| Chapter 1 I got out of the car when we got to our new house. It was a lot bigger than our old one. I guess Dad got a promotion along with his transfer so we had a little more cash to spend. Mom was hugging this lady on our driveway. After their hug they immediately started talking nonstop. All I got out of my mother was, �Ryan and your father are in the house fixing up a snack. Why don�t you go in there and help them?� I slowly walked into my new house and passed by my dad and brother who were loading stuff in. My bedroom was already furnished and I just plopped onto my bed. I must have fallen asleep because after I opened my eyes from a long blink, the sky was dark and the only think shining was the moon. I suddenly heard loud music coming in through my balcony. The night was cold but Florida seemed to have a special warmness to it that old California didn�t. Right across from my room was my neighbor�s house. It belonged to the lady that my Mom was hugging earlier. The room that was on that side of the house didn�t have a balcony like mine, but the window was huge and there was no screen so if you were extra careful you could sit on the sill. The houses seemed so much farther apart that morning, but from up here, it was a lot closer like the ones in Long Beach. There weren�t an clouds in the sky and I could see everything so clearly, including who was in that room. A sort of tall boy entirely covered in light blue (which I soon learned was �baby blue�) was continuously shooting a small toy basketball into a small toy hoop and making it every time. Loud music, Fresh Prince�s (who we later learned was Will Smith) �Parents Just Don�t Understand�, was blasting through speakers in his room. �Hi!� I yelled He stopped and stared at me. �Hey. So you�re my new neighbor, huh? I thought people from California were different.� From right then, that sort of tall boy covered in baby blue always seemed like he was a little full of himself. I learned as we got older, he was more than just a little full of himself. But I swallowed my attitude and figured that people from Florida were just like that. I nodded. �Well I�ve lived in California for the past ten years and most everyone is like me.� I paused. I also learned at that point of my childhood not to judge people by their supposed stereotypes. �I�m Stacey Blake.� He shot once more, a swish of course, turned down the music, and said, �Well, I�m Timberlake. Justin Timberlake.� I�ve seen every James Bond movie with Justin at least five times. �Well, it�s nice to meet you Timberlake, Justin Timberlake.� �You too, Stacey Blake.� A tall lady stuck her head through Justin�s door. It was the lady that mom hugged earlier. I couldn�t hear her but she spoke very clearly and I could read her lips. �Justin,� she said, �You have to load the dishwasher.� He looked over at me. �I gotta go,� he shouted, �Dishes.� �Ok. Bye Justin.� �Bye Stacey.� His mom smiled and waved goodbye and I went back into my room. We've been friends ever since. Well until lately. Justin's just been a big, I don't know, dork. Idiot. Jerk. Asshole. I've learned many things from Justin and one was not to cuss. Shows how many people I listen to. So, nine years later, just as Timberlake is about to leave without saying goodbye to his best friend who is totally pissed at him, I'm off to babysit for my neighbor's daughter. �Well, Mary. I got to go,� I said, �I�m off to babysit the Christens. I knew Mary was rolling her eyes in pity, �Lucky you.� �Yeah, I know,� I laughed. �Well gotta head out. See ya.� �Later.� I clicked the phone off and set it on the counter. �Bye mom. Going to babysit now.� �Okay sweetie, say hi to Claudia for me before she leaves.� �Mm-hmm,� I answered. �Bye.� "Well, Mary. I got to go," I said, "I�m off to babysit the Christens. I knew Mary was rolling her eyes in pity, "Lucky you." "Yeah, I know," I laughed. "Well gotta head out. See ya." "Later." I clicked the phone off and set it on the counter. "Bye mom. Going to babysit now." "Okay sweetie, say hi to Claudia for me before she leaves." "Mm-hmm," I answered. "Bye." |