I managed to take a shower and wash my hair after I woke up. Today was the day I go around town with Jack, great right? No, but I promised Ashton I would try to get along with him. Maybe he's not that bad?

I walked back into my room, towel covering my torso as I turned and opened the door to my drawers. There I put on my undergarments and walked back over to my closet. Fiddling my fingers over the hangers, my eyes tried to spot something to wear. Taking out a pair of denim jeans, I pulled them up my legs and grabbed a thin, maroon colored shirt which was left out loosely and comfortably. I moved towards my bed with the pair of socks and low top white converse and quickly put them on. Once that was done, I ran a quick brush and blow drier down my damp hair to put it up in a messy French braid in the top and a bun on the side. Layering layers of mascara over my lashes, I later applied some lip balm over my chapped lips and quickly put some powder around cheeks.

Finally, I grabbed my light brown jacket and headed out towards the kitchen where a voice similar to my cousin's rang around the space.

"I told you, I'm just running a little late!" He sounded pissed at the person on the other line.

I walked over to the kitchen behind him, ignoring what he was doing and opening the door to the refrigerator.

My eyes skimmed the objects he had which was nothing really. Someone really needed to go grocery shopping for actual food and not just chips and beer and I'm afraid that someone is going to have to be me.

I pulled out a bottle of orange juice I spotted behind a box of Red Bull energy drink moments later. Closing the door and walking over to the cabinets I pulled out a tall glass cup and set it on the counter top. Ashton was still yelling at the other person on the line, I doubt he even noticed I was behind him.

"Okay, just give me 10 minutes." He spoke a little more relaxed before hanging up and throwing his phone across the couch in front of him.

I looked down and finished pouring the juice onto the glass before looking back up at him run a hand frustratingly through his hair.

"Everything okay there?" I chuckled setting the bottle down besides the glass as I walked over to the other end where I spotted a loaf of toast bread.

When I turned to walk back over to the toaster that was already set out, I saw Ashton has turned around to notice me. The look on his face was pretty shocked.

"Oh, Zoey?" He cleared his throat. "You're up already?"

"Well, your friend made it pretty clear that I had to be up and ready by 9, remember?" I spoke with the least enthusiasm possible while popping the slice of bread into the toaster and pressing the button down.

"Oh, right." He replied.

"Who was that on the phone you were talking with?" I furrowed my eyebrows as I took a sip from the glass cup of orange juice.

Ashton sighed, going back to button his short sleeve white dress shirt. "My boss."

"And since when do employees yell at their boss?" I giggled.

"We're cool, we went to college together."

"You went to college?" I asked reassuringly. Ashton always complained about going to college, he said is just wasn't meant for him.

"Just the first semester." He replied, grabbing a blue tie and wrapping it around his neck.

I couldn't help but start quietly laughing to myself as I watched him struggle to get the tie tied like it's suppose to.

"What's so funny?" He arched a brow at me.

"Do you want some help with that?" I chuckled, pointing at his tie.

He looked at me with a crazy look in his eyes. "You know how to tie a tie?"

Okay, it's not that big of a shocker. Being the only girl in a family with a man in the house that is obligated to wear a tie means you pick up a few steps. And then here is my cousin Ashton Green who can't even do it himself being surrounded by a bunch of other guys. What am I talking about? I'm sure none of these guys ever wore a tie! Not even to a job interview, which again, I'm sure none of them are capable of getting. At least a steady one.

Without saying anything else, I walked over to him. The strong smell of his cologne devoured my scenes once I stepped in front of his. He moved his hands away so I can take lead. As I quickly made it in my head, my hands followed the steps to come to the finishing look of a proper tie.

"There." I smiled. "Dashing!"

He rolled his eyes with my compliment, moving over back to the couch to grab his phone. He looked way too dressed up for just some job? At least, not a job that he would be capable of dressing so nicely for.

"May I just ask, where exactly do you work?" I chuckled walking back over to the kitchen.

"A hotel restaurant." He sighed like he didn't really like it. "For snotty rich people I don't like."

I laughed once more. "If you don't like them then why do you work for them? You can always find a job that you like, you know that right?"

He moved in to the kitchen, fiddling over to grab his keys on the counter. "Would you like to find a job that can pay off your rent?" He joked.

Ashton turned to me before it seemed like he was walking out to his bedroom. "Hey um, Zo?" He paused.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" He asked.

Well, referring to the fact that I have no friends in this town yet and don't know where anything is.. Then yes, I have tons of plans. He could at least be a little bit more prudent about things and maybe even a little realistic.

