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

  What's New With You?
      &quot;How are you doing, sweetie.&quot; My dad stood in the doorframe of my room.
      I sighed and shut my laptop. &quot;I'm okay, dad.&quot;
      &quot;What's wrong?&quot; He frowned as he came over and sat on the edge of my bed. &quot;Is it-&quot;
      I shook my head and forced a small smile. &quot;Nothing, I'm just not use to being here. Things are a lot different.&quot;
      &quot;I think that's a good thing, hun.&quot; My dad chuckled lightly. &quot;You'll get use to Long Grove. Do you miss Saratoga?&quot;
      Flashbacks filled my mind and I winced, shaking my head no. &quot;I don't miss it, there's too much there that would've held me back. I just feel like I... like I ran away from Saratoga.&quot;
      My dad gave me a sad smile, &quot;you didn't run away, Tiffany. You just had no reason to stay there. Think of it like a chapter ending.&quot;
      I gave my dad a tight lipped smile. &quot;You're right. Thank you dad.&quot; My dad wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. I relaxed into his arms, not really used to hugs like this.
      &quot;Family dearest,&quot; we both looked over to see Ezra leaning against the door frame with a smirk on his face. &quot;Miss me?&quot;
      &quot;So much, son.&quot; My dad said sarcastically, grinning as he stood up.
      &quot;What are you doing here, Razzi?&quot; I raised my eyebrows as Ezra walked into my room.
      &quot;Everyone is going out. I come in place of Charlie who I knew would take the defeat and fail to convince you to come along.&quot; Ezra walked into my room and took a seat on the edge of the bed, in front of me.
      I narrowed my eyes, &quot;well you should prepare to take the defeat as well because you're doing a poor job persuading me.&quot;
      &quot;Ah, Tiffy, you know you can't say no to me.&quot; He gave me a childish smile. &quot;We're just going to go get food, hit the arcade and bowling. Stupid shit like that.&quot;
      &quot;Why would I want to come to your ninth birthday bash?&quot; I chuckled, shaking my head. &quot;This friend group continues to amaze me.&quot;
      &quot;Hey now, I am the newest member next to you so I can not argue. It's unlike what we did in Saratoga but-&quot;
      &quot;Let's not talk about Saratoga,&quot; I cut him off, looking away from him.
      &quot;Tiff-&quot;
      &quot;Would you look at that!&quot; I beamed with fake enthusiasm as I stood up. &quot;You have convinced me, Razzi. Let's go bowl.&quot; I rolled my eyes as I walked out of the room.
      &quot;Tiffany,&quot; Ezra caught up to me and grabbed my arm just as I was at the top of the staircase ready to head down. I turned to look at him, a flat look on my face. &quot;Come on. We can talk about it, you know.&quot;
      &quot;Does it look like I want to talk about it, Ezra?&quot; I narrowed my eyes, looking at my cousin in disbelief.
      &quot;I know you don't but you haven't said a word about anything since you found out you'd move to Long Grove. You always talk to me, Tiff. I'm just worried about you and maybe talking will he-&quot;
      &quot;Ezra.&quot; I cut him off and raised my hand to get him to stop talking. &quot;I don't want to talk about it or about anything for that matter. I am fine and I don't understand why you and dad and Charlie all walk around me like there's shattered glass all around me.&quot;
      &quot;Maybe it has to do with the fact tha-&quot;
      &quot;Ezra, please.&quot; I gave him a stern look and practically begged with my eyes. &quot;I'm okay, I promise.&quot;
      Ezra looked at me with a doubtful and concerned look but nodded anyways. &quot;Meet me downstairs?&quot;
      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.
      &quot;Woah there sunshine, you would've dropped your cereal again.&quot; I opened my eyes to see Noah holding me, a small grin on his face.
      I cleared my throat and pushed myself off him. &quot;Thanks.&quot;
      &quot;Did the devil just say thank you or do I need to get my ears checked out?&quot; amusement twinkled in his eyes.
      I glared at him, &quot;don't get used to it. I would've fallen down the stairs and broken my neck so I owed it.&quot;
      &quot;You okay?&quot;
      &quot;I'm fine.&quot; I mumbled, turning around and heading down the stairs. I was getting more agitated with everyone asking me that. &quot;What were you doing upstairs anyways? Isn't everyone down?&quot;
      &quot;I was grabbing a charger from Charlie's room.&quot; 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.
