*Hi, hey, little warning pls pay attention, thx. This book will deal with themes that may be triggering to people such as rape and homophobic terms. Pls, read at you're own risk. Also pls enjoy*

"Are we done yet?" Sheppard whines, taking a box from dad. 

I agree with his questions, more than I should, but I wasn't about to say anything first. That way, when dad yells at him to shut up and take the boxes inside, I won't get in trouble since I was merely nodding. 

"Take your box inside and stop whining," Ding-ding-ding! There's the scolding!

"We're almost done in the truck then we have to start unpacking before dinner," Mom comes outside and takes another box from me.

I groan and slide Rubbermaid towards the end of the truck bed. I swear all I did the past month was pack, and now I get to unpack all the hard work. 

Finally, we're done and I find mom in the kitchen. She has the Walmart bag we got an hour outside of town. She pulls out one of the boxes of brownies she wouldn't let us open and turns to me.

"Take these next door and introduce us as the neighbors to the right. I'll do the left."

My eyebrows shoot up as I hesitantly take the box, "Uh, shouldn't you and dad do it together? Since you're the ones renting the house, not your eldest son?"

"My eldest son is part of the family, isn't he?" 

I roll my eyes and mutter under as I leave, "Yes, let's send the overly gay son around in the small town all by himself."

There's one car in the driveway, grass partially dead and pitiful flower in a pot next to a worn welcome mat. The door is cool against my knuckles as I knock. My eyes take in the rest of the neighborhood, all the houses looking relatively the same.

No one has answered the door, so I knock once more for good effect. They can't possibly think they can hide with a car in the driveway. 

I blink, weirdly surprised by the door opening. Leaning in the doorway is an overly bored hot boy. Tall, and slim, his dark hair hangs almost over his increasingly uninterested eyes. I swallow, internally wishing our neighbor wasn't so hot.

"Yes?"

I quickly recover and offer the box of brownies, "Hey, I mean, hi. I'm here to represent the Bush family, we moved in next door," I jab a thumb towards our new house.

His eyes briefly drop to the box, before flicking back to mine, "Uh-huh."

"Well, uh, my mom just told me to come over and say hi," I lick my lips and readjust the weight on my feet. His intimidating expression makes standing here ever so much more nerve wrecking.

He sighs, and snatch the box out of my hand, "Well, tell your mommy James King said hi," The promptly slams the door.

I stand there, blinking. What just happened? I stare at the red front door that was just closed, still a little shocked. 

Finally, my mind comes back to me and I scurry back to the house. Dad's trying to set up the router and Mom has just gotten back from the other neighbors. Sheppard's probably in his room setting up his 'gaming setup'.

"How were the neighbors?" Mom see's me first, and dad barely glances up at me.

"Um, it was alright." I figure I probably shouldn't relay James King's message.

"Good, our other neighbor's are called the Henrys. They have chickens in the spring, isn't that funny?" Mom looks happy so I nod.

"Cute," I dig in the Walmart bag, looking for substance.

"Mom, we should totally get chicken's too! That sounds awesome. One could be my sidekick," I roll my eyes at Sheppard running down the stairs.

I avoid the whole chicken fight between the family and wander through the hallways to find the room all my boxes went to. My new room. 

We move with Dad's job, ever-changing houses and schools, and friends. Mom tried to apologize for making me move before my senior year, Dad said he did it too and he turned out fine. I bet he figures all the houses will kick me out of my 'phase'.

Luckily this house is a little bigger than past houses, so my room is spacious even with boxes all around. Mines the only on the first level, I fought Sheppard for it. Sneaking out will be easier on the first level. Of course, I didn't tell anyone that. 

The window is bright, making the room seem airy. My metal bedframe was thrown out at the old house, so now my mattress is just on the floor. Mom promised we'd fix that, but I know it'd be placed at the bottom of house priorities. 

Through my window, I see a car pull into the driveway of the house I went to earlier. A man and a woman get out and go inside. I look back down at my suitcase.

My suitcase has a week of clothing and other necessities for the move. Dad and Mom make us do that just in case we don't open the right boxes first. I open it and pull out a sweater before sliding it off the bed and plopping down.

I should begin unpacking already, but I don't really care about having access to everything yet. It'll take a couple days, like the past few times. 

"Is the internet working?" Dad's voice booms into the house and I take out my phone.

"Yeah!" Sheppard and I's yelling mix together.

"Boys! What should we do for dinner?" I sigh and push myself up to go to the kitchen with Dad and Mom.

"I don't care," Sheppard does though.

"Well, decided. Dad and I will pick it up after we return the U-haul." 

After much yelling, mostly from Sheppard, my parents leave and Sheppard runs back up to his room. From the kitchen window, I can see the sunset behind various hills and dead grass.

Entranced, I lean on the sink and stare at the mixing colors of the sky that seems like they're hypnotizing me into liking this place. I sigh again and look away.

~~~

"Door!" I roll my eyes at Sheppard and find it in myself to get off the couch.

Dad's already at work, he started a week before we had officially moved here, and mom's in her room unpacking. Sheppard lays on the couch across from me.

"Mom! Someone's here!" I yell towards the stairs before opening the door.

Someone was indeed there. The couple I saw yesterday enter the house next door stand with smiles -that I can't tell if they are fake or not. 

"Hi," i force a smile on my face and don't bother to take my hand off the door. I can hear Mom coming behind me.

"Hello! We came from next door, and just wanted to introduce ourselves and you to the neighborhood! Oh, and of course, to thank you for the brownies."

I let mom take my place but keep nearby to listen, "I'm so glad you liked them! Sorry, they're store bought, we don't exactly have some of the ingredients right now," They all chuckle.

"No, they were delicious. Well, we just wanted to come over, I'm Alana Dyke, this is my husband Jaycob. You'll probably see our kids coming and going." My eyebrows knit together in confusion, the boy said his name was James King. Not a Dyke.

"Oh, mine too. Both teenagers, they won't want to stay at home with their parents," I huff in annoyance at Mom's comment, but don't forget the King/Dyke confusion.

"Try having triplet teenagers!" They all laugh and my eyebrows shoot up. I'm glad they can't see me behind the door. 

"Triplets! Wow, I have a hard time handling two of different ages!" 

I become bored with the conversation and wander back into my room. Last night I only unpacked my suitcase. Luckily, since I have the only base-level floor I have my own bathroom. I'm able to lay out whatever I want without having to worry about anyone messing with it. Namely my makeup.

The first time I decided to wear mascara I hadn't come out yet so my whole family was nervous. Mascara has to mean he's gay right? I bought it on the sly as I pretended to go get a snack at the store. I didn't put it on for the first time in front of people till I had gotten to school since my mom still drove me. 

Let's just say a call home from the nurse's office brought it to the attention of my parents. Dad was pissed, didn't understand why his son was wearing makeup. Mom rubbed my face and later googled 'what to do when your son is wearing makeup?'. Dad never got over it, mom tries to understand, and Sheppard doesn't care as long as it doesn't come back to him. That's why he barely blinked an eye at me when he came to high school. 

I don't go crazy, mostly for my safety. I get crap for wearing just mascara, why would I wear an entire face? But I practice when I can, and have spent a few paychecks at Sephora.  

I scan my room, all the cardboard boxes starring back at me.