"May I ask again why your outfit of choice for leaving the hospital included a black sweatshirt that I've never seen before and sunglasses that practically cover your entire face?"

"No, Mother, you may not ask again." I rolled my eyes as we turned into my neighborhood. "I already told you that I'm uncomfortable with a big shot celebrity living next door and I don't like cameras."

"Tell that to the 800 selfies you take every morning." My mom smirked as I put the hood of the sweatshirt over my head. Just ahead, I could spot my house, with very little activity going on in front of it; certainly not the amount you would expect at the new next-door neighbors of America's favorite pop star.

"See, there are hardly even any people outside!" My mother exclaimed as she pulled into the driveway. "There are no cameras and no people interested in us. Take that ridiculous hood off."

"No!" I exclaimed as she tried to swipe it off my head. "I...need it on. I don't feel comfortable in the sun yet."

My mom rolled her eyes and turned off the car. I hopped out and ran inside, my eyes completely bypassing the four people walking up my driveway.

I ran into my room and threw myself down on my bed, my head pounding and my heart racing. This still felt completely unreal. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening.

The doorbell rang I shot bolt upright in bed. I ran to the window at the front of my room (the one on the right looked directly at Lincoln Carter's new home) and opened the blinds slowly. Standing on my doorstep was none other than Lincoln Carter himself, accompanied by three people who could only be his parents and younger sister, who was a year younger than me and would be attending the same school. Lincoln was a year older than I, and would most likely not have attended public school anyways...he would be attacked by screaming girls left and right, relentlessly.

I heard my mom open the door and greet our new neighbors. I knew she had no idea who Lincoln Carter was or what his music sounded like, but being the type of southern housewife she was, she knew how to be hospitable. I heard her invite the family inside and close the door behind them.

I ran into my parents' bedroom and straight to their connecting bathroom, where the vent on the floor had a clear view and hearing of the living room directly below. I pressed my eye to the grate and watched as my mother invited the Carters to sit down in the living room. Lincoln sat on the sofa directly below me with his sister and dad, while his mom took one of the armchairs and my mother took the other.

"How many children do you have?" Mrs. Carter asked my mother politely as the four of them snacked on the brownies that the Carters had brought with them.

"I have two daughters, Sophia and Olivia." My mom replied. I could have been imagining it, but I swore I saw Lincoln tense up when he heard the name Sophia. "Actually, they're both home right now. Olivia was in a car wreck yesterday and just returned from the hospital, and Sophia is fine. Sophia!" she called up to my sister, "We have company!"

I heard Sophia groan from her room next to my parents' and walk down the stairs. As she did, I heard my mom say quietly, "I won't make Olivia come down. She's been through so much in these past 24 hours."

Sophia entered the room and pulled up a chair from the kitchen after shaking everyone's hands and introducing herself. Lincoln's face immediately relaxed upon seeing my sister, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. She wasn't who he was worried she would be.

"Is your other daughter going to be okay?" Mrs. Carter asked. "A car accident is a big deal."

"She'll be fine soon enough. The only thing I think this might have messed with is her sense of style...she was convinced that she needed to wear a hood and sunglasses home, which I informed her was very unnecessary...there weren't even any cameras outside your home!"

The Carters all laughed quietly.

"We have ensured that we have only the best security in place for our new lifestyle." Mr. Carter spoke, "It is vital that we do not disturb the good people of this neighborhood, and that we intrude as little as possible into the lives of others."

I found myself snort at the sound of that, and immediately regretted my entire existence; Lincoln looked up at the vent when he heard the noise and I rolled away from it, just barely missing being seen. I silently berated myself before rolling back over to watch some more.

As I laid down with my eye pressed up against the vent, I realized that this would soon become my life. I would have to sneak around in order to not be seen by Lincoln Carter, and he would be living right next door to me. At least I wouldn't have to worry while inside my house; it wasn't as if our bedroom windows were side by side.

"So which one of your daughters has the bedroom with the window facing our home? Lincoln is going to be in that bedroom in our house, and I just wanted you to be aware that there would be a young man in that room." Mrs. Carter informed my mother, who nodded her head in appreciation.

"My younger daughter, Olivia, has that bedroom. Thank you for thinking of that, I do appreciate it very much."

I rolled back over, my mind occupied with thoughts of all the things I would have to change. No more sunny days in my bedroom; the drapes would always have to be shut. No more sunbathing on the roof outside of the house that practically directly connected with the Carters' new home, no more walking outside for a breath of fresh air without a pair of oversized sunglasses and a hood. I reflected on the idea, entertained it for a second, that I was being silly and that I had no need to be this appalled by my new neighbor, but it still didn't change the fact that I was unable to change what I had done in the past, and I was unable to face it head-on. I was in a place where I would rather be a hermit in my own home for the next year, until college, than just get one awkward conversation out of the way now.

But the thing is, it wouldn't be "just one awkward conversation". It would be the reveal and then all the repercussions; the yelling and the crying, for both of us, and the broken hearts, the wounds that would be reopened, and the feelings that I had spent so long shoving deep inside of me coming back out in full force. It would be a disaster that I couldn't risk happening, and if he saw me, I knew he would recognize me in an instant. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality." Mrs. Carter was speaking, "We should really be off; we have to finish unpacking. We must have you and your family over for dinner soon, once everything is in order." I heard the six of them rise and head for the door, chattering politely among themselves as they went.

"Is your younger daughter really feeling so ill? I would feel rude if I didn't introduce myself." Lincoln Carter's voice. I felt my heart racing and I crossed my fingers, praying that my mother would understand my silent pleas for her to deny this request.

"I guess I can check." My mother called up the stairs, "Olivia? Are you awake?"

I cleared my throat carefully and made my voice about ten pitches lower than usual. "Yes, Mom!"

"Oh goodness, she sounds awful. I shouldn't make her come down." Mother said to our guests. "I will just have to have her pay you all a visit!"

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you again." Lincoln Carter replied. They exchanged goodbyes before I heard the door close and I slowly crept back into my room, collapsing onto my bed with a heavy sigh.

Lincoln Carter was my next-door neighbor. Lincoln Carter was going to be in my life again.

Maybe this time I wouldn't screw up so bad.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the Monday update! Be sure to check out yesterday's update of Dear Sydney as well and tell your friends about both! 

-Katherine