"Ash, I can't stand this. I've lived in this house ever since I was born. My brothers are always driving me crazy." Mallory Evans said to her best friend, Ashley Gemstein as the two of them were sitting on Mal's bed thinking of how they can get away from all the pressures at home.

"I know what you are saying, Mal. I would love to move out of my house. I don't have it any better than you do. My little sister is very annoying. She always wants to hang out with me and you. She follows us everywhere. But it isn't any better with her friend Shannon comes over. Shannon seems to be practically attached to me. My mom always yells at me for not doing things the way she wants them done. Excuse me if I am not perfect. My dad is even worse than my mom. Anything I do is wrong with him, even if it is done my moms way. These people make no sence to me at all." Ash said not even noticing she was blabbing on.

"Calm down, Ash." Mal jestured. "You're like the Energiser Bunny today. You just keep going and going and going...."

"I do not!" Ash said backing herself.

"Do, too." Mal informed her. "Does this sound familiar? My little sister is very annoying. She always wants to hang out with me and you. She follows us everywhere. But it isn't any better with her friend Shannon comes over. Shannon seems to be practically attached to me. My mom always yells at me for not doing things the way she wants them done. Excuse me if I am not perfect. My dad is even worse than my mom. Anything I do is wrong with him, even if it is done my moms way. These people make no sence to me at all. Don't tell me you have no idea what I am talking about."

"Okay, okay....I understand, Mal. I am sorry, but you know when I got a subject to talk about, I can go on and on forever."

"Oh, yes I do!" Mal agreed. "But that is just one reason why you are my best friend. I can always joke with you. But I know when to and not to go so far."

Ash gave Mal a hug. Mal and Ash have been friends ever since Mal moved into the same neighborhood as Ash. Mal was 3 and a half when she moved into West Palm Beach. She didn't know anyone. There wasn't many people that lived in her neighborhood because most of the houses weren't finished being built. But, one day Mal and her mother, Sandy, went outside to the community pool. Mal wasn't having much fun since she was an only child (at the time) and there was no kids her age. There were some ten year olds in the six feet are, and some one year olds with their mothers in the baby pool, but no one in between that range.

Mal was in the pool holding onto her mother's arms who was helping her learn how to swim. "Mommy," Mal said out of nowhere. "Are there any kids in this place for me to play with?"

"Not right now, I don't think." Mal's mother told her. "But maybe one day we will meet someone just your age and you and her will have so much fun together."

"Wow. I can't wait." Ash said with excitement.

Just as Ash finished what she was saying, a little girl who looked about Mal's age, came running down the walkway to the pool. Following the little girl was her mother who looked about Mal's mom's age.

"Mommy, Mommy....Look." the little girl said, pointing to Mal. The little girl ran over to Mal and started to talk to her. "Hi! My name is Ashley Gemstein. I am 3 years old. Who are you?"

"Hi! My name is Mal and I am three and a half. This is my mother," Mal said pointing beside her at the person who was holding her up. "Where do you live?"

"I live in that community over there," Ash said pointing to the same community that Mal lives in.

"Wow....me too!" Mal said not knowing a great long friendship was going to start after that. Before the girls knew it, they were at each others houses every day. Their mothers became best friends and so did the girls. Ever since the day in the pool where the girls met, they were pretty much inseparable. They still are. Fifteen years of friendship and not one fight, ever. Now the girls were graduated from high school and taking a year off until they were ready to go to the same college in Tampa, Florida at the University of Tampa.

"Hiya!" Mal's younger brother, Justin shot into Mal's room. Justin is 10 years old and he loves to annoy Mal especially when Ash is over their house.

"Justin, what do you want?" Mal asking in a not so pleasant voice.

"Nothing. I just felt like browsing your room. Maybe even throwing your make-up on the floor."

"Oh, no you don't. If you throw my make-up on the floor I am gonna go tell Mommy what you were doing with Josh last week. Remember the time you and Josh were in Mrs. Buchanan's lawn and pulling out her flowers?"

"I don't care," Justin said. "It's too late anyways. I just threw something of yours on the floor. Anyways Mommy won't care because she doesn't like Mrs. Buchanan anyway."

"Get out of here," Mal demanded as she saw what Justin had done. Mal had blush all over her carpet. "Now! And that thing with Mrs. Buchanan isn't the point if Mommy doesn't like her or now. The point is that you shouldn't be going into other peoples stuff and ruining it."

Justin left Mal's room. Just as he was leaving Mal's mother came into her room. "What is going on here?" She asked looking at the mess on Mal's carpet.

"Mommy, Justin spilled my blush all over my carpet. I can't take it anymore."

"I know, Honey. I know." her mother reassured her while they were all, including Mal, Ash and Mal's mother, cleaning up the mess Justin had made. "I was thinking this over and I realized that you are old enough. I think Ash might like this idea, also. My idea is that you and Ash get your own house in Tampa, by the place you want to go to college. You can use the money that you have saved in the bank from both of your Sweet 16's. What do you think of that?"

"Are you kidding me?" Mal asked. "Mom, Ash and I have been dying to get our own house for like ever. Oh, my gosh. Can you believe this, Ash?" Mal asked her best friend with excitement.

"No. I can't. But there may be one problem. What will my mom think of all this?" Ash asked very curious.

"Don't worry," Mal's mom assured Ash. "Ashley, I talked with your mom about this a while back and she loved the idea."

"Really? Wow! Now I am happy." Ash said very excited and happy. "I am gonna go home and talk to Rob about this. I bet he will be so happy for me." Rob is Ash's steady boyfriend ever since eigth grade. They were in love, and if they had the chance to, they would get married.

"Okay, Ash. I will go over your house later to see what happens. Bye, girl."

"Bye," Ash said running out the door and forgeting to say good-bye to Mal's mom because she was to happy.