Steam spilled into the hallway as Haley opened the door to the bathroom. She stepped out, her damp hair falling over her shoulders and turning her t-shirt dark. She was halfway to her room when something made her stop.

It was the muted tones of two voices. Two voices that were trying not to be heard but couldn't seem to control their volume. Haley's stomach clenched and she looked towards the stairs. She knew her parent's door was closed, if it hadn't been she would have been able to make out words instead of disjointed mumbles.

Further down the hall, Matt walked out of his room, dressed in a polo shirt with a coffee mug logo on the breast pocket. At the muffled voices he paused. The two siblings looked at each other.

"I thought you didn't work Saturdays," Haley said.

"I don't, but I thought I would pick up a couple extra shifts. You know...more money."

Haley nodded. The voices continued to go back and forth, slowly losing their battle to remain in the range of quiet.

"Will you be home in time for dinner?" she asked, her eyes flickered to the stairs and back. "We could eat together or something."

A sharp 'I know' rang out from below them.

"I'll be out late," Matt said, his fingers tightening around the strap to his bag. "I'll be helping with closing up."

Haley nodded again as if it really didn't matter either way. "Of course."

The voices cut off and the silence was almost just as unnerving.

"I should go," Matt said. "I don't want to be late."

Though he said this he didn't move. His gaze was on Haley as if he wanted to say something more. Say something that would help them get back to where they had once been, but instead, he jogged down the stairs and left, the door banging behind him. Haley remained in the hallway, waiting.

She didn't know what she was waiting for, more talking? Something smashing? A shout that the whole neighborhood could hear? None of those things happened. The voices picked up again, but the tones had somehow shifted.

Haley didn't let herself think about what the difference meant. Turning away from something she didn't know how to fix, she headed into her room. Grabbing her headphones, she climbed onto her bed and blasted her music.

She leaned her head against the wall, trying to drown herself in lyrics that she barely heard over her thoughts. Eyes closed, she gripped her phone, swallowing down all the emotions that were building in her chest.

They weren't worth acknowledging.

Instead, she let the singer scream for her as he banged away on a piano.

Eventually, she opened her eyes, feeling as if she could face the world. Even if that world was her room. A flash of movement caught her attention and she looked to her balcony. Nothing was there. She was about to look away when a small object flew at her window. It hit the glass and fell to the ground.

Frowning, Haley took out one earbud and waited. This time she heard the tiny plink as another object bounced off the window. Removing the second earbud, she climbed off her bed and walked to the doors.

The sight that met her had her frowning more deeply but for a completely different reason. Jace stood on his balcony, holding a bag of M&Ms.

Again Haley was faced with the reasons that almost every girl in the school drooled over him. He looked like a model from those clothing stores that despite the fact that they sold clothes only have pictures of half-naked men on their shopping bags. She had never understood the point of those stores, were they selling clothes or shirtless men?

When Jace saw her, he smiled and ate one of the M&Ms. Haley opened the door and found a collection of colorful candies at her feet.

"What are you doing?" she asked, not letting herself open the door all the way.

"Throwing M&Ms at your door to get your attention, what does it look like?"

"Okay, why are you throwing M&Ms?"

"It was the only thing I had handy and balling up pieces of paper seemed like a waste. Also, they don't have the same weight would most likely not get blown off course."

"You actually thought this through."

"I'm a baseball player, Haley Day, I know what objects can be thrown effectively and which ones can't."

He tossed an M&M up and caught it in his mouth.

"Is there a reason you wanted to get my attention or did you merely want to annoy me?"

In response, Jace walked to the balcony railing and climbed onto it. He hooked his ankles around one of the posts, anchoring himself there. Though he was two stories up he acted like sitting on the narrow railing wasn't a big deal.

"You have Henley for English, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, so?"

She still stood mostly tucked inside her room, trying to make it clear that she didn't really want to be having this conversation at all. Her thoughts were still half taken up by the two presences downstairs, even if she couldn't hear them at the moment.

"What author are you doing your project on?" he asked.

"Why do you want to know, Jace?"

