Art

"We've got to do something about this", Janice, one of the neighbours, complained, "It's obscene". 

"That's what they said about the 'Catcher in the Rye' when it first came out", Alex remarked. 

"You're not helping", Claire muttered. 

"Why don't we knock on the door and tell him?", Paul, Janice's husband, suggested. 

"Phil tried", Claire informed, "The guy's a jerk". 

"I told him how much it bothered us", Phil sighed, "It only seemed to please him". 

"I'm not gonna lie", Luke stated, "It makes me feel bad about my body". When his mom was about to comfort him, Luke added, "But maybe that's because of how often Zephyr comes over". 

"I'm sorry what?", Zephyr asked in confusion, "How is that my fault?". 

"It's obviously because you look like you're a Greek god or something", Paul clarified. 

"Yeah", Phil nodded, "Even I feel inferior when I see you shirtless. Like at the pool party at Jay's two weeks ago". 

"I don't know how to respond to that", Zephyr muttered.

"Ignore them", Alex rolled her eyes, "It's not your fault you're 6ft 2. It's more to do with the fact that you look after your appearance and put in the effort to look your best, unlike some people here". 

Hearing her words, Paul, Luke and Phil looked away, certain about what she was talking about. 

"I still don't feel comfortable letting my kids play out here", Janice stated. 

"I think you mean our kids", Paul tried. 

"Don't even try Paul", Janice shut him down, "You know better than this". 

"Art is subjective", Alex argued, glancing at the sculpture and then glancing at Zephyr, "Some people may love this". 

"And here they come now", Claire quietly whispered. 

"Hey, what are you all talking about?", Ronnie Lafonftainne asked as he and his wife, Amber, approached the crowd. 

"The statue", Phil answered, pointing at the large nude statue. 

"Oh God, we hate that thing", Amber complained. 

"You do?", Claire asked in surprise. 

"Yeah", Ronnie answered as though it was obvious, "I didn't make my money to move to a neighbourhood where they put something like that on the street". 

"Hear hear!", everyone agreed. 

"Porn belongs on a big screen in the bedroom or on your phone in the bathroom", Ronnie added, immediately halting the cheers. 

"Kids, go inside", Claire instructed, shooing the three kids in order to encourage them to go inside and avoid listening to what Ronnie was saying. 

"We're not children you know?", Alex argued. 

"So, what are we looking at?", someone whispered, causing everyone to scream. 

"Matt!", Phil yelled, his heart rate far faster than normal. 

"Yep. That's me", Matt nodded, "So what's going on here?". 

"Hey!", Ronnie pointed at Matt, "You're that kid's Dad, aren't you? What's his name again? Syrup?". 

"It's Zephyr", Matt answered, slightly irritated. 

"Whoa", Amber gasped, "That's a fancy name you know". 

"It's Greek", Matt added, "His mother named him". 

"I've heard of Greece", Ronnie muttered, "It's in South America ain't it?". 

"It's in Europe", Matt answered, furrowing his eyebrows in displeasure. 

"Riiight", Ronnie drawled, not believing him. 

"We're complaining about that nude statue", Phil interrupted after managing to return his heart rate to normal. 

"Which one?", Matt questioned. 

"That massive one over there", Claire pointed at the statue on the lawn of a house. 

"Oooh!", Matt mumbled in surprise, "I never noticed it before". Upon hearing his answer, everyone looked at him as though he was stupid. "What?", Matt asked, unsure why everyone was looking at him weirdly. 

"How can you not notice it?", Janice interrogated, "It's not like it's trying to hide". 

"I just never really paid attention", Matt shrugged, "When I used to drive Zephyr here he used to sit on the right so I never really saw it". 

Claire rolled her eyes and sighed, "I don't know why I expected anything from you. You get lost faster than Haley goes through makeup". 

Matt gasped upon hearing her hurtful barbs, "How dare you? I don't get lost that easily". 

