"Where to Miss?"
"261 Oceanview Drive please", she managed through sobs. As the taxi drove through the familiar streets she'd grown to know so well, the reality of what had just happened set in and her head began to spin with the thought of it all. By the time the taxi pulled up outside the new oceanside apartment block 20 minutes later her head had cleared a little and a sense of relief washed over her as she arrived at her safe haven. She paid the driver and walked upstairs to the second floor, carrying only a small backpack, all she had time to grab in the short space of time. She walked along to the door of apartment 348 and knocked timidly.
"Hey, Chris, wanna go shoot some hoops dude?", Justin asked brightly, trying to sound enthusiastic to his unusually quiet friend. Chris just shook his head sadly as he sat by the window staring out at the angry, storm-whipped ocean. Justin turned to the 3 other guys in the room, shrugged and gave them a 'Don't-say-I-didn't-try' look.
"Hey, Chris, the Steelers game is gonna be on in a minute...you're gonna watch it with me right?", Lance asked.
"Nope", Chris replied flatly, his gaze still directed out to sea.
"I give up", mumbled Lance.
Ok..well, Joey you ready to go?", JC broke the uncomfortable silence that had settle over the room.
"Yeah...lemme just grab my jacket", Joey replied as he walked out of the tension-filled living room.
"Chris, you're sure you don't wanna come with us?", JC asked hesitantly.
No response.
"Hey, where you guys goin' anyways?" Justin asked.
"We promised Johnny we'd go pick up his niece from the airport. Her plane gets in at 3...come on Joe! We're gonna be late!"
"Great, some spoilt little nine year old for you to entertain for the afternoon. Have fun!", Justin teased.
"Well, actually, it's more like 2 days. Johnny can't make it back to come pick her up until Tuesday,so she has to stay here until he gets back from Miami. And..uh..Justin, she gets your bed..."
"What?!?" Justin cried.
"You heard me".
"C'mon man...when was I consulted about this??"
"Justin, I don't have time to argue...I...." JC broke off at the hesitant knock on the door. JC opened the door to reveal a slim, rain soaked girl, her face stained with tears and the tiniest hint of a smile on her lips at the sight of her tall, handsome cousin.
