West and East

(A modernized North and South)

Disclaimer: I do not own "North and South," that belongs to Ms. Elizabeth Gaskell. And the songs mentioned here are "Goodnight Goodnight" and "Sweetest Goodbye" by Maroon 5. And anything else you might recognize isn't mine either.

A/N: Long chapter! And JT! Woohoo! And my birthday! I am now legally recognized as an adult, 18, wow, I feel old. Lot's of things to celebrate.

Anyway, just enjoy!

Chapter 3: Trouble in Paradise

The next morning Maggie awoke to the smell of pancakes, and banana pancakes for that matter. Most people didn't like them, but banana pancakes really were some of her favorites, especially with peanut butter spread on them. Peanut butter or raspberry preserves. She was good with either of those.

"Buenos dias*," Maggie said as she plopped down onto a chair and looked at the giant stack of pancakes, her mouth watering.

"Good morning honey," her dad replied between mouthfuls of pancake. Her mom simply nodded, her mouth was also filled with pancakes, but she had more manners than to speak with her mouth full.

"These look delicious!" Maggie said before taking three pancakes and piling them on her plate.

"You shouldn't eat that many, you have to watch your figure dear," her mother warned her as she watched Maggie spread the top pancake with unhealthy amounts of peanut butter.

"But if I don't eat them, who will? Just think of all those starving children in Africa," Maggie said, rolling up the pancake and stuffing her mouth. It tasted like heaven, well not really, but close enough. Besides, Maggie didn't have to listen to her mom about her "figure;" no matter how much she ate, she never gained any weight. She wondered how she could have actually gotten curves when everything else seemed to go straight through her.

"What are your plans for today?" her dad questioned.

"Um… Lexis and I agreed to meet up with some friends at the lake later today. Some sort of volleyball match or what not," Maggie said smiling at the thought of volleyball. She wasn't very good at it, but she was always up for some friendly competition, it brought out the best in her. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," he replied, returning to his pancakes. Last night's conversation returned to her, and she planned to have a nice chat with her dad before she left for the lake. Once breakfast was done with, Maggie had the honors, as she dubbed it, of cleaning up the dishes. Her mom meanwhile headed for her usual place on the couch in the living room, while her dad headed for his study.

"Can I come in?" Maggie knocked cautiously on the door to her dad's study. He usually didn't like to be disturbed when he was in there.

"Yeah, come on in," her dad said, shoving some letters that were open on his desk into the nearest drawer.

"So…" Maggie said looking around the room, not sure where to begin. Her dad looked at her and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Maggie," her dad began, and getting up from behind his desk and he went over to her and hugged her, her head tucked beneath his chin.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked again, her voice a little higher than usual. Her dad usually didn't act like this, she knew something was up, and she knew that she wasn't going to like what her dad said. A similar scene played out in her head.

"Maggie darling, come here," her dad held out his arms as Maggie happily found a place on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I love you Daddy," the Maggie just shy of her eleventh birthday said.

"I love you too Maggie, but listen," he said as he disengaged her arms from around his neck, looking into her green eyes with his own.

"I'm listening," Maggie said, her eyes eager, her mouth smiling widely.

"Tomorrow, your aunt and uncle are coming up from the city," he began, Maggie nodding innocently, "And when they go back, you are going to go with them."

"Like on vacation?"

"No Maggie, they are taking you to go live with them and your cousin Edith."

"Are you coming with us?"

"No Maggie, you have to go by yourself."

"For how long? And why aren't you and mommy coming?" Maggie said, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"You're aunt and uncle have been kind enough to offer to pay your tuition to the private school that Edith attends. And your mommy and I have to stay here while you go to school there," her dad calmly explained.

"But I don't want to go!" Maggie whined, tears coming down her face now.

"Margaret Hale, you will do as I say, it is for the best. Your mother and I can't afford the kind of education your uncle is offering you. Trust us, one day you will thank us for this decision," her dad's voice changed, there was anger in it, but there was also sadness.

"But daddy!" Maggie cried, her hands trying to desperately cling to her dad's shirt as he pushed her off his lap.

"No buts young lady, now go up to your room and help your mom pack. I expect you to put on a happy face for your aunt and uncle when they get here," he said before going into his study and shutting the door soundly behind him, Maggie sobbing on the chair that was still warm from her dad's presence. It was the worst day of her short life.

"We have to leave Lakeside," her dad said so quietly that at first Maggie wasn't sure if he had spoken, let alone understood him properly.

"What?!" she pulled herself free of her father's arms.

"We have to leave Lakeside," he said again, running a weary hand through his graying hair.

"You're joking right?" Maggie said, trying her best to keep her voice calm. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her dad's mouth. She must be dreaming, she pinched herself, it hurt, this wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare.

