My Brother's Best Friend (prequel to Neighbor)

Chapter one.

LAUREN'S POV

Summer.

My favorite time of year. School's out, the weather is beautiful, and I have time to spend with my friends. Parents don't care about grades, I don't have to get up early, and I can spend time at the beach.

"Lauren! Come downstairs!" My mother shouted. I groaned, but jumped out of bed and went downstairs anyways.

"Yes, mom?" I sighed as I walked into the kitchen.

I stopped walking when I saw that we had visitors. I wasn't expecting company at all, but my family is just full of surprises. I let out a sigh and walked past my brother and his friends.

"Lauren, so nice to see you come out of your room," my mom joked. I rolled my eyes in response and sat down. "Anyways, I called you kids down here because I have some news."

"Don't tell me you're pregnant," my brother, Matt, joked. Mom just rolled her eyes at that comment.

"Stop it, Matthew," she slapped his shoulder. "We're renting a beach house for two weeks!"

Two weeks? My mother expects me to be at the beach for two weeks! She probably won't even let me bring friends, as usual. But of course, my brother can bring friends. I hate how there's an age gap between my siblings and I.

"Oh shit, no fucking way!" My brother laughed as he high-fived his best friend, Leo.

I don't know how I feel about Leo. He's cute, I will admit that, but there's a...weird vibe that I get from him. I always catch him staring at me at the weirdest times.

"Matthew!" My father stepped in. "Language, please. Calm down."

My mother let out a sigh. "Matthew, you can bring Leo and Ryan with you, if they want to come."

I opened my mouth to speak. "But what about-"

"Lauren, we don't have enough room. And you can meet some girls down there! I'm sure there's lots of girls your age," my mother smiled. Seriously? This is ridiculous.

"He gets to bring two friends though? I can't even bring one?" I said with a scoff.

My dad put his hand on my shoulder, clearly telling me to stop. I can't believe this. This is completely ridiculous. Guess I'm going to be spending the first two weeks of summer being miserable.

"Whatever," I muttered and turned to head up the steps to my bedroom. I just need to be alone.

-----

"That's totally not fair! They're not even letting you bring a friend and Matt's bringing two? That's ridiculous, Laur! Say something!"

I was currently on the phone with my friend Allie. At least she understands where I'm coming from, since my family doesn't seem to care at all.

"I did say something," I sighed, leaning back against the headboard on my bed. "They won't listen. I've tried and tried and tried."

"Just say you don't want to go," Allie suggested, but I couldn't do that.

"I can't-"

All of the sudden, there was a knock at my door. "What do you want?" I screamed, expecting my mother to walk in, but it was just the opposite.

I looked up to see my brother's friend, Leo standing there. My eyes widened before I realized that I was still on the phone with Allie. I quickly muttered an "I'll talk to you later" before hanging up.

"Hi," Leo smiled as he shut the door behind him. "You alright?"

I shook my head. "Perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"

"You were pretty angry down there. But I would be, too."

"Yep," I sighed, not wanting to make eye contact with him. I really didn't want to talk to him right now. And besides, he was my brother's best friend.

He sat down on my bed. "Are you okay? You seem very quiet."

"I'm doing just fine."

"That's bullshit," he laughed. "Come on. Talk to me. I won't tell your brother. He has some girl over right now. I didn't really want to be in there."

I looked up at him. His eyes were focused on me; nothing else. Why was he staring at me like that? It made my heart feel like it was going to pound out of my chest.

"I'm just mad, okay? I want to spend summer with my friends. My family is nice to me and all, but sometimes they treat my brother like royalty, you know? My parents are...amazing. I couldn't have wished for better parents, but I'm just so...tired. I'm overreacting-"

"You're not overreacting. It's perfectly normal to feel this way."

I shook my head, "I just wish I wasn't spending the first two weeks of my summer on some beach with no friends."

"Hey," Leo chuckled. "It's going to be fun! And besides, you'll be spending two weeks with me. What's better than that?"

I let out a laugh. "Yep."

Leo looked at the clock on the wall and his eyes widened. He shot up from my bed and looked down at me.

"I have to be home soon. I'll see you later, yeah?"

Before I had the chance to reply, he was out the door and gone within seconds.