"No." I replied. "Why?"

"Oh, well it's because my band and I.. We have this gig that we go to every month or so where we play for the audience and try to get noticed and stuff." He took a pause. "So yeah, I was just wondering if you'd like to come with us?"

It all sounded pretty cool. But what will happen when they have to go up and play? I'll be all alone and it's fine, except I don't know where on Earth I'll be. What if it's full of crazy rock people like you see in movies? It's stuff like that you really have to think about.

"It's tradition, Zo." He chuckled. "You're going."

"What!" I exclaimed. "Then why did you ask me?"

"Because it's fun getting you like this." He admitted. "Come on, it'll be fun."

I couldn't believe him. There's no lie in telling this but he's still the same Ashton Green from forever.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes, turning to grab the finished toast from the toaster and place it on a plate.

It wasn't long before I heard him walk away, a smirk imaginable on his face. I went back to grab some cream cheese from the fridge, turning back around to move and grab a butter knife. Quickly spreading it around the crunchy surface I finished off and turned back to place everything back where it belongs.

I heard a door open, I knew it was Ashton entering his room so I didn't really pay much attention and went back to organizing the stuff around the fridge while I was at it too.

"Mm.. Smells good in here!" I heard a cheerful voice speak from behind me. It was a familiar voice for sure but it wasn't Ashton I know that. I stood up straight, debating whether it was who I thought it was. I was afraid to turn around in a way but when I did, I regretted it that very second. Right in front of me stood a tall, dark haired figure behind the counter top with a navy blue t-shirt and black jeans. Of course, Jack.

"Oh hey! Chloe, right?" He lips curved into a playful smirk. He knows exactly who I am and the fact that he pretended to forget my name made me furious.

"It's Zoey." I corrected him. "And how did you even get in here?"

"It's called having a spare key." He spoke jiggling his keys out in front of him before putting them in his back pocket. He looked different, probably because there was more light and his eyes weren't red, angry and inflamed from my hairspray.

"What are you doing here anyways?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes at his presence.

"I'm here to pick you up, sweetheart. Stop pretending like you forgot." He spoke in annoyance.

Crap! I was so caught up on breakfast and then that thing Ash was telling me about that I actually did forget what we were suppose to do today. Great, I'm turning into my mother, forgetting the schedule.

"What makes you think I did?" I tried to play it off.

He looked up and down my body, arching an eyebrow at me as he finished to let out a raspy chuckle. "Where else would you be going so dressed up to this early in the morning? Weren't you complaining last night about jet lag?" He looked at me smiling as if he had a point and right about it.

God, I hate him so much already! And it's just the second day!

"Exactly." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, closing the fridge with anger clearly in the swing I shot it. "Don't move." I ordered. Moving out of the kitchen and down the hall to Ashton's room, I swung his door open.

Ashton jumped in startlement for he was grabbing something from his drawer. "What the fuck, Zo!"

I ignored him and moved into his room, closing the door shut before walking in closer to him. "I can't do this, Ash."

"What the hell are you talking about?" He stood up straight to look at me, closing his drawer afterwards.

"Your friend!" My eyes widened. "Jack!"

Ashton moved past me shaking his head and walking over to his dresser. "I already told you, Zo.. You have to."

"But I don't understand why?" I begged following after him. "I don't start college for another two weeks or so. I'm sure you don't work full time and every day."

That Jack guy is just too much for me to handle. I never had to handle with such a person and I'm not planning on starting now. We're complete polar opposites and people like that don't really get along. I love Ashton and all but I just think he's asking too much from me already, too much that I can't offer.

"Zoey, please, I'm not up for this. Just give him a chance." He replied looking at the dresser in front of him, not turning around to look at me.

"Can you go out there and explain that to him?" I crossed my arms.

He sighed, rolling his head back like a little kid. Thankfully, he was willing to help me out. Walking back out of his room, I followed behind him back over to the kitchen where I last left him.

"Jack!" Ashton called out, searching around the place.

My eyes widened when I saw Jack step out of the kitchen and in front of us holding some toast in his hand. Or to be more precise; my toast. The toast that was the only thing to eat in this house for breakfast, the toast that I'd searched endlessly around the kitchen to create.

"If you value your life, I suggest you put it down." I warned. Jack took another bite and chewed slowly, grinning at me when he swallowed. Before placing the toast down on the counter top, he took another large bite and crossed his arms over his chest. I continued to glare, ignoring Ashton's snigger, until he gulped down his final bite.

