It was a nice peaceful Saturday afternoon. School starts on Monday, and I can't wait to be a sophomore. It was around noon and I was home alone. Then a moving van pulled in the driveway to the house next door. I went outside to meet them, and see if they need help moving in. As I walked up to the fence I saw that there was a guy my age with baby blue eyes and light brown hair, a girl a year older with orange hair with yellow tips and baby blue eyes like the guys, and an older guy who I guess is their dad. "Excuse me, but I'm your next-door neighbor, and I was wondering if you need any help getting settled in," I said with a smile.

"If you're going to be the one helping us then absolutely. The names Luke by the way," the guy my age smirked.

"Luke! Anyway the help would be awesome. My name is Casady, and we are going to be the best of friends," the girl said.

"Great! my name is Jenny by the way. Is it okay if I come over to help, sir?" I asked their dad.

"Sure, but please call me Haden," their dad said.

"Okay, let me grab my shoes and my phone, and I'll be right over," I said and rushed back inside. I quickly slipped on my black converse and grabbed my phone. I went over to Luke, Casady, and Haden's house. I knocked on the door and to my surprise, Luke answered. "Hey cutie, back already? Guess you couldn't get enough of the Luke, huh," he smirked

"O-Oh n-no I w-was j-just c-coming over t-to h-help," I stuttered and blushed.

"I know, I just felt like hitting on you," Luke said.

"Why would you do that?" I questioned

"Because you're cute. Anyway come in we just got every box in here, and started to unpack," he said. He stepped to the side to let me enter the house. When I entered the house Casady came running​ down the stairs, grabbed my hand, and pulled me upstairs, literally. She leads me to a box and signed for me to help her unpack it. "So, do you like my brother, Luke?" Casady asked.

"What n-no I-I just m-met him," I stuttered.

"Okay, let me rephrase the question. Do you think Luke is hot?" Casady asked.

"Well u-um, yeah maybe just a little bit," I blushed.

"Awe, but I wouldn't fall for him if I were you. He is a really big casanova," Casady warned.

"Yeah I noticed, but I kinda... sorta... have a really big thing for casanovas," I blushed.

"Oh well then, I ship you and Luke together," Casady squealed. This made me blush even more than before. We continued unpacking Casady's room.

When we were done unpacking I took out my phone and checked the time. The clock read 3:35 pm. "Dang, my dad's going to kill me. I have to go," I told Casady.

"Do you have to? I mean you could stay for dinner," Casady offered.

"No, I really have to go, sorry. Here is my number text me later," I said handing her a piece of paper. I hurried down the stairs to the front door. I was going to open the door when I felt someone grab my wrist. "Are you leaving so soon? And without giving me my goodbye kiss?" Luke asked with a smirk.

"Yes, now let me go unless you wanna find me dead," I yelled freaking out.

"Well I wouldn't want that," he said as he kissed my cheek and let me go. I ran out the door and jumped the fence. When I got to the front door I opened it slowly to not make a noise, once I got inside I shut the door slowly not making a peep. "Jenny, where have you been," my father growled.

" I was helping the next-door neighbors move in," I answered honestly. 

"Oh really? Then what are their names," my father barked.

"No matter what I say he is going to 'punish' me," I thought.

"I'm waiting," he said agitated.

"C-Casady, L-Luke, and H-Haden," I stuttered.

"You were with a boy! Don't try to lie to me ! To your room now! I'll deal with you later!" he yelled. 

I went up to my room, and got a text from Casady. "Perfect timing," I thought.

I texted her asking if I could stay at her house until Monday. She texted back almost instantly saying that I could. I grabbed my bookbag, phone charger, school uniform, and an outfit for tomorrow. I opened my window and climbed onto the roof, then jumped to the ground.

I walked up to the door and knocked on it. Haden opened the door and motioned me to enter the house. "Hey Jenny, welcome back," Haden smiled.

"C-Can I talk to you, Casady, and Luke?" I asked with fear in my eyes.

