After we had been driving for fifteen minutes, the vandalized signs and scattered trash verified that were indeed out of the suburbs and now downtown. I kept quiet the entire ride and simply looked out the window, seeing trivial landmarks that brought back memories of the weekend.

When we passed the infamous gas station, Jack sped up and increased the volume of the rap song playing throughout the car. He thought I didn't notice it, but I did.

We continued driving until the flickering streetlights were now completely burned out. Away from the main road, we were now in a neighborhood full of houses that were too close together.

Both sides of the street were lined with cars that did a terrible job of parallel parking while skateboards and bicycles lay in the middle of the pavement, blocking any route that would allow us to pass through.

"What is this? What's going on?" My anxiety levels began to raise as I searched for a clear pathway to get us past the various modes of transportation.

"Relax." He pulled the car over so it was double parked beside a silver SUV. "It's a neighborhood block party."

My eyes blinked in confusion and he must have noticed because he continued.

"You know, where there's a party for everyone in the neighborhood. The road is closed off 'cause they have tables and games set up down the street. It's just an annual thing that this lady, Mrs. Russell, does at the start of summer. It sounds so fucking stupid, I know, but my mom makes me help out every year." He unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car, rolling his shoulders forward.

"It doesn't sound stupid." I mused, closing the door after I stepped outside. "It sounds fun... in a weird, Mr. Rogers meets Project X kind of way."

[ jack's pov ]

"Jack, where have you been? You were supposed to be here three hours ago."

Although I didn't see her, my mom's voice stood out against the chatter coming the sea of people in front of me. Her small figure emerged from the crowd shortly after while carrying a tower of plates that covered her face.

As soon as I took the vertical stack from her small hands, guilt flooded my body. Her frail stature looked even thinner than before and the makeup concealing her dark circles only emphasized the deep creases around her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I had to work overtime." I lied, my eyes sympathetic as I shrugged slightly.

"It's fine, it's fine. Just please call next time because I was getting worried." A polite smile sprouted on her tired face once she noticed Sofia. "Who's this?"

"Oh, right. Mom, this is Sofia. Sofia, this is my mom, Katherine." I stepped back and watched Sofia wave awkwardly before my mom pulled her into a one-sided hug.

I sucked on my teeth to stifle my laughter after noticing Sofia's body become rigid. Seeing her uncomfortable in this kind of situation was new to me. I grew accustomed to her expressions of anger, fear, annoyance, confusion, and even distress, but never awkwardness. I had to say, in a way that was somewhat sadistic, I enjoyed the cringe-worthy moment.

"So you must be part of the reason why Jack is late." My mom teased, holding Sofia's hands in her own.

"Yeah, she is." I grinned. "In fact, she wanted me to bring her along because she was dying for some homecooked food."

Sofia's wide eyes shot daggers right at me, piercing me with the satisfaction that came from her discomfort. A strained chuckle escaped her lips as she opened her mouth to protest. "No, no, no. That's not true, I'm actually really full."

"Don't try to fool me. You can't come to a party and not eat." My mom wrapped an arm around her shoulder then looked over to me. "Jack was just about to bring those dishes inside. We can get you a plate with one of everything, including my famous cheesy potatoes."

Sofia tried to reach out to grab my hand, but my mom turned her around before she could grip onto me. Her eyes remained large and pleading, silently begging me to stay with them. I mouthed the word enjoy and headed toward the house, a smug simper on my face as I slid open the Russell's kitchen door with my elbow.

Setting the tower of plates in the sink, I turned on the faucet and let them soak in the hot water while prepping the dishwasher.

Although I hadn't been in here for over a year, I still knew the place like the back of my hand. Ten repetitive years of being on dish duty branded each cupboard and drawer into my brain despite my desperate attempts to do the opposite. After opening the machine and grabbing a handful of the dirty disks, I randomly placed them in the thinly-spaced racks.

"Is that Jack Gilinsky doing the dishes? I don't believe my eyes."

My forehead creased in confusion as the honeyed words interrupted the sound of the running water. Lifting my head, my vision locked onto a face that was just as unfamiliar as the voice that emitted from it.

