I was so glad to hear that you guys liked the first chapter so I wrote this one up as fast as I could. Hope you like it as much as the first chapter, if not more!

Forgive any mistakes! They are unintentional.

Disclaimer: Ally Carter owns all.

Chapter TWO

"So how are the new neighbors?"

It was dinner time and my mom and I were seated across from each other at the wooden kitchen table with a big bowl of salad between us - it was the only home-cooked meal she could make without fear of burning the house down.

I was tempted to tell her they were a bunch of assholes but my mother was strongly against swearing and discussions of butts.

"Kind of rude actually." I said. I stabbed some lettuce and a cherry tomato with my fork. "They took it out on the cookies mostly though."

"What?"

"Nothing."

She shrugged. "They're probably still getting settled in. Maybe I sent you over too soon."

I nodded and kept my eyes on my plate. I could really use a cookie of my own right now...

"How was Josh today?"

I suppressed a cringe. I had been hoping my mom would pick up on my mood and not mention my boyfriend right now. But Rachel Morgan had never been one to let emotions get in the way of tackling the tough questions.

"He's good...excited." I frowned. "Really excited."

"Are you still taking him to the airport tomorrow?"

I nodded. I couldn't bring myself to say the actual words.

"I think this time apart will be a good thing for you two. You spend so much time together, it's like you're connected at the hip." She got up from the table, finished with her food. "I know it probably feels like torture or punishment right now, but you should try to enjoy this summer. Hang out with your friends some more, get to know new people."

I heard her place her dishes in the sink behind me and then she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "Think of it as time to find out who you are without Josh."

I bit my lip. Would Josh be doing the same thing in the Caribbean? Would he find that he liked himself more without me around?

I shook those thoughts out of my head. Josh loved me and I had to stop sounding so insecure. I had to trust him like he trusted me. Our love was strong enough to make it through this summer.

I leaned into my mom's hug. "I know you're right, Mom."

I could hear the smile in her voice when she said, "I'm always right."

She kept her arms around me for another moment, probably to reassure me that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and while I appreciated it, I could only take so much from my mom. If I didn't cut her off, she might spend the whole night hugging me like that.

"Okay, Mom," I said standing up, "thanks for dinner and the talk."

"Anytime, sweetheart."

After cleaning the few dishes she and I had made, I went to my room. It was on the second floor of the house with a pair of corner windows. One looked out onto our backyard, and the other looked out at the side yard and the neighbor's house. I sat down on the chair that I had positioned in that corner and spent a minute looking out at the swing-set in the backyard. I remembered entire summer days spent playing on that thing with my friends, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember the last time I had gone on it. With time, it had been forgotten as we got new toys and new games and more school work.

The sun was setting and suddenly, in that dying light I felt the need to swing. So I hurried back down the stairs, slipped on my flip flops and went out the back door. The swing-set was situated towards the back of the yard, right at the edge of where the grass ended and the trees began. When I was little, I always had to swing facing the woods because I was scared something would sneak up and grab me from them. Now that I was older - and bolder - I sat with my back to it.

I had forgotten how peaceful swinging was. The wind rushed through my hair just like when I ran, and I watched as the sky got darker and darker - orange, then purple, then into the deep navy blue of night.

I didn't know how long I had been out there swinging when there was a noise behind me.

"Well, hello."

I couldn't help it. I screamed and flailed on my swing, falling off of it onto the ground. Thankfully, it had rained the night before so the ground wasn't completely hard. Unfortunately, I got mud on my favorite T-shirt.

I heard someone laugh and I stood up like a flash, whipping around to see who the culprit was.

It was the new neighbor boy, Zach. Of course. Who else would laugh at my humiliation?

"Asshole." I muttered.

"Klutz."

I gaped at him. "Correction: you tripped me earlier, and now you snuck up on me in my own backyard!"

He ignored me. "This is the second time in two meetings that you've fallen at the sight of me. Am I just that good looking that you get knocked off your feet?" He was smirking and it was doing nothing to calm me. I'd barely had a full conversation with the boy and already I wanted to rip his head off.

Stupid smirk and stupid cocky attitude and stupid boy ruining the first nice moment I'd gotten all day.

Let me repeat: HE WAS AN ASSHOLE.

"Hardly. What the hell are you doing in my yard?" I put my hands on my hips to let him know I meant business.

He shrugged, clearly not intimidated. "There was a trail in the woods behind my house. I followed it and it circled around to here."

He came closer. "I think it must be fate."

I was not amused, but I couldn't exactly accuse him of trespassing if he'd stumbled upon me by accident.

"Whatever. Just go home."

"Oh," he said smirking like the asshole he was, "bossy. I like that."

"Yeah, well this 'boss' is taken so you can just hightail it out of here before I get my man to beat you up." He was within arms reach of me now so I pushed on his chest, sending him back a step. "Hurry home, jackass."

"Wow, I've graduated from asshole to jackass in one day." He said walking backwards to his house. "I can't wait to hear what you call me tomorrow."

I shook my head in frustration. Was he purposely annoying or was it an innate ability of his that just occurred naturally?

