《Love for the Librarian》


 Tutoring

    It ising to the end of my senior year in high school. I have managed to remain invisible for four years. I have managed to avoid taunts. I am not the most pretty girl, I am not the girl that guys fawn over. I have long dark hair that I keep in a braid, slender build that I keep behind baggy shirts and loose pants. I never wear skirts. The sses I wear are because I read so much that my eyes get tired. I have worked hard these four years to have the highest GPA in my ss. I am not here to win friends. After all, as soon as school is over I am out of this town, even if it is just for a little while. Bigger and better things await me.


    So being me, I mind my own business. This is when I get the shock of my life. I am standing in the hall shuffling books around in my locker when there is a presence standing next to me. I don¡¯t pay it any attention at first, because after all I am me and no one ever pays attention to me. Then someone clears their throat. Obviously trying to get my attention. I look up into the most gorgeous blue eyes I have ever seen. They are paired with a chiseled face. The best looking lips I have everid my eyes on. His blonde hair is cut short but still has that messy bed head thing going on.


    ¡°Riley right?¡± His voice sounds nice and pleasant. I have heard it before because of course we have had sses together for thest four years.


    ¡°Yeah, Do you need something?¡± Shock is still evident in my voice.


    ¡°That is an understatement. I understand you are super smart.¡± He shes me a cute smile. I am under the impression that he is trying to win me over for something.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± I shrug. I am still not really sure where this is going.


    ¡°Modest too.¡± His smile has a little chuckle to it. ¡°Listen, I need your help. I have been struggling a little bit in my studies and I really need to do well on my finals. Would you be able to find it in your heart to tutor me? I could really use your help.¡± He shes me that smile that I am sure would have won him awards if there was a category for that.


    ¡°What subject are you needing help with? I mean I am sure that there are other people who could help you and you wouldn¡¯t have to be seen with me.¡± I know there are not a whole lot of people who want to be seen with the ss nerd.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind being seen with you. I asked around and you are the best person to help me, if you don¡¯t want to help me I understand.¡± He almost looks hurt.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I was just thinking about you. I can help you. Can you meet me after school at the library in town? I have to work there in the afternoons so if I can help you there it would be easy for me to do both.¡± I mean who wouldn¡¯t want to spend time with the perfect jock of the school. Basketball and Football all four years have been dominated by Dn Matthews.


    ¡°It¡¯s a date. I will see you then.¡± He smiled his megawatt smile and left me there silent and confused.


    I stand there for a moment in a daze. Did that conversation really just happen? It is confirmed when my best friend Katelyn jumps next to me. ¡°Since when the hell are you talking to Dn Matthews?¡±


    ¡°I am guessing since today. He has never talked to me before.¡± Quite honestly I am as shocked as she is.


    ¡°What did he want?¡± She is looking after him to make sure that she was actually seeing the right person, I¡¯m sure.


    ¡°He asked me to tutor him.¡± I follow her gaze. He is walking away with a confident stride. Definitely not like he was just talking to the ss nerd.


    ¡°Are you going to do it?¡± Now she is looking at me for the answer to the all important question.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean he asked. I don¡¯t have a reason not to.¡±


    I shrug my shoulders as I turn to her and start walking to ss. Katelyn is a beautiful girl, I wonder sometimes why she ever hangs out with me. I mean she has money, always has the best hair, clothes and nails. She is really nice too, yet she hangs out with the outcast like me. ¡°I just hope it isn¡¯t one of those jock pranks. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt, is all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is. Besides, I am having him meet me in town at the library. It¡¯s not like he could set anything up there.¡± I had to think about it for a minute. Because let¡¯s face it in this day and age everyone wants to recreate Carrie. It¡¯s like they didn¡¯t learn their lesson.


    ¡°True, your aunt would ring his neck if he did something like that in her library.¡± We bothugh at the prospect of my aunt losing it on some kid who picked on me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like she hasn¡¯t done something like that before. Remember when Kevin picked on me in front of her. I swear her face turned five different colors when she was yelling at him and then started on his father when he came by spouting boys will be boys.¡± Weughed some more. Then the offending party stood in front of me.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny, nerd. Is there a newic con or somethinging to town?¡±


    Kevin meant it as an insult I am sure. I wasn¡¯t really getting it. I just ignored him and walked around him. Then he yelled after me. ¡°What your virgin ass too good to talk to me?¡±


    I froze in my steps. No way did he just yell that out in the middle of the quad. Even though I am a virgin it shouldn¡¯t be something that is bad. It shouldn¡¯t be yelled across the quad either. Katelyn turns on Kevin, ¡°Just because you are a man whore who couldn¡¯t get between her legs doesn¡¯t mean that she is a virgin and even if she was, yeah she is too good to talk to the likes of you.¡± She turns around and grabs my arm dragging me back across the quad.


    ¡°Thanks Katelyn. I can¡¯t believe he just yelled that out to the quad. No one needs to know about my sexual activities. Orck thereof.¡± I am appalled. I mean there have been taunts and sneers but nothing like that yelled across the quad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I think it is great that you still have your V card. I wish I still had mine.¡± She looks behind her as a reminder of why she doesn¡¯t have it.


    ¡°I know I just don¡¯t need to be more of a target than I already am. I am almost out of here and I don¡¯t need any new shit.¡± I roll my eyes.


    ¡°Then you and I are off to California, to bluer skies. Don¡¯t worry girl, I got your back.¡± She throws her arm around my shoulder to emphasize it.


    ¡°I am so d that I have a best friend like you.¡± I can¡¯t help but give her a smile.


    ¡°I am the lucky one. You are super great, and if you let these guys see how hot you are, you would be beating them off with a stick. I know it is important to you.¡± She pulls on my shirt as if to emphasize my need to hide.


    ¡°You say hot, I say average.¡± I shrug my shoulders again.


    ¡°One of these days you are going to let me dress you up, then you will see how hot you are.¡± She gives me a knowing look. She knows how my body is under all the bagginess, but I still think she is wrong.


    ¡°Sure one day.¡± I smile at her and enter ss.


    The rest of the day went by in a blur. I was already epted to my college of choice by early admission, same as Katelyn. We were headed to UCDavis in California. I can¡¯t wait. There are other colleges that I was looking at, but I wanted to make sure it was a school that I could go to with Katelyn. After all I know I am studying library sciences, I don¡¯t need a prestigious degree for that. I did need my best friend though.


    After school I headed to the library, my family owned the only local library. My aunt ran it. She has my whole life. I know she wants me to take it over after she passes, I am just not so sure I want to return to this town after I leave. So when she brings it up I just nod and smile. I don¡¯t want her to think I am ungrateful, after all my parents never had time for me. My aunt was always there for me and I loved her for it.


    ¡°Hey, Aunt Polly, I¡¯m here.¡± I called to her, I knew she was in the stacks.


    ¡°Coming dear. Are you going to be alright tonight? I know this ce will be busy tonight with all those kids studying for their finals.¡± My aunt pops up behind a shelf in front of me. She is in her mid forties, but she is a beautiful woman. I am surprised that no one in town has swept her off her feet. She says she has no need for a man. I think she just had her heart broken and doesn¡¯t want to have it happen again.


    ¡°Yeah, I am fine. Don¡¯t worry about me. You have fun at your book club. I know it is your weekly joy.¡± Iugh at her face. It is a kind of grimace. I know that her weekly book club is just an excuse to sit around and bull shit and drink cheap wine with her friends.


    ¡°Alright if you insist. I will check in on youter, that is if I remember. You know how to lock up right?¡± She almost never checks in.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Of course Aunt Polly. I have my key. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    She grabs her bag and coat from behind the information desk. ¡°You know I always worry about you. I don¡¯t know how my sister doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°She just has other stuff to deal with. Mainly dad.¡± I shrug like it isn¡¯t a big deal. I know it isn¡¯t something that I have to deal with much longer. I came to the realization that my parents could care less if I was alive a long time ago. Aunt Polly always cared though.


    ¡°Be a good girl and I will see you tomorrow alright.¡±


    ¡°See you tomorrow Aunt Polly.¡± I wave her off as I set my bag down and take my hoodie off. Then the door chimes letting me know that Polly was gone. I sit down and wait for my fellow students to venture in. Always around finals they fill the library as if their lives depend on it. I guess in a way it does. If they don¡¯t do well on these then they won¡¯t get into the colleges that they want.


    I wait for about thirty minutes before Dn makes his way into the library. He looks around and then sees me at the desk. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have ever been in here before. It looks nice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, family owned since 1908. Great family legacy huh. So what subject did you want to start with?¡± I am just standing there lost in the fact that he actually came.


    ¡°Well, I guess I have the most trouble with math. I am lost when ites to the signs. Do you think you could help me?¡± He smiles at me. Charming is the thought thates to mind.


    ¡°Yeah, have a seat. You have your book right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I brought all my books. Where do you want me?¡±


    I indicate the seat that usually Aunt Polly sits at. Hees behind the desk and sits next to me pulling out his book and study materials. I look over his notes to see where he is having trouble. It looks like he just needs to go over the material again. It¡¯s notes seem to grasp the concept. As I am exining his notes to him again, other studentse in and fill the tables around the building. Most don¡¯t need my help; they already have their groups and books from ss. asionally I have to stop and help them find a book that they are looking for.


    Dn takes my suggestions without question. He smiles as a concept bes clear to him. I enjoy working with him. He doesn¡¯t give me a hard time about doing the work. I even find that we areughing from time to time. He is really easy to get along with. By the time we are done and packing up, the library was supposed to close at least an hour ago. All the other students have left.

 The Walk Home

    ¡°Do you have a way home?¡± He asks me as I lock up.


    ¡°Oh, I just walk, it isn¡¯t far from here.¡± I turn to look at him. I am his tutor not his date, he does not need to see me home.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you home then. I would hate for something to happen to my tutor.¡± He smirks at me.


    ¡°Really it isn¡¯t that far.¡± I shrug but don¡¯t object any more as he walks next to me. ¡°You did really well today.¡±


    ¡°It was nice to have someone exin it right. I swear Mrs. Hutten was speaking Greek all week.¡± Heughs with me. I like hisugh. I silently chide myself. Don¡¯t fall for him. You are leaving in a month.


    ¡°I am d that I can help, you should have asked sooner.¡±


    ¡°I wish I did. You are a great teacher. So will I meet you tomorrow?¡± He looks hopeful.


    ¡°Yeah, my aunt will be there tomorrow to field questions so we won¡¯t be interrupted as much.¡± I give him a smile back. I think I am flirting. What is wrong with me?


    ¡°So you will be all mine, good to know.¡± His smile is making my knees weak. If I was any other girl I would be putty in his hands right now.


    ¡°Yeah, so anyway. I will meet you there tomorrow. Finals are next week so we should make sure to cover as many topics as possible before then.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°Riley, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Do you like me? I mean you seem nice enough but then you act a bit standoffish. I just wonder if I did something wrong.¡± He has a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°No you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I am just a little guarded, that¡¯s all. I get picked on a bit. Not that you are picking on me. I just, you know, keep my guard up.¡± I am a little shy to admit this to him, but he did ask.


    ¡°So you like me?¡± He asks again.


    ¡°Well, yeah sure.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He pauses for a moment as if relieved. ¡°So what are your ns after graduation?¡± He slides a little closer to me as we walk.


    ¡°Katelyn and I are moving to California. We are attending UCDavis in the fall. We are leaving early so I can find a job and we have a ce all lined up.¡±


    ¡°So you aren¡¯t sticking around here?¡± He almost seems sad about it.


    ¡°No, I have to leave, my parents are driving me nuts.¡± I shake my head as I say it.


    ¡°What if you had a reason to stick around a little longer?¡±


    ¡°I am sure I will still be leaving. My aunt is trying to make me change my mind. She wants me to stay here and run the library with her. I told her that I mighte back someday and work there. I know it is a family thing. I am the only family to really take it over.¡±


    ¡°I mean someone else.¡± He looks down at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a boyfriend if that is what you are asking.¡± I look at him really puzzled. I cock my eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Yeah, that is what I am asking.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Now I am a little bit more confused.


    ¡°Maybe I like you.¡±


    ¡°Dn it is probably best that you don¡¯t. I am leaving in a month. I know that you can have any girl you want, it would be best for you to pick a girl who will stick around for you.¡± I hate the words that areing out of my mouth right now but they are the ones that need to be said. Besides, a girl can¡¯t get her hopes up too much.


    ¡°If I can have any girl then why can¡¯t I have you?¡± I froze, did he really say that to me? The most popr guy in school just asked if he could have me. I must have misunderstood. There has to be something behind this.


    I turn to look at him. ¡°Dn I am not really a looker, I don¡¯t have stuff that all the other girls have. I don¡¯t see what you are seeing in me all of the sudden.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I see something more.¡± He has moved closer to me. I am finding it hard to catch my breath. ¡°Maybe I see a smart, beautiful woman who any man should be falling over themselves to have.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t think¡­¡± What I was going to say I am not even sure anymore. As soon as his lips crashed into mine I lost all thoughts. This was not my first kiss, but it was certainly the first one that I really liked. I couldn¡¯t help my arms find their way around his neck, his wound around my back pulling me closer.


    When he pulls away I have to take a second to remember how to function. He leans his forehead to mine. ¡°I have wanted to do that for a while now. I couldn¡¯t wait any longer.¡±


    ¡°Dn, why?¡± I can¡¯t help but feel exasperated.


    ¡°I told you, I would be a fool not to. You don¡¯t have to put too much on it right now. Just be my friend and of course I will kiss you any chance I get.¡± He smiles at me. It breaks any resolve that I had. I just nod.


    ¡°No promises. I am still leaving in a month.¡± I give him a stern look.


    ¡°I won¡¯t make you stay. I might miss you a little though.¡± Iugh, I really like the way he speaks to me.


    ¡°That is until you find another woman who sweeps into your heart.¡±


    He shrugs, ¡°Perhaps, or maybe you will ruin me for all women.¡± He pecks my lips again.


    I pull back and start walking back to my house. Dn reaches down and grabs my hand. I like the feel of it. I am trying to pull my thoughts away from this man. He is stirring things in me that are better left dormant. I am leaving in a month, I remind myself yet again.


    When we reach my gate I let go of Dn¡¯s hand. ¡°This is my stop. I will see you tomorrow after school.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Or sooner.¡± He winks at me. He continues to stand at my gate as I walk up the walkway to the door. I enter with him waving me in. As soon as I close the door I heave a big sigh. ¡°God help me. I can not fall for that man right now.¡±


    I head to bed with dreams of amazing blue eyes.


    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    My first thoughts of this girl was that she is smart, of course she is the logical choice to help me with my finals. She is also the perfect girl to piss off Brittney. I don¡¯t know why Brittney hates her so much but she does. When I first asked her to tutor me that was my thought. Get back at Brittney and get a tutor out of it.


    When we are sitting at the desk in the library. I can¡¯t help but check her out. She seems guarded and aloof. When a stray hair falls out of her braid. I find myself wanting to brush it behind her ear. The more I talk to her the more I like hearing her talk. She does this thing with her lip when she is deciding how to exin something. She tucks it into her mouth and then slides her tongue along it. I find myself wanting to bite that lip.


    I am not supposed to feel this way. This was just supposed to be something to help with my finals. I was upset about Brittney, that was all this was for. But then why do I find myself distracted by her hands close to me but not touching me? Why do I think about kissing those plump lips? I can see that she is slender under those baggy clothes that I have no idea why she wears them. With her sitting so close I can tell her curves are perfect. It is easy to miss in those clothes and the hoodie that she wears all the time in school. Right now I can see it all. Quite frankly it is turning me on. This hidden gem is just waiting for me.


    When I make ament about Mrs. Hutten being a hard-ass, I make herugh. God it is a beautifulugh. Her eyes light up a little bit. I want to keep herughing. What the hell is wrong with me? I mean at this point she doesn¡¯t even look interested. She keeps finding reasons to keep some distance. I don¡¯t want to be conceded, but girls do not act standoffish with me. Not that I date around. I am just usually telling them no. This girl seems to be telling me no, not directly but with her distance.


    When the library empties and we are still sitting there. I contemted kissing her then. I mean I have to find out if she likes me, right? Then she starts packing things up and she locks the library before I can even think of an excuse to be close to her. I want to give her a ride home, then she shoots me down by saying that she walks. So I have to think fast, I tell her I am going to walk her home.


    As we are walking she keeps her distance. I have to make a move. Why I don¡¯t really know but I need to. When she tells me that she is leaving, I feel a little hurt. Why the hell does it hurt? Did I wait too long to notice this woman standing next to me? When she tells me that she doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend I am filled with glee. I of course had to in ask her if she likes me, she isn¡¯t really one to be open.


    When I kissed her, it was everything I thought it would be. Ever since she first pulled that lip into her mouth I have been wanting to have my mouth on it. It felt amazing. I have of course kissed plenty of times, but kissing Riley just feels different, better. When my arms wrap around her waist I knew I was right, she is slender and her curves are in the right ces.


    I watch her walk into her house and watch which lights turn on and then off. I am able to see where her room is now. That is something I file away, it mighte in handyter on. Only after all her lights are off do I turn and walk back to my truck with a little smile on my face. I fully intend toy im to her in the morning. All thoughts of Brittney are gone. This is what I needed. Someone who is pure and ready for me. She won¡¯t hurt me the way Brittney did.

 Running the Gauntlet

    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    The next morning I wake up and head to the shower. After I step out I see that the house is empty again. I swear I wonder if my parents even live here anymore. I grab an apple from the fridge and head out. Standing by the gate is Dn. He has a big smile on his face. ¡°I got the right time.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I smile through the confusion.


    ¡°I am giving my friend a ride to school. That is still allowed right?¡± His confident smile doesn¡¯t waver.


    I shrug like it is really a contemtion. He takes my hand and leads me to his ck truck. I can¡¯t help the words thate out of my mouth next. ¡°This isn¡¯t some jock bet or something. You aren¡¯t fulfilling some dare are you?¡± I say them as I climb inside.


    He doesn¡¯t answer until he has climbed into the drivers seat. He actually looks hurt. ¡°I told you I like you. This isn¡¯t like that. I really want to know as much of you as I can before you go. I am hoping that we can stay in touch when you leave. You are a good person and I would be crazy not to want to be around you.¡±


    ¡°Dn, you know that the other jocks pick on me right? You know this is not going to be easy.¡±


    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t care. They can all go screw themselves. I like you and I will tell everyst one of those assholes.¡± He doesn¡¯t sound mad, just firm. He is not backing down and he is going to make sure that those assholes know it.


    ¡°Thank you. That says a lot. I can be your friend. I just can¡¯t do anything permanent.¡± I have to remind him and myself yet again. The thought keeps going through my mind, you don¡¯t have to leave right away.


    ¡°I know the whole leaving town thing. I am just hoping that you will think of me from time to time. Who knows maybe we will meet up again in the future.¡± He winks at me. He actually winks. I can feel the tingles down to my toes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but maybe.¡± I give him a side look. Because God if I look at him full on I am going to relent.


    He smiles. I don¡¯t really know why. I just told him that there was no hope for us in the future.


    We pull into the school after about five minutes. I go to open the door when he jumps out and grabs the door before I have it open. Then he helps me down. As soon as I grab my bag and look back at the entry to the school I am greeted by many stunned faces. They turn even more stunned when he grabs my hand and walks by my side into school. As soon as we are in the quad I hear Kevin¡¯s voice ring across the way.


    ¡°No way. You are not dating the virgin queen.¡± Then he is next to Dn.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What if I was, what business is it of yours? As far as I know you have no im on her.¡± Dn stands toe to toe with him. I try to pull my hand away to give him space, he just holds on tighter. He has no intention of letting me go. ¡°Also I don¡¯t recall being a virgin a bad thing. Or are you just pissed that she wont sleep with you.¡± He gets a little smirk on his face.


    ¡°She is going to taint you dude. She will drag your rep to the ground.¡± Kevin grounds out. He is pissed that Dn isn¡¯t backing down. He has looked down on me for a while, having someone defy him on this fact is pissing him off.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t care, Kevin. I do care if you call my friend names. If you don¡¯t back off now you will regret it.¡± I put my hand on Dn¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I told you it would be like this. Just leave it. Kevin isn¡¯t worth it.¡± I try to reason, if he wont let me go then we need to back down.


    Dn¡¯s eyes leave Kevin and then smile at me. ¡°I¡¯ll be the bigger man. Let¡¯s go. I think Katelyn is waiting for you.¡± He points over to the side where Katelyn is waiting with the most shocked expression that I swear I have ever seen on her face. Dn gives Kevin a look and then pushes his shoulder against Kevin¡¯s and then we are away.


    Katelyn points at the two of us. ¡°Are you two dating?¡± She has a sly smile.


    I quickly corrected her. ¡°No, I told him that we are leaving in a month and I won¡¯t date him. We are friends.¡±


    Dn raises his eyebrows suggestively. ¡°A friend I kiss on asion.¡±


    I pped his shoulder. He did not need to announce that to the world. ¡°Dn,¡±


    He pulls me to him, ¡°What, you like it?¡± Then his lips are on mine again in front of the school. When he pulls away from me I am met with the pissed off face of Brittney the school queen. She is the head cheerleader and all around girl all the girls want to be. Also Dn¡¯s ex-girlfriend.


    ¡°Really Dn, is this how you think you are going to win me back?¡± She looks over at me disgusted.


    Dn barely spares her a nce. ¡°Brittney, I have no interest in getting you back. I dumped you, remember. Is that so hard for you toprehend? You need to move on.¡± He pulls me even closer. I wasn¡¯t even sure that was possible. Then he takes a deep breath. ¡°What ss do you have first?¡±


    ¡°Honors English.¡± He slings his arm over my shoulder and starts heading to the ss. Leaving a dumbstruck Brittney. ¡°You really dumped Brittney?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she was cheating on me. I am a loyal kind of guy. I will never want to be back with her. Besides, I wasn¡¯t really feeling it anyway. I think it was more of a you are supposed to kind of thing. She is so vapid I swear I wanted to choke every time I was around her.¡±


    ¡°That sounds harsh.¡± I grumble. No one really needs to be talked about like that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be around her all the time. She is a leach. I am d to be rid of her.¡± Dn states it as if it is the weather. I wonder if he will say the same thing about me after I leave.


    Katelyn is on the other side of me. She keeps stealing nces at me like I have lost my mind. She knows me the best in the world. She knows I may be starting something that I can¡¯t walk away from easily. I give her a look that tells her I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. She gives me a knowing smile and then takes off to her ss. Hollering behind her. ¡°Catch youter Riley. I want details.¡±


    Dnughs. ¡°She is your best friend right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the best in the world.¡± I smile after her.


    ¡°So I need to keep her on my good side, I want her to keep you looking at me in a good way.¡±


    ¡°Friends Dn.¡± I give him a firm look.


    ¡°Are you reminding me or yourself?¡± He smirks at me. Pulling me around to his chest.


    ¡°Both.¡± Then his lips are on mine again. When he breaks away from me, he leaves me at my ss door.


    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    As soon as I drop Riley off at her ss I only make it about five steps before Kevin is at my side. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He doesn¡¯t sound aggressive like before, just confused.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± I counter him. I keep walking. I have no intention of engaging in a conversation about this right now.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to her.¡± Ok that got me to stop.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± I re at him.


    ¡°She is a good girl and you can¡¯t just use her.¡± He res right back at me.


    This has me ring. I mean he was the one just picking on her and now he is defending her. ¡°Who the hell are you to tell me what I can do with her? How long have you been picking on her? You have no right to tell me who I can and can¡¯t be with. Especially when that someone is someone that you treat like shit.¡±


    He turns equally angry at me. ¡°I do it to keep her that way. She is good and I make sure of it. I make sure guys stay away from her. Let¡¯s just say I owe her friend. You are using her to get back at Brittney. You have no intention of being honest with her. Leave her alone.¡±


    ¡°I will do what I want with her. I like her and I am not going to have the likes of you tell me that I can¡¯t be with her. I don¡¯t give a shit about Brittney.¡±


    ¡°I call bullshit. You do care about Brittney. Right now I want you to back off of Riley. Leave her alone.¡± Kevin is fuming. I have never seen him look like this. He really cares if I am with Riley or not. Why? I mean why the hell is it a big deal to him? Does he want her?


    ¡°Do you want her?¡± I lowered my voice because I know that people are listening. I didn¡¯t want to embarrass him.


    ¡°No, I told you. I owe her friend.¡±


    ¡°Katelyn?¡±


    ¡°None of your business. Just leave her alone.¡± He turns and leaves me there looking kind of dumb. What the hell could he owe Katelyn that he has to make sure that no one dates Riley.


    You know what, who cares. I am not backing down from Riley. I like her and I am not going to let her go so easily. Before I thought that I wanted to get back at Brittney, but that isn¡¯t the way it is. I really could care less about her. She cheated on me, she is history. I never intended to get back with her anyway. So, it really doesn¡¯t mean that me being with Riley is bad in any way.

 Drawing Lines

    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    I don¡¯t see Dn around until lunch when he plops down next to me at the table that I usually share with Katelyn. He pulls me onto hisp. ¡°So what are we having for lunch?¡±


    ¡°We! Well, I don¡¯t know about we, but I am having a sd. I am not much for the school¡¯s meatloaf.¡± I smile at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass, I had a big breakfast. I am not one for the green stuff. So, how was your morning?¡± He nuzzles into my neck.


    ¡°Good I guess. It is mainly a review for the finals. The Finals are just a formality for me. I have already been epted to my school of choice, so has Katelyn.¡±


    He turns to Katelyn, ¡°So you are a brainy girl too?¡±


    ¡°No, I have a dad with a lot of money who made a donation to the board. I have good enough grades. Nothingpared to Riley though.¡± She smiles at me. I know she is cutting herself down again. I hate when she does that.


    ¡°She is a brainy girl too. Don¡¯t let her fool you. She has a four point o. She just likes to pretend that she isn¡¯t as smart as she is. I think she doesn¡¯t want to be known as the total package.¡± I give her a wink.


    Sheughs at me. ¡°If you can y down your looks, then I can y down my brains.¡±


    I re at her. ¡°I don¡¯t y down my looks. I just don¡¯t really care about them.¡±


    Dn squeezes my waist. ¡°I think you¡¯re hot.¡±


    Iugh, ¡°Now I know that was a bold face lie. No one has ever thought I was hot.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they just never told you to your face.¡± He smiles into my neck. I can¡¯t help but smile at hisment. I know it is bullshit, but who doesn¡¯t want to be told they are hot. Especially when the one speaking is the hottest guy in school.


    ¡°So how did this start? I mean you two weren¡¯t like this yesterday I would have remembered.¡± Katelyn smiles as she takes a cherry tomato from her te and pops it in her mouth.


    Dn answers. ¡°Actually I have wanted to ask her out for a while now. Instead I asked her to be my tutor, which I needed too. Thenst night when I was walking her home I decided I needed to kiss her before I lost my nerve.¡±


    Katelynughed then looked at me. ¡°Has he met aunt Polly yet?¡±


    ¡°No, but I guess he will tonight.¡± I smile knowing where this is going. Any guy who ever even came close to showing interest in me was always scared to death of Aunt Polly. She was intense when she wanted to be.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear about that.¡± Katelynughed.


    ¡°What? Should I be scared?¡± Dn pulls his head up with a scared look on his face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say Aunt Polly will have a few choice words for you.¡± Iugh with Katelyn. There is no use in preparing him, she will still scare the shit out of him.


    He kisses my neck. ¡°I won¡¯t be scared off so easily.¡±


    Katelynughs even harder at that. ¡°Nothing about Aunt Polly is easy.¡±


    The bell rings signaling the end of lunch. I raise to throw my te away when he grabs it and throws it away for me. ¡°Where are you headed now?¡±


    ¡°I actually have a free period, Well sort of. I help out with P. E. Mr. Harman has me grade papers and marks for his ss. Right now I work for about five minutes and then I am free. Sometimes I just walk the track.¡±


    ¡°I have P. E. I will see you out there. I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t noticed you there before. I can¡¯t actually walk with you, but I will wave to you.¡±


    ¡°How sweet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s myst name. Call me Mr. Sweet.¡± He walks towards the gym holding my hand. I leave him at the men¡¯s locker room, where he gives me a kiss before entering. I have never been kissed this much in my life. I can¡¯t say that I hate it.


    I head down to the field where Mr. Harman is waiting for me. ¡°Hey, Riley I am going to need your help today. I have to administer a test today. I have to record everyone¡¯s numbers. So I am going to give you a group of kids to log their numbers for me. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem Mr. Harman. Do you have a clipboard for me?¡± He hands me over a clipboard for me with four names on it. Dn, Brittney, Kevin and Rachel, Brittney¡¯s best friend. Boy this is going to be a fun hour. At least Dn will be there to pull the attention away from me if I need it. I stand there and wait for the ss to arrive, they start trickling in and soon everyone is present.


    Mr. Harman exins to the ss what he wants. Then he tells my four that they are to be separate and together for me to be able to log their numbers for the test. Brittney and her friend Rachel of course give me a sneer like I am gum on their shoe. Kevin then does something that I am not prepared for, hees up and throws his arm around my shoulders. I step away from him quickly. ¡°What, he can do it but I can¡¯t?¡± He pretends to be hurt.


    Dn res at him. ¡°Leave her alone Kevin.¡±


    ¡°I am just trying to figure out how this works. Is she your fuck buddy is that it?¡±


    I swear it looks like Dn is going to kill Kevin. I raise my hands to them. ¡°No fighting. Kevin it is really none of your business who I sleep with. I can sleep with every guy at this school but you and it will still be none of your business. What is going on between Dn and I is definitely none of your business.¡± I think he is shocked by my statement. Because for once Kevin shut his mouth.


    Mr. Harman starts giving out directions for what he wants them to do. I log their numbers. Brittney for some reason keeps finding ways to put her hands on Dn. I can tell that he doesn¡¯t like it and keeps moving out of her hands. Yet she still keeps trying. When they are done before they all head to the locker rooms to change, Dnes up to me and throws his arm around my shoulders. ¡°How did I do babe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m babe now?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Just go with it.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You did well, you should have no problem passing. Actually I am pretty sure you did over the numbers to pass. Well over.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He looks pleased with himself. Mr. Harmanes over to collect my clipboard.


    ¡°Mr. Matthews, shouldn¡¯t you be getting changed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just talking to my friend for a minute.¡± He pecks my cheek and then runs off. With Mr. Harman scolding him.


    ¡°Keep the PDA¡¯s down Mr. Matthews.¡± Mr. Harman is usually a prettyid back teacher, but he is against PDAs in school. He is an elderly man in histe fifties. Still can kick some of these kids into shape. Beats half of them on the track. He is fit and spry. He is a little taller than Dn, and thin. His gray hair is still a little shaggy, but he doesn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°Alright Riley, how did they do?¡±


    ¡°The guys seemed to do pretty well, the girls weregging. I am not sure if it is because they were cking because of the guys but they were definitely not doing to their full potential.¡±


    ¡°That is what I thought. I am going to have to test the girls separately. I was just testing my theory. Thanks for your help.¡± He takes a look at the clipboard. ¡°Wait, are these numbers correct for the guys?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡± I am starting to wonder if I did it wrong.


    ¡°Seems that maybe they were having a littlepetition. They don¡¯t usually have numbers this high. Something was making them push it to the max. Alright head to your next ss, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Mr. Harmon takes off towards the lockers and his office.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I begin to wonder. The only problem that they seemed to be having was me. Am I really causing that much problems for Dn? Maybe I should tell him to back off. I will have to worry about thatter. I take off for my next ss.


    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    Kevin has been giving me shit all day. I swear every time that I see him it is like he is asking for a punch to the face. When we came into P. E. I wanted to lunge at him when he put his arm around Riley. She moved away quickly enough but it still pissed me off.


    Brittney was acting like she was a ma and I was metal. I kept moving away from her hands but she was not getting the hint. She was even finding ways throughout the test. Keeping her away from me is proving to be a pain in my ass. I thought that she didn¡¯t want me. I mean she cheated on me and basically said that I wasn¡¯t good enough for her.


    Kevin was pushing my limits. I decided to show him how strong I am. You know, that whole I can beat your ass thing. He kept meeting me on each test. Push-ups, crunches, squats. He matched me at all of it. I was getting pretty tired by the end of ss. I had my whole concentration on beating Kevin that I didn¡¯t even notice until her hands were on my legs during the crunches that Brittney was caressing my calves. Talk about distracting.


    At the end of ss, all I wanted was to be wrapped in Riley¡¯s arms. I knew that wasn¡¯t possible in the current setting so I put my arm around her. I made a point to call her babe in front of Brittney so that she would know that I had moved on. Maybe she would get the hint that I don¡¯t want her touching me. When Mr. Harman dismissed me. I had to get some sort of kiss. So I kissed her cheek. I know Mr. Harman hates that kind of stuff, but what can I say, I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    Of course after I change Brittney is waiting by the locker room door.


    ¡°Dn, can we talk?¡± She is giving me a pouty face. I always hated that face.


    I roll my eyes at her. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Dn, I want you. I made a mistake. Please let¡¯s fix this.¡± She starts to inch closer to me. She has her hands raised like she is going to put them on my chest, like she used to.


    I grab her hands to stop her. ¡°There is no fixing this. We are done. I have moved on to someone who won¡¯t sleep around on me. I like Riley and I am not going to betray her by letting you anywhere near me.¡± I tossed her hands down and left her there with her dumb ass expression. I am so d to be rid of that girl. I didn¡¯t even realize how much she was pissing me off till now. Thank God I found someone who is not a viper.

 Plans Change

    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    After school I head straight to the library. When I enter Aunt Polly greets me with arge smile. ¡°How did it go yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Great, I did close a littleter, but it was because I was helping another student with his studies and lost track of time.¡± I know she already checked the logs when she came. It is to make sure that I don¡¯t have trouble getting people out.


    ¡°So no trouble?¡±


    ¡°None whatsoever. I will be helping my friend this week to study for finals. Is that all right Aunt Polly?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. If I need you I¡¯ll pull you away for a moment. I am sure that I can handle it though.¡± She waves me off as I find a table to set up for Dn. I am just getting the table cleared when Kevines in and shoots straight to the table I am clearing.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I want in.¡± He leans on the table in a clear I ampletely serious posture. What the hell?


    I look at him shocked. ¡°Want in on what? What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°This study deal. I want in.¡± He waves a hand at the table as if this is the key point in his discussion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kevin, you are going to have to find someone else to tutor you. You and I do not get along well enough to constitute a good study rtionship.¡± I turn to look somewhere else, I do not want to get into a debate with Kevin in front of Aunt Polly. She will not let it end well.


    ¡°Come on. I am just as good as Dn. How does he rate?¡± He follows me. What the hell is his deal?


    ¡°For one he doesn¡¯t insult me. Kevin, I just don¡¯t see it working out well. You need to find someone else to help you.¡± I try to look at him to make sure that it is clear I am not happy to work with him.


    Dnes up behind Kevin. ¡°Is there a problem here?¡±


    Kevin turns around with a smile on his face. ¡°I was just asking Riley here to tutor me too. It seems to have done wonders for you. You can¡¯t keep her all to yourself you know.¡±


    Dn grunts at him. ¡°I highly doubt that a tutor can help you. However, you are wee to join us.¡± He is trying to insult him as well as sound amodating. I think he thinks it will piss off Kevin enough that he leaves.


    However, Kevin throws him off. He smiles and turns to me. ¡°See, your friend agrees I can join. I¡¯ll sit next to you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to be your tutor.¡± I shake my head at him.


    ¡°Oh,e on, what are you scared of?¡± Kevin always knows how to goad me.


    ¡°I am not scared, I just don¡¯t feel the need to subject myself to someone who likes to pick on me.¡± I re at him.


    ¡°Your boy toy here will make sure I am polite enough.¡± Kevin cocks his head to Dn.


    ¡°He is not my boy toy, and you are starting off on a terrible step.¡± I cross my arms and re at him more.


    Aunt Polly decides to check on things. When she sees Kevin she grows cross. ¡°Kevin, I thought I told you that I didn¡¯t want to see you in here ever again. You are not wee anywhere near my niece. Leave now before I call your father.¡±


    Kevin smiles at Aunt Polly. ¡°I am here for a study session with Riley. I swear I will be on my best behavior.¡± He holds up his hands in a surrender posture. He knows how ferocious that Aunt Polly can be, so I am sure that with her in the back corner he will be on his best behavior.


