Jamie cried. She didn't know why. The story that Mr. Forkle had told her this morning had touched her. So much. Now, all in one day, he was gone. Had he been showing the house for awhile? Had someone bought it the day it went up for sale? How had she not known?
But above all, how had he moved out in less than five hours?
She ran up to Mr. Forkle's house in the dying rays of the sunset, but saw no sign of her neighbour.
She stumbled back to her home, and climbed the stairs up to her room, feeling like she didn't care anymore. She face planted onto her bed, and curled up under her blankets, fully dressed.
Her mother came after awhile, and sat down beside her.
"What's wrong?" Abby Foster asked her daughter softly.
"The house is not his. He's gone." Jamie found more tears in her eyes.
"Who, Jam-Jam?" her mother asked calmly.
More tears came to her eyes, and she tried to wipe them away, but they just kept coming. Unshed tears caught in her throat, and she found herself unable to formulate words.
A tissue was handed to her, and she dabbed at her eyes. Why was she so sad about the man she had known for a week? He had gone from mean, to kind, to weird, to kind again.
Or maybe he had been kind the whole time. Maybe it was just the way she had looked at him. Maybe he was always kind. To the girl before.
To the girl, Sophie.
And maybe now, he was going to spread kindness to where ever he was going now. Like a shooting star. There, and then gone.
"Oh, you mean Coco? Did you meet her?"
Now Jamie was confused.
"Who?"
"Coco Mozale. She ran away from home earlier this morning, and her parents are worried that she's never coming back. Did you actually meet her? I know how heartbreaking it can be to lose a friend. Even if she might eventually come back." Her mother patted her on the back comfortingly. "Don't worry, the police department is looking."
Jamie opened and closed her mouth for a moment, but no words came out.
Her mother withdrew from the bed, and left. Just as her slim figure slipped from Jamie's view, she called out.
"How long has Mr. Forkle's house been up for sale?"
"Since we got here, honey. Didn't you see?"
"I..." something was strange about this. She most definitely had not seen the sign.
Even now after her tears had been reduced to salty stains on her cheeks, Jamie found it hard to breathe.
"Yeah, I— yeah. I did."
"I'll go make supper. Tonight's your favourite, fettuccine."
But Jamie wasn't listening, and she hadn't seen the sign.
And even if she just hadn't noticed it, how could Mr. Forkle have have closed the deal, and moved out in so little time? Surely it took more time than that.
She pictured the house, when he had welcomed her in, fully furnished. The artwork, decorative sculptures, and chandeliers clung to her memories. How had he packed up all that stuff so quickly?
And why was Coco missing? Had she really run away? Or was she just gone like Mr. Forkle? Questions swarmed her brain, each one screamed for attention more than the last.
Jamie walked over to the window, and looked out. In Mr. Forkle's driveway, a woman stood, examining the house. Finally, she grabbed a clipboard from another man, and wrote on it. She walked away and out of Jamie's sight.
She went downstairs, and peeked out of the window, that looked unto the Mozale's yard.
   A girl stood on the path, looking at the house, talking.
Who is she? Jamie wondered.
   As if to answer her question, the girl walked over, and knocked on her door.
   "I'll get it!" she called to her mom.
   She opened the door.
   And paused.
   The girl was stunning. She looked almost exactly Jamie's age. She had long, wavy, strawberry blonde hair, and her exquisite baby blue eyes startled Jamie. They were unique, in a way that both made Jamie embarrassed about her own mundane brown orbs, and stare at their startling beauty. She wore a short jacket. It was the kind that looked like it was made of burlap, but was actually really soft to the touch. A colourful scarf trapped heat to her neck. Her shiny hair shifted in the breeze. She wore a plaid skirt, like that of a school where proper uniforms were worn.
"Hello." Amusement twinkled in the girl's eyes, as if she was about to let Jamie in on an inside joke.
"Uh, hi. Can I help you?" Jamie blushed as she stumbled over her words, still entranced by those incredible blue eyes.
"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm looking for a Jamie Foster. She is expected to live here." Now the girl's face was stonily serious. "I'm Lilly by the way."
"Hi, I'm Jamie." She stuck out her hand for Lilly to shake it, and Lilly shook it a little too promptly. Jamie thought the way she pushed her hand into the glove she wore was a little strange, but ignored it.
"Do you think you could ask your mother if I could come in? It is quite cold out here." Lilly spoke with a crisp accent that Jamie could not place. It made her feel a little off, speaking in her plain American accent.
Everything about this girl seemed to outshine everything Jamie had ever seen. Even in magazines, she'd never seen such... beauty. That was the best word to describe it. There was something about the way Lilly laughed, and nodded, as Jamie left her at the door.
"Hey Mom," Jamie said to her mom, as she approached the kitchen. She found her mother inside, stirring a pot of noodles.
"Yeah sweetheart?"
"There's a girl outside. She looks about my age, and she wants to come in and talk. Can we sit in the living room?" Jamie summarized.
"Sure," her mom replied. "If you need something, call for me."
"Alright Mom, thanks."
"No problem. Have fun."
Jamie walked gingerly back to the door, praying that the girl would still be there.
She was. She still stood in the doorway, not fully outside, but not completely inside, either.
Jamie waved her to come inside, and Lilly complied, taking three light steps to where Jamie stood.
"We can talk in the living room, if that works." Jamie found herself imitating Lilly's accent a bit, and hoped she wouldn't notice.
"That's great." Lilly followed her over to the couches. She sat on one couch, while Jamie made herself comfortable on a cushioned armchair.
"So, I've heard you met Mr. Forkle. What did he say to you?"
Jamie's mind raced with all of the things Mr. Forkle had said to her. All of the things that he had told her. But suddenly all of that was irrelevant, as Jamie narrowed her eyes. What was this girl's deal anyway?

1178 Words!

Whelp, sorta cliffhanger? I don't know. Second update today!
Are you enjoying the story? Do you have any suggestions? I can't wait to get going on what I have planned. I'll try to publish when I can, but it is not always my negligence. A lot of the time, I am in places lacking of internet.
Also, THANK YOU SiennaPJS. She created Lilly.
Until next chapter!
—Wawawa