Do I Know You?

Chapter One part two

*last flight lands*

  I yawned as I stepped off the plane that just brung us to England. I sighed and brushed my bangs back. I followed my parents to the rental car they had reserved for two months just until they could find jobs and make a down payment for a car. I climbed into the backseat and placed my bag, skateboard, and helmet in the floorboard. My father drove to the house that we would be staying at in York. I gasped when I saw the house we would be staying in. It was beautiful.
    "You get the entire second floor to yourself."
My mother said.
  I got out and grabbed my stuff. My father handed me a key.
    "This is your house key, don't lose it. Oh and get changed, we are going to the neighbor's house for dinner."
He said.
  I sighed and walked upstairs. I went to my suitcases and dug around until I found my ripped skinny jeans and a light pink shirt that said, 'Follow Your Heart.' I then went to the container with my shoes and pulled out a pair of black converse. I then went into the bathroom and got out my makeup. I put on foundation, a brown smokey eye, black eyeliner on top and bottom, mascara, and to top it all off, pink lip gloss. I then grabbed my curling iron and plugged it up and let it heat up as I brushed out my naturally straight hair. Once the curling iron was heated, I curled my hair and then ran my fingers through it so that it became waves instead and then added a touch of hair spray. I then walked downstairs. My parents sat at the counter, I assume waiting on me.
    "Finished."
I said.
  They stood up and we walked outside. I followed my parents up to the house next door. My father knocked on the door. Soon there was a blonde headed lady opening the door. She smiled when she saw us.
    "Hello! You must be the McCardys!"
She said.
    "Yes. Is this the Bruce residents?"
My father asked.
    "Yes! Come on in!"
She said.
  We walked inside. Once I was inside, I looked around fascinated. It was decorated beautifully.
    "My son, Ben, should be home in a few minutes. He had band practice. I think some kids from around here actually. They were auditioning for a new lead Singer."
She said.
  Just as she said that, the door opened. I turned and there came in a guy around my age with longer hair that was pin straight a snap back on his head. He was grinning.
    "So how did it go?"
The lady asked.
    "Its official. We got an amazing lead Singer, who is hilarious. Of and we got a gig this Friday."
He said, excitedly.
  She laughed and shook her head.
    "For everyone's sake I hope this band goes somewhere."
She said.
  I gigggled. Thats when the Ben guy seemed to notice me. He looked at me with wide eyes. I blushed and looked away.
    "Oh Ben, this is the new neighbors, the McCardys. They came over for dinner. So I would suggest maybe showering and changing. No offense hun, but you kind of smell."
She said.
  He laughed and nodded.
    "I'll be down in a few. Its nice meeting you."
He said.
  He then jogged upstairs.
    "Well, your son seems nice."
My father said.
  His mother chuckled.
    "He's a considerably good kid."
She said.
  My father nodded.
    "Yeah. I think all teenager go through a phase."
He said.
    "Yeah, he just graduated out of school and he wants to persue music, so me and his younger sister are going to support him as much as we can."
    "Jacey has one more year."
My mother said.
    "Maybe they will still be friends. I think Ben needs some more friends outside of his band. That and I think he needs another girl in his life, someone to keep him in check I mean."
She said.
    "I don't know. It depends on how he acts a dinner."
My father said.
  I rolled my eyes. He is always so controlling. Then Ben came back downstairs, flipping his now curly hair out of his eyes. He was ripped skinny jeans, a white v-neck, and a blue and white plaid shirt that he had rolled up to his elbows, and black vans. Ben's mother then ran to the kitchen as the timer went off. A few seconds later the smell of lasagna filled the house. She then came back into the living room.
    "Ben, come help me set the table."
She said.
  My mother nudged me.
    "Go help Jacey."
She said.
  I sighed and followed behind Ben.
    "Oh, you didn't have to help."
Ben's mother said.
    "My mother told me to come help."
I said.
  She didn't say anything. She just handed me the silverware while she got the cups, and Ben got the plates. We walked into the dining room and I placed the silverware on the mats as Ben placed the plates down.
    "Hey Mom, where's Bex?"
Ben asked.
    "She went to one of her friend's houses."
She said.
    "Oh okay."
He said, fiddling with his lip rings.
  A few minutes later, his mother brought in the lasagna. I then walked back to where my parents were standing.
    "Finished."
I said.
  We then all walked into the kitchen. My parents sat on the side where there were two chairs, Ben's mom on the Ben not pushed against the wall, leaving me and Ben to sit on the other side in front of my parents.
    "So Jacey is it?"
Ben asked.
    "Yeah."
I said.
    "You graduated yet?"
He asked, curiously.
    "This coming up year will be my last year."
I said.
    "Ooo, that's sucks."
He said.
    "Yeah, but once I graduated I was going to go back to America, but I have nothing there. All of my friends abandoned me when they found out that I was moving here. My boyfriend even broke up with me, he was really harsh about it. Yelling, and getting in my face. He acted like I chose to leave him and the gang."