    Aunt Polly res at him. ¡°Is this true Riley?¡±


    ¡°That is what he ims. He came here asking to join in our study session.¡± I answer her as honestly as I can tell from what Kevin saiding in. I think he has another reason for being here, not really sure what it is.


    ¡°I will be watching you Kevin, if you say one wrong thing I will send you packing. You know for a fact that I am not one bit scared of your father so don¡¯t even try to pull that one on me.¡± Aunt Polly res at him as she starts back to her desk. She will be true to her word, she will be watching Kevin like a hawk.

 Truer Words Never Spoken

    Dn takes the seat next to mine and Kevin reluctantly sits across from us. Dn takes out his history book. I guess that is the subject we are working on today. Over the loudspeaker my aunt has decided that she will y music. Soon the tunes of the Rat Pack fill the building.


    Kevin groans. ¡°Old people¡¯s music.¡±


    I smile. ¡°I like it. Those guys knew how to romance a girl. Maybe you could take some lessons.¡± I give Kevin a wicked grin.


    Dn smiles at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you like Rat pack music.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice and smooth and yet jonty too. It¡¯s fun music.¡± I give him a different smile. One that shows I like him noticing things about me.


    ¡°I agree. I am guessing you are a Dean girl.¡± He cocks his head to me.


    ¡°Actually give me Jerry any day.¡± I smile and lift my head in a self assured way.


    ¡°Really! Well, I am screwed then.¡± Dnughs. Iugh along with him. Kevin ispletely lost.


    ¡°Well, history let¡¯s delve in. Is there any help you can give me on remembering the dates? I can never ce the right date with the right event.¡± Dn pulls out his notes. Kevin pulls out his too, they are abysmal. I don¡¯t even think you can call them notes. They look more like a doodle pad.


    ¡°I can tell you that since it is multiple choice you will have options. Mr. Keller always makes multiple choices for the finals. Also he is not as concerned on the actual dates of things as he is on what actually happened in the event. Since he is covering the whole year in the final, that is a lot of events. Do you have a beat on the events?¡±


    Kevin shrugs. ¡°I have problems figuring what event was really going on when.¡±


    ¡°My suggestion to you Kevin is maybe some shcards. You really have no clear grasp of what is going on. All the events are in bold in the text. Make sh cards with the event name on one side and what happened then on the back. It should have you pretty ready for the test. That might work with you too Dn. I mean on any events that you are struggling with.¡±


    Dn looks over his notes. ¡°I guess I just have some problems with the area around the civil war, it seems that so much was happening all at once. It is hard to narrow down what was with what event.¡±


    ¡°shcards for the civil war then. Sounds like a n. Do you guys have three by five cards?¡± They both look at me like I am crazy. Who carries around three by five cards?


    I shrug and pull a pack out of my bag. It is finals time of course I have some in my bag. ¡°I am going to get another pack from my aunt. Try not to kill each other.¡± I wink at Dn as I leave the table. My aunt is still watching Kevin, when Ie up to her desk.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Whatever made you agree to help that boy? He is a blight on this town. Pin head jerk.¡± She groans as she turns her attention to me. ¡°That other boy seems nice. Is he your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, Aunt Polly. He is a friend. I don¡¯t know, I think he wants to be more, but I am leaving town soon and I don¡¯t want to make amitment that I can¡¯t follow through with. Do you have any three by five cards? I thought I saw some in the deskst night.¡± I try to change the subject, but Aunt Polly is too smart for that.


    ¡°Way to change the subject dear. Yeah, they are in that drawer right there.¡± She points at the drawer closest to me. I pull it open and sure enough there they are sitting right on top. ¡°Do you like this boy?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I do or not. It isn¡¯t going to change anything.¡±


    ¡°Riley you are dodging again. Do you like this boy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± I shy away from her. I knew she was going to drag it out of me sooner orter. I just hoped to avoid actually hearing it for a while yet. The more quiet I was about it the better it was for me. I could pretend that it didn¡¯t matter and I was leaving, so I could ignore it.


    ¡°You are not being fair to yourself youngdy. If you feel for this boy you need to explore it. You are only young once. Just keep clear of Kevin.¡± She gives me a pointed look. As if I would ever be interested in someone like Kevin.


    ¡°Thanks Aunt Polly. I will keep that in mind.¡± I head back to the table. Something obviously happened while I was gone, because both guys were ring at each other and I swear I can see sparks flying between the two.


    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V


    As soon as Riley leaves the table Kevin leans onto the table. ¡°I told you to leave her alone. You have left me no choice.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Just leave Kevin. We don¡¯t want you here.¡± I re daggers at him. I really hope that he leaves.


    ¡°Then tell her about Brittney and I will leave. Let¡¯s see how she feels about being used.¡± He res right back at me.


    ¡°I am not using her. I like her and I am not backing down. Leave.¡± I am really trying not to raise my voice. I don¡¯t need her aunt kicking me out with Kevin.


    ¡°Yeah right. You just happen to be dating the one girl that Brittney hates. I find that really hard to believe. Just leave her alone.¡± It is like we are shooting bullets with our mouths. I am so intent on getting Kevin to leave that I don¡¯t notice when Rileyes back.


    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? I wasn¡¯t gone that long.¡± I look back and forth between the two.


    Kevin smirked up at me. ¡°It would seem that Dn doesn¡¯t like mypany. Perhaps he thinks I will steal you away.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± I drew the word out. ¡°I have no idea what universe you just woke up in, but that isn¡¯t happening.¡± I ce the cards on the table and sit next to Dn again.


    ¡°So Kevin it would be best for you to start in the beginning of the book and work your way through. It will give you a little refresher and also you can get the cards down. If you are confident in an event then skip it. Dn, you focus on the civil war and do the same.¡± I watch as they start to put their cards together. Kevin of course is sloppy, but he is getting it down. Dn is careful and notes all the important stuff.


    When they are done, ¡°Alright all you have to do now is run through them until they are clear to you. It will take a few times but I know you guys can get it. Don¡¯t worry so much about dates. Worry about what happened.¡±


    ¡°I think we should call it a night.¡± Dn looks over at Kevin as if giving him a hint that he needs to leave.


    ¡°I will leave with you buddy.¡± Kevin smirks at him.


    ¡°I am going to walk Riley home. So you can go ahead.¡±


    ¡°You can never be too careful, maybe I should walk her home too.¡± Boy he is being a stubborn ass tonight.


    ¡°Actually guys, I have to help my aunt close up. I won¡¯t be ready to go home for at least an hour. You guys can head on out.¡± Dn looks hurt.


    ¡°I can help you close up.¡± I know he doesn¡¯t want to leave. I just also know that Kevin isn¡¯t going to leave unless he leaves too.


    ¡°I guess, it is just cleaning up. Putting all the books away, then there is wiping down the tables and chairs. Vacuuming the floor. You know basic clean up work. I wouldn¡¯t expect you guys to do all that.¡±


    Kevin gets up and packs his bag. Dn holds back. He goes to the table next to ours and starts picking up books. I smile, d that he decided to stay. However Kevin sees what he is doing and heads to another table to pick up books too. Crap, can¡¯t he just leave. I am starting to feel like he is just doing this to piss off Dn and it is working. Why the hell does Kevin want to piss off Dn so badly?


    I start doing my closing pick up. While I am in the stacks re-shelving books. A pair of arms slid around my waist. I turn around to face Dn. ¡°Finally I have you alone for a moment.¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°What the hell is his deal? Why is he trying to piss you off so badly?¡±


    ¡°He thought I took Brittney from him and now he thinks that he can get to you and take you away from me. He is trying to be a vindictive prick. I really need to kiss you now. I have been waiting too long as it is.¡± Dn pulls me closer and presses his lips to mine. The passion that escapes him is enough to send my body reeling. How can a kiss make my toes curl? A small moan escapes my lips. Dn loves it, he bites my bottom lip a little bit. My body pressed against his and his arms around me feels just right.


    Then Kevin had to go and ruin it. He pops up from around the corner. ¡°Now we wouldn¡¯t be making out in the library would we. I mean Aunt Polly wouldn¡¯t like that very much would she? Maybe I should go tell her.¡±


    I re at him. ¡°It is none of your business Kevin, what I do with Dn is between me and Dn. I have already talked to my aunt about it. Can¡¯t you just leave me alone?¡±


    Kevin gives me mock pain. ¡°That¡¯s not really fair. I am just asking to be a friend. Like Dn here. I can be your friend too.¡±


    ¡°No you can¡¯t.¡± I don¡¯t bother to borate. I simply want him to go away.


    ¡°You will see who your real friend is. He will ditch you as soon as Brittneyes crawling back to him. I guarantee you will much rather have me for a friend. At least I am honest about what I want. You are a rebound girl for him. He has no intention of ever being anything more than that.¡±


    Kevin turns and leaves. Hopefully out of the building. I turn to Dn. I think he is expecting me toment on what Kevin said. I don¡¯t I really don¡¯t care what Kevin said. ¡°So, that was a load of bull huh?¡±


    ¡°Of course it was. I am so sick of him and Brittney. I want to enjoy my time with you, they just keep poking their ugly heads around.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I don¡¯t. I told you we are just friends. I don¡¯t see how we can be more than that with me leaving soon. Even if I wanted to be more.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to be more.¡± The sad look returns to his face. Like I hurt him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡± The sad look is still there, but I do see a glimmer of hope in his eyes.


    I let out a big sigh. ¡°I want it all. I am just being realistic. I know that this isn¡¯t long term. We are going to live thousands of miles apart soon. We will be nothing more than friends.¡±


    ¡°Riley, look at me.¡± I look in his eyes I see a longing there I only ever prayed a man would feel for me. ¡°I will be friends with you if that is all you really want. I just don¡¯t think that is. I have a feeling you want me as much as I want you.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but remember that our bodies are pressed together. I can feel the heat rising in my face. I have turned a bright shade of pink, because I know he is right. I do want him. I am just too scared to act on it. No matter how I look at it, I am getting hurt in the end. It is just a matter of what is going to hurt less.


    He smiles at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I am here. I am not going anywhere. I am by your side until you leave me. Then we will see what happens.¡± He tugs me a little closer and squeezes.


    ¡°I told you what will happen. Besides once I am gone, you will see all the hot chicks around you again and you will forget all about me.¡±


    ¡°I could never forget about you. You are memorable. Don¡¯t ever forget that.¡± He rubs me back with small circles.


    I pull away from him. ¡°I need to finish up here. I am sure my aunt is waiting to lock up.¡± I start grabbing books from the cart and shelving them. Ie to a collection of books and put them all together.


    ¡°You¡¯re not doing it right.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, who works here?¡± I cock my head at him.


    ¡°They should be in numerical order.¡± He points to the books.


    ¡°Technically that is true. However, as long as the books are in the right area that is what matters.¡±


    ¡°It would only take a few minutes to fix.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but a few minutes for every series would take hours.¡±


    ¡°Just fix this one then.¡± He leans over me and starts moving books around.


    ¡°Anal much. It is fine.¡± I roll my eyes at him.


    ¡°Yeah, but it gives me more of a chance to be close to you.¡± He whispers in my ear like it is a sin. Hell maybe it is. It certainly feels like one. He rests his chin on my shoulder. ¡°How much more do you have to do?¡± I can tell it isn¡¯t an impatient question but a question of how long until he can get me alone.


    ¡°I think I can finish this upter. We should probably go. Aunt Polly will be waiting.¡± This time I took his hand and led him back down stairs to the front of the library. Like I predicted Aunt Polly is waiting. ¡°I will finish up that tomorrow after school. I know you need to get home.¡± Aunt Polly gives me a knowing look and then walks to the door.


    ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t need me to see you home today, what with two male escorts you are protected enough.¡±

 Getting to Know Each Other

    ¡°Two?¡± Then I see him. Kevin is sitting on the front steps waiting for us. I groan as I collect my bag and hoodie. Why the hell is he still here?


    When we exit the library, Dn puts his arm around my shoulders in a possessive manor, one that is not lost on my Aunt. She chuckles and locks up the library. ¡°I will see you tomorrow Riley.¡±


    Aunt Polly goes in the opposite direction of her house. I am assuming it is to give me some privacy, after all her house is right next to mine. I turn towards my house with Dn on my shoulders and Kevin right next to me. It is quiet for a moment then I have to break the silence.


    ¡°Why are you here Kevin? You don¡¯t like me, it has been clear for years. Why do you feel the need to pick on me even more now.¡± I am exasperated. I have no other option with this guy but to put things point nk.


    ¡°I am not picking on you. I am simply getting to know you. Maybe I have been wrong for years. I mean if Dn can see a diamond in the rough then why can¡¯t I.¡± Of course he is just going to shrug it off.


    ¡°Because you made it clear that you don¡¯t like me. I am some blemish to you. Quite frankly I am confused as to why you are hanging around. People don¡¯t change that much in a day.¡± I re at him. His story just isn¡¯t adding up.


    ¡°Maybe I figured if Dn saw something then it was worth checking out. Besides, I do need your help with studying. You can¡¯t deny that.¡± He smiled at me like it was supposed to be charming. It made me cringe.


    ¡°I will help you study, but after finals let¡¯s just go back to the way things were ok.¡±


    Dn decides to answer for him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry after finals Kevin will make himself scarce. Then I will have you all to myself.¡± He pulls me closer to him. It seems a little forced but I shrug it off. Maybe I am just being paranoid.


    ¡°So this is going to be a tense week.¡±


    ¡°Finals are always tense.¡± Dn shrugs like he has no clue what I am talking about. I decide to y dumb too.


    ¡°I never have a tense time during finals. I have managed to make it this far. Plus like I said Finals are just a formality for me at this point. I am already epted to my college of choice. I just have to not fail them. My grades are good enough that it won¡¯t matter if I got a C on them.¡±


    Kevinughs. ¡°Like that would happen. You are far too smart for that.¡±


    ¡°An actualpliment. I am surprised by you.¡± I really am. What the hell happened to Kevin? Is he a pod person?


    ¡°Like I said, maybe things have changed.¡± Kevin shrugs and smiles. I swear he is up to something.


    Dn looks at me. ¡°So what makes you like Jerry better?¡±


    It takes me a minute to remember what he was talking about. Then I remember the conversation over the music. ¡°A woman loves a man who can make herugh. Jerry certainly fits into that category. Plus the guy was hot. I mean he may be old, but he is still kind of hot.¡±


    ¡°Boy I really am screwed if you think Jerry is hot.¡±


    ¡°He has that suave thing going on. Maybe it¡¯s the mafia thing. I was sad when he died.¡± I can¡¯t believe I am telling this to Dn. I mean this is personal stuff here.


    Kevinughs, ¡°you have the hots for an old dead guy.¡±


    ¡°Old dead guys knew how to treat a woman. Unlike guys today who think that women are just some y thing. Hell if Rock Hudson wasn¡¯t gay he would have been right up there too.¡± I scoff at him. ¡°And most of the time he was still a jerk, he just knew how to make it better.¡±


    ¡°Who is Rock Hudson?¡± Kevin looked confused.


    ¡°Google it. Heart throb. I think far better than Elvis myself.¡±


    ¡°Now Elvis I know.¡± Kevinughs like this is knowledge that gets him in the club.


    Dn scoffed. ¡°Everyone knows Elvis, that isn¡¯t a culture test.¡±


    ¡°You know Prisci was fifteen when they got married.¡± I can¡¯t help but throw out some old time trivia.


    ¡°Really, way to go Elvis.¡± Kevin fist pumps the King.


    ¡°Yeah, but Jerry Lee Lewis married a fifteen year old too and got total shit for it. They both got married within the same year of each other.¡±


    ¡°Well that sounds stupid.¡± Dn adds.


    ¡°I think it was more because they were rted.¡± I shrug.


    ¡°They were rted.¡± Kevin looks disgusted.


    ¡°Yeah they were second cousins. They took kissing cousins to the extreme.¡±  I make my eyes go wide in a little bit of an off tone.


    Dn pulled me close. ¡°I am so d you are not my cousin.¡± He kissed my forehead.


    ¡°So are you just into old dead dudes?¡± Kevin smirks at me.


    ¡°Oh, there are more modern men as well. Some of which are dead too. Like Kevin Smith, he was super hot, had that bad boy thing going on.¡± I wave my hands as I talk, what can I say I am an animated talker.


    Kevin chimed in. ¡°Sorry to break it to you but Kevin Smith is still alive. Plus I didn¡¯t know you had a thing for chunky guys.¡±


    ¡°Not that Kevin Smith, God if it doesn¡¯t involve weed you have no clue. Kevin Smith died in the nies in an ident on set. I was really sad to hear about that.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t even born yet.¡± Dn pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah, but when I found out I was sad.¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Ok, who else is still alive and we might know.¡± Dn asked.


    It takes me a moment to think about it. I am not one to keep up on modern culture. ¡°Um, Cole Sprouse. Or Dn I guess too.¡±


    ¡°Those twins.¡± Kevin asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I like their smiles.¡±


    ¡°I guess I couldn¡¯t do so bad then. After all, I got a good smile.¡± Dn pointed out. Then shed me a smile just to make the point.


    ¡°That you do. So now it is your guy¡¯s turn. Who are you attracted to?¡±


    Kevin smiled, ¡°I would say Kisten Stewart.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, her hotness is subtle.¡±


    ¡°Ok, Dn?¡±


    ¡°You,¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t count.¡±


    ¡°I should have answered that.¡± Kevin grumbled. I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes at him.


    ¡°Ok, Jennifer Garner. When she was Electra, it was hot.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°Of course a woman running around in leather would be hot.¡± We had reached my gate and Dn pulled me to his chest.


    ¡°She still has nothing on you.¡± Then he kisses me. I feel the passion from him, but also a bit of the heated re from Kevin.


    I pull back, because this is just awkward. ¡°So I will see you guys tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I will pick you up.¡± Dn states, like I already agreed to it.


    ¡°Actually I told Katelyn to pick me up. She wants some girl time. She says you are taking up all her time.¡± Iugh. It isn¡¯t true but I hope it sounds like it is. I need to talk to my best friend. I can¡¯t do that with this guy standing over me.


    ¡°Alright then I will meet you at school.¡± Like he didn¡¯t even seem phased at all.


    Kevin rolls his eyes. ¡°You sound like a clingy ass. You see her when you see her. Let¡¯s go dude.¡± He pulls Dn¡¯s arm so that they are walking away.

 Confrontation with Mother

    ¡°God those two.¡± I roll my eyes and walk in my house. Of course this is the one time my mother is home. She greets me at the door.


    She is a striking woman, a lot like me, only prettier, with blonde hair. ¡°Who were those guys? Why isn¡¯t Polly walking you home?¡±


    ¡°They are friends. Polly wanted to give me some space. I thought you wanted that too.¡± I give her a stern look. I mean I haven¡¯t seen her in a month, who is she to question who is walking me home.


    ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± Of course she is going to get stern with me too. I mean she is my mother.


    ¡°Mom, when was thest time you actually spoke to me?¡± I make my tone lighter but I am still agitated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use that tone with me Riley Anderson. I am still your mother.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you could have fooled me. Why do you care all of the sudden who is walking me home?¡±


    ¡°You are my daughter, of course I care.¡± Her tone conveys that she is hurt.


    ¡°I am going to bed mom. If you are still around in the morning maybe we can talk a little more civilly. I think right now you are pissed about something dad did and you are taking it out on me.¡± I go to pass her and head to my room.


    ¡°No, I am pissed because my daughter thinks I am persecuting her because I asked who the two guys who walked her home are. Shouldn¡¯t that be something that a mother asks? I mean the one guy had his hands and mouth all over you. Are you dating him?¡± She continues. I swear she wants a fight.


    ¡°No mom I¡¯m not. I will not date anyone. I am leaving this town as soon as the ink dries on my diploma. I have made it clear to Dn that we are just friends. He is just trying to make me change my mind. However it is conversations like this that make me damn sure that I am leaving.¡± I turn and yell at her.


    ¡°Riley,¡± Her tone has be a lot softer. ¡°I know I am not a perfect mother. Your father and I have some problems. But that doesn¡¯t mean that we don¡¯t love you. I am going to be sad when you are gone. I regret not spending more time with you. Riley, can you please just listen to me for a second.¡± Even though she had turned softer I was still trying to leave the conversation.


    ¡°What mom?¡± I stop on my way to my room.


    ¡°Your father and I are getting a divorce. It wasn¡¯t you we were avoiding, it was each other. I am sorry that you felt that way. I guess I just thought that you had Polly around and it was enough for you.¡± She isn¡¯t looking at me. I can tell she is ashamed to say what she is saying.


    ¡°Mom, I love Aunt Polly but she didn¡¯t give birth to me. There are times I really need you. You were never around. It would have been better for me if you and dad would have divorced years ago if that was the problem.¡± I finally have an audience for my grief. It is time for her to hear my thoughts.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t think honey. We thought it was better to have your parents married and together than to separate. We didn¡¯t see what it was doing to you.¡± She can hardly look me in the eyes. She is hurt. I can tell that this isn¡¯t how she wants us to be. I mean after all I am her only child.


    ¡°I understand. I just wish you would have talked to me before this. Now I feel like it is toote. I am leaving in a month. Not much time left for bonding.¡± I sigh in defeat. I love my mother. I really wanted a better rtionship with her.


    ¡°I will be around for you honey. For the next month I will be here every morning and every night when youe home. It is a start right?¡± Now she looks in my eyes. She is looking for hope I can feel it. I decided to give it to her.


    ¡°Yeah, mom, it¡¯s a start.¡± Shees up and hugs me.


    ¡°I love you, honey. Now go get in bed, I know it is finals week, you need your rest.¡± She pushed the small of my back to usher me to my room.


    ¡°How did you know it was finals week?¡± I look at her shocked, I swear I haven¡¯t seen her in a month, how could she possibly know that.


    ¡°I do talk to Polly about you, even when I am not around. Now get to bed girl.¡± Now she is going to be my mom. Secretly I love it.


    ¡°Thanks mom. I have to call Katelyn real quick and then I will be off to dreand.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡± She waves me off. I am d that she didn¡¯t argue about the call to Katelyn. She could have, but she let me do my thing.


    I am d that we had this talk. Maybe she will be around more. Or maybe it will be a pain in my ass. I don¡¯t know but I will deal with it when ites time. I only have a month anyway, so not that big of a deal. I called Katelyn as soon as I got in my room and shut the door.


    ¡°What the hell? You don¡¯t talk to me anymore. You got you a man now and I am nobody I see.¡± She is giving me mock anger. I know she isn¡¯t mad. This is just the way that Katelyn is.


    ¡°Katelyn shut up. You know I do not have a man. Besides I called you, remember. You are not going to believe who showed up at the library tonight.¡± I jumped right in.


    ¡°Who?¡± Her tone has changed to one of joy and inquisition.


    ¡°Kevin. He pulled some shit about wanting me to tutor him too. So he and Dn were ring at each other. Then he insisted that he walk me home too.¡± I know it sounded jumbled, but it was all spilling out of me.


    ¡°Stay away from that ass hat. He is no good. Didn¡¯t your Aunt try to shoo him off?¡± I know she is irritated with Kevin, not me. I also know the reason for the irritation.


    ¡°Oh she tried, but you know how she loves education. He yed the study card. She spent the whole night watching the table. Then she left me alone with both of them to walk home. I think she thinks Dn will protect me.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t he?¡± Katelyn seems to like Dn. That has to count for something. Most guys don¡¯t make it into her good books.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean most of the time he seems sincere but then there are times when something just feels off. I think there is something he is hiding. Plus I can¡¯t get involved with him anyway. We are leaving in a month. I don¡¯t want to get involved with anyone.¡± I know I am lying and I am sure that Katelyn can see through it but I have to still try to convince myself.


    ¡°Yeah, but you do.¡± Yep she saw through my shit.


    ¡°Katelyn.¡±


    ¡°Come on, admit it. You thought about giving your v card to Dn.¡± Again she cuts through the shit. This is why she is my best friend.


    ¡°Ok I thought about it, but then I changed my mind. It is best not to do that. No matter how hot he is.¡±


    ¡°Boy is hot.¡± I love this girl. She is always point nk. I can¡¯t help butugh.


    After myughter fit. ¡°Thanks for the help. So how am I going to get these guys to leave me alone. I mean it¡¯s not like I want the attention. I am leaving.¡± Now to the business that I wanted to talk about.


    ¡°I remember. I still think you should enjoy yourself before real life begins. There are worse people to lose it to. I mean it could be Kevin for crying out loud.¡± She hates him. There is no worse person in her mind.


    ¡°No thank you. Or I guess that is something that we could have inmon.¡± I mock her. After all she wants to throw shit at me I can throw it right back.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, God do not remind me. I was not in my right mind. I thought he was being sweet. Plus he is kind of hot. Then after he was a cold asshole. I want to p his cocky grin every time I see it.¡± There is the anger that I love.


    ¡°I just hope he keeps some distance at school. I mean a study group is fine, but I do not want to hang out with the dude.¡± I jump on her band wagon. The ¡®I hate Kevin¡¯ train. After all, the guy spent a good deal of time picking on me.


    ¡°Maybe I should join for the study dates, that way it defuses the tension a little bit.¡±


    ¡°That would be good. Having someone in my corner could be helpful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a date then. I will stick to you girl. Plus it will keep Kevin from getting too far. I told him if I ever caught him putting hands on you I would beat his ass. He knows you are off limits.¡± Always my savior.


    ¡°Thanks Katelyn. I¡¯m going to get ready for bed. Come pick me up in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I need to talk to my girl without all that testosterone running around.¡± Then without a goodbye she ends the call.


    I quickly change and climb in bed. Tomorrow is a new day. I just really need to get out of this town. It is turning way tooplicated.

 Kevin鈥檚 Intentions

    My sleep is restless. Thoughts of Kevin and Dn keep rolling around in my mind. I am sure that Kevin just wants to piss off Dn but what the hell is Dn ying at. He acts like I am his girlfriend. Even though I made it clear that is not what I want. I quickly shower and change into my school clothes. I braid my wet hair. I don¡¯t like the wetness on my back but I just have too much hair to wait for it to dry.


    As promised my mom is waiting in the kitchen. She made breakfast. She hasn¡¯t done that for like two years. I give her a smile. ¡°Hey, Mom. What¡¯s all this? I usually just grab some fruit on my way out the door.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take you long to eat it. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day you know. A couple of eggs don¡¯t take long to eat. Katelyn isn¡¯t even here yet.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I sit down and eat the te she offered me. It has two fried eggs and some toast. She is right. I finish it before Katelyn gets here. I still grab some fruit that way at least it is a bnced meal. Then head out to Katelyn.


    She smiles at me. Of course she looks like a model in her tight clothes and designer shoes. I don¡¯t get why she hangs out with frumpy me but I am d she does. ¡°Hey so you ready for the guys that are stalking you.¡±


    ¡°Funny.¡± Iugh as I get in her car. ¡°I am going to try to avoid them and see how that goes. You think that will work?¡±


    ¡°Not likely. I think they n on tormenting you. I will be a buffer though. We will get through this. Three weeks of school. One week to pack. We got this.¡±


    ¡°I am so d I have you.¡±


    ¡°You better not forget bitch. I am the only one that has your back.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Just remember I would do the same for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. That is why you are my best friend.¡± Sheughs. ¡°Look, they are waiting already.¡± She nods her head to the school gate. Standing there is Kevin and Dn, they are watching the carsing in. God are you serious.


    ¡°What the hell, don¡¯t they have anything better to do?¡± I roll my eyes at the guys.


    ¡°Apparently not.¡± We got out of the car. The guys start heading towards us. Then Katelyn throws her arm around my shoulder. ¡°Back off bitches, she is mine.¡± Then she pushes past them. You would think that would stop them, but it doesn¡¯t. Dn slides his arm around my waist. Kevin puts his arm around Katelyn¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to share. Friends share.¡± Dn chides Katelyn. She is too busy ring at Kevin for touching her.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± She looks ready to beat his head in.


    ¡°I am showing my love.¡±


    ¡°Love my ass. Get your hands off me.¡±


    ¡°You love it.¡± He squeezes her tighter.


    ¡°Been there done that. Was not impressed. Won¡¯t happen again.¡± She makes it a strong point.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Kevin looks a little shocked by her remark, but then he shrugs and leaves his arm there. I am shocked. All the looks that we are getting are ridiculous. I guess we look like some weird group. I am looking forward to ss so much, just so I can get a break.


    Of course Katelyn has to break off and head to her ss before I hit mine. After she leaves, I see Brittney approaching us. Kevin smiles and keeps walking with me. He put his arm around my shoulders in Katelyn¡¯s ce. Dn seems to falter a little. Then continues to walk with me. When we got to ss I slid out of their grips and rushed in without even so much as a goodbye. I could still see them at the door. Brittney has reached them. I can see them having an animated conversion, I can¡¯t hear what it is about. I can see that Brittney and Dn are heated. Kevin is justughing. I turn away. I don¡¯t really care. Maybe they will go back to following Brittney around.


    Ok I am lying to myself. I would be hurt if Dn started following Brittney around. I am starting to like him being around. I just know it is best to get it over with. He will move on eventually. The sooner the better. At least that is what I am telling myself.


    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    Brittney had to ruin my morning. I am already having enough guilt with the fact that I used Riley at first. Now Brittney is going to harass me every chance she gets.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing with her? You know how much I hate her, is this some y to get me back? Guess what it is working. Just dump the goodie two shoes.¡± I swear her voice is grating on my nerves. Why did I like this bitch? Of course Kevin isn¡¯t helping, he is just giggling like a schoolgirl.


    ¡°Brittney, I don¡¯t give a shit what you think. I like her. I want to be with her. You need to go find some other dumb fucker to fawn over.¡±


    ¡°Dn, that is not how you really think. I mean we just broke up. I know I screwed things up but I am still yours.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you. I want you to leave me alone. Why do you even hate her anyway? She is great. Is it because you are a bitch and she is not.¡±


    ¡°How dare you say that to me. I hate her because she called me a slut. She attacked me for no good reason.¡±


    ¡°You are a slut. I am sure that she had a good reason. Just get lost.¡±


    I turn and leave with Kevin following me. ¡°Ok, I get it. You like Riley. I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    ¡°I told you I did.¡± I am not really mad at Kevin, but I am still pissed about Brittney. ¡°I want that slut as far from me as her skanky ass can get.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you keep her at bay. I will give my blessing so to speak. But you have to do something for me in return.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell would I owe you anything? I mean you aren¡¯t her brother.¡± I scoff at him.


    ¡°I have been protecting her from anyone who would treat her like shit. Now, what I want is your help getting Katelyn to talk to me again.¡±


    This stops me in my tracks. ¡°You want to date Katelyn?¡± I am shocked. I thought he was giving me shit because he wanted to date Riley.


    ¡°I used to date Katelyn. Then I made a mistake and she hasn¡¯t given me the time of day since. I have been trying to get in her good graces since then. I want your help to do it.¡±


    ¡°First tell me what you did.¡± I fold my arms over my chest waiting for his answer.


    ¡°It is not exactly something that I am proud of. We slept together and then I left her before she woke up. Then I started acting like a jerk. I am not like that. I got scared. It was my first time. That is why I protect Riley, it is the only way I can think of to make her have some sort of respect for me.¡± He just bore himself to me. I decided that I will help.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you. For now just stick close to me. Just don¡¯t interfere with me and Riley again.¡±


    He puts his hands up in surrender. ¡°You got it. I can see that you really like her. I am not going to interfere again.¡±


    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    I sessfully avoid them both until lunch. Then Dnes and ces himself next to me. Like yesterday he pulls me into hisp. Then Kevines over on my other side. Today I had the school lunch. It was a turkey sandwich, safe. Then as I am eating, Dn starts taking bites of my lunch. What the hell? It¡¯s like he actually thinks we are dating. I decide to break whatever bubble this is.


    ¡°So it looked like you were having a pretty heated discussion with Brittney this morning.¡± I manage a cocky grin.


    He pauses for a minute and then continues. ¡°Yeah, no big deal. She is just being Brittney.¡±


    Kevinughs. ¡°She thinks she can push her weight around and we will run back to her legs. She doesn¡¯t get that I have been looking for a way to get away from that vapid bitch for days.¡± He looks over at Katelyn who is actively ignoring him.


    ¡°So she wants you back.¡± I look right at Dn trying to gauge his reaction.


    ¡°Yeah, that doesn¡¯t mean that I am going to. I told you, I am not into her anymore.¡± He squeezes my waist as if to make a point that he wants me.


    ¡°Why? I mean you know I am leaving soon. It would make sense to go back to the girl who will be around.¡± I better make sure, before I put my heart out there too much. Who the hell am I kidding? It is already out there too much. I just need the right answer here.


    ¡°I told you she was sleeping around on me. Besides you are what I want now.¡± He nuzzles into my neck.


    ¡°It just looked more like a lovers tiff this morning rather than an ex¡¯s disagreement.¡± I point out. I have to be sure.


    ¡°Do you want me to go back to her?¡± Now he is trying to gauge my reaction.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I am just saying that I would understand. I have no assumptions of you staying with a girl who is leaving town. I am not stupid.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I am the stupid one. Maybe I think that we can build something even though you are leaving.¡± He looks hurt. He pulls away and leaves the table.


    Kevin looks at me. ¡°I think you hurt his feelings.¡±


    ¡°If the truth hurts, I guess there is nothing I can do. I am not going to pretend that we have a future, when I don¡¯t see one.¡± I am hurt to say it, but I know it is what needs to be said.


    ¡°I better go check on my man. I think his balls might still be around here somewhere, if you see them try not to step on them.¡± He smirks at me. I know he is trying to be funny, but I do not see the humor in it.


    ¡°Way to go. You got them both out of here.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to clear the air. It is better if he moves on now. I am not staying. I don¡¯t care how much I may want to. Let¡¯s talk about something else. So, my mom was home when I came homest night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, one of her monthly visits.¡±


    ¡°She dropped the divorce bomb. She said that she wasn¡¯t avoiding me but him. She said she is going to spend the next month with me for some bonding.¡±


    ¡°Wow, divorce, why didn¡¯t they do that before then?¡±


    ¡°I guess they figured it would be better for me if my parents weren¡¯t separated. Only they separated from me. I don¡¯t know, but mom seems sincere. She made me breakfast this morning.¡±


    ¡°Well, so are you doing the study hall tonight?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If they show up I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well, I will meet you at the library just in case. Are you going to talk to Dn?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say to him. I can¡¯t change what is going to happen. I was upfront with him that we couldn¡¯t have a rtionship, I don¡¯t know why he is acting like this.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever think that maybe he likes you?¡±


    ¡°Not likely. I think I am some rebound thing that was avable. Dn is too good for me anyway.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not.¡± Katelyn gives me a knowing look. The bell rings. When I turn around I see Dn, he is waiting for me. He takes my te and tosses it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I am a little moody. I know you told me there was no future, I was just kind of hopeful you know. Will you forgive me?¡± He slides his hands along my arms.


    ¡°Yeah, I just didn¡¯t want to get your hopes up. It isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t feel for you. I do, I just.¡± Before I can get another word out his lips are on mine. I am having so much trouble with this man. I am falling for him and it is making my life a pain in the ass. I want him so bad that it is killing me. However I know I am leaving and I am not changing my mind.


    He breaks away from me, then takes my hand and leads me towards the men¡¯s locker room. When we hit the door again he kisses me. ¡°Just let me enjoy you while I have you.¡±


    I smile. ¡°I guess I can do that.¡±


    He returns my smile. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you out there.¡±

 Brittney

    I leave him and head down to the field. Mr. Harman is waiting there. ¡°Hey Riley, I have a few more things to record today. Can you help with timing the runners? I have a clipboard for you.¡±


    ¡°No problem Mr. Harman. Do you have the stop watch?¡± I hold my hand out for it.


    ¡°I knew I forgot something. Wait right here, I¡¯ll go get it from my office.¡± He dashes off. Pretty fast for an old dude.


    Brittney and Rachel decide toe up and bother me first. Brittney pushes my shoulder. ¡°What the hell makes you think you are good enough for Dn? You know he is going to be running back to me.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say Brittney. I told Dn that we are not having a rtionship, if he wants you there is nothing stopping him.¡± She sneers at me.