"I wish I was, but I'm not. We cannot stay here any longer."

"But why? What's wrong with Lakeside? You love it here, I love it here."

"I'm afraid that I no longer feel comfortable teaching here anymore. They are trying to put too many restrictions on the way we teach, and I feel that it is hurting the students more than it is helping them."

"Why can't you speak with the school's superintendants then? I'm sure that if you talked to them, and made them see your point of view, then they could work something out. I don't see that as a reason to leave Lakeside completely."

"Maggie, you make it sound so simple. But it's not like that. Several other teachers and I have already spoken to them. We wrote letters, we signed petitions, but it was all in vain. They will not listen to us, and I'm afraid there is nothing left to do but leave. I already turned in my resignation, and I will not be returning to Lakeside Community College to teach next semester."

"But you can't do that!" Maggie said, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to cry, she hated crying. But this was just too much.

"Maggie, I have made my decision, and there is no turning back."

"But where will we go? New York City with my aunt and uncle?" Maggie said, wiping the tears that were coming down her face.

"No."

"No? Then where?" Maggie asked incredulously, she wasn't sure of she wanted her question answered, maybe they would move to some god-forsaken town in the middle of nowhere. But then again, anywhere would be hell compared to Lakeside.

"Los Angeles."

"As in Los Angeles, California? On the other side of the fucking country?" Maggie said, tears no longer coming down her face. She hadn't meant to curse, but she hadn't expected to move that far.

"Yes. And don't use that kind of language. I didn't teach it to you."

"Sorry, but are you serious? Los Angeles," Maggie said, not really sorry. Her dad just had to be shitting her, a little early for April Fools, too.

"I have an old friend, Mr. Thomas Bell, who owns some real estate there, and he says he can rent me out a house there. As soon as the paperwork goes through here, we'll move," her dad said, as if recalling the cold hard facts hurt him as much as it hurt Maggie as she heard these words for the first time.

"Wait, paperwork here?"

"Yes, we can't afford to keep this house while paying rent in LA, it's pretty expensive there. This house has secretly been on the market for a while now, and I finally found a buyer who is willing to pay the price I'm asking for. They are in the process of signing the papers, so in about two weeks we should be all set to move."

"Two weeks? What about school? That doesn't start for another month!"

"Oh yes, you will no longer be attending York Prep. Mr. Bell also managed to attain a spot for you at the Alexander Hamilton High School Academy of Music magnet**. You can continue with your dance there and drama. They are one of the best performing magnets in the Los Angeles area. Plus, I will also be taking up the position of Calculus teacher there, they don't pay much, but it's enough to pay the bills."

"What?!" Maggie practically yelled. Quitting his job and selling the house was one thing, but taking her out of her own school without even asking her was another.

"For Pete's sake Maggie, keep your voice down. Your mother might hear," her dad urged her, walking over and closing the door to his study which was slightly ajar.

"And what difference will it make to hear what she already knows!" Maggie cursed inwardly.

"Your mother doesn't know anything about this, and I'm not sure if I want her to know yet," her dad wrung his hands nervously, he hated that he couldn't give his wife everything that she asked for in a marriage. But he tried.

"My mom doesn't know about this?!" Maggie said, if she wasn't taking this news lightly, and Maggie was a reasonable person, then she wondered how her mom would react to find out the their Lakeside house practically belonged to someone else and that they would be moving to the other side of the country in less than one month.

"No, I didn't want to tell her anything until I was sure that this whole situation was worked out perfectly. You know how she gets when there are loose ends that need to be tied up."

"True…" Maggie said, finally calming down and realizing that she was in a better position than her mom at the moment. Her mom hated being out of the loop, hence her favorite pass time was gossiping with her closest neighbor, Mrs. Singleton.

"And I really don't know how I'm going to break it to her," her dad said, looking to Maggie as if expecting her to volunteer for the job. Maggie had always played mediator between her parents as a child, but she wasn't exactly fond of that job now.

"Well you better find out how you're gonna do it, and soon," Maggie said, not falling into her dad's trap that easily. She wasn't sure if she could face her mom at the moment.

"Please, Maggie, for me. I know you aren't too happy with the situation yourself, but trust me when I say that the move is harder for me. We have been living in Lakeside all our lives, and I don't know if I can handle another discussion like this with your mother," he said, and Maggie had to give in. He looked so tired, and stressed. She knew that her dad wasn't one to act rashly, he was the kind who looked at things logically, he was a math teacher after all. And besides, her mom had always wanted to leave Lakeside for one reason or another, maybe she would actually be happy hearing this.

"Fine, but you owe me, and big time. Let's just say that a new bookshelf wouldn't hurt right about now," Maggie agreed.

