By the time I got home from the station, it was about five-thirty.  Most of my stuff was still in boxes since I had just moved in on Friday.  It had all been a pretty quick turn around.  I had interviewed for the job last Monday, found out I got the job Tuesday, and the station was willing to pay for my housing under a couple of rules.  To start, I needed to find the housing in the budget they gave me, and secondly, I had to pay for electric and water.  It was very nice of them, to say the least though.  Of course, it wasn't perfect.  There were a few things wrong like one of the cupboards in the kitchen that nearly fell off the hinges anytime I opened it. Similarly, the door to the hall bathroom was insanely squeaky. I also knew that one of the lights in the hall bathroom was busted but I had not gotten around to changing it.

It took a while to decide what I wanted for dinner. I knew that I could have made a salad, but I also wasn't that interested in salad, either. Glancing in my pantry, I decided on pasta, knowing it was a dish I could throw together quickly. Turning on my radio, I listened to the music that played, trying to think of ideas for my newsletter project as the pasta boiled and the sauce cooked. My goal was to have at least a basic outline of what I wanted to put together by tomorrow, especially since I knew Mr. Watson would probably want to know my ideas.

After a while, my dinner was ready, and I sat at the kitchen table, continuing to scribble down any possible thoughts I had. It was difficult to write and eat, but I somehow managed to do my best. However, a few minutes after I had finished eating, my phone rang. Getting up from the table, I walked into the kitchen, answering quickly.

"Maggie!" I heard the person on the other line greet. "I got your voicemail. I am so happy to hear that you moved back to Winter Haven, how have you been? How's college?"

"Donna!" I immediately started. "I've been well. I'm working here for the summer on a temporary placement at Dawn FM. I'll graduate in about a year from college, so it's going well. How are you? How are your kids?"

While I hadn't seen Donna in at least two years, I had called her at least once a week. We made sure to not lose touch, and she was probably one of my closest friends. Of course, I had a few other friends that I hadn't lost touch with as well, but Donna was the one who I really was excited to chat with and finally see.

"Okay, okay, okay," she laughed. "So Jules just turned three and Johnny is two. They're both doing well. Jules already speaks full sentences and Johnny can say some things but he's actually pretty good at expressing what he wants! He's doing this new things now where he really wants to help in the kitchen. His daddy isn't a fan of that but I think it's adorable."

"That sounds adorable. I am so happy that I can probably see you soon. Actually, speaking of which, when do you think we should get together? We can invite Debbie and Jackie."

"That's so true! Oh, I bet they'd want to bring their kids also. You tell me what days work for you and I'll put a little something together, how's that sound? I mean, if you aren't busy, I would be happy to have you come meet the kids right now! Or, at least meet Johnny for the first time since I know you've met Jules."

It wasn't too late. Actually, it was only six.  I knew if I got home around eight, Mr. Huntington would have only been on for about an hour. It would leave me at least two hours to write notes about him.  He was the only person I had nothing on, and while I had listened to his segment before, it was usually on late at night when I was studying so I never got the chance to truly listen to him.  Now that I worked at Dawn FM, I knew that it was my goal to listen to him as much as I could simply because I needed to be able to write my newsletter with insightful information about him.

"Okay, yes. I would love to come see you and your family. What's your address? I just need to write it down and look at a map real quick."

"Oh!" she laughed. "Well, you do know where Richard's is, right?"

"Of course. The grocery store?"

"Yes, exactly," Donna agreed. "So once you get to take Central Avenue West and then head South on 7th until you reach Caroll Avenue. I'm the cute yellow house and I'll be on the left."

"Okay, perfect! I'll write that down, and then I'll see you soon!"

"Yes, splendid! See you soon, Maggie!"

We said a goodbye before I hung up. Getting a map out from one of the cupboards, I quickly made sure I knew where I was going. Writing the directions down on a piece of paper, I double checked them on the map before I felt confident in them. Heading to my bedroom, I changed from my work clothes into something more casual. Slipping on a pair of denim shorts and a T-shirt, I then put on a pair of Converse before I made sure to grab my purse.

