5

The book is going to be continued in Tiffany's POV unless written otherwise on the chapter!!!

Chapter Five

What's New With You?

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With a light rap on the doorframe, my dad leaned against it. His arms crossed over his chest, he smiled his ever-warm smile. "How are you doing, sweetheart?" 

Faintly sighing, I shut my laptop screen and pushed it aside. "I'm alright, pops." 

He frowned, very obviously not buying my words. He came further into my room and helped himself to take a seat on the end of the best. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing," I shrugged, shaking my head. "Things are just... a lot different here." I paused, staring at the wall ahead as I thought. "I guess I'm just not used to it." 

"Maybe different is good," he offered, smiling almost sheepishly. "Different doesn't have to mean it's a bad thing and I'm sure you'll get used to Long Grove in no time." 

I rolled my eyes playfully, smiling nevertheless. "Thanks, dad." 

He nudged my arm softly in a gesture of reassurance. "Do you miss Saratoga?" 

My mind unwittingly strayed ways away—memories, flashbacks, all coming in like a tide. I grimaced as I thought back to many things I would have preferred to keep locked away. While Saratoga may have been home once, it had been a long time since I could find any sort of—comfort in the place. Any happy memory was obscured by haunting shadows; some things defied others, and in this case, Saratoga would never be home again. 

"I don't know," I said truthfully, finally looking at my dad. "I don't feel like I miss it. There's too much—that would have held me back—or just—I don't know." I shook my head. "I just don't like feeling like I ran away from it—from all of it, Saratoga." 

My dad frowned faintly, shaking his head. "Oh, hun. You didn't run away." 

"Didn't I, though?" I laughed flatly. 

He offered a warm smile. "You had no reason to stay, Tiffany. It's okay to move along, start a new chapter of your life when one has completed. That's not running away. It's—" he paused, shrugging softly. "Continuing." 

I smiled a tight-lipped smile, grateful to him—yet not having the heart to feel better about myself right now. "Thank you, dad. Really." 

My dad wrapped his arms around me, hugging me—a feeling I had often yearned, concurrently a feeling I wasn't used to. I relaxed in his hold, my chest growing tight and heavy. 

"Ah, family dearest," Ezra smirked, leaning against the doorframe as he appeared. "Miss me? While I don't mean to interrupt this very obvious father-daughter bonding moment—I'm wondering if I should take offence to not having been invited—" 

"Always a pleasure, Ezra," my dad said, grinning, as he stood. He patted Ezra on the arm as he head out of my room. 

I shuffled backwards on my bed to lean against the headboard. "What are you doing here?" 

"Everyone is going out," he told me, walking into my room. "I have come in place of Charlie to convince you to come along." He flopped down on my bed, sitting on the other end and picking loose threads from the blanket. "I knew Charlie would claim defeat—so the best bet was me... seeing as I am obviously the most persuasive." 

My eyes narrowed, disbeleivignly. I could have scoffed. "Go on then. Persuade me." 

Ezra sighed as he looked at me, offering his best puppy-dog eyes. "Come on. You know you can't say no to me." 

"Fantastic persuading." 

"Come on," he whined, growing impatient. "Just grabbin' some food, maybe hit the arcade or—I don't know—go bowling. Stupid shit. It'll be... fun." 

I looked at Ezra and couldn't contain my laughs. "Seriously?" My eyebrows shot up, unsure if he was being serious or not. "Why would I want to participate in a fucking—ninth birthday party?" 

Ezra gave me a flat look. "I don't have much say in these plans either, alright? I get dragged along the same as you do." He shrugged. "And look, I know it's unlike what we were used to in Saratoga—" 

"Don't talk about Saratoga." I glanced away from him, scrambling to grab my phone to find something else to occupy myself with. 

"Tiff—" 

"Would you look at that!" I exclaimed, standing eagerly. "You have in fact convinced me! Let's go fucking bowl, Razzi." 

Ezra stood and took hold of my arm as I had begun grabbing my things to head out. "Tiffany, it's okay to talk about it for once, you know—" 

"I don't want to fucking talk about it!" I muttered sharply, pulling my arm from his hold. I shook my head at him. "Let it go, would you?" 