"Thanks Maggie, I'll just have it sent to your new room in LA," Maggie allowed him to hug her, wincing at the mention of LA.

"Just give me two days," she replied before walking out of the study and leaving her dad to think. She couldn't talk to her mom just yet, no, not while her wounds were still raw. She would take it slowly.

~oOo~

"Yo Mags! Watch out!" Lexis yelled as Maggie snapped out of her trance just in time to dive and send the volleyball over the net, scoring them another point and winning the game. "I almost thought you wouldn't get that one. You've been out of it all game, care to tell me what's up?"

"Let's just say that my life is changing dramatically right now, and I'm not even sure if it's for the best," Maggie said, as they sat down on the grass and enjoyed some snacks after their game. The rest of the people had decided to go swimming, but Maggie wasn't up to a game of chicken at the moment.

"Aww, going through puberty? Being on the rag isn't all that bad you know," Lexis joked, trying to make Maggie feel better. It worked, a little.

"It's not that though," Maggie said thoughtfully, as she tucked her knees underneath her chin and watched as someone managed to knock another person off someone's shoulders and sent them splashing into the water.

"Then what's up? The parents pressuring you again?" Lexis questioned, she knew that most of teenager's so called "depression" came from the parents trying to force them into doing something they didn't want to do.

"More like the parents forcing me into moving across the fucking country," Maggie finally spilled, and with that the tears spilled out of her eyes again. She was sobbing now, finally letting her dad's words sink in, not like before when she had also been angry.

"Don't cry Mags, I mean it can't be that bad. You'll still get to visit them for the summer and vacation. It can't be any worse than living in New York City," Lexis tried to console Maggie, hugging her friend and smoothing her hair out.

"It's not like that Lexis. If only it were that simple. But I won't ever be able to come back to Lakeside, my whole family is moving to LA in two weeks or so. My dad told me this morning," Maggie said, taking deep breaths and blinking away the tears.

"LA, as in Los Angeles, California?" Lexis asked; her eyes wide open.

"No Sherlock, Los Angeles, New York. Where else?"

"Damn, that's far. That's crazy far. Why would your dad want to move all the way over there? Hell, why would he want to move at all?"

"I don't know. He fed me some B.S. about the school system here. But I doubt that it's any better over there. But, whatever, the point is I'm moving and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not even going back to York Prep, I'll be attending some shitty-ass magnet school, the Academy of Music he called it. It's so annoying. Why the fuck couldn't he have let me graduate here and go to college, then he could have done whatever he felt like. But no, he had to go ahead and ruin my life!"

"Oh get over it Mags, I mean LA can't be all that bad. You'll have more sunshine, that's for sure. And just think about all the hot surfer dudes you'll meet with their amazing washboard abs. Plus, you'll be neighbors with Adam Levine*** or something," Lexis joked, trying to make light of the matter at hand.

"I doubt it," Maggie said, getting up. "Hey, thanks for listening to my bitching for a while, it really means a lot."

"No problem girl, like Mrs. Bennet so smartly puts it 'Those who do not complain are never pitied,'" Lexis smiled.

"I'll see you around then," and with that Maggie got on her bike and rode home. She needed to rest before facing her mom the next day. She would have to work out a plan.

~oOo~

The next morning, Maggie woke up feeling refreshed. She had cried herself to sleep after skipping dinner and a bath. She had almost forgotten how screwed up her life was when she sat in her bathtub, but then it all came back to her. She was going to break the news to her mom today, and she had already figured out how to do it. She would suggest to her mom that they go shopping, get their nails done, anything girly to keep her mom happy when she dropped the bomb on her. It was fool proof.

After a late breakfast, she found her mom sitting on the porch talking to Mrs. Singleton about the annual "Bonfire on the Beach" for the community. Shit, Maggie thought to herself. She had forgotten that this year her mom was on the committee to help organize the bonfire.

"Hey mom, hi Mrs. Singleton," Maggie said putting on a smiling face.

"Hi Maggie, Lexis is at the lake if you want to go meet up with her," Mrs. Singleton said, pointing in the general direction of the lake.

"Oh thanks, but I was planning on spending the day with my mom. I haven't done that in a while," Maggie smiled, although she knew she would much rather be at the lake while she still could.

"Great, you can drive into town with me to pick up a few things we need for next week's bonfire," her mom smiled up brightly at Maggie.

"Oh, that's a great idea. Well I'll leave you two to your business then," Mrs. Singleton said before taking the small path that connected both properties.

"Let me get my purse and sunglasses and then we'll be off," her mom said, as she went inside. Maggie sighed and sat on the chair her mom had previously occupied.

