"Morning." she poured herself a cup of orange juice and sat down.
"So, how have things been getting on with Mr. Raine?"
"Good." she said as she sipped the juice.
"He doesn't have any family does he?" Jessica looked at her mom and then shrugged lightly.
"He's got two kids, one of 'em is living in Florida, the other in California."
"He married?"
"I don't know mama." she sighed. "He used to be- I think."
"Why don't you invite him over for dinner?" Her dad asked and Jessica looked at her mom who didn't look to happy about the idea.
"When?" she asked.
"Next weekend." her dad offered. "Invite him over to the party."
"Alright daddy." Jessica said with a small nod.
"What time you going over there?" her mom asked suddenly.
"I don't know. When I finish breakfast, get cleaned up." she shrugged.
"I'm surprised you're even awake at this hour, staying up all night reading in your room, don't think I didn't see the light. Jessica, you're going to be 18 soon, what are you planning on doing with yourself?"
"Do we have to have this conversation every morning?" Jessica asked with a small sigh.
"I think it's a very good question. Tell me you aren't planning on acting like one of those hippies and going to California and... What's the phrase, Dropping in?"
"Dropping out mom." Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Don't you roll your eyes at me young lady."
"You know mom, I was thinking I could move to New York and become a beat writer." she said and this time it was her mom to roll her eyes.
"Have fun with that honey." her dad said from behind his news paper making her mom scoff. As Jessica walked upstairs she could hear the two of them shouting. She got into the shower, cleaned up and then walked downstairs and outside. As she was about to cross the street she heard someone call her name. She stopped and looked up the street as a car slowed down until it stopped outside of her house. She walked to the window and smiled shyly at the driver. "Hey Luke." she smiled at Luke Glosslin, the cutest guy in school and one of her neighbors, he lived down at the end of the block.
"Hey Jess, you doing anything Friday night?"
"No." she shook her head with a smile.
"Do you want to go grab a burger, maybe see a movie?"
"Sure." she smiled. "That sounds like fun."
"Great." he grinned. "Look, I'm on my way to pick my little brother up from the library, so I'd better go." he said and she chuckled lightly before he winked and pulled away from the curb and left her standing there. She quickly crossed the street and knocked on the door to Mr. Raine's house who opened the door after a few minutes and let her in. She followed him to the parlor and stopped noticing a chair under one of the lights in the hallway.
"What's up with that?" she asked and he looked and chuckled.
"Changin' a lightbulb kiddo." he said and she looked at him from the side.
"No offense Lieutenant, but with your leg you shouldn't be climbing on stuff like that." she said as she walked over to the chair, she stood up on it and quickly switched the light bulbs for him.
"Sound like Louie when you talk like that." he grumbled and she looked down at him with a small grin.
"That a bad thing?" she asked and he shook his head.
"Wish more people did act like Louie." he said with a small scoff. "Come on down." he said offering her his hand. She took it and hopped down with a smile and then handed him the old light bulb. "So, where did we leave off?" he asked as they made their way to the parlour.
