Okay, this is a filler chapter. It's probably going to be very boring, it's just some randomness and a few conversations between Greg and Brooke. Next chapter is going to be really action packed though, so please bear with me. Also, I promise soon I will start to introduce some more people into this story other than just Greg and Brooke. Anyway please leave me a review cos I could do with a little motivation. Enjoy!

When Greg woke up the next morning, he was ready. He was ready to start the rest of his life. His real life, in the real world. And he knew that he couldn't have everything perfect all the time, but he could still strive to be happy. And in New York, with Brooke, he had never been any closer to perfect.

Greg showered quickly. He needed to look good, because no great story ever started with sweatpants and an old t-shirt. He put on a blue shirt that Brooke had chosen for him, a pair of jeans that Brooke had said were just the right amount of tightness. He checked his sandy blonde hair in the mirror. He was bored of it. What to do? He grabbed the hair gel he had bought yesterday, put some on his fingers and ran it through his hair. He liked that. He liked that a lot. Taking a deep breath, Greg looked in the mirror one last time. That would do. He opened his door a fraction and leaned out, knocking on Brookes door. He stayed in that position, ready to retreat back into his room if she started throwing stuff at him.

He knocked again.

"Yes?"

"It's me."

And then there was no answer. But that was okay, he had been expecting that. So he went back into his room, and out to the balcony. Then, very carefully he climbed onto Brookes balcony. He pushed open the glass doors, and through the curtains.

She was on her bed, reading The New York Times.

"Greg..."

"Just give me a chance. Listen to this song. You won't regret it."

He threw the C.D. box at her. She looked at it for a second.

"Track four."

And then he left, out the window again. And he waited. He waited out on his balcony, and he stared up at the sky. He couldn't see the stars, but he knew they were there. Eventually Brooke came out too. She stood on her balcony, beside him. They were silent for a minute. Finally, Brooke spoke.

"You're worth it too."

Greg grinned, and pulled her into a tight hug. She giggled, and hugged him back.

"I like your hair by the way."

"Thank you, I just bought this hair gel."

"Good idea, it looks good on you."

"Why thank you. I like it too."

"I got a call last night, that studio apartment's mine if I want it."

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"Anything back from your guys?"

"I might call them now and ask."

He came back ten minutes later.

"Bad news. They lost my offer form, so they gave the apartment to another guy."

"Aw no, that's too bad."

"But..."

"But?"

"They had another apartment in the same complex so to say sorry they said I can have it for the same price I was gonna pay for the other one, no competition."

"That's great! What apartment?"

"Just a little one they like to call the PENTHOUSE!"

"You're going to be living in a penthouse?"

"Yeah baby!"

"That's so amazing! We need to go see this place, like, right now."

"Good plan. And get some breakfast on the way, I'm starving."

"You're always starving."

"I have a healthy appetite."

"Greg, you live on junk food."

"I didn't say it was healthy food I had an appetite for."

"You're pathetic. Come on."

So they went out. Greg loved his apartment, and immanently began planning the parties he would have there. It was decorated already, and he could have all the furnishings for an extra two thousand dollars. Greg decided it was worth it, so he paid. Next they went to Brookes apartment. It was an apartment on the top floor of a three story building. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a sitting room. It was a blank canvas, no paint on the walls, no furniture except cupboards and a table in the kitchen, and a double bed in one of the rooms.

"Shopping trip?" Greg asked her.

They spent the rest of the afternoon painting her apartment and getting it ready. Greg made sure that Brooke ended up wearing most of the paint, on her clothes, on her arms and legs, and in her hair. Brooke also managed to get several colorful hand prints on Greg. They played music while they painted, and Brooke told Greg how she pictured the place looking when they were done.

They headed back to the hotel afterwards, stopping to pick up a takeaway pizza which they ate on Greg's bed while watching some romantic comedy that Brooke had picked out. Brooke cried a little, but Greg only laughed and threw popcorn at the television.

"The problem with these films" he said afterwards "is that they're all the same."

"But Lilly was so unpopular and she wore those glasses and Brad was going out with Kelley who was the head cheerleader..."

"It was way too predictable! Couldn't you tell right from the beginning what was going to happen?"

"No?"

"Liar!"