"Look," Ezra spoke just as sharply, displaying his seriousness on the topic. "You have not said a single word since you found out you'd move here. You're acting as though you're moving on but you can't do that without talking about the matter and getting past—" 

"What the fuck do you want me to say, Ezra?" I snapped, staring at him bewilderly. "There is nothing I want to talk about it—not to mention, talking isn't going to change any matter, will it? God!" I shook my head as I moved past him. "It would be great if for once, you, dad, and Charlie could all stop walking around me like there's shattered glass surrounding." 

"Well, maybe we do that because—" 

"Ezra, please." I spun to look at him again, this time, defeated, my eyes pleading. "Let it go. Please. I'm okay. I promise." 

Ezra exhaled a long breath, pausing for a long moment. He shook his head unsurely as he turned to the door. "Fine, if that's what you want." Before he walked out the door, he turned to look at me one last time. "I'm always here if you do want to talk. You know that, right?" 

"Of course." I offered a sheepish smile. 

"I'll see you downstairs, Tiff." 

I nodded and gave him a tight lipped smile that he knew wasn't genuine. He looked at me for a moment longer before sighing and walking down the stairs. I watched him descend down the stairs and sighed out in relief when he was gone because I had started to feel like I was suffocating.

Just as I was about to head down the stairs, a voice spoke causing me to abruptly turn. I lost my balance and was about to fall when a strong pair of arms pulled me and caught me.

"Woah there sunshine, you would've dropped your cereal again." I opened my eyes to see Noah holding me, a small grin on his face.

I cleared my throat and pushed myself off him. "Thanks."

"Did the devil just say thank you or do I need to get my ears checked out?" amusement twinkled in his eyes.

I glared at him, "don't get used to it. I would've fallen down the stairs and broken my neck so I owed it."

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." I mumbled, turning around and heading down the stairs. I was getting more agitated with everyone asking me that. "What were you doing upstairs anyways? Isn't everyone down?"

"I was grabbing a charger from Charlie's room." He answered. He sounded like he was holding back from saying more but I was okay with that.

I didn't know if he had heard mine and Ezra's conversation so I kept my pace faster than his in attempts to avoid him asking me questions like usually would.

"Hey Tiff," Jade came over and gave me a small hug.

"Hey. Ezra said we're going bowling or something."

Jade nodded, "Everyone was bored... and hungry. The diner we usually go to has a bowling alley right next door."

The whole group was here. I wasn't excited for this and it was definitely not something I would willing choose to do but it didn't seem like I could get out of it easily.

I carpooled with Jade, Kai, and Joy because I didn't want to be stuck with Ezra or Noah right now. Ezra was my partner in crime and knew me better than anyone else so I usually stuck with him since he knew what to say and what not to say. Thanks to our conversation earlier, I didn't want him to bring something unwanted up again so I avoided carpooling with him.

Noah... well I was just trying to avoid him. After what happened at his house and how he always showed up everywhere, my mind was starting to get clouded and that usually ended badly.

Kai and Joy were busy singing along to stupid songs on the radio, holding hands as Kai drove and occasionally glanced at his girlfriend. They were beyond happy together.

It was adorable in a nauseating way.

We all sat at the diner with a bunch of burgers and fries and milkshakes. Everyone was in their own little conversations talking about soccer and school, movies, the MTV awards and a bunch of other crap.

"So princess," Luke looked at me with that happy look on his face, like usual. He was very loud and was always in a good mood. I was jealous of it although it was annoying at times. "What's new with you?"

I sipped on my milkshake, "Nothing, Luke. What's new with you?"

"Well," He leaned back and smiled, "My sister hit me in the face with a softball. Also, I bought new Adidas Solarboosts because my Ultraboosts were getting old. I also got tickets to the White Sox game - hey, you should come with me. Are you good at math, by the way because I also failed my last test so I need a tutor and-"

"Dude," Leo smacked the side of Luke's head causing him to dramatically yell "ow" and glare at Leo. "She was asking in decency, not because she wanted to hear you rant about stupid bullshit."

I gave Leo a small smile, "Thank you, Leo."

He nodded, grinning, "No worries, princess." He mocked Luke causing me to chuckle.

"Hey! That's my thing!" He muttered as he stole a hand-full of fries from Leo but Leo only rolled his eyes before he continued talking to Charlie about something.

"You are literally a little child, Luke." Ezra said with an amused grin as he ate a fry.

Luke scoffed, "I'm embracing myself, what's your issue?"