The car ride to the shopping center was hell. Maggie had to sit there and pretend there was nothing wrong while her mom blabbered on about the preparations for the bonfire, and her mom went so far as to mention the Fall Festival that wouldn't be until Thanksgiving, when Maggie usually came home. Maggie nodded at every suggestion her mom made for the Festival, but she didn't put forth anything. After finding everything that was needed for the bonfire they decided to go in for ice cream at the local Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors. Maggie chose one scoop of pistachio almond, the best invention by mankind, and her mom got a banana split, if Maggie loved ice cream, her mom was crazy about it.

"So, mom," Maggie began, watching her mom eat her ice cream as they sat at a picnic table outside.

"Yes, dear."

"Um… where do I begin?" Maggie sighed and paused, searching for the right words. Her mom took this as a different sign.

"Oh my goodness, Maggie, you're pregnant aren't you?!" her mom said, dropping her spoon and clutching Maggie by the shoulders, making Maggie almost drop her ice cream.

"What? No, its nothing of that sort," Maggie said, releasing herself from her mom's clutch.

"Then what? Do you have a boyfriend?" her mom asked accusingly.

"No."

"Maggie…"

"We're moving to Los Angeles! Dad has resigned from Lakeside Community College and is going to teach Calculus at a high school," Maggie blurted out. There, she said it; she hit all the main points. Now all she had to do was wait for her mother's reaction.

Her mom was silent for a few moments, her eyes wide open and her mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to say something. Maggie just watched her expressions change from shock to disbelief, to just plain sad. "What, are you sure?"

"Yes," Maggie said, she was surprised at her own tone, it left no room for argument.

"And when did he tell you this?" her mom had anger in her voice, or maybe it was jealousy. Jealous that Maggie knew about this life changing decision before she knew it.

"Just yesterday," Maggie said, making her voice sound warmer.

"Oh Maggie!" her mom began crying, burying her face in hands, her shoulders shaking.

"Please mom, don't cry, or else I'm going to start crying, too," Maggie said as she moved over and placed an arm around her mom's shoulders, their roles reversed. She handed her mom a tissue into which she noisily blew her nose in.

"But why would your father do such a thing?" her mom said, her sobs subsiding and her tissue dabbing at her nose. She looked horrible.

"Something about the school system, he didn't say exactly," Maggie explained.

"I'm sure if I talk to the superintendents, they can set him right."

"There's no use trying, he's determined to go. He's already sold the house. We move in two weeks."

"Two weeks? What is your father thinking? And not even telling me of his plans!"

"Geez mom, the way you complain about Lakeside I would have thought that you would actually be glad to leave the place."

"I'm sure I prefer Lakeside to any city, but Los Angeles! With it's traffic, and pollution, and the young people who think that they can party and drink without consequences. We don't know anyone in Los Angeles; it's on the other side of the country! And where will we live?"

"His friend, Mr. Bell or something like that, is going to rent us out one of his houses he owns in the area. And he helped dad find a job at the local high school, and I'm supposed to attend some magnet or academy of some sort."

"How are we supposed to pack?! And the furniture, how will it all get there?" her mom sounded worried, but Maggie was happy to see that she was at least getting used to the thought of the storm that moving would stir up.

"Dad didn't mention the details, but he seems to have most of it figured out," Maggie said, hoping that her dad did have some sort of moving plan worked out. Sometimes he would only paint with one side of the spectrum and then forget about the other colors on the other side of the rainbow.

"We need to get home, I feel a sudden headache," her mom said getting up. Maggie nodded and helped her mom to their car. When they got home, her mom went straight to her room, saying she would not be disturbed. Maggie was more than happy to leave her mom alone, she too needed some quiet alone time. Maybe she would go to the lake.

~oOo~

It was dark, the sun had set hours ago, and Maggie was still at the lake. She was just sitting there, watching the water, when she felt a soft touch on her shoulder and heard her dad say her name.

"I was getting worried. I thought you wouldn't come home," he said before taking a seat next to her on the soft sand.

"I'm not that immature dad, I wouldn't run away just like that. First, I would wait until both you and my mom were sleeping, then I'd steal all your money, and your credit cards, and I'd probably take the car too," Maggie joked.

"Well it's good to know that if my kid ever runs away, she'll be smart enough to survive a good day before the police finally catches up to her," he laughed. Maggie smiled, she hadn't heard her dad laugh in a while.

"So…" Maggie wanted to avoid the subject, but it was something she couldn't avoid. The more she put it off, the worse it would be. "How exactly are we getting to LA. I mean, it's not like it's a short drive away. Plus, we have all our furniture to take care of. And we haven't even started to pack. And who knows how much shit we have in the garage that we haven't touched in years."

"No one said this would be easy, but we just have to put our best foot forward. If life gives us lemons, let's make lemonade, so to speak," he shrugged.

