Chapter 32 – New House, New Neighbor
The moving truck pulled away, leaving behind a massive Spanish-style home glowing in the late afternoon sun. Judith stood in the driveway with her arms crossed, sunglasses on, surveying her new fortress like a skeptical queen. Jake stood beside her, arms crossed, silent but satisfied.
"It's a lot," Judith said, almost to herself.
Jake nodded. "It's exactly what we need."
The house was pristine. Gated, secure, wired for networking and privacy. FaceWorld would be safe. Judith would be safe. He would be safe.
That mattered more than anything now.
---
Inside
Judith vanished into the kitchen to unpack, muttering something about hiding Evelyn's wine and labeling boxes more aggressively next time. Jake made a beeline for his office—formerly the formal study. He opened a box labeled "J TECH – DESK STUFF," unpacked his dual monitors, his folders, and his printed server specs.
The room was big enough for him to build something real. Something scalable.
He was mid-layout when laughter drifted in from outside.
Jake glanced up.
Female voice. High pitched.
Curious, he stepped out of the study and peeked through the front window.
---
Across the Street
There she was.
A gorgeous girl with long dark hair, tan skin, killer confidence, and the same sarcastic smile he remembered from hundreds of episodes. She wore a cropped hoodie and denim shorts. Her posture, her tone, even the dramatic hair flip—it was all unmistakable.
Haley Dunphy.
Jake stared, stunned. "No way. That's her."
But then he saw the man she was talking to.
Stocky. Stern. White hair. Collared shirt. Arms crossed, eyebrows permanently raised.
Jake's heart skipped.
"Jay?"
Jay Pritchett.
That deep, gruff voice. That signature scowl. That posture like he was judging the whole street.
Jake's mind spun.
He stepped away from the window, stunned. "Okay. Haley. Jay. Both of them. That's not a coincidence."
They weren't actors. Not here.
That was Haley Dunphy. And that was Jay Pritchett.
And somehow, they were real.
---
Later That Evening
After most of the boxes had been shuffled into their proper rooms, Judith was on the phone ordering Thai food, and Jake was in the living room pretending to watch TV.
He wasn't.
His mind was racing.
Gil Thorpe. Jay Pritchett. Haley Dunphy. All real. All across the street. And yet—no cameras, no cue cards, no directors yelling "cut."
He leaned forward and grabbed a notebook from the side table. It had once been for FaceWorld projections. Now it had a new section: "WTF is going on?"
He scribbled three names, circled them twice, and underlined them hard.
Then he crossed the living room and powered on the desktop computer Judith had reluctantly let him set up the moment they moved in. It wasn't flashy—beige tower, CRT monitor—but it worked.
---
Ten Minutes Later – The Search Begins
Jake scoured the internet. No FaceWorld data tracking—just pure 2004 sleuthing.
He searched:
"Modern Family TV show"
"Jay Pritchett actor"
"Gil Thorpe real estate LA"
"Haley Dunphy modeling portfolio"
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
No show. No casting. No production listings.
In this world, Modern Family didn't exist.
Jake leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowed. "Okay... this universe is running an alternate script."
---
A Knock on the Door
Jake was sipping soda by the front window, deep in thought, when he saw her again.
Haley.
Hair down. Casual clothes. That effortless, head-turning confidence. And she was crossing the street.
Straight toward his house.
His heart jumped.
Seconds later—knock knock.
"Jake, can you get that?" Judith called.
He took a quick breath, smoothed his hoodie, and opened the door.
And there she was.
"Hey," she said, flashing a smile. "You're the new kid, right?"
Jake nodded. "Yeah. Just moved in today."
"I'm Haley. I'm across the street for a few days, staying with my grandpa."
Jake tilted his head. "Temporary neighbor, huh? I'll try not to miss you too much when you leave."
Haley grinned. "Smooth. What are you, like twelve going on thirty?"
Jake smirked. "Eleven, actually. But I read at a college level."
She gave a little laugh. "So what's your deal, brainiac? You look like you should be in middle school, not Brentwood."
Jake leaned casually against the doorframe. "Technically, I go to Caltech."
Haley blinked. "What?"
"I run a company too," he added, not breaking eye contact. "FaceWorld."
Her jaw dropped slightly. "Wait—you made FaceWorld? Like the actual FaceWorld?"
"Guilty," Jake said, casually sipping his soda. "I know. It's the hair. Makes me look less dangerous."
Haley laughed, caught off guard. "You're either full of it or the weirdest kid I've ever met."
"I get that a lot," Jake said. "Usually right before someone gives me their number."
Haley raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Bold."
Jake shrugged. "I play to win."
Haley stepped back with a teasing smile. "Okay, genius boy. You're officially interesting."
She started heading back across the street, turning just before she reached the curb.
"I'll be around," she called. "Try not to fall in love with me."
Jake watched her walk away, grinning.
"No promises," he muttered.