After Zoe left the house, she walked in the direction of Athena's house. She was going to meet up with her friends there, before heading out to the Spiked Pit, a Goth club that she and her friends usually went to.
On her way, she passed the new neighbors' house. She saw the moving truck, but hadn't bothered to say hello. She wasn't much of a neighborly person. But the girl sitting on the porch caught her eye. From the road, she could clearly see that the girl was Goth, just like her.
Zoe turned and walked up to the house.
"Hey," she said, catching the girl's attention.
The girl nodded, then stood up. "Hey."
That's when Zoe got a major shock. The girl was completely naked, except for a pair of black buckled boots, similar to the ones that Zoe was now wearing. In fact, it was those boots that Zoe looked at from that moment forward.
"You like my boots?" the girl asked.
"Uh ... yeah," Zoe said. She had trouble looking the girl straight in the eye. Why was she naked? Was this some sort of mental sickness spreading through the neighborhood? First her brother, then this girl? She hoped it wasn't contagious.
"My fucking mom made me wear these god-awful tennis shoes when we came here. It's nice to wear something I'm more used to."
"Yeah."
"Are you okay?" the girl asked. "Why do you keep looking at my boots?"
Zoe's gaze slowly moved up to the girl's face. "No reason."
The naked girl smiled. "I'm Sydney," she said, sticking out her hand.
Zoe shook it. "I'm Zoe."
"Any more Goths around like yourself? It'd be nice to have something good about this move."
"You had a lot of friends where you came from?" Zoe asked.
"Well, uh ..." The girl's eyes drifted, like she was thinking ... or wasn't sure. But how could someone not be sure about that? She looked towards the large picture window at the front of the house. Zoe could have been wrong, but she could have sworn that she saw a man standing there. But after she blinked, the man was gone. Maybe it was just her imagination. "Lots of friends," the girl said. She didn't look unsure anymore.
"Are you okay?" Zoe asked.
"Why?"
"You looked a little dazed."
"Dazed? Me? No fucking way," she said.
"Do you live here with just your mom?" Zoe asked, wondering about the man she saw, or thought she saw.
"Yeah, just me and her."
"No father?" Zoe asked.
"He died a few years ago."
"Mine just left," Zoe said. "I haven't seen him for almost six years."
"You want to go out, make a little mischief?" Sydney asked, suddenly changing the subject.
"Actually, I was on my way to a friend's house."
"Maybe I could come with you."
"I don't think ... I mean, you're naked."
"So?"
Zoe wasn't sure how to answer that. But then said "Maybe if you just put something on until we get there?"
"I don't have any clothes."
"None?" Zoe asked.
"Well, except for my boots."
"You can borrow some of mine," Zoe said.
"Wear clothing?" Sydney said, sounding a little disgusted. She looked over at the picture window again, then back at Zoe. Her look of disgust was gone. "Sure. I'll just wait here."
Zoe looked at Sydney oddly. Her change in attitude was a little bit disturbing. Zoe was all for disturbing, but this girl was really freaking her out. And why was she always looking at that window?
"Fine," Zoe said. "I'll ... I'll just be a few minutes." Then she headed back home.