"Yea, but no one ever said we should go looking for the lemons," Maggie snapped back. Her dad didn't have a plan, which annoyed her.

"Oh come on Maggie, I'll just talk to Mr. Bell tomorrow and see what he suggests. We'll figure something out," he said.

"No dad, you'll figure something out, I'll just help. I'm still a kid here," Maggie got up and started to walk back to their house. Her dad quickly followed her suit and they walked to the house in silence. At the door to her room he spoke.

"Sorry for doing this to you Maggie, but just know that I love you and your mom. And no matter what happens, we're a family, and we'll get through this," he looked sad; Maggie hugged him.

"I know dad, I'm just being an immature brat right now, I guess I haven't gotten over the fact that the world doesn't revolve around me. We'll make it through this."

"Goodnight Maggie," he said kissing the top of her head.

"Goodnight dad," Maggie said and walked into her room. She got out her iPod, and putting it on shuffle, she got into bed, ready to be lulled asleep by music. And for some reason, in the morning, she could still hear the song that had been playing when she fell asleep.

Something's gotta change.

It must be rearranged, oh.

I'm sorry, I did not mean, to hurt my little girl.

It's beyond me; I cannot carry the weight of a heavy world.

So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight,

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight,

Goodnight, hope that things work out all right.

~oOo~

The days before the "Bonfire on the Beach" had gone by too fast for Maggie's liking. She had spent the first day packing her own things into boxes, mainly her books. She didn't have much use for much of anything else in her room. She took down the posters that had remained on her walls since her elementary school days, posters picturing boy bands like N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys. Because she had lived the majority of her defining years at her aunt's house, she didn't have much of anything in this room that would tell you who she was. A lot of things she just ended up throwing out. There was no use keeping them. Besides, her dad had assured her that they would stop by her aunt's house the day before they left (they were leaving from the JFK**** International Airport) so that Maggie could pack the things she had left in what had been her room at her aunt's house. She had many more things there that she didn't want to leave behind, mainly her poster of Maroon 5 that she had gotten signed by all five members of the band, and she had even managed to get Ryan Dusick, the band's old drummer, to sign it. It was one her most prized possessions. She had in a frame and everything, along with her ticket stub for the concert that had allowed her to attain all those signatures.

Helping pack around the house was a different story. The bright side was that her dad had indeed called Mr. Bell, and he had told them that the house came with the basic furniture, a bed in each room, a living room set, a dining room set, and a fridge and stove in the kitchen. But her mom had insisted they pack all the delicate decorations that covered the living room, the glass dining ware, anything that could be used to decorate. Luckily her dad had put himself in charge of cleaning out the garage which saved them the trouble of her mother finding something that reminded her of Fred and sitting down to cry and wonder what part of the world he was in. Despite his emails, she could never stop worrying about her little boy. Maggie usually rolled her eyes at these words and snatched whatever her mom happened to be holding and put it into a box that would most likely never be unpacked when it got to LA.

Thus, the majority of the week was spent in this manner, packing and throwing stuff out, so that by the time the day of the bonfire arrived, Maggie was sitting on her bed looking at her life packed up in boxes.

"Maggie, we're going to be late. And I can't be late, not as a part of the committee!" her mom yelled at her from somewhere downstairs. Maggie sighed, and looked herself over in the full-length mirror that was still hanging in her room and most likely going to stay there. She was wearing a cute summer dress that just covered her knees, matching flats, with her hair tied up in a ponytail, her bangs just to the right of her face. She looked good, her mom would approve. And she might as well leave a good last impression on the people of Lakeside, people she would most likely never see again but who would always remember that Hale girl who stunned everyone at the bonfire with her looks. She smiled before following her parents to the lake.

The shore of the lake was already packed with people, even though the actual event wouldn't start for another half hour. Maggie found Lexis, and they found seats where they could see everything going on around them. They helped themselves to veggie dogs and chips, iced tea, salad, cookies, cupcakes, candy, ice cream, and everything they could get their hands on. It was the best part of the bonfire after all. Later the games started, things like the sack race Lexis and Maggie stood out on, they were wearing dresses after all. But they joined in for the three-legged race, laughing more at the other people than trying to win themselves.

When the dancing started, Lexis and Maggie were among the first who got onto the dance floor. They were having a good time, the guys they had met once joining them at one point. Maggie was having so much fun she forgot that she was leaving Lakeside the following day to drive down to New York City to say bye to her uncle, aunt, and Edith.

It was way past midnight when the last of the people left. Maggie had remained behind, sitting on the shore, thinking that this was the last night she would be able to enjoy the site of the lake, the moon reflecting beautifully on it's surface. This was like a tradition with her. Every year, the day before she had to go back to New York City for school, she would spend the night watching the moon on the lake, not wanting to leave but knowing that she would come back eventually. Not this time, this would probably be the last time she set eyes on Lake Ontario at night. Tears welled up in her eyes, but none fell. Sighing, she reluctantly got up and turned to walk back to her house, never looking back because she knew that if she looked back she would not be able to leave.

