Beep! Beep! Beep!

I roll over and stuff my face into my fluffy pillow. What is that noise? It's the first day of summer and I know that I shut off my alarm. My summer is only a month long seeing as I'm 23, in collage and have to take more classes so I can achieve a music major; teaching minor degree, so I have to enjoy sleeping in while I can.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Urrrrg!" I get up and check my phone, it's 9 but can't whoever's out there keep it down a bit? I go over and look out my window, there's a van and a large moving truck. The moving truck is backing up the driveway so it'll be easier for my new neighbors to carry in their stuff. The truck is still making the signature backing up obnoxious beeping noise. I shake my head; throw on a bathrobe over my shorts and tank-top, pull my shoulder length brown hair into a ponytail and head downstairs to bake some cookies. When I was little, my mom always baked something for any new neighbor in a 2 mile radius from our house and had me help her deliver it. I like to carry on the tradition even though my mom died 12 years ago; it's a nice way for me to remember her.

I pull out the cookbook, flour, eggs, butter, sugar and chocolate chips. I decide to double the recipe so that my housemate; Trish and I can have some cookies too. I have the kitchen and entire downstairs to myself because Trish never gets up earlier than noon unless there's a national emergency; like what outfit I'd wear on a date if I ever get asked on one. Once all the ingredients are mixed, I roll the dough into balls and put them into the oven on a cookie sheet to bake. While the cookies are baking, I grab a little of the dough to eat even though you're not supposed to 'cause of raw eggs or something, and flop onto the couch to watch some TV. I flip to HGTV and watch some House Hunters but have to get up every 10 minutes or so to put in a new batch of cookies and take out the done one. About halfway through the dough I go back upstairs to my room to change. I take a quick shower and decide to leave my hair down. I choose a red tank-top to wear and match it with a knee length red skirt and my brown sandals. When I hear the beeping of the oven I hurry back downstairs. After all the cookies have been baked I select 24 of the best looking ones, put them on a plate and walk over to my new neighbors' house.

I knock and a friendly looking, middle aged woman opens the door.

"Hi! Welcome to the neighbor hood! I'm Ally; I live across the street in the blue house with my friend Trish. I brought you a welcoming present," I say smiling.

"Why, thank you Ally. It's so nice to meet a friendly face when you move somewhere new! You can call me Mimi." A tall brunet man tries to walk past but Mimi catches him by the arm and has him stand with her in the doorway. "This is Mike, my husband. Austin, our son is around here somewhere…" Mimi looks back around into the house. Through the door I can see that their house opens right into a large kitchen area where a silhouette stands drinking something. "Ah! There he is! Austin! Come here and meet this nice girl Ally from across the street!"She calls out. Austin comes up near the door, allowing his dad to slip away.

"Hey," is all he says. I look at him. His hair is all messy from sleeping and is the same blonde as his mom's, he looks like he just woke up even though it's around noon now and I know his family had an early morning packing and moving but at least he had the decency to be wearing some sweats. Austin is only wearing sweats and unfortunately, I can't say I mind all that much; he is very muscular and tanned, not to the point of either where it gets ugly but just right. He has deep chocolate eyes that I could get lost in but I don't allow myself to, instead I decide it's about time I leave.

"Sorry to be holding you up, I'm sure you have a lot of unpacking to do. I'm sure I'll see you guys around though."

"Oh, it's no problem dear, come back any time. And thanks again for the cookies!"

"I'll be sure to! You're welcome. By the way the cookies are chocolate chip." At the mention of the cookies, I noticed that Austin perked up. Hmm…he must like sweets.

"Yeah, thanks…"Austin glances at Mimi.

"Ally," she says.

"Of course, knew that. Thanks for the cookies Als." He smirks and walks off back into the house. Als?! It's a cute nickname but why would Austin give me a nickname?

"Bye Mimi." I wave and walk back to my house. Trish is downstairs, her hair a curly black poof and wearing her favorite cheetah print pajamas and sitting at the island in the kitchen.

"Hey Ally. What were you doin? The house smells good." Typical Trish, right down to business as long as it was anyone else's business. I made sure to hide the remaining cookies before I left otherwise I know she would have devoured them by now.

"There are some new neighbors across the street, I baked them some cookies which is why the house smells good. There are some for us too in the cupboard." Trish gets a crazy, cookie face thinking about them and so I add, "You can have two only two!" She looks a little disappointed but still happy that she gets cookies. "The woman's name is Mimi, her husband is Mike and their son's name is Austin."

"Ooohhhh! How old is he? Is he cute? Dude, is he better than cute?" Trish asks, totally excited again.

"Weeeellll…um I'm not sure what age he is but he looked around our ages so 24 ish maybe? He's…attractive but also looks like trouble and so not your type. Plus the fact that he still lives with his parents." Trish gives me a quizzical look; most every guy our age with a six pack is 'her type', "He's blonde," I clarify.