      &quot;Hey Tiff,&quot; Jade came over and gave me a small hug.
      &quot;Hey. Ezra said we're going bowling or something.&quot;
      Jade nodded, &quot;Everyone was bored... and hungry. The diner we usually go to has a bowling alley right next door.&quot;
      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.
      &quot;So princess,&quot; 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. &quot;What's new with you?&quot;
      I sipped on my milkshake, &quot;Nothing, Luke. What's new with you?&quot;
      &quot;Well,&quot; He leaned back and smiled, &quot;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-&quot;
      &quot;Dude,&quot; Leo smacked the side of Luke's head causing him to dramatically yell &quot;ow&quot; and glare at Leo. &quot;She was asking in decency, not because she wanted to hear you rant about stupid bullshit.&quot;
      I gave Leo a small smile, &quot;Thank you, Leo.&quot;
      He nodded, grinning, &quot;No worries, princess.&quot; He mocked Luke causing me to chuckle.
      &quot;Hey! That's my thing!&quot; 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.
      &quot;You are literally a little child, Luke.&quot; Ezra said with an amused grin as he ate a fry.
      Luke scoffed, &quot;I'm embracing myself, what's your issue?&quot;
      &quot;I don't have one, buddy.&quot; Ezra replied smugly. &quot;I'm just saying, you're the most childish person I have ever met.&quot;
      &quot;Am not.&quot; Luke grumbled.
      &quot;Let the guy live, Razzi.&quot; 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, &quot;Did princess just defend me? Wow, I will never forget this moment.&quot;
      &quot;Oh yeah, let your ego boost because Tiff defended you.&quot; Ezra scoffed. &quot;Immature.&quot;
      &quot;What's got you in such a twist, Ezra?&quot; 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 &quot;not facing my issues&quot; and was taking it out on everyone else - in this case, mainly Luke.
      &quot;What happened to him?&quot; 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.
      &quot;I don't know.&quot; I grumbled quietly, looking at him watch away while everyone's eyes were on me.
      &quot;I'll go talk to him,&quot; Charlie stated, standing up.
      I shook my head and stood up, &quot;No, I'll go.&quot;
      &quot;Are you sure?&quot; Charlie looked at me, somewhat concerned but more confused. I nodded and walked away, catching up to Ezra.
      &quot;Raz, hold on!&quot; I said loud enough for him to hear as I stepped outside the diner and saw him unlock his car.
      &quot;What do you want, Tiff?&quot; He sighed, turning and giving me a bored look.
      &quot;What is wrong with you?&quot; I crossed my arms over my chest. &quot;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?&quot;
      Ezra started laughing, shaking his head, &quot;Seriously, Tiffany?&quot;
      &quot;What is your deal, Ezra?&quot; I looked at him in disbelief, getting fed up and angry now.
      &quot;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.&quot; 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. &quot;I'm not defending him, you're just choosing to take your anger out on people who don't deserve it.&quot;
      Ezra scoffed again, &quot;At least I'm letting my feelings out, unlike you.&quot;
      &quot;What do you want me to do Ezra?&quot; 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, &quot;No, thank you. Are you going to tell me what's wrong you now or can I go back inside?&quot;
      Ezra took another puff from his cigarette before dropping it on the ground and stepping on it, the whole thing going to waste. &quot;Nothing, Tiff. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me.&quot;
      &quot;It's hitting you.&quot; I sighed as I went over and leaned against his car, standing beside him now.
      &quot;What do you mean?&quot;
      &quot;Everything that happened - when it happened you were too busy taking care of me so it's hitting you now.&quot;
      Ezra looked at me. &quot;We should go back in before they start talking shit about the new kids in their friend group.&quot;
      I laughed and punched his shoulder, pushing myself off the car and walking back in the diner with him.
      &quot;There you guys are,&quot; Charlie smiled lightly. &quot;Are you guys good?&quot;
      Ezra shrugged nonchalantly as if nothing happened, &quot;Dapper.&quot;
      &quot;Is everything okay?&quot; Luke asked me quietly. I gave him a small smile and nodded.