    ¡°You think your hot shit don¡¯t you?¡± What the hell is this bitch¡¯s problem with me?


    ¡°Actually I don¡¯t, maybe that is why he likes me. I am not parading around like I can fuck any dick thates along.¡± Brittney ps me. Before I lunge at her I hear Mr. Harman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°What the hell was that? Miss rk, go to the principal¡¯s office. I¡¯ll be seeing you after school for detention.¡± He crosses his arms and waits for her to leave. She res back at me as she leaves.


    Dnes up to me, he grabs my face and looks at it. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    I pull my face away from him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Your girlfriend just decided to give me a gift.¡±


    ¡°I told you she is not my girlfriend. You are.¡±


    ¡°No I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Only because you are stubborn.¡± He kisses my face where Brittney pped it.


    Mr. Harman grunts. ¡°I will let that one slide Mr. Matthews, now get lined up.¡±


    Dn smiles at me and then heads to line up with the ss.


    Mr. Harman directs the ss. ¡°Alright folks, we are running the mile today. With the added bonus of being timed. So everyone line up. I am going to run with you. Riley will be logging your times as you cross the finish line.¡± He passes me the stopwatch. ¡°Alright when everyone is lined up you call to start. Everyone starts on Riley¡¯s mark.¡±


    I wait for everyone to get in ce then call them to start as I start the stopwatch. Then I watch as the ss disappears down the wooded path. Our school¡¯s mile path takes you out to the borders of the school¡¯s property. So I won¡¯t see any one for a few minutes. I watch as the time ticks then I see the first runners. Of course Dn and Kevin are first. They are running neck and neck. Dn pulls ahead at thest minute and passes about four seconds before Kevin. Dn smiles at me, thenes up to sit next to me. He gives me a quick kiss. ¡°Victory kiss. Totally allowed.¡±


    ¡°Not if Mr. Harman sees it.¡± I roll my eyes.


    ¡°The man loves me.¡± He pants out.


    I continue to log times as the studentse in. Last is Mr. Harman, he went slow to make sure everyone stayed on path. Then he looks at the final time on the watch after I stop it. ¡°Alright, good ss. It was a good run. A few of you could have done better, but it is what it is. You have a free period, rx till its time to change. I know it is nearing the end of the year and it is getting harder to keep your attention, just please keep it a little longer.¡± Mr. Harman takes the clipboard from me and goes to sit on the bench to look over the numbers.


    Kevin nudges my leg. ¡°You are so lucky you don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°I did all thisst year. I wanted P. E. done early. I get credits for helping out. I will say you guys sure have better time than I did.¡±


    Dn puts his sweaty arm around me. ¡°I like doing physical activity. It makes me feel alive.¡±


    ¡°And sweaty.¡± I nudged his arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good sweat.¡± He smiles at me. ¡°So we are still on for tonight right?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we? Oh, Katelyn will be joining us.¡±


    Kevin rolls his eyes. ¡°Oh, joy. That will make it so much easier to concentrate.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Well you only have yourself to me for that.¡± I shoot back.


    Dn looks between the two of us. ¡°You mean Kevin and Katelyn had a thing.¡± It almost looks like forced ignorance. Like he knew already.


    ¡°Over before it started, right Kevin.¡±


    He holds his hands up in protest. ¡°I got it, I screwed it up. It was a bad time for me. I wasn¡¯t looking for anything but fun. I guess I hurt her in the process.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know you were her first did you?¡±


    Kevin looks shocked. ¡°What? I did not know that. Why the hell didn¡¯t she tell me?¡±


    ¡°You were kind of out the door before she could even catch her breath. What was she supposed to say to you?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, now I feel like a bigger piece of shit.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should. It is important to a girl. You didn¡¯t really even consider it?¡±


    ¡°I just thought she thought she was in love or something. I didn¡¯t figure. Do you think it is toote to make it up to her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I think that ship has sailed. She saw too much jerk-face.¡±


    ¡°Great, now I am going to have so much fun tonight.¡± He throws himself down on the ground. ¡°If I didn¡¯t need to get through those finals I would so skip out.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care all of the sudden?¡± Dn said tly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be making minimum wage for the rest of my life. I guess it just dawned on me that if I don¡¯t give a shit then that is where I will be. Who better to help me than the girl who has aced everything?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take everything. So I couldn¡¯t have aced everything.¡± I joke.


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡± He rolls his eyes at me.


    Mr. Harman interrupts us. ¡°Alright ss go change. Riley, I want to talk to you before you head off.¡±


    ¡°Ok Mr. Harman.¡± Dn squeezes my shoulders before getting up and leaving with the others.


    Mr. Harman waits for the rest of the ss to leave then turns to me. ¡°You are being careful right. That boy, he was dating Miss rk. I know what kind of girl she is. Her boyfriend would have been the same. He seems like a nice enough kid on the surface. I would just hate for you to be stuck here because you got wrapped up in some boy.¡±


    ¡°I am being careful Mr. Harman. I am leaving. I am counting the days at this point. I have a ce waiting for me to move into in California. I am gone the week after school.¡±


    ¡°Good girl. I¡¯ll miss you around here. I am d I got to see you blossom. You are going to be a great woman.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Mr. Harman.¡± I leave with that pleasant thought in mind. I will be a great woman, I can not get caught up in whatever Dn is doing. It is nice to be liked though.

 Future Commitments

    After school Katelyn drives me to the library. I set up quickly for the study session. I figure I will sit next to Katelyn then they can both concentrate on their work. We are both sitting at the table when the guys get there. Kevin sits in front of Katelyn and Dn in front of me. Dn pulls out his chemistry book. Kevin pulls out an earth science book. He sees me look at it. ¡°I didn¡¯t take chemistry. I took earth science.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take earth science.¡± I admit.


    Katelyn rolls her eyes. ¡°I did. I can help you. I took the finalst year. Don¡¯t think that this makes me like you or anything because I am helping you.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Now that Kevin is taken care of I turn my attention to Dn. I pull his book over. ¡°So you are going to want to focus on the periodic table. Do you have the elements memorized?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I actually got that one down. I like chemistry. It makes sense to me. So I need to focus on the elements. What else?¡±


    ¡°Expected reactions and elementalpounds. That is pretty much the final. If you get that down then you are good for that one.¡±


    He smiles at me. ¡°Then that leaves English. I have political sciences down. And of course I have a beat on the P. E. final.¡±


    ¡°Then we are about done with our study sessions.¡±


    ¡°That means you will be free to go on a date.¡±


    ¡°Dn¡­¡±


    ¡°You said I could enjoy you while I had you. I think a date would be quite enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°Fine, one date.¡± I conceded. What the hell is wrong with me?


    ¡°Good Saturday. I¡¯ll pick you up, here or at your house.¡±


    ¡°My house.¡±


    ¡°Six, dinner then movie.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    We spend the next hour going over the periodic table making sure he knows the correct elements. When we are done, he helps me to clean up the library for closing. I like working with him like this. I feel like he really likes being around me. When we are on the far end of the stacks re-shelving he corners me.


    ¡°Riley, I need something from you.¡± It is a whisper as his nose glides along my jaw.


    ¡°What do you need from me?¡± I whisper back. It feels so scentual I am having a hard time getting the words out.


    ¡°I need your mouth on mine.¡± Then his lips crashed into mine. My hands have made their way around his waist pulling him closer. His hands are roaming my body, grabbing and pulling at anything they can touch. His hands find their way to my thighs and he pulls me up around his waist. He now has me pushed into the corner with my middle pressed against him. I can feel his mood and it starts to scare me.


    ¡°Dn, we can¡¯t do this. Not here.¡±


    ¡°I know, I am just enjoying you.¡± He kisses me again. I be lost. I still have my legs wrapped around him. Dear God, I do want to be with this man. What the hell is wrong with me? I am leaving town, this can not be happening. Then he pulls away from me. ¡°I need to get you out of here before your Aunt finds us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will end well for you if she did.¡± Iugh. ¡°Besides, my mom will be waiting at home for me. I don¡¯t see this ying out well for you.¡±


    ¡°I can be patient. I do want you though. Even if it is just for now.¡± He growls at me. I swear it sounds so hot.


    ¡°For now.¡± I pant out. He sets me down. Then takes my hand and leads me down stairs while adjusting himself. I don¡¯t fail to notice. I did that to him. Then the thought passes in my mind. It doesn¡¯t take much to turn on a teenage boy.


    When we get back down stairs, Katelyn and Kevin are waiting. ¡°I told this guy that I can get you home just fine but he is determined that we all should walk you home together.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need a whole entourage to escort me home. I really can just walk home with Aunt Polly. She lives next door.¡±


    Dn looks at me. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t she walk with usst night?¡±


    I shrug, ¡°I think she was giving us some space.¡±


    Dn looks at Kevin. ¡°How about you make sure Katelyn makes it home alright and I will get Riley home?¡±


    ¡°I would but I don¡¯t think she would let me.¡±


    Katelyn looks at him for a moment. ¡°Come on ass wipe you can see me home. I am driving.¡± She pulls Kevin by the arm. Dragging him out of the library.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Aunt Polly met me at the desk. ¡°I have some things to finish up, are you going to make it home alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be alright. Mom is there waiting.¡±


    ¡°She told me.¡± She nods to me in understanding. I am sure her and mom had a nice long talk about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Aunt Polly.¡±


    ¡°Good night dear. I will see you tomorrow. Unless of course Katelyn gets arrested for killing Kevin then of course you are excused from work.¡±


    Dn and I bothugh. When we leave the library, Dn pulls me closer. ¡°How long before your mom starts to worry?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she might have gotten a text from my Aunt that I was leaving.¡±


    ¡°Why did it seem like a big deal that she was home?¡±


    ¡°It is the first time that she has been home in a month. She showed upst night. She says she wants to be more involved all of the sudden.¡±


    ¡°So you mean that first night I walked you home I could have had that house all alone with you.¡±


    ¡°Not even, jock boy.¡± I yfully nudged him. ¡°I don¡¯t just have guys over at my house. No matter how empty it is. I am not some easy girl.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I never thought you were easy. I just really enjoy spending time with you. If we had all night, that would have been perfect.¡±


    ¡°Now I know that is bullshit. I am not that interesting of a person.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not to you. To me you are an enigma that I need to figure out. The more time that I spend with you the more I figure out. I enjoy the puzzle.¡±


    ¡°So were you wanting to do something? Is that why you asked about my mom?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of dragging you off to my truck and making out with you for a few.¡± He gives me a cocky grin. ¡°I kind of keep thinking about your mouth on mine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but maybe we should cool it. I don¡¯t want to get too attached.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get attached, just use my body.¡± His cocky grin isn¡¯t going anywhere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t work that way. I am an all or nothing girl. I can¡¯t just use someone.¡±


    There went the cocky grin. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to leave as soon as school is over. We could have a little time together.¡± He holds my hand.


    ¡°I wish, I have to go find a job. I don¡¯t really get paid a whole hell of a lot to work at the library. I will be living with Katelyn but I want to pull my own weight. I need to work before school starts.¡± I look into his eyes. ¡°Besides if I stay here much longer then I might never leave.¡±


    His gaze is intense. ¡°Would that be so bad?¡±


    ¡°I am struggling to find the reasons any more. Especially when you say things like that.¡± I straightened up, I had been leaning toward him. ¡°But I know that I can¡¯t put my faith in a rtionship that hasn¡¯t even really started. I am the rebound girl and you know it.¡± I pull away from him and start to walk with him. I don¡¯t make it two steps before he grabs my arm and pulls me back to his chest. Then his lips are on mine. I swear I am on fire by his touch. When he pulls away I feel like a pr ice cap was pushed between us.


    ¡°Does that feel like a rebound?¡± His voice is a whisper, sensual and unreal. How can he affect me so much?


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t know where we are going and I¡¯m scared.¡± I pull away, he lets me go a little ways but keeps his hand in mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared that the most perfect girl I have ever met is leaving and I may not be able to find her ever again. I¡¯m scared that you won¡¯t feel the same about me.¡±


    ¡°Feeling about you was never the problem.¡±


    He pulled me to his side. ¡°Are you saying that you have feelings for me?¡±


    I smiled at him. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Just promise me one thing. No matter what happens, we will stay in touch. If you leave, you won¡¯t leave mepletely.¡±


    ¡°I promise that you will be able to call me at any time and I will answer. You will be my friend.¡±


    ¡°I will hold you to that.¡± He waves his arms around in an exaggerated manner. ¡°Look at us conquering fears left and right.¡±


    Iugh, ¡°Yeah, I am just not so sure that the fears are going away that easy.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but we have to try. We will never move on to the next level staying in one ce. Especially if we are going to work something out long distance. Even if it is just friendship.¡± As if thest words were final we reached my gate.


    ¡°Well, I will see you tomorrow.¡± I turned to head down the walk and was pulled back to his chest.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight if I don¡¯t get a good night kiss.¡± Before I can even answer his lips are on mine. Deep and meaningful. When he pulls back I ache for his absence. ¡°Have sweet dreams. I will see you in the morning.¡±


    All I can do is nod. Then he is gone.

 Mother Daughter Moment

    I head inside to see my mother staring at me. ¡°Did you need something?¡± I try to y it cool, but the way she is looking at me it is obvious that she saw me with Dn.


    ¡°I thought you said that he was just a friend.¡± She looks a little hurt. I am not really sure why.


    ¡°Well, I told you that I didn¡¯t want to have a rtionship with him, because I am leaving. He is just a bit persistent.¡± I shrug like it isn¡¯t a big deal, even though my body is still shaking from the kiss.


    ¡°Well, what are you going to do about it?¡± She wants me to confide in her. I can tell this is one of those mother daughter moments that make a rtionship.


    ¡°I made it clear to him that we are just friends. He made it clear that he just wants to enjoy mypany while he has it.¡±


    ¡°How far are you nning on taking the rtionship?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I know I like having him around. I really like him, he is funny and kind. He makes me feel pretty too. I don¡¯t have a lot of friends, mom, he is one that I don¡¯t want to lose.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were doing fine in school.¡± She looks at me puzzled.


    I roll my eyes. ¡°Mom, I am doing fine academically. Truth be told, the only real friend that I have is Katelyn. Now Dn wants to be my friend and I like it. I am not throwing myself at him or so happy that he is talking to me that I am just going to open my legs to him. If that is what you are concerned about then don¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°What about the other boy that was with youst night?¡±


    ¡°Kevin, he has picked on me for years. Just recently he has decided that he likes being friends with me. I am not sure exactly how to take that, so I get along with him. He knows that I hate the fact that he picked on me. Hell, Aunt Polly made it clear if she ever saw him do it again then he would regret it. Kevin is just Kevin.¡± I shrug.


    She looks sad. ¡°I didn¡¯t know things were so bad for you. I am so sorry I wasn¡¯t here for you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s no big deal mom. I got by. I have had fun. I was picked on a little, but nothingpared to other people. The worst thing that anyone could say about me is that I don¡¯t put out. Not really a bad thing. I dealt. Besides, I am going on to bigger and better things.¡± I gave my mom a smile, I didn¡¯t need her to feel sorry for me. ¡°I am beat, mom. I am going to head to bed. I have a lot of work to do. You know finals and all.¡±


    ¡°Would it be possible for you to stay local? I know you are already set to go to university in California, but would it be really nice to have you close for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I am pretty set on moving. I will keep it in mind mom. I still have time to decide. Not much time but time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you dear. Have a good night.¡± The smile that she gives me is one that I have been looking for from her for a long time. She is an amazing woman and she used to be here for me. I really hope things can be that way again.


    ¡°Good night mom.¡± I walked down the hall to my room. Thoughts swimming around my head, what am I really going to do? I can¡¯t help the feelings that I have for Dn, they seem to get stronger everyday. Do I put my ns to the side for a man or do I push through and follow through? I n on returning to town after school. After all it is a family run library, I am the only one who will take it over. But what if when I get there I don¡¯t want toe back.


    Too many thoughts to fight with any more. I just need to sleep. So I do the one thing that I haven¡¯t done in months. I take a sleeping pill. Usually I only take them when I am anxious about some test or something and can¡¯t get to sleep. This is the first time I have ever had to take one for my social problems.


    The next morning I woke up groggy. Of course the side effects of sleeping pills. Joy. I jump into a cold shower to wake me up, when I feel the grogginess lifting I warm it up. When I stand in front  of my closet deciding what to wear I am struck by the thought that I have never cared before. Why the hell do I care now? I decided to keep it simple and wear the usual. After I dress I head to the kitchen, coffee is in my future this morning.


    My mother is in the kitchen cooking up breakfast. I nod to her good morning and head straight to the coffee pot. Of course this she noticed. ¡°You don¡¯t usually drink coffee, were you upte?¡±


    ¡°I took a sleeping pill, because I was having trouble sleeping. I do that sometimes it¡¯s no big deal.¡± I pour the coffee and add cream and sugar.


    ¡°Too much on your mind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know finals and all. It is a lot on my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Honey, you know that the tests aren¡¯t really that big a deal at this point. Are you sure that there isn¡¯t something else that is bothering you?¡± Of course she wants me to open up to her.


    ¡°Maybe, but I can handle this. It isn¡¯t that big a deal mom. I¡¯m going to head off to school.¡±


    ¡°No one is picking you up today. Do you want me to drive you?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I thought it was ridiculous that anyone was picking me up. It is a fifteen minute walk. I can use the air right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright honey. I will see you tonight right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, mom. I wille home.¡±


    ¡°You can bring that boy to the door if you want.¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± I roll my eyes at her.


    ¡°Just putting it out there. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad for him to meet your mother.¡±


    ¡°We are just going to be friends.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is what he wants.¡±


    ¡°I will see you tonight mom.¡±


    ¡°Alright dear.¡± She has an evident smile on her face. Obviously cocky. What the hell does she know?

 Bubble Popped

    The morning air feels good, it isn¡¯t cold like it would have been a few months ago. Just nice pleasant air. The walk goes quicker than I thought. When I reach the school gate I am greeted by a sight that makes my heart sink. There on the steps to the quad is Dn and Brittney has her arms draped all over him. Dn has a smile on his face. Just as I thought, I was a rebound. Nothing more. d I didn¡¯t change my ns.


    I walk past them and go straight to my locker. I am fighting back the tears that are threatening to fall. I take a deep breath and remember that I am not here much longer and then I am off to bigger and better things. Just as I am getting a grip on my emotions an arm is slung over my shoulder. I don¡¯t know who it is but I do not want contact right now. I shrug them off.


    ¡°Hey, what happened?¡± It is Dn¡¯s voice. Are you kidding me?


    ¡°Look, you didn¡¯t have to pretend to be nice to me to get me to help you on your finals. I would have helped you. Right now I think it is best if you find someone else to help you with English. I am going to be busy.¡± I don¡¯t even turn to look at him. If I do then I will cry.


    ¡°Riley, what happened?¡±


    ¡°I am the butt of the joke, right. Little nerd girl falling for the jock. Why don¡¯t you go back to Brittney and tell her all about it. You can all have a bigugh.¡± I mmed my locker door and stormed off to my ss. I don¡¯t even spare him a nce.


    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    When I arrived at school I decided to wait on the steps for Riley. Of course Brittney showed up first. She throws herself at me. I have no idea who the hell she is trying to fool with this act.


    ¡°Hey, baby. Did you miss me?¡±


    I give her the biggest smile I can muster. ¡°Not in the slightest you viper.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t even lose her grin. She pulls closer to me. Now I am getting pissed. I pushed her away. ¡°What part of I don¡¯t want to be with you are you having trouble with?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see when your new girl kicks you to the curb.¡± She gives me one of her cocky grins and then saunters off. How did I ever find that attractive?


    Kevin points towards the lockers. ¡°She passed by that way. She didn¡¯t look happy.¡±


    Now I am confused. I get up and jog over to where I see Riley getting her books out of her locker. I put my arm around her trying to ease whatever pissed her off. But she just shrugs my arm off. ¡°Hey what happened?¡± I think maybe it was something to do with her mom.


    ¡°Look, you didn¡¯t have to pretend to be nice to me to get me to help you on your finals. I would have helped you. Right now I think it is best if you find someone else to help you with English. I am going to be busy.¡±


    She isn¡¯t looking at me. What the hell is she talking about? I didn¡¯t pretend to be nice to her. We had ns, why the hell is she acting like this? ¡°Riley, what happened?¡±


    ¡°I am the butt of the joke, right. Little nerd girl falling for the jock. Why don¡¯t you go back to Brittney and tell her all about it. You can all have a bigugh.¡± She storms off leaving me dumbfounded. What the literal hell is she talking about? I don¡¯t want Brittney, I made this perfectly clear to her. How the hell can this still be a conversation? Unless of course she saw Brittney sprawled all over me.


    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    My heart is shattered, I am numb. I don¡¯t really concentrate. Not that I really need to. After all, the finals don¡¯t mean anything to me. All today and tomorrow are going to be preparation for the finals next week. When it hits lunch time I am still not ready to face people. Katelyn meets me at my ss as it ends.


    ¡°Hey, girl what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. I¡¯m not really hungry, I think I am just going to take a walk. I¡¯ll catch youter.¡± I start to walk off, but she catches me.


    ¡°Not a chance. I will walk with you. I am not letting you off the hook until you talk to me. Spill.¡±


    We start walking towards the field. I like to walk around it when I am troubled and Katelyn knows it. She lets me be silent until we start on the track. ¡°When I came to school this morning I saw Brittney all over Dn.¡±


    ¡°So she is a skank. We all know this.¡±


    ¡°Dn had a big smile on his face, he didn¡¯t seem too upset to have her there.¡±


    ¡°Well shit. I thought better of him. I guess I was wrong. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I am going to avoid him. I told him that I am not helping with finals any more. I told him that I didn¡¯t need to have his attention to help him, but now I really don¡¯t want to help him. I don¡¯t want to look at him. I know him and his friends areughing at me.¡±


    ¡°Kevin isn¡¯t. He told me that you were upset and that you needed me. He seemed sincere. I don¡¯t know what all is going on but Kevin didn¡¯t seem too happy about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least I didn¡¯t put all my eggs in the wrong basket.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which. Herees Kevin.¡± I look over where Katelyn was looking and I see Kevin jogging up to us. He has a big smile on his face.


    ¡°There are my girls. I couldn¡¯t find you guys. Luckily some guys told me they saw you headed down here.¡± Hees up between Katelyn and I, throwing his arms around both our shoulders. I reacted and put my arm around his waist. I feel Katelyn does the same.


    ¡°I guess I figured that you would be on team Dn. So I just wanted some time without dealing with him.¡± He pulls me towards his chest.


    ¡°I was never on team Dn. I told him from day one to treat you right. It wasn¡¯t untilter I realized how awesome you were. I am d I chose you.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Thanks Kevin it actually means a lot. I was starting to really feel like shit.¡±


    ¡°So enough of that asshole. I say we have a night.¡± Katelyn starts. Then looks at Kevin. ¡°Ok, you cane too. My house we raid the liquor cab and take a break.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah I am in.¡± Kevin smiles.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right I do need a break. I will have to call my mom. She is expecting me and my aunt. Let¡¯s go right after school. Are your parents out of town?¡±


    ¡°You better believe it.¡±


    ¡°Then none of us have to go anywhere.¡± I look to Katelyn to see if that is cool with her, she just shrugs. I know her and Kevin have history, but things seem to be working out fine with them.


    ¡°Awesome, I will tell my parents I am at Dn¡¯s they won¡¯t ask questions. Never do. Plus if he doesn¡¯t cover for me I have plenty of shit to throw at him.¡±


    ¡°Great, now if I can avoid him the rest of the day I will have a pleasant end to a fucked up day.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that ace students partied on school nights.¡±


    ¡°Kevin, you have much to learn. Besides a fucked up day by any standards warrants lots of alcohol I don¡¯t care what your grades are.¡± I give him a grin.


    ¡°I knew you were awesome. I will meet you guys by the gate after school. I have to go work on my alibi. You two stay cool. See you in a bit.¡± With that Kevin takes off.


    ¡°I swear that guy is giving me whish.¡± Katelyn smiles at his retreating body. ¡°You knowst night he apologized to me. I couldn¡¯t believe it. I am far from forgiving him, but it is a start. Plus the fact that he has my girls back is a plus.¡± She throws her arm over my shoulder where Kevin was.


    ¡°Kevin is starting to seem like good people. Maybe he matured recently.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe. Anyway how did you know that my parents were out of town?¡±


    ¡°You said we could raid the cab, that means that they left and didn¡¯t say when they areing back again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are bitches. They were all like, hey Katelyn we are going away for work we don¡¯t know how long it will be. Yeah, that means like a month. Do they not even realize that I will be gone by then?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t even remember how old you are.¡±


    ¡°That is a possibility too. I am d I have had your aunt though. She was like my second mom.¡±


    ¡°Hey I just had a thought, so after school when wee back here. You and I run the library together. You are taking business, I am taking library science. It is perfect.¡±


    ¡°Well, duh. You are stuck with me for life. I am your sister from another family.¡±


    ¡°I think that is just best friends.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re sisters.¡± Iugh at her stubbornness.


    ¡°Alright sisters. Besides, I think we are closer than sisters.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are certainly closer than I am with my sister. She grew up and took off leaving me behind. She didn¡¯t give a shit either. Anyway, enough of the cry baby bull shit. Kevin is sleeping in the guest room.¡±


    ¡°Well, duh, I am not sharing a bed with him.¡±


    ¡°I sure as hell am not repeating that experience.¡±


    ¡°So, I have to find a way to avoid Dn in P. E. Do you think that Mr. Harman will let me work in the office?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell yeah. That man loves you. You are the only T. A. for P. E.¡±


    The bell rings. ¡°Well time to put that theory to the test. I¡¯ll meet you at your car after school.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right Party.¡±


    ¡°I am so getting drunk tonight.¡± Not something I usually do on a school night, but right now I really don¡¯t care.


    I head to Mr. Harman¡¯s office to see him packing up for the field. ¡°Hey, Mr. Harman, do you need me on the field today? I was kind of hoping to do something in the office.¡±


    ¡°I thought you liked spending time with Mr. Matthews?¡± He cocks his eyebrow at me.


    ¡°I think I need a little space right now, is that alright?¡±


    ¡°No problem. I need someone to start clearing out the locker rooms. Start with the girls and put the box by the door. I have two boxes over there. One for each locker room. Do the girls today and tomorrow do the boys. Let me know next week if you want to return to the field. I will have other stuff if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Mr. Harman. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°No problem dear. I will let the students know that they need to pick through the boxes for their personal items before they are donated. Normally I would have had this done next week but I figure what the hell.¡± He shrugs like it isn¡¯t a big deal.


    I grab a box and head for the girls locker room, I figured that the girls would have been out on the field by now. I was wrong. Brittney and Rachel were still there. When I came in they decided it was time to harass me.


    ¡°Thought you were someone didn¡¯t you.¡± Brittney sneered at me.


    ¡°I never thought I wasn¡¯t someone. Everyone is someone. Like you are a bitch, that is your title. I embrace my title. I am a nerd. I don¡¯t need some jock toe along and tell me I am different. I am sorry that you need someone to validate who you are.¡±


    Brittney sneered at me even more then got in my face. ¡°He never liked you. He yed you in front of everyone. And everyone knows it.¡±


    I red back at her. ¡°Do I look like I care? I was fine before he came along, and I am fine now. So who really got yed?¡±


    She pushes me out of her way and Rachel follows after her. I set down the box and started collecting things. I knew he was ying me. Just hearing the words hurt. I am alone now. It is ok to let the tears fall. So I do.


    Dn¡¯s P. O. V.


    When Mr. Harman came out to the field without Riley. I was confused, She has been logging things all week. Where is she now? I have been looking for her all day. I knew she would be here and it would be the one ce that she couldn¡¯t avoid me. Go figure she would find a way to continue to avoid me.


    ¡°Alright so today we are going to y a little game of ser. Divide up into two teams. I will let you guys pick teams as long as they are even. Get to it.¡±


    While the students start to divide into teams I make my way to Mr. Harman. ¡°Hey, Mr. Harman, where is Riley?¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t needed out here today. I have her cleaning out locker rooms. Which reminds me. Hey, everyone listen up.¡± He hollers to the student body. ¡°I am having the locker rooms cleaned up, if you are missing any items make sure to check the box by the door. I will be donating the items at the end of the year. So if you have anything left behind, now is the time to get it.¡± Then he turns back to me. ¡°Get on a team Mr. Matthews.¡± I can hear the resentmenting off of him. Obviously it has not been missed on him that I have hurt Riley. I knew he liked her, I mean after all she is the only student that he calls by their first name.


    I turn back to the field, I don¡¯t need to piss him off anymore. Brittney runs up to me. ¡°You are on my team, baby.¡± She tries to slide her arm around me. I step away from her.


    ¡°Keep your hands to yourself.¡± I sneer at her. I thought it was funny when she was trying to hit on me. It wasn¡¯t until I found out that Riley had seen it and thought it was reciprocated that I was concerned about it. I looked around and found Kevin, maybe he heard something from her.


    When I approach Kevin he shakes his head at me. ¡°I told you that she would find out. She is not pleased.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it started out that way, but that isn¡¯t how it is now. I feel for her. Is she avoiding me?¡±


    ¡°Like the gue dude. Oh, speaking of which, I need you to cover for me. If my parents do call looking for me you tell them I am in the bathroom and can¡¯t answer. I am staying at your house, got it.¡±


    ¡°Where are you really staying?¡±


    ¡°The girls and I are having a little fun. She is upset and needs time, and perhaps a bit of alcohol to drown you out. So, you are my alibi. I can¡¯t tell my parents I am staying the night at a girls house. They think low enough of me as it is.¡±


    ¡°Kevin, you have to know that I am not trying to hurt her.¡±


    ¡°I can see how you look at her. But the fact is that you started this whole thing to piss off Brittney. You wanted her back. Well you got her. Congrattions you won. Just drop it dude. Leave her alone.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can. Give her some space. Maybe she will talk to you again this century. I am just d that I get to be her friend. I am actually hoping to get a little closer to Katelyn, but hell I will be happy just to hang with them. They are actually pretty cool.¡±


    ¡°I know that. Kevin, please where are you going tonight?¡±


    ¡°I am not going to tell you. I am their friend. I will pick them over you. Sorry dude, you¡¯re burnt.¡±


    ¡°Kevin, help me out here.¡±


    ¡°No, I told you in the beginning that this was a bad idea. I am not helping you dig yourself out. You know that Brittney is going to throw this back in her face. She is going to hurt her even more. You made this mess, you need to fix it.¡±


    Mr. Harman calls over all of us. ¡°Start the game, I want to see some footwork. No standing around.¡±


    I am not happy about it, but I y the game.

 Time for a Break

    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    I put the box by the door, I only managed to do the girls locker room today. I will do the guys tomorrow. Might as well take my time, then I don¡¯t have to worry about returning to the field. I have one more ss than I can drink the thoughts away. I clear my eyes and make sure I am out of the locker room before Brittney gets back. I do not want to see her again.


    When I am walking to my next ss I see Dn, we lock eyes. He starts to head in my direction. I step another way. I have no intention of talking to him right now. I manage to avoid him by ducking into the library and I see him go past the door. Thank God he didn¡¯t see where I went. I wait for a bit and then head to myst ss. For once I am just counting down until school is out.


    Once thatst bell rings I rush to my locker and deposit all of my books. I head straight to Katelyn¡¯s car. She isn¡¯t there yet, but I was booking it so I am not surprised. I lean against her hood and start shooting a text to my aunt and one to my mom. I just tell them I need some girl time so I am spending the night with Katelyn. They won¡¯t ask questions. Ok, maybe they will but they are easy to avoid.


    I am looking at my phone and don¡¯t notice Brittneying up to me. ¡°What are you doing, loser? I hope you aren¡¯t waiting for Dn, he is mine now. I will make sure that he stays away from you. What made you think that Dn would actually want anything to do with you?¡±


    ¡°I guess he was thinking of you when his tongue was down my throat. But hey, what do I know?¡± I smile at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Brittney, he is all yours. I don¡¯t need some wishy washy ass around. Keep him.¡± I am hurt but at least I caught her enough off guard. I can see the shocked look on her face when I mentioned Dn kissing me. She obviously never thought of it like that.


    Kevines up behind Brittney. ¡°Get lost bitch. We are not hosting Bitch hour. We don¡¯t care what you got or don¡¯t got.¡± For some reason he emphasizes thest part.


    Brittney turns to Kevin, ¡°Oh, you would be if I wanted you.¡±


    ¡°Like I would want your skanky ass. Get real. Go find Dn, we don¡¯t want you here.¡± He makes a shooing motion to her.


    Brittney stalks off. I grin at Kevin. ¡°Thanks. I really don¡¯t want to listen to her shit right now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I got your back. Where is Katelyn?¡±


    ¡°She should being. I am not sure what is taking her so long.¡±


    ¡°Should I take my car or just leave it here?¡±


    ¡°Just leave it here. You don¡¯t need it right. Unless you are nning on running out on us in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°What kind of guy do you take me for? To leave two hot chicks in the middle of the night. I would be out of my mind.¡±


    ¡°You know you aren¡¯t gettingid right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t always think with my dick.¡± He looks a little hurt but then corrects himself. ¡°But I can see where you would get that. I do have a question though. Are you really a virgin or was that just something that everyone was saying?¡±


    ¡°I am, is there a problem with it?¡±


    ¡°Hell no, it is refreshing these days. It seems like every chick is spreading their legs with every guy theye across. I know Katelyn isn¡¯t spreading it around either. You girls are great. I am sorry I was such a dick before about it. I thought maybe it was a lie that was getting spread around to make you look better. Although some people probably thought it was a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Kevin. I am grateful for the apology. It makes me feel good.¡±


    I look over towards the gate of the school and see Katelyn arguing with Dn. She poked him in the chest and walked towards us. Dn looked at me but he stayed nted where he was. Obviously whatever Katelyn said got through. ¡°Let¡¯s get the fuck out of here. Now I need a drink.¡± Katelyn throws open her door and Kevin and I jump in with Kevin in the back seat and me riding shotgun.


    ¡°What the hell did he want?¡± Kevin calls over the seat.


    ¡°He wanted to talk to Riley, I told him over my dead body. Fucking asshole tried to say he was sorry. Sorry for using my best friend I don¡¯t fucking care how sorry you are, you better kick rocks.¡±


    ¡°At least he got the hint. I have been dodging him all day.¡± I settle into my seat, it is at least a thirty minute drive to Katelyn¡¯s.


    ¡°Yeah, he cornered me in P. E. when you didn¡¯t show up. I told him to keep to himself too. Dude is thick. Dn needs to have his brain examined. He has Brittney fawning all over him and he doesn¡¯t put her in her ce, but he expects you just to roll over for him. He is a fucking a dick.¡± Kevin leans forward from the backseat.


    ¡°Alright I don¡¯t want to hear about him again, it is now operation cheer up Riley. Let¡¯s get fucked up and pretend that Dn doesn¡¯t igsist.¡± Katelyn grins. ¡°Whiskey or Tequ?¡±


    ¡°It is definitely a Tequ night.¡± I grin at her. She knows that she is the Whiskey drinker, not me. ¡°You can have your whiskey, just leave me the bottle.¡±


    Kevin pipes up from the back. ¡°Do you eat the worm?¡±


    ¡°No, that is gross. I heard it is a really big high though.¡± I give it some thought. I wouldn¡¯t do it, it is just too gross.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a go. Never have before but it would be an interesting test.¡± Kevin considers it.


    ¡°Too bad, my parents don¡¯t get the tequ with the worms in it. So no test tonight. Do you guys want pizza too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, cheese please.¡± I pipe up. I can tell tonight is going to be fun.


    After we get to Katelyn¡¯s, she orders three pizzas, one for each of us, since we can¡¯t decide on what toppings we want. Then as soon as the pizza gets there we break out the bottles. Whiskey for Katelyn, Tequ for me and Kevin has a little of both. We turn on some crap show on tv only so we canugh at it while we get totally wasted. I start to feel fuzzy after about an hour, then it all goes ck.