My swing was still moving slightly but I couldn't swing anymore. I was too freaked out now and I swear I just saw a bat fly by out of the corner of my. Gag. I hurried indoors, making sure the back door was locked behind me and hurried back upstairs to my room. I turned the lamp sitting on my bedside table on and sat down on my chair. Through the window, I could see a light on in the neighbor's window across from mine. The curtain there trembled as someone walked by it and then it was pulled away from the window, allowing me to see right into the room.

Cardboard boxes were scattered around the room, some of them open with their contents spilling out onto the floor while others waited patiently for their time to come. I could see the door that I assumed led to the hallway and the edge of a bed with a small bedside table seated next to it. From what I could see, the bed was the only thing that was finished in the room so far.

I wondered where Zach and the rest of his family had moved from. What life had they led before coming here? Had he left friends or a girlfriend behind to miss him and eventually be lost in all the other memories of his past? Did he miss them?

A woman - the one I'd seen earlier today - came into the unfinished room. I could tell she was talking and wished I knew how to read lips. She sat down on the bed still speaking and picked up a box that was by her feet. She grabbed a couple books out of it and held them out in the air. Zach entered the picture then and grabbed them from her before disappearing out of the small view through the window frame again.

As if she could feel someone looking at her, the woman on the bed looked out the window, squinting. I hoped she couldn't see me creeping in the dim light of my lamp but to be sure I hurried to the window and dropped down my blinds.

What was going on with me? I was mopey and irritable and creepy all at the same time.

I swear this wasn't my usual self.

I hugged myself and sat down on my own bed. It was already a little after ten and I had to get up early to take Josh to the airport in Richmond. I was not looking forward to it, but I wanted to get in a little bit more time with him before he was gone.

Sighing, I went to get ready for bed.

~.~.~.~

The hour and a half ride to the airport was surprisingly quiet. Admittedly, it was six in the morning and I am not much of a morning person, but I was expecting a little more conversation. Instead, Josh fell asleep within fifteen minutes of getting into my beat-up 1998 Subaru Forester.

I had to shake him awake when I had parked at the airport. "Josh," I whispered. "Josh!"

His opened his eyes sleepily and he just looked so adorable scrunched up in his seat that I had to lean over and kiss his cheek. "We're here. Come on."

It was a short walk up to the front doors of the airport and luggage check and too short of a walk to security, the farthest point I could follow him to.

He dropped his carry-on from his shoulder and grabbed me up in a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around him and held on tight. I couldn't stop the feeling that I wouldn't get to do this again, that it wouldn't be the same when he came back.

"I wish you were coming with me," he whispered into my neck. "I love you so much."

I closed my eyes to keep myself from crying. "I love you, too."

He pulled me to arm's length and looked in my face. He noticed how upset I was and rubbed my shoulders gently. "Everything's going to be fine. You'll see."

I nodded slowly. He kissed me softly on the mouth, always the gentleman. I pulled him in closer, wanting to get as much out of the kiss as I could. I mean, hello, this one kiss had to last me three whole months!

After a minute of excellent kissing, we parted. I stood there as he grabbed up his bag and headed to the security line. He looked back to see if I were still there periodically and smiled every time he saw that I was. I didn't leave until he'd gotten through the whole line and was out of sight on the way to his terminal.

The ride home, although just as quiet as the ride there, was far more difficult to get through. Half way back to Roseville I had to pull over on the highway because the tears were starting to cloud my vision. It took me fifteen minutes to calm myself down enough to make it the rest of the way home.

Everything about Roseville was still the same. It was almost ten in the morning now and the townspeople were running errands or working or hanging out in the town square now that school was out. I passed the school sports field and saw some of my classmates playing frisbee. Another day I might have stopped my car and joined them, but today I just wanted to go home, grab the Ben & Jerry's out of the fridge and bemoan my miserable existence in bed.

When I pulled into the driveway, however, I realized that the universe had other plans.

My mother was by the mailbox, talking to a tall, handsome man in a fine, gray suit. It was Mayor McHenry. I got out of my car hesitatingly, knowing full well what must be waiting for me inside. My mother and the mayor waved to me and I gave them a halfhearted smile back as I headed to the front door. Just as I gripped the handle, the door flew open.

"We were starting to worry." Macey said.

She looked perfect in her jean shorts and floral top and her hair up in a high, high bun. It reminded me how much I probably looked like shit right now. I covered my face in my hands to hide my puffy eyes, but my friend pulled them down.

"Come on," she said pulling me into the house and closing the door, "the others are waiting."

She took me upstairs to my room where Bex and Liz were sprawled across my bed. They had my laptop on and were giggling about something they were reading on the screen. When they saw me, they both grabbed grocery bags from the floor and sat up.

"We have salt and vinegar chips - which are disgusting but whatever - and Hershey's and cookies and chocolate frosting." Bex said, rifling through her bag.

Liz did the same. "Chex mix, more chocolate, more chocolate, and more chocolate. And of course, ice cream but that's in the freezer."

I sniffed my nose. "You guys are the best."

They all smiled at me, and it wasn't with any pity or sadness for me. It was the smile of friendship and support. Macey rubbed her hand on my back. "We try." She said.

I laughed and sat down on the bed. For the rest of the day we all hung out on my bed, eating fattening foods and reading random things on the internet. And for a little while, I was able to forget about Josh sitting on a plane flying over the ocean. Flying away from me.

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