disclaimer: i don't own any of this. rar. i finally posted chapter two, and i already started chap 3. yea, back to macey's pov!

Jason's POV

I wiped some sweat from my face. It was going to be a hot summer. I started wandering around the house, trying to avoid the movers as they moved our stuff into the house. I was excited to share a house with some of my friends, even if it was only fifteen minutes away from my parents. They said that it was fine, as long as I kept working at the library and didn't live with any girls. I didn't mind any of the requirements.

One of the guys, Gavin, called out to tell me that dinner was ready. I walked into the kitchen and apologized for not having helped cook or set the table.

"Don't worry Jason, we'll just alter tomorrow's schedule, so that you do Jack's job. Don't forget to thank Jack for covering," Derek said, courteously.

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks Jack."

I felt a tight feeling in my chest, as if something was off, but I wasn't quite sure what it was. Then a thought, that seemed to come out of left field, pushed its way into my mind, "What if I had said, 'No, I just didn't feel like helping today?'" I didn't want to think that, so I pushed that away.

We ate, only making small talk about the current state of the economy. Our freezer meal of pasta and meatballs tasted comforting, but definitely too chewing. I hadn't thought about cooking when I had decided to rent a house with my friends.

As soon as I thought this, I noticed an amazing smoky smell of barbecued and seasoned steak. Out the side window, I could see the billowing smoke rising from the neighbor's barbecue. I started picturing being invited to the neighbor's house for summer barbecues, and tutoring their kids. I imagined a nice brunette mother, a father whose hair is balding, a ten year old boy, and I six year old girl. It was perfect. We would come over every weekend and be fed the closest thing to gourmet food. I would have to bring them a pie.

Hey Derek," I spoke up, "You brought that pie into the house, right?"

"Yeah," he responded.

"I'm going to bring it next door after dinner," I stated.

They seemed fine with that. I smiled at my plot; this summer had just brightened up.

After rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher, I retrieved the Food Town's Apple Pie out of the refrigerator and headed for the door. I politely walked around the grass and down their front walk. I extended my finger and pressed the doorbell in ever so slightly, hoping not to wake up the six year old. It took at least two minutes of shuffling from within the house, until I heard footsteps getting close, yet I didn't dare ring the bell again. The door swung open with a loud swish.

An eager boy that looked about sixteen stood at the doorway. Maybe they were a little older than I anticipated, but that didn't ruin anything.

"Welcome to the neighborhood, sorry, we didn't come over first, but we wanted to give you some time," he started.

I got my first look into the house then. It was a mess. I know I can come up with better ways to describe it with my SAT vocabulary, but it was simply a horrendous mess.

I gathered up an answer keeping my presentable air, "No problem. I'm genuinely glad to meet you. I brought your family this pie. Are your parents home?"

"I'll get my brother. Wes!" he shouted as he ran back into the kitchen.

I don't think we moved next to a six year old kid or any kids. I was beginning to also have second thoughts about the barbecues. After another three minutes, a boy that looked only a couple of years older than me came to the doorway, yet the last thing I was thinking about was inviting him to any research groups. His hair was a shaggy mess, and he looked like he had just gotten up. He hadn't even considered the possibility of putting on a shirt. I tried to see what he was looking at every time he urgently turned his head towards the depths of the house, as if he had to get back to something- or someone. I didn't want to know.

I could hear someone loudly leaning against a wall that formed the closest corner. Well, at least I knew I didn't have ninjas as neighbors.

He sounded really annoyed, and I just wanted to get out of this wack's house, "Ummm… we're kinda busy now."

I tried to get out as fast as possible without being rude, even though that seemed irrelevant here, "Uh… O.K. then, well, I bought you this pie! I hope you enjoy it. Oh, by the ways-"

I was about to tell him how great his steak had smelled from next door, when I heard a loud bang, as someone hit the ground. I looked up startled. I didn't think I could be any more surprised with my neighbors, but low and behold: I was, and not just a little surprised, I was majorly astounded. Then the embarrassment came flooding in.

Macey stood up and brushed herself off, blushing a bit. I had to hang on to the frame of the door to keep myself from running back next door and telling my friends that I was going to live with my parents after all. However, of course, that wasn't the Jason way to handle things. Instead, I just stood there looking majorly weirded out, which is the understatement of the day.

"Macey?" I just asked dumbly, without thinking.

"Uh… Jason, hey, what are you doing here?" she used the same tone of voice that Wes had earlier.

"Um, I guess I'm his new neighbor, and I'm bringing him a pie," I pointed at Wes, "How do you know these people?"

"Yeah, I, um, live here. This is my boyfriend, Wes," she informed me, nonchalantly.

For some reason, that made me want to cry. What had happened to the Macey I knew?

I said the only thing I could think of, "Oh, that's nice."

I had to try to keep the sarcasm out of my voice as I looked at her. I remembered the day I came back from camp and saw Macey at her party. Everything seemed fine, but then she started asking stupid questions like, "What if the lists don't work?" Of course, lists always work, but then she ran off and started making out with some stranger. Wait- that stranger, that's Wes. The thought made me hate him more than ever.

Suddenly another girl came hopping into the room, "What's all this about?"

I was taken aback by her eccentric clothing and scars on her face.

The boy that primarily opened the door for me shouted from the kitchen, "Hey guys! Monica spilled Wes's beer!"

Macey and Wes glanced skeptically into the house and then ran towards the voice.

The boy continued, now directing his shouts towards me, "Pie Dude, come bring that in!"

So I walked in and found an extremely messy kitchen. I placed the damned pie on the counter and practically ran next door.

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