 New Look

    The next morning we woke up to the rm set on my phone. When the hell I set that I have no idea. All of us are groaning. We all fell asleep on the floor in front of the tv. Katelyn¡¯s house is huge so we all take a shower after she shows Kevin where one is that he can use. Then she throws some of her dad¡¯s casual clothes at him. ¡°They are around the same size it should fit. Then she pulls an outfit from her closet for me. ¡°I know not your style but not many options here for you.¡± I look at the clothes that she picked out. She pulled out a pair of tight jeans and a tight t-shirt. My style, just too tight for my liking. Katelyn is about the only one who knows how big my chest is, but baggy clothes hide the big tits and the curvy hips. I guess it is time to step out of myfort zone. Hell it is only for one day anyway.


    After a shower I slip on the clothes, when I head back to Katelyn¡¯s room to find my shoes. Kevin is already dressed and in there. He looks good in her dad¡¯s clothes. It is just a pair of jeans and a ck t-shirt, but it still looks good.


    He looks me up and down and lets out a low whistle. ¡°Damn, can I take back that I don¡¯t want to sleep with you?¡±


    ¡°Not if you want to stay my friend.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, you are hot. Don¡¯t hide that. Dn will be crying himself to sleep tonight.¡± Kevin gives me a knowing look then he tosses me a bottle of Ibuprofen. I take four and then toss the bottle to Katelyn.


    She mumbles, ¡°as fun asst night was, I think today is going to suck. My head is killing me, the shower did shit to help it.¡±


    I swallow down the pills and head to the kitchen where there has to be coffee. I find some and start brewing. Kevines into the kitchen with a big old smile on his face. ¡°You are way too chipper for having a hangover.¡±


    ¡°It is all for show baby. I have a pounding head just as much as you do. Is that coffee about done? I hope I can focus enough today to get something for finals next week.¡±


    ¡°I forgot about that, I¡¯m sorry Kevin, my shit took precedence over yours. How about you spend the weekend here with me and Katelyn and we will help you study? Can you get away from your parents long enough? I mean you don¡¯t have to sleep here or anything.¡±


    ¡°I think I better ask Katelyn first. My parents don¡¯t matter. I will just tell them I am with Dn again. They won¡¯t know the difference.¡± He gives me a smile. ¡°Besides I would enjoy hanging out with you guys a lot better than other shit heads. I also know you won¡¯t let me fail those tests.¡±


    The light on the coffee maker lights up signaling that it is done right when Katelyn enters the kitchen. ¡°Oh, thank God. I don¡¯t know how I would get through without that. We really should have waited for Friday.¡±


    ¡°Katelyn, I told Kevin that since we fucked off a day of his studying for finals, that he could spend the weekend with us boning up. I think we should do it here. I don¡¯t want Dn showing up at the library.¡±


    ¡°No problem, You know there is no one else here to keep mepany.¡± Katelyn grabs a cup and pours her own coffee. ¡°We better get going after the coffee though or we will bete.¡±


    We choke down our coffee and load up in Katelyn¡¯s car. We are all quiet on the ride to school, hoping that the pills will kick in soon to quell the headache that we all woke up with.


    By the time we get to school, mine has subsided a bit, but I am in desperate need of water. We get out of the car and Kevin throws his arm around our shoulders. I try to ignore Brittney all over Dn again, it is right there at the gate in front of everyone so not so easy to avoid seeing. After all that is probably the way she wanted it. We walk past and stop at the vending machine and get three waters. I guess I am not the only one in need because we all drink them down quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to head to ss, I will see you guys at lunch. On the field alright?¡± I ask them. Katelyn gives me a look.


    ¡°You better get some food first, your stomach is going to rebel if all that is in it is coffee and water.¡±


    I roll my eyes at her. ¡°Fine I will get food first and then meet you down on the field.¡±


    Kevin smiles. ¡°It¡¯s a date.¡± Then he trails off to his ss.


    I head to mine, I try to ignore Dn who is standing down the hall from my ss, but he of course has to talk to me. ¡°Riley, can we talk?¡±


    ¡°Not really in the mood Dn. Go find Brittney, I am sure she would love to talk.¡± I go to walk past him but he blocks my path.


    ¡°Riley, it isn¡¯t what you think. Please can we talk?¡± He sounds desperate, I really don¡¯t care.


    ¡°I have to get to ss. I don¡¯t have time to talk.¡±


    ¡°Riley,¡± I scoot around him and get to ss. I can see from the doorway that he is still looking at me. He got what he wanted. What the hell is he still doing trying to talk to me? Why can¡¯t he just leave me alone?


    I make it through the morning sses and manage to avoid Dn in the halls. As promised I grab some lunch before heading to the field. Kevin and Katelyn are waiting there for me with their own food. They greet me with a smile when I sit on the grass with them. ¡°So how was your morning?¡±


    Kevin groans. ¡°Do you know how many sses I have with Dn? Like most of them. Dude asked aboutst night like fifty times. Oh, but do you know how many guys asked me if we were together. I swear you are the new hot thing they all want.¡± His smile got big at the end.


    Katelynughs, ¡°they were asking me about it too. Wanted to know if you were avable. I told them they could try their luck but you weren¡¯t shopping for pricks.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Kevin nods. ¡°Yeah, Dn had toment about it too. I swear it is like these guys have never seen a set of tits before.¡±


    ¡°Hey, your eyes were bugging out of your head this morning too.¡± Iugh at him.


    ¡°Yeah, but I am your friend, I can call you hot.¡±


    ¡°I have been telling you for years to show off the goods. You are always hiding it. You could give Brittney a run for her money with that body.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want people hanging around because they like my body and you know it.¡± I re at Katelyn, she is right this has been a discussion for a long time. ¡°I can avoid Dn the rest of the day I think. Mr. Harman is going to have me cleaning out the boys locker room today. He told me he will find something next week if need be. I think I will be fine by then. He should get the hint by then.¡±


    ¡°So are we going straight to Katelyn¡¯s after school or what?¡± Good job Kevin, way to divert the conversation.


    ¡°I need to head home and tell my mom where I will be, plus some clothes of my own would be nice.¡± I nod down at the outfit. I do not want to wear this on Monday. I have had enough attention as it is. I have noticed the guys looking, thank God none have decided to talk to me.


    ¡°Alright I will take my car and head to my house then meet you guys there. I¡¯ll make sure Dn keeps my secret. Anyway, what is the n for the weekend?¡±


    Katelyn nods to me. ¡°We are going to make sure you are ready for those finals. And maybe drink some more in the process. After all, we can¡¯t study all weekend.¡± Iugh.


    ¡°God you girls are awesome. Oh, hey speaking of which, I heard about this party next Saturday, you know after finals, you guys want to go?¡± Kevin nudges me like it is my decision.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really think I am the type of person they want at their parties.¡± I shy away from actually saying no.


    ¡°Who gives a shit? Half the people at the party don¡¯t give a shit and the rest will have to deal. Come party with me.¡± He looks pleadingly at me.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go. Might as well have fun while I can right?¡± Iugh, I have never gone to a school party, I guess now is the time to start.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s my girl.¡± Katelyn smiles at me. I am sure she has been invited to parties over the years, she just never went because of me. I am not a party person, I can drink but parties have way too many people.

 Cornered

    The bell rings for ss, telling Kevin and Katelyn that I will see themter, I throw my te away and head to Mr. Harman¡¯s office. He is in there gathering the stuff that he needs for the field. He greets me with a smile. ¡°Hey, Riley. I have the box there and you should be clear to go into the boys locker room after the final bell. Just the same as the girls, just leave the box by the door. When you are done you are free to leave. I have some stuff ready for next week for you to do. You can avoid Mr. Matthews all you want then.¡±


    ¡°How did you know I was avoiding Dn that much?¡±


    ¡°I have seen things. Plus he asked about you yesterday so I am assuming that you didn¡¯t talk to him beforehand. Space you need. Space you got.¡± He shrugged like it wasn¡¯t a big deal.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Thanks Mr. Harman.¡± I think I even blushed a little bit. I mean the P. E. teacher was aware of my school drama.


    ¡°That Miss rk, has got nothing on you. He is a fool.¡± It wasn¡¯t a creepy old dude thing, it was more like what a father would say to his daughter.


    ¡°Thank you Mr. Harman. I actually needed to hear that.¡±


    ¡°I meant it.¡± He gave an audible sigh. ¡°Anyway I am headed to the field. After the final bell, you¡¯re good to go.¡± I am d he changed the subject before it did turn weird.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for it. After all, I don¡¯t want to see anything in that room that I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good girl. I will see you on Monday.¡±


    ¡°See you then.¡± I smile a friendly smile. He has always been like a dad to me. I think he knew that my dad was never around. It was never a creepy way that he treated me. It was nice to have a father figure somewhere. I sit on the chair in his office and wait for the final bell. Then I grab the box and head to the boys locker room.


    Once I enter I start grabbing the things around the room off the floor. Let me tell you that boys are nasty. The things on the floor are just gross. A couple of times I leave things toe backter with gloves, because there is no way that I am touching that shit. I get to thest row of lockers and just about have a heart attack. There sitting on the bench is Dn. He is waiting for me.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing in here? You are supposed to be on the field.¡± I re at him. After of course I am able to catch my heart that ran off. Before I can even say anything more he stands and corners me to the lockers.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t talk to me. I didn¡¯t know how else to get you to listen to me.¡± It isn¡¯t anger, it is desperation.


    ¡°So cornering me in the men¡¯s locker room was the way to go.¡± Ok, I had the anger.


    ¡°It worked, didn¡¯t it.¡± He smirks at me. ¡°Since there was no box in here yesterday I took it as a sign that you would be in here today. Why are you avoiding me?¡±


    ¡°I told you that I am not a ything. I am not some tool to get back with Brittney. I have no intention of being in the middle. I told you I would be your friend nothing more. You pushed for more. This is on you.¡±


    ¡°You promised me that no matter what you would be my friend.¡± The way he is looking at me is sending butterflies straight to my gut. I am getting shaky and it is hard to really get my brain to work the way those gorgeous eyes are staring at me.


    It took everything in my body to push that down with the anger that still resided over half my body. ¡°Well, maybe as my friend you shouldn¡¯t have kissed me. It sent mixed messages. Anyway what is done is done. You got what you wanted. I am moving on. Literally. I will be gone in two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Riley, I really want to talk about this.¡± Those eyes again. God push it down.


    ¡°I think you should get to ss.¡±


    ¡°Fuck ss, this is more important.¡± His hand starts to slide up my side. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said that I wanted you. When you came to school this morning I just about died. You should never hide this body. At least that was my first thought. Now I am thinking that I am the only one that should see it.¡± His eyes are scanning my body. The desire is evident. Push it down, I continue to yell at myself.


    ¡°Fuck you Dn. I am not just some girl that will sleep with you. I am not Brittney, if that is what you want you came to the wrong girl.¡± Before I can even think his lips are on mine. I can¡¯t help the moan that escapes my lips, then I regain my senses and push him away.


    I don¡¯t get a chance to retort when Mr. Harman opens the door. ¡°Mr. Matthews, you were supposed to be on the field fifteen minutes ago. Out now or you are getting detention.¡±


    Dn shakes his head and reluctantly follows Mr. Harman out. I managed to take a breath, I didn¡¯t even realize that I had been holding it in. What the fuck does he think he is doing? He got what he wanted. Why is he still doing this to me? It just doesn¡¯t make sense. I am so d it is Friday, hopefully by Monday he will be over whatever the hell this is. I quickly finish my job grabbing gloves for thest part, because boys be gross. I throw the box by the door and leave. I have no intention of being in that room any longer than I need to.


    Heading towards my next ss I decided to send a text to my Aunt letting her know that I will not be in this weekend. I figure that I will tell my mom when I go pick up my things. As soon as I put my phone away the bell rings. Then before I enter the ssroom I am stopped by one of my ssmates.


    ¡°Um Riley.¡± He put his hand on my arm. I remember seeing him from time to time in ss, I didn¡¯t really pay attention to him. He is attractive in the academic sort of way. He hasbed hair, nice and neat dark hair. He is wearing a pair of Buddy Holly sses that look really cute on him. He is tall like Dn, wearing a pair of khaki pants with a button up shirt, blue. I think his name is Brian.


    ¡°Hey, Do you need something?¡± I try to give him a friendly smile.


    ¡°I was wondering if you were free this weekend. I would like to take you out on a date.¡±


    He looks shy as hell. I really hate to turn him down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Brian, I have a study date all weekend, you know for the finals next week.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright maybe some other time.¡± The look of disappointment is evident on his face. It must have taken him a lot to ask me.


    I continue to smile at him. ¡°Thank you for asking though. It was really nice.¡±


    He nods. ¡°I really mean it. I have actually wanted to ask you for a long time. I know I am not Dn Matthews, but I can be nice to you.¡±


    I can tell this is hard for him. I grab his arm and pull out a pen. I wrote my number on his arm. ¡°Here, we will work out some time after this weekend.¡± He gives me the biggest smile I have ever seen. I smile back and head into ss.


    It feels nice to have someone really like me. I have never really seen Brian with other girls so I know I am not some rebound. I just really don¡¯t know how far I really want to go with this. When I sit I can see out the door. There in the doorway is Dn. He is looking at me with hurt. I look away, there is no way I am getting sucked into that vortex.

 Mending Bridges

    After ss I start to walk home. I figure that I will get my car to go to Katelyn¡¯s. That is pretty much the only time I ever use the thing. I am walking home when a car pulls up next to me. It parks and I hear someone get out. Soon I am joined by Dn.


    ¡°What do you want? I mean really you got what you wanted. I don¡¯t see the point in keeping this up.¡± I am just getting exhausted by this whole thing.


    He grabs my arm and stops me. ¡°Riley, you haven¡¯t let me exin anything. Now I see you making dates with other guys. How is that fair to me?¡±


    I re at him, ¡°Fair to you. How fair is it to me to be harassed by your girlfriend every chance she gets? How is it fair to me to have you harassing me every chance that you get? How is it fair to me to have to see you with Brittney sprawled all over you all the time? I think I am being more than fair. It is you who needs to back off and get your girlfriend off my back.¡±


    ¡°Riley, I don¡¯t want to back off. I told you I wanted you. Why can¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Actions speak louder than words. I am notpeting with Brittney for anything, even a friend.¡± I pull my arm from his grasp.


    ¡°I never asked you topete with her. I don¡¯t want her.¡±


    I roll my eyes then turn to walk away from him. ¡°Prove it.¡±


    ¡°I would if you would just let me.¡±


    ¡°We shall see.¡± I keep walking leaving Dn behind. Then he jogs up to me.


    ¡°Give me the week to show you that I don¡¯t want Brittney. Please just let me show you.¡± He pulls me to him so that I have no choice but to look in his eyes. He looks so sincere I am having a hard time keeping my resolve.


    ¡°Fine, I will give you the week. You prove to me that you don¡¯t want Brittney, then we will talk.¡± I can see the smile spread across his lips. Then he leans into me. I pull back.


    ¡°Prove it first.¡±


    He looks disappointed, ¡°I guess that¡¯s a no to the date then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am in no rush to look like a fool again.¡±


    He still hasn¡¯t let go of me. ¡°Do you know what torture it was to see you give your number to that guy? Do you know what torture it was for me to watch you walk around like that all day? Do you know how badly I wanted to punch Mr. Harman in the face when he told me to leave you alone?¡±


    ¡°You made your bed now lie in it.¡±


    ¡°Please just one kiss. I am dying here.¡±


    He is so close now that I am having a hard time catching my breath. I shake my head to clear it. ¡°More reason to prove it.¡± He lets out a groan.


    ¡°Fine, Will I see you this weekend?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. I am going to be at Katelyn¡¯s with Kevin. We are studying for finals.¡± I pull away from him. ¡°They are waiting for me.¡±


    I head home leaving Dn behind. I have to admit that was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I had to keep focusing on the embarrassment that I felt seeing him with Brittney. A stupid part of me still wanted to kiss him. Still wanted to put my arms around him and let the world fade away. He is the only one who has ever had that power over me. It is like a drug that you can¡¯t quit. I really do hope that he proves me wrong this week.


    When I get home, my mom is there. She is sitting in the living room. She looks a little lost in space. ¡°Hey, mom, what¡¯s up?¡±


    She shakes her head andes back to reality. ¡°Hey, honey, your home. I thought you would be at the library.¡±


    ¡°Actually I came to get some clothes. I am going to be having a study weekend with Katelyn for finals.¡±


    ¡°That boy isn¡¯t going to be there is he? Polly told me that he was studying with you.¡± She gives me a stern look.


    ¡°No, I am not really talking to him right now. That was why I needed a girls nightst night. He went back to his ex-girlfriend. Or at least that¡¯s what it looked like yesterday. He is trying to say that it isn¡¯t what it was, but I don¡¯t want to be the fool you know.¡± I sit by my mom on the couch. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, your father came by to get some things. We argued a bit. No big deal. I mean I already knew it was over, it is just a little much to see him pulling his things out of the house.¡± I can hear the hurt in her voice. As much as she is putting on a strong face for me, I know this hurts her. She really did love dad.


    ¡°I hear ya. Dn keeps cornering me telling me it isn¡¯t over, but I think it is. It is just hurting being in this in between.¡±


    ¡°Is he pressuring you, honey?¡± There is the concern.


    I shake my head. ¡°No, he is just persistent. I just don¡¯t know if I should put myself out there again. It did hurt when I saw them together.¡±


    ¡°What exactly did you see? Were they kissing?¡± She raises her eyebrow at me.


    ¡°No, she had her hands all over him and he was smiling at her.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there is something else. Maybe he wasughing at her. Or maybe it is what you think it is. It is an iffy thing. What did he say afterwards?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°Nothing, he just came up and put his arm around me at my locker.¡±


    ¡°So, you are thinking that he didn¡¯t know that you saw him with this other girl.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so he was trying to y me. It would make sense. I mean he is one of the most popr guys in school, not exactly the type of guy to be falling over me.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Honey, have you looked at yourself? You are a very attractive girl. I am sure you turned quite a few heads today, wearing Katelyn¡¯s clothes. You didn¡¯t even have to try too hard to get looks that girls are killing themselves for. You don¡¯t ever forget that you are a beautiful girl, you don¡¯t need some guy to make you feel that way.¡±


    ¡°I know mom. I really don¡¯t care how I look. I never really cared at all before. He made me feel wanted. I guess I liked that. Anyway, I am going to pack up for the weekend and I will see you on Monday.¡±


    ¡°Alright honey, I might have a girls night with Polly. It sounds like you had fun.¡± She has a huge grin on her face.


    ¡°I did, Katelyn gets me.¡± Giving her a smile to let her know that I am not totally lost and can still have fun with my friends. I get up and head towards my room.


    ¡°I am sure her parents not being home is a plus.¡± I stop in my steps.


    I turn to look at her. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Small town baby, just be careful. And tell that other boy to keep his hands to himself.¡± She smirks at me.


    ¡°I will mom. Thanks for understanding.¡± I try to push as much gratitude out of my voice as I can.


    ¡°Of course dear. I was eighteen once. I know you do things that are maybe not the best things. I just ask that you be safe. I know you are a good girl.¡±


    ¡°Thanks mom.¡± Ie over and hug her from the back of the couch.


    ¡°If you do decide to be with a boy you know to use protection right?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± I jumped up out of shock.


    ¡°What that is something I am supposed to ask.¡±


    ¡°I am still a virgin mom. When I do decide that I am going to do that then I promise I will use protection. Ok, now can we never talk about this again.¡± I shudder in horror, I was just talking to my mom about my sex life. Or the nonexistent sex life that I have.


    ¡°That is all that you needed to say. Go have fun at Katelyn¡¯s. I will see you on Monday.¡± She gives me augh. She thinks my reaction is funny. God the humiliation.


    I step into my room and catch a look at myself, I do look good. I never looked earlier. Katelyn¡¯s clothes catch my curves just right, it looks awesome. I look away and grab a bag. I really need to get back into my own clothes. I throw in clothes for the weekend. Also an outfit for Monday morning. I am not wearing Katelyn¡¯s clothes to school again. I do not need the looks. I might change my look a bit after school though.

 Words Kept

    Our weekend was awesome. We didn¡¯t talk about Dn at all. We drank, studied. I am pretty confident that Kevin will pass his finals. When we walk into school on Monday I feel relieved. I haven¡¯t had to think about this stupid shit all weekend. It is like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. We all arrive at school together, even though we are in seperate cars. Kevin puts his arms around each of our shoulders. ¡°This weekend was great. We need to do it again, before you guys move to California. Except without studying.¡±


    ¡°This weekend we can do it again, only this time we will go to the party on Saturday too.¡± Katelyn offers. ¡°Unless your mom wants you home.¡± She looks at me.


    ¡°Na, I think she is good. I will hang out with her tonight so she can have some me time. She literally told me on Friday that she knows what it is like to be eighteen and just be safe.¡±


    Kevin looks up. ¡°Looks like trouble in paradise.¡± I follow his gaze and there is Dn yelling at Brittney. She is trying to put her hands on his chest and he is pushing her off. I hear the words, ¡°Keep your fucking hands off me.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile a little bit. It is nice to see Brittney being put in her ce. She looks pissed, not hurt. If she was hurt I think I would feel a little bad about it, since she isn¡¯t I don¡¯t.


    We walk right past. Dn shes me a smile. I hear Brittney snarl. ¡°You are ditching me for her.¡±


    Then Dn¡¯s voice rings out. ¡°It was always her. You just shoved your big ass in the way.¡±


    Kevinughs as we pass. Then hollers, ¡°burn bitch.¡±


    This causes a ton ofughing. I pull Kevin along with us. ¡°You ready for your first final?¡±


    ¡°With you guys helping of course. Do you guys know the schedule for this week? I think we will have an extended lunch.¡±


    Katelyn answers, ¡°We do. Meeting on the field.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Dn said he was going to prove to me that he doesn¡¯t want Brittney, but I am not moring to forgive him.¡±


    ¡°When did he say that?¡± I just realized that I never told them about talking to him on Friday. Katelyn looks just as lost as Kevin.


    ¡°I ran into him when I was walking home on Friday. He talked to me for a bit. I told him that if he really liked me and not Brittney then he was going to have to prove it. I am guessing that is what that disy was.¡± I pointed towards the school entrance to make sure they knew what I was talking about. Like they didn¡¯t know.


    Kevinughs, ¡°I don¡¯t care the reason for it, it was fucking hrious. You have to admit it. That bitch has needed to be put in her ce for a long time now.¡±


    Iugh, ¡°I almost felt sorry for her, then I remembered what a bitch she was and that she probably didn¡¯t even care about Dn to begin with. It is just her image that she is pissed about.¡±


    Katelyn nods in agreement. ¡°Alright I am headed to my first final. I will see you guys at lunch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter. Wish me luck.¡± Kevin gives me a silly grin.


    ¡°Not that you need it, but good luck.¡± I returned his smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He throws his arms in the air and walks off. ¡°I got this bitch.¡± I can¡¯t help butugh.


    I head to my locker and throw my books in. I know I am not going to them. By the time that I close the door, Dn is at my side. He has a big smile on his face. ¡°How was your weekend?¡±


    ¡°Good, Kevin can be funny. Especially when you get some whiskey in him. How was yours?¡± I swear his smile is contagious.


    ¡°Miserable, I couldn¡¯t see you.¡± He drops the smile and gives me a puppy dog face.


    I roll my eyes at him. ¡°Smooth. Ready for your finals?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Yeah, the study sessions with you helped. I am sure it would have been better if I had spent all weekend with you. But I am sure that Kevin needed it more than I did.¡± He slides a little closer to me. ¡°When can I kiss you again?¡±


    I chuckle. ¡°Slow down Romeo. I need a little more time.¡± He looks a little disappointed. But he still manages a smile.


    ¡°Can I walk you to ss?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I walk next to him. Making sure to keep some distance, I don¡¯t want him touching me yet. I want to keep things tonic for a moment.


    ¡°So, are you going to ignore me in P. E.?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Harman says he has stuff for me to do in the office. Kevin will keep youpany though. You won¡¯t be alone.¡± I give him a grin. I know this is not what he wants to hear.


    ¡°You mean Kevin will keep an eye on me and make sure that Brittney keeps her hands to herself.¡± He gives me a pointed look.


    ¡°Exactly. From what I understand you two have a lot of sses together.¡± I smile at him.


    He doesn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I will be the perfect boy. Kevin will give me a glowing review. Then hopefully at the end of the week I will be the one spending the weekend with you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, although we already have ns so you would have to share me.¡±


    ¡°Boo, I don¡¯t want to share.¡± He sees my face, which is a little warning, then rolls his eyes. ¡°Alright if I have to.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye Dn. See youter.¡± I head into ss without ncing back at him. He pulls my arm back and when I fall back into his arms, he hugs me close.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say I couldn¡¯t hug you.¡± He whispers in my ear. ¡°It has been so long since I held you.¡±


    I try to get out of his grip. ¡°Fine, you hugged me. Now get to ss. You have a final, no skipping today.¡±


    He grumbles and then lets me go. ¡°I still want a kiss, but this will have to do.¡±


    I don¡¯t even say anything, I just go to ss. He doesn¡¯t need to know that I want to kiss him too.


    Lunches soon enough. I was right not to worry about my finals, I got them just fine. The two I did this morning were a breeze. When I get to the field Kevin is already sitting with Katelyn. Kevin sees meing up to them, he jumps up and runs up to me, grabbing me and spinning me around. ¡°You are fucking amazing.¡± I am clinging to him for dear life. Plus the squealing like a school girl is bringing a lot of attention.


    He finally puts me down. ¡°I take it that your finals went well.¡±


    ¡°I have never left a final feeling good. Hell any test for that matter. It was fantastic.¡± He throws his arm around me. ¡°So I hear the teachers, after the finals are done, are pretty much giving us passes to just hang. Are you with me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think you have earned a friend spot.¡± We sat with Katelyn.


    Sheughs, ¡°I never thought that I would say this about you, but you are cool to hang with. You have made it interesting.¡±


    I smile, ¡°I think it is nice to have a guy to even us out. So what is your final for this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°English.¡± He grumbles. ¡°Worst subject ever.¡±


    Katelynughs, ¡°You got it. We hit English pretty hard. Don¡¯t throw doubt in there it will fuck you up.¡±


    Suddenly both Kevin and Katelyn¡¯s eyes shoot up behind me. I turn to look and there is Dn. ¡°Here you guys are. Do you know how long it took me to find you?¡±


    ¡°Three days.¡± Kevin answers. He says it like he is stating a fact and not being arrogant.


    ¡°Well yes. Can I sit?¡± He gestures next to me. Kevin is the one to answer though.


    ¡°No, you can sit here though.¡± Kevin moves closer to me as a buffer between Dn and I.


    He takes the seat. ¡°I get it you guys are pissed.¡±


    Katelyn rolls her eyes. ¡°You think.¡±


    ¡°I deserve that. I did not at any point get back with Brittney, you have to know that. She just started throwing herself at me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because you are such a Casanova that you couldn¡¯t put her in her ce.¡± Katelyn spat back.


    Kevin shrugged. ¡°To be fair I did see him tell her Thursday to keep her hands off. So maybe it was a bit more one sided than we thought.¡±


    ¡°When she came to me Thursday morning, I knew how it looked, but honestly I wasughing at her not with her. I haven¡¯t wanted anything to do with that bitch in a while. Then Friday she started telling everyone that we were back together, I thought I was going to kill her. I heard that she was telling you to back off.¡± He looks towards me. ¡°I heard all about that this weekend. I hunted her down and told her to shut her mouth. Then she tried again this morning. I swear that woman is dense.¡±


    ¡°Well, you sure put her in her ce this morning. She would be an idiot toe at you again.¡± Kevinughed.


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh too. ¡°The look on her face was priceless. She was pissed.¡±


    Katelyn shrugged. ¡°I think the bitch deserves worse, but it is a start. Alright you can hang with us again, but if you hurt Riley again, I will personally castrate you.¡± She looked him dead in the eye to make sure he understood that she was not joking. Hell, I believed her.


    Kevinughed. ¡°Alright now ns for these free days, what should we do? We can¡¯t leave campus but there has to be something. We have two whole days that all we have to do is show up.¡±


    ¡°I have no clue. I am the nerd remember. I never have any fun ideas.¡± Iugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even go there with me girl. I saw your freak g this weekend.¡± Kevin nudges my leg.


    ¡°Ok, but that was inebriated. That is a little different.¡± I say shyly. Dn does not need to know that when I am drunk I dance around and sing whatever songes into my head.


    ¡°Sounds like fun. I wish I could have been there.¡± Dn says, he is smiling so I can tell that he is starting to get back into the groove of our group.


    ¡°Well, we are kind of doing a repeat this weekend. Maybe if you are a good boy you can join.¡± Katelyn hints to him.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I promise, I do not want a repeat of this weekend. My other friends are not nearly as fun as you all.¡± Dn smiles at me.


    Kevinughs. ¡°You got that right. Those bitches wouldn¡¯t know fun if it bit them in the ass. These two are fun. You missed one hell of a party.¡±


    ¡°There was a party.¡± Dn looks shocked.


    ¡°Yeah, the three of us made one hell of a party.¡± Kevinughs as he points to the three of us. ¡°The booze flowed and so did the good times. I actually got some studying done too. I am doing well with my finals because of this weekend. This girl knows her shit. Even tipsy she kept it all straight.¡±


    ¡°That is because I think I drunk study. Don¡¯t make a lot of sense, but it has worked for a while now.¡± Iugh. ¡°I thinkst year I would get drunk and recite the periodic table.¡±


    Katelyn nods her head. ¡°Yep, it helped me to memorize it and I wasn¡¯t even in the ss. I am this year though so helpful.¡± Katelynughed. ¡°At one point I think I was ready to take the chemistry final.¡±


    ¡°Drunk you must be fun.¡± Dnughed. ¡°I am sad I missed it.¡±


    The rest of lunch went like that. We kept trying to think of what to do on our days off,ing up with nothing. When lunch ended and we were headed to ourst finals of the day, Dn kind of held back. When I stood up he took my hand. ¡°Can I walk you to ss?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± He didn¡¯t let go of my hand. Kevin and Katelyn kept going, deciding to give us some space.


    ¡°Have I been a good boy?¡± He gives me a seductive smirk. God this guy is not making it easy to stay mad at him.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I give him a smirk.


    He pulls me a little closer as we walk. ¡°Maybe good enough to earn a kiss.¡±


    ¡°Dn.¡± I roll my eyes at him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop thinking about your lips. It is driving me nuts. I think I will fail my next final if I don¡¯t have something to tide me over. You wouldn¡¯t want my grades to suffer would you?¡± He pulls me a little closer, so close that if I am not careful I will trip over his feet.


    ¡°I guess not.¡± I whisper. What the hell is the matter with me? He pulls me to a stop and then his lips are on mine. I am lost. There is no way I aming back from that. I think we are both lost, because when the final bell rings we are still standing there lost in each other. The bell pulls us too and we start running to the prospective sses.

 Solid Ground

    When I slide into my ss I can see the teacher re at me. ¡°Nice of you to join us Miss. Anderson. Kindly take your seat so we can get started.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Connors.¡± I slide into my seat with the whole ss staring at me. I have never beente in my life. What the hell is wrong with me? Letting someone get to me like that. All through the final Mrs. Connors is ring at me, so it is no surprise when I am done with the final she leans over me and tells me to stay after ss.


    When everyone else is done with the final. ¡°Alright everyone, pass your tests forward and then you may all leave. Miss Anderson, collect all the tests.¡±


    I nod to her. I know it is her way of not embarrassing me. She is trying to be considerate, but still I can feel the looks boring into my back. Everyone has trailed out by the time I collect thest of the exams and ce them on her desk. She gives me a look then starts in. ¡°Riley, you are a very good student, I am not liking this change that I am seeingtely. You seem to be distracted, today beingte, for the final, this is definitely not like you. Is there something that you need to talk about?¡±


    I put on my most professional student face. ¡°No, I am fine. I had some things going on, but they are evening out. I am sorry about beingte, it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    She gives me a pointed look. ¡°I understand that there was some sort of drama with Miss rk, has that been resolved?¡±


    ¡°Mostly. I think she is still kind of pissed at me but I think it will pass. If not I am not too worried about it, I am leaving town in a couple of weeks. She can be mad all she wants.¡±


    ¡°This drama wouldn¡¯t have something to do with Mr. Matthews would it?¡± She is still scrutinizing me.


    ¡°Yeah, that is what it is about.¡±


    ¡°I see, just remember what is important. There will be plenty of Mr. Matthews in the world. Don¡¯t shirk what you need to do for a boy.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t Mrs. Connors. Thank you for your concern. I promise I know where my priorities lie.¡± I give her a smile so that she knows I am not trying to be condescending.


    ¡°Alright, you can go now. I will see you when you check in on Thursday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Mrs. Connors.¡± I smile as I leave. As soon as I step out the door I run into a hard chest. I look up to see Dn smiling at me.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t totally sure that you were in this ss, but I took a hunch. Then I heard the other guys talking about you beingte, so I figured I had the right room. Did you get in trouble?¡±


    He tries to look back in the room before his arms are snaking around my waist. ¡°No, she just gave me a lecture about putting my life aside for you.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I hate Mrs. Connors now.¡± He res at her ssroom.


    ¡°She is just worried about me. Besides, I am not putting my life on hold for you. I don¡¯t even know what we are.¡±


    He tugs me closer. ¡°I know what we are. I am just waiting for you to catch up.¡±


    I smile, ¡°You sound so sweet sometimes. Anyway I have to check in at work before my aunt calls out the national guard.¡± I start to pull away only for him to pull me tighter.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°That kiss didn¡¯tst as long as I thought it would. I think I need a refill.¡± His facees in for my lips. The warmth of his arms around me is intoxicating. I tilt my head so that I meet his lips crashing into mine. Then right in the middle of the kiss we are tackled. I swear it was aughing hyena, but when I look it is just Kevin.


    ¡°I am so d you guys made up. Listen, I still need to study. Can we have another session at Katelyn¡¯s?¡± He looks to me as if I have the keys to Katelyn¡¯s house.


    ¡°Sorry, I have to check in with my aunt and mom. I have been gone too long. You know how my aunt is. If I don¡¯t show up today she is going to think I have fallen off the face of the earth.¡± Iughed at his expression, he was totally expecting me to say yes. His face has fallen and he looks shocked.


    ¡°Oh, my God. So you¡¯re saying that we have to study sober. That is so much less fun. No singing. How will I ever get by?¡±


    Dn looks between the two of us. ¡°What singing?¡±


    Kevinughs so much that he isn¡¯t really getting a word out, when they start to form I cover his mouth. ¡°Nothing, Kevin is just a little nuts. He has no idea what he is talking about.¡±


    He pulls me off his mouth, ¡°Oh,e on Colors of the wind was beautiful.¡± Heughs some more.


    I turn and re at him. ¡°I am going to kill you.¡±


    Dn smiles. ¡°You drunk sing. That is something I need to see.¡±


    ¡°She sings everything. I swear I have never heard someone our age sing the bear necessities.¡± Kevin is rolling now.


    I sigh, ¡°Yes, when I drink I sing. I dance too. It is my shame.¡±


    Dn pulls me close. ¡°I¡¯m guessing it is pretty hot. I don¡¯t think I would be able to hear what you say anyway if you are dancing around.¡± His lips are right next to my ear.


    I pull away, ¡°Alright guys I have to get to work. I will see you guys tomorrow.¡± I go to run towards my car but Dn catches my arm and pulls me in for a kiss.


    ¡°Or sooner.¡± He mumbles into my mouth. I barely heard it, but it was there.


    Someone clears their throat next to me. Dn and I turn to look. There stands Brittney, boy this girl does not take a hint. ¡°Dn, can I talk to you for a minute?¡±


    ¡°No, I am busy. Besides I have said everything to you that I need to. I thought I made myself quite clear this morning. I want her, not you. Go bother someone else.¡±


    ¡°What happens when she leaves town?¡± She gets a cocky look, how the hell does she know what I am doing? ¡°What you didn¡¯t think I knew about that? Your friend Katelyn has been bragging up a storm about how soon you guys will be moving to California. Everyone knows.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know how it is any of your business. I do not want you even when she leaves. Our rtionship is none of your business.¡± Dn turns from her.


    She calls after us. ¡°You will be begging me toe back when she is gone.¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡± Dn calls back. I can¡¯t help but smile a little. He really did pick me over her.


