When you a ghetto star, when you a hood star, you gonna take care of your grandmother, your mother. When you on that next level, you gotta take care of the city, the streets.

-Young Jeezy

"Avan, baby, come in th' kitchen." The voice that belonged to the boy's ninety one year old grandmother barely made way to the air in the living room where he sat.

Still, he smiled and quickly got to his feet, jogging towards the kitchen then poking his head through the open-way.

"Yes, ma'am?" He grinned as the woman jumped out of surprise, narrowing her eyes playfully at the younger boy.

"Boy, you done spooked me."

"Sorry, Nana. What's up?" Avan apologized, fully entering the kitchen then hopping onto the counter.

The older woman gave him a look then shook her head, not even fixing her mouth to tell him to get down because he's only bound to do it again.

Instead she walked pass him and lightly smacked his knee, the action causing him to chuckle.

He loved living with his grandmother.

It was something he planned to do, go back to the hood and care for his nana.

His mother argued that it was far too much responsibility but Avan knew otherwise.

When he came into a little money and saved up enough, he made sure to return to tend to the older woman.

He wasn't going to allow the brittle, frail woman to be on her own any longer in the area where she lived.

So, now at eighteen, on the brim of senior year, and growing facial hair, the boy was happy he made that decision a little over a year ago.

"Y'know them folk moved out next door. Ms. Jenkins and her fine husband." The older woman bounced her brow, smirking as she thought about the older man. Avan made a face in disgust and shook his head. He turned to face the woman at the stove.

"Nana--ew, please--can you not do that?" The boy had trouble finding his words due to the mental image of anything going down between his grandmother and a man half her age.

The older woman only giggled and waved dismissively at her grandson.

"It don't matter now, sugah, he gone." She said almost sadly, making the boy shake his head. He blinked a few times before clearing his throat and raising his brows.

"So..." He said, hoping she'd get to the point of why he had to come to the kitchen in the first place.

The elderly woman tilted her head, forgetting why she called the boy in for a moment before snapping her finger and opening the oven.

"That's right," She said to herself, pulling out what seemed to be her infamous green bean casserole. Avan's mouth watered at the smell, hopping off the counter and taking the aluminum tray from the woman's hands. "That's for--"

"Me?" Avan interrupted the older woman, a hopeful grin on his face.

Nana placed her hand on her hip. "Excuse you, mister, that's one. And two, no it ain't for your greedy behind." The woman snatched the tray from his hands, playfully, and placed it on the counter next to him.

Avan couldn't help but chuckle, placing his hands up in surrender.

She continued. "It's a hospitality meal for our new neighbors."

The boy furrowed his brows in confusion, mostly because she's never done this before.

Given, Ms. Jenkins didn't like the way Nana was staring at her man so he's sure that had something to do with it.

But, second, she didn't really expect him to go and give them that...did she?

Avan was pretty to himself and from what he's seen...the neighbors are boujie.

Something the boy loathed, stuck up people.

In this neighborhood, there was no room for persons with their nose in the air.

Those people usually get robbed just for being annoying.

Avan opened his mouth to protest and hopefully get the woman to change her mind but she shook her head, handing over the warm tray.

"Don't give me no lip, boy. Go on and be neighborly." She patted his shoulder and pointed towards the door.

Avan knew better than to open his mouth, dropping his head, his long curls grazing the foil atop of the homemade meal.

He could feel it in his bones that something wasn't going to go right.

And that's just based off the fact that he's awkward with people, but those said people being the rich next door neighbors was just a bonus.

Yet, the boy started his trek, passing his grandmother with a smile then finally reaching for his snap back before the front door.

The sun greeted him with its rays, seeping through the spaces of the trees and hitting his face. He squinted as he crossed over his lawn, his eyes set on the, now two sets of expensive cars parked bumper to back bumper.

Avan chuckled lightly, carefully stepping around the newly placed flowers that created a barrier between their lawns.

Like putting perfume on a pig, he thought.

He made it up the few steps, ones resembling his grandmother's, taking a moment to breathe before knocking on the door, gently.

The boy took a step back and glanced over his shoulder, catching the neighborhood plug, Louis, or as everyone calls him, 'Tommo', finishing a deal from the opposite sidewalk.

The dealer's blue ones met Avan's browns and he smirked, giving off a nod as a greeting, one the long haired boy reciprocated.

A jingle of the doorknob broke his attention, causing him to whip back around towards the door. He swallowed as it peeled backwards and he was greeted by the suit and tie butler.

"Good morning, sir. How may I help you?" The older white man greeted, politely sizing the boy before offering a smile.

Avan raised his brows, not used to being called anything but his name, clearing his throat and raising the tray in his hands a bit higher.

"I, uh, my grandmother made this for--" His words fell as he was interrupted by a voice. A very feminine voice. A smooth voice.

"Jefferey, who are you talking to?"

Avan angled his head to see who it was and jerked back a bit when he saw that pretty girl from a few days back.

