# “The Mom Next Door” by Tad Overdon
**CHAPTER FIVE**
After two weeks of living on Midwood Road, Ben Jacobs wished more than ever that he was back in the city. His mother had at least managed to make friends with Sharon Thompson, but other than the few other stay-at-home mothers in the neighborhood there was no one around during the long hot days. Without a second car he had no way to get into town when his father was at work, which seemed to be always, and Ben hadn’t been able to find a summer job.
He missed his girlfriend, Billie.
He was sitting on the front steps of the new house with his laptop one morning when C.J. loped across the lawn from next door. “Your mom home?” C.J. asked.
“She’s out shopping somewhere,” Ben answered. “What’s up?”
C.J. flipped the pastel green envelope he held in one hand and rolled his eyes. “Mom’s got me passing out invitations to some ladies yard party of hers. What you doing?”
“Looking for a job.”
C.J. glanced at the laptop. “Online? Nah, man, you got to look in the Gazette.”