Like Chocolate Stars and the Sun

I glanced over my shoulder and after seeing the person who I am presuming the ball in my hands belonged to spun round so I was facing him completely. I pointed down at the ball in my hands.

"This ball?" I asked and smiled. The good-looking guy who was leaning with crossed arms against his side of the fence nodded and smiled back at me.

"Well I don't know, I was thinking of keeping it." He looked at me in confusion and I giggled and tossed the ball over to him. I headed towards the fence to introduce myself.

"I'm Francesca." I said as I mimicked his leaning position but on my side of the fence. This guys hair was a gorgeous brown and his eyes were a wonderful deep blue. You could just about swim in them. I really hoped he was my neighbour.

"I'm Jesse." The dark haired boy replied and stuck his hand over the fence. "But most people call me Jess. I take it your one of my new neighbours?"

"Yeah that's me." I laughed.

"Cool." Jesse smiled back at me. I'm not quite sure what it was about him, but he seemed like a really cool guy - and I had said no more then twenty words to him. "I love your accent by the way? Are you English." I nodded.

"Its cute." Jesse told me as he threw his ball over to a guy who happened to be walking in our direction. English accent cute? I wouldn't say that but still, its a compliment.

"Hey Jess." Called the boy whom Jess had passed the ball to. "Come on dude!" Jesse looked back at me and smiled.

"Well I better go before Tyler gets too stroppy. Talk to you later."

I waved and watched Jess walk over to who I am presuming is Tyler. Tyler had an essence of Jesse about him, from a distance you could tell they were some how related. After a few minutes I went back to where I had been sitting on the edge of my pool. I didn't bother listening to my ipod again, I knew if I did I would probably be interrupted again. Its just typically my luck.

After about five minutes of silence I lay down on my back with my feet still in the water. Sure the lower half of my body was on concrete and it was quite uncomfortable but I guessed I could live with it for ten minutes or so.

You know when you finally get comfy somewhere and the something comes along and gives you a reason to move. This came in the form of my mother. She came out of the house and informed me that we were going round to the Ashcrofts for dinner. I think she meant the head of my dads company's branch over here in the states house. She demanded that I move from my place next to the pool and go 'make myself look decent'.

Joy.

I don't know why she was making me get changed now. It was two a clock for heavens sake. Who has dinner at this time? Unless my mum is trying to imply I need a lot of time to get myself looking ok. Which she better not be, or else I will not be happy.

After half an hour I was ready. I had picked out a long yellow top and my favorite denim skirt. Simple, I know but I did not want to go over the top just to meet some people I didn't even know.

But then there's that whole first impressions thing.

Oh well I am sure my sparkling personality is more important then what I'm wearing. Right?

When I had finished my make-up and sorting out my hair I came downstairs, my brother was listening to his iPod in the kitchen. He was still wearing the same thing he had worn on the plane. Why did I have to get changed and he didn't? I pulled out one of his earphones and put it in my ear.

“Eww. Bad music bro.” I laughed when I heard some random dance song I had never heard before blasting into my ears. “How come you haven't gotten changed yet.”

"Because I don't need to.” Came Brandon's reply.

"What? Your wearing your scruffy jogging bottoms!”

"Yeah I'm going to change them before we go.”

"Do you know when that is?”

"Four.”

My mouth dropped open.

"Frankie, stop catching flies.” I clamped my mouth shut and crossed my arms.

"If were going at four then why did mum demand me to get changed now?” I asked while trying to figure out the answer for myself as well. Brandon shrugged his shoulders and looked at his iPod. I walked out of the French doors connecting the kitchen and the garden and sat down on the sun lounger I had been sat on earlier.

"Back again are we?” Jesse was stood at the fence smiling at me.

“Oh hey Jesse.” I got up off the sun lounger and walked over to the fence. “Have you lost your ball again?”

“Nope, Tyler went so I'm bored.”

“So you were waiting for me to come back outside?” If he answered yes that would be pretty weird.

“No, I just heard your flip flops and I thought I would annoy you for a bit.” Jesse flicked some hair out his eyes and smiled.

“So how long have you lived in California?” I know its not the best question to ask when talking to a cute guy but it was the only thing that I could think of that would stop me staring at him like a fool.

“About three years. Moved here from New York.”

“I love New York. Especially at Christmas. Why would you move?” I laughed.

“My dad lost his job and my uncle offered him a job at his company.” Jesse shrugged. “I know what you mean though. Christmas is the best time of the year.”