~oOo~

"Maggie, I'm going to miss you so much!" Edith had her arms around Maggie's neck. They were at the airport, waiting for their flight to be called. Maggie and her family had arrived at the Shaw's house the previous day. Maggie had finished packing the last of her things that remained in her room. And now they were here, at the airport, waiting for the plane that would take them to the other side of the country.

"Me too!" Maggie cried, hugging her cousin back with the same intensity.

"FLIGHT 376 with final destination to Los Angeles, CA preparing to board," a voice was heard on the loudspeaker. The Hales and the Shaws exchanged glances. Giving each other their final hugs, the Hales grabbed their carry-on luggage.

"Here Mags, I got you something," Edith said just before they walked away. It was a gift bag, and it was pretty heavy. "Don't open it here. And get on AIM as soon as you get there. And don't forget to upload pictures on Facebook, and don't forget about me."

"Never ever!" Maggie gave her cousin one last hug before she walked away with her parents. They boarded their plane, Maggie called window seat, and as their plane took off, Maggie could not help but let some tears fall down her face as she watched New York become a blur of twinkling lights. She plugged her ear-buds in her ears and let the music play.

I'll never leave you behind, or treat you unkind.

I know you understand. And with a tear in my eye,

Give me the sweetest goodbye, that I ever did receive.

As the plane leveled in the air and they were allowed to take off their seatbelts, Maggie remembered the present that Edith had given her. She had a little trouble taking it out of the bag, it was wrapped in tissue, and though it was flexible, it was heavy. She laid it on her lap and tore away the tissue paper. Her eyes were treated to a rainbow of colorful t-shirts. She removed the first shirt from the pile, a white shirt. She held it up and it unraveled before her eyes, reading "I (heart) NY." She smiled and saw that she had in her possession now, a "I (heart) NY" shirt in every color that her cousin could have gotten her hands on. It was indeed the "sweetest goodbye."

Say goodbye and just fly away…

~oOo~

Maggie gazed steadily out the window as their plane was preparing to land. She could see bright lights, and it reminded her of New York, but there was no Statue of Liberty here. The closer they got, the more she could distinguish things like cars and buildings. It was a stunning sight, the lights extended for miles, but she could not help wishing that it were New York that lay beneath her.

They finally landed in the LAX*****, and got through to baggage claim.

"So, how are we getting home? We don't have a car yet," Maggie realized as they exited the airport and where greeted by the giant letters that read LAX and structures that changed color, blue to red to purple.

"Tom said he would pick us up," her dad said as he took out his cell phone and dialed Mr. Bell.

"There are so many cars here, it will be impossible to find his car when he does get here," her mom complained.

"Yes, thank you Tom," her dad said before hanging up.

"So?" Maggie said, breaking her gaze from a shiny black Audi R8 with tinted windows, she couldn't see who was driving, she guessed it was some rich snob who had decided to pick up his friends for a long weekend of partying.

"One of his young friends is going to pick us up in a black car, an Audi," her dad said, squinting and looking around for a car that fit his description. "A Johnathon Thornton."

"Is that him over there?" her mom said, pointing to the black Audi that Maggie had previously been eyeing.

Her dad looked at the car, "Let's find out."

The Hales cautiously approached the car, when suddenly the driver's door opened and out stepped God's gift to women, or so Maggie thought. The guy, he couldn't be much older than 17, was tall, maybe 6 feet, with a strong jaw. He had shockingly black hair, which sat upon his head in an untidy mess, a sort of sex-hair look if you would, and the eyes to go with it. His skin was evenly tanned, Maggie guessed it to be a result of spending endless summer days at the beach which was so close. He was wearing a black button up shirt, but the last two buttons were undone and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing sinewy arms. And the shirt was just tight enough so that Maggie could almost picture the slim but built upper body underneath. Maggie thought he could not be anymore gorgeous, that is until he smiled. Maggie could almost feel her heat beating in her throat; he had the most stunning smile she had ever seen, straight white teeth and everything. Of course, this effect was enhanced when Maggie realized that he was smiling directly at her. Now, Maggie had had her fair share of guys smiling at her, but this was something completely different. Maggie was sure she felt the color rise in her face, and she cursed her pale skin for giving her away. She quickly turned away.

"Mr. Hale?" the guy asked, directing his father.

"Yes, Johnathon Thornton I presume?" her dad said, going over to shake "Johnathon's" hand. Maggie snapped out of her trance and tried to focus on other things, other things that were not named Johnathon Thornton.