Once I was certain I had the directions in my hand, I headed out of the house, locking the front door behind me. It didn't take long to begin walking, and while it took me about ten minutes to get to Central Avenue, I couldn't help but reminisce in all the things that had happened when I was here before. All the times my ex and I had been on dates flooded my mind. All the times my friends and I had hung out downtown before we moved on to families, husbands, and school. I passed the movie theater, the popular diner, the grocery store. All of these cute little places that hadn't changed much in two years. Of course, two years wasn't a terribly long time, but after living in Orlando where things were constantly changing, I was almost pleased to be in my small hometown again. Almost all of my memories here were good, for the most part, and I was thankful to be back.

The trip only lasted about twenty minutes, but I wasn't in much of a rush to get to her house.  It wasn't too sticky out the way I had anticipated, and the weather was actually nice for an evening in the middle of May.  Walking up the driveway, I headed toward the front door, quickly knocking once I was in front of it.  There was a lot of shuffling around on the other side, and not much later the door was being pulled open. To my surprise, it was her husband. He was still in a button down and dress pants, Billy clearly just arriving home from his day at work. He smiled at and I found myself grinning when I noticed Johnny in his arms.

"Oh, aren't you just the cutest!" I gushed. "I'm good friends with your Mommy and Daddy!"

"Babe, Maggie's here!" Billy called over his shoulder before turning to me. "Long time no see, Maggie.  How have things been?"

"They've been pretty good!" I grinned.  "What about you?"

"Oh, you know," he chuckled.  "Just kids and work."

"Auntie Maggie!" I heard loudly, followed by tiny running footsteps. "Hi!"

Billy combed Jules' hair back once she stopped by his side, his hand resting on top of her head. Not much time passed before I was walking in the house, Billy shutting the door behind us. I picked Jules up, the small girl telling me I looked so pretty and that she loved my hair.

"I wish mine was curly!" she told me.  "Mine would look so pretty that way!"

"It looks nice and wavy," I told her, playing with a strand of her hair. "Maybe when you're older Mommy can curl it."

Jules grinned.  She continued to play with my hair as I held her, the small girl talking all about how she had a baby doll that had hair and she loved brushing it and doing different hairstyles.  It was cute to hear, and I continued to listen to Jules ramble on.  Or, that was until the little girl asked me to put her down the moment her mother came into the room.

"I'm so sorry.  The kids made a mess and I was trying to tidy up," she told me.

"No worries," I laughed.  "Would it really be a home if there weren't a couple of messes here and there?"

"I just felt bad.  It really was a mess," Donna continued.  "I know you've seen the house at a worse time, but still."

"Again, I'm really not worried," I assured her kindly.  "How are you?"

"Good, good. You look so good," Donna quickly praised. "I guess this is what twenty-one looks like when you haven't had kids, huh?"

"Donna, you look great," I scoffed. "I hope to look half as good as you when I have kids."

"Oh, please," she laughed.

"Dear, you do look good," Billy promised her sweetly. "I'm going to get changed and run a bath for the kids while you guys talk."

"Thank you, honey," she smiled, Billy pressing a kiss to her forehead and Johnny doing the same.

"Love you, Mommy," the little boy murmured.

"I love you, too."

Jules started singing the words "bath time, bath time" and I laughed to myself as soon as I watched her, Billy, and Johnny head toward the bathroom. Finally, it was just Donna and I to chat. Of course, I wouldn't have cared if the kids or Billy were nearby, but it was nice to be able to talk to my friend without any interruptions.

"I actually have a favor to ask you," Donna started. "You can totally say no. Billy just told me about it when he got home because he found out today about the event. I was wondering if you were free tomorrow evening to babysit the kids? If you can't, no worries at—"

"I'd be happy to," I quickly told her, not even hesitating with her request. "You two deserve a night of fun without the kids. It wouldn't be a problem in the slightest."

"Oh, you're truly my best friend," she sighed. "It is some work event, and they're having this fancy dinner. I just want to know why in the world is it on a Tuesday? Oh well. Anyway, tell me about your position!"