He shrugged. "Curious. M&M?"

He held out the bag to her. It was a useless gesture, there was at least six feet between their balconies. She pointed to the pile at her feet.

"Thanks, but I have some."

"Alright, but I wouldn't eat those, they are half melted and I'm guessing are covered in dirt. Here I'll toss one to you."

Somehow this managed to pull Haley from her doorway and out on to the balcony.

"What color do you like?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter, they are all chocolate," she said.

"True, but my cousin Miguel always believed that M&M colors actually have meaning."

Haley crossed her arms and leaned against the closed door. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." Jace held up a red M&M. "He said that red stood for-"

"Let me guess, love."

Lowering his hand, he gave her a stern look.

"No, don't be cliché." He raised his hand again. "It stands for life because it is like the blood that runs through all of us."

"How very poetic," Haley deadpanned.

"Yes, well Miguel is like that." Jace tossed her the M&M and Haley managed to catch it. As he kept talking she ate it. "Orange is for the sunrise, new beginnings." Again he threw the M&M over. "Yellow for happiness because what is more cheering than a sunny day? Green for peace, because nature is peaceful. Blue for the sky, it's a constant reminder that one day the gray clouds will go away." He finally pulled out the final color. "Brown is for reality. Because chocolate is brown."

At some point through his talking, Haley had wandered forward and sat down, cross-legged. The balcony was hot but for some reason, it didn't bother her. The sun's heat made her skin tingle as if she had been too cold in her room.

"So what M&M is your favorite?" Jace asked.

"Are they all still made of chocolate?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't care."

Jace scowled at her. "You have no imagination."

"Or I just see things as they really are."

"No one ever sees things as they really are, Haley Day, all we ever see is perspective."

"You have a weirdly psychological view of life for a teenage guy."

Jace dug through the M&M bag and tossed Haley a blue M&M. Before she could ask if there was a meaning behind his color choice he was speaking.

"You would be surprised with how much psychology baseball takes."

Haley snorted and ate the candy. "You're joking, right? You have to hit a ball. What do you have to think about other than the fact that it's high or low?"

Jace barked out a laugh. "Shows how much you know about the sport." He leaned over his knees, his expression serious. "Haley Day, when I step up to the plate I have to have a read on every single other player. I have to know if they're right or left handed. I have to know if their head is in the game or not. If it's not then it dictates what I can do, where I hit the ball, whether I can steal second base or not. I study my opponent and when I do, I know how to beat them. Baseball isn't a game of chance and instinct, it's a game of minds."

Haley stared at him, her arms resting on her knees. "Really?"

He nodded and popped another M&M into his mouth.

"I'm not the best because I'm naturally talented, though I am, I'm the best because I play the real game better than everyone else."

Haley squinted at him. "It seems more interesting now."

"Well, if you ever want me to explain it to you just let me know."

They were quiet for a moment, and for a second Haley realized that she had forgotten what had been plaguing her moments before. A part of her wondered if Jace had been distracting on purpose. But that thought was thrown away. The player across from her didn't have a heart to care about what was going on in her life, let alone help her forget it for a moment. This brought her back to the question Jace had first asked.

"Why do you want to know what author I'm doing my project on?" she asked.

Jace threw her another blue M&M. She ate it without thinking.

"I was curious. I was going to start working on it and I was wondering who you were writing on. It might also be an excuse not to start it right now."

That sounded more along the lines of Jace's reason for calling her out of her room. Haley picked up a leaf that had been blown astray and played with it, twirling it between her fingers.

"I figured I would go with Beck Daniels," she said. "People are saying he's the Steinbeck of our time and figured I couldn't go wrong."

Jace cocked his head. "Interesting, I always pegged you as a Elliot McKenzie type reader."

"She writes romance books. I don't have time for romance, it's unrealistic and unreliable."

For a second, something passed over Jace's face. It was a look that was something close to pity but it was gone before Haley could really decide. His usually playful look came back and he popped an M&M into his mouth.

"If that's how you feel about it, you should read her sister, Cece's books. She writes action that makes you want to yell because she heartlessly kills your favorite character."