"Yeah, hold on and I will go get them," He said going to go and find, Luke and Casady.

A couple of minutes later Haden cane back with Luke and Casady. We went to the living room and sat on the couches. Luke and I were on one couch and Casady and Haden were on the other. "What did you need to talk to all of us for?" Casady asked.

"I need to ask you guys something," I said.

"What is it?" Haden asked.

"If a guy with brown hair, blue-ish gray eyes, that is around 5 foot 10 inches comes looking for me, can you guys tell him I'm not here?" I asked with more fear in my eyes than before.

"Why do you not want him to know where you are?" Haden asked concerned.

"B-Because h-he w-want's t-t-to hurt m-me," I started to cry.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Jenny," Luke said hugging me as I cried onto his shoulder.

"Neither will we," Casady and Haden said at the same time.

"So my question is, why did you come here for protection?" Luke asked," You just met us, how did you know that we would help protect you?"

"well you were the closest to me and my only friends, so I just kinda hoped that you would help me," I said.

"You can come over anytime. Even during the school week," Haden said.

"Thanks, but I should be out of your hair by Monday after school," I said.

"Leave whenever you want, Babe. I'm here if you need anything," Luke smirked.

"Call me 'Babe' one more time and you won't be," I stated.

"Ha, you go girl! Luke, she is off-limits until Monday," Casady laughed then pulled me up the stairs. When we got up to the top there was a knock on the door.

 "I'll get it," Luke yelled as he opened the door.

"Oh, hello sir how may I help you?" Luke asked what looked to be my father. Luke was signaling me to go hide. "Where is she," my father growled.

"Who, sir? The only she here is my sister," Luke lied.

"Jenny, my daughter, where is she!" my father yelled.

"Sir, she isn't here! Now, you're going to need to leave or I'm going to have to call the cops!" Luke snapped.

"Fine, but you are too stay away from her," my father started, and with that, he left.

"Jenny, cutie, we need to talk," Luke said. I slowly walked downstairs with my head hanging. Casady and Haden joined me and Luke in the living room. "Why did the guy you told us to protect you from saying that he is you, dad?" Luke asked with worry in his eyes.

"Because he is," I started crying, "I'm sorry for not telling you, and if you don't want me here I'll leave."

"No, don't leave we just need to know what you meant by 'hurt you' earlier," Casady said.

"He....he," I cried even harder.

"Sh, it's okay you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to," Luke said hugging me tightly. We sat like that for a while when I felt myself drifting off to sleep. I heard someone say that we should go to bed. Then I fell someone pick me up bridal style. I soon fell into a deep slumber.

The next morning I woke up in an unfamiliar room. The room smelled like Luke, but he wasn't here when I woke up. I walked downstairs to the living room to find Luke sleeping on the couch. I went to the kitchen and grab some paper and a pen.

Dear Haden,
         I don't want to worry you, so I wrote you a note. I went to the park, so don't worry I didn't get kidnapped. Casady has my number if you need to get a hold of me.
Yours,
            Jenny
            P.S. Luke you didn't have to sleep on the couch. I would have slept there so you had your bed.

After I wrote the note I grabbed my phone and my shoes. I headed towards the park. As I was walking to the park I bumped into a guy my age. He had diamond blue eyes and sandy blond hair. "I'm so sorry I wasn't watching where I was going," I apologized.

"No, I apologize it was my fault," The man said.

"Well, my name is Jenny, and you are?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm Gabe! My brothers and I are going to the park. Do you want to join?" Gabe asked.

"Yeah, I was heading there anyway," I said.

"Great! Let's go meet my brothers," Gabe said.

"Okay," I said. 

Gabe and I went to the park. When we got to the park we walked up to two other guys. One had brown hair and green eyes and the other guy had black hair covering his left eye and ice-blue eyes. "Hey guys, I want you to meet someone. Jenny this is Victor," he pointed to the brown-haired guy, "and this is Zane," he pointed to the guy with the black hair, "guys this is Jenny," Gabe said.