“I had to move here because of my dads job as well.” I explained. “I didn't want to come at first, but I think I can live with it.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“The weather. So much better then rainy England.” I laughed.

“I've always wanted to go there. England I mean.” Jesse pushed himself up with his arms so he could sit on the fence. I was shocked he could do that without being in serious pain. The fence was thinner then the width of my finger after all.

“Well if you do, pack your waterproofs.” I looked up at him seen as though he was taller then me now. He was to begin with but he had to go and make it obvious.

“So which part of England are you from?”

“All over really. We have moved a lot. The first place I can remember living though is Scarborough, so you could say I'm from there.” Wow. That sounded cool. Not.

“Oh really. Sounds nice.”

“Yeah I suppose, but if you are going to go to England I would go to London. Its nice there.” I smiled and brushed my brown hair out of my eyes. Its a really bad habit that I need to stop.

“So do you know what school your going to yet?” Crap I had forgotten about school. I wonder when school starts again for autumn here?

“I don't have a clue to be honest.” I answered. “My dads sorted it all out. My brother is annoyed that he is going to have to start going to school again. We finish high school earlier then you do over here.”

“How old is he?” Jesse asked.

“Sixteen, seventeen in June.” I replied. This was getting a bit like Twenty Questions now.

“How about you?”

“Sixteen in October. You seem to be asking a lot of questions.” I laughed.

“Well you didn't have to answer them.” Jesse laughed back. “Why don't you ask me some if your so bothered.”

“Fine then. How old are you?”

“Woah pushing the boat out there.” I lightly smacked him on the arm. “I'm seventeen in October. So you brother will be in my year at school, that is if you come to my school.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“You could say that... I think.” Jesse stopped looking at me and seemed to be fascinated with his feet. I smiled a half smile to no one in particular and thought of another question to ask Jesse. Just as I was about to open my mouth to ask him a pathetic excuse of a question my brother popped his head round the sliding patio door.

“Frankie mum wants you.” Brandon looked over at me, then gave Jesse a once over and ducked his head back inside.

“Introducing my brother.” I laughed holding my hands up like a magicians assistant. “I better go.”

“Okay Frankie.” Jesse smiled and jumped down from the fence. “I better go as well, going to my uncles for dinner tonight.”

“My dads going to meet his new boss tonight.” I thought I would add. “My mums probably going to force me to change once again.” I smiled and waved at Jesse as I walked backwards slowly.

“Later Francesca.”

I waved and headed inside. My brother was sat listening to his ipod again, but as soon as he saw me he pulled his earphones out.

“Who was that guy you were talking to?” Way to cut to the chase Brandon.

“Our neighbour.” I muttered as I searched through the cupboards looking to see if anyone had unpacked any glasses yet. No such luck.

“If your looking for glasses we don't have any.” Brandon informed me. “Dads getting some tomorrow. Along with all our other dinnerware and whatnot.”

“Gee, thanks for telling me after I had looked through all the cupboards” I sighed and sat down next to my big brother, his ipod still playing lame dance music. “What did mum want anyway.”

“She wanted to see what you were wearing.” Oh what a surprise.

“Can I not dress myself or something?” I asked. My brother just shrugged. What a lot of help he was. I went into the hallway and called mum. Turned out my mother was upstairs.

“Hello mum.” I smiled as I burst in through the door.

“Hello.”

“Brandon said you wanted me.”

“Oh I want you to be on your best behavior tonight, No 'sarky' comments young lady.” Me sarcastic... never.

--

My dads new boss's house was not too far from our own. It looked quite similar to ours except it had a garage attached to the side of the house. We didn't have one of those. We walked up the drive and were all of a sudden greeted by a cheerful looking brown haired boy.

Wait a minute...

It turned out Jesse's uncle was my dads new boss, so that meant that Tyler was Jesse's cousin. And that also meant that Tyler would be having dinner with us tonight. How lovely.

“Are you the girl Jess was talking to earlier?” Tyler asked me. I noticed he had managed to find his way to my side after being introduced to my parents and my brother.

“Yes. I'm Francesca.” I turned to face him. You know what I said earlier, that he had an essence of Jesse about him? Yeah well his almost a split image of him, except he has lighter brown hair and sea green eyes.

“Tyler. So you dads working for mine.”

“Yeah he is. Moved the whole family out here just for the job.”

“I did guess you were from round here. I love your accent.”

“Jesse said that to me earlier.” I giggled and patted him on the shoulder. “I love your accent too.”

“Now, now, now there is no need to sarcastic.” Tyler laughed back and rolled his eyes. “Now, England. Nice?”