(written by Lacy) "There is no way I'm getting stuck with a closet-size bedroom for an entire month!" Jade mumbled to herself as she walked out onto the patio. "I'll sleep outside if I have to." Looking around the spacious backyard, she set her eyes on the hammock and made her way over to it's peaceful spot in the shade tied between two huge palm trees. As she stretched out on the huge, white-knitted "bed," she began to sway gently back-and-forth. "I'm flying!" she said to herself, not realizing she had said it out loud as the hammock began to swing harder and higher. "You're weird," a little voice said from somewhere around her, making her loose her balance and fall off of the swinging hammock, landing with a thud on her butt. The little voice quickly turned into a fit of giggles as Jade attempted to get up, but again lost her balance and hit her head on one of the palm trees. "Are you okay?" asked a male voice. Jade quickly looked up, for the tiny voice she had heard before had suddenly turned into an older, more mature voice.
"Yeah," was all she could say in reply. "Here, let me help you," the voice said as a hand made its way into her vision. She looked up to put a face to the guy who was trying to help her, but all she could see was the silhouette of him becuase he was standing right in the way of the sun. She placed her shaky hand in his and he easily pulled her up, but she shook her head with dizziness and almost lost her balance again. "Are you gonna be able to make it to the house?" he asked, concern clearly evident in his voice. She was about to answer him, when another wave of nausea came over her and she felt a sudden urge to throw up. Not saying anything, she covered her mouth and ran into the house without another look behind her.
"Kevin, where did you go?" Nick asked as he spotted him making his way across the yard. "Looking for Aaron. I found him," Kevin said, pointing to the blonde boy quietly following him. "Aaron, you have to stop running off like that, we had everyone looking for you!" Angel, Aaron's twin, said, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the house. "Who were you talking to while you were over there?" Nick asked after the kids were in the house and they were sitting back down at one of the two tables that took up the extra space on the patio. "A girl," was all Kevin said in response. "A girl? What girl? No one's lived in that house over there for months," Nick said, looking a Kevin like he was crazy. "Someone moved in, Nick. I saw two girls over there earlier. One was swimming," Brian said as he, AJ and Howie made their way out of the house with drinks for everyone. "Two girls? Moved in over there?" Nick asked. "Yeah, why do you find that so unbelievable?" Howie asked, sitting down. "I don't, I was just wondering... that's all," Nick said, opening his Coke and taking a swig. "Well I wouldn't plan on getting to close the one with the long blonde hair, Nicky. It looks to me like Kevin may have a crush," AJ said, taking notice of the distant look that now covered Kevin's face.
"Kevin? A crush? Hey, Kev, what happened over there? What's her name?" Brian asked. "What? Oh, I dunno," Kevin said, not really listening. "What do you mean 'you don't know?' You talked to her, didn't you?" AJ asked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, but it wasn't like that. Aaron said something to her while she was swinging in the hammock and she fell out," Kevin started, giving Nick a dirty look when he laughed. Nick immediantly shut up and Kevin continued, "She hit her head on one of the palm trees and fell back down when she tried to stand up, so I offered her my hand and hepled her up. She must of been really dizzy, because she turned white in the face and ran in the house with her hand covering her mouth. Anyway, I grabbed Aaron and came back over here," Kevin said, opening his Pepsi. "Well, well, well. It sounds to me like our hard-core Kevin here has a crush," AJ said, ducking as a full Pepsi can came flying at his head.
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