Today is March nineteenth, and it’s my eleventh birthday! My name is Kacey Peterson and I want to be a supermodel when I’m older. When I woke up this morning I was greeted with a new kitty! I decided to name the kitty freckles because of all its spots!

“Kacey, dear! Come outside please,” my dad yelled into the house. I quickly picked up Freckles and ran outside.

“Yes, papa?” I asked. My dad stepped aside and revealed a family, two parents and four kids. There was 3 girls and one boy. I feel bad for the boy.

“These are our new neighbors, the Maliks. This is Mr. and Mrs. Malik and their four children,” My dad said as he said all their names.

“Hi, I’m Kacey and this is Freckles,” I told the family. The little boy laughed at me. “What’s so funny?” I asked him.

“You named your cat Freckles?” He asked.

“Yeah, why? You got something better?” I, angrily, told him.

“No. It’s just a funny name.”

“Well I don’t care what you think,” I huffed at him before turning around and going back inside.

The next day was a Monday and I had to go to school, I’m in year 5. I walked into my classroom to see my new neighbor and his mum talking to my teacher. Just great, I had a meanie in my class. I put my belongings away in my, respected, cubbie and took a seat at my desk where I sat patiently and waited for class to start.

“Class, can I have your attention please?” My teacher said, hushing my fellow classmates. “We have a new student joining us today. His name is Zayn and I expect you all to make him feel welcome. Now Zayn, why don’t you tell the class a bit about yourself?” Ms. Anderson addressed and Zayn stepped forward.

“Um, my name is Zayn Malik. I’m eleven years old. I’m the second oldest kid of four kids. I’m the only boy in my family, besides my dad. I like dogs. And that’s all I really know miss,” He said and I couldn’t help but laugh at him. He was so nervous, poor lad!

“That’s fine. Zayn go ahead and take a seat next to Kacey, Kacey please raise your hand,” my teacher instructed me. I, inwardly, groaned and raised my hand. When Zayn looked at me a smirk took place on his face as he sauntered over to the empty desk sat beside me.

“We meet again, Kacey,” Zayn whispered to me. I just wanted to hit him.

“Why do you like dogs?” I asked him.

“Why do you like cats?” He backfired.

“I asked first,” I, cockily, told him.

“Because, I can actually play with my dog, and dogs aren't grumpy,” he said as he pulled out his supplies. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Cats are my spirit animals. They hate people and I hate people. Me and cats were meant to be,” I told him as I began writing our morning journal.

“You hate people? That explains a lot.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?” I, rudely, asked him.

“You were mean to me yesterday and I can tell you don’t want me sitting beside you in class.”

“You made fun of my cats name!” I yelled, and got the attention of my class.

“You named your cat Freckles! Of every name there is in this world you named it Freckles!” Zayn yelled and my teacher quickly approached us.

“Kacey and Zayn! What is the problem?!” Ms. Anderson asked.

“He’s being mean to me and making fun of my cat’s name!” I told her.

“Miss, she’s lying. I was just trying to get to know her!” Zayn said to her.

“No ma’am! He’s lying!” I argued back.

“Enough! The both of you! You will both sit together at the time out table during lunch and recess! Kacey, I’m disappointed in you. I thought you, of all the kids in here, would be welcoming of a new student,” Ms. Anderson told me before walking away.

“Thanks a lot,” I mumbled to Zayn.

“Now you’re forced to spend time with me, lass,” he said and I looked at him and he was eyeing me, evilly.

The rest of the day Ms. Anderson made Zayn and I spend it together. He kept pestering me about my cats name, and just everything I did he questioned!

“Mummy! I’m annoyed with our new neighbors son!” I exclaimed when I got home and sat at the breakfast bar.

“What has Zayn done to my babygirl?” She asked as she placed a bowl of apple slices in front of me.

“He got me in trouble for being mean, when he was making fun of Freckles name!” I huffed out.

“Aw, I’m sorry hun. He doesn’t mean any harm by it, he probably just likes you.”

“Excuse me?” I asked in disbelief.

“That’s what a boy does when he likes a girl. He picks on her,” my mum told me as she took the seat next to me and pulled me into her chest.

“I hate people,” I, mindlessly, said which made my mum erupt into a fit of laughter.

“Oh dear, you are just like your father,” she said as she pressed a kiss to the top of my head and went into the living room. I finished my snack when I heard a knock on the door, followed by my mum getting up to go answer it. “Kacey girl! You have a visitor!” She yelled throughout the house. I scrunched my face up in confusion and walked to the door. Zayn stood on the other side, with that dumb smirk on his face, and a leash in his hand. At the end of the leash there was a black dog sitting next to him. My mum walked away and left Zayn and I be.

“Can you play?” He asked.

“No.”

“Why not? Your mum said you weren’t busy,” he asked, hurt on his face.

“I don’t like you!” I yelled at him and then slammed the door and stomped into the living room.

“Kacey Ann Peterson!” My mum yelled as she walked into the living room behind me. “What was that all about? He’s just trying to be your friend! He’s new here and wants to be friends. Now you go apologize and play with him, young lady!” My mum yelled and pushed me out the door with Freckles in my hands. I stomped over to Zayn’s front door and pressed the door bell.

“Oh, hello Miss. Kacey, how can I help you?” Zayn’s mum asked once she opened the door and saw it was me.

“I was just wondering if Zayn could play,” I sheepishly asked.

“Of course, come on in dear. Zayn’s upstairs in his room. First door on the right,” she said as she led me to the staircase. I climbed up them and entered Zayn’s room without knocking. He looked up from his desk and I could immediately tell I’d hurt his feelings.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“My mum is making me apologize. So I’m sorry,” I told him as I set Freckles down on his bed.

“I just wanted to make friends you know, nothing more. I don’t like you,” he told me.

“That’s not what my mum said. She said when a boy picks on you he likes you,” I told him and he laughed at me.

“That’s dumb!” He exclaimed in between laughter. “I hate people too ya know!”

“Then why do you want to be my friend?” I asked him.

“Because, I can see a friend in you by how you treated me. We seem a like in many ways,” he, nonchalantly, told me.

“If you promise to stop being mean to me I’ll be your friend,” I told him.

“I pinky promise!” He said and stuck his pinky out, and I looped my pinky with his and we shook on it.

-------

“Seriously?! That’s how you and dad first met?!” Aaliyah asked me. The way excitement showed in her eyes made her eyes shine just like her fathers. A pair of eyes that I’d grown so accustom to. It was hard being reminded of him every day through Aaliyah.

“Yes,” I told her as I took a sip of my tea.

“That’s the cutest thing ever, mum!” She exclaimed.

Notes

Second chapter :)

XOXO,
Jade

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