I didn't know where to start.  There was the part about me writing a newsletter for the station instead of doing little pesky tasks like getting everyone coffee the way I thought I would have to.  There was the tour with Harry today.  There was the mention of how I looked like a lot of the victims that were brought up.  So many things were running through my mind, so I decided I would have to tell her about all of it.

"Okay, to start, they really like me.  I thought I was going to do silly errands for them the way a usual temp would.  I mean, my teachers talk all about how getting a temp placement usually means that you just run errands.  However, Mr. Watson, my boss, wants me to write a weekly newsletter to fans.  Plus, the top one-hundred listeners get a signed copy."

"Oh, Maggie, that's so great!" Donna cheered softly.  "I am so happy to hear that they're giving you a real chance at this station.  Tell me all about your ideas!"

I went into detail about how I was taking notes on each radio personality so that I would get a better understanding of what their content was for a segment.  It would also allow me to make reasonable questions if I were to get the opportunity to talk to them.  Speaking to Dylan, Michael, and Harry probably wouldn't be that difficult since they were there in the timeframe that I was, but getting a moment with someone like Jack was probably going to be more difficult.

"Okay, so you're going to give like a weekly overview?" Donna asked.

"That, and then I am trying to think of fun interactions that the fans can have.  Like, a little thing to make sure more people are listening at certain times.  An incentive of sorts."

"Hmm, well, you could do something where they win the chance to speak to the personality for a certain amount of time. They get to ask any question they want. Something like that?"

It was a good idea. After all, I was almost positive that a lot of people would do anything to get onto Harry's segment, for example. He occasionally took calls from fans on the air, but it was very rarely. Not to mention that when he did, I was pretty positive they had been monitored and questioned before making it through to the actual radio show. I mean, it wasn't like they were just going to let anybody get through on the phone.

"Okay, so aside from the letter, what else did you do today?" Donna asked.

"Well, Harry gave me a tour of the building."

"Harry? Like the Harry Styles? Like, the guy I listen to in the morning when the kids are sleeping?"

It was funny to hear her asking me to clarify who I was talking about. I didn't know any other person named Harry Styles, and I certainly didn't know any other radio show hosts with that name. Nodding slowly, I could see her eyes widen almost immediately. It was obvious she wanted every single detail I could give her, her eyes saying it all.

"Well, don't be shy. How was it? Is he nice? Is his voice just as lovely in person? Oh my God, is he cute?"

It made me laugh. "He's certainly very nice to look at, if I'm being honest. I mean, the voice matches the face. He's twenty-five, handsome, and is kind of funny for the most part. He did point out that I look like the most recent girl that was killed around here, though, and I wasn't too thrilled with that."

"You look like the most recent victim?" Donna asked. "Why would he tell you that? Oh my God, I'm driving you home when you get finished here. You are not walking in the dark when you are a killer's exact type."

"I should be fine."

"I won't allow it!"

It was funny again. Donna always made such a big deal out of stuff, but I was appreciative of the fact that she wanted me to get home safely. My friend seemed to think over a few questions as I told her about the tour and recounted the funny moments I had with Harry. And, just when I was about to change the subject, she said something that made me instantly blush.

"Does he look like he's good in bed?" she questioned me quietly. "You know, like he'd know exactly what to do without you even asking?"

"Oh my goodness," I complained, hiding my face behind my hands for a few moments before I shook my head. "I don't know!"

"Oh, so he's like really hot, isn't he? You wouldn't get all nervous if he wasn't super hot."

"Donna," I complained again.

"What? I'm just asking you a serious question that I am quite interested about."

The two of us laughed and I said I was sure an attractive man like him knew what he was doing in bed.  It settled Donna's intense pestering, and I was thankful that we didn't have to talk about that anymore.  Not that I was bothered by it, per say, but I was still inexperienced in certain places that most of my friends were not when it came to being so-called "good in bed."

"Anyway, what day do you want to hang out with the girls?"

"I would probably prefer if we get together on the weekend. Why don't we hang out Friday night? I also would offer my house but there are a bunch of boxes all—"

"Oh no, honey," Donna laughed. "We certainly will not have it at yours. I don't want you to host when you haven't even moved in."

"Okay, fair.  I can assure you I will bake or cook whatever you'd like, though!"

