A/N: phew Updated this one also. Hopefully this chapter is good. Don't worry the drama will soon come! Thanks to all the reviewers and readers who are still here. You guys all rock! Now on with the story...

Chapter 7: The Grass Is...Well...Greenish

"The view is spectacular," a chunky man with a weird moustache and smelled of Old Spice exclaimed. Erin crinkled her nose as she looked around the apartment. The wallpaper looked like it was disintegrating and there was a huge moldy spot on the roof.

"Yeah...How much," Charlie asked for what felt like the millionth time. The man kept avoiding the question and just went on rambling about how fabulous the apartment was.

"The rooms are in fantastic condition," the chunky man smiled. Erin let out a small muffled laugh. The chunky man glanced at her and his smile faded.

"Dude, just tell us how much," Erin asked annoyed. "And lay off the Old Spice man," she snapped and waved her hand in front of her nose. The chunky man took a deep breath and put his hands into his pants' pockets.

"650 a month," the man said flat out. He lost all his enthusiasm in his voice.

"Thanks for your time," Charlie grabbed his sister's arm and walked out pulling her behind him. Once they were outside the apartment building he turned to look at Erin. "You can't keep doing that," he exclaimed.

"Sorry that I didn't like the apartment or the dude," Erin shrugged and continued walking. Charlie walked beside and crossed out the apartment building they had just visited from the newspaper. "There just isn't an apartment that I really like," she sighed and looked around at the small shops. "Maybe we can just kick Neema out," she shrugged and smiled at the thought.

"I wish but until dad comes home she has the house," Charlie said as he read through some of the other apartment listings. "We could rent a house like in one of those communities," he suggested.

"Charlie, I think we are better off finding an apartment. One of those houses cost a hell of a lot more than an apartment," she stated and sighed. "If mom was around we could go live with her and all our problems would just vanish like that," she snapped her fingers. Charlie grinned and nodded.

"Yup. Why dad kept us, I'll never know why," he shrugged and circled an apartment listing in the newspaper. Erin sighed loudly and began avoiding stepping on the cracks in the sidewalk. Charlie continued to looking to see if there were anything other listings.

p --- br

Erin put her hands on the table and rested her chin on top of them. They had decided to get some lunch and walked into a small diner they had passed. She looked up at Charlie who was still reading the apartment listings. He had the cap of the pen in his mouth and the tip of the pen pressed against the edge of the newspaper. He took the cap out of his mouth and sighed. "Erin, I seriously don't know what we are going to do," he sighed. He felt like he was letting her down. She lifted her head.

"Charlie, its okay," she gave him a weak smile. "We are going to figure this out, I promise," she held out her knuckles. Charlie sighed as he listened to his little sister. He gave her a small smile and bumped knuckles with her. "Okay, now we should just order some food," she told him and lifted the menu from the table. She glanced through it and put it down within a few seconds.

"Burger and fries," Charlie said and nodded. He knew his sister far too well and she always got the same thing every time they went to a diner. "And a milkshake," he added in since he saw Erin beginning to open her mouth to say something. She smiled at her brother and nodded. "I know you all too well sis," he didn't bother looking at the menu. He would get the same thing. The waitress walked over to them, popping her bubblegum and took out her notepad.

"What can I get for you all," she asked talking in an obvious thick Boston accent.

"Two burgers and two fries and one chocolate milkshake and one Coke," Charlie ordered and handed her the menus. The girl bopped her head as she wrote down their order. She took the menus.

"Your food will be out in a few," she told them and walked back over to the counter. Charlie and Erin looked at each other giving each other similar looks, wanting to laugh but held it back. Erin shook her head and looked down at the table. She knocked her knuckles against the table and looked out the window. She heard a couple of rowdy kids bursting into the diner.

"Hey baby," a very familiar voice exclaimed. Charlie and Erin both turned their heads to see who the owners of the voices were. Sure enough, it was who they expected – the Z-Boys. Erin rolled her eyes as she saw Jay licking his lips and winking at one of the waitresses. The girl pushed Jay aside and kept walking. "Oh come on babe," he begged. The other boys just booed Jay for his failed attempt at picking up a chick. Charlie turned back and lifted the newspaper again.

Jay looked around the diner and spotted Erin sitting in a booth, he knew she was with her brother today. He hit Tony's chest and nudged his head over in Erin's direction. Tony just nodded his head and continued talking with Shogo. Red Dog was no where in sight, Jay took advantage of it. He walked over to the booth and slid in next to Erin. He smiled at her. "How's it going," he asked her. He acknowledged Charlie by just nodding his head at him and then turned back to Erin.

"Good, I guess," she shrugged and grinned at him. He was there last night when her mother arrived with Duncan completely drunk and Duncan was eyeing Erin in a really disturbing way. "We're just looking for apartments," she told him. Jay nodded as he actually listened to her speak, he wasn't known for being a very good listener. Usually only a few people actually had his full attention.

"That's cool. There is an apartment open where I live, if you're interested," Jay suggested to them. That would be perfect if she moved in near him. He could have the chance to prove to Erin that he wasn't the jackass like he acted around his friends.

"We'll think about it," Erin told him. "Thanks though," she smiled at him. She wouldn't mind living near Jay, he was a close friend of hers and she could use friends right now. "Um...where is Red," she asked as she looked over at the group of boys but there was no sign of red hair.

"I don't know," he shrugged. Damn it, why did she have to bring him up? Weren't they broken up? "I heard he was hooking up with some brown head," he shrugged trying to make her forget about Red Dog. He was trying to hint to her that he had moved on and she should too. She looked at her friend wanting to hear more about this brown head. "I don't know her name or anything; it's just what I've heard."

"Uh-huh," she nodded her head acting like she didn't care. But anyone could see in her face that she did care. Red Dog wasn't supposed to move on before her. She was supposed to flaunt in front of him that she had moved on and didn't need him anymore.

"Jay," Tony called out and waved his hand meaning it was time to leave. Jay nodded at Tony and then looked back at Erin.

"I'll see you later," he told her and gave her charming grin. "Later man," he told Charlie and quickly jogged over to his friends and they headed out of the diner. She watched as they exited the diner; she needed to find out who this brown head was and what her deal was. Oh yes indeed, she was going to find out.