Fatal Friendships

The rain fell down in a slow patter on the windshield, Greyson just stared out the window in a blank state, her earphones were in and her mind was blank ...well except for the fact that she forgot to change the mailing address on her delivery for her and Jace's GameInformer magazine and TurtleBeach headphones they ordered online last week.

Crap, she thought acidly, it was going to be a pain in the ass to change the address. Oh well, hopefully their old neighbor would look into it for her, fingers crossed. But if not, then she would have to call Ceceilla and remind her.

"We're here!" Denise, the mother, smiled to her brood of teenage children. All aging from 18 to 7; there was the eldest and level-headed one, Jace; the twins Benji and Allison, academic and cynical Greyson and the baby of the family Jeremy.

"I love it, now I can invite friends over without feeling embarrassed." Allie sniffed, she was battling the flu, because of her they had to delay the move by a week. Her twin, Benji rolled his eyes and grabbed his backpack. His sister was a little too much sometimes.

"At least now Allie won't be hogging the bathroom anymore." Jeremy muttered unbuckling his seatbelt. "She takes longer than Grey."

"I do not!"

"Do too."

"Guys, come on, you better cool it. Sabina won't be able to handle that kind of hostility." Jace snapped, he glared at Allie, "New place, new start, don't ruin it for anyone."

Allie scoffed and rolled her eyes. Everyone in the family knew Allie had the tendency to cause trouble when she felt that she wasn't getting her way in certain situations. After the party incident when Benji and Allie were left in charge of Jeremy three months ago, Jace convinced his parents it was time to put his sister on a short leash.

"Fine," she muttered walking behind her mom in a haughty nature.

Jace sighed, how did she become a handful? His gaze went to his other sister, Greyson, she just shrugged and pulled the hood of her jacket up. He was glad she was different - maybe it had to do with when he may have accidentally dropped her when she was a baby.

"This place better be different for us, or else Im headed back to Phoenix to move in with Uncle Saul," Jace muttered carrying in the suitcases of clothes but left Allie's in the van on purpose. He was tired of Allie's attitude.

"O ye of little faith, for once, just trust me on this, it will be better fo all of us." his father sighed in a tired voice. He had an inkling his eldest was on the verge of going his own way and that terrified Dyson McGregor, when he was eighteen, he was alone, frieghtened and was kicked out of his house before Aunt Sabina took him in.

"Jace is a skeptic dad, you know that, he has to see results before his full faith is put into something. Even I'm like that but I know this is what we needed," Fifteen year old Greyson interrupted, placing her earphones in her jacket pocket with her ipod.

The change of address was good for them, they needed it, Greyson thought with a smile before following his family inside the house, she had a feeling it was going to be good for them which normally she was skeptical about stuff.

And speaking of the address, Greyson thought with a smile while holding her cat Turtletaub's carrier, she went for a cruise last week with her dad and brothers to the new house, Aunt Sabina's house. It was nice, as in cookie-cutter mansion-style nice on the outside but major badass on the inside; it had a lot of space - a 3.2 acre backyard, three bathrooms something she personally sighed in relief for (no more fighting with hr brothers in the morning), eight bedrooms (she got her own; a definite plus), a big kitchen (snacks galore!) and a basement (gaming room!). The move was going in their favor, her parents didn't really have to go house hunting, and there was a ton of space. Their old house, the one Greyson's lived in since she was a baby, was small, has been for the last seven years after Jeremy was born.

It wasn't just the fact that the family grew, they had to move because Greyson's aunt Sabina was sick and she needed someone to look after her, she had Luekemia. No one in her immediate family really wanted to look after her, so Greyson's dad offered. He was a former Marine, a supervisor at a construction site in Phoenix; she understood why he offered, as did the whole family. Plus Aunt Sabina was the one who took her dad in after his parents kicked him out for being too rebellous.

"Hey Grey, what do you say you and mom do a grocery run after the movers place the stuff inside?" her dad asked when everyone of the family went inside to explore, "I'm sure your brothers are going to hungry and there's not the normal food we eat in the kitchen."

Greyson grimaced, "Do I have to? Why can't Allie go with her? I'm sure she would be happy to tag along, besides I want to see Sabina after Im done packing."

Dyson McGregor chuckled at his youngest daughter, she was the thoughtful one, the rebel with a cause - his mini-me, "Allie won't be going because if she goes, all she'll do is scope out the male population at her new school."

