Prologue

“Come on now, Adrian. Stop sulking! We’re going to meet our new neighbors and it wouldn’t do you any good to be looking as if you swallowed a dog’s poop.”

The ten year old boy scowled at his older sister in reply. “I’m not going anywhere,” he declared and slumped down on the couch, resuming his most common position since a week now.

“Adrian Stone! I swear to God if you’re still not ready yet, I’ll keep you grounded until you’re eighteen! No video games and no cookies for you!” A shrill female voice rang throughout the living room. The voice was followed by footsteps and soon, the boy was receiving an intense glare from his mother as she looked at his state of undress. She opened her mouth again and the boy winced, bracing himself for the next round of scolding but he was saved by another set of footsteps coming their way.

“What’re you scolding the poor boy for? He was just getting ready now, weren’t you, my son?” His father said, wrapping his arms around his wife and raising his eyebrows at his son. The boy sighed, but nonetheless, got up and went to his room to change, all the while mumbling about how he missed his friend.

The boy came back a few minutes later in a white SpongeBob shirt and blue shorts his mother had taken out for him.

“Turn that frown upside down, young man. I hear the new neighbors have a pretty daughter only a couple of years younger than you.” His father winked at him, making his scowl deepen further in response.

“Oh, I’ve actually seen her. She’s such a sweet girl! You should befriend her, Ad.” His mother piped in, her mind already picturing the two kids growing up together and getting married.

If it was even possible, the little boy’s scowl ran tenfold deeper. “I don’t need a friend, mom. And certainly not girls! Girls are annoying.”

His statement was met with a smack on the back of his head. “You are annoying, baby brother. And stupid. Might I remind you who wins at scrabble every time?” His sister taunted with a smirk, sticking out her tongue at his glare.

The boy opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by his mother’s threat to ground both of them until they’re old. It was a threat his mother never grew tired of making and yet it was always effective to shut the siblings up. So the boy wisely swallowed his retort and followed his parents and sister to the new neighbor’s house. To the house of a girl younger than him. How annoying.

***

“Hello.”

No response.

Poke.

No response.

Poke. Poke.

No response.

Poke. Poke. Poke. Pok-

“Will you just stop, you stupid girl?!” The boy yelped loudly as his left arm was yet again poked with a doll. He glare at the culprit standing in front of him in the form of a little girl with a deformed doll in one of her hands and a muffin in the other. Her hopeful expression turned upside down at his reaction, which made him feel a little bad but he ignored it. He didn’t like girls. Girls were annoying.

The girl looked at him with wide eyes for a moment before speaking quietly, “I’m sowy. I cawled you but you did not hear. My name is Evewyn. You can call me Eve. But only my daddy calls me pwincess.” The girl introduced herself proudly but got no reaction from him other than a dry look.

“Will you be my fwiend? We can pway dollhouse togwether.” She tried again and held out her doll towards him.

The boy narrowed his eyes at her. “No. Go away. I don’t want to be your friend.”

“Why?”

“Because I already have one,” he said, remembering the reason behind his foul mood since a week. His best friend Nate had gone to live with his grandparents, leaving him lonely. And he didn’t want to make any other friends who was not Nate. Especially girls. Because girls were annoying. That was why he had ran out of their neighbors’ home as soon as he saw the girl and had been sitting in the park near to their house. But the annoying girl had followed him to the park. Once again, girls were annoying.

“But I have no one to pway with…”

“I don’t care. Now go away.”

Tears pooled around the girl’s eyes at his words, making him feel bad again. The girl seemed to be thinking of something and he took the time to watch her. She had beautiful brown eyes and auburn hair. He wouldn’t admit it out aloud, but he thought she looked pretty in her white dress and a beautiful white hairband on her hair.

The girl immediately brightened and smiled at him, her eyes twinkling like little stars made up of chocolate- or that was what he thought, at least. She held out her other hand towards him this time- the hand holding a muffin. “Here. This is my favowite bluebewy muf-fin. You can eat it. Will you be my fwiend now?”

The boy alternated his gaze between her and the muffin. He didn’t want to say yes, but he loved her smile at the same time. “I don’t like dolls,” he said finally, hoping it would make her back down.  

He almost sighed in relief when she slowly withdrew her hand but was surprised when she smiled once more. “Oh. Then we can pway Mickey and Minnie! Be my fwiend, pwease?”

“No. Now go away.” And he turned his back at her, immediately missing her pretty smile.