"Uh, yeah, John, or Johnny. Johnathon is too…" John didn't finish his sentence; he sort of just waved it away, running his hand through his hair. "So should we go then?"

"Oh, yes, yes," Maggie's dad seemed to have forgotten what they were there for; he was obviously impressed with the guy. John opened the trunk and helped Maggie's mom with her luggage.

"Oh, thank you Johnny, that is so kind of you," Maggie's mom said graciously. Maggie could see that John kind of grimaced at her; she guessed that between "John" and "Johnny," he preferred the former to the latter. Maggie watched as her mom showed herself into the back passenger's seat while Maggie struggled to lift her own luggage into the trunk.

"Here, let me help you with that," John grabbed the suitcase from Maggie's grip, their hands almost brushing. Maggie just let him and climbed in beside her mom, leaving the "men" to handle the rest of their luggage. Of course, most of their luggage would still be on the way, it was being sent via moving truck, across the country, so there would still be a few days before it actually got to LA.

"This is a nice car," her mom looked around and admired the interior of the car, which was also black. Maggie nodded in agreement, but wondered if it belonged to John, he seemed pretty young to own such a car. Maybe his dad let him borrow it? And what connection did he have with Mr. Bell, such that Mr. Bell had sent him to pick them up. It was strange. Maggie watched her dad and John move about through the rear view mirror, glad that they could not see her observing them. Her dad then slipped into the front passenger seat while John slid into the driver's seat, as natural as if he did it every single day.

"So, John, tell me, how is it that you know Thomas?" her dad questioned, and Maggie eagerly sat up, John smoothly pulling away from the curb and into a lane.

"Mr. Bell? He used to be my dad's business advisor, so I've kinda known him for a while now. It's like he's a second dad to me, but he's also my business advisor now," John said, his eyes on the road, Maggie could see that he was a safe driver. She relaxed and looked out the window while she listened to the conversation.

"You're business advisor?" Maggie's dad was surprised.

"Uh, yeah, I've had to take over the business now since my dad passed away and left me everything in his will," John said, Maggie noticed that his voice did not waver, but it had some sort of resentment in it.

"I'm sorry to hear that," her dad said, reaching out a hand and placing it on John's shoulder before quickly removing it.

"It's okay, I guess it was just a little unexpected. He had divorced my mom when I was five, and we hadn't heard from him in a while. He never failed to take care of us, but I guess it's not the same to actually have your dad there when you open your presents on Christmas day instead of a postcard you can barely read. Then, all of sudden, he dies and leaves you his company, which has gone to the gutter, and expects you to take over it," John said. Maggie and her mom just glanced at each other in the back. Okay, so sure Maggie wanted to know who this guy was, but she didn't expect him to pour out his life story like they were his therapist or something. The car suddenly felt too small. "But I've gotten used to it, and thanks to Mr. Bell, I've managed to bring the company back up to more than what it used to be."

"I see. Well it's good to know that there are some responsible young men out there who are willing to do such a thing. It can't hurt to be a successful man at so young an age, especially with the ladies," her dad joked, and John laughed. Maggie was confused, first they were talking serious, and now they were laughing? Her dad must really like the guy.

"Yeah, I guess not," John laughed.

Maggie didn't know what else her dad talked about in the car, because next thing she knew, her mom was nudging her awake.

"Margaret, we're here honey, wake up."

"Ugh," Maggie said, rubbing her eyes. Shit, she had fallen asleep in a stranger's car, she hated sleeping in front of people she didn't know, and especially in front of hot guys she didn't know. She got out of the car just in time to see John come out of "her house" with her dad following behind. She guessed they had gotten all the luggage out already, and she felt guilty for not helping.

"Thanks again John, I don't know what we would have done without you. I hope it's not too late for you to be getting home," her dad was thanking John.

"It really was no problem, I'll do any friend of Mr. Bell's a favor any day. And don't worry; I'm pretty capable of taking care of myself. I don't live too far from here, plus my mom knows where I am," John said smiling.

"That's good to know."

"Goodnight Mr. Hale, I hope you all like LA so far, it's not so bad here, this place tends to grow on you," John waved goodbye as Mrs. Hale and Maggie approached the house, Maggie could almost swear that that last part was directed at her. What had happened while she was asleep? The family waved goodbye to John as he got back into his car and drove off before going inside, finding their rooms and beds, and falling asleep.

~oOo~

When Mr. Bell had asked John if he could pick up the Hales from the airport, John had agreed. He didn't mind running errands for his old friend, and picking up the Hales wasn't the hardest thing in the world to do. What Mr. Bell didn't mention though, was that John wasn't only going to pick up Mr. and Mrs. Hale, but he was also picking up their beautiful daughter.