      &quot;So, are we going?&quot; Jade asked, getting everyone's attention.
      &quot;Going where?&quot; I mumbled.
      &quot;We kind of decided to hit a party instead of bowling.&quot; 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.
      &quot;I'm in.&quot; I looked between the rest of the group and smiled vastly.
      &quot;Great!&quot; Joy smiled brightly. &quot;Let's get going then!&quot;
      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, &quot;you really want to go?&quot;
      I yanked my arm away from him and glared at the both of them, &quot;What do you think I'm going to do? Shoot myself up with heroin?&quot; 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.

  &quot;Touché.&quot; I mumbled with a small grin. Very soon after that, I stopped outside the familiar house. I texted my brother and waited for him to come.
      &quot;You and your family close?&quot; I looked at Tiffany, surprised at the question. &quot;What?&quot; She questioned. &quot;Might as well get to know you while I'm stuck here, right?&quot;
      I laughed, &quot;I guess we are. Not so much with my dad, though. All of us, in general, used to be closer when we were younger but yeah, we are close.&quot;
      Tiffany nodded in response but didn't say anything.
      &quot;Are you and Charlie close? He said you guys stayed in touch even though you didn't live near each other.&quot;
      &quot;Charlie and I are close, sure. We talk, he's there for me, we joke around and everything. Ezra and I are closer though.&quot; Her voice was firm and eyes were locked straight ahead out the window as she spoke. She seemed distant whenever she was talking even though she was right beside me.
      &quot;Did Ezra live near you before he moved here?&quot; I asked. &quot;None of us know a lot about him. Ever since he moved here he hasn't been at school much until recently.&quot;
      Tiffany thought for a moment before she continued speaking. It were like she were debating on how much to tell me. &quot;He wasn't at school because he was with me. He use to live in Saratoga Springs until he moved here because my aunt and uncle got a divorce. Over the past months while he's lived here he'd always be in Saratoga visiting me and my mother.&quot;
      &quot;And now you're both in Long Grove so he's around more too.&quot; I noted, making sense of the situation. &quot;Pretty clear you guys are closer.&quot;
      Tiffany nodded, &quot;He's just been by my side through a lot. Sure, Charlie was there too and I'm grateful to have him but Ezra understood things better because he was actually there when they were happening. Charlie could comfort me and give me advice but Ezra knows me better than anyone ever will.&quot;
      I nodded. I was disappointed the conversation came to a stop because my brother walked out of his friends house and started walking to the car. I finally felt like I was getting through to Tiffany and didn't know if this conversation would come up again. Bad timing, Braxton.
      &quot;Uh, hey,&quot; my brother muttered awkwardly as he got into the car.
      &quot;Braxton, this is my friend Tiffany. Tiffany, meet Braxton.&quot;
      Tiffany turned and looked at him. She narrowed her eyes. I was expecting her to say hello but she winced and looked away.
      &quot;What?&quot; I looked at her in confusion.
      She gave me a flat look that said 'can you not see what I see'. I was confused.
      Braxton grumbled under his breath and looked out the window. &quot;It's not a big deal. Not like I'm the only kid you ever seen do it.&quot;
      &quot;Never said you were.&quot; She replied dully to my brother, not looking at him. &quot;Just not a fan. Don't mind me, though. Who am I to judge, right?&quot;
      &quot;What are you guys going off about?&quot; I looked between the two of them but they both simply looked out their own windows.
      &quot;Can we go home? I got stuff I need to do.&quot; Braxton gave me an irritated look, not seeming very happy.
      &quot;I'm not driving until one of you tells me what the tension is about.&quot; I raised my eyebrow and waited for an answer.
      &quot;He's your brother, it's none of my business.&quot; Tiffany gave me a tired look.
      &quot;Then why are you being pissy about it?&quot; Braxton retorted, narrowing down his eyes at the back of her seat since he didn't have a clear view of her.
      &quot;I'm not,&quot; Tiffany held a straight face and emotionless voice. &quot;I don't care.&quot;
      &quot;That explains your judgemental looks.&quot; Braxton muttered quietly but loud enough for us to hear.