"It's the same as all the romantic comedies ever made."

"How many have you watched?"

"Way too many."

"Why do you watch them?"

"Normally with my girlfriends."

"Just how many girlfriends have you had?"

"Oh no, I don't want to start this conversation."

"Come onnnn"

"No way."

"Greggie..."

"Not gonna happen."

"Please?"

"Okay well I had my first girlfriend when I was in nursery. Anna. I spent three days looking at all the girls to find the best one. That relationship lasted a whole year. When I started school I went out with Olina, we used to share our juice boxes and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Then it was Aaliyah. I couldn't pronounce that though, I was seven, so I just called her Ally. When we broke up I really liked Hannah, but she was going out with Jakob, so I went out with Kamilla to make her jealous. It worked, so I wet out with Hannah for a while after. Then I moved to middle school and my first girlfriend was Gunnhild."

"Unfortunate name."

"It's Norway. Anyway, she used to get mad because I always beat her at softball so I went out with Camilla instead. She was pretty cute, I liked her. But then her family moved to Australia. I actually pined over her for nearly four months. But then this girl Emilee asked me to go with her to this Sadie Hopkins dance thing.."

"Hawkins."

"Whatever, Miss know it all. Anyway, I did and we went out for a while after that. And then Kirsten and Kristina, I always forget what order they were in. And then Miranda for three weeks over the summer she was an exchange student. I went out with Elisa then for almost the whole last year of middle school."

"Twelve girlfriends so far. You're fourteen?"

"Yep. Then in high school, I discovered an amazing thing."

"What?"

"Cheerleaders."

"You went out with a cheerleader?"

"I went out with the whole squad."

"How did you manage that?"

"I'm not sure, they're all like BFFs so they like to do what the others do. I went out with three then the other nine all had to go out with me too. I wasn't complaining though. And then I had a few girlfriends over the summers too. Emma, Marianne, Sofie, Maya, Linneah, and Elin. So that's what, thirty?"

"And you're how old?"

"Nineteen."

"Woah."

"Just say it."

"Say what?"

"I don't know... but people generally don't like me, because of the girlfriend thing."

"People?"

"Guys mainly. And adults."

"Did you have any guy friends?"

"Not really."

"Me neither. I had two best friends, Marissa and Leona. But then, I don't know, a few years ago they kind of changed. When we started going out to parties and stuff they kinda got a bit too into it. They started smoking, and spending each night with a different guy. And then we kind of drifted. I made other frinds like, but it was never the same. So yeah, I started saving to move out here. And when I graduated high school, I worked for the whole summer. And here I am."

"Did you have many boyfriends?"

"Not really."

"Why not? You're pretty amazing."

"Shut up Greg."

"Hey!"

"Ow!"

"You started it."

"We're out of popcorn."

"I'll go across the road to get more?"

"That place shuts at midnight. And its... eleven fifty five now."

"Then I guess I'll run."

I'll go get another movie from my room."

"Good plan. A better one this time?"

"Do you have a key I could use?"

"Then how do I get back in?"

"You should have two room keys Greg."

"Oh yeah."

"Where is your second one?"

"I think it's in the jeans I was wearing yesterday."

"Where are they?"

"Erm..."

"Greg... You did clean your room like I told you to didn't you?"

"They're under the bed."

"Greg Sanders!"

She looked under the bed, there was a lot of clothes under there. She pulled out his jeans and checked the pockets.

"Nothing."

"Where could I have dropped it?"

"A key wouldn't just fall out."

"Unless I was bending down."

"The crime scene."

"We were bending behind those bins. Damnit."

"You should probably go get that."

"I'll go in the morning, it's late."

"And you now have less than two minutes to get more popcorn."

"I better go then."

"In your pajama shorts?"

"This is New York. They've seen it all before."

"Good luck."

"Watch me out the window."

So she did. He ran in just as the shopkeeper was about to leave, bought the popcorn and waved triumphantly at Brooke, and ran back into the hotel. Luckily there was no queue for the one microwave at this time of night, so he was up soon.

"So what are we watching?"

So they watched another film, and eventually fell asleep on Greg's bed. They planned to go back and get Greg's key the next morning. They had no idea what they were about to be sucked into.

Let me know if you want more!