The Enzo Effect

A week had passed and not once did I hear him speak. Mom said maybe he doesn't speak English. But I think he just chose not to. It was weird. He was weird. I don't know much about him though except for the fact that his name is Enzo and he's a foreign exchange student we’re housing for the next six months.

Mom and Dad have been very adamant about this. They made me promise them, in a pinkie swear no less, that I will help with whatever Enzo needed, whether it be chores, errands, or just someone to talk to.

I guess that last part was more directed at me. They have a hard time getting their heads wrapped around the fact that I have become a bit of an outcast. Well, maybe not exactly an outcast. I was more like one of those quiet kids who prefer to read a book under the shade of a big tree rather than run around the playground with a bunch of rambunctious boys and girls.

Dad, who is usually not so keen on my antisocial behavior, said he thought it would be good for me if I spent some time with Enzo. So far, all the two of us did together was stare at each other.

It was really awkward.

I could not understand what was so good about being around someone like him.

Enzo had this aura about him that makes him look untouchable. Like the kind of guy that no one dares to mess with. Even the bullies, who were notorious for picking on everyone, steered clear of him.

Maybe it was because he's tall, lean, and well-built. Maybe it was because his eyes are a bit on the dark side, almost cold, and always narrowed as if he's angry all the time. Maybe it was the way he moves, like a predator stalking his prey, silent, agile, and precise.

He's weird. And I didn't like him.

But, of course, I was never going to say that to my parents. Especially when they were still so ecstatic over the idea that I was finally making friends.

Yeah, right. They seemed to forget I already have a friend.

If they thought hanging out with Enzo would make me a social butterfly, then they were wrong. It was just the opposite. I didn't want anything to do with him. I didn't even want to spend time with him.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much of a choice.

I knew how disappointed my parents would be if I told them I didn't want to take Enzo around town. So, for the sake of their feelings, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

It didn't matter anyway. In a few months, the guy would be gone and everything will be back to normal. For now, I'll just have to deal with him.

I sighed. "Fine."

I grabbed the shopping list from the kitchen counter and headed to my room to get changed.

Ten minutes later, I was already waiting by the front door. I took the opportunity to go through the list again.

It was pretty short. We were only getting a few things from the supermarket: milk, bread, eggs, some apples, and the ingredients for Dad's favorite dinner.

I was sure we'd be able to finish everything in thirty minutes. An hour tops. That's the usual time it takes me whenever I went grocery shopping with my mom.

"Let's get this over with," I mumbled.

The sound of footsteps drew my attention to the hallway. A few seconds later, Enzo emerged. His face was as impassive as ever. He had his hands in his pockets, and his shoulders were slouched forward, which only accentuated the height difference between us.

He's huge.

Enzo towered over me by a good foot or so. My eyes barely reached his chest. If I stood in front of him, it would feel like looking at a wall. A wall with a scowl on his face.

He's also wearing a hoodie, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, which revealed a few black lines of tattoos on his forearms.

I didn't have to be a genius to know he was some sort of delinquent. I've read enough YA novels to know the bad boy type when I saw one. I wondered why my parents didn't find that alarming.

I mean, sure, Enzo looks clean. But, you can never really tell just by looking at them.

I bet if I ran a background check, I'll probably find out he has a long list of arrests.

He stopped beside me and glanced at the shopping list in my hands. Without saying a word, he reached over and snatched it from me.

My jaw dropped as he looked it over. I quickly recovered, though, and crossed my arms. "Hey! Give that back!"

I tried to grab it from him, but he held it high above his head. I let out an exasperated breath and glared at him. He didn't even flinch. He just raised an eyebrow at me.

I couldn't believe it. The guy was actually smirking at me! I scowled. "Whatever. I don't care. I know where everything is. I don't need it anyway."

"Hey, be nice to him, Peyton. He's our guest," Mom said from the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes and opened the front door. "Whatever. Let's just go."

As soon as I stepped out, I was greeted by the cool breeze. It was early evening, and the sun was already setting, casting a beautiful orange glow on the neighborhood. It was my favorite time of the day. When everyone was starting to wind down, and the streets were quiet and peaceful. The perfect time for a leisurely walk.

Too bad I'm not going to have one.

Enzo came out after me. He didn't seem to appreciate the view. He was more interested in looking around, checking out the houses, the trees, and the parked cars. It was as if he was memorizing every detail.

I cleared my throat, and he glanced at me. I motioned toward the sidewalk with a nod of my head. "It's this way."

He didn't respond, but he followed when I started walking. I kept a distance between us, just in case he had any ideas. Not that I was afraid. But, I didn't know him very well. I wanted to stay cautious.

