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"CHASE! DEAR, PLEASE come down here!" The boy's mother called from the bottom of the grand staircase of their new home, the house being much bigger than the last. A heavy sigh fell passed his lips, he laid in his bed staring at the ceiling, painted like the ceiling of The Florence Cathedral. Chase liked art, especially from the Renaissance period. He sat up grabbing his phone, he got out of bed and made his way downstairs. Boxes from the move still littered the hallways of the home, stacked on top of each other, accumulating dust.
Chase walked by his little brother, casually slapping him in the back of the head. "Sup, dipshit."
Caleb winced. "What the hell, man?" The younger boy yelled, throwing a punch to Chase's shoulder.
"Language, boys." Christine scolded, smoothing out the dress she had on. "We're going to go greet the neighbors, you're coming with us." Chase shook his head in disapproval.
"Is dad going?" He asked rhetorically, knowing the answer to the question before spitting it out. Of course his father wouldn't go, he was too busy in his office, drinking the days away.
Christine put a hand on her oldest son's shoulder. "This is non-negotiable."
Chase shook his head again. "I don't wanna go."
"I don't care."
"Shouldn't they come to us first?" The sixteen year old asked. "Isn't that how this works?"
Christine crossed her arms over her chest. "Not today, Chase. Please, just this once, put a smile on your face, meet some new people." The woman knew her son wasn't the same boy he was last year, his sixteenth birthday turning him into someone she barely recognized anymore. "This could be good for you." She tilted her head with pleading eyes.
Chase loved his mother, he really did, he knew that Christine wanted nothing more than for him to 'get back out there.' His therapist had called it. So Chase swallowed his pride, and shoved his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans. "Okay, I'll go."
Everything will be fine. He thought to himself. Five minutes. His mother's words repeat in his head. "Put a smile on your face . . . This could be good for you." Chase wanted nothing more than to go back to his room, stare at the art on his ceiling, do nothing. Be nothing. Nothing, that's what he had been feeling for the slow, insufferable months that followed his birthday. "Be good." His mother told him in a calm quiet voice.
"Always." He spoke through a tight, fake smile.
Christine grabbed the boy's face and kissed his forehead. "Come on. Caleb, let's go sweetheart." Chase looked at his shoes on the walk over, barely listening to his mother's words of encouragement. He lifted his head while they made their way up to the front door, Christine knocked, Chase shifted on his feet. He wanted to run away and live under his blankets, he wanted to go back to Pennsylvania and visit Alanna again. Oh God, how he missed her. Her smile, her voice, the way their hands fit together as if they had been made for each other. He looked at his mom, wanting to make a run for home but then the door opened. "Hi." Christine greeted in a cheerful tone, smiling almost too brightly. "We moved in next door a couple weeks ago."
"Yes, of course." The woman who answered the door politely extended her hand. "Anna Carrera, it's nice to meet you all. Please, come inside." The woman, Anna, moved to side opening the door wider.
Christine hesitated. "Oh no, we don't want to intrude." Anna simply shook her head.
"I insist." She said, gesturing inside with her arm.
"Is it one of the boys?" A voice asked from inside, then a girl showed up in the doorway. "Oh."
Chase looked up at the girl, she was pretty, his age, long dark hair, big brown eyes. Christine smiled toward the girl and offered her hand. "I'm Christine Brooks, these are my sons, Chase and Caleb." The girl shook her hand.
"Hi, I'm Kiara." She smiled at Chase, a kind genuine smile, not the sad ones he received from Doctor Smith and his mother.
"Kiara was just leaving to hangout with her friends, maybe you'd like to join them, Chase?" Anna smiled. Chase felt his heart rate begin to pick up.
He wanted to decline but his mother had already jumped the gun. "He would love to."
His mouth fell open in shock as he stared at him mother with an expression if betrayal. "Oh, there they are." Kiara pointed to a brown Volkswagen bus that pulled up in front of the home. "Come on." She grabbed Chase's wrist, dragging him along. The door slid open.
"Who's this?" A blonde boy questioned looking Chase up and down while he and Kiara got into the vehicle.
The girl patted the spot next to her in the back of the van for Chase to sit. "This is Chase everyone, he's my neighbor, he just moved in so why not let him join and make some friends?" She pointed to the blonde. "That's JJ, the dude driving is John B and the one in shotgun is Pope."
Chase nodded. "Uh, cool. Nice to meet you guys." Then they were on their way.
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A/N
okay i kind of hate this chapter :( but i'm glad most of you are happy for this story. chase is my sad lil baby and he needs to be loved and protected at all costs!