Although I couldn't recognize the person standing in front of me, I couldn't say I was disappointed. The stranger's hazel eyes stared directly at me as her nose crinkled into a scrunch, a feign look of irritation masking her face. She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin while silently waiting for me to say something.

"I think you may be talking to the wrong Jack Gilinsky because I have no idea who you are." I laughed, grabbing another number of plates.

"What a way to be welcomed home." She walked over to me and grabbed the dishes from my hand. "I can't believe you don't remember your best friend. I know it's been four years, but even the snobby, private school kids in New York gave me a fake smile when they saw me."

"Adriana?" My foot involuntarily stepped forward to get a closer look at the girl who was already mere inches from me. I studied her face, my eyes raking over her features as each distinct characteristic jogged my memory. "Holy shit, it is you."

"I can't believe you didn't recognize me, J." She vexed, a hearty laugh escaping her lips.

"You can't blame me. You look so different. I-I mean, it's a good kind of different though — such a good kind." My words stumbled over each other as they fought their way out. "Shit. New York was good to you."

"Unlike you." Her lips formed into a dramatic pout and she hopped up on the counter. "You never called or texted me, not even on my birthday. You're such a shitty friend."

"Don't be like that." I set the plates on the rack and shut the machine, closing the space between us. "You were all the way in New York and I was here. It gets hard to stay in touch, especially since I got insanely busy."

"You didn't even have to put in the effort — I was the one constantly reaching out to you. You're saying that, for four years, you were too busy to even text me a simple 'hi'?" Her eyes squinted as she shamelessly fixed her gaze on me. "Just own up to the fact that you're a shitty friend."

"A lot has changed since you left. Don't think that everyone put their shit on hold just because you weren't here. Life goes on and priorities shift. Four years ago, my biggest concern was learning how to hide a boner in public. Now, I'm wondering how the hell I'm gonna make my car payments on time. This isn't the same town that you left. Shit, I'm not even the same guy you left."

My words were coated with repressed anger that I didn't know I had been holding in. Was I actually mad at Adriana? Or was I just mad at life in general? I couldn't decide, but I knew I spoke the truth so that was all that mattered.

"Is that why you never even attempted to contact me?" An inflection of bewilderment embodied her question. "Because you still think that I left you? Jack, I was offered an amazing opportunity in New York and I took it. Am I a terrible person for wanting to get out of this shitty town and go to a school where I could actually make a name for myself?"

"Did New York make you deaf, too? That wasn't what I said at all. If I was so hung up on the fact that you left, don't you think I would've called you nonstop?" I shrugged my shoulders callously, an apathetic mien on my face.

She jumped down from the counter and stood right in front of me. Her eyes were level with the tip of my nose which was a noticeable change from years ago. Although Adriana wasn't as short as other girls, I still wasn't used to being the taller one with her since we had been equal ages prior. The newfound height difference gave me a feeling of superiority and I let it go to my head, allowing a smirk to work its way to my mouth.

"You didn't have to say it because I know exactly what you meant. That's what would make the most sense, right? Any normal person would call someone they miss, but your ego would never allow that. If you're not someone's primary interest, you don't give a shit. We went from talking everyday to not talking for years just because I put school before you. Are you sure you've changed, Jack? Because you still seem like the same immature, prepubescent fourteen year old I left."

"Eccoti! (There you are!) I've been looking for you everywhere. Your mom practically spoon-fed me two and a half plates against my will. I feel like I'm going to vomit any second. I need water. "

Sofia burst through the door and trudged through the kitchen, making her way over to the table. She crossed her arms on top of the smooth wood and collapsed her head over her bracelet-clad wrists.

"Charming." Adriana muttered under her breath, still standing in front of me. "Who's that?"

"Sofia." I called out, earning a low grunt that came from the fort she had made with her arms. "Come here, I want you to meet someone."

"Please don't tell me you have another mom because I can't take anymore food." Sofia stood up and looked at me then over at Adriana, straightening her posture once she noticed the other girl. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone else was in here, I thought it was just Jack."