I heard him let out a sigh. I turned and gave him a look. He seemed irritated. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but here. It made me smile. Good. At least, I wasn't the only one who didn't want to be here.

We walked in silence, and it wasn't long before we reached the end of the street. There was a crosswalk right in front of us. The supermarket was on the other side. I checked both sides of the road, then started crossing. Enzo was right behind me.

I heard the roar of an engine before I even saw the truck. I froze as it sped toward us. It was going so fast, I didn't have time to react.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt strong arms wrap around me. They lifted me up and pulled me off the road.

The truck whizzed by, mere inches away from hitting me. My heart was racing. I felt Enzo's breath on my neck as he held me.

The truck disappeared down the road, but he still held me in his arms. I pushed him away and stared at him in shock. "What the hell was that?" I gasped. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

He didn't reply. He just stared at me, his dark eyes boring into mine. I didn't know what to make of the look he was giving me. Was he angry? Or was it something else? He didn't say anything. Instead, he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

I slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me."

His eyes widened in surprise, and he frowned. But he didn't say anything. He didn't move either. It was like he was rooted to the spot. It was a weird feeling. It made me feel uneasy.

I took a step back and pointed to the sidewalk. "Let's just go." I quickly turned around and hurried away from him. I didn't dare look back. Not until we were safely inside the supermarket.

Only then did I let myself relax. I could still feel my heart beating erratically. It was the closest thing I had ever gotten to an adrenaline rush. And, frankly, I didn't like it. I didn't want to have another experience like that again. Especially if it involved Enzo.

I stole a glance at him and noticed that he was staring at me. He had this strange expression on his face like he was trying to figure something out. I quickly looked away.

This was going to be a long night.

The trip to the grocery store was relatively uneventful. Enzo was surprisingly quiet the entire time. He just trailed after me, pushing the cart while I gathered the things we needed. I kept glancing at him, half-expecting him to do something, but he just looked bored. He didn't even speak when I asked him for a second opinion on the apples.

When we were finished, we headed to the cashier. As the items were being scanned, the old lady gave us a friendly smile. "That's a lot of groceries. You're making quite the feast. Are you celebrating something?"

"No," I answered. "It's just my dad's favorite."

"Oh." She continued scanning the groceries. "Are you from around here?" she asked, glancing at Enzo. "I haven't seen you before."

"He's an exchange student. He's staying with us," I explained. "He doesn't speak English, though. So, don't mind him."

She chuckled. "Oh, that's okay. I don't mind."

I didn't want to engage in a conversation with the lady, so I busied myself with putting the groceries in the bag. Once I was done, I took out my wallet and handed the cashier the money.

She thanked me and handed the change back. Enzo grabbed the bags and carried them outside. I followed after him. He didn't say anything, but I knew he was mad. I could see it in the way his jaw was clenched, and his eyes narrowed. He was glaring at the ground as if he was trying to burn a hole through it. I had no idea what his problem was.

I didn't bother saying anything to him. He was obviously upset, and I wasn't going to add fuel to the fire. Besides, we were almost home. It wouldn't take long for him to get rid of me.

We walked in silence until we got to the house. I opened the door, and he stormed past me, heading straight for the kitchen. He put the groceries on the table and began putting them away. I stood there, watching him. He didn't even look at me. He just continued to work, his jaw still clenched. He was so focused on the task that he didn't notice when my dad came in.

My dad smiled when he saw us. "Hey, guys. What are you up to?" he asked.

Enzo didn't respond. He was too busy putting the groceries away. My dad looked at me. "What's wrong with him?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know." I was telling the truth. I had no idea what was bothering Enzo. But I was starting to get annoyed. If he was going to act like a jerk, I didn't have to put up with it. "He's just being an ass."

"Language," my dad warned. He walked over to Enzo and patted him on the back. "Hey, man. Why don't you take a break? I'll help you finish up."

Enzo looked at my dad, and his expression softened. He gave a sharp nod and walked out of the kitchen.

I was shocked. How was my dad able to make Enzo behave? I had been trying for days, and I was getting nowhere.

My dad noticed my surprise. He smiled. "He's a good kid," he said. "You just have to get to know him."

I snorted. "Yeah, right. I'll believe that when I see it."

My dad shook his head and started helping me put the groceries away. Once we were done, I went upstairs to my room. I didn't want to deal with Enzo anymore.

I closed the door and flopped down on my bed. I stared at the ceiling and thought about the past few days. How had my life gotten so crazy? I had gone from living a normal, boring existence, to suddenly being surrounded by Enzo. It was like being thrown into a world of chaos and confusion. I didn't know what to make of any of it. But one thing was for sure. I didn't want anything to do with him. He was weird and scary. And I didn't like him. At all