"Yup. Not my type." For some reason unknown to me, Trish does not do blonde. A guy can have pink, red, black, brown, blue or green hair but if he's blonde she won't look his way again unless he makes his way into her friend circle and as far as I know, none have managed it yet. Trish has a bowl of Lucky Charms for brunch while I stick to my favorite cereal, Special K Red Berries.

"So, first day of summer vacation, what do you wanna do Trish?" I ask.

"Mmm…How 'bout the beach? We haven't gone there in a while and I could use a tan." I laugh because since Trish is Hispanic, she is always much tanner than I am. She gives a small glare, failing miserably at looking grouchy and finishes, "And we could stop by the ice cream shop."

"Sure, that sounds great." We put our dishes in the dishwasher and head upstairs to grab our stuff. I leave my outfit lying on my bed because I'll probably wear it again, after the beach. I pick my blue bikini that has some little ruffles under the covering piece of the top and put it on, over it I wear a cute white summer dress, I grab by bag packed with my book, For Darkness Shows the Stars, sunscreen and a towel. Although it is just the beginning of summer, here in Miami, it's already very warm outside. I meet Trish downstairs and we get into my car. My car is a red Volkswagen slug bug and so I have to remember each time to punch Trish and say "Slug Bug" before she does it to me because her punches hurt.

"Slug Bug!"

"Aww! Again? Why don't you ever let me call it?"

"'Cause I like to," we laugh at my answer and get into the car. Trish knows the real reason but likes to humor me. It's only a five minute drive so we get there really quickly and get a good parking spot surprisingly. We hop out, find a good spot and lay our towels down to sunbathe.

I must have nodded off in the warm sunlight and cool breeze because the next thing I know I sit up freezing and soaking wet. "Ahh! Who's responsible…"I trail off when I see Trish, Austin and some red-head cracking up and holding a bucket. "Hey! Not nice!"

"Chill Als! It's just a prank, we've been doing it to people all along the beach…and you looked like you could use some cooling off anyway; you're turning red."I look down and my arms, legs and stomach are sunburned.

"Oh no…I forgot to put on my sunscreen…"

"Ya think? You're the same color as a lobster! We didn't stick around for the results of our other pranks but since you live across the street from me and I'll probably have to have you over because my mom adores you, I wanted to see what you'd do. Since you 'caught' us, we'll treat you and Trish to ice cream," Austin tells me. Then he gestures at the red-head, "This is Dez, short for Dezmond. We just met here on the beach but we were instant friends."

"Ok. Ice cream might help me forgive you guys. Hi Dez, incase you haven't heard my name yet, I'm Ally." I pack up my stuff, slipping on my dress carefully and cringing because of the burns. We walk over to Dina's Delish when we open the door a bell rings and pretty brunet looks up at us.

"Hi! Welcome to Dina's Delish, we serve the best ice cream around! How can I help you?"

"I'd like a single scoop of caramel-butter-pecan in a waffle-cone please," I say. I get the same thing almost every time so the choice is instant.

"Single scoop chocoholic deluxe in a waffle-cone," Trish states.

"A single scoop of lemon meringue and a single scoop of rocky road topped with sprinkles in a cake-cone," Dez says smiling like everyone orders crazy combinations like that.

"Umm…make that two caramel-butter-pecan orders please," Austin says confidently but when I make a sideways glance at him he looks kind of nervous. He sees me looking and pulls on his cocky smirk. What is up with that boy? We all eat our ice cream heading back to the beach. Trish and I stop in front of my car. "Slug Bug!" Austin cries and punches Dez in the arm.

"Ow Dude!"

Austin ignores Dez's mumbling and turns to me, "If you need anything from my mom or dad in the next week, you'll just have to ask me 'cause they're out of town for work. See you around, bye Trish, bye Als."

Trish and I get into my car and she almost explodes holding her words in until we are out of the parking lot. Once we are, "Why does he call you Als? Dude, I think he likes you!"

"I don't know; he only learned my name this morning when he heard I brought cookies. Nah, but did you see that Dez guy eyeballing you?

"Yeah! He's not too bad, he could use a tan though…so pasty…" We laugh, Trish and her boy interests. When we get back we change into regular clothes and spend the rest of the day chatting about random things, sitting outside for a little and watching TV.

Around 9 when Iron Chef America ends I get up, "I'm tired, so I'm headin' up to bed now. 'Night, Trish."

"Night, Ally," Trish says already engrossed in the next show. I go upstairs and change into my music note pajama shorts and white tank-top. I turn out my light and try to fall asleep despite the aching and heat from my burns.

A/N

So what do you guys think? Good? Bad? Interesting? Terrible? Please review!

I don't own Austin and Ally, HGTV, House Hunters, Lucky Charms, Special K, For Darkness Shows the Stars, Volkswagon, Iron Chef America or anything else you guys recognized that isn't my story or plot line.

~Maggie