    Dn keeps his arm around me the whole way to my car. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you had a car.¡±


    I shrug, ¡°I only use it when I am at Katelyn¡¯s, her house is a thirty minute drive, it is a bit far to walk. I mean I could do it, but It wouldn¡¯t be fun. Other than that everything is in walking distance.¡±


    ¡°So you stayed the night at Katelyn¡¯s?¡± He looks down at me.


    ¡°Yeah,¡±


    ¡°So did Kevin.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so.¡±


    ¡°Did you share a room with Kevin?¡± He has turned totally serious.


    I think he is trying to pull the boyfriend card. ¡°Oh, my God. Jealous. We all shared a room. It was like drink till you drop and then start again the next morning. There was no sleeping slept together. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t do that with Kevin.¡±


    He gives me one of those suave looks that makes me want to melt in a puddle on the ground. ¡°Ok, maybe I am a little jealous. Kevin has seen a part of you that I haven¡¯t, plus he got to spend the weekend with you. I had to be gued by thoughts of you all weekend. I am not joking when I tell you that you are driving me nuts. Hell the way you looked on Friday was enough to kill me.¡± He now has me leaned up against my car. His arms pinning me against the door.


    ¡°Maybe it was a little hard for me too.¡± I whisper. ¡°For all I knew you were hanging out with Brittney all weekend.¡± I said thest part a little louder.


    ¡°I have plenty of people who will testify that I wasn¡¯t. You can ask anyone, I was nowhere near Brittney at any point this weekend.¡± He is starting to run his nose along my jaw. ¡°Please just tell me that you are mine, I will be the happiest guy on the.¡±


    ¡°You know that is a two way street right?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I am yours.¡±


    There it isdies and gentlemen, I melt, never in my life has a guy said that to me. ¡°I can be yours. You know that.¡± Then his lips are on mine again. Time slows and I feel like it is just us in the whole world.


    He pulls back and leans his head to mine. ¡°We will work out the restter. I know it will be hard being apart, but we will figure something out. I mean you aren¡¯t going to be gone forever. Your family owns the library right. You are the only one to take over, you have toe back.¡±


    ¡°You have thought a lot about this haven¡¯t you?¡± I look in his eyes.


    ¡°I had a lot of free time while you were avoiding me.¡± He gives me a silly grin. ¡°I told you I thought about you a lot, did you doubt me?¡±


    ¡°I guess I was just thinking it was something you were saying, I didn¡¯t think you actually spent that much time thinking about me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. Now before your aunt hates me, get to work. I will see you in a bit.¡± He opens the door and pushes my behind while he is at it, since the door we were leaning on was the driver side door.


    After I am seated he leans in and kisses me again. I swear I could get used to those lips on mine. It feels so damn good. When he pulls away he closes the door and pats on it like a send off.


    I smile as I pull out of the drive.

 Working With Dylan

    It only takes a few minutes to reach the library, but Aunt Polly is already waiting at the door for me. ¡°I was going to send out the national guard. Where the hell have you been girl?¡± She has her hands on her hips and she is ring at me.


    ¡°I was studying with Katelyn, I told you.¡± I knew she would be pissed but not this pissed. She needs to dial it back a bit.


    ¡°You texted, that could have been from some serial killer trying to throw me off the trail.¡± She continues to re at me.


    ¡°Aunt Polly I think you need toy off the murder mysteries. I am fine. I saw mom on Friday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and she said you were wearing some cute clothes of Katelyn¡¯s, that doesn¡¯t sound like you.¡± Not even budging one bit.


    ¡°Yeah, but it was all I had to wear Friday morning. I didn¡¯t bring my clothes to Katelyn¡¯s then. I am wearing my own clothes now. Stop worrying. I am just enjoying my life a little bit. Is that so bad? I have been a good girl for a long time. I never got into any trouble. I just feel like I need to let loose a little. I swear nothing sinister is going on. Besides, mom knows.¡±


    ¡°That isforting.¡± She rolls her eyes at me. Then she sighs. ¡°Alright I will trust that you have it under control. I need your help shelving. Kids are ruthless, they leave books everywhere. Finals must be brutal this year.¡± She nods towards the carts full of books. All three carts that we have are full. I sigh, ¡°don¡¯t give me that sound. I have already shelved three carts myself. It was a mess in here this weekend.¡±


    I grab a cart after depositing my hoodie in the chair. I take this one upstairs, I can see it is mostly nonfiction. So I took the little elevator that we had installedst year just for this reason. It used to be that we would have to carry the books up the stairs. Talk about hell.


    I am about half way through the cart when arms snake around from my back. ¡°Miss me.¡± A familiar voice whispers in my ear.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Only if you are here to help.¡± I give him a sideways look.


    He straightens up and looks at the cart. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this. Lucky for you I know the Dewey decimal system.¡± He starts grabbing books and shelving with me. It makes the work lighter, plus the hands that heys on me every now and then make it a more pleasant experience for sure.


    We head downstairs by way of the elevator that my aunt doesn¡¯t let customers use, and take the second cart. This is more of the same. But when I return the cart we emptied I see that my Aunt has a pile of books ready to be loaded on it. She hears me groan, ¡°You think finals are a pain for you. You never thought about what it does to the librarian, did you.¡± Then she notices Dn behind me. She narrows her eyes at him. ¡°You better be helping.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. I am.¡± Dn takes the cart and I follow him to the elevator. ¡°How do I get in your aunt¡¯s good graces?¡±


    I point at the cart. ¡°You¡¯re doing it. She only loves the library and me. So that means you take care of me and help work the library you¡¯re good.¡± I shrug like it is pretty simple.


    ¡°I think she doesn¡¯t like me. I am not sure why I just have this feeling.¡±


    ¡°I think that might be residual hate for Kevin. She does not like him. He picked on me once in front of her and she went nuts. I think when she saw you guys togetherst week she thought that you were the same.¡±


    He looks at me shocked. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know that you are friends.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t really been around. I should probably talk to her about that.¡± I kind of grimace. ¡°I would hate for her to yell at him when he came by to visit. Although she did let him best week so maybe she knows already.¡±


    ¡°Ok, but I am not Kevin. Oh, speaking of which, ok not really. But you gave your number to that guy and never gave it to me.¡± We have reached the elevator and are on the way back up.


    ¡°Oh, shoot you¡¯re right I gave my number to Brian. I totally forgot about that. He never called though. So I guess that¡¯s fine.¡±


    The doors ding open. ¡°You¡¯re missing the point, I don¡¯t have your number. Plus if that guy calls you are to give him a resounding no.¡±


    ¡°I told him I was busy and not looking for a rtionship, why the hell would I tell him yeah.¡± I give him a pointed look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you gave him your number.¡± His voice goes up an octave as he says it.


    ¡°I felt sorry for him. He was so shy. It took a lot for him to ask me out. I didn¡¯t want to crush him.¡± I make my voice all soft.


    He gets a little snarl. ¡°Next time crush him. I don¡¯t want any other guys sniffing around.¡±


    ¡°Possessive much?¡± I smile at him.


    ¡°You better believe it. I am not losing you again. This weekend was hell.¡± He puts his arm around me.


    ¡°If you are not able to stand the weekend, how are you going to stand four years?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but at least I will have the knowledge that you are mine. It will make it more bearable. This weekend I didn¡¯t have you.¡± He kisses the top of my head. ¡°So back to work. Hey quick question. How do Ipare to Jerry?¡± He talks as he takes books off the cart.


    ¡°Oh, well, you make meugh some. Plus you got that swagger. He had a swagger too. Have you seen the Nutty Professor?¡±


    ¡°Maybe once. I will be honest, I have seen the newer one more.¡±


    ¡°That one is funny too. But the swagger that Jerry has in that one is intoxicating. Of course it is too much, but that is for the story line.¡± I keep pulling books too. It is like an easy conversation. I love howfortable I am with Dn.


    ¡°You really are a ssic girl. I like that about you. It makes you a breath of fresh air. You aren¡¯t like other girls. I swear they are all obsessed with the newest hot thing toe out. Not you.¡± I know he means it as apliment.


    ¡°What can I say? I don¡¯t like trends. I never catch on to a trend until it is out of style. I really don¡¯t care though. I don¡¯t do anything to be liked.¡±


    ¡°You have to show me this Kevin Smith guy. I want to know what I ampeting with.¡± He calls from the shelf behind mine.


    ¡°Do you remember everything I have ever said?¡± I say as I look around the shelf for him.


    ¡°Only since, ok yeah, mostly. I am sure there are a few things that I have forgotten or pushed out. You know like that little thing about us not being together because you¡¯re leaving, yeah that went in one ear and out the other.¡± He peeks around the shelf and gives me a wink.


    ¡°See, funny. I can live with that.¡± I smile back at him.


    ¡°I think I might be able to offer more than Jerry. I mean I got some moves.¡± He stalks towards me.


    ¡°Of course, plus you know you aren¡¯t like a hundred and dead.¡± I give him a silly smirk. I totally love this game.


    ¡°Yeah, there is that too.¡± He scoops his arms around me. ¡°Plus I don¡¯t think you would feel the same if it was Jerry holding you. I am sure you feel the warmth of my touch, the way it spreads through your whole body. The way my words make your body melt. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t notice.¡± Slowly his words became a whisper. ¡°I can¡¯t wait til I get you somewhere alone.¡± His lips are close to my ear, I am sure that if he wasn¡¯t I wouldn¡¯t have heard thatst part.


    He has sent my body quaking. I can barely hold myself up. I want to scream, take me now. I know verydy-like, huh. This guy has gotten under my skin and I can¡¯t shake him. We have known each other for years and never once did I think he would make me feel like this. I mean of course who hasn¡¯t fantasized about the most popr guy in school. But to actually think that he would be here holding me, never in my life have I thought that.


    He pulls back. ¡°However, right now I need to make sure that your aunt doesn¡¯t want to kill me. I have a feeling if I am on her good side then things will go a lot smoother.¡±


    I became quiet. I don¡¯t even know what to say any more. I am silently battling myself on what to do here. Should I keep waiting or just go for it. I think the residual alcohol is clouding my brain. Ok, I know it doesn¡¯t work like that, but still.


    We head downstairs to get the next cart. One the way back to the desk I see Katelyn and Kevin at a table. When Kevin sees me he smiles. ¡°Hey, when can you guys join us? Katelyn is great but it is a lot funner in a group.¡±


    Katelyn shrugs, ¡°I think he is more worried about your aunt kicking him out if you aren¡¯t here to protect him.¡± She nudges him in the side.


    ¡°Ok maybe a little, she scares me. She even gave me the full on ¡®I am watching you¡¯ speech when I came in.¡± Kevin shudders. ¡°Scarydy. No wonder Dn was able to snatch you up, any other guy would be afraid toe near you around that woman.¡±


    ¡°She just loves me very much.¡± I retort to Kevin. ¡°Besides if you didn¡¯t pick on me that one time she wouldn¡¯t have a reason to be mad at you.¡±


    ¡°I said I was sorry.¡± Kevin rolls his eyes.


    ¡°Kevin, I hate to break it to you, but Aunt Polly likes to see actions, not words. She will be watching you until she decides that you really are sorry.¡± I pat him on the shoulder and go back to the carts. Thankfully there are only two left. ¡°Aunt Polly, after I finish these two carts can I help my friend study? He is struggling with his finals.¡±


    Polly looks back at Kevin and Katelyn. ¡°He is a friend now.¡± Then she rolls her eyes. ¡°Alright, but finish these two carts first. Then you can help your friend.¡± She says friend like it is poison and saying it will kill her.


    ¡°Thank you Aunt Polly. We will behave I promise.¡± I give her the ¡®you better behave¡¯ look.


    She turned around and gave me the same look. ¡°I don¡¯t want that boy rubbing off on you. It better be the other way around.¡±


    ¡°It is Aunt Polly. Plus Katelyn would smack him around if he got out of line. Dn too. Kevin knows better now.¡±


    ¡°He better.¡± She grumbles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Aunt Polly. I got it. Trust me.¡± I gave her a smile as me and Dn took the second cart. This one of course was upstairs too. Nonfiction was ripe this time of year. It took us no time this time because we were in a hurry to finish. I think Dn was more anxious to have me to himself. He knew that wasn¡¯t happening until the shelving was done.


    Thest cart was for downstairs so Dn kept his hands to himself for the time being. Once that was done, I was d to see that there were no more carts. Dn and I made it over to the table with Katelyn and Kevin. Katelyn is trying to exin the math to Kevin and he is holding his head and shaking it. ¡°This made so much more sense when I was drunk.¡±


    Iugh as I sit down to take a look at what he is looking at. ¡°Repeat after me, Please excuse my dear aunt sally.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Kevin looks at me like I have grown another head.


    ¡°Just do it.¡± I roll my eyes at him.


    ¡°Fine,¡± He sighs. ¡°Please excuse my dear aunt Sally. Do you even have an aunt Sally? I know your aunt¡¯s name is Polly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mnemonic strategy. The first letter represents the order in which the order of operations goes. Please for Parenthesis. Excuse for exponents. My for multiplication. Dear for division. Aunt for addition. And Sally for subtraction. Get it.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much but I thought that multiplication and division could just go in the order in which they are in the equation.¡±


    ¡°They can so can addition and subtraction, but the mnemonic expression helps keep the rest in order. As long as you remember that you can keep the basics in order.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I think I got it. See, she exins better than you.¡± Kevin smiles at Katelyn.


    ¡°See if I ever help you again.¡± Katelyn folds her arms over her chest in a little huff.


    Kevin backtracks. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it. You are a great help. Please don¡¯t stop helping me. I am going to need it for a long time.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I look at both of them. It sounds ominous.


    ¡°It means that I got epted to UCDavis too. We are going to be together forever.¡± Kevin gives me a sinister look.


    ¡°You are following my girl to California?¡± Dn res at him.


    ¡°My friend, so yeah. But I applied before I knew they were going. I just got the eptance letter today. Such an awesome coincidence.¡± Kevin gives us a big smile. ¡°You love me, don¡¯t deny it.¡± He looks at Katelyn.


    ¡°Only as a friend, that ship has sailed buddy.¡± Katelyn groans at him.


    ¡°Maybe I could win your heart in California.¡± He waggles his eyes at Katelyn. ¡°Just joking, I wouldn¡¯t want to lose the three amigos.¡±


    At the sound of that we all throw our hands into the middle and say, ¡°All for one, one for all.¡± Then pull back andugh. Dn meanwhile is looking at us like we are nuts.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Dn looks at me.


    Iugh, ¡°We may have been a little drunk watching the three musketeers, and decided that that was our anthem.¡±


    He pulls me closer in a possessive manner. ¡°Sorry I missed it. Although I don¡¯t think it would have had the same ring if it was the four of us.¡±


    ¡°Actually you could be Dartanian.¡± Katelyn points out.


    ¡°Yeah the phrase isn¡¯t limited to numbers, it is just the musketeers slogan. There can be four.¡± I cuddle up next to him.


    ¡°Alright then I can be the fourth musketeer. Is there an initiation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have to drink till you drop.¡± I state pointedly.


    ¡°Yep that is what we all did.¡± Katelyn adds.


    ¡°Plus you have to sing the song with Riley, we had to do that too.¡± Kevin adds.


    ¡°Do I want to know what the song is?¡± Dn side eyes me.


    ¡°Never mind the song. I hope to God you never hear me sing.¡± I sit up a little straighter.


    ¡°It is called All for Love, it has a bunch of old dudes singing. It was fun times.¡± Kevin smiles at me.


    ¡°Thanks for that Kevin, I think I will never drink again. I do not need to sing in front of you people again.¡±


    Katelynughs, ¡°Come on Riley your singing is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you were drunk too. I am sure it is not.¡± I bow my head in a little bit of shame.


    Dn brings his mouth to my ear. ¡°I would love to hear you sing.¡± This makes me blush even more, because I know what he means.


    I sat up straight, ¡°So what else do you need help with?¡±


    ¡°Actually I think I am pretty good. I just needed to get that straight. With everything that we did this weekend I think I am good. So what are we doing when finals are over? We can¡¯t leave campus. I heard a couple of teachers or putting on movies in their rooms. Plus there is going to be a barbecue in the quad. It sounds like the teachers are going all out. What do you guys want to do?¡±


    ¡°I would be fine with just chilling out. We can eat some food and hang out. No pressure. Movies aren¡¯t as fun unless Riley is drinking.¡± Katelyn adds.


    ¡°I am not drinking on campus, that is where I draw the line.¡± I look at Katelyn, because I know the thought went into her mind to bring some.


    ¡°Of course we are going to be drinking this weekend. We don¡¯t want to over do it.¡± Katelyn smiles at me.


    ¡°Keep your voices down. I don¡¯t need my aunt giving me shit for drinking. My mom seems cool with it, but I don¡¯t think my aunt will share her cander.¡± I hush them.


    Kevin hunches over, ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t want to piss off your aunt any more that she already is. She is going to think I am a bad influence. Even though it was your drunk date I was just an add on.¡±


    Iugh, ¡°She will totally think it is your fault.¡±


    ¡°Will I get past that shit? I matured.¡±


    ¡°You were giving me shitst week. You¡¯re lucky I forgave you.¡± I look at him pointedly.


    ¡°Alright, fair point. I deserve that.¡± Kevin hung his head in shame.


    ¡°Hey it is in the past. We¡¯re good.¡± I smile at him.


    Dn pulls me back to him. ¡°As long as you aren¡¯t too good.¡± Again with the possessiveness. In a way I am liking it. In a way I don¡¯t like it towards Kevin. There is nothing to worry about there.

 More Questions

    The rest of the evening we spent just being around each other,ughing at our jokes. Talking about what we are going to do for the rest of the week. It seems no one wants to talk about the party on Saturday, I don¡¯t know if it is an oversight or if we don¡¯t want Dn to know about it. I don¡¯t bring it up because it seems that the others don¡¯t want to tell him. I don¡¯t think it would make a difference to Dn. He will probably juste with. Maybe they haven¡¯t forgiven him yet. I will make a note to ask them about itter.


    When we head out for the night. Dn walks me to my car. When we reach the car, he pulls my phone out of my pocket. ¡°Unlock it.¡± He hands it to me. I unlock it and pass it back. He types out something for a moment and then I hear his phone ding. ¡°Now, I have your number. I will be calling you. Not like that other guy.¡± He gives me a cocky smile.


    I roll my eyes at him. ¡°Get over it. I was being polite. It¡¯s not like I was really going to go out with him.¡±


    ¡°That is what you said about me too.¡± He growls.


    ¡°You are far more persuasive. Besides, I was a little heartbroken, I was not nning on dating anyone for the rest of my time here.¡±


    He has me pinned to my car door again. ¡°I was heartbroken too. I thought you were never going to talk to me again. I was never going to kiss you again.¡±


    ¡°What are you attracted to, I mean I am pretty in? I am just not getting it.¡±


    ¡°You mean besides the fact that you are super smart. You can ask any guy who has seen you, that you have a body that rocks, although you hide it pretty well. Then you are funny, unique, and kind. What more do you want?¡± He pulls my eyes to him. ¡°Then there are your kisses that send me reeling. I want so much more of you. I am begging for it. There is nothing in about you, Riley, not a damn thing.¡± He starts giving me light kisses along my face. ¡°I want you so bad it is killing me. I think the fact that no one has ever had you before is intoxicating. I want to be the first.¡±


    My breath catches. Can he really be saying this to me right now? When my knees are weak and all I can think about is his body on mine. I am so tempted to take him in the back seat of my car right now, but then there is the thought: do I really want to lose my virginity in the back of my car? No, I do not. ¡°That will have to be something for another night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have no problem waiting for the right night. I am just letting you know, I think it is hot and I will be the first. I am not letting you go. I don¡¯t care if it is after you get back from California. I am here with you.¡± He presses his body to mine and I seriously doubt that he is thinking of waiting four years. Of course there are breaks and stuff, but I doubt that he is nning on waiting for too long.


    ¡°I better get home before my mom starts to worry.¡± My hands are resting on his hips, a part I do not want to let go.


    He leaned in closer. ¡°I need to kiss you. I won¡¯t be able to sleep if I don¡¯t. I need to be filled with the feel of your lips.¡± His lips are fluttering along my skin. A soft moan escaped my mouth. Then his lips find mine. The yearning is killing me. He wants just as much as I do. I can feel his length grinding into my middle, he wants more now.


    He pulls back, ¡°You better leave, I won¡¯t be able to hold back much longer.¡± He reaches down and pulls the door open from behind me. I got in the seat. He gives me a quick kiss and then he is walking off. I can tell he is not pleased that the night ended like this.


    When I get home my mom is waiting for me. ¡°Hey, mom I¡¯m home.¡± I greet her when I enter. She is in the living room watching a movie. I can tell she is in a better mood than thest time I saw her.


    ¡°Hey hun, how was your time with Katelyn? Did you guys have a good weekend?¡± She puts down some chips that she was snacking on.


    ¡°Yeah it was a lot of fun. She wants to do it again this weekend. I figured it is kind of thest weekend that we are in school. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± I sat down next to her. I like her being home when Ie home.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead. I have been getting used to being home. Pollyes and spends time with me. It kind of feels good just to be me for a minute. I was always so worried about your father that I wasn¡¯t being myself. Hell, do you know thest time that I watched a movie that I wanted to watch? Well it has been a while let me tell you. I am going to start working at the library with Polly too. It is after all part of my family too. Polly and I have some ns for the library. I think you will like it.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great mom. When I leave I will stille home for holidays and stuff. I don¡¯t want to be out of your life or nothing like that. I will visit and check out the new things you guys are doing with the library.¡± I nudged her. ¡°Besides, you need to get out there. Dad is missing out, you are still a catch mom.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes I don¡¯t feel like it. But thanks for saying it dear. Anyway you better head to bed, you still have finals toplete.¡± She gives me a nudge back. ¡°Oh, before you go, you need to tell me about that boy. The one fromst week, did you talk to him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was like you said. He has been telling the girl off all day, she is not getting the hint. She keeps poking around. He told her straight out today that he wanted me not her, she told him that he woulde crawling back. It was a bit of a drama. I think it will work out though. My friends told him that if he made a mistake like that again that he would regret it.¡±


    ¡°Good, sounds like you got it all under control. He seems like he really likes you. What are you guys nning to do when you leave?¡± I knew this question wasing. Hell it should. Four years is a long time.


    ¡°He says he wants to do a long distance thing. I am not sure it will work, but he has convinced me to give it a try. Oh, I found out our other friend Kevin is going to the same school as us, so that will be fun.¡±


    ¡°How does this boy feel about Kevin being so close?¡±


    ¡°Not so happy. I think he thinks that Kevin wants to go out with me. I think Kevin wants to go out with Katelyn. They went out before and it didn¡¯t end well, but I still think he wants her back.¡±


    ¡°That will make things strained, won¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Those are things that we are going to need to work on. I mean I know that there are plenty of girls and the local university that he is going to. It is part of being long distance. That is why I am not so sure it is going to work out, but he insists it will.¡± At this point I have leaned my head back and I¡¯m just staring at the ceiling.


    ¡°Well, if it doesn¡¯t then you can still have a life, and at least you gave it a shot. If


    you don¡¯t try you will never know if it will.¡±


    ¡°Thanks mom. You¡¯re right, it is worth a try.¡± I get up from the couch, ¡°I better head to bed now. I have finals tomorrow. Only two but still.¡±


    ¡°Alright hun. I will have breakfast in the morning.¡± She picked up the chips and went back to her movie.

 Phone Conversation

    I went to my room and no sooner had I started to change into my bed clothes than my phone dinged. I took a look at who it was, there was a text from Dn: What are you wearing?


    I looked down at myself and then decided that I was not going to answer the truth, just the half truth. I had taken off everything but my underwear and I was not going to text him that I was in that. So instead I texted back: I am in between outfits at the moment.


    A quick text came back: Send a picture.


    I replied: I am not doing that.


    He sent back: I¡¯ll send you one.


    I smirked: Alright you first.


    A few minutester I got a picture back of Dn in nothing but a pair of boxers, he had taken it in front of his bathroom mirror. His muscles showcased there on my phone left her mouthwatering. I blushed. Because I was imagining what was under the boxers that were riding so low on his hips. Then my phone dinged again: Your turn.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I bit my lip and decided, what could it hurt? Only Dn would see it right? I shot him a quick text: No one else better see this.


    Never: was the reply.


    I sucked in a deep breath and stood in front of my vanity. There I shot the picture. To me I looked like a nervous girl standing there biting her bottom lip, but I quickly sent it. Silently I was thanking God that I had on my good underwear and cute ckcey set that Katelyn had insisted I buy. After all, if we were going to do long distance this is some of the things we would do. I needed to get used to it.


    I quickly got a text back: God that is so hot.


    Then another: I wish I was there to touch your bare skin.


    I sent back: I wish you were here too.


    Then he sent: Where would you want me to touch you?


    I thought for a moment: That spot on my hip right above my underwear.


    His reply: God that is so hot. I can imagine gliding my fingers over that spot. Putting my mouth on it.


    Then my phone rang, I saw Dn¡¯s namee across the screen. I slid the icon over to the green phone. ¡°Hey,¡±


    ¡°I need to hear your voice. Pictures are nice, but I want to feel you here.¡±


    I sat down on my bed. ¡°Dn this isn¡¯t something that I have ever done. I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done it before either, I just feltpelled. I figured if I can¡¯t have you that this is the next best option. Tell me where you want me to touch you. Tell me baby, it¡¯s ok.¡± His voice sounds so seductive.


    Iy back and allow my fingers to glide over my skin. ¡°I want your hands to glide over my skin, so softly I can barely feel anything but the tingles left behind by your touch.¡±


    ¡°God that¡¯s hot. I know I keep saying that but it is the truth. I want to do that. I want to glide my lips along your skin and kiss every inch of your skin. Are you touching your skin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, God yes.¡± It almostes out as a moan.


    ¡°I love the feel of your lips on my skin and your arms wrapped around me.¡±


    ¡°You have got me so hard. I want you to touch yourself and tell me how wet you are. I want to hear it Riley.¡±


    I don¡¯t know exactly what the hell I am thinking, but I do it. I slide my fingers under the rim of my underwear. I let out a small moan when my fingers meet my core. This is definitely not something I have done before. I am modest to say the least.


    I hear his sensual voice on the line. ¡°Tell me baby. I want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°You got me so wet.¡± I murmur. I start moving my fingers around on instinct. What the hell am I doing? I start to ponder why I am doing this when Dn¡¯s voicees back to me.


    ¡°Touch it for me baby. Slide your fingers in. Baby do it for me.¡± A moan escapes my lips as I do what he says. ¡°Oh, baby I am touching myself and your moans alone are sending me over the edge. Baby, keep going.¡± He moans at me.


    I put my phone on speaker, I have now started to touch my chest through my bra, my nipples have hardened. A tingle is going straight to my core. ¡°I am touching my chest now, Dn, I wish it was you.¡± I moan out.


    ¡°Baby, I will soon enough. Do it for me now baby. Touch it all, baby, picture me over your body, devouring your lips and body.¡± He is moaning too.


    My fingers move faster, I can feel my body getting ready to release, I can feel the build. ¡°Dn I¡¯m close.¡± I moan into the phone.


    ¡°Come with me. Do it for me baby.¡± He demands on the other side.


    It is enough to send me over the edge. ¡°Dn.¡± I moan out. At the same time, he moans my name. I amying there catching my breath. I can hear Dn on the other side doing the same.


    ¡°That was intense. I have never done anything like that before. Riley, you are amazing, not even being here you did that to me.¡± Dn breaths into the line.


    I kind of giggle back to him. ¡°I definitely never did that before. God, Dn, if it was that intense on the phone, I am scared of when you actually get me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will get you, I am just waiting for the right time baby. This will have to do for now. Although it is very good. I think at this point you have ruined me for the rest of my life. You are the only girl I will be able to have.¡± He soundspletely serious.


    ¡°I am not so sure about that.¡± I chuckle back to him. I meane on we are eighteen. I am not going to live in a fantasy bubble where we are going to live happily ever after. I know the world doesn¡¯t work like that.


    ¡°Oh, you have and I haven¡¯t even been in you yet. Baby, I want you so bad.¡± His voice is intoxicating.


    ¡°Dn, I am not under some delusion that we are going to be together forever. I know we are young. I know long distance is hard. I am willing to try though. Is that enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, just give it a hundred percent and then if it doesn¡¯t work it is because we know we just weren¡¯t meant to be. Can you do that for me?¡±


    I smile, hearing him talk like this makes me want to believe in love, believe that we can make it. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do it. You have to give it your all too.¡±


    ¡°I know this sounds cheesy and all, but I think I am falling in love with you. I am already giving my all to this. I know you probably don¡¯t believe me, but I am telling you the truth. Baby, you are my world right now. I can¡¯t believe how possessive you make me feel. I want to keep you away from others¡¯ eyes and keep you all to myself. Not that I would, I just feel like it.¡±


    ¡°Dn I am not all that.¡± I give him a scoffing voice.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t doubt yourself babe. You make me want to go caveman on you. Hell when Kevin said that he was going to your school I was going to punch him right there in front of your aunt. I know there isn¡¯t anything between you two, I just feel that way sometimes. When I see how close you two have gotten I get jealous. I have never been jealous in my life. You do that to me.¡±


    ¡°You have no reason to be jealous of Kevin. Nothing will ever happen between him and I.¡± I am stillying on my bed looking at the ceiling as I talk to him on speaker.


    ¡°I know that, it is just a sneaky little thought that floats in and makes me crazy.¡±


    ¡°Dn, as much as I like talking to you, I need to take a shower now. I feel dirty.¡± I am shy about it, but it is necessary.


    ¡°Yeah, I should probably take a shower too. This is not a clean activity. I liked it though.¡± I can hear the smile on his face.


    ¡°Me too.¡± I smile back at him even though he can¡¯t see it. I hope he can hear it in my voice. I want him to know he makes me happy.


    ¡°Get cleaned up. Think of me as you drift off to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Same to you.¡±


    ¡°No problem there, I have been doing that for days.¡± He groaned.


    ¡°You gue me at night too.¡± Iugh. ¡°I think I am getting less sleep being involved with you.¡±


    ¡°Well then maybe you will have good dreams of me tonight.¡±


    ¡°You will definitely be on my mind. After that I may have trouble sleeping.¡± I grumble.


    ¡°If you have trouble sleeping, call me. I will help you sleep. Now go take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Good night Dn.¡±


    ¡°Good night babe.¡± I click off the phone.


    I head to the shower in my room. After I get in I hear my mom knock on the door. Then she pokes her head in.


    ¡°Honey is everything alright. Are you sick or something?¡±


    ¡°No mom, I was just talking to Katelyn and took a little while to get in here.¡± No way am I telling her what I was really doing, or who I was talking to.


    ¡°Usually you take a shower in the morning, I was just worried you might be sick. I¡¯ll let you finish up. Good night honey.¡± She leaves me alone.


    I let go of the breath that I didn¡¯t even know I was holding. I do not need my mom to know what I was just doing. Then the realization hits me that I never locked my bedroom door, she could havee in sooner. Panic has now set in and I am forced to take deep breaths to calm myself. God, Dn is making me insane. The thought didn¡¯t even cross my mind to lock the door. Granted I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I had never done anything like that before, I guess my inexperience is showing.


    When I climb into bedter I am reminded why I don¡¯t take showers at night. My hair is wet and I don¡¯t bother to do a damn thing with it. I am beat. I pull it over to the side so it isn¡¯t all sitting on my back and neck. I will still have a wet pillow, but at this point I am so tired I don¡¯t think it will bother me. Sooner than I thought I am asleep with thoughts of Dnying next to me.

 Q and A

    The next morning I decided that I am going to change up the clothes a little bit. I get a more fashionable top and tighter pants. I leave my hair down, smoothing the waves. I decided not to wear my sses. After all, I am not supposed to wear them all the time, I just do it because I hate to take them off and on. When I look in the mirror I am pleased. Not quite Katelyn style but more my own and showing a bit more of me. These are older clothes, but I kept them because I liked them.


    When I step into the kitchen I get the shock of my life. My mom is in there cooking breakfast like she promised, but sitting at the counter is Dn. He is dressed in his usual t-shirt and jeans. A royal blue shirt this time, that curves around his muscles nicely. He looks good sitting in my kitchen. He notices me first and gives me a satisfied smile. Apparently he likes my outfit. Because he gave me a good once over before the smile fully settled on his face. ¡°You should leave your hair down more often.¡± His voice is satisfying.


    My mom chimes in, ¡°I tell her that all the time. You look gorgeous honey. Come have some breakfast. I found this guy hovering around the door this morning. I think his n was to drive you to school.¡± She gives me a knowing smirk. She knows we are more than friends, and I think she approves.


    ¡°That was the n, your mom invited me in for breakfast. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Dn gives me that smile that makes me melt.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine. She is the one cooking so if she says it¡¯s good then it is.¡± I sat on the stool next to him.


    No sooner had I sat down then my mom turned around with two tes. She ced them in front of Dn and I. ¡°Eat up. You need to be well fueled for those finals.¡± She smiles at both of us. ¡°I am going to finish getting myself ready. I have decided to start down at the library today. Polly is ecstatic about it. She has been on me about working there for years.¡± Sheughs as she leaves to head to her room.


    ¡°So your mom is nice.¡± Dn smiles at me.


    ¡°Yeah, I think she is going through a midlife crisis. Only hers is legit. My dad and her are getting a divorce so she is rethinking her life.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like your dad is an idiot.¡± He states it like it is amon fact. I think he likes my mom.


    ¡°Yeah, he is a big time jerk. He thinks he is this special guy and maybe he was once upon a time, but right now he is a middle aged balding man who makes enough to get by. Not that it is a bad thing, but he shouldn¡¯t think he is better than mom because of it. My mom doesn¡¯t know that I used to hear them fighting. He was always putting her down. I am kind of d that he is gone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I know it isn¡¯t easy for parents to split. Your mom seems to be in a good mood about it though.¡±


    ¡°Mostly she is, I have seen her down a few times. She is great though.¡±


    ¡°If she keeps cooking like this I will be here every morning.¡± He digs into the te.


    Iugh, ¡°Great now you are going to leave me for my mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, your mother would be a poor substitute for you. You are what I want.¡± Dn puts his arm around my shoulder pulling me close to him. ¡°I could just get used to having breakfast with you, is what I am saying.¡±


    I lean closer so I am whispering to him. ¡°She came in while I was in the showerst night asking me questions. She thought I was sick. Ipletely forgot to lock the door. I would have been so embarrassed if she came in sooner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remind you next time.¡± He kisses my forehead and goes back to eating breakfast.


    ¡°You are so sure there will be a next time.¡± I raise my eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. There will definitely be a repeat ofst night. Hopefully soon I will be in bed with you.¡± He narrows his eyes at me.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I smile at him. He presses his lips to mine. Then his watch lets off a little ding.


    ¡°Crap, we gotta go. Bye Mrs. Anderson.¡± He hollers back to my mom.


    She hollers back. ¡°Call me Peggy dear. Hope to see you again soon. Have a good day at school you two.¡±


    ¡°Bye mom.¡± I holler as we leave out the front door.


    Dn helps me up into his truck. ¡°Your mom¡¯s name is Peggy. And your Aunt¡¯s name is Polly.¡±


    ¡°Actually my mom¡¯s name is Margaret but she likes to go by Peggy. She thinks Margaret is too old fashioned. I kind of like it.¡±


    ¡°I do too. Wait, does this mean that your mom is going to be at the library after school too.¡± I can see concern on his face. It is easy to dodge one parental figure, it is another to dodge two.


    ¡°Most likely.¡± I smirk at him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry so much though. I will probably have more free time with my mom working there. I might be able to just hang out for the rest of the year. It would be nice to not have to work there, until it is actually my job.¡±


    ¡°Is that really what you want to do, or do you just feel like it is an obligation.¡± I can tell there isn¡¯t judgement. He genuinely wants to know my feelings on the matter.


    ¡°Yeah, I love the library. I have been looking forward to running it my whole life. I am a book nerd, remember, what better job for me.¡± I smile at him.


    ¡°Oh, there is nothing hotter than a book nerd. I can¡¯t wait to have your body open to me. Last night was a tease and it was still better than anything I have ever had.¡± Dn looks sideways at me. Looking at me but not taking his eyes away from the road.


    ¡°I was really nervous. Please promise me that no one will ever see that picture.¡± I look at him pleading. I really do not want that out there. I mean I was in my underwear, for crying out loud.