      Tiffany finally turned around to look at him, &quot;Listen kid, I can smell it off you. I don't care what you do but for your own good you may want to stop before it ruins your life, okay? That's all I'm saying. Aside from that, I'm not judging you because I don't know you and I don't know what your deal is. I'm not a fan of these things so I truly hope you forgive me for cringing when I smelt it radiating off you.&quot;
      &quot;Ruin his life?&quot; I asked as Tiffany turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. &quot;What are you talking about? Smell what?&quot;
      &quot;Oh come on, Ace.&quot; Tiffany looked at me and rolled her eyes irritably. &quot;Are you really telling me you have never smelt weed before? This is the 21st century.&quot;
      I looked at her in confusion and then looked at Braxton with wide eyes, &quot;you smoke weed?&quot;
      Braxton leaned his head against the window, &quot;Took you long enough to catch on.&quot; He was unamused and not fazed.
      &quot;Dude, seriously?&quot; I looked at him in anger. &quot;What the hell is wrong with you? You're really going to ruin your life by doing that especially after seeing-&quot; I stopped myself. I shook my head and turned back around in my seat.
      &quot;Can we just go home?&quot; Braxton grumbled.
      I didn't say anything. I started driving in silence and started thinking about how it made sense. Some of his actions and his attitude all made sense but I didn't know how I was blind enough to not see it sooner. We were going to have to have a conversation later.
      A short and quite uncomfortable drive later, we got to my house. Braxton rushed out of the car before I had even properly parked.
      I looked at Tiffany as I took the keys out of the ignition, &quot;am I a shit brother for not noticing?&quot;
      Tiffany looked at me and gave me a soft smile which took me by surprise but I kept my face neutral so she wouldn't see that. Tiffany never smiled - like, ever.
      &quot;No. He's a stupid teenager who got caught up in the wrong things with the wrong crowd. Smoking weed doesn't make you a bad person but it can lead to bad decisions that can cause a lot of harm.&quot; Once again, I noticed the distant look in her eyes. She was here but her mind was somewhere else. &quot;Just talk to him. Try to get him to understand how dangerous it can be but don't beat yourself - or him up about it.&quot;
      I nodded slowly and smiled, &quot;you caught on right when you met him.&quot; My statement came out more like a question.
      &quot;I've been around a lot of different types of people.&quot; That was all she said before she quickly changed the subject. &quot;So, what are we doing now, Ace?&quot;
      &quot;Come on,&quot; I motioned towards my house as I opened the car door. &quot;You can meet my other brother who I think may be easier to get to know compared to Braxton.&quot;
      Tiffany looked a little hesitant but followed me inside my house anyways. Almost instantly, my youngest brother ran to me and hugged me.
      &quot;Hey kiddo,&quot; I smiled. &quot;This is my friend, Tiffany.&quot;
      Tiffany bent down so she was at his height and stuck out her hand with a small smile playing on her lips, &quot;Hi there.&quot;
      Colton looked at her with a toothy grin and ignored her hand as he gave her a big hug causing her to laugh as she almost fell over. &quot;Hi, I am Colton. I'm nine years old and I'm really good at reading - oh and math.&quot;
      Tiffany laughed as they pulled apart, &quot;it is very nice to meet you, Colton. I think you're already my favourite.&quot;
      Colton smiled even wider as Tiffany stood up. He grabbed her hand and started dragging her through the house, &quot;Here! I'll show you the others.&quot;
      Tiffany looked behind her shoulder and gave me a scared looked but was smiling as Colton pulled her along. I laughed and followed behind them.
      &quot;Guys, meet Noah's friend. She's a lot nicer than him,&quot; Colton grinned as he brought Tiffany into the lounge room where my other brothers except Braxton were sitting and playing video games.
      &quot;Oh, um hello.&quot; Tiffany shifted on her feet as she stood in the room like a deer in headlights, not expecting more guys.
      &quot;Hey, I'm Cade.&quot; He nodded at her, pausing the video game. &quot;I've seen you around school. We have English together, I think. You're the new girl, right?&quot;
      &quot;Yeah, I am.&quot; She smiled lightly.
      &quot;Well hello,&quot; my older brother, Adriel walked up to her and placed a kiss on her cheek which caused Tiffany's eyes to widen in surprise. &quot;I am Adriel. The oldest and most charming of these fools. I can show you a good time of you let me.&quot; He winked.
