"Okay, but call me later. Moving away doesn't mean you get to stop being my friend. And hey, if you run into any hot guys at your new school, I expect you to send me one."
I laugh. "I don't think I could afford the shipping."
Pulling up to the farmhouse, I see Grams hurrying out, motioning me where to park.
"Talk to ya later, Jules."
"Yeah, bye. Tell your grandma hi for me."
"I will."
Jules has never met Grams but I've told her all about her, like how my grandma is very prim and proper and old-fashioned. I've never seen her wear pants, only dresses, and her hair is always perfect. She gets up early to wash it and set it in curlers so by the time you see her at breakfast it looks like she just left the salon.
"Welcome to your new home," she says with a smile as I get out of the car. She comes over and gives me a hug. "It's so good having you here." She gives me a squeeze before letting me go.
"You sure you want me as a roommate?" I kid. "It's not too late to change your mind."
"Don't be silly. I've been looking forward to this for months." She claps her hands together. "We're going to have such a good time!"
I smile, happy she's so excited about us living together. I'm still not sure how it'll go but I love my grandma and didn't get to see her much growing up so I'm looking forward to spending more time with her. My only concern is that we might butt heads now and then. My grandma has strong opinions and she isn't afraid to share them. If she doesn't approve of how I'm dressed or what I'm doing, she'll be sure to tell me.
"Let's get your things," Grams says.
"Why don't you give me a quick tour first? Then I'll unpack the car."
A loud crashing noise startles me. It sounded like it came from the neighbor's garage.
Grams sighs and shakes her head. "You might as well get used to it. I've told him to keep the noise down but he doesn't listen." She glances at the neighbor's house, a two-story farmhouse that looks similar to ours except it's painted a light blue and ours is white. "I even called the police on him but they told me there's nothing they can do. They said it's not loud enough to be considered a disturbance, which is complete nonsense. Obviously it's a disturbance. It scared you half to death!"
Grams moved here a few months ago and has complained nonstop about her neighbor, a retired man around her age who gets under her skin more than anyone I know. Everything he does seems to annoy her.
"I wasn't scared, just startled." I look over at the open garage. "What's he doing in there?"
"That's not Walter. It's his grandson. Some derelict that just showed up one day and has been working in that garage day and night. I'm at my wit's end with the noise, and according to the police, there's nothing I can do about it."
"Maybe I could talk to him."
"Absolutely not!" She shudders at the idea. "I don't want you getting anywhere near that boy."
"Why? What's wrong with him?"
"Well, for one, he doesn't have a job. He just putzes around the garage all day. I don't want you associating with a deadbeat like him."
"Maybe he's between jobs. Have you talked to him? Asked him what he's doing here?"
"I've said hello, simply to be polite. Other than that, no, we haven't spoken, but just looking at him I can tell he's no good."
"How can you tell?"
She leans toward me and lowers her voice. "He has a tattoo. Probably more than one."
I laugh. "Grams, having a tattoo doesn't make someone a deadbeat."
She huffs. "A proper gentleman doesn't mark up his body with ink. Doing so is a sign that he has no regards for his appearance and no plans to ever pursue a professional career."
"That's not—" I stop because I know I won't win this argument. Grams will argue her point forever if she has to and I'm not about to spend my time doing that. I'm only here for two years and I don't want those two years to be spent arguing.
She shoots a dirty look at the neighbor's house as we hear an engine struggling to start.
"Come inside. I'll show you around." She walks quickly to the door and we go inside.