The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry

tyrant.” I heard a couple of people start to laugh.
    “Well, you'll let us know if we can do anything, right, Leigh?” Megan asked.
    I nodded. We sat in silence for a few moments.
    “Can we eat now?” Brian laughed.
    I let out a breath of tension, grateful for the diversion.
    “Yes, dig in!” Julie attempted to smile but her eyes kept diverting from mine and darting around the table, looking at nothing in particular.
    We ate quietly; probably no one knew exactly what to say. It felt about as uncomfortable as I guessed it would.
    I followed Julie into the kitchen just after dinner. Something didn't feel right with her.
    “Julie?” I called as I walked inside.
    “Yeah, Leigh. I'm right here.” She sat on a stool in her kitchen. Her shoulders slumped over, and she turned to look at me as she spoke.
    “Are you okay?” I asked.
    “Are you?” Her eyes narrowed.
    “What do you mean?”
    “I suddenly feel guilty for being pregnant. Does that make sense?”
    “Oh no, please, please, don't.” I didn't know how best to alleviate her fears. “I feel like I've been such a part of it and I'm loving it. I'm more worried that you're going to get sick of having me around.”
    “No, I can't imagine that.”
    “It's been really neat for me, being around you, and you're not even to the exciting part yet,” I smiled. “Never feel bad or sad for me or anything. You have to promise or I'll feel bad coming over, okay?”
    She stood up, pulling me into a hug. “You have the sweetest spirit of anyone I've ever met, do you know that?”
    “Thank you, Julie.”
    I turned and walked back out to the porch. “I'm headed home.” I waved without looking at anyone in particular. “I still don't feel great, so I'll see you later.”
    Jaron put his arm around me and walked with me back to my apartment.
    “That was good, Leigh.” We both watched our feet cross the backyard.
    “Well, it's all out there now.”
    “What is?”
    “The girl who sings, the girl who sews, Jaron's little sister, and the girl with cancer. I guess you don't really get to start over when you move.”
    “No, you don't. Because you take ‘you’ with you.”
    “I was just hoping for a clean slate.”
    “The only one who believes in clean slates is Heavenly Father, Leigh.”
    I sighed. “Night.”
    Jaron pulled me into a tight hug. “Night.”

eleven
     
    I sat on the floor with Brian and Jaron, a large pizza between us.
    “These math classes are killing me!” I complained. I picked off a few stray pieces of pepperoni and threw them back in the box. There were always too many.
    “Why exactly are you majoring in a field dominated by math geniuses?” Brian asked.
    “I like putting things together. Buildings are like puzzles. All the perfect elements are set up just right to make the end result something special. I find the process amazing. I loved my one class in high school. I was good at math in high school. I thought it would be a fun thing to continue.”
    “Isn't that what you do with your sewing?” Brian asked.
    “What do you mean?” It didn't seem the same at all. I set my pizza down and waited for him to continue.
    “You're always doing your own patterns. I know enough about sewing to know that's a big deal. Why don't you do something with that? Or art history? You love that class too.”
    “I just don't think I want to.” I didn't want to explain more than that. It seemed like such a girl thing to do. I was already “the girl who sews.”
    “Why not?” he persisted.
    “I don't know, it just seems too easy, like cheating my way into a degree.” He must've really been paying attention when we all talked. I didn't remember saying anything directly to him about how much I sewed.
    “Well, that's why I'm doing web design. For me, it's easy, for someone else, say, your brother, who still has issues with email,” Brian said, laughing a little, “not so much. It's not cheating just because something's easy for you. It's a gift. Use