"Hey guys," I said.

"Hi Jenny," Victor said.

"Ugh, stay away from me you girl-woman-thing," Zane scoffed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," I started to turn towards Gabe.

"No, you didn't do anything. I'm sorry," Zane said.

"You're forgiven," I replied. Just then I got a call from an unknown number.

"Sorry I have to take this," I said, "Hello?"

"Hey Jenny, it's Luke. Where are you at?" Luke asked concerned.

"Boo, calm down. I'm at the park with Gabe, Zane, and Victor," I laughed.

"Okay Love, I'll be there in a couple of minutes," Luke joked.

"Alrighty. See you when you get here," I started laughing.

"See you when I get there," he said laughing. Then he hung up.

"So, who was that?" Gabe asked rubbing the back of his neck.

"By the sound of it, it was her boyfriend," Zane laughed.

"Awe, look she's blushing," Victor cooed.

"S-so it w-was your boyfriend?" Gabe asked.

"No no no no no! He is just a friend. As of right now, I am a single pringle with a dark past that very few know about," I said.

"Well why do we change the part about you being a single pringle?" someone laughed from behind me. I turned around.

"Luke! That was fast! What did you do, run here?" I yelled.

"Well yes actually, I did run here," Luke smiled.

"Ugh, why though? I told you I was with people," I sighed.

"I know, but I was still worried about you," Luke hugged me.

"It's okay, I understand your concern, but I don't need a guard dog," I hugged back.

"Says the girl who came to my house for protection," Luke smirked.

"Fair point," I smiled.

"I hate to ruin this thing you guys have going on, but we are still confused. Who is this exactly?" Victor said. 

"Oh yeah, Luke this is Gabe, Zane, and Victor," I said pointing to each person as I said their name, "Guys this is Luke, the guy I was on the phone with."

"Oh," All three guys said in unison.

"Yup!" I said.

"Well it was nice to meet you Luke, and might I say you got friend-zoned by a wonderful lady," Gabe said.

"For now, I've been friend-zoned by a wonderful lady for now," Luke smirked.

"Yeah, keep dreaming," I stated. After I said that my phone went off.

"That was Casady we have to go," I said.

"Well here is my number text me if you ever want to hang out," Gabe said.

"Okay, well Luke and I have to go like now!" I practically yelled.

"Yeah, let's go," Luke said. We raced to Luke's house because Casady made it sound urgent. When we got to his house there were cop cars sitting outside. I went up to the front door and opened it with Luke slowly following behind me. As we entered we heard voices coming from the living room, so we hurried to the living room. We saw Casady and Haden sitting on one couch with an officer beside them. Luke and I walked over to the other couch where there was another officer, and we took a seat next to the officer.

"Dad, what's going on?" Luke asked.

"These nice police officers are just asking about Mr. Goodwin," Haden said.

"They are also looking for Mr. Goodwin's daughter," Casady said giving me a look telling me not to give myself away.

"Can I use you as a cover?" I whispered into Luke's ear.

"Yeah, anything you need," Luke whispered in my ear and smiled.

"Why are you looking for me, and what do you want to know about my father?" I asked completely ignoring Casady's look.

"Are you Jenny Goodwin?" the officer across me asked.

"I am she,"

 "Hi! I'm Officer Andrew and this is my partner Officer Rebecca," Officer Andrew said pointing to the officer that was beside me.

"Hello. Now, why are you looking for me and what do you want to know about my father?" I asked again.

"Well first off, where were you before you and that boy got here?" Officer Andrew asked.

I looked at Luke and grabbed his hand, and said, "I was at the park with my boyfriend and some other friends."

"Is this true?" Officer Rebecca asked Luke.

"Yes ma'am," Luke said intertwining our fingers together.

"Okay, so we were looking for you because Robert Goodwin filed a missing persons report for you," Officer Andrew said. When he said my fathers name I flinched a little.

"Jenny, honey, can I talk to you alone please?" Officer Rebecca asked.

"Yeah, sure," I said.