"Sorry, was that yours?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. I breathed out deeply through my nose and I looked at the ceiling in exasperation.

"I think we should distinguish some household rules." I started but he held his hand up, effectively silencing me.

"I don't." He cut in, looking back at Ashton besides me. "Dude, are you listening to this chick?"

This time I turned to Ashton as I noticed his silence became quite longer than suspected. He looked down at me with a sorry face. "Zo, you moved in with basically four guys, they're always here. We stick to no rules or manners and I don't think we want to start now.." He continued.

I stood looking up at him in, surprised at what he was telling me. I can't believe him. We're family and this is how he stands up for me? Nice. I gave up on answering after that, considering that the asshole even had m cousin on his side.

"Fine! Eat my toast, I don't care. But you're buying me breakfast." I retorted and went back to the kitchen to grab my bag before he could object. Although, I was pretty sure that he wasn't going to be buying me a bagel.

I heard my cousin wish Jack good luck which of course I found stupid but ignored it anyways and walked out of the house. Jack didn't say anything nor did he look at me. He did, however, hold the door open for me from his big vehicle, so that dulled the hatred a little bit. Well, until he started driving about two minutes after.

"What do you want to eat, Chloe?" He sighed, stopping the car by a small neighborhood stop light in which no cars were at except us at the moment.

"Again," I angrily turned my head over to him. "It's Zoey."

He laughed and I ignored. Why does he always do this? Seriously, it's annoying and it only makes him seem more stupid than he already is.

"Can we just go already before I decide to walk instead?" I scoffed, hoping he'll react with my response and get us moving but instead he offered something else.

"Okay." He shrugged his shoulders. "By all means, go walking."

I looked at him. A look of I-don't-care clearly noticeable on his face. It was becoming hard to tell if he was actually joking or not. In the end, being the stubborn person I am, I decided to walk out. Good thing we were at the stop light and I'm sure that a place to eat isn't so far away.

Slamming the car door shut behind me, I walked away from it and continued walking back to my right.

Jack's window from the passenger's side I was sitting on rolled down a few seconds later. I heard a whistle behind me and I looked over to my right, silently begging to myself for him to tell me to come back because I really had no idea where I was going.

"Other way." He called back. I tried to look as though I still had my dignity when I strolled in the opposite direction, feeling his eyes on me as I went.

This was a bad idea, I knew it from the beginning. Now, I could've just gone back to Ash's place but he probably already left and I still don't have a copy of the house keys so I'll be locked out. That seems pretty bad considering I'll be all alone again but this time without doing anything. At least walking will get me something and let me do some exploring on my own. I still wish I would've had someone to show me either way.

I got about three minutes down the very same road before I got to a cut off point where I had to chose another direction to walk in. The houses all seemed to loom over me, making it difficult to see what way I had to go. The streets were confusing and there were several alleys that led down to dead ends. I decided against trying any other alley roads incase I managed to get myself lost even deeper into the town.

30 seconds was probably about as long as I lasted before I fished into my bag to pull out my phone and call Ashton, accusing Jack for ditching me on the side of the road. Ashton didn't seem fussed at all, just recommended Google Maps before signing off the phone call to go to work.

Now I was screwed.

I followed Ash's instructions and opened the app. The service here sucked, I need to get to a place where there isn't so much trees. Then again, I am in Omaha so there's a nice plot twist.. They're everywhere!

"Calling Mommy?" A voice from my left asked. I looked to the side and groaned at the familiar vehicle from before of my neglector.

"Ashton, actually." I muttered, I wasn't going to tell him I was in Google Maps to find a way out of this maze. Jack rolled his eyes and walked out of the car to walk over to the passengers side so that he can swing the door open for me.

"Close enough. Come on, get in." He replied. I went on to lock my phone and put it back in my bag.

"You're an ass." I hissed and he chuckled, turning back to glance at the road for a moment before looking back at me.

"I know. Now hurry up." He smiled then went back to being serious. I think that's the first time I actually saw him smile, and it wasn't that bad.

I climbed on. Slamming the door shut again, this time using less force than before, I pulled on the seat belt. Jack's voice brought me back to look at him moments after he climbed on.

"And next time I tell you something.." He continued, "Don't take it so seriously." He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. This guy is something alright, something I can't stand. And I know I acted a little dramatic but it was only because that's how I get some times around people. Either way, I'm glad he turned around and came back for me.