours, the one I'd watched him carry into his house single-handedly, and chat the night away. He'd say something sweet like, "I can't believe I've gone all these years without noticing you. You're so different from the other girls." And then, when the clock struck midnight and the fireflies were buzzing about in the warm summer air, we'd say goodbye on his doorstep. Just as I was about to walk away he'd take my hand, look me in the eyes and kiss me gently under the porchlight. Our only witnesses would be the crickets and the junebugs; Noone else would believe something so perfect, but I would know, and the memory would plague me with a goofy smile that just wouldn't fade.
I decided it was time I get to making those cookies so that I could once again fail at trying to impress Adam. I slipped on my full spandex suit and grabbed my spatula. Just kidding, I didn't do that. Instead I slipped on my mom's old apron and nearly broke my hip trying to reach the flour on the top shelf. However, the results were some very tempting, delicious, warm chocolate chip cookies that said, "Welcome to the neighborhood...sexy."