John had sat in his car, his black Audi, his favorite car, waiting for the Hales when he saw her. She had just exited the airport, and was looking around looking a bit disgusted with what she saw, that is until her eyes fell upon his car. He smiled, knowing that she couldn't see him but that he could see her openly admiring his car. She was beautiful. Her long brown hair in its thick locks almost reached her waist, her green eyes standing out from her pale face. She was wearing a white "I (heart) NY" shirt that looked like she had thrown it over the dress she was wearing. And her legs, they seemed to go on forever. She was thin, but he could still see that she had a figure underneath that t-shirt. She turned away and started talking to what looked to be her parents. He was observing her and watching her as she moved closer, following the man he guessed to be her dad. And then it hit him. This girl was wearing a shirt that mentioned New York, the Hales were supposed to be from New York. Today might just be his lucky day.

He got out of his car and smiled at her as she stared back at him. He knew he was good looking, he just had never thought to use it as an advantage until now. He could see her blush before looking away, and it was then that he remembered he was supposed to be picking up the Hales.

He questioned and the man was indeed Mr. Hale. They exchanged greetings, and as he helped Mrs. Hale with his luggage he noticed that the girl wasn't looking at him, he wondered why, if she had been staring at him so openly before. He offered to help her with her luggage; she gave it to him without saying a word and got into the car. John was kind of hurt. What the fuck? He had just offered to help her, and here she was treating him like fucking servant, not saying anything like it was his job to help her. He guessed that underneath the pretty face lay a bitch, just like all the other girls at school who only wanted to date him for his money. He shrugged it off, maybe she was just shy, he shouldn't assume, he knew what they said.

The car ride to their house wasn't too bad either. Mr. Hale was an easy guy to talk to, and John had just felt comfortable telling this man he had just met about his dad. It was a topic he tried to avoid, but the man had such and inviting aura to him. Through his rear view mirror he could see their daughter, he didn't like her attitude, but he still liked looking at her. Probably half-way through the ride he noticed her fall asleep. It was then that Mr. Hale started asking him where he went to school.

Alexander Hamilton Academy of Music, John had said.

Maggie was going to go there too, Mr. Hale had said.

So her name is Maggie, sounds innocent enough.

She wasn't too happy about leaving New York, maybe he could show her around and introduce her to people, Mr. Hale asked eagerly.

Yeah, no problem, he could ask his sister. Maybe that's why she was acting all bitchy, she wasn't too happy about the move. But then again, he wouldn't be happy if his mom told him that they were moving across the country.

That would mean a lot to him. So what grade was he in?

Twelfth, he was going to twelfth. He wasn't looking forward to all the college applications he had to fill out either. Not to mention the stress of not knowing if he got in or not.

And what did he do at school?

Acting, he acted in the musicals. It's not like he would be doing it for the rest of his life, even if he had once wanted to be a Hollywood star he knew that he had a business to manage.

Maggie liked to act; she was pretty good at it. She also liked to dance.

Seems like she will fit right in then. Maybe we'll get to do musicals together, but who knew how good she was.

She hopes to go to Juilliard one day.

Well I hope she makes it. Either she must be really good, or really ambitious. Or both.

Of course she wouldn't be applying for a while. She was going into eleventh.

At least she knows what she wants. Some people go into their senior year and still don't know what they want. She was only a year younger than him. He didn't know if that was good or bad.

That's true.

They had arrived at the Hale's house, and John got out to help them with the luggage. Maggie was still asleep in the back seat, but they had not moved to wake her up. It was only when John had gone back downstairs with Mr. Hale that Maggie was out of the car. Her hair was messed up slightly, and she looked like she was sleepwalking. He said his goodbyes, intending his last words for her, before getting into his car and driving home. He would send his mom over to visit them in the next week, to give them some time to settle in. Hell, he would visit them too, he wouldn't mind seeing her again.

A/N: How was that, eh? Did you like it? First meeting! I know I changed JT's name, a little, but don't hate me. He still goes by John. Oh and did you like that JT POV at the end? Should I keep that up?

Okay, so be nice to me on my birthday and leave me a nice REVIEW!!! Pretty please!

Lots of notes:

*Good morning. (And to clarify, I meant that Spanish was my first language, not my mother tongue, I sort of just wrote that down without thinking.)

**This school is real, I know because I went there. It has a music and a humanities magnet. Look it up online, it's a good school.

***People have a misconception that just because you live in LA it means that seeing celebrities is an everyday occurrence. It's not. It depends where you go, and if you're lucky you get to see one. I don't think I have...

****John F. Kennedy. They have a huge airport in New York named after him. He was a US president.

*****Los Angles International airport. And it does have those structures that change colors, or the lights change, but it looks pretty. Coming into LA at night is really a nice sight.