The one with the silky, dark hair that's now in a bob/bangs combo, a silky robe over her body, and fuzzy slippers on her feet.

There she was, an uncertain look on her face, probably wondering why he was just standing and holding a tray of food at her doorstep.

"This gentleman--" The older man paused when she threw her hand up.

The girl furrowed her brows then popped them upwards as if she figured something out.

"It's about time they've come." She said before grabbing Avan's arm and pulling him inside, and completely catching him off-guard.

"Um--"

"I called in for my delivery to be in yesterday but I'll excuse it since you probably had a hard time in this neighborhood." The girl continued, tying the robe securely around her small waist. Avan wouldve probably gave that some attention had it not been for his complete state of shock.

Avan shook his head, taking a step closer to the girl since she stepped into the kitchen, the kitchen that's being renovated from what he could see.

"What--"

"You talk a lot. Just leave my delivery and go." She waved a dismissive hand at the boy, opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of orange juice.

"I'm not delivering anything to you." Avan outburst, causing her to stiffen before turning with a slam of the fridge door.

"Excuse me?" She raised a brow as if she was completely offended...which she was. "Well, my father will be quick to let your company--"

"No, I don't work--I'm not working--oh my gosh." Avan sighed in frustration, settling the tray on the wooden island, and removing his cap to run his hands through his hair.

Instantly, the girl's eyebrows raised, realization causing her to nearly drop her orange juce.

"Is everything alright, Madam Hamilton?" The butler questioned, stepping into the kitchen area.

"I'm not some delivery boy, I'm A.V, I live next door. I'm delivering something, yeah, but it ain't because you told me to." Avan made clear, speeding through his words just in case she interrupted him again, looking between the girl and her butler.

She had some nerve, he thought.

Of course she'd suspect he's some kind of delivery boy before thinking he's someone else because that's the mindset of those kind of people.

It's about and for themselves before anything else.

The girl had recognized him once he removed his snap back, embarrassment taking over her body and causing her to nod then clear her throat.

"Okay, how can I help you, A.V.?" His neighbor asked, nodding the butler away, which he promptly did. The boy followed him with his eyes then brought his browns back to the girl.

Avan glanced at the tray, causing the girl to look in its direction, her eyebrow raising.

"I was trying to tell your butler--maid--dude that my grandmother made green bean casserole for you and your family." He simply stated, scooting the semi-heavy tray to the girl. She glanced at the aluminum foil, making a face that Avan couldn't decipher but it made him roll his eyes.

He knew she was that type.

"Well, I appreciate this but I don't plan on being here too long." She replied, scanning the kitchen briefly with a sour expression. It was evident she hated the place.

Then again, there was nothing but drugs and gang-bangers that roamed the street...well, them and a few 'night walkers'.

The homes weren't any better, either. Now, they lived in the better part of the town but it wasn't 'middle class' standards.

It wasn't 'top-of-the-line' but it wasn't complete trash, either. Or, if you're more of a visual kind of person, it certainly wasn't worth the look on the girl's face.

Especially since her neighbor just did the most neighborly thing any neighbor could do.

No, it could've been way worse.

But Avan understood that where girls like her came from, they didn't understand that.

"What do you mean 'here'?" He asked out of curiousity, wanting to be amused by the girl.

She snickered and threw her hands around the room.

"Here! This place and this neighborhood and these pe--"

"People?" Avan raised his eyebrows, basically finishing her sentence before she could. The girl blinked a few times, mouth agape, in utter shock and slight embarrassment.

The boy didn't need an answer. She didn't have to say a word.

Nodding, he turned on his heel, a stream of satisfaction surfacing through his veins because she did, in fact, amuse him, heading for the exit.

The girl sighed through her nose and quickly followed him.

"Wait, I didn't--I didn't mean it like that." She rolled her eyes, annoyed by the whole situation. Not only was she giving off a bad impression but she looked like a jerk.

Avan furrowed his brows, turning to face the girl as he paused in his step. "Then what did you mean?"

"Look, I'm just homesick, okay? I miss my old life." She disclosed, crossing her arms over her chest.

The boy blinked, glancing at the ground before giving her another look.

He wasn't expecting her to admit her obvious feelings but that didn't change much.

She still is who she is.

"Well," He began walking backwards from her steps, uttering four final words before facing forward.

"Welcome to Selfare, Hollywood."

Woooowww AVAN NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR WYLIN!

WELL, AT LEAST WE GOT A GLIMPSE OF WHO HIS NEIGHBOR WAS AND HER PERSONALITY!

THINGS ARE JUST GETTING STARTED BUT IF YOU KNOW ME AND THE WAY I WRITE, YOU'D KNOW I HATE INTRODUCTIONS AND FIRST AND SECOND CHAPS BECAUSE THEY'RE BORING

EXPECT ME TO SPEED THINGS UP PER USUAL!

SHOW ME SOME LOVE BY VOTING AND COMMENTING!

Love y'all and as always

Ttyl ♡