    ¡°If anyone breaks into my phone and sees that I will carve their eyes out. That is only for me.¡± He narrows his eyes at me. ¡°Same better go for you. I don¡¯t go around sending pictures of myself to people.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. I would never show anyone. I am not that type of person.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were. Just making sure.¡±


    ¡°I was asking because I know some people get vindictive after a breakup.¡±


    ¡°It would still be my private picture if we were done. I wouldn¡¯t vite you like that Riley.¡± He ces his hand on my thigh.


    ¡°Thanks Dn.¡±


    We pull into school and Kevin and Katelyn are standing at the gate waiting for us. As soon as we pull in Katelyn rushes to us. ¡°What the hell took you guys so long? Did you stop for a quickie? You guys were almostte.¡±


    Kevines up and smacks her shoulder, ¡°That is none of our business.¡±


    Iugh, ¡°No, my mom pulled us into breakfast.¡±


    Katelyn narrows her eyes. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, apparently my mom didn¡¯t want to wait any longer to meet Dn. She saw him waiting for me this morning and pulled him in for breakfast.¡± We are all rushing through the gate but I feel Katelyn¡¯s gaze on me. She is wondering how serious we are that my mom insists on meeting him. ¡°We can talk about thister, now finals. Kevin, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡± He shrugs like it isn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Good thing there really isn¡¯t anything in P. E. so only two to worry about today.¡±


    Katelyn pushes his shoulder, ¡°You got this. Go get ¡¯em.¡±


    Then we all ran off to our sses, with Kevin shouting. ¡°I got this.¡± as he runs off. Dn gave me a quick kiss as we got to our own sses. I am d that Dn did make a big deal about me asking Kevin about his test, after all, he is the one who needed the most help out of all of us.


    The morning tests go by without a hitch. I don¡¯t have any more episodes ofteness to have the teachers scold me and I finish the test just fine. I feel bad for those people who struggle. I mean learninges naturally to me, I know that isn¡¯t the case for other people. I think about what I can do at the library to help those out who can use that help. That is why I am ready to take over the library. I want to make it more of amunity thing. Help people.


    When it hits lunch time I grab some food and head out to the field that we have been taking our lunch in. I am not surprised to see everyone already there. When I approach, Dn brings his hand up to me and then he leads me down to sit in between his legs. He is resting his head on my shoulder.


    Kevin shoots us all a funny look. ¡°Alright I think we should y a little game of truth. So we go around asking questions and everyone has to answer the question. I want good questions, people. Katelyn you ask the first question.¡±


    ¡°Alright, who was your first kiss?¡± Katelyn looks at him expecting him to answer first, after all it is his stupid game.


    ¡°Good, Um, Kylee in the third grade. It was one of those dare things. Come on Dn, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Um, Jennifer in the eighth grade. She was my first girlfriend.¡±


    Now everyone is looking at me. ¡°Well,¡±


    Then Kevin cuts me off. ¡°Let me guess Dn.¡±


    ¡°No, I kissed Thomas in the seventh grade.¡±


    Dn gets a funny look on his face. Katelyn startsughing at his face. Then Dn voices his thoughts. ¡°There is no Thomas in our ss.¡±


    ¡°I know he was in ninth.¡± I replied.


    Realization dawns on his face. ¡°You mean Thomas rk was your first kiss. As in Brittney¡¯s older brother.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he wasing into the library a lot and we became close.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God, I had no idea I had such stiffpetition. He was like a fucking Adonis here I swear that was all I heard about until he left.¡± Dn rolls his eyes, ¡°Does Brittney know?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think she hates me? I was close with her brother for a while. He still sends me texts from time to time. Just friends though. No rtionship. No worries.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know he could turn that charm on anytime he wanted.¡± Dn frowns.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, he is just my friend.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Katelyn your turn.¡±


    ¡°Ok, my first kiss was rk in the third grade. His little brother liked me and I didn¡¯t like him so I kissed rk to get his brother to leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you minx.¡± Kevinughed. ¡°Alright, what is the most naked you have been in public?¡±


    Katelyn answers, ¡°I shed my tits at a partyst year.¡±


    Kevin grins, ¡°I wish I was at that party.¡± He wags his eyebrows at her.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. I wouldn¡¯t have done it then.¡± She smirks at him.


    ¡°You wound me.¡± Kevin grins. ¡°Alright Riley, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°At summer camp two years ago I went skinny dipping. It was all girls but still public.¡± I groan. Not exactly a high point of my life.


    ¡°The one year I didn¡¯t go to camp to watch out for you.¡± Katelynughs.


    ¡°I was a little tipsy. One of my roommates brought some wine.¡± I responded.


    Kevin answers next, ¡°I streaked at a partyst year, it was a group of us guys and of course we were all drunk. Your turn Dn.¡±


    ¡°I was streaking with you.¡± Dnughed.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I remember now.¡± Kevinughed with him.


    ¡°What was your most serious rtionship?¡± Dn asks. He looks at me.


    ¡°You. I only went out with like two other people and they were not even close to serious.¡±


    Dn smiles. ¡°Same.¡±


    Katelyn rolls her eyes. ¡°Like you two would say something else. Although with Riley I know it is true. Me, I never had a serious rtionship. I guess the most serious I thought it was was Kevin.¡±


    Kevin is quiet for a moment. ¡°Sorry for that. If I am being honest you were my most serious too. I got scared, that was why I did what I did.¡±


    Katelyn waves him off. ¡°No big, it¡¯s in the past. We can move past it. Riley, what¡¯s your question?¡±


    ¡°Who was the first person you slept with? You all already know my answer. No one.¡±


    Katelyn answered next. ¡°I am pretty sure everyone knows mine too. Kevin.¡± She shrugs.


    ¡°You were my first too, believe it or not.¡± Kevin looks right at Katelyn, they have an unspoken conversation. Then Kevin looks at Dn with a smile. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    ¡°Um Brittney.¡±


    Kevin smiles. ¡°Really, you haven¡¯t been with anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Really. I am not as big of a whore as you think I am.¡± He res at Kevin.


    ¡°No judgments. Boy that round was an eye opener.¡± Kevinughs. ¡°Alright, it got too serious. Something else. Let¡¯s lighten the mood.¡±


    ¡°I think I did pretty well on my finals.¡± Katelyn brings up.


    ¡°I did too, it felt good to go in there and not feel dumb.¡± Kevinughs. ¡°Ok, I just knew more than usual. I usually get by with the basics.¡±


    ¡°I did well, I think. I am d to be almost done. One more tomorrow and then we are clear.¡± Dn gives me a squeeze. ¡°We never really discussed what we were going to do during the two days we have nothing. Are we just going to hang out?¡±


    ¡°It sounds good to me. I don¡¯t want to put too much thought into things at the moment.¡± I lean back into Dn. ¡°I amfy right here.¡±


    Katelynughs. ¡°Not all of us have a hot guy to sit on. I could bring some cards or something. We could y poker.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like fun. Who has pennies?¡± Kevin questions.


    ¡°I am not sure I have that many pennies. Maybe we could y for something else.¡± I mentioned.


    Kevin gets a gleeful look in his eyes. ¡°I got it, we will y for dares. Whoever wins the hand gets to dare the others to do whatever they want. Ok within reason and school rules apply.¡±


    Dn smiles. ¡°Alright, but if you dare my girl to kiss you, I will hand you your ass.¡±


    Kevin gives him a hard look. ¡°I would never do that man. What type of man do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°A horn dog.¡± Dn states bluntly.


    ¡°Ok, sometimes, but I have limits. She is my friend. I wouldn¡¯t vite her like that. It is not because I am scared of you.¡± He narrows his eyes at Dn. ¡°So, what do you think, does that work?¡±


    Katelyn shrugs. ¡°At least it is something to do.¡±


    I smile, ¡°Sounds like a n.¡±


    ¡°Good. I will bring the cards. Anyone got a nket?¡± Katelyn looks around.


    ¡°I am pretty sure I have one.¡± I am reveling in the arms around me. It makes me feel safe.


    ¡°So are you going to ask Mr. Harman to join us on the field?¡± Dn speaks into my neck. I am pretty sure that I am the only one that heard him.


    ¡°I can try. If he actually has something for me in the office I can¡¯t push it. I am the T. A. after all.¡± I smile at him. ¡°Can¡¯t live without me that long.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± He smiles into my skin.


    Katelyn groans. ¡°God you two are so cute you make me sick. Ok, so Kevin you have one more final what is it? Do we need to study tonight for it?¡±


    ¡°Na, it¡¯s an easy one. I do not want to study tonight.¡± Kevin groans. Then he lightens. ¡°I¡¯ll still hang at the library with you though.¡±


    ¡°Actually, my mom just started at the library today, so they may not need me. Maybe we could go to a movie or something.¡± I look hopeful at them. It would be so nice to go out.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds fun.¡± Katelyn adds. ¡°We haven¡¯t been to a movie in a while.¡±


    ¡°I was supposed to take you thisst weekend. So I don¡¯t mind.¡± Dn mumbles a little.


    ¡°So after school I will check in with them and make sure they don¡¯t need anything and then meet you at the theater. Anyone know what¡¯s ying?¡± I ask. Of course I see Katelyn pull out her phone. She has the theater app that allows her to check in like a minute.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°It looks like there is a horror movie. You guys game. I know Riley is.¡± She smiles at me. I love horror. A good scare is awesome.


    ¡°What guy doesn¡¯t like horror?¡± Kevinmented. I am pretty sure he just likes it so that the girls will take hisfort during the movie. Little does he know that Katelyn and I thrive on horror.


    Dn nods. ¡°Although it better not be one of those horror movies where the bad guy still lives in the end. He needs to die in an epic way.¡±


    ¡°What if the bad guy is a girl?¡± I roll my eyes at him.


    ¡°Then she needs to die too. I am an equal opportunity bad guy killer.¡± Dn nods at me, stating the fact.


    ¡°Good answer.¡± I smile at him.

 Being Put in her Place

    Then the bell rings. It seemed like that passed by too quickly. I do not want to get off hisp. The way he squeezes me closer I am guessing that he doesn¡¯t want me to either. Begrudgingly I get up and help him stand. He put his arm around my shoulder while I walked with him and Kevin to the men¡¯s locker room. I leave him at the door. Of course he doesn¡¯t let me go without a kiss. Then I head to Mr. Harman¡¯s office to see what he has for me.


    Mr. Harman is shuffling around his office and when he sees me he gives me a half smile. ¡°Hey, Riley, I know I told you that I would have stuff inside for you to do, but I actually have something that I need you to do on the field. Is that going to be ok with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can handle that Mr. Harman. What do you need me to do?¡±


    He hands me a set of gym clothes. ¡°I need you to dress out and run with the ss. I have a feeling that someone cut during the second timed run I had them do on Friday and I need to catch them doing it.¡±


    ¡°Who are you looking at?¡± I ask. Taking the clothes from him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you. I want you to stay close to the middle and if anyone cuts you let me know. Don¡¯t worry about it on the run. I will ask you when you get back. Now go get changed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Harman.¡± I head to the locker room. Most everyone has cleared out all that is left is Brittney and Rachel. Just my luck.


    As soon as Ie in I take the locker that I use when I need to store things during ss. Mr. Harman gave me thebination at the beginning of the year. I don¡¯t use it all the time but it is always avable to me. As soon as I take my shirt off, Brittney has to rear her face. ¡°You must feel pretty good about yourself.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about Brittney?¡± I slide the gym shirt on.


    ¡°You got Dn falling all over you. How do you do it? I mean you are nothing to look at and we all know you don¡¯t put out.¡± Brittenyughs at her own joke, with Rachel right behind her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe you should ask Dn. After all, he picked me. I didn¡¯t coerce him.¡± I slide my jeans off and quickly slide on the shorts before Brittney has ae back.


    ¡°Is that it, do you have some ckmail on him and are making him date you?¡± Brittney looks at me nkly, but I am seriously trying to figure out if she believes that.


    ¡°Wow, you are out there. I do not care to ever ckmail anyone to date me. I actually told Dn that I didn¡¯t want to date at all. He is the one who insisted. So if you have a problem with it, then you need to take it up with him. I am done with your crap Brittney. He is over you, you need to move on and get a life. Leave mine alone.¡± I m the locker closed, holding my shoes in my hand as I head up to the in room office for Mrs. Spader.


    When I enter the office I put my shoes back on. ¡°Mrs. Spader, do you have a hair tie? Mr. Harman wants me to run today and he didn¡¯t tell me beforehand. This mane is not running friendly.¡± I give her a smile.


    She reaches into a drawer. ¡°Yeah, I always keep a bunch here just in case. Not very many ask for them though. Is Miss rk giving you a hard time?¡±


    I smile, ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡± She hands me the hair tie and I give her a thanks as I head back out to go to the field.


    When I get out to the field, Dn meets me on my way to the ss. He whispers in my ear, ¡°Those shorts do amazing things to your legs.¡±


    Iugh and whisper back, ¡°Now I know you are horny, no one looks good in gym clothes.¡±


    ¡°That is only half true, you do, no one else does. And I¡¯m horny.¡± He wiggles his eyebrows at me. Then we hear Mr. Harman¡¯s voice over the ss.


    ¡°Alright can everyone join me please. He is looking towards us and further on to Brittney and Rachel who were behind me. I gauge their distance and they were probably close enough to hear what he just said. Dn takes my hand and leads me over to where Kevin is standing. ¡°Now that everyone has decided to join us, I will get us started. There is only one thing that I have for you guys today, you will have free reign of the field when it ispleted. I want another timed run. This time Riley is going to run with you and I will log your times. Please do your best. Line up.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Dn and Kevin follow me to the line. I look at both of them. ¡°You two need to do your best. I have to stick to the middle. You are being graded, not me. Do not hang back with me, do you understand?¡±


    Kevin and Dn both give me an ok, although Dn more grudgingly.


    Mr. Harman starts us off. I myself have never been the fastest but I was in the top ten. Granted I haven¡¯t really ran this year but I think I can still do pretty well. However, I followed my instructions and do what Mr. Harman wanted. As soon as we hit the halfway mark, Brittney and Rachel cut through. Of course it was them. They do it behind me hoping that I wont see. But I was waiting for it, it wasn¡¯t hard to not see. I keep on going at the same pace. When I reach the end I take a little breather.


    Mr. Harman calls me over. ¡°I know this might put you on the spot and you already have problems with her but was it who I think it is?¡±


    ¡°Her and Rachel both.¡± I affirm. We are kind of off to the side so none of the other students can hear us. He just gives me a nod and goes back to the students. I go to the grass to sit with Kevin and Dn. Although Brittney was eyeing heading over.


    Of course Dn is all sweaty and he puts his arm around my shoulder. ¡°Sweaty.¡±


    ¡°So are you. Our fluids will mix.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so gross.¡± However I lean a little into him to let him know that it is alright.


    Brittneyes up to me, ¡°I thought you were faster. I mean, being Mr. Harman¡¯s golden girl, I figured you would have some speed behind you.¡± She sneers at me.


    Kevin jumps up, ¡°Kick dust Brittney, no one wants your skanky ass here. Go find yourself someone else to hang on.¡± Kevin is almost in her face. I have never seen him so pissed. I wonder why. I mean he never really cared that much about Brittney before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Kevin, she will find out soon enough why I wasn¡¯t at the front of the pack.¡± I give her a smug look of my own. She sneers back but then heads off to Rachel. ¡°Why did you jump on her like that? It¡¯s not like she hasn¡¯t said worse.¡± I look at Kevin who hasn¡¯t sat down yet.


    ¡°Earlier today I heard her telling some guy that Katelyn was a big slut and was doing a bunch of guys. That guy said that he would get some at the next party.¡±


    Iugh, ¡°Awe you are defending her honor. I hate to tell you though, Katelyn will not sleep with anyone at a party ever again. You were the first andst one of those.¡±


    ¡°Good, she shouldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t really think that she would; it was just the way they were talking about her.¡±


    Dn looks up at Kevin. ¡°Do you like her dude?¡±


    Kevin sits down. ¡°Not that it makes any difference, but I always have. I fucked it up so bad that there is no way she would be with me again. I tried talking to her about it, but she basically shut me down.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s hurt and scared. Maybe give it some time.¡± I suggest. ¡°Or just be her friend for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I am doing. I don¡¯t want to rush anything. Let her know I am here, that is all I am doing at the moment.¡±


    Mr. Harman voices out again. ¡°Miss rk and Miss Davis, can I see you for a minute please?¡± He calls them over. I can tell he is going to keep it discreet but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I know what is happening. Then I see her point at me and know she is trying to say that I lied. Then Mr. Harman shakes his head and heads over to me.


    As soon as he and both girls are in front of me he asks. ¡°Miss rk and Miss Davis say that you have some grudge against them and that is why you said they cut, could you please tell us all what happened on the trail and before ss as well, maybe it will help with the case.¡±


    I smile at him, I know he is putting them in their ce and clearing me as well. ¡°Before ss you asked me to run with the ss and stay in the middle of the pack, because you knew there was at least one student who was cutting the trail. You didn¡¯t tell me which one, you simply said to watch out and then to report at the end of the run. About half way through the run, Brittney and Rachel cut through the trail they were behind me and thought I wouldn¡¯t see them. Honestly they were pretty loud about it. I would have had to be deaf to miss it. When I got back you asked who I saw cutting. I told you. End of story.¡±


    Brittney red at me. Then Mr. Harman turned to her with a grimace on his face. ¡°Do you know why I am inclined to believe her? Let¡¯s start with the fact that every other timed run your time was at least two minutes slower. She states that you were behind her, yet you got to the finish line at least two minutes before her. I already knew you were cutting the track, I just wanted a second voice to add to it. So now you two and I are going to run the track together to get your actual time. Riley will time it.¡± Then his voice rose. ¡°Just so the whole ss knows. I had everyone run the track today to catch you two cheating. So their run today was on you.¡± Now most of the ss is ring at Brittney and Rachel. They know there isn¡¯t a damn thing they can say about it to Mr. Harman. Mr. Harman turns back to me, giving me the stop watch. ¡°Watch the ss Riley. Miss rk, Miss Davis get to the start line.¡±


    We all watch as they line up. I call out go and they are off. Dn leans over. ¡°You should say that the stopwatch stopped working and make her run it again.¡± Iugh. Kevin joins in.


    Dn kisses me in front of the ss. Kevinughs and puts on a gruff voice, ¡°P. D. A.¡¯s Mr. Matthews.¡±


    Dn puts on a serious face, ¡°With this girl for the rest of my life.¡± He is looking me right in the eyes when he says it. I swear I just got wet. I don¡¯t give a crap who the hell you are, if a guy says he wants to show you affection for the rest of their life you get mushy.


    ¡°You are the sweetest I swear.¡± I lean further into him, sweat and all.


    After a little time Mr. Harman and the girls return, when they cross the finish line I click the stopwatch. Mr. Harmanes and takes it from me. Then logs their time. He turns to the girls. Waves the stopwatch at them. ¡°This proves it even more. Your time is two minutes longer than the first time. Don¡¯t forget girls, detention after school.¡±


    Mr. Harman is pissed. I am sure they gave him crap along the run. He obviously isn¡¯t hearing any of it. He turns back to us. ¡°Hands Mr. Matthews. I gave you the whole run.¡± He smirks at Dn.


    As Dn slides his hand off me he returns Mr. Harman¡¯s smile, ¡°Yes sir.¡± Then he looks at me. ¡°I think he is starting to like me.¡±


    Iugh and say, ¡°Or it was for my benefit.¡±


    He looks indignant, but I know it is an act. ¡°Don¡¯t burst my bubble.¡±


    When he sees that my smile isn¡¯t going anywhere he smiles back at me. ¡°Well, at least he likes you. Maybe I can get into his good graces.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard. I am sure that he likes you. Anyway, I am going to change since I am no longer needed. I will see you after ss.¡± I stand up dusting off my bottom. He looks at me a little shocked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to spend time with me now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do. But if I spend any more time looking into those eyes I am going to attack you. I really don¡¯t want Mr. Harman to see that. He will put me in detention and then we will miss our movieter.¡± I give him a coy smile, but he just rolls his eyes at me.


    ¡°Like Mr. Harman would ever give you detention.¡±


    I lean close and whisper in his ear, ¡°If Mr. Harman saw what I want to do to you, he most certainly would. I don¡¯t think he would have a choice in the matter. I think it would be a bit beyond PDA.¡± I can hear him suck in his breath.


    ¡°You know just the right things to say.¡± He stands up next to me. ¡°Alright so I will meet you after school then we can discuss how the evening will go.¡±


    I can tell I have put new thoughts into his brain and he is not thinking about the movies any more. He has gone beyond that. I noticed someone off to my side. I turn and there is Brittney. I think she is scowling at me but I really don¡¯t care enough about her to even acknowledge it.


    ¡°Dn, I need to talk to you for a minute.¡± She is trying to sound seductive or something but I can hear the contempt in her voice.


    Dn looks at her as if acknowledging her for the first time. ¡°I don¡¯t think we really have anything to discuss. I am busy at the moment.¡±


    She res at me like it is my fault. I roll my eyes at her. ¡°Go ahead, talk to her. I was going to change anyway. I will catch youter for our date.¡± I emphasize the word date, just to make sure she knows that I have fullymitted to Dn. She is old news and she needs to know that.


    I turn on my heels and head to the locker room. At least I know that by changing now I don¡¯t have to do it with Brittney and Rachel in there giving me shit. I turn the clothes into Mrs. Spader and return her hair tie (she told me to keep it though, said it¡¯s less hassle). Then I head to the parking lot to meet with Dnter. I know that Mr. Harman has started to dismiss the ss because girls started entering the locker room just as I was finishing up with Mrs. Spader.

 Brittney鈥檚 Bomb

    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    ¡°What do you want Brittney? I don¡¯t know how I could make it any more clear to you that I don¡¯t want you.¡± I cross my arms over my chest. Thus closing myself off to her. I do not want her getting any ideas about where we stand.


    ¡°Once you hear what I have to say you may change your mind.¡± She gives me a cocky look, like she already has me beat.


    ¡°Nothing that you have to say could change my mind.¡± I am not epting her bait.


    ¡°I am pregnant.¡± Ok, maybe that will make me falter a bit.


    ¡°How do you know it is mine?¡± I got to try to focus. Right now my mind is spinning. I think I am going to pass out. She just dropped a bomb on me. It is a possibility. God please let me not have a child inmon with this viper. Please let it be a mistake. I was so careful with her. I did not want this at any point.


    ¡°I know. So let me tell you how this is going to work. You are going to leave little miss perfect or else you will not see your child. You are going to be with me. You are going to be the doting husband and father to this child or you will not have it in your life. You will be the deadbeat dad that you always hated.¡± She is not even feeling any remorse for the situation that she is putting me in. She wants it this way. She could care less about how I feel about her. She will just have the status of being with me. That is all she cares about is saving face. She is right though I do not want to be that dad. How the fuck am I going to deal with this?


    ¡°Can I have some time to think about it?¡± I don¡¯t really know what the fuck I am going to do. I need time to think. I love Riley, I can¡¯t just leave her for this viper. This conniving bitch does not deserve to have me in her life. But the child has no choice over who it¡¯s parents are.


    ¡°I will give you till the party on Saturday. I want an answer then. Take your time.¡± She gives me a damn smile that makes me cringe. She just walks away leaving me in a blind storm. I don¡¯t even process anything else that is going on.


    I vaguely hear Mr. Harman dismiss the students. I have to think. I can¡¯t do this to Riley right now. I just got her back. The only thought that is going through my mind is that I can not lose her. How do I tell her about this?


    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    When I get to Dn¡¯s truck I lean on the hood to wait for him. First I get Kevin and Katelyn. They are ready to get going. ¡°How long is it going to take with your aunt?¡± Katelyn asks.


    ¡°Not that long. I am sure she won¡¯t need me with mom there.¡±


    Kevin gets a huge smile on his face. ¡°Good then we are going to meet you at the theater, we can get some snacks and stuff.¡±


    He starts pulling Katelyn away. Obviously he is trying to have alone time with her. Does he not realize that she is going to insist that he takes his own car? Of course she is going to keep as much distance as she can from him. He broke her heart, even if she somewhat forgives him enough to be friends. I am not so sure she is ready to jump into that pit.


    After a few minutes I am starting to wonder what the hell happened to Dn, but then hees out and he has a new look on his face. Like anguish. I have never seen this before on Dn and I don¡¯t like it. ¡°What happened?¡± I don¡¯t even wait for him to speak before I ask.


    He shrugs, ¡°Well, nothing that big. My dad just called, he needs me. That just means that I can¡¯t go with you guys to the movies.¡± He doesn¡¯t look directly at me. At first I think he is lying, but then he looks at me and gives me a half smile. ¡°I am just upset that I don¡¯t get to spend time with you. Don¡¯t read too much into it.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    How did he know how much I was reading into it? Then he kisses my forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll get you home so you can pick up your car.¡±


    Something feels off, but I try to push it back. I mean he has said he is disappointed, that has to be it, right? ¡°If your dad needs you I can just walk home. It really isn¡¯t that far.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. I want to drive you home.¡± He shakes his head and guides me to the truck with his hand on the small of my back. I still can¡¯t shake the feeling that something is wrong. Something in me is screaming that it is wrong. He is quiet the whole way back to my house. This is not the same guy that I talked to a little while ago. He even seems like he is distancing himself from me. Instead of putting his hand on my leg like usual, he has both on the steering wheel. He almost looks white knuckled.


    ¡°Are you sure that there isn¡¯t something wrong?¡± I finally asked him. It is my street and if I don¡¯t ask now I will never know.


    ¡°I have some family stuff to deal with. It kind of has me on edge is all. There is nothing wrong with us. Do not even for a second think that there is something wrong with us, do you hear me?¡± He is giving me a stern look that says he is one hundred percent serious.


    ¡°You know you can talk to me about it. I wont judge or anything. Hell you know the crap going on with my family. Maybe I can help. At least make you feel better.¡± I try to give him aforting look as he pulls into my driveway.


    As soon as he puts the truck in park he turns to look at me. ¡°I will be telling you everything. I just need a little time to wrap my own brain around it. As soon as I can really deal I will tell you everything. Can you do that for me?¡±


    I nod my head. I wish he could confide in me, but at least he is letting me know that it is bothering him. Besides I am not some clingy girl if he needs time and space he can have it. ¡°I will see you tomorrow.¡± I open the truck door. Usually he opens it for me. As soon as I hop down I look back at him. He is already lost, I can tell that even though his eyes are looking at me they are lost in his thoughts.


    I give him a weak smile and close the door. As soon as I reach the front steps I hear his truck pull out. Silently I debate if I should even go to the movies, but then I realize that Katelyn and Kevin are waiting for me. They wont know that anything is wrong. Then the thought urs to me that maybe Kevin might know what is going on because he was with Dn. So I hurriedly grabbed my keys and got in my car. I head to the library first and tell Polly that I want to hang out with my friends today and she obliged.

 Movie Date

    When I get to the theater I see Katelyn and Kevin waiting out front for me. I quickly park ande over to them. Katelyn is looking around for my other half. ¡°He isn¡¯ting. He said something came up. Do you know what it is, Kevin?¡±


    He looks at me shocked. ¡°If any one should know it is you.¡±


    ¡°He was just fine when I left him at the field but then when he met me at the truck everything was different.¡± I state as my defence for not knowing.


    ¡°He seemed ok. He got really quiet after he talked to Brittney. He seemed a little sick. He didn¡¯t talk about it though.¡± Kevin says.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t get a call from his dad.¡± I look at Kevin for confirmation. I swear that is what Dn said.


    ¡°Not that I saw, but if he did it would have been discreet. You know Mr. Harman doesn¡¯t like phones in ss. Most of us just leave them in our locker. Maybe it was in the locker room, but it would have been after I took off.¡± Kevin knows something is up, but he wants to give his friend the benefit of the doubt.


    ¡°Now I know something is wrong. He told me it was something with his family, but I am not so sure. I can¡¯t shake the feeling that he was not telling the truth.¡±


    Katelyn sighs and throws an arm around my shoulder. ¡°That boy loves you. He will tell you when he is ready. Don¡¯t worry about it so much. Now let¡¯s go watch someone get their guts ripped out.¡± She gives me a maniacal smile that makes Kevin cringe a little bit.


    I give her a smile. ¡°Alright let¡¯s do it. Death on screen always makes things better.¡± I can feel Kevin on my other side putting his arm around my shoulder too.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit girl.¡± Kevinughs. ¡°As long as I am not the one being eviscerated I am fine.¡±


    We start to head to the ticket booth when we are gged down by Brian, the guy who asked me for my number but never called. ¡°Hey, are you going to see a movie?¡± He asks as he greets me.


    ¡°Yep. We are seeing the scary one.¡± I smile at him.


    He kind of gets a nervous look and then asks. ¡°Care if I join you?¡± I am not sure if he is scared to ask or scared to watch.


    ¡°Um, sure. We¡¯re all friends here.¡± I turn back to the ticket booth and we all get our tickets. Kevin gets the snacks and then we all head in to find seats. It is still lit up because we are a little early. It looks like they are just finishing up the clean up from the group before. We find some good seats in the back, it is a nice angle where we aren¡¯t craning our necks. Once we are all seated, I ask Kevin, ¡°I thought you were going to get here early to get the snacks.¡±


    He looks at me sideways. ¡°I was going to, but then I decided to wait for you. I didn¡¯t know what you wanted. d I did now because I would have gotten you sour patch and apparently you are not a fan.¡± He smiles at me. I did say that, but I don¡¯t think that is the reason.


    Brian on my other side questions me. ¡°So what made you want to watch a horror movie?¡±


    ¡°I like them. I have for a long time. My mom always said that secretly I was a vampire or something. I am not morbid by any means but I do like a good scare on asion. I find horror more refreshing than other movies.¡± I know it seems weird for some girl to like this kind of thing, but really it has been my favorite since I was little. When I say little, I am talking younger than ten. My mom was not too keen on letting me watch them then, so I had to sneak them. I guess after a while she stopped objecting, as long as there was no boy girl action on screen.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wow, so you don¡¯t get scared too often do you?¡± He looks genuinely surprised and maybe a little disappointed. Maybe he thought some horror movie would have me jumping in his arms, however they are not Dn¡¯s arms so even if I was to get scared that wouldn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Nope, sorry this will probably be a scare free event for me. I have seen it all.¡±  At this point the lights start to dim so that the movie can start it¡¯s previews. A few more people have joined us, but I didn¡¯t really expect a whole hell of a lot of people, considering it is Wednesday andte afternoon, not even evening. Plus a lot of us students still have one more final to study for.


    I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, I pull it out real quick, the movie hasn¡¯t started yet so it¡¯s ok. Dn: How is the movie?


    Me: I wish you were here.


    Dn: Next time I promise.


    This makes me smile. He isn¡¯t pushing me away, something is just really bothering him.


    Me: Brian from ss joined us. Since we are all just friends.


    Dn: The guy who asked you outst week.


    Me: I made it clear it was only friends.


    Dn: Are you sitting next to him?


    Me: I am sitting next to Kevin too.


    Dn: Trade seats with Katelyn.


    Me: Alright Mr. Possessive.


    I look at Katelyn and then decide how best to do this. I decided to try the bathroom technique. ¡°Katelyn,e to the bathroom with me real quick before the movie starts.¡± She nods. She knows something is up, she has known me too long to know that I would never risk missing the beginning of a horror.


    We slide out of the seats and leave the theater room. ¡°I need you to switch seats with me.¡± I blurt out as soon as the doors close behind us.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because something is wrong with Dn and I don¡¯t want to add anymore to his te. He thinks Brian has the hots for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not wrong. That guy can¡¯t take his eyes off you.¡± Then she rolls her eyes. ¡°Alright, but you owe me one. Tell Kevin to take a chill pill. He keeps trying to butter me up, I know what he is thinking will happen, but like I said that is not happening.¡±


    I give her a half smile. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be so bad, he has changed.¡±


    ¡°No! I am not going there.¡± She shakes her head adamantly.


    ¡°Alright, I will tell him. Just switch seats with me.¡±


    ¡°Your man better appreciate what I do for him.¡± She rolls her eyes and leads the way back into the theater. Thankfully the movie is still doing the previews. Katelyn slides in where I was sitting and I take the edge seat that she had.


    Kevin gives me a little weird look. ¡°I have an upset stomach.¡± I say it loud enough that I am sure Brian heard me. I don¡¯t want to hurt the guy¡¯s feelings. But I also have to put my man at ease. I raise my phone and do a selfie, not my thing, but anything for Dn. I make sure that you can see all the way to Brian in the shot. Everyone looks at me. ¡°Just wanted an end of year shot, you know, for when I leave town.¡± I hope they buy that. I quickly send the photo to Dn and then shut off my phone because the movie is starting.


    I think during the whole movie I jumped maybe once. Kevin however seemed to be sitting on tacks the way he was jumping. At one point I took the popcorn because he was starting to spill it on the floor. I held back theugh that I clearly wanted to aim at Kevin. I mean it was a ghost flick, nothing really that scary. Kevin was looking like he had actually seen his own ghost. At one point I looked at Katelyn to see if she was seeing it and of course she was, she was holding back just as muchughter as I was. Brian seemed neutral, but I didn¡¯t miss the nces he kept shooting me. Katelyn was right, I needed to nip this in the butt.


    After the movie I couldn¡¯t help butugh at Kevin. The ghost of course did not go away, just moved out of the way to let thest few stragglers leave. The look on Kevin¡¯s face was too much. I burst out. I can barely catch my breath. Then he rolls his eyes at me. ¡°I said the bad guy better get it in the end.¡±


    I catch my breath, ¡°No you didn¡¯t you said you were down, Dn said the bad guy better die. Besides, they were already dead.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Dn then. To top it all off, neither of you jumped into my arms. This was the worst movie ever.¡±


    I can see the look on Brian¡¯s face as he is trying to figure out the rtionship between us. It is as I said just friends, move on. I link my arm through Kevin¡¯s and pull him up. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a burger, will that make you feel better.¡±


    ¡°Only if there is fries.¡± He states as he grabs Katelyn¡¯s hand and pulls her up after us. Brian is left to trail behind us. Katelyn pulls her hand out of his andes to my other side and links with my other arm. ¡°That hurt.¡± He looks at her like she just kicked him in the balls.


    ¡°Time to set some boundaries with you.¡± She nods at him. ¡°Or else I will take you to the nearest haunted house and leave your ass there.¡±


    ¡°Do not threaten like that. Ok I admit it I hate ghosts.¡± Kevin rolls his eyes. ¡°They always freak me out. Call it a phobia if you want. Plus I think I know my boundaries with you just fine. I am your friend.¡± Then he shes a cheesy grin to Katelyn. It looks a little painful to me. I know they will get past this but it will take time. I just hope that Kevin is patient enough to wait.


    ¡°What ever, where are we going to eat?¡± Katelyn pretends that she can¡¯t see Kevin.


    ¡°There is that diner down the street from here, we can walk.¡± I start pulling them along then I notice that Brian is looking at us strangely. I turn around to look at him. ¡°What?¡±


    He gives us a quizzical look. ¡°Am I invited?¡±


    ¡°You joined us for a movie, I don¡¯t see why not.¡± I shrugged and then kept moving. Katelyn and I continued to jab at Kevin on the walk about how he jumped at the movie.


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha. Laugh it up. I will find out your fears and make you pay.¡± He mocked us.


    The Diner was only a five minute walk from the theater. It was slow too. It was going to pick up soon I was sure because it was hitting the dinner hour. We managed to secure a booth. A friendly waitress brought over some menus and took our drink orders, two waters, an orange juice and a coke. They looked at me weird, ¡°Yes I like orange juice.¡± I pulled out my phone and turned it back on to find two texts from Dn.


    Dn: Good girl.


    Dn: Text me when the movie is done.


    I shot him a text back.


    Me: The movie is done, it was alright.


    Dn: Where are you?


    Me: At the diner getting some burgers.


    Dn: Is that guy still there?


    Me: I didn¡¯t want to be rude, so yeah.


    Dn: You better tell him that you have a boyfriend


    Me: Of course.


    Just then Brian clears his throat. ¡°Um, don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but are the three of you together?¡± I look across the table at him. Oh, my God he did not just ask that.