Haley gave him a doubtful look. "You read?"

"Are you implying I'm illiterate because I'm Hispanic?" he joked.

"No, I'm implying that you don't strike me as a huge reader since I've never once seen a book in your hand."

A slow, teasing smile appeared on Jace's lips. "You've been watching me enough that you've never once seen me with a book."

Flushing, Haley scowled. "That's not what I meant. It's just...I...you don't strike me as a reader! That's all! Okay, I don't stare at you!"

Jace leaned back laughing at her obvious discomfort. Muttering, Haley moved to stand up but he stretched out a hand and spoke.

"Calm down, Haley Day, I was only joking. I know I don't strike anyone as a reader. It's not my natural pass time." He waved her to sit back down. "I'll tell you how I came to read one of Cece McKenzie's books, okay?"

Despite herself, Haley sat back down. "Okay."

"My dad was actually reading one of her books. One day I came into the living room in time to see him chuck the book at the wall, stand up and storm off." Jace shrugged. "I figured any book that pissed my dad off that much was worth reading. I had about the same reaction to it as he did. But I kept reading her books because I liked them." He waved his hands out to the side. "There you have it, my reason."

"So you're doing your project about her?"

Jace nodded. "Also she's really hot so I have an excuse to look up pictures of her."

"Of course," Haley said, rolling her eyes.

************

The sun was gone for the day by the time Haley ventured out of her room. The house was mostly dark and it held a silence that was too uncomfortable to be natural. She headed down the stairs and looked to her parent's room. The door was open and she tried to take that as a good sign.

When she peered inside, it was empty. She heard something in the kitchen and decided to follow it. Her mother was at a cabinet, pulling down a plate when Haley walked in. On the counter was a large pizza box. Curls of steam rose from the pizza and filled the room with a delicious scent and a stir of memories.

"Are we eating together?" Haley asked, hating how her voice sounded hopeful despite what she knew.

Her mother pulled off a slice and slid it onto the plate, giving Haley a sad frown.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I have some work I need to look over. It's a Big Deal and I don't want to miss it."

Nodding, Haley crossed her arms, tucking them close to her stomach.

"Yeah, of course. I get it. Ummm...where's dad?"

Her mother turned away to grab a napkin. Haley tried to convince herself the movement was natural but wasn't that good at fooling herself.

"He went back to the office," her mother said, with her back to Haley. "He said something came up and he had to deal with it."

"Right...ummm do you need help baking cookies for this big deal?"

Her mother gave her a gracious smile and picked up her plate. "That's sweet of you, but don't worry I have someone else doing it."

"Okay, well I know I couldn't do it the other day but I could if you needed me to."

Her mother smoothed down Haley's hair and cupped her face. "I'll keep that in mind."

She walked away but Haley's voice called her back.

"Mom?"

A raise of the perfectly formed eyebrows was all the invitation she got.

"You and dad..." Something in her mother's face tightened but she kept her expression the same. "You seem to be...working a lot."

"It's a busy time, that's all."

Her mother walked away before Haley could respond. It had been a busy time for the last six months. She wondered if it would ever stop.

Ignoring the new reality she seemed to be tangled in, Haley grabbed a plate and pizza and moved back to the sanctuary of her room. When she closed her door, she heard the pulsing beat of salsa music. It was a familiar sound.

Moving to her balcony, she pulled the door open and the intensity of the hip-swaying music grew. With it came the spicy scents of grilled food. It was a smell that always made Haley think of the Mexican food restaurant her family used to go it. It made her think of happy times and laughter. For the family over the fence, it didn't seem to be much different.

From her high up vantage point, Haley could see a section of Jace's backyard. Figures with dark hair and similar facial features as Jace walked about and collected into groups. Their voices were bright and melodious, Spanish rolling off their tongues.

Haley always felt like they were talking like they hadn't seen each other in years, their tones rich and excited but she knew they did this every weekend. If it wasn't here, it was at one of the other cousin's houses down the street. She knew because the salsa music was unmistakable.

