Mason held a bag of chilly chips and Liam held some chocolate.

"Hola!" I exclaim. Mason laughs, handing me the chips.

I open my arms and Mason hugs me. After he pulls away I hug Liam all the same. As we pull away, I feel him kiss me on my cheek. Causing me to blush.

"You look really nice" he says, his cheeks tinted a light pink. He wears a light blue baseball tee and jeans, while Mason wears a red flannel shirt with jeans. Both of them look heaps nice.

"Thank you! You guys look nice too!"

They smile. Liam passes me the box of chocolates and I take it all in my arms. I step inside.

"Okay guys, follow me!" I lead them into the lounge room, softly shutting the door behind me. I sniff around the air.

"Whats cooking?" Mason asks, sitting down on the sofa.

I raise an eyebrow. A lump in my throat forming.

"One sec." I say, sprinting into the kitchen. Just as I enter, the fire alarm goes on. I grab a tea towel and wave it over the alarm, clearing the smoke.

Chris looks at me and so does mom.

"was that Liam and Mason?" Mom asks. I nod.

"What happened?" I stand by the oven and look into it.

"Turns out Chris doesn't know how to cook either" Mom says, shrugging. I sigh.

"Pizza?"

"Pizza." she replies, grabbing the phone.

I walk back into the lounge room, both Mason and Liam are chatting.

"Is pizza okay with you guys? I ask, sitting down next to Liam. They nod.

"Is that a trick question?" Mason laughs. I shrug.

"Okay, so we're waiting on a couple of people but do you guys want to p-" I begin, but Mason reaches onto the coffee table and gasps.

"No way! You have Halo 5?" he squeals, like a girl.

I laugh.

"Yeah. Don't really play it much. Want to?" I ask.

Him and Liam both answer in unison.

"yes"

So by ten minutes time, the play station is set up with three remote controls and we're all racing against each other. Playing a one man for themselves good old battle game.

The doorbell rings and I stand up to go get it, gently setting my controller down.

"That's gotta be Ronnie, hold up boys"

I skip to the door tp answer it and see that its already been opened by mom. She leans against the frame, twirling her hair. I scrunch my face up, peeking at who she talks to. A tall man with broad shoulders and curly blonde hair stands at the door. I raise an eyebrow, stepping beside my mother and taking a good look at him.

"Jo, this is Newton" she says, lifting her chin up and putting an arm around me.

I smile at the man, even though I am completely confused on who he is, why he's here and why my mother is flirting with him.

"Newton. Hi."

"Jolie. I've heard so much about you" he says, his voice deep and sung in a strict monotone.

"I don't mean to be rude...but how?" I ask.

Moms face tints pink and she purses her lips, turning to face me.

"This is the guy I've been seeing" she whispers.

The colour runs out of my face and my shoulders sink. I laugh.

"Thats really funny mom. He's the pizza delivery man isn't he?" I ask. He chuckles.

"I'm afraid not," he holds up his hand to silence mom and reassure that hes got this in the bag. "We've been seeing each other since she moved to Beacon Hills. We decided it time I formally introduce myself to you" he holds out his hand.

I think about whether I do this. So many emotions were swimming in my mind. Though the emotion that stuck out the most, that jabbed at my side:

was sadness.

It all made sense that mom had been seeing a guy. She'd been dressing up nice and offering me rides to school because it was on her way to whatever place she had to go to. I blinked rapidly. Wow mom. I thought we told each other things. I thought that we stuck together. Because we'd both recently lost the main man in our lives. I thought it important to tell each other if we ever found a new one.

I also felt betrayed.

Dad had died so shortly ago. I missed him more than ever. How could mom be ready to move on so quick.

Why did she have to spring it on me like this?

So I plaster that friendly fake smile on my face and firmly shake Newtons hand.

Don't let your sadness show Jo. Don't let it slip through.

"Nice to meet you Newton" I smile at mom, who could probably read my emotion straight away. "Come on in. Pizza's coming shortly...because my mother doesn't know how to cook"

He chuckles. I step aside and the two of them walk in. Reaching for the knob, I slowly feel my heart drop. This wasn't fair. Not fair at all.

But just as I begin to walk away the doorbell rings and I swing back, opening it up.

Ronnie smiles from outside the door frame, wearing a light pink dress with heels. Her hair tousled in brown ringlets.

"Jo!" she grins, throwing her arms around me in a hug.

"Her Ronnie! Come on in!"

Together we walk into the lounge room where Liam and Mason have started another game of Halo. Whooping in triumph.

Liam turns around and says hello to Ronnie.

Mason does the same.

I sit down, sinking into the chair for a second and closing my eyes.

Just a few hours right? A few hours to stay strong.

And in walk the three adults. Newton with his arm over my mother and Chris standing behind. Mom carries in a cheesecake and a brownie- whooping excitedly as she places it on the coffee table. Chris puts down drinks and beverages.

"Waiting on a few more people. Work colleagues and their children- I invited Scott over too, some of his friends. But for now, lets have some cake shall we?" mom says. Everyone cheers.

I glance over to Newton and mom, looking really happy together.

The smile on moms face is genuine. Its enough to make me feel bad about being upset with her.

I pull my friends out into the backyard and turn up the music.

I laugh as Mason dances like a maniac, Ronnie and Liam joining. Everyone of them dancing like a fool on purpose. I laugh hard, tears almost escaping my eyes and some how, I let myself get dragged into the circle.

So soon enough, I'm dancing too.

A/N

Didn't proofread this chapter.

Sue me.