CHAPTER 1: Dusty

I stared out the window and watched them, those two boys who happened to stumble across this neighborhood that did not belong to them whatsoever.

The first boy had dark brown hair with that skater cut you always see other skater-guys having. The second boy had pale yellow hair the was a bit like a bush. Curly, but the top was hidden with a large black and red New York Yankees hat.  The both held matching black skateboards with red and orange flames except the blonde one had one with green.

The both walked to  the tennis court that was near my house and walked up the steps. They both stopped at the top and mumbled some indistinct words. The brown haired one backed up for a long time until he reached the end of the tennis court. They both chuckled and then the brown haired one pointed to the railing that led down the steps. He then positioned and then skated forward down the tennis court and the hopped on the railing. I had never seen anything like this before so my eyes stayed glued to the window. Halfway through, the boy was wobbly, then a second later, CRASH, and down he went. His skateboard flew through the sky and landed in a thorn bush and he went toppling down the stairs. 

His friend went rushing to his aid at the bottom of the stairs and helped get his skateboard out of the bush. He supported his friend by letting him wrap his arm around his neck and limped out of the tennis court. Suddenly, the injured one pointed to my window, and then they both looked at me, and headed towards the house. 

I quickly slid the curtains across the window and threw myself on the couch. 

They saw me. WHAT NOW, DUSTY? WHAT. NOW.

I breathed heavily. They saw me, saw me who saw them. They needed help? No, the  boy didn't look that hurt...

A moment later I heard a small knock on the door. Then another quiet one. 

I heard a faint deep voice groan "Dude, she probably didn't hear you, knock like a man."

Then a loud knocking at my door to the tune of "Shave and a Haircut".

I sighed, I rose from the couch and opened up the door just a crack, and then fully. 

They looked much older in person, maybe a couple years older than me. I thought they were 11. 

The blonde one opened his mouth and nervously asked "Hi, um, my friend Chris here is hurt. You got any Band-aids or somethin'?"

I  was as nervous as him, was this a trick? Just because my parents' cars were not in the drive way they thought I was alone? 

I looked at the brown haired one for a moment, both knees were scraped, his right elbow raw, and the left side of his cheek had skin pulled back from being rubbed down by the railing. 

"Yeah, come on in." I said and made way for them. They entered the home and I shut the door. At first it looked as if he was going to set the boy down on the floor.

"Oh no, just uh, put him on the couch." I said. 

They nodded and the blonde one laid him on the leather couch. 

I ran over to the kitchen and opened up the medicine cabinet and plucked out a bottle of Neosporin and floral decorated Band-aids.  

I rushed back to the living room couch and handed them the supplies.

"Thanks...lady." The injured one said. 

"Dusty. My name's Dusty." I answered. "Yours?"

"Oh, I'm Chris, and this is my buddy Andrew." the brown haired one said, peeling the backs of the flowery Band-Aid. 

I was going to question Chris on how he got hurt, but I suspect they saw me from the start.