Adriana stayed silent, nodding her head once as an irked look remained on her face. She was giving a blatant yet mute signal that she wanted Sofia to leave and I couldn't tell if Sofia was ignoring it or was ignorant to it.

"Uh, Sofia, this is Adriana. Adriana, this is Sofia."

"Are you one of Lexi's little friends?" Adriana's first words were brazen though not unexpected.

Sofia's eyes squinted as a tight-lipped smile emerged. "No, I'm one of Jack's friends. And you are?"

"Jack's best friend." Adriana's tone was unwavering as she took a step closer to me, causing her shoulder to bump into my chest.

I moved back and looked down at her while she watched Sofia. I was completely convinced that New York had made her deaf, since she was lecturing me on how to be a good friend just seconds ago and now she was claiming that we were the best of friends.

"I thought that was Johnson." Sofia's head cocked to the side slightly.

"Sorry. I meant Jack's best girl friend."

"Right." Sofia's amusement was obvious as she grabbed a bottle of water from the counter. "I just came to get something to drink so I'll let you guys continue doing whatever best friends do. Jack, find me when you're done. Nice meeting you, Adriana."

"Will do." I nodded, watching Sofia close the sliding door that lead to patio.

[ sofia's pov ]

"Who's that girl in there with your brother?" I asked Lexi, dropping a straw into my bottle of water.

Lexi shifted her body away from the picnic table and looked into the window of the kitchen. "Oh, her?" She turned back to me with a smile. "That's Adriana. Her and Jack were inseparable when they were younger, but then she went to high school in New York. She hasn't visited home since she left so she's kind of been the talk of the party. But I don't know why —"

"Lex!" a voice called out, cutting off her sentence.

We both looked up and I saw a fairly lanky boy walking over to us. His face was foreign to me, but I assumed Lexi recognized him due to her reaction. She instantly jumped out of her seat and ran over to him, engulfing him in a hug before he was able to come to the benches we were sitting on.

I took a sip of my water as the pair of them returned to the table, slipping their legs into the narrow opening of the elongated seat.

"Cameron, meet Sofia. Sofia, this is Cameron." Lexi said, smiling as she introduced us. "Oh, wait. Maybe you two already know each other? You both go to the country club."

"Calma Country Club?" Cameron asked with a grin.

I couldn't help but focus on his mouth as his perfectly positioned teeth seemed to glow against the shadowed backyard. This boy was  undoubtedly blessed by the oral gods.

"Yeah, Calma." I nodded, moving my eyes up to his. "Do you work there with Lexi?"

"No, he's a member." Lexi jumped in. "He was playing golf one day and accidentally hit me in the head with his ball. That's how we met. Sounds like the beginning of a rom-com, doesn't it?"

"I'd definitely watch that movie." I laughed as I took another sip of my water to avoid having to speak.

It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to Cameron, but my mind was just focused on Jack and Adriana. What had I walked in on earlier? I had felt the tension coming from Jack and the hatred coming from Adriana as soon as I looked at them.

Was Jack tense because I came in? Or was it because of whatever they were talking about? And what was Adriana's problem? She seemed too possessive over Jack, like she was than just his best friend. They had to have dated, but Lexi said she hadn't come home in four years?

Shit. Had I walked in on them mid-makeout session? That's what made the most sense. No wonder they were standing so close. Jack being frazzled, Adriana moving toward him after I spoke up. I can't believe —

"Sofia?" Cameron's voice broke up my clouded thoughts.

I looked at him and realized we were the only two people at the table. I hadn't even noticed that Lexi left. Where'd she go?

"Alright, I gotta come clean." His laugh showcased his set of pearly whites. "The only reason I came over here was because I had to get your attention. I saw you the second you walked in, then I took my chance when I saw you sitting with Lex. I hope you're not creeped out or anything."

— —

(a/n: yay for introducing adriana & cameron!!! btw yes it's Cameron Dallas just in case you guys weren't sure!! thank you guys so much for reading and please VOTE & C-O-M-M-E-N-T love you guys!!!)