"Oh." Her head fell but she had to look back up and push her glasses back in place, her older sister was becoming the family menace - talking back, sneaking out, lying, smoking and just being a pain in ass to everyone. Greyson suggested bootcamp or a juvenile center but that idea was shut down instantly by her mom.

"I suggest you keep your jacket on. It's about to rain and Sabina tells me it gets pretty cold here especially in the evening time." he smiled before handing her a list of items he wanted her to get as well as thirty dollars.
* * *
The "squee-squee" sound from the window wipers was annoying, Greyson looked out onto the road, it's been twenty minutes and they still haven't reached the market place, the drive was uncomfortable and tense. Turned out Allie heard their mom tell Jace she was going to the store, and now she was sitting shot-gun with her earphones in her ears. Teenage attitude and all.

"Mom, how many cockroaches does it take to screw in a lighbulb?" Greyson asked.

"Ew, why would a group of roaches screw in a lightbulb? I would get the can of raid and spray them til they die." Allie muttered.

"I don't know sweetie, how many?" Denise asked with a strained smile.

"None, because they scatter once the light is on." Greyson smiled back.

"That's a stupid answer."

"It's called humor genius, if you didn't have a stick stuck up your ass you'd at least find it funny." Grey threw back at her sister cynically.

"You know what if weren't such a goody-goody, I-"

"Allie, now is not-"

"You mean, 'if I wasn't born you would've been the only girl and only one dad would pay attention to', right?" Greyson asked interrupting her mom, making Allie give her the death stare. This was the argument that has been going on for far too long between them.

"You know? You have such a big ego," Allie hissed, placing her earphones back in and flipping her hair - attitude.

"Grey?" Denise sighed, "You-"

"I'm fine. I'm not six anymore, her words don't hurt me." Grey shrugged. It was true nine years ago she would've cried but now it was normal and Greyson had a backbone, thanks to Jace and Benji, she could stand up to Allie. "Hey, let's try to find the country music station," she smiled at her mom, knowing the songs would drive Allie on the edge - she hated country music.

Denise smiled, "You are evil."

"Only when the time suits me," she smiled and Denise found a spot in the parking lot of the Farmer's Market. When all three got out, Allie ran inside, while Greyson pulled her hood up and told her mom to go in while she got the cart.

"I'm going to the feminine department," Allie mumbled, Greyson rolled her eyes, translation: make-up and boys.

Denise pulled out her list - the what's-for-dinner list. Grey pulled out her dad's list and saw the things he put and compared it with her mom's. His items were actually on mom's list, she laughed about that and just put it back in her back pocket. They got, penne pasta, bone-less chicken breasts, frozen carrots and peas, alfredo sauce, and parsely flakes for dinner. While the rest of the food was for snacks, including the Canada Dry soda that the fmaily loved. Finally, they made their way to the pet fod aisle, Greyson put a new chewing bone in the cart for Dax, their German Shepard, and a flea collar for Turtletuab the tortoiseshell designed tabby.

"Oh shoot, stay right here honey, I forgot the bag of sugar and tea bags." Denise muttered, rushing off.

"But ...Im sure there's tea back at the mansion - and you're gone." Greyson muttered, sighing, she turned to the 50 lb bag of dog food - pedigree, Dax's favorite. Bending her knees, gripping the bottom part of the bag, she began lifting when a strong handtapped her shoulder. Once she looked, she lost the grip of the bag and went crashing to the floor with it.

A choked off laugh escaped from his throat, "I'm sorry, are you ok?"

He was handsome to the core, sunny blonde hair, grass-green eyes, full lips, strong chin, angled cheek bones and a prou forehead. This guy was hot! Well, if he had shown up a little earlier, she wouldn't as annoyed as she was now. Greyson shook off her stumble, gripped his out-stretched hand and was pulled to her feet.

"I'm fine, fine," she muttered.

"I'm sorry, I just saw you attempting to lift the bag and thought you needed help." he apologized, "I-Here, let me."

Without a struggle, he swung the bag effortlessly into the cart. Facing her he smiled, "that was a pretty heavy bag for a girl to carry."

Greyson scoffed, "I could carry that without breaking a sweat, but thank you though."

He chuckled, "You're not from around here are you?"

"No," she crossed her arms, he was tall, athletic build - either a football player or basketball, maybe both, she couldn't tell not with him wearing the uniform of an employee.

"Are you just passing through? or visiting family?" he asked, he was curious - that made her laugh inwardly, Curious George is on the case.

"Family matters," she smiled and held a hand out to him, "Greyson McGregor."