"I don't have one, buddy." Ezra replied smugly. "I'm just saying, you're the most childish person I have ever met."

"Am not." Luke grumbled.

"Let the guy live, Razzi." I sighed, leaning my head on Luke's shoulder as he was sitting beside me and I was very bored and tired right now.

Luke looked at me with wide, glowing eyes, "Did princess just defend me? Wow, I will never forget this moment."

"Oh yeah, let your ego boost because Tiff defended you." Ezra scoffed. "Immature."

"What's got you in such a twist, Ezra?" I took my head off Luke's shoulder and narrowed my eyes at Ezra. Ezra was very honest and sometimes brutally honest, he spoke his mind and didn't care about irrelevant people, he did what he wanted and was hardcore, not tolerating anyone he didn't want to tolerate. However, right now he was acting like an actual asshole - ruder than usual.

Ezra shook his head and pushed his chair back, getting up and leaving the table.

I knew he was annoyed with me for "not facing my issues" and was taking it out on everyone else - in this case, mainly Luke.

"What happened to him?" Joy asked, frowning. Everyone at the table was now looking at Luke and I since we were sitting across from him and were the ones who were talking to him.

"I don't know." I grumbled quietly, looking at him watch away while everyone's eyes were on me.

"I'll go talk to him," Charlie stated, standing up.

I shook my head and stood up, "No, I'll go."

"Are you sure?" Charlie looked at me, somewhat concerned but more confused. I nodded and walked away, catching up to Ezra.

"Raz, hold on!" I said loud enough for him to hear as I stepped outside the diner and saw him unlock his car.

"What do you want, Tiff?" He sighed, turning and giving me a bored look.

"What is wrong with you?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "Is this about earlier or something? Luke isn't saying anything to you. You know he's a... loud ass, weird kid, okay? He's just like that all the time - perky and happy. Don't go off on him like that. Why are you being a jerk?"

Ezra started laughing, shaking his head, "Seriously, Tiffany?"

"What is your deal, Ezra?" I looked at him in disbelief, getting fed up and angry now.

"Why are you defending him and talking like you know the kid inside and out when you've been here all of- what, like two weeks? not even." Ezra scoffed and looked away from me, pulling something out of his jacket pocket. He leaned against his car, placing a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it before taking a big puff and exhaling it right in my face.

I glared at my cousin who was acting like a complete jackass. "I'm not defending him, you're just choosing to take your anger out on people who don't deserve it."

Ezra scoffed again, "At least I'm letting my feelings out, unlike you."

"What do you want me to do Ezra?" I sputtered.

Ezra looked at me for a moment. Then he held out the cigarette, offering it to me.

I looked at the cigarette for a long moment before looking at him with a flat look, "No, thank you. Are you going to tell me what's wrong you now or can I go back inside?"

Ezra took another puff from his cigarette before dropping it on the ground and stepping on it, the whole thing going to waste. "Nothing, Tiff. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"It's hitting you." I sighed as I went over and leaned against his car, standing beside him now.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything that happened - when it happened you were too busy taking care of me so it's hitting you now."

Ezra looked at me. "We should go back in before they start talking shit about the new kids in their friend group."

I laughed and punched his shoulder, pushing myself off the car and walking back in the diner with him.

"There you guys are," Charlie smiled lightly. "Are you guys good?"

Ezra shrugged nonchalantly as if nothing happened, "Dapper."

"Is everything okay?" Luke asked me quietly. I gave him a small smile and nodded.

"So, are we going?" Jade asked, getting everyone's attention.

"Going where?" I mumbled.

"We kind of decided to hit a party instead of bowling." Leo answered, smiling as he was content with the idea.

Charlie looked at me with a concerned look. I glanced away from him just to see Ezra looking at me wide his eyebrows raised in a questioning manner.

"I'm in." I looked between the rest of the group and smiled vastly.

"Great!" Joy smiled brightly. "Let's get going then!"

We were all leaving the diner when my arm was pulled back by Charlie who was standing with Ezra who had his arms crossed over his chest, "you really want to go?"

I yanked my arm away from him and glared at the both of them, "What do you think I'm going to do? Shoot myself up with heroin?" I looked over to see Noah looking at the three of us with concern but he I think he was too far to hear what I said. I rolled my eyes and walked away, catching up to Jade.