I said, looking down at my plate.
    "That sucks. Do you think he'll ever forgive you?"
He asked.
  I shrugged.
    "I don't know. He was pretty upset."
I said.
  My parents looked a little guility. Of course, now they felt guilty about moving me all the way here.
    "You know, me and my band are practicing at the lead singers house if you want to come. I don't know if we would be what you listen to, but it would keep you from having to stay at home while your parents are looking for jobs and stuff."
He said.
  I giggled.
    "I'll think about it."
I said with a smile.
    "So you do any singing?"
Ben asked.
    "Not really. I'm more of the skateboarder girl type."
I said.
    "Oh so skateboards are more your thing."
He said.
    "Yeah, pretty much. Me and the gang used to hold competitions on who could do the most of a trick. I would always win and they would carry me out to get pizza and we would celebrate from there by playing video games, eating cookies, and drinking energy drinks."
I said.
  He chuckled.
    "So Ben, what are your future plans?"
My father asked.
    "Ummm... I'm hoping that me and my band can move to America and become bigger, and get a record deal and a tour."
Ben said, flicking his hair out of his face.
    "Any thoughts about going back to school?"
My father questioned.
    "Not really, just because I don't like when I'm given a certain time I have to be awake and asleep and all of that. Not only that, but I don't really see myself doing anything else besides music. Every since my first band I knew that music in a sense was my calling."
Ben said.
  My father didn't say anything, he just looked down and continued to eat his food. I sighed and pushed my plate away.
    "I'm finished."
I said, quietly looking down at the table.
    "Are you sure sweetie, you hardly have eaten anything since Monday."
My mother said.
    "I'm fine mom."
I said.
  Just then my phone buzzed from my back pocket. I pulled it out, it was a text message from Charlie, one of my other friends in the group, I knew the number. I opened it and my heart dropped. It was a picture of Tyler and my best friend, Riley, kissing. I knew that things between me and Tyler were over, but it still hurt. I sighed and put my phone away.
    "Can I be excused?"
I asked.
  My father looked at my face for a minute and then nodded.
    "Yeah, take your time."
He said.
  I got up and walked out of the door. At this point, I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. I walked over to my house and sat in the front porch steps. A few minutes later, the door to the Bruce's house closed. I heard footsteps on the cement. A few seconds later, Ben was standing in front of me.
    "Your mom sent me to check on you. You okay?"
He asked, his expression concerned.
    "Not really no, because of this move I lost my boyfriend of two years, and one of my old friends sent a picture of him and my best friend kissing."
I said.
  He sat down beside me.
    "That sucks. I had a girl do that to me, actually it was the previous girlfriend I had. She went behind my back with one of my best mates and now they are having a kid together."
He said.
  I sighed.
    "Its just he blamed it all on me, like all of this was my fault. I tried to get my parents to leave me in Texas, but they wouldn't hear it. They told me I had to come whether I liked it or not. Because of that, I lost what I called family. We always had this thing where we would say family first, and stuff. Now, I guess none of that matters."
I said, picking at the blue nail polish on my fingernails.
    "Well, tell you what you come with me tomorrow to band practice and we'll be your new family. You seem like a really cool person and I think my friends and their girlfriends will really like your. Plus, I think you might like our style of music or you give it a try."
He said.
  I smiled.
    "You don't have to hang out with me if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel like you have to."
I said.
  He gave me a smile.
    "I don't feel like I gave to, I want to. I think you would have fun. Besides, it's not like we are going to kidnap you or anything."
He said.
  I giggled.
    "Well, I would hope not."
I said.
  He chuckled.
    "So you in?"
He asked.
    "Sure, why not? Gives me something to do tomorrow and besides you seem like a pretty cool person."
I said.
    "So do you miss Texas?"
He asked.
    "Yeah, just because everything here is so much different. I mean you drive on opposite sides of the road and car. I've yet to go out and find a skateboard park."
I said.
    "Oh you don't have to go to a park around here. You can skateboard on the sidewalks, they won't really say anything to you."
Ben said, shrugging.
    "Oh. So curious question, where exactly is this whole band meeting thing?"
I asked.
    "Its here in York. Its actually s couple of streets over. Its going to be at the lead singer's house."
He said.
    "Okay so what time do I need to be ready tomorrow?"
I asked.
    "By one. It starts at two, but I'm heading over an hour early to help set everything up."
Ben said.
    "Okay. Thank you for inviting me"
I said.
    "Its not problem, love."
He said.
    "Love?"
I asked, confused.
    "Its a British thing that is sometimes used from time to time. You will get used to it."
He said, chuckling.
    "Oh okay."
I said.
    "Yeah, Danny uses it a lot. So I think you will get used to it pretty soon."
He said.
