“You’re back.”

I grinned slightly. “It would seem so.” Oliver, or should we call him Uncle Daddy, had bought me a bicycle to use during my exile at Me-Maw’s while he and Mom went on their honeymoon. “Hey Liam.” Naturally, my hope for a quick ride was foiled. The weather is perfect for a bike ride. Mom wanted a spring wedding.

“Are you back for good?” asked Liam. “I saw your dad bringing in some boxes.”

I shook my head. “He won’t be my dad until tomorrow.”

“How does that work?” asked a girl a little younger than me who showed up along with Liam.

Liam laughed. “Oh yeah. This is Amelia. She’s my other neighbor. Amelia, this is Chrystal. My sometimes neighbor.”

Amelia giggled. “Oh hi, Chrystal. Howcome he’s not your dad?”

I sighed. “He has to marry my mom and then legally adopt me.”

Looking disappointed, Liam said, “So you’re not moving here?”

I shook my head. “Naw. Just gonna stay for a week.”

Everyone was silent for a moment or two. Liam perked up and asked, “You want to go for a ride?”

I pointed at my bike. “Well, duh.”

Liam’s face lit up. “Wait here. I’ll get my bike!” He ran off to his house and opened the garage door. A moment later he came riding up on his bicycle.

Amelia pouted. “No fair! I don’t have a bike!”

Liam furrowed his brown. “I thought Santa was going to bring you a new bike.”

She folded her arms and continued to pout. “I thought so too.”

Liam shook his head. “Sorry. Come on Chrystal. Let’s go.” He then sped into the street. Apparently going for a ride with Liam means following him. Oh well. As long as I get away from the house for a bit.

My world ends tomorrow. I mean, there’s no other way to think of it. While not perfect, life with just Mom and me or maybe more accurately, Dede and me, is at least family. We share the same history, the same parents and almost the same DNA. I’ve learned that my DNA is slightly off from Dede. It irks me…we’re less alike as siblings and more like I was her offspring.

But now, enter the X factor. Oliver. When he adopts me, he’ll have full parental rights over me. Right now, I can ignore him or tell him to go to hell, which I have done on occasion which really pisses Mom off. I guess I still can, but now his authority over me carries more weight.

And now he’s trying to buy me off. Like this bicycle. I asked for a Triumph Bonneville T120 but he insisted I wasn’t old enough. He also bought me a couple Barbie playset. And a set of really nice earrings, which I was wearing at the moment. Does he think he can buy his way into my heart? Hah! The more fool he. But I have to admit the earrings are really cute.

Bottom line, I wasn’t interested in having a father, unless it was my real one and that’s not possible. I know it will make Mom happy, but does no one care about me?

Liam wheeled his bicycle off the street and onto the sidewalk and then up into someone’s driveway. He jumped off his bicycle and it crashed in these people’s yard. Liam ran into the open garage shouting “Willy! Willy!” I heard a door close from inside the garage. It was too big, but there was a pool table inside the garage.

“Hey Liam!” called a shirtless kid as he stepped out of his family’s garage. “What’s going on?”

Standiing in front of the garage entrance, Liam said, “I wanted to show Chrystal your new pool table!”

I stopped my bike next to Liam.

Willy grinned at me. “Hi Chrystal. You rode over here to see our new pool table?”

I shook my head. “I was just following Liam.” I studied Willy’s face a moment. He’s actually a cute kid.

Liam grinned. “Isn’t it cool? I wish we had one!”

I nodded. “It’s cool. But it kinda kills the garage.”

Willy laughed. “Yeah. Mom wants it out of here. Wanna play?”

Liam grinned. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

I said, “I can’t stay too long. Nobody knows where I am and I don’t know how to get back.” If I had known I was going on a big tour of the neighborhood, I wouldn’t have left my phone at the house.

Willy smiled broadly at me which kinda gave me the willies. “Ah, I bet you have time for at least one game.”

Liam walked into the garage and picked up a pool cue. “Ah come on, Chrystal. Just one game?”

Willy grinned. “I can show you how to play.” I grunted. Look at this seventh grader putting the moves on me.

A woman, who I assumed was Willy’s mother, came into the garage. “Hi Liam. Would you and your little friend like some punch?”

Liam raised his hand and shouted, “I would!”

Normally, I’d turn down an offer of food or drink from a total stranger, but since she knows Liam and he’s not dead, I’d have to assume her punch isn’t lethal. And being thirsty, I said, “Yes, ma’am.”

I turned to Liam and said, “Just one game and then you need to take me home.”

Willy’s grin stretched across his face. “All right!” Willy started rolling balls onto the table. A moment later he started racking the balls. He handed me a cue stick. “You break. Do you need me to show you how to hold the stick?”

I shook my head. “I’ve played before.”

I was lining up my shot for the break when I felt someone pressing into me from behind and someone putting their hands on mine. Willy said, “No. No. You’re holding it all wrong. Let me show you.”

I stepped away and stood stiffly. Pointing at Willy, I said “Touch me again and I’ll put this stick where the sun don’t shine.”

Looking indignant, Willy said, “I was just trying to help.”

Grinning, I said, “I see many faceslaps in your future.” Willy frowned at me.

We played for half an hour. Liam didn’t sink one ball. I won.

Liam and I started to get back on our bicycles. I said, “Thanks for the game and the punch.”

Willy asked, “Where did you learn to play like that?”

I just grinned. “Beginners’ luck. Show me how to get home, Liam.”

When we arrived back at my grandparent’s house, I said, “Why did you take me to your friend’s house? I just wanted to ride.”

Liam shrugged. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d care. Willy wanted to meet you.”

“Are you serious? How would he know about me?”

Liam shrugged. “Sorry. I didn’t mean nothin’ by it. It’s just that after you visited during Christmas, I mentioned you to him. He said if you came back, to bring you over.”

I frowned deeply at Liam. “Don’t do that again.” I rolled my bike into my grandparent’s backyard and then went into the house to watch cartoons. Willy definitely gave me the willies.

To be continued…