2

I advanced to the house and finally entered. I saw it: it was big and quite pretty, the light was white and so were the walls, it made the interior of the house very illuminated.

Seconds later the music that had previously sounded low became louder, much more.

Great, the neighbors have already started their racket.

Dad was coming down the stairs.

"Give me that, Eva, I'll take them to your room. Do you like the house?"

"Well, it looks good," I answered, giving him the suitcases, "but it seems that tonight we'll be a bit sleepless."

Dad stood up and put his hands on his waist as if thoughtful.

"Yeah, they sure don't know that I'm the new sheriff in town. I'll take a walk around there in a few hours, I don't want to start off on the wrong foot" he took the suitcases and went up the stairs.

My mind thought of the howl from a while ago, since we are surrounded by forest I suppose there are wolves like other animals. As long as they don't hang around my house for me, that's fine. On top of that, that boy was... strange. I went up the stairs, opened the first door. It was Lucas's room, he was organizing his clothes in the drawers.

"Where are you going?" I wanted to know when I saw that he put on his leather jacket.

"To the party," he replied casually.

"You're crazy? How can you think?"

"I'm not going to stay here all night doing nothing, besides, we have to integrate, right?"

"Yes, but you will do that in high school. Besides, those people are very strange. Lucas, I don't want you to associate with them. I have a bad feeling."

Lucas gave me a dirty look.

"Calm down, mom. Eva, don't treat me like a child, okay? I'm your big brother."

I closed the door behind me so I couldn't get out.

"Don't leave me alone on my first night here," I asked. "Besides, that music is bothering me and I won't be able to sleep."

"Eva, relax. I'll be back early, I promise."

"Lucas..."

"Eve..."

I rolled my eyes and let my guard down. It's not like I can force my brother to do things he doesn't want to.

"Okay." I moved away from the door so he could get out. When my brother left I left his room and went to my own. It was right next to the neighboring house, there was a big tree between us, some branches were near my window. Dad had left my bags there. It was not windy, the weather was very calm and very quiet. In the other house I could see people in the patio, people in the rooms. Opposite mine was a window, there was light and it was open. Just then someone came to the window. A boy.

Is he.

Who I met a while ago out there. The boy was shirtless and was looking for one in his closet. Well, the truth is that the guy is not bad at all, he looks very good in profile.

Hmm he's handsome.

Too bad he's an idiot.

Sensing my gaze, the boy turns his head towards me, seconds later I hide behind the wall so he doesn't think I'm spying on him. I already imagine the kind of boy he will be: womanizer. Of those who know that all women fall at their feet, ha, conceited.

I peeked out minutes later and he was gone. I closed the window and drew the curtain. It would be a very long night.

•

12:50 p.m.

It just can't be.

I'm dying of sleep

I can't sleep.

I am very angry.

I looked at the clock, it was almost one in the morning and I would have to sleep for five hours nothing more. Surely tomorrow I will have dark circles.

Breathe, Eve, inhale and exhale. I tried putting ear plugs but nothing. I stood up and put on my converse. I don't care if I was in my pajamas but I needed to take a pill or something to make me sleep. I went out into the corridor, by the way I peeked into Lucas's room to see if he had returned but he wasn't there.

Aren't he supposed to come early?

"Eve?"

I jumped in shock when I saw that my dad was coming down the hall too.

"Dad? You scared me."

"I can't sleep with that noise. Is your brother asleep?"

"Ehh..." I didn't know whether to say no...

"yes, he is" I finished closing the door so he wouldn't notice.

"Excellent. I'm going to go inspect that house and tell them to turn down their music.

Someone has to teach these teenagers who's boss here. I'm going for my gun." I swallowed hard when dad said that. If he realizes that Lucas is at that party, he will have a very bad time. And the thing is that Lucas and my father don't get along very well because Lucas is more liberal and party-oriented and my father wants him to be a serious and upright man.

I didn't think twice, I just ran down the stairs until I was out of the house. I walked towards that house, passing through drunk people and kinky boys. Inside it was chaos, I had never seen such a disastrous place. It seemed that the party was just beginning. I looked around for Lucas.

"Lucas?" I called him "Lucas? Lucas!"

In one of those someone bumped into me and spilled drink on my shirt.

"Shit," I snapped.

"I'm so sorry" a boy's voice made me raise my head and look at him. He was tall, with blond hair, fair complexion, and black eyes. "Sorry, I didn't see you." the boy tried to clean the mess with his shirt, literally, he took off his shirt right there, revealing his well-worked body and began to clean mine.

"Leave it, I can do it." I half smiled at him, it was a fake smile so the guy wouldn't feel so bad. "I'm fine."

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry."

"Sorry, but I've never seen you around here," he tells me. When I finished cleaning myself I gave him the shirt. But it was all full of liquor or whatever.

"This is very dirty," I told him, looking at him. It was a dark and very intense look, almost like the boy who didn't want to help me with the suitcases. I mean, who I didn't want to let help me.

"Don't worry" he took off my shirt "I'm Jonny."

"I'm Eva, I live next door."

"Ah, so you must be the daughter of the new bailiff."

I nodded.

"Yes, and I think you are in trouble because my father will be here in a few minutes."

"Shit, thanks for letting me know."

"I'm looking for my brother Lucas, I don't want dad to find him here otherwise he'll get in trouble."

"I'll help you look for it then, come with me" Jonny took me by the hand and led me to another part of the house.

"But look who we have here," said a voice behind us. Jonny and I both turned to that voice. It was him, the rude boy I still don't know his name. The boy looked at both of us, especially me, but his gaze went to where Jonny had his hand, with mine, and his jaw set. He turned serious and looked at Jonny with hateful eyes.