chapter 2

My mom enters the guest room with her cleaning machine on making huge noise while I'm in bed trying to peacefully sleep.

"for god's sake, I'm trying to sleep, it's fucking 8 in the morning, don't you have something that doesn't involve cleaning the house at this time?"

"well it's my house, and why are you in this room? Don't you like your room? I mean we just painted it a month ago" replied my mom while opening the windows for the air to flow in, " wait what? What do you mean my room is empty?" I asked in confession.

"Dave, your room is empty" she replied.

"wasn't jess sleeping in it?" I asked while wearing my shorts.

"no I thought she left with you into the woods to do your guys thing every year" she replied " look I have a lot of drama, so I'm going shopping and if you need anything just call dad".

I check my phone, looking if Jessica called before she left or anything, I call her brother Kal but he doesn't answer, neither did Hope. I call her father uncle jack.

"hey, uncle jack it's me, Dave, how are you?" I asked trying to think of a way of not freaking him out.

"Hey Dave, how's school," he asked. Weirdly not saying anything about Jessica, maybe she left after I went to sleep.

"I'm all good just wanted to check on you, umm my dad is here I'll call you later, happy new year" I close the phone and head to my room, both her bag and her phone is still in place, it is like she left without her things. My window was opened, weirdly I never leave them open cause I don't like people seeing what I do. I go to close it and heads up, I see our new neighbor.

"Hey, stranger," she said, I didn't know what to say, say something nice, oh lord I'm really bad at this.

"your hairs nice" shit did I just say her hair is nice, fuck me.

"Okay, well I'm jean black, and you are?" She asked, while looking around waiting for my answer, oh shit I have to answer.

"I'm Dave, welcome to north pass" please don't leave.

"see you in school I guess" she replied closing the window with the curtains. I wish I could talk more but I get nervous talking to people who are hot like her. I lock the window with the lock.

"wait where's the lock?" I started looking around for the window lock I made 3 years ago so no one can open it except with the keys.

"what the hell?" I look under the bed and find my missing key, next to a letter. I look at the letter and it looked nothing like the letters I get. I pack Jessicas things in her bag and lock the window, I change real quick and head to the kitchen to make some coffee while the letter is in my right hand and my phone trying to call Kal on the left.

I couldn't get any replies from Kal of Hope, so I start reading what's written in the letter. "READ ALONE WHEN SAFE" said the letter on the back.

"weird" I whispered trying to figure out who wrote the letter, trying to see if the handwriting is familiar to me in any way possible. But I was too much of a lazy person, didn't bother me of where jess was at, I mean she does this every-time she goes to see any boy in town. The only weird thing was the window key being under my bed and the window itself opened when I always and always leave the key in the bathroom and always locked.

I laid on the couch and started watching some iron man movies on tv, just a normal casual 2020 start. Nothing to see or know, just waiting for that phone call from Evan, it's been a long time since we even talked. We never really talked, he never liked me even as a kid so it was more like strangers living under the same roof then brothers in blood. The door opens and my dad enters, I switch off the tv and head towards him to help him carry the groceries.

"thank you," he said, I get my hands on Nutella jar with a big spoon and Start eating them like a fucked up baby.

"did your brother call?" He asked me while he poured a cup of big black coffee as per usual, no milk or sugar just black coffee. "no" I replied while licking the spoon full of Nutella.

" Did he call you or mom?" I asked with my brows up.

"no, we haven't talked in a while, he's still angry" he replied and then said " I have some work to do, I'll be back" and left locking the door, and leaving me in the house all alone waiting for someone to wake up and talk to.

But the real reason none of us talk to my brother is since he got jealous, well not jealous but its one of the many reasons, the biggest one is that my parents always push him into doing things, study and be someone he doesn't want to be. I always heard him in his room saying he wants to be a painter, but my parents insisted he become a doctor in Harvard, its been couple of years that we haven't seen him, another reason is that his current girlfriend is from long dale and her parents being the richest people in long dale, she used to have a brother but then was killed after he snitched on his family for their drug business, her name is Regina word, no not Regina from mean girls. I mean yes she's mean but sometimes she's a good person to be around in times of need, like if you need money, yeah that's quiet it. She's a horrible bitch, I my self have no idea how he loved her, I mean I don't hate her but her family freak everyone out like an elephant jumping off a plane using a hamster parachute. Let that sink in on how it would look like for the elephant. I look through the window and see jean, sitting alone. I head out onto my backyard and wave at her to see me.

"Hey stranger, how are you?" She asked. But stranger, I mean coming out of her English accent Is killing me from the inside out.

"its Dave, how are you? And wait how do you have an accent all of a sudden?" I asked. She laughed, yes point for me being funny and winning her before any bitch in my school.