      Tiffany stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. She narrowed her eyes, &quot;has that ever actually worked on a girl?&quot;
      Cade snickered as Adriel feigned a look of disbelief.
      &quot;Cade and Braxton are fraternal twins, by the way.&quot; I mentioned as I took a seat on the couch and grabbed the bag of chips from Cade. &quot;They're 11 months younger than me.&quot;
      &quot;I figured.&quot; Tiffany mumbled quietly as she came over and took a seat beside me.
      &quot;Why didn't you tell us you have a girlfriend, little bro?&quot; Adriel came back to his seat and grabbed the Xbox remote as him and Cade resumed their game.
      &quot;When are you going back to uni, Adge?&quot; I rolled my eyes, my voice light and joking. &quot;We're tired of having you around.&quot;
      Adriel reached over and punched me, &quot;Shut up, my presence is always a delight. I can show you if you want a free test run, Tiffany.&quot; He winked at her again.
      Tiffany scrunched her noes up, &quot;I think I'm doing just fine without.&quot;
      &quot;Can we go play soccer,&quot; Colton started tugging on Cade's hand. Cade hummed before quickly destroying Adriel who was distracted in the game, then getting up. He picked Colton up in his arms and turned to Tiffany, &quot;Bye. It was nice meeting you.&quot; He smiled.
      &quot;Bye Tiffany! Visit again soon, okay?&quot; Colton beamed happily.
      Tiffany nodded and smiled, &quot;I will. Bye guys.&quot;
      Adriel stood up and looked at the two of us with a smirk and his eyes narrowed. &quot;Use protection, alright?&quot; Then he left.
      I coughed awkwardly and looked at Tiffany who looked stunned. Her cheeks tinged pink ever so slightly that it was hard to notice.
      &quot;So Cade is quite opposite of Braxton.&quot; She muttered quietly, breaking the silence.
      I leaned back on the couch and popped a chip in my mouth as I put the bag between the two of us so she could reach it easily. &quot;Braxton's always been the quieter one who keeps to himself. Cade's a good kid.&quot;
      &quot;I'm sure Braxton is too,&quot; she stated softly. &quot;I mean... he probably feels like he's hiding behind Cade all the time, like he's just in his shadow. I get it.&quot;
      I looked at her with my eyebrows furrowed. Was she referring to her relationship with Charlie? It made a bit of sense because Charlie was kind of like Cade whereas she was like Braxton without the drugs.
      &quot;You get it?&quot;
      She looked at me and cleared her throat. Tiffany sat up straighter, &quot;I just mean it would make sense, being a twin and all. I... I don't uh - well Charlie and I had two separate lives, so I don't know.&quot; She looked away.
      &quot;Hey,&quot; without really thinking, I softly grabbed her chin and turned her to head so she was facing me. I tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
      I got lost in her eyes for a moment as our gazes locked. It was cliche and absurd because Tiffany would probably pluck all of my hairs out individually if I ever made a move on her.
      I wasn't saying I wanted to make a move on her because I didn't like her like that. We just seemed to be growing into an odd and confusing friendship.
      &quot;What are you doing, Ace?&quot; her voice soft and barley above a whisper. We were so close I could feel her warm, minty breath on my lips.
      I involuntarily licked my bottom lip. Her eyes glanced down to my lips for the most brief second that I wouldn't have caught it if our eyes weren't locked.
      &quot;Noah, have you seen my- woah, sorry. Am I interrupting? Stupid question. Yes I am. My bad, I was just looking for my Ozil jersey.&quot;
      Cade's voice pulled both of us back into reality. We instantly pulled away from each other, Tiffany awkwardly looking away as she rubbed the back of her neck.
      I cleared my throat and sent a glare to Cade who rambled like an idiot before backing out of the lounge.
      &quot;You should probably drive me home,&quot; Tiffany stood up. &quot;I have homework.&quot;
      Without saying anything I nodded and stood up, following her to the front door.
      The whole car ride was silent and kind of awkward with no sound except the radio playing stupid pop songs.
      I didn't sleep much that night. All I could wonder was what would've happened if Cade hadn't walked in. Guess we would never know.

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

Chapter 6