"I hate to do this to my bro but I agree with her", Phil intervened, looking away upon seeing the look of betrayal on Matt's face. 

"Can you stop acting like children?", Janice muttered, stopping them from continuing, "We need to figure out what we can do?". 

"I don't think we can do much", Phil remarked in resignation. 

"I just wish that the person was more concerned with being a better neighbour", Claire complained. 

"Amen to that", Amber agreed. 

"Hey", Ronnie remarked, "We were just thinking of going out for dinner tonight. You guys wanna join us?". 

Phil and Claire looked at each other for a few moments and just as Claire was about to refuse, Phil stepped forward and agreed, "Yeah! Sure, why not?". 

"Great!", Amber exclaimed. Then looking at Matt who was following behind them, she asked, "Hey, you wanna join us as well?". 

Matt, who had been messaging on his phone, looked up and said, "I'll have to talk to Desiree about it, but I'm sure she'll agree". 

"Cool!", Amber remarked. "Hey, just so our outfits don't clash, I'm wearing lizard". 

"I'm sure I'll find something", Claire muttered. 

"I'll make sure to tell her", Matt nodded his head. 

"See you guys later then!", Ronnie exclaimed as he and Amber walked away.

[A few metres away]

"Since when are mom and our neighbours so nice to each other?", Luke asked. 

"Since never", Alex answered. 

"How much do you wanna bet that they're going to actually bond while at dinner?", Zephyr stated. 

"I was going to bet but then remembering how you absolutely destroyed Luke's friends at poker a few years ago, I'm hesitant to bet against you", Alex answered. 

"Oh yeah", Luke dumbly nodded his head, "Thanks for that by the way. You got Haley's laptop back and, most importantly, got me all my pocket money back". Hearing this, Alex jabbed him in the stomach. "Hey!", Luke complained, "That hurt you know". 

"How can you call getting your money back the most important thing?", Alex retorted, "If it wasn't for the fact that I had to save you in the first place, Zephyr would never have had to bail me out from going out with that stupid friend of yours". 

"Who?", Luke inquired, not remembering. 

"Reuben", Zephyr answered, his tone becoming darker as he said his name, "I don't like him. There's something off about him". 

"You think that there's something wrong with any guy that has any remote attraction to me", Alex rolled her eyes, "But thank you so much for that. I don't know what I would've done if I had to actually go on a date with him of all people". 

"You're my girlfriend, it's my duty to stop people like him from taking advantage of you", Zephyr declared. 

"Aww", Alex muttered, wrapping her arms around Zephyr's neck, "That's so sweet". 

"Ugh", Luke retched, interrupting them and destroying the mood. 

Seeing this, both Alex and Zephyr rolled their eyes and separated, but not before Alex gave Zephyr a quick peck on his lips. "Sorry", Alex apologised, rolling her eyes again as she did so. 

"Just make sure you don't kiss in front of me again", Luke sassily remarked, "I don't need to see my sister kiss a boy in front of me". 

"Then why are you here in the first place?", Zephyr countered, "You should've realised by now that things like that are going to happen". 

Not sure how to reply to that, Luke made the smartest decision he could; he ran away from them at breakneck speed. 

Looking at his speedy form, Alex shook her head in disappointment, "I wonder what went wrong with him?". 

"I'm curious as well", Zephyr agreed. Shaking his head, he turned to look at Alex and asked, "It's Emma's birthday today. Did you get her a present?". 

"Yeah", Alex nodded, "I know she's going to love it!". 

"That's a bold claim to make", Zephyr remarked, "But since you're her best friend, I wouldn't be surprised if you did". 

Alex was pleased by his comment and muttered, "I'm just glad that at least I'll have a familiar face at college". 

"Hey!", Zephyr exclaimed, "You'll have me there. Am I not enough?". 

"While I love you very much", Alex argued, "I need some girlfriends. I want to feel the whole college experience and if I spend all my time with you, chances are I won't". 

"Hm", Zephyr hummed in agreement after taking a few moments to think about it.