"Oh, please make the cinnamon sugar bread!" she quickly said.  "What is it? Bubble loaf?"

"Oh, I know what you're talking about! Yes, I can definitely make that."

It made me laugh that she wanted that so badly, Donna telling me she hadn't had it in ages.  I didn't realize that my friend liked it so much, but then she went on to talk about how she could never make it right.  It normally turned out way too soupy, apparently, and it was never as good as when I made it for everyone.

"I can make it, I promise," I laughed.  "Anything else?"

"I don't think so.  Oh, actually, is there anything you need for your place?"

I thought about it for a moment then.  I had all of the basics.  I mean, I had sofas, beds, tables and chairs, but I didn't have cute accessories like curtains that I wanted for the living room or things of that nature.  They weren't important, but I wanted this house to feel like my home as much as possible.

"Do you know a place I can get curtains? I haven't had the chance to look, but my living room feels so cold without them.  I mean, there is just absolutely no character."

"Oh do I!" she giggled.  "I can check out Jo Ann's."

"I always forget about there.  That would be great if you checked it out."

"I'm also usually just at home with the kids.  I can pick up a couple patterns and then show you them.  When I'm finished I could put something together for you?"

"Donna, you don't have to do that!"

"I'd love to!"

It was very sweet of her.  Telling her again she didn't have to, Donna insisted, telling me she was usually bored and wanted something to do while she was at home, so this would be the perfect project for her.  It didn't take long for us to chat about what colors I liked, the two of us nearly finished when Johnny and Jules came to the living room dressed in pajamas.

"Say goodnight to mommy and then we're going to bed," Billy told the kids.

"Goodnight, mommyyyy," Jules quickly said, climbing onto the couch and hugging her mother tightly.  "Goodnight, Auntie Maggie!"

Jules came and hugged me, her arms wrapping around me tightly.  I hugged her, the small girl grinning at me.  It was followed by her hopping off the couch, walking over to her dad and holding her arms out.  He picked her up, Jules resting her head on his shoulder as Johnny finished hugging his mother.  However, I was surprised when he walked across the couch to me, a shy smile on his face.

"Maggie?" he asked.

"Yes, that's me! I get to come hang out with you and your sister tomorrow night.  Are you excited?"

He nodded.

"Yay! Goodnight, handsome boy."

He hugged me tightly, pointing at the ground when he pulled away from me.  I then helped him off of the couch, Billy crouching down to pick Johnny up as well.  Telling Billy I was probably going to leave, he said goodnight to me thanking me for watching the kids tomorrow.  At first, I didn't understand how he knew that if he had been in the other room when I agreed, but then I remembered I just told Johnny I would be hanging out with him tomorrow night.

"Let me grab the keys and we can leave," Donna told me.

Nodding, I stood up from the sofa, grabbing my bag.  It didn't take long for us to head out, Donna locking the front door behind us before she then unlocked the Ford Escort.  The two of us climbed into the car, leaving her to start the vehicle.

"So, do you think you'll get a car?" she asked.

"It's not high on my priorities."

"That's fair.  You can basically walk to everything here, so I get it."

Nodding, the two of us listened to the radio.  Jack Huntington was on, and I was thankful it sounded like he hadn't been on the air for very long.  Once Donna reached my house, she told me the outside looked adorable and she couldn't wait to come over when I had fully unpacked.  It wasn't long before I was thanking her for the ride,  Donna telling me she was going to wait until I was inside to leave.  Waving a goodbye, I walked up to my front door, unlocking it.  After I had stepped inside, I waved to Donna, my friend waving to me before she began to drive away.  Shutting my door, I locked it, forgetting that I had left my radio on until I heard the station I had been listening to in the car filling up the space in my home.

After I changed into pajamas, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table, taking notes on Jack Huntington's segment.  I wanted to have as many details as possible for tomorrow, especially since I was hoping to begin writing the actual draft of the newsletter.  Then, once I was finished with the draft, I could try and speak to each of the radio personalities and ask if there was anything they'd want tweaked.  It sounded like a good plan to me, I just hoped that whatever I cooked up would be enough for Mr. Watson.