"Nice name, I'm Logan Saunders." he shook it not like the way Jace or Benji would when they made a pact with her but like a gentleman - delicate and polite, "Isn't a late for a summer visit? It's certainly too early for a Thanksgiving visit too. I've never seen you around before."

She smiled at that, "My Aunt Sabina, Sabina Riverton."

"Ah, Mrs. Riverton, I like her. I usually tend to her garden on Saturday mornings. Nice lady, always gives me tea and cookies." he smiled warmly, "She's never mentioned a Greyson before. Just a 'Gary'."

"No she didn't," Greyson smiled, a little embarrassed, "That was me, when i was four I wanted to be named Gary."

"Really?" he laughed.

"I didn't think she would remember."

Logan laughed again, "Gary McGregor. Nice ring to it."

"Thanks, I-"

"I got raspberry tea I hope you don't mind, I know Benji hates it -Hello, may I help you?" Denise slowed her ramble when she spotted her daughter with an unknown boy. She was confused, wasn't Allie the one who reeled in the boys?

He chuckled, "Isn't that my line? Logan Saunders, employee, I was just helping your daughter with the bag of dog food ma'am."

"Oh?" Denise was confused again, normally Greyson had no problems carrying a 50 lb bag of dog food -ooooh, her mind clicked, he was being polite and thought Greyson needed help, "Oh. That was so sweet of you, thank you."

"It was no problem," he smiled warmly, "uh, may I direct you and your family to a few good resturaunts in town while you're visiting?"

"Visiting? Did Grey, tell you we were visiting? We've actually moved in with Aunt Sabina, surely you know Sabina Riverton." Denise answered with a little laugh.

Logan gave a surprised smile to both Denise and at Greyson, "Sorry, I was under the impression your family was only visiting."

"Don't look at me I didn't say anything about 'visiting', I just said 'family matters'." Greyson put her hands up in defense.

"Well, I hope you like it here in Colorado Springs."

"It's a little cold," Denise shivers. She inwardly admits that she likes this Logan kid and hopes a friendship starts between him and her daughter, god knows she needs a friend. All Greyson ever does is play video games with her brothers, fix the cars with Dyson, play fetch with Dax, curl up and read a book with Turtletaub, and research many topics online.

"Where did you move from?"

"Phoenix,"

"That explains the coldness." Logan laughs, he looks at Greyson. She nods confirming the location, "I have some family out there, it's a little too hot for me to enjoy."

"Mo-o-o-o-m! This place does not have - hi," All stops her whining when she spots Logan, instant attraction, "Who are you? I'm Allison McGregor."

Greyson nearly groaned and felt the air grow as cold as outside when her sister walked up to Logan, purposely bumping Grey off to the side.

"Cool it Allie, he might be taken," Greyson muttered as she walked by her sister, she remembered the last time Allie persued another girl's guy - it ended horribly with Allie getting her ass jumped.

"Well, it's about time we leave, I'm sure your father is waiting. And Aunt Sabina would like to see you girls, come on. It was nice meeting you." Denise called over her shoulder without saying his name otherwise her eldest daughter would obsess over it for months plus she heard the warning Greyson gave to Allie, she too remembered when they had to take Allie to the hospital for a fractured rib and sprained wrist.

Allie gave Denise the glare, but she gave a warning look back which usually got her daughter to get with the program before a public argument ensued. She did not want Logan to see the ugly side of the family, and by the looks Greyson gave Allie she didn't want anything to happen either.

"This sucks," Allie muttered following her sister but paused when the boy with the cute looks called out for her little sister.

"Greyson! Wait, look I'll-" but before Allie could hear what he was going to say, her mom pulled her away and directed them to the cash register to ring up their items.

When they got back in the car, Allie questioned her sister who he was but all Greyson did was shrug and said, "Some guy who works here." Dissatisfied by that, Allie decided her new favorite hang out would be the Farmer's Market. With a smile, she put her earphones in and ignored her family.

"He was a great boy, I'm glad you made a friend Grey. Normally I would advise you to stay away from boys, but with this one I see great potential." Denise told Greyson with a smirk.

"I don't think I made a friend, just an acquaintence. Plus, from his looks and charms, I'd say he was part of 'the In-Crowd', fat chance a friendship would strike. Like every other school in America, there are social statues, and Im sure back in the 80s even your high school had it." Greyson scoffed.

Denise gave her youngest daughter a confused look, "I sometimes wonder if one of your brothers dropped you as a baby."

Greyson smiles and nods, but knows Denise will only think her answer is a joke. So, she start's the car and heads on home, to their new home.