    Then Katelyn throws her arm over my shoulder, ¡°No I don¡¯t share.¡±


    Kevin cracks up. ¡°Plus if she did it wouldn¡¯t be with me. Boy did you read that wrong.¡±


    ¡°You guys just all seem really close. And the animosity that she shows you made me think it was some weird threesome.¡± He pointed at Katelyn.


    Katelyn scoffed, ¡°I just don¡¯t like people too friendly with my bitches.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°I am not gay Brian. Katelyn is my best friend. Kevin is my friend. Dn is my boyfriend. I love Katelyn but I do not swing that way. Neither does she.¡± Iugh, ¡°You honestly thought I was in some weird rtionship with them both.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°It seemed logical in my head. The way you guys hung out seemed too close.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Well we are really close.¡±


    ¡°If Dn is your boyfriend, why isn¡¯t he here?¡± He questioned as the waitress brought out our drinks.


    ¡°Because he had a family thing.¡± I start gulping down my orange juice. The waitress takes our orders, cheese burgers and fries all around.


    I started texting Dn again. Me: I told him, happy now.


    Dn: No he is still there.


    Me: He thought I was dating Katelyn if that helps


    Dn: Oh, boy he has no idea how wrong he was


    Me: I told him that I was dating you. I think he was disappointed.


    Dn: That¡¯s cause you¡¯re hot. Or maybe he was turned on that you were into girls


    Me: I highly doubt he was turned on by it. Although Katelyn called me her bitch


    Dn: Do I havepetition?


    Me: Only if you screw up then I will definitely take Katelyn up on her offer.


    Dn: I don¡¯t n on screwing up. I mean shit happens sometimes though and we will work through it right.


    Me: Sure As long as it isn¡¯t another woman.


    Dn: I would never have another woman before you


    Me: Are you ready to tell me what¡¯s wrong?


    Dn: Not yet. It is a lot to wrap my head around


    Me: It¡¯s ok. Just know I can listen.


    At this point I am eating and texting. I haven¡¯t really paid any attention to those around me. It wasn¡¯t until Katelyn nudged me that I realized that they were talking to me. ¡°What? Sorry I wasn¡¯t listening.¡±


    Katelyn rolls her eyes at me. ¡°We were just asking if Dn was going to the party on Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know we haven¡¯t talked about it.¡± I looked at Katelyn when I answered, I wasn¡¯t so sure that I was supposed to be telling Dn about the party since neither of them brought it up in front of him. I am looking for a sign from her that I was wrong.


    Kevin ps his hands, ¡°Good don¡¯t tell him. I want one more night with just the three of us, then he can start joining at parties. You are too much fun to share. And no cell phone either, you aren¡¯t even here with us now. You are talking to him.¡±


    I roll my eyes at Kevin, Something that I am finding I am doing a lottely. ¡°You know he is upset, I was just trying to help.¡±


    Brian perks up. ¡°Are you guys having trouble?¡±


    ¡°Not even. We are fine, he has some family things going on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard that Brittney said they were getting back together, so I just thought that maybe you guys were having problems.¡±


    ¡°Brittney is delusional. She thinks she has Dn wrapped around her finger. I can assure you that Dn has no interest in her. When did she say that?¡± I think this is just something that Brittney is just spouting all the time.


    ¡°I heard her talking before lunch about how she and Dn were getting back together. She was sure of it.¡± He looks like it was definite. That is why he approached me at the theater. He thought I was alone.


    ¡°Who was she talking to?¡± I can¡¯t help but interrogate, that bitch is so sure that she is going to take my man. I am pissed.


    ¡°Rachel. She said she had a n and there was no way that Dn would refuse her this time. I have no idea what the n is but it must have been somethingpelling for her to be so sure.¡± Is this why Dn is so distant? Is it Brittney, not his dad? No, push that thought out. He said it was his dad. He must have pushed Brittney off.


    I look at Brian trying to discern whether or not he is just trying to start shit or if he is serious. The best I can tell is that he thinks he is serious. Plus a little hopeful. ¡°Well, she did talk to him during ourst period, but Dn assured me afterwards that everything was fine between us. I have no idea what they talked about, but if that was her big n then it failed.¡±


    Katelyn beamed. ¡°That bitch don¡¯t got nothing on my girl.¡± I saw Kevin nodding as well. It made me feel a little proud that my friends thought so much of me. I mean lets be honest in the looks department I was nothingpared to Brittney. She was the epitome of perfection, never a hair out of ce, perfectly fitting clothes, make-up that blended with her face so well. Hell if I was a guy I would choose Brittney over me, I mean for looks. My personality is probably far better than hers.


    We finished dinner and headed home.

 Seperation

    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    I still have no idea what the fuck I am going to do. I do not want to bail on this kid. I am so confused that I can¡¯t even think straight. I want to be with Riley more than anything. I keep away from her all week. It is killing me, but I know if I see her I will tell her everything. Of course I have no idea what she will say but it will be enough to make me not see her.


    Of course I keep clear of Brittney too. I do not want her thinking that she won. I mean at this point I am starting to think that she did. I wish I just had someone that I could talk to, who would know what I needed to do. I don¡¯t even know for sure if the kid is mine. I could throw everything away for someone that isn¡¯t even worth it. Not the kid, Brittney.


    The closer it gets to the party the more anxious I have grown. I want an answer. I even contemted talking to my father about it. I mean he knowsw, maybe there is something else I can do. But then I would have to discuss my love life with my father. That I am not ready to do.


    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    As promised I didn¡¯t bring up the party to Dn, but I guess it wasn¡¯t too hard because he was avoiding me. He stopped meeting me face to face, he would only text me. Which made thest three days at school awkward to say the least. I tried to ask him what was going on only to get the same response, ¡°I¡¯m not ready to talk about it.¡± He still said nothing was wrong with us, I am finding this harder to believe. If there is nothing then why was he avoiding me like the gue. Something was not right. I wish he would just talk to me about it.


    So here it was Saturday afternoon,te, and I was at Katelyn¡¯s getting ready for the party. She insisted that I dress hot. She said that if Dn couldn¡¯t see how hot I was then I should show it to someone else. I disagree but I relent with her fashion choices. I am wearing a ck mini skirt and a yellow midriff halter top. She also found me some knee high ck high heeled boots. Then she curled my hair and left it down to have it cascade down my back. I look in the mirror after Katelyn does my make-up and quite frankly at this point my looks could rival Brittney¡¯s. Even though this is not my style I do look hot. Too bad Dn wont see it.


    I took a picture to show Dnter, he might like it. I mean if we are still together, although at this point I am starting to feel like we aren¡¯t. Kevin tells me to be patient that Dn will get it together but I am more inclined to take Katelyn¡¯s point of view. She said that I was fine before Dn and I will be fine after. Even though it is hurting right now, I know it will be fer. I knew that this may notst, especially doing a long distance thing, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I was falling for him.


    We arrive at the party together and meet Kevin at the main hall. This house is huge. The main hall is as big as my living room. The living room is as big as my whole house. When Kevin sees us he just about has his eyes fall out of his head. He nces over both of us and his eyes bug. ¡°You two are the hottest chicks here. That is saying something, Brittney and her brood are here.¡±


    Katelyn narrowed her eyes at Kevin, ¡°Are you saying that Brittney is hot?¡±


    Kevin grinned. ¡°Never.¡± Then he wedged between us and ushered us both by cing a hand on each of our backs. ¡°Now let us get drunk and forget all our troubles.¡± He brought us to a table with a bunch of beer piles in bowls of ice. We grabbed one each. I looked around for something harder and found in the far corner a table with shots. I made my way over and started mming shots. If I was going to get wasted then I was going to do a good job of it.


    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    I can¡¯t believe I am doing this. I am going to ept Brittney¡¯s offer. I can¡¯t abandon the kid. Even though I really do not want to. I just don¡¯t see any other option.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    I have stationed myself in a room upstairs. I pull out my phone and text Brittney: I am upstairs, end of the hall. I have your answer.


    I got a quick reply: I will be there shortly.


    I know she is gloating. She knows what my answer will be. That is why she gave me that ultimatum. She knew it would work. I sit on the bed waiting for her, when I hear the door creak open I am still anything but happy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± I groan as I stand.


    ¡°What are you telling me that you are not happy with me?¡± She puts her hands on her hips like I am the crazy one.


    ¡°No, Brittney I am not. You are right though I can¡¯t just abandon this kid. I want assurance that this kid is mine.¡± I am running my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°The doctor said that the conception date was before I cheated on you. Is that enough for you? I mean, I can¡¯t very well do a paternity test now.¡± She is being cocky. Trying to embrace me. Just as I am about to tell her that she won, the door opens, my answer flies off my tongue.

 Fully Committing

    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    After about my fifth shot I started to see the room spin. I had an empty stomach so it was hitting me a bit hard. So the reasonable thing I could think of was to find an empty room and goy down. I headed towards a staircase along the back wall and assumed that the stairs led to upstairs bedrooms. I hold onto the railing to make sure the room stays in one ce. I know at some point I lost Kevin and Katelyn but I am not too worried about it. I manage to make it to the top of the stairs and start checking doors. The first three doors I try are locked, when I enter the fourth door I wish I hadn¡¯t. It would seem that two students forgot to lock it when they entered.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    This time I am more cautious when I get to the sixth door that is unlocked. Although once I open it I wish I hadn¡¯t it is a very sobering sight. I look in and there is Brittney and Dn. At first it looked like they were embracing each other, but when I look closer I can see that Brittney is pulling herself to him. I can¡¯t really tell what Dn is doing. Dn turns and looks at me, ¡°Get out.¡±


    I am hurt, crushed. Brittney looks at me with a smug look. I look at Dn and snarl back. ¡°Sorry I won¡¯t bother you again.¡± I turn to leave but then Dn¡¯s next words stop me in my tracks.


    ¡°Not you. Her.¡± He looks at Brittney.


    She looks shocked. ¡°What? Dn, you know the consequences for this.¡±


    He res at her. ¡°Consider this my answer. Get the fuck away from me.¡± He pushes her down. ¡°You are a disgusting slut. I don¡¯t want anything to do with you.¡±


    I feel awkward looking in on this scene. I shouldn¡¯t be here. I turn to leave. I don¡¯t want to be here. What the hell is he doing in a room with her, when he has been avoiding me all week? Why the hell is he at this party without telling me? Although I didn¡¯t tell him I would be here. I turn away and start to leave, before I get past the door frame, Dn is on me. He pulls me back into the room.


    Brittney res at Dn. ¡°You will regret this.¡±


    ¡°I have thought long and hard about this, there is nothing I want more right now then to have you out of this room.¡± Dn res at her.


    I am not sure what I missed, but it was obviously something. Brittney sneers at Dn and ms the door shut. Only now do I realize that Dn is clutching my waist like I will run if he even loosens a little bit. He buries his head in my neck from behind. I can¡¯t tell what he is mumbling but I know it is something important. Then he lifts his head and speaks into my ear, ¡°Please don¡¯t ever leave me.¡± The words sound desperate. Like if he didn¡¯t get them out he was going to die.


    I turn around in his arms which isn¡¯t easy. I think he is under the impression I am going to run. I pull his eyes up to mine. ¡°Dn, I haven¡¯t been the one running. What is wrong?¡±


    He just mumbles ¡°it¡¯s over now.¡± His lips find mine and they are desperate and passionate. His hands go under my skirt which was not very long to begin with so he has no trouble there. Before I know what is going on I am on the bed and he is spread over the top of me. His eyes are filled with hunger. I know my eyes reflect his. The need and hunger is tangy in the air. Things started to blur. Vague images of Dn sliding in me, clutching my body to his. His kisses sent tingles through my whole body. I know I drank too much to be able to grasp what was going on. All I can do is feel, feel him.


    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    As soon as I see her I know what my answer is. I can find another way to deal with Brittney. I am not leaving Riley. When she goes to leave, even after I told her that I wanted her to stay, all I can think is I can¡¯t let her go. I run to her and pull her to me. Dismissing Brittney in the process. I know this is going to make things harder, but I don¡¯t care right now, all I care about is the woman in my arms. How close I came to losing her.


    I bury my head in her neck, I know she can¡¯t hear me, ¡°I love you. I need you Riley.¡± Then I get up by her ear. ¡°Please don¡¯t ever leave me.¡± Then I pull her around so I can kiss her. I need her so much right now. I need to know that she is mine. My need for her outweighs everything right now. I am pulling and tugging at her clothes and mine. I need her now.


    Iy her on the bed still pulling everything off. I ripped her panties in the process. OOPS. Not my problem at the moment. I just need this woman. When I plunge into her I feel the connection immediately. That is what I wanted, that is what I needed. Her moaning and writhing under me is blowing my mind. It is taking all I have not to cum in two seconds. I need her to cum first.


    My need to have her has overwhelmed me. Taking in everyst inch of her skin is all that is one my mind. Ravaging her body until I feel her release. Then I follow after. Having her with me like this is all my mind can contemte at the moment. All thoughts of the baby and Brittney are gone. It is just Riley and I in this room. Pulling her close to me I snuggle into her body and drift off to afortable sleep, my first in thest four days.

 I Need Time

    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    I wake up a couple of hourster, my head is killing me, my body is sore. Dn is sleeping next to me. He is still clutching on to me. I wiggle free of his grip and find my clothes. I can not find my underwear but I see Dn start to stir and I just want to get out of there. I know what happenedst night but I am not ready to ept the consequences of it.


    I sneak out of the room silently closing the door behind me. The party is still going on. It has quieted down, but it is still drunk palooza. I don¡¯t know if Katelyn and Kevin are still here, but I don¡¯t even care. I just head out. I have to put as much distance between me and this house as possible. I managed to find my car and get home without a hitch. Only when I get home do I remember that I was supposed to be spending the night at Katelyn¡¯s. I sit in my car and debate on going there or just lying to my mother about ns falling through and heading to my room. I decide on thetter, because for all I know my mother is asleep and won¡¯t even know that I am home.


    When I enter I know there is no such luck. My mom is sitting up watching TV. She looks over at me when I open the door. She can tell something is off, but she just looks at me puzzled.


    ¡°What happened Honey? Is everything alright with Katelyn?¡±


    I groan. ¡°Yeah, Katelyn is fine. I just had a change of ns and I needed toe home. I just need to sleep.¡±


    She looks me over, ¡°When you are ready to talk about it I am here. I wont judge, honey. Just get some rest tonight.¡± Then she turns back to the movie. God I love my mom right now. I really did not want to talk about what I just walked away from. I mean I ampletely aware that I just lost my virginity and only have half a memory of it. Now I am gued with thoughts of what the hell it all meant.


    I go to my room and strip off Katelyn¡¯s clothes and grab myfy sleep clothes. As soon as I slip on the oversized t-shirt that I sleep in my phone starts ringing. I look in case it¡¯s Katelyn or Kevin looking for me. It is Dn. I click ignore. I don¡¯t want to talk to him right now. I send a quick text to Kevin and one to Katelyn, letting them know that I have left the party. I don¡¯t exin why I just say I am home and safe. Then I click my phone off.


    I crawl in the bed and immediately there are shes of Dn on my skin. His hands all over me, his lips crashing into mine. It is driving me nuts. I wanted to enjoy my first time. It would seem I did at the time, but now I wish it was under better circumstances. I don¡¯t even know what the hell Dn was doing in a room with Brittney. What the hell were the consequences she mentioned to Dn when she left? Why the hell does this have to be soplicated. I knew our rtionship would getplicated, but not this kind ofplicated.


    Eventually I drift off to sleep only to be awakened by Katelyn and Kevin jumping on my bed. ¡°What the hell happened to you bitch? I had to get a ride home from this asshole.¡± Katelyn jokes at me. Then she can see the look on my face and she gets quiet. ¡°Did something happen with Brittney? I saw her skulking around.¡±


    ¡°Kind of. I mean she was there. I really don¡¯t know what the hell she was doing. I was pretty drunk. The room was spinning so I went to look for a room that was empty toy down. I know I¡¯m not smart at a party, I fully intended to lock the door. But I came to a room where the door wasn¡¯t locked and Dn was in it with Brittney. Then Dn told Brittney to leave. They were arguing and she said something about consequences. I just wanted to leave but Dn pulled me back into the room. Then things got fuzzy. I know Brittney was gone, it was just the two of us. Then¡­¡±


    Kevin looks at me. ¡°Then what? Did he fight with you?¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t fight. We uhmmm¡­¡± I look at the floor, I don¡¯t even know how to say it.


    ¡°Did he leave after?¡± Katelyn understandspletely.


    ¡°No, I did.¡± Tears start to trail down my face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell I was thinking. I think alcohol yed a part in the decision process. I mean he hasn¡¯t talked to me for three days. Then he traps me in a room with him. He just said I can¡¯t leave him. Then said that it was all over now and then he was on me. I got lost somewhere in there. He did a lot of mumbling that I didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Finally it dawned on Kevin what happened. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him.¡± Anger is flooding through him.


    ¡°No, Kevin. I have three more days of school. I am just going to avoid him and then leave town. I don¡¯t ever have to see him again. I left after I woke up, I didn¡¯t give him a chance to talk. He called me by the time I got home. I am sure he wasn¡¯t trying to be an ass. He may not have even known how drunk I was. I just need to get out of here. This is what I was trying to avoid.¡±


    Katelyn looks at me, ¡°You were falling in love with him. Weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I even started contemting staying around here. I just don¡¯t know what to do now. I think I just need to stick to the course. Get the hell out of here as soon as possible. Two weeks is all I need to do. It will be even easier to avoid him once school is out.¡± I sound more sure than I really feel.


    Katelyn gives me a look, ¡°You tell us what to do. We will do it. If you want to avoid him then we will help.¡±


    ¡°I know you got my back.¡± I give her a small smile.


    Kevin pulls us both into a hug. ¡°You girls are all I have right now. I ditched all my other friends. I will do whatever it takes to make you two happy. Oh, which reminds me I will be moving with you two in two weeks. I am not staying in town without the two of you.¡±


    We hug Kevin back. It is amazing how in such a short time he has be one of us. After all, a couple of weeks ago we hated this dude. Now we are stuck to him. I look at Katelyn, ¡°I am going to drive the next few days of school and I will be at school early. I do not want him stopping by trying to give me a ride.¡±


    ¡°You could just stay at my house.¡± Katelyn suggests.


    ¡°I would, but I think my mom is starting to get to the point where she misses me. She was up watching a moviest night. I do not want her to be addicted to TV. I will spend time with her before I leave. I think it will make her happy. She was really cool when I came homest night. She didn¡¯t push anything, but she seems to know everything at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell your mom that you don¡¯t want Dn around?¡± Katelyn asks. We are still stuck in some sort of huddle.


    ¡°I could, but she fell in love with him that day he came for breakfast. I wouldn¡¯t want to burst that bubble. It is just best to avoid at this point.¡±


    Kevin pulls away from us. ¡°Alright I am d that you are alive. We needed to check on you. However I think you didn¡¯t sleep very wellst night so I want to leave you to sleep. Come on Katelyn.¡± He goes to pull her out. But I stopped him.


    ¡°Actually, do you guys want to have a movie and junk food day here? I know it isn¡¯t as big as Katelyn¡¯s but it could still be nice.¡± I point to the small TV off in the corner. ¡°I just want my friends right now. I don¡¯t want to be alone. That just leads to thoughts, and I am so done with those.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Katelyn smiles. ¡°Alright but I get to pick the movies.¡±


    ¡°No ghosts and I will stay.¡±


    ¡°What about clowns?¡±


    I scream, ¡°No, you know that is the one line I draw.¡±


    Katelynughs, ¡°Alright how about a Scream marathon, we can yell at the TV telling the bitches that they are stupid.¡±


    Iugh, because every time we do this marathon all we do isugh. This is one of Katelyn¡¯s cheer up moves. ¡°I¡¯ll go get some snacks. I think the movies are still in the drawer fromst time.¡± I jump up from bed and head to the kitchen. My mom is in there making some breakfast, pancakes, sausage and eggs.


    ¡°Are your friends sticking around?¡± She wants to know how much breakfast to make.


    ¡°Yeah, mom. They are here to cheer me up.¡± Then I get a little low and shy around her. ¡°Um mom I hate to ask this of you, but if Dnes by can you tell him I¡¯m not here. I just really don¡¯t want to see him right now.¡±


    ¡°Sure honey. I don¡¯t know what happened but I know it is serious. You are not one to avoid a problem. I do suggest that you talk to him before you leave town. You don¡¯t want that hovering over your head while you are gone.¡± She is so smart sometimes it is scary. I wonder why the hell she stayed with my dipshit dad all this time.


    ¡°Thanks mom. We are going to be hanging out here today. Scream marathon. I came to get some snacks.¡± I give her a smile.


    ¡°Alright I will bring some stuff in every so often. I will bring breakfast when it is done. For now go ahead and get that box of crackers and I will have breakfast done in about twenty minutes.¡± She gets back to the stove and flips some things. I stopped watching, grabbed the crackers and headed back to the room.


    Katelyn has blocked the window so that it is dark in the room. Kevin is fiddling with the TV I am assuming putting on the first movie. I start moving the pillows around on my bed so that we can all sit on it. My bed sits against the wall so I am able to maneuver the pillows so it is more like a couch. Kevin plops in the middle. And I take the side closest to the window and Katelyn takes the other side of Kevin. By the time we get all cozy my momes in with the tes of food assuring us that she will be backter with some cookies.


    I thank her as she leaves and then before we start the first movie I hear a knock on the front door. I freeze, Katelyn goes to the door and cracks it so she can listen to it. She gives me the shosh signal and then listens. I can hear my mom talking but I really can¡¯t make out what they are saying. Then the door shuts. Katelynes back to the bed. ¡°It was Dn, your mom told him you weren¡¯t home. I am pretty sure he is leaving.¡±


    Kevin throws his arms over both of us. Then the movie starts. We take the day and start enjoying it. I keep thinking about Dn of course. I can¡¯t keep my mind from drifting there. Especially when it gets to the end of the first movie and she sleeps with the killer. That is a point where I get really quiet. Because all I can think about isst night. Then to make matters worse Kevin¡¯s phone rings. He looks and it is Dn.


    He takes the phone and leaves the room. I have no idea what he talks to him about, just that hees back and says, ¡°I took care of it. He really is looking hard for you.¡±


    The rest of the day seems to be radio silence. I wonder if he tried to call Katelyn too, but then I remember that she probably didn¡¯t give him her number. After the final movie Iy back in bed. ¡°I think I am ready to go to sleep. Are you guys going to stay or head home?¡±


    Katelyn gets up. ¡°I think I am going to head home. I have not had a shower, and I need to be ready for tomorrow. Operation keep Dn at bay.¡±


    Kevin follows Katelyn out, ¡°Sweet dreams.¡± He calls as he leaves.


    I start to drift off to sleep and think about Dn again andst night. I groan as it urs to me that I may not sleep as well tonight as I would like. I get up and shower trying to rx, then crawl back in bed. I hear a knock on my window. I want to ignore it but I can¡¯t. I know he won¡¯t be satisfied until he finds me.


    I go to the window and pull down the cover that Katelyn put up, Then open the drapes. There is Dn, he is giving me a half smile. Then he points to the bottom of the window and then points up. Obviously he wants me to open the window. I roll my eyes and oblige. I can¡¯t help but be weak around this guy.


    When the window opens he looks at me, ¡°you left me. I thought you said you wouldn¡¯t leave me.¡±


    ¡°Dn, I think that maybe we need to rethink some things. I wasn¡¯t all therest night. I had way too much to drink. I only remember parts of it. But one thing that I remember pretty strongly is I came to a room that you were in alone with Brittney. I still have no answers on what the hell is going on with you. You really aren¡¯t giving me anything.¡±


    ¡°Babe, I told you it is all over now. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. Look I didn¡¯t know you were that drunk. I wouldn¡¯t have done that if I had known. I really just needed to be with you. Babe, please let¡¯s talk about this.¡±


    I sigh and look at him. ¡°I think this time, I need the space. Dn I don¡¯t know what is going on and I don¡¯t like that. I need space to figure it all out. Can you please just give me that? I didn¡¯t push you, don¡¯t push me.¡±


    He looks defeated. ¡°Alright, will you still text me. I was texting you. Can you at least give me that?¡±


    I look at him and nod. I don¡¯t know how much I willmunicate with him but I will give him that. I care about this guy way more than I should. To be honest I want to crawl in his arms and never leave, but I know things are moreplicated than that.


    He nods back. ¡°Babe, I really am sorry aboutst night. I didn¡¯t want our first time to be like that. I was just feeling you and needed to have you. I am sorry.¡± I can see the sincerity in his eyes. That is what makes this so hard.


    ¡°I know, I just need time Dn. Please.¡± Without another word he is away from the window. I feel my heart ache as he is gone. I want to scream and have hime back, I want him so bad it is making me crazy.


    I fall back on my bed and am far lessforted than when I saw himst. I will have trouble sleeping again tonight. I wish things were easier, but I wouldn¡¯t trade the time I have had with Dn for anything. This thought alone gives me enoughfort to get some sleep. I don¡¯t regret Dn.

 End of an Era

    The next few days are a bit hectic. It is hard to stay away from Dn when everything in me is screaming not to. It is a little easier when we are spending most of our time with graduation rehearsal. Since I am valedictorian I am positioned in a different part of the rehearsal so he can¡¯t talk to me. I do catch his nce from time to time. As much as this pains me I know I have to keep it up.


    Come graduation night I manage to pull off the speech that I really had no idea how I wrote with everything going on. Then after I bid goodbye to Aunt Polly and mom, I head to the celebration that they are holding in the gym. It is supposed to be like a graduation dance, but it is more of an excuse to make sure that seniors don¡¯t go out and get drunk. The dancests almost all night and there are areas set up to keep everyone entertained through the night. Those that are leaving are going home to sleep. Or they really are just heading to the parties.


    I for one am looking forward to this dance. I have on a very pretty light blue dress that ends at my knees. It has two spaghetti straps that keep the front up. The sheer fabric feels so nice on my skin I can¡¯t help but feel pretty. My mom put my hair up in this really elegant bun. I have curls that are framing my face. I have been told that I am pretty a few times and not just from the people who im to love me. There have been a few guys too. I thanked them and moved on though. I am not putting myself out there.


    Dn has been texting me this whole time, I answer but it isn¡¯t the same as it was before. It seems like I am just holding so much back. He still hasn¡¯te clean about whatever him and Brittney were talking about. Granted he made it clear that he picked me over her, but she was obviously holding something over his head and he hasn¡¯t told me what it is.


    The dance is set up to be fun. They have raffles and music set up by a DJ. There is arge section set up for food. It is a really nice affair. Katelyn is on one side of me and the other side is Kevin. Katelyn drags us out the dance floor as soon as we get there. The three of us dance together, we do look like some weird threesome, now that I kind of look at it from the outside.


    We get exhausted dancing around. I manage to take a break up against the wall, while Katelyn and Kevin go to get drinks. I was going to go with them but told them I wanted a minute alone. They knew I was still dealing with the Dn stuff so they left me. I am sitting there scanning the room for a few minutes when I hear a familiar voice to my right. ¡°Hey, babe.¡±


    I turn and look. ¡°Hey, Dn. What¡¯s up?¡±


    He slides closer to me. He is wearing this nice blue button up long sleeve shirt. Paired with ck cks. ¡°Oh, I had my heart crushed and I needed to speak to the most beautiful girl in the room in order to dull the ache in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really, so, how is Brittney?¡± I don¡¯t mean to be sour but I am pissed that he still hasn¡¯t talked to me about that.


    ¡°I meant you. I haven¡¯t talked to Brittney since that night I told her to leave.¡± He is serious.


    ¡°I know you meant me. I guess I am still mad. I am dealing, I really am. I just don¡¯t know how to do this.¡± I sigh as I lean my head back against the wall. ¡°I just don¡¯t know where to go next. What to do? That isn¡¯t like me.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I feel his hand in mine. When I turn to look at him, he nods his head to the side. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what possessed me, but I pulled away from the wall and let him lead me out of the gym. He takes us to a door that is in the back unmanned. The sounds dim as we close the door behind us. I can see a bit why this door is unmanned, it just leads back into the rest of the school which has the bathrooms. Most of the doors are locked, but Dn keeps leading me further into the school. It is obvious that he has a destination in mind. I don¡¯t say a word as I follow him.


    We reach the Chemistryb and Dn just opens the ssroom. ¡°Mr. Carter keeps this unlocked. He is always losing his keys. Not many people know about it. We will be alone here.¡± Then he guides me into the room.


    He closes the door and then locks it behind us. Then covers the window on the door with the blocker that they have there for intruders. When he turns away from the door I see that hunger in his eyes again. ¡°I have missed you so fucking much.¡± He almost charges at me. Then his lips are on mine. I try to pull away, I really do but my body is betraying me. I am drawn to him. ¡°I can¡¯t stay away from you any longer. I know you need space, but I need you. Baby please just for now, love me. We can deal with all thister.¡± Again my body betrays me. I nod my head and then he is on me again.


    To actually feel and remember this is much better thanst time. His contact is making me buzz. I can hardly handle the contact. His mouth moves to my cor. A gasp and a moan escapes my mouth.


    He moans into my skin. ¡°I need you. I need to be one with you. Please baby.¡±


    I am surprised when ¡°Yes¡± escapes me.


    He has my body pushed against the wall by the door. His hand slides up my dress and pulls at my panties, before I can even breath he has them off and flung on the Chemistry ssroom floor. Then he has my legs around his waist. He pulls up my dress to give him clear ess. His hands quickly find the spot they want, causing moans to escape my mouth of their own freewill. ¡°Baby I need you. This has been torture.¡± His mouth on my jaw caused zings to flush through my skin.


    ¡°Dn,¡± I moan.


    ¡°Riley, baby. I am going to take you now. Say yes.¡± He looks right in my eyes. He wants permission this time. I can¡¯t help thinking, ¡°How sweet and hot.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He doesn¡¯t hesitate. He shifts my body so that he can reach his pants, it takes a minute but he is free.


    ¡°Last chance to say no. I want you so bad I won¡¯t be able to stop once we start.¡± I nod. I am possessed at this point. I know I should be saying no, but I just can¡¯t. He positioned himself at my entrance and then all I felt was bliss. ¡°We are one baby. Do you feel it?¡± I nod again. God can¡¯t I say a word. I do feel it, it is exhrating. ¡°I am yours, baby, now and forever. Riley, you are my life.¡± He is rocking back and forth. Gazing into my eyes he makes sure that we are connected. Then he mouth is on me again as I moan in ecstasy. His hands are on my hips holding me in ce, the heat from his hands sends more pleasure through my body and that is through the fabric of the dress. I feel my core tighten as he pulls me closer. God it feels so good. Then he brings a hand up to my chest and caresses it. It is too much and I explode. He follows right behind me. I feel his muscles tighten and his grip squeezing me as he moans. Then he is still.


    We stood there holding each other for a minute. It feels so nice. Having him in my arms makes everything melt away. It is just him and I in this room. No problems, no one else to butt in and ruin it. I think I am clinging to him for dear life.


    ¡°Baby, keep me by your side. Just for now I know but please don¡¯t leave me.¡± Dn sounds so desperate, like my answer will determine if he will live or not.


    ¡°Dn, I never wanted you to go anywhere. I just have a problem with you keeping things from me. Don¡¯t keep things from me Dn.¡± I look in his eyes to make sure that he knows that I am serious.


    ¡°Riley from here on out I will not keep anything from you. I can¡¯t stand the thought of losing you, I won¡¯t do anything to jeopardize it.¡± I noted that he said from here on out, that means the secret from before is still secret. I contemte if I should push it or take what I can get.


    I decided to relent. ¡°Alright. We should probably go back to the dance before Katelyn and Kevin send out the cavalry.¡± Dn eases me down, then retrieves my panties.


    ¡°Here, don¡¯t leave these behind.¡± He hands them over to me. I attempt to put them on but it is a pain in the ass with heels on.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find thest pair.¡± I look shyly at him.


    He smirks at me. ¡°I have them, they were a little torn up. I didn¡¯t think you would want them back like that.¡±


    I smile at him. ¡°Pervert.¡±


    He cocks his head at me. ¡°Yes, but I am your pervert. Do you need help?¡±


    I am still struggling with the underwear and heels. ¡°Juste over here and let me use your shoulder.¡± Once I have the leverage of his shoulder I am able to get them on better. After I check that I didn¡¯t catch my dress in them I am ready to leave this room.


    Dn puts his arm out for me to take. I slide mine in like that is where it was supposed to be.


    When wee back in the door that we left I see Katelyn and Kevin immediately. They were looking for me. They take in the look of Dn and mine locked arms. Kevin nods.


    ¡°I am so d you two made up. I don¡¯t like it when mommy and daddy fight.¡± All I can do is shake my head. Kevin is so stupid sometimes. The things thate out of his mouth are just insane.


    Katelyn eyes Dn up and down, ¡°You hurt her, I hurt you.¡±


    Dn kisses my cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t want this woman to go anywhere. I wouldn¡¯t hurt her and make that happen.¡±


    We spent the rest of the night dancing and celebrating. asionally I would catch Brittney watching us with a re, but I really didn¡¯t care. She was old news. I knew it deep down. Whatever she was trying to hold over Dn¡¯s head is not my problem now. He made it clear that it wasn¡¯t a deal breaker. He still wanted me.


    When it hit about six in the morning, we were so ready to head home. Most people already did. Dn followed me home. My mom didn¡¯t even object. It felt so nice to be wrapped up in Dn¡¯s arms as we drifted off to sleep.

 Crushed

    The next few days we did everything together. My mom enjoyed having Dn around and made us all breakfast every morning. I think she may have seen it as a way to keep me in town longer. Katelyn would ask me daily if we were still leaving, I had no answer for her. I know I had a n, but I didn¡¯t want to cut my time short with Dn. Dn and I didn¡¯t talk about it, even when he helped me to pack. It was like an inevitability that sat in the corner of our minds. I would leave some day.


    Two nights before I was scheduled to leave I figured it was time to talk to Dn about it. Maybe I would stay but it would only be for a little while. ¡°Dn, I think we need to talk.¡±


    I was sitting at my desk and he was lounging on my bed. He looked up at me and said, ¡°No one wants to hear those words babe.¡±


    ¡°I know but we do need to talk. I am supposed to leave in two days. What are we doing?¡±


    Dn sighed, ¡°I think I should tell you something. Maybe it will show you how much I care about us.¡± I let him talk although the silence that follows is deafening. He is quiet for at least five minutes. ¡°Ok, this is hard for me to say. So you remember that day in Mr. Harman¡¯s ss when Brittney asked to talk to me.¡± He waits for me to nod. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my dad that had said there was a problem, it was Brittney. She said that she was pregnant. She thinks it¡¯s mine. I doubt it. I was far more careful with her. Plus she cheated on me. She told me that if I wanted to see the kid I would choose to be with her. I told her that I needed time to think about it. Then she told me that I had to meet her at that party and give her my answer. I almost told her yes, but then you came into that room and I saw it as a sign. I told her to get lost. She is still trying to pressure me with this kid. I am not sure what the hell she thinks is going to happen. I picked you.¡±


    Tears are streaming down my face. He picked me over his child. What if it is his? He is going to abandon his child for me. ¡°You were going to say yes.¡± It is a statement not a question.


    He has his eyes on me. ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t. I have something else to tell you. You aren¡¯t going to like it. When I first asked you to be my tutor it was to piss off Brittney, she doesn¡¯t like you and I figured that I could hang out with you and piss her off. Then maybe she might want me back.¡±


    He can see the look on my face so he gets quiet. ¡°Get out.¡± That is all I can say. I am enraged.


    He jumps off the bed, and runs to me pulling me to him. ¡°Baby things are different now. I only want you.¡±


    ¡°Get out. What kind of man uses someone else to make a lying cheating slute back to them? What kind of a man doesn¡¯t even talk to his girlfriend about possibly having a kid with someone else? What kind of man abandons a child to a parent like Brittney? I am not saying that you had to be with her but there are legal actions that you could have taken. You need to leave.¡± I pull away from him as hard as I can.


    ¡°Baby, please. I wanted toe clean with you. Riley, I need you. Don¡¯t leave me like this.¡± His grip is getting stronger.


    ¡°Dn, get off me now. Get out.¡± I make sure every ounce of anger in my body is ryed to him. He looks in my eyes and sees it there and knows I am not listening to anything else.