"I'm from England but my mom is American, she's from here" she replied, " do you wanna have breakfast with my family, they would love to meet their neighbor"

"yes, I would love that" I replied, I head to grab my jacket and all the time on the way to her house I repeat to my self, "don't be a dick, don't be a dick, act normal and everything will be good". I knock on the door and she opens it for me, she goes for a hug and I go for a handshake, yes it was awkward but I had to regain my self real fast and act as normal as I could. I enter her house and all I see are boxes of her family's belongings, I follow her into the kitchen where I see both her parents, her mom cooking and her dad reading the new paper, Typical family I guess.

"dad, mom this is Dave Vegas, our neighbor right next door" introducing me to her dad, he stood up and smiled, he then proceeded to give me a hard handshake.

"Welcome, I'm frank black and this is my wife Kala black, have a seat," he asked me politely, he seemed polite and caring, at least we won't see out old neighbors, and if your asking yes their drug dealers, but left town after their son was caught trying to kill a sheriff from long dale.

"It is nice to meet your mister and misses black, I'm Dave Vegas, and I'm really happy you guys moved in and I hope you love it here, everyone is seriously going to love you," I said while her mom smiled and gave me some bacon on my plate, I smiled back as a thank you.

" Vegas you say?" Asked Kala black.

I replied with a simple "yes" while enjoying my bacon which by the way Tasted and smelled amazing.

"well I think your dad does know me, I used to go with him in school, I think his name was Jacob, is that right dear?" She asked.

She sat down next to her husband and jean to my right, we all smiled and had an amazing breakfast talking about each other. It not only made me know things about their traveling life but I got to know things about my parents I Never even know happened at their age.

"Why don't you come for dinner today?" I asked, hoping they can see my parents and maybe try and remember the old days.

"yes daddy it would be great" said jean, yes jean tell them. Damn her eyes be taking me all the time nonstop. They're just beautiful green eyes that you'd want to wake up every day with, shit get it together Dave, her parents are right there be a man and get it together.

"well, how about next week, both of you will be in school and at that time we will be able to finish the house," said frank.

" Why not sure, I think my mom got back, thank you for the beautiful breakfast it was really tasty" I got up and ran to my house as my mom was calling me.

" Hey mom" I answered with a heavy breath.

"Why are you breathing like that, anyway I'm coming in 5 minutes, I need you to get ready cause I'm taking you somewhere" she hangs up and I head to change my clothes again. Wore a causal black shirt with a football shirt that says make football great again. I see my mom waiting for me, I head down and get in the car.

"what are you looking at," I asked.

"looking at those new neighbors, hopefully, they're not some assholes coming to Destry our lives as per usual"

"Mom, they're good people, I just met their daughter and her parents are they seem nice, therefrom a family called the black" I said while scrolling through my Instagram.

"wait frank black?" She asked, " its been so long since I saw anyone from the black family"

"yeah they said they knew you and dad since high school, and I asked them to come have dinner with us this Friday" I replied. She looks at me and says " okay, it would be great to see them after they went radio silent for 23years" she replied, showing a sign of confusion on her face. We drove for more than 2 hours and still got to nowhere, I Was listening to some Ariana grande music. While my mom was in her country music. Yup she turns into a cowgirl all of a sudden when listening to country music. I look to my right and see a car dealer shit. She lowers the volume in the car.

"well your 18th birthday may be in 2 months from now, but I thought it would be a great idea to celebrate it now by, I bought you a car, it is not the best looking but it's good for starters and maybe if you got good grades this year ill think go getting you a better one", I look to my right and see an old white car, it was a Toyota. And I was never happier, I left the car and just ran to it, it looked old and beaten up but was the best thing I actually got in forever. I run to my mom and hug her with all my heart.

"thank you so much, it looks beautiful," I said while hugging her and kissing her on both her cheeks. I get in the car and it kind of felt like my brother's car, I used to sneak out every once in a while and drive his car when I was 15, I would sometimes even hang out with girls and shit. I can still remember his screams in my head like he still does it to me.

"well it does need some work, but I guess slowly you will be able to get the hang of it?" My mom asked while standing outside the car.

"its gorgeous mom, thank you. Wait does dad know about me getting a car?" I asked. She looks at me and gives me a smile while looking to her left.

"you know he doesn't like surprises" I said.

" I'll tell him, don't worry about it. Here these are the keys, go home I'll be right behind you, just got some work to do, make sure your dad doesn't see the car" she screamed while going to her car and driving off.

"hello baby" I started touching the car, " ooh you need some cleaning" I said while coughing from the dust on the dash and on the seats. I drive my way home and park it not far but not too close to my house. I enter the house and see my dad watching tv.

"Hey I'm back home" I said, I look over but my dad doesn't say anything. Relationships with dads never goes great with boys, only girls get to be with them. I mean I love being close to my mom but it would be great to at least get him to talk to me as a normal human being instead of just a stranger at the house. I head to my room and lock the door, no I won't be touching my self, I just want some peacetime for my self and just sleep peacefully without thinking of some bullshit. I look at my study table and see the letter I got, it wasn't Kal so who the hell was here then. I didn't really care, took my clothes off, and laid on the bed closing my eyes into some deep sleep shit.