New Friends

When Aiden woke up in the middle of the night it was usually to sneak a midnight snack. This night was different, though. He had heard someone call his name. He looked at the clock in his room. It was almost two o’clock in the morning. Too early to be up for school and too late for anyone else to be awake. He noticed his brother was still sleeping. So, who could have called his name? Maybe it was just part of a dream. Yeah, that was it.

He decided that since he was up he would tip-toe into the kitchen for some water. His mom had told him to fill his water bottle before bed, but he told her he didn’t need it. Now his throat was scratchy and his tongue was sticking to the top of his mouth.

The floor was cold when his feet touched it. He didn’t wear socks to bed, or maybe they fell off under the covers. It was ok, though. He would be quick. The door made a squeaking noise when it opened, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a second. He was scared to wake up his brother by accident. If he did, the whole house would be awake in no time. He waited.

When Armani didn’t move or speak Aiden thought it was safe to keep going. He stepped into the hallway, feet colder with every step, and made his way into the kitchen. He found a cup that had been left on the counter. Nana must have done the dishes before she went to sleep.

When he filled the cup he could feel the cool temperature of the water through it. He lifted the cup to his mouth and took a long drink. “Ah,” he sighed a little too loudly. The water was exactly what he needed.

“Cold water is the best when you’re extra thirsty,” said a voice that Aiden had never heard before. He dropped the cup of water in surprise and jumped about two feet in the air. His heart was pounding super hard. He spun in a circle, head turning back and forth trying to see who had spoken.

“You scared me!” Aiden shouted at the little girl standing by the TV in the living room. He heard a sound from his Nana and Popop’s room and said more quietly, “How...how did you get in here?” She had scared him so much that he was breathing hard. Like he had just run a race.

“I’ve lived here forever,” she said. She spread her arms wide to show him that forever was a long, long time.

“Uh,” Aiden said, “hate to break it to you, but this is our house.”

“It didn’t use to be,” said the stranger.

“Well, it is now, so you should probably go home,” Aiden said. “Your mom is gonna be so mad when she finds out.” His heart was still beating really fast. Adrenaline. He learned about that at school.

“I already told you. I am home,” said the little girl.

“No. This is my Popop and Nana’s house. And mine, and my mom’s, and my brother’s too. Maybe you can come over to play sometime, but, like, in the daytime,” he said trying to be nice.

“It’s my home too,” she said loudly. She was getting mad now, but so was Aiden. She was going to wake everyone up if she didn’t use her inside voice.

“OK, fine,” he said and put his hand up to his forehead. He couldn’t believe this girl thought she lived in his house. Then he thought about all the times his mom said that not everyone has a loving home to live in. When he realized she might be scared to go back to her house he said, “Stay here. Sleep on the couch if you want. My mom will know what to do in the morning. I want to help you. It's just...this isn’t a great time. It’s late. I have school tomorrow and my mom and Popop have work. Just sleep on the couch. At least it’s warm in here.”  

The little girl crossed her arms. Arms that were wearing a really dirty jean jacket. Her pants and sneakers looked really old. Like, as old as his mom. He wondered if she liked to go to those stores that have cool used stuff. Swift stores. Ripped stores? Something like that.  

“I’m gonna clean up this mess,” Aiden announced. He pulled a towel that had sunflowers on it off the counter. He got on his knees to wipe up the water he had spilled. When he looked back up she was suddenly right in front of him. “Whoa!” he said and then lowered his voice again. “Not so close. Jeez, I didn’t even hear you.”

“Sorry,” she whispered.

He cleaned up the mess and squeezed the water out of the towel into the sink. Then he laid the towel flat on the counter so it could dry. When he turned around she was right in front of him again. He backed up against the sink.

“Not so close, I said!” he whispered. Did this girl not understand personal space?

“Do you want to play outside?” she asked, excited.

“Um, what? It’s super dark out there! We would get in biiiiiiig trouble.”

“But I’m so bored! No one ever plays with me,” she said. She made a sad face with her lips and Aiden rolled his eyes. He couldn’t help it. She was just being silly now.

“Look,” Aiden said. “After my mom wakes up and we tell her about you, maybe we can play before school. But not right now ok? I’m going back to bed. There’s a blanket on the couch. You should go to bed too. You probably have school, too, like me.” He turned around and started walking back up the hallway.

“I want to play!” she shouted.

Aiden put a finger to his lips and said, “Shhhh! Do you want to get us in trouble?”

“Come play with me, Aiden,” she said.

“Wait…how do you know my name?” he said, realizing that it must have been her voice that woke him up. She smiled at him.

“Because you’re my new friend,” she said. Before Aiden could respond, she turned and disappeared through the locked front door without even having to open it.

Copyright © 2024 by Kate Johnston

All rights reserved.

"New Friends" is a Campfire Tales installment, which is a branch of Tales at Twilight specially dedicated to kids. The author always recommends that parents/guardians read these tales before sharing them with their children. Thank you for reading a bit of Friday fun! See you next week.