  Just then my parents walked up our driveway. They gave me a sympathic smilem I didn't smile back. They walked around me and Ben and went inside.
    "I take it you aren't happy with your parents right now."
He said.
    "Not really. They didn't even ask me if I wanted to move. I mean my parents live right down the street from our old house and they wouldn't let me stay with them. I had to move with them. I'm about to be eighteen in a month and they won't let me do anything that I want to do."
I said.
    "It gets better."
Ben said, rubbing my shoulder.
    "Like I think it was last year, I wanted to get my nose pierced and they yelled at me for three hours straight. Then I was talking about tattoos with a couple of my friends and they yelled at all of us for I think four hours. The thing is that I was talking about tattoos that would be covering up something. Its not like they would be meaningless."
I said.
    "What were you guys talking about covering up?"
Ben asked.
  I held out my hand. He looked at me confused, but he let me take his hand. I ran it down my scarred arm. He looked at me with wide eyes.
    "Why?"
He asked.
    "It was right after my older brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was going to Dallas to get me something for my birthday and he was on the interstate. The motor stalled and he went skidding. He went into the fast lane and the person he slid in front of couldn't stop in time. He was hit. He stayed in s coma for around a year, and my parents quit praying that he would wake up. They pulled the plug. They didn't tell me until the day of the funeral. They told me to put on my black dress and get in the car."
I said, looking down.
    "Your parents blame you don't they?"
He asked.
  I sniffled and nodded slightly.
    "Yeah, they usually make me leave the house on the anniversary of his death. They usually light candles and pray and stuff and I have to stay out the whole day by myself."
I said.
    "Well, you shouldn't blame yourself. They should be happy that they still have one child, if they can't see that things could be worse then they need some sense knocked into them."
He said.
  I shrugged.
    "They didn't even care when I almost died. They just sent me off to some rehab and waited for them to send me back. I was fourteen and irrational."
I said.
    "Well, things are going to be better. You have me now, if they want to act like that then me and the guys will be your family."
Ben said.
  Then Ben's mother came and called him.
    "Well, I got to head inside."
He said.
  He then grabbed a pen from his pocket and wrote eight digits on my arm.
    "Call me if you need someone to talk to."
He said, getting up and walking back to his house.
  As soon as he went inside, I grinned. I really like his guy, and I think I could easily get along with him and probably his friends. My parents were watching tv when I walked inside. They didn't say anything as I walked pass them. I rolled my eyes and started upstairs.
    "Jacey."
My father said.
  I sighed and turned around.
    "I don't know if I want you hanging around that Ben kid. I mean you already hung around a bad crowd in Texas, and that's why we moved. We wanted you to find some friends that are actually going somewhere with their life."
He said.
    "You know what?! I don't care what you guys think anymore! Ever since Tony died you have treated me like everything is my fault! Its not my fault that his motor stalled or that, that car hit him! I wasn't there! I was at school, and then you didn't even have the nerve to tell me, his younger sister, that he was gone! You tell me the day of his funeral! So don't even go there, don't act like you care!"
I screamed.
  With that I ran upstairs. I slammed my door and slid down it, crying. I jumped when a paper airplane landed on the floor beside my foot. I picked it up. There was writing on the wing.
    'Open.'
  I unfolded it.
    'I heard the screaming, is everything okay?'
  I looked out the window and Ben was standing at his window waiting for my replay. He saw my tear drenched face. I saw him bend down and pull his shoes on. Another airplane flew through my window.
    'Meet me outside, we are going to the park.'
  I nodded and walked into my bathroom. I cleaned my makeup streaked face off and walked downstairs. My parents looked up as I walked down.
    "Where do you think you're going?"
My father asked, angerly.
    "I'm going to explore."
I snapped.
  He stood up.
    "You will treat me with respect, and that's what I expect when you talk to me. You understand?!"
He yelled, shaking my shoulders.
    "Josh, calm down."
My mother said, standing up.
    "No, you sit down. I'm taking care of this."
He snapped.
  My mother sat back down. I didn't say anything. I just pulled out of his grip.
    "I'll respect you when you respect me."
I said, walking out the door and slamming it behind me.
  Ben was standing at the end of my driveway. I signed and walked to end the of the driveway, hugging myself around the waist.
    "Everything okay? I heard your dad yelling."
He said.
    "Everything is okay, that was the tv."
I said, hoping that he didn't question more.
  He sighed and we walked in a comfortable silence. We sat on top of the slide.
    "So tell me, why were you crying earlier?"
He asked.
    "Me and my dad got into an argument. Nothing unusual."
I said.
    "I heard you guys yelling all the way in my house. Are you sure everything is okay?"
He asked, concerned.
    "Yeah, I'm fine. Everything is fine."
I said.
  Ben studied my face for a minute.
    "You should go natural more. You are beautiful."
He said.
  I blushed and looked down. He chuckled.
    "Trust me, Danny is going to be worse tomorrow."
He said.