In the quiet suburbia of Warmly Springs, a new resident had arrived. Connor was his name; Connor was to move into house number 108 with his sheepdog Henley. He’d waved good morning to the suspicious looking Mrs Trent, who’d lived at number 106, a door away from this new stranger. She greeted him with a hesitant look that he could only assume was a signal of her instant disliking of him.
Connor adamantly continued to usher the giant box of household items into his new home.
Thinking of his past, and how he would break the devastating news to his neighbours. Damn California laws. If it was up to them, Connor would never gain a second chance to change.
Walking around the neighbourhood and observing the silent streets, Connor decided to begin his mission. Walking up to the first friendly looking house he saw, he tapped on the door three times.
The door swung open and behind it stood a tall exquisite looking woman.
“Hello, I’m here to tell you that California state law obligates me to let everyone in this neighbourhood know that I’m a registered sex offender.” He said as if rehearsed.
The astonished woman merely slammed the door in his face. Off to the next house,
two doors way from the last, couldn’t have been worse than the previous. He knocked on the door, less than a few minutes later; a brown eyed, brown haired girl appeared through the ajar door.
“Hello there” Connor beamed a trophy winning smile.
“Hi.” Replied the girl, who couldn’t have been older than 16. She appeared to be shy; Connor could tell this through her body language. Her head peaked through the gap, leaving the rest of her body hidden behind the door. ‘She’s Insecure, the perfect victim’ Connor noted in his mind.
“How are you today?” He said with a voice as silky as caramel. The girl smiled, although it was evident that she was lying when she told him that she was having a great day.
“Sorry I don’t mean to be rude but…why are you here?” The girl asked.
“I was just walking around the neighbourhood getting to know some faces…I’m new here.”
“Oh, well my parents aren’t in…I’ll tell them you came by.”
“I didn’t get a name” Connor smugly replied
“Joanne” She replied in the sweetest voice
“Nice to meet you Joanne, I’m Connor” She smiled to his reply, and in a stretch of awkward silence that followed, he took this as his chance to leave,"Well I hope to see you around, Joanne", before he could clumsily allow himself to go too far.
| 
Email this Short story
| 
Add to reading list