Usually opting to just listen from her bed, Haley decided to sit on her balcony instead, liking the scene that was far more inviting than her empty room. Crossing her legs, she rested the plate on her lap and watched the party that was so warm.

She was pulled from her observations when she heard footsteps and saw Jace coming into his room.

"Un minuto. Ahora vuelvo!" he shouted to someone Haley couldn't see.

The words tumbled from his lips in an effortless way. Haley knew that Jace was fluent in Spanish. It was a fact that made her annoyed in Spanish class because she didn't even understand why he was taking it unless it was to show off. But somehow hearing him speak just like the rest of his family was made it seem different. It was a part of him just like anything else.

It was surprising since when he spoke in English he didn't have any hint of an accent. She figured this came from growing up in public schools where English was what everyone spoke. For some reason, she liked hearing him speak Spanish. 

Jace moved around his room as if in search of something. What he found, Haley couldn't make out. He was halfway to his door when he spotted her on her balcony. She froze as if worried he would find it weird that she were watching his family. Instead, he walked out the door but returned a second later empty-handed. He walked out to his balcony and Haley shifted uncomfortably.

"My room was a little hot," she said.

Jace nodded. "Then outside is perfect."

Unable to meet his gaze, Haley toyed with a piece of her pizza crust.

"Sometimes I forget you speak Spanish so well," she said, wanting to say something to keep him from asking what she was really doing out there.

He chuckled. "You're not the first person to tell me that. I think it's the name."

She looked at him then. "Name?"

"Yeah, Jace. It kind of makes people forget I'm half Hispanic and instead taking me for a really tan California surfer."

"I often wondered why you were named Jace. Doesn't really fit with Cortez."

He gave a careless shrug. "Well, my middle name is José. It's just chance that my dad won the coin toss."

"So you would have been José?"

He nodded. Haley tried to imagine Jace with a different name. In some ways, she pictured him a completely different person. But she knew this was stupid. A name didn't dictate a personality. A rose by any other name, right?

"I think Jace suits you," she said.

"Thanks, try to convince my family of that. They still call me José because Jace in Spanish sounds weird."

At that moment someone shouted up the stairs and Haley recognized only a couple of words, one of them she knew not to repeat. Jace shouted back in kind and then looked to Haley. His gaze flickered down to her simple slice of pizza and the empty balcony around her. As if sensing, where his thoughts were going, Haley looked away.

"We always have more food than we could possibly eat," Jace said. "You want to join?"

"My Spanish isn't good enough."

"Then we'll speak in English and only insult you in Spanish."

Haley found herself smiling but then shook her head. "Thanks. But I should actually get started on that project."

Jace nodded as Haley pushed her self up and walked to her door.

"Maybe next time then," he said.

Pausing, she turned back. "Yeah, maybe."

He left, switching off his lights as he went. Haley went to shut the balcony door but stopped, leaving it open a crack so she could still hear the sound of laughter.

**********************************************************************

हॅलो, Mickey Mouse!
(Marathi)

Oh my gosh! 😱 Did you just drop your thoughts? 👉🕳👈

How do you think Jace feels about Haley?? 🤔

So I was asked by LaneBoyAaron why I became a teen fiction writer and I figured I would share the answer with you.

(Also if you want to ask me questions to answer feel free to do so!)

The reason why is because I love Teen Fiction books, always have! There's something so wonderful about them. They are about real life problems (most of the time-ish) but without the true pressure of adulthood.

With Teen Fiction I'm able to reasonably keep it PG-13. Even the lack of cuss words in my books really isn't realistic for our time, but I'm not planning on changing that. As you may know or have guessed I've never dated, so to make my writing the most realistic I can I do teen so I'm not dealing with characters that date a ton and sleep around.

Final reason, I believe that teens make some of the most interesting of characters because it's a time in their lives that so many things are changing and they have to decide who they truly want to be. So if I can write strong female characters that empower others then I'm going to write that until I die!

What do you love about Teen Fiction?

What would you change about Teen Fiction stories?

Vote, comment, follow since you're a fan of me or Teen Fiction, either one!

What a lumberjack!