    He loosened his grip. ¡°Baby, I will give you time. I love you, when you leave, don¡¯t forget it. I know you will be back someday, I will be here waiting.¡± Then he is gone.


    I sag down to the floor. I feel everything crashing down on me. I know what I am going to do now. There is no way I can stay in this town right now. I pick up my phone and call Katelyn. ¡°Hey, we are leaving on time.¡±


    She can hear the hurt in my voice. ¡°I am going to kill him.¡± That¡¯s my best friend, people. She doesn¡¯t even know what happened but she is on my side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just leave. Tell Kevin. I just want to be out of here. I can¡¯t be here any more.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I will. Do you want me toe over?¡± I can hear the concern in her voice.


    ¡°No, I just want to be alone right now. I will be ready on Friday. The movers should be here first thing. I will be ready by noon. I¡¯ll meet you here then, ready to go.¡±


    ¡°Ok, let me know if you change your mind and I will be there in a sh.¡±


    ¡°I know. Thanks.¡± I end the call and I feel like I have ended everything with that call. All thest bit of strength that I had is gone. I fall into the hole that is ready to envelope me. I think at some point my mom came in to try tofort me because thest thing I remember was being tucked into my bed. She knows not to prod, but I am sure she heard me yell at Dn to get out. She knows what caused this, she is just going to give me time to deal.


    Fridayes before I can even blink. Somehow in my stupor I have managed to finish packing. I think my mom helped a big deal. After Dn she knew I wasn¡¯t sticking around. So when the movers showed up first thing in the morning I was ready for them. I point them to the items I want taken. Which is almost everything, but the bed and desk. I leave those. They load up the truck in about an hour with my car attached to a tow dolly in the back. They will probably arrive at the house before me since we decided to make a trip out of it and take Katelyn¡¯s SUV for a drive. Three thousand miles is quite a trip.


    At noon Katelyn is at my house with Kevin. They both hug me before we load up. I throw my bag in the truck with theirs and kiss my mom and Aunt Polly then we are off. After a few miles of silence they look at me. ¡°Want to tell us what happened cause this silence is going to grate on my nerves the whole ride?¡± Kevin, ever the subtle one.


    ¡°Dn told me that I was a tool to get Brittney back. Ok, he said that was at first but still, who uses a person like that?¡±


    Kevin grumbles. ¡°I will kill him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done. He started out telling me that Brittney is pregnant. He isn¡¯t so sure that it is his but that night at the party he was going back to her. He said me showing up in the room was a sign that he shouldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t even know what the hell is going through that guy¡¯s mind.¡±


    Kevin shrugs. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change things, I am still going to kill him.¡±


    Katelyn res at him, ¡°Get in line Romeo. I am going to kill him first. She is my best friend.¡±


    ¡°Mine too.¡±


    Iugh then I look at Katelyn who is driving, ¡°Romeo?¡±


    She rolls her eyes. ¡°This one seems to think he can woo me. So he has earned the nickname Romeo. Not that I think he is going to get very far but he can try all he wants.¡±


    Kevin grins. ¡°Oh, I will woo you. I will woo the shit out of you.¡±


    I can¡¯t help butugh. These two are exactly what I needed in order to feel better. Don¡¯t get me wrong I need the time to grieve for what Dn and I had, but these two were going to make it better. ¡°All for one, one for all.¡± I yell out and they follow me. ¡°Alright, who has the booze? I know we are not taking this trip without any.¡± Kevin produces a bottle of tequ from the backseat.


    ¡°Your favorite. We are going to take turns driving today, so we won¡¯t drink for now. You have no driving today so drink away.¡±


    Katelyn looks at me, ¡°We are going to take our time. Don¡¯t worry I hired someone to be there when the stuff gets to the house. It is a cousin so he won¡¯t screw me over. He¡¯s going to watch the shit until we get there. Don¡¯t worry, we are in a fun zone and we know you need to rx the most.¡±


    I don¡¯t hesitate and take the bottle, ¡°Damn straight. Now music, I am going to drink and sing and whatever else I feel like until I pass out.¡±


    Kevin nods. ¡°This is going to be fun. Drunk Riley is a fun Riley.¡±


    I passed out after an hour. I wake with a bad headache and we are sitting outside a crappy hotel. I look at Katelyn who is still in the driver¡¯s seat but I don¡¯t think that was how it was the whole time. ¡°Morning sleepy head. Kevin is getting us checked in and we will get you in bed. I have some pain killers in my bag, and some hydration and you will wake up right as rain.¡±


    I mumble something incoherent. I hope it sounds like ¡°thank you.¡± I feel my phone vibrating. I look at it, it is a little fuzzy but I think I see my mom¡¯s name. ¡°Hello,¡± I groaned into the phone. I should really not be on this, but I promised my mom that I wouldn¡¯t ignore her calls.


    ¡°Baby, you left already. I wanted to talk to you before you left. Your mom said you left this afternoon. Baby, please you need to talk to me.¡± Fuck wrong name.


    ¡°Dn I don¡¯t think I am in the position to talk right now. I need to have a good sleep right now. I will call youter when I feel more like talking.¡±


    ¡°Baby, please talk to me.¡± I ended the call. I really have no brain capacity for his crap.


    I hand the phone to Katelyn, ¡°Only give it to me if it is my mother. I have no desire to talk to him right now.¡± She doesn¡¯t say anything as she takes the phone and slides it into her bag.


    Kevines back and opens my door. ¡°You are not going to believe this. I got us a room with three beds. They had this cool option. Two full sized beds and a twin. I am going to carry the bags. Katelyn you carry Riley.¡±


    Katelynughs andes to my side of the car to help me out of the car. When we make it to the room I am relieved to see that it is decent on the inside. I figured with the outside it would be crap. I just plop myself on the nearest bed. I feel Katelyn wrapping me up like a burrito.


    I drift off. Later I hear Katelyn and Kevin talking. I keep my eyes closed because I really don¡¯t want to open them, not because I am spying. ¡°He keeps calling. I should answer and tell him to bug off.¡±


    ¡°She needs to do it. You know if he doesn¡¯t call and she wants him to then she will be pissed. She just told you to hold it. Not to answer it.¡± Kevin is trying to sound sweet but I can tell he is just as pissed as Katelyn.


    ¡°Ok, so maybe I just want to tell him off.¡± Anger is rolling off of Katelyn.


    ¡°I do too, but it is her choice, not ours. If I had my choice I would have paid him a better visit before we left.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean a better visit?¡±


    ¡°Before we left I punched Dn in the face. He didn¡¯t even fight back, he just said that he deserved worse. I think he actually feels bad.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t change what he did.¡± There is no sympathy from Katelyn.


    ¡°I know. I only feel a little bad for him. I really feel bad for Riley.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°You know they slept together right. That was Riley¡¯s first time. She doesn¡¯t need that held over her head like this. She is going to have this strong pull to him, just because it was her first. She was really in love with him. She is going to be hurt for a while.¡±


    ¡°Were you hurt for a while?¡±


    ¡°Devastated. That is why I have no desire to revisit this.¡±


    ¡°Katelyn you know I am different right?¡± I can hear the sorrow in his voice. He wants her back.


    ¡°I know, I just don¡¯t think I can put myself out there like that right now.¡± The anger has faded to her own sorrow. She likes him. She is just scared.


    ¡°I can wait. I am not going anywhere.¡±


    Then I fade back out. It was getting personal anyway, they didn¡¯t need me listening in.

 Coming to an Agreement

    The next morning my head is still killing me. I dly ept the pills that Katelyn gives me along with Gatorade. I head to the shower and put on clean clothes. I start to feel myself by the time I finish. Ie into the room and see Katelyn and Kevin watching me. ¡°I¡¯m alright guys. Katelyn, can I have my phone. I think I should call my mom. Maybe Dn too. You know, deal with that.¡±


    She eyes me. ¡°Are you sure?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah it needs to be done.¡± I hold my hand out for my phone. She hesitates for a minute and then hands it over.


    I take the phone and go outside. There is a chair by the door that I sit in. I contemte who to call first and decide on my mom. ¡°Hey mom, just checking in.¡±


    ¡°I am so d to hear from you. Dn came over after you left and he looked really disappointed that he missed you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think he will miss me.¡± I don¡¯t want to go into details with my mom, she knows that things happened.


    ¡°How is the trip so far? Are you having fun?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Katelyn and Kevin are great. This is really fun. It will take us about a week but it will be worth it. I didn¡¯t want to be in a ne. Maybe a train would have been better.¡±


    ¡°I love to travel by train. Think about it sometime. I miss you already. I will keep busy though. I do have some news for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Your father came by and he brought the divorce papers. I feel liberated really. He said something about someone else, so you might have a stepmom sometime. I just thought it was something you should know.¡± I can hear a tinge of sadness. I don¡¯t like hearing my mom like that.


    ¡°I am d you feel good about it mom. Don¡¯t worry about the whole stepmom thing. I would have to spend time with my dad to even acknowledge her. Right now I do not see that happening. He really doesn¡¯t care to spend time with me, so why should I try to spend time with him.¡±


    ¡°He might just be busy right now. Don¡¯t write him off just yet. I know he loves you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t but he is going to have to make the first step. I am not going to be pinging his phone all the time.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of phones, I will be paying your bill while you are in school. I know you are going to be tight on money, so this is one thing you won¡¯t have to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Thanks mom. So I just wanted to check in. I need to get some breakfast before we hit the road again. I think I am driving the first leg.¡±


    ¡°Alright honey, I love you, call when you can. Oh, and Riley, call Dn. Get some closure.¡± It isn¡¯t a demand, but a suggestion. She really does like Dn.


    ¡°I will mom. I love you. I¡¯ll talk to you soon.¡±


    I ended the call and paused for a minute before I called Dn. It only rang once before he picked up. ¡°Thank God. I thought you weren¡¯t going to talk to me ever again.¡±


    ¡°I will talk to you. I just think you have more important things that you need to deal with right now.¡± I try to keep the anger out of my voice I really do, but I am sure that it has crept in there.


    ¡°Nothing is more important to me than you right now.¡±


    ¡°What about that baby?¡±


    ¡°I told you I don¡¯t think it is mine. I will of course have a paternity test done to determine if I am the father. If I am, I am filing for full custody. See taken care of. Now you. Baby, don¡¯t leave me. I told you before we can work on this long distance thing.¡±


    I take a deep breath because this really pains me to say this. ¡°Maybe we should just cool things down for now. Maybe it would be best to curb it until Ie back. I mean a lot of things can happen in four years. You could meet someone that you actually want to be with from the start.¡±


    ¡°Riley I do want to be with you. I do now and I will in the future.¡±


    ¡°I know you say that now, but like I said four years is a long time. I will still be your friend. I¡¯ll still be here for you.¡±


    ¡°You remember that promise that you made. To always be there for me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course I do.¡± I think it is the only reason why I am on the phone right now. Cause I definitely do not want to talk.


    ¡°How you can do that for me is whenever I call, you answer. I need you more than you know. If you can do that for me for the next four years then I will wait if that is what you really want.¡±


    ¡°This is what I need right now. It may not be what I want, but I want to know that you really want me. Right now I feel like a constion prize. I don¡¯t like that feeling. Dn I need to know that I didn¡¯t hold you back from anything.¡±


    ¡°You could never hold me back. You aren¡¯t that type of person.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but it wouldn¡¯t change how you would feel if you were trapped in a rtionship with me.¡±


    ¡°You could never trap me. Baby I want to be with you.¡±


    ¡°Dn, do me a favor.¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡± I can hear the hope in his voice. As if he can do this one thing then he will be back in my good graces.


    ¡°Date, try out the world out there without me. If in four years you still have the same feelings for me and I you then we can talk about this rtionship thing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do that.¡± His voice has dropped. The hope is gone.


    ¡°Do it for me.¡±


    ¡°As long as you answer whenever I call. I know there might be times in ss, but I will try to only text then. Just don¡¯t stop being there for me.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I got to go. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡± Then he ends the call. I think he doesn¡¯t want to hear a response to that. I am not even sure if I would have said anything anyway.

 Baby Plans

    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    When I find out that Riley is gone I feel crushed. I wanted her to stay. Or at least talk to me before she went. I knew she would be leaving some day, but I didn¡¯t want her to before I had a chance to talk to her. I love this woman and she is making it incredibly difficult to know if she is there with me.


    I tried calling like a million times, when she finally picks it up it is a brush off. I am not sure if she knew it was me when she answered. At least it wasn¡¯t hostile. It was the first time I had heard her voice in days. I need to hear it again. I keep calling. She keeps not answering.


    Finally in the morning I got a call. I swear I hadn¡¯t slept a wink all night trying to find a way to get her to talk to me. When she finally calls I am ovee. Then she makes the most ridiculous request of me in the entire world. How can I date someone else when I am in love with her? How can she make a request like that? I am starting to wonder if she even knows how much I love her.


    After talking to her though I decided it was time to talk to my dad about all this crap with Brittney. I head into his study after I am done talking with Riley. I wish I could have gotten to talk to her longer, but at least it was a conversation. I knock on my dad¡¯s door and enter only after hearing a e in.¡± When I enter he is sitting behind his big mahogany desk that he is so proud of. Taking a seat in the leather seat that sits in front of the desk I begin, ¡°Dad I have a problem that I need your help with.¡±


    He looks up from his papers. He gives me a look over like the problem is on my face or something. Then he leans back to listen, obviously he did not find the answer on my face. ¡°Alright what is it? Whatever it is, I am sure that we can find a solution.¡± He folds his hands over his chest ready to take in whatever I have to say.


    ¡°Ok, this isn¡¯t easy for me. So you remember my ex-girlfriend, Brittney.¡± I wait for him to acknowledge the question.


    ¡°Yeah, the slut.¡± Thanks dad I needed that right now.


    ¡°Yeah, so anyway. She came to mest week saying that she was pregnant and it was mine. She said that it was before she cheated on me so it had to be mine.¡±


    ¡°Did you sleep with her?¡± He is point nk not judging.


    ¡°Yes, but I used protection. I was very careful.¡± I assure him.


    ¡°You know those things are not one hundred percent right?¡± He gives me a pointed look.


    ¡°Yes, I know that is why I aming to you. She is trying to say if I don¡¯t get back with her then she wont let me see the baby. She is trying to ckmail me with it. I am not even sure if it is mine. I mean she did cheat on me.¡± Iy it all out to him. He has to know what to do.


    ¡°Do you still have feelings for this girl?¡±


    ¡°No, I moved on. Unfortunately I screwed that up.¡±


    ¡°Ok, one drama at a time. If you don¡¯t have feelings for her then you are not getting back together with her. Last thing you need to decide is if you are ready to take on a kid. There is adoption.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I know if I screwed up then I need to own up. I will take on the kid. I just don¡¯t know if it is indeed mine. I don¡¯t really think Brittney would be a good mother, I mean she is already using it as some leverage option.¡±


    ¡°My next question is going to sound weird, but I need to know. Are you willing to take on this baby, even if it isn¡¯t yours?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I am silent for a moment. I never really thought about this. I mean I wasn¡¯t really ready to be a father and to take on a child that isn¡¯t even mine. I am not so sure. After a minute I think about the guy that Brittney cheated on me with. There is no way that either of them will be good parents. I can¡¯t save every child, but I can save this one. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± I say it with more conviction than I feel.


    He looks over to judge me and then he grins. ¡°Alright then we have a case. I will file the papers, we are going to get custody of that child before it is even born. Then after the birth we will have a paternity test. If it is yours then we are covered. If not then we will final for formal adoption so that some asshole can¡¯te along and im it out from under you. This is going to be a battle. Are you ready for that son? She might have character witnesses that say you are a bad guy. We need to debunk them. You will need as many witnesses as possible on your side and as many against her as possible. You and I are going to work together on this son.¡±


    ¡°Thank you dad. I will work hard on this. It is not something that I am taking lightly. I tried to work out another option, it is just no reasoning with Brittney.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine. Now about this other girl. What did you do?¡± He gives me a stern pointed look.


    ¡°I hid the whole Brittney thing from her. Then I told her that when I first was seeing her it was to piss off Brittney. I mean it was but I care about this girl, dad. I love her. Right now she has left town to find a job before college, in California. I can barely get her to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that she ising back? I mean this might mean that she is just moving on.¡±


    ¡°Her family owns the library in town, she is the only one to take it over when her mom and aunt retire. She ns to return after college.¡±


    ¡°You mean Peggy¡¯s girl?¡± He gives me a quizzical look.


    ¡°Yeah, do you know her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have worked with her at the library a few times. A good girl. How the hell did yound that one?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know. All I know is I screwed it up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am sure with time you can fix it. I am working with her mother on the divorce so that will be interesting.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Peggy knows about everything that happened. I don¡¯t think Riley told her. She still seems ok with me. I don¡¯t think you will have a problem. I mean she invited me to breakfast tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good at least. If you want this girl back you are going to have to jump through a lot of hoops. She doesn¡¯t seem to like a lot of hohum. She seems like a straightforward girl. If you really love her then work at it. If she loves you then she will return to you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks dad. I am going to be on the lookout for those witnesses. Let me know what else I will need to do.¡±


    ¡°I want you to have a summer job too. I suggest you start looking. It will show the court that you are responsible. I can only do so much for you. I will be your support system as well as your mother. Speaking of which, you are going to need to discuss this with her. I am not a ry between that. You need to tell her about being a grandmother.¡±


    ¡°God, I didn¡¯t think of that. She is going to lose it isn¡¯t she?¡± As if the world wasn¡¯t done swallowing me whole my mother is behind me.


    ¡°What will make me lose it?¡± She gives a stern look.


    I take a big breath, because I know that she is not going to like this. ¡°Brittney says she is pregnant and it is mine. I just talked to dad about winning custody of the baby.¡±


    The silence that follows is enough to kill me. My mother turns about five different colors and then finally when she hasposed herself enough she begins. ¡°So, you are saying that you are a father.¡± She is speaking slowly and steadily.


    ¡°Yes, although I am not totally sure that the kid is mine. I just don¡¯t want it to have Brittney as a parent.¡±


    She sneers, ¡°that slut could care less about a child. What if you find out that it isn¡¯t yours?¡±


    ¡°I have made up my mind that I am taking it no matter what.¡±


    She contemtes for a moment. Then my father adds. ¡°I think it is very admirable of him. Besides, he seems to have learned his lesson: he is courting Peggy¡¯s daughter.¡±


    All of the sudden my mother¡¯s face lights up. ¡°Oh, Riley. I like her. You really have upgraded. Best of luck to you on that.¡±


    She gives me a big smile. ¡°Wait, how do you know Riley?¡±


    ¡°When I do my book club I go down to the library and discuss next month¡¯s book with her. She has great suggestions. She is a great girl. You should have found her sooner.¡± My mother looks at me smuggly. I am starting to think that she likes Riley more than me.


    ¡°It is still in the works. I have a lot of work to do. Making sure I have my life in order as well as wooing a girl that is three thousand miles away is going to be a lot of work.¡±


    My mother looks at me like I am a disappointment. ¡°I did not raise you to settle for the basics. You better put your best foot forward.¡±


    ¡°Yes mom. I have to go. I have to get a resume together, so if you two will excuse me.¡± I step out of the office and I can hear my parents talking before I even leave the room.


    ¡°Are you sure about this Howard? He is just a boy himself.¡±


    ¡°He can handle it. He came to me like a man, he is ready to be one. He understands that it is going to be work.¡±


    I am so d to be out of that room. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me. At least I know my father is on my side.

 A New Roommate

    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    When we arrive at the house dayster it is nice to see, the car is no longer a ce that I want to hang out, no matter how great it is. We lug ourselves inside and just drop our bags right there in the entrance hall. I am a little taken back. Katelyn had pictures of the house, but seeing it in person is a different story. You know when they take real estate pictures and they make all the rooms look bigger, well with this house I think they did the opposite. Everything seems huge. The stairs are like eight feet wide, with this grand banister. The entry way is massive. It is a lot like Katelyn¡¯s house back home, but still bigger.


    As I study the house, stuck in my spot by the door, a man appears at the top of the stairs. He is tall and dark, tanned skin and dark hair. He is wearing a pair of jeans and a dark blue shirt. He has a handsome smile on his face as he looks over at us. ¡°Finally I thought you guys would never get here.¡±


    Katelyn gives him a half smile. ¡°Yeah, well we weren¡¯t in a hurry to see you.¡±


    Heughs as hees off the stairs and grabs Katelyn into a hug. ¡°Don¡¯t lie, you missed me.¡±


    ¡°How could I miss you, stink breath?¡± She rolls her eyes. ¡°This is Kevin and Riley. Be nice. Guys this is Alex, my cousin.¡±


    Alex lets go of Katelyn and gives Kevin a handshake. Then his eyes fall on me, he takes my hand and kisses the palm. ¡°You are so going to make it worth living here.¡±


    ¡°I said be nice. She isn¡¯t for you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what does he mean by living here?¡± I hear a little panic in my voice. I am not in the right mind frame to be pushing away Casanova night and day.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you. I am going to be living here. It was our parents¡¯ idea, not mine. I tried to get my own ce but it wasn¡¯t working out. Since the family owns the house it is logical that we live here.¡± He still hasn¡¯t let go of my hand. I pulled it away.


    ¡°Alex, please leave Riley alone. She just had a bad breakup and she doesn¡¯t need you down her neck as soon as she gets here.¡± Katelyn pulls him away. Thank God I have a buffer. Then I almost stopped in my tracks by his next words.


    ¡°I can make her forget him.¡± God he is hot, if it wasn¡¯t for a certain man who has been haunting my brain for the past month I would have fell for him in an instant.


    ¡°Not this girl. Back off or you¡¯re sleeping in the garage.¡± Katelyn scolds him.


    ¡°Alright, alright, jeez I am just having a little fun. This is the girl you were always talking about. I take it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is my best friend and I will keep her away from the likes of you. Her heart has been hurt enough, she doesn¡¯t need you and your games.¡±


    Alex throws his hands up in a surrender position. ¡°Alright I get it. I will give her space. As long as she knows that my personal bubble is a lot smaller than other people.¡±


    Kevin steps in front of me. ¡°She said space. Dude, respect that or we are going to have problems.¡±


    Alex and Kevin stare at each other for a minute and then Alex shrugs. ¡°Fine, I will give her space.¡±


    I roll my eyes, ¡°Guys I can take care of myself. As charming as Casanova is, he has no chance with me at the moment.¡±


    His eyes light up with humor. ¡°Oh, I could test that theory.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead Casanova. You will lose.¡±


    ¡°You think I am Casanova. I am honored.¡± This earns him an extra eye roll.


    Kevin puts his hands up in surrender. ¡°Alright I will let you go. I will be watching you though. You do anything I think is crossing the line. I will make sure you know it.¡±


    Alex points his thumb at Kevin and turns to Katelyn, ¡°Who is this guy? You never brought him up before.¡±


    ¡°That is because I don¡¯t talk to you about my love life. Nor is it any of your business. He will be living here too. I invited him. It is big enough here.¡±


    ¡°Love life, is he your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Was. None of your business. Now go order some dinner while we unload this crap and pick our rooms.¡±


    ¡°How does your ex boyfriend rank in the housemate category?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, none of your business. He is my friend.¡±


    I pick up my bag and head for the stairs. ¡°Thanks guys, I have forgotten all about Dn already. Let¡¯s keep up the bickering and see how long itsts.¡± I don¡¯t even look back as I climb the stairs. I didn¡¯t mean to be testy but I have been stuck in a car for a week, I am tired and depressed. Thest thing I need is to spend my first night in my new ce bickering.


    I found a room that has a window seat. This looks nice. A desk to study at and arge bed. I am not sure where all of my stuff is but I will deal with that tomorrow. This is my room. I throw my bag in the closet and throw myself on the bed. Just as I make contact my phone rings.


    I groan and look at it. It¡¯s him, of course it is. ¡°Hello,¡±


    ¡°Hey, how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Alright I guess. You?¡±


    ¡°I miss you. I feel like you are too far away.¡±


    Just then Alex decided he would enter my room. ¡°Hey, I wanted to apologize. I don¡¯t want you to hate me right out the gate.¡± I am not sure if he realizes that I am on the phone or not.


    ¡°Who is that? It doesn¡¯t sound like Kevin.¡± Panic has risen in Dn¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Really? You want to go there with it. After everything. I can talk to who I want to when I want to. You have no say Dn. I answer because you asked me too, do not put a wedge there.¡±


    Alex has a shocked look on his face. I don¡¯t think he expected me to talk like that to someone.


    ¡°Baby, I¡¯m sorry. I just get jealous. I want you to be happy. I really do. I just want you back here already. I don¡¯t want you to move on.¡±


    ¡°If I move on, I will. You don¡¯t have a choice in that matter. Dn I told you to date while I was gone. What makes you think I wouldn¡¯t go on a date too? Maybe I want to make sure that you are the one for me. I am not stupid enough to think that you are going to stay with me. After all, you have Brittney sniffing around.¡±


    ¡°You know I want you, not her.¡±


    ¡°This week. Maybe next week the baby will really be yours and then you will be clinging to her like a life raft. How should I know? I have to go Dn before I say something I will really regret.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡± I hung up.


    The tears fell. I think Ipletely forgot about Alex being there. He ces his arm around my shoulder and I continue to cry. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s going to get better I promise.¡± His hand is rubbing circles on my back. It is oddlyforting. Then I realize that I really don¡¯t know this guy and here he isforting me.


    I rub the tears from my face. ¡°Sorry, you didn¡¯t need to see that.¡±


    He gives me aforting smile. ¡°Hey, it happens. Look, I know I came off kind of strong down there. I really don¡¯t want to push you. I will cool it. You just be you, ok.¡±


    I nod to him. ¡°Thanks. You are being cool. I don¡¯t know how many guys would sit here andfort a girl that they don¡¯t belong to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me, shoulder to cry on guy. Just remember I will be here for you too. I won¡¯t push you. You obviously had a bad break up. He still calls huh?¡±


    ¡°Everyday. My dumb ass told him that I would always pick up. I really don¡¯t know what I was thinking. I guess I really just want him to actually say something that will make it all better. He made me feel used and second rate. Somehow I want him to take it back. I want to be his everything, like he was for me.¡±


    Alex puts his finger under my chin and makes me look at him. ¡°If you weren¡¯t his everything then he missed out. I can see you really care about that guy. He missed out on an amazing woman. You are not the one to me. If he didn¡¯t make you feel that way then he doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡±


    I give him a weak smile. That is like the sweetest thing. ¡°Thank you.¡± I take a deep breath. ¡°That actually helps a bit.¡±


    He pats my leg and then stands. ¡°Now that pizza should be here soon, let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    ¡°I think I need a drink too.¡±


    He nods then gives me a smile. ¡°I think that can be arranged. Let¡¯s get down there, before your friends think I am osting you up here.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°Yeah right. You¡¯re smooth but not that smooth.¡±


    He holds his hand to his chest. ¡°You wound me.¡± Then heughs too. ¡°You have a niceugh. You should do it all the time.¡±


    ¡°If Iughed all the time I am sure it would be annoying. Grating on the ears.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you. I have to call my mom and let her know that I made it here.¡± He just nods then leaves. He is going to be nice to live with. He could be a real friend. And maybe something more when I get over Dn. I mean how could I keep doing this with someone who really didn¡¯t want me to begin with.


    I look at my phone just when I am about to call my mom, a text dings through.


    Dn: I¡¯m sorry. Please baby. I love you.


    Me: I just need you to know that. I am not second fiddle. I am a person who deserves to be recognized.


    Dn: Baby you are everything. I don¡¯t want anyone else. If I had a choice then I would be there in a second. I want to hold you close. I feel this void with you gone.


    Me: Four years really isn¡¯t that long. If you still feel that way then we¡¯ll talk about it.


    Dn: Don¡¯t go away from me please. I still need the door open.


    Me: You have no idea how beat up I am over this.


    Dn: Baby don¡¯t be upset.


    Me: How can I not be? Do you think I want this?


    Dn: All I can say is I love you. I know I brought this on. I will do whatever it takes to make it better.


    Me: Just have a life, if you still want me in four years we can revisit this.


    Dn: I¡¯m scared.


    Me: Why?


    Dn: You are so great I am going to lose you. I don¡¯t want to. I need you.


    Me: If you do it is because we are meant to be.


    Dn: I still am scared.


    Me: I have to go Dn.


    Dn: I love you.


    I click over to the call feature. I dial up my mom. ¡°Hey sweety, did you make it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We are getting ready to have dinner and then I think I am going to hit this bed. It is so nice to be out of that car.¡±


    ¡°Next time take a train. It will be fun. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. It is like a hotel that moves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it mom. Is everything going well there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that boy keepsing by. He knows you aren¡¯t here, but I don¡¯t know he seems to beforted bying for breakfast. He has been here three days in a row. We talk about you.¡±


    ¡°Dn shouldn¡¯t be bothering you. I¡¯m sorry mom.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a bother. I think he really misses you. I don¡¯t know what happened with you two but he is hurt by it. I just thought that you should know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks mom. I got to go, everyone is waiting for me. We are eating dinner now.¡±


    ¡°Alright hun. Call me when you can. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too mom.¡±


    I head down to dinner. The pizza had arrived while I was on the phone.


    ¡°There she is. Mom must have talked your ear off.¡± Alexughed.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a talker. Apparently she has been having morning chats with Dn.¡±


    Everyone became a bit somber. ¡°Is that the guy¡¯s name?¡± Alex asks.


    ¡°Yes. He has been having breakfast with my mother. She says they talk about me. And that he is pretty torn up. I want to say he deserves it, but I just can¡¯t bring myself to think that way.¡±


    Alex smiles, ¡°Well I can. He deserves it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what he did.¡± I roll my eyes at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, anyone who would hurt a girl deserves to suffer.¡± Alex says.


    Katelyn rolls her eyes. ¡°As much as it pains me to agree with him. Dn does deserve it. He made you feel second rate. No one should feel that way. Dn should suffer a little. No matter how much he cares about you. He needs to treat you better.¡±


    Kevin nods. ¡°I agree. I mean Dn is my friend too, but he needs to treat you better. I know he is sorry, but he has some time to mull it over.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, you guys. Pizza now. I need to unwind and then go to bed.¡±


    ¡°What about your drink?¡± Alex asks.


    ¡°I changed my mind. I just need to have a break. A good night¡¯s sleep will be good for me.¡±

 The Morning that Changed Everything

    The days seemed to fly by. Before I knew it we had been there for three weeks. Things had gotten easier. My daily calls with Dn were hurting a little less. Still hurt quite a bit but his assurances that he loved me was helping a little. He hadn¡¯t gone back to Brittney like I thought he would. He was still telling me every night that he loved me. I know it won¡¯tst but it wasforting for now.


    This particr morning I woke up ready to upchuck everything I have ever eaten. All the bedrooms had ensuite bathrooms, so I spent a good part of the morning in there. Katelyn came to check on me when I didn¡¯te down for breakfast. ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°No, I just really like this toilet. Of course I¡¯m sick.¡± I groaned at her.


    She came over and felt my head. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever.¡±


    ¡°Still throwing up. Thank you for that update.¡±


    ¡°Boy you are cranky this morning. Are you?¡± She got quiet. She didn¡¯t even finish the question.


    ¡°Am I what?¡± I look up at her.


    ¡°When was thest time you had your period?¡±


    ¡°Um, well. Oh, crap. I didn¡¯t even think of that with the move and everything with Dn. It can¡¯t be though. I can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Really because you guys were oh so careful. Come on, the first two times you guys did it was in the heat of the moment. I doubt there was much protection and I know you are not on the pill.¡±


    I start to cry. ¡°Katelyn. I can¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Shees to the floor with me and pulls me to her. ¡°I am here for you. You are not doing this alone. I will go get you a test. You stay right here. Don¡¯t tell the guys anything ok. I don¡¯t want their nosy butts involved until we know for sure.¡±


    I nod at her. God please let her be wrong. Somehow I am doubting that. I know what this is now. We weren¡¯t careful, I didn¡¯t even think about it. What the hell am I going to do?


    I managed to make it back to the bed andy down. After about twenty minutes Alexes in with a bowl and sets it down on the bedside table. The smell alone makes me gag. It is only chicken noodle. ¡°Katelyn said you were sick. Is there anything that you need? I made soup. When I say made. I threw it in a bowl and put it in the microwave.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but smile. Even though I want to throw up some more. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can hold anything right now. Thanks though.¡±


    ¡°No, problem. Holler for me if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°I will, thanks Alex.¡±


    ¡°I am here to please.¡± He lifts his eyebrows suggestively.


    ¡°Oh, if only I met you first.¡±


    ¡°Hey I am a patient man. I can wait for this guy to get out of your system. You are one of those girls you don¡¯t give up on.¡±


    ¡°You might be waiting a while.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you¡¯re worth the wait.¡± Alex patted my back and left the room.


    I can¡¯t help but cry. I know it is toote for anything with Alex. Dn is literally stuck with me for life. I just don¡¯t know how to deal with this.


    Katelynes back about twenty minutester. ¡°Sorry, that took so long. I didn¡¯t know what one to get. I wound up getting like five. Come on, let¡¯s get this over with. At this point if the test doesn¡¯te up positive then there is something wrong with it. Or else you aren¡¯t and there is something else wrong with you.¡±


    I trudge into the bathroom like I am on my way to my death. Katelynughs at me. ¡°This isn¡¯t the end of the world you know? We will be here for you. Besides I am sure if you tell Dn he will be here in a second. You won¡¯t have to go through this alone.¡±


    I look at her. ¡°I don¡¯t want Dn to know.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? He is the father he should know.¡±


    ¡°I know he is the father, but he doesn¡¯t need to know. At least not now. I am not going to be like Brittney and try to pressure him into being with me for a baby.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need any pressure. Sure he did wrong but he isn¡¯t leaving you alone.¡±


    ¡°I know, but he needs to know for one hundred percent certainty that he wants me. I want him to live first. We are young, just starting college. A whole life. He doesn¡¯t need this right now.¡±


    ¡°Riley it takes two to tango. He had to know this was a possibility. I mean he was there too.¡±


    ¡°Katelyn, I mean it, not one word to him about this. Dn needs to live his life.¡±


    She grits her teeth. ¡°Fine, just take the damn test will you. I won¡¯t tell Dn. For now. I don¡¯t know how long I can hold my tongue but I will for now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Now give me the tests. I will take a couple now just to be sure.¡±


    ¡°Take all five for all I care. I think I already know the answer.¡±


    She leaves me with the tests. I know she is probably right but I really hope we are wrong. As I sit in the bathroom waiting for the lines on the test I am shocked how quickly theye up. I mean the tests say at least three minutes. I tell you it was like one minute there were plus signs and double pink lines everywhere. I did take all the tests. Every single one came up positive.


    When I came out of the bathroom I knew Katelyn could tell by the look on my face what it was, but she still asked. ¡°What¡¯s the verdict?¡±


    ¡°Positive.¡± I whisper. She can still hear me. She gets up off my bed and scoops me in a hug.


    ¡°We got this girl. That baby is going to have so much love it is going to drown in it. I know how we can work out the school thing. I will help you with money so you don¡¯t have to work right now. Just promise me one thing. Don¡¯t wait forever to tell Dn.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I will tell him. At thetest it will be in four years when Ie back.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t wait that long.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    There is a knock on my door and Kevin pokes his head in. ¡°I heard we had a sickly. Is there anything I can do?¡± I nodded and put my arm out to indicate I wanted a hug. He didn¡¯t hesitate, he came straight to my arms. ¡°Why are we all hugging? Did someone die?¡±


    Iugh, I would be pissed if it was true, but since it isn¡¯t I figure it is funny. ¡°No, but can you get Alex? I think I should tell everyone at once.¡±


    He pulls away and looks at me. ¡°Ok, now I am worried.¡±


    ¡°Just go get Alex will you.¡± Katelyn snaps at him. He groans and then leaves to get Alex, more like yelling at him. He leaves the room hollering Alex¡¯s name, rather than going to get him. Alex must not have been far because he came to the room in a minute.


    Katelyn and I had made it to the bed and were sitting there waiting for them to get back. As soon as Alex came in looking a bit bewildered I took a deep breath and started. ¡°So, It would seem that I am not as done with Dn as I had hoped for at the moment.¡±


    Kevin gives me a sideways look. ¡°What the hell does that mean? Are you leaving?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No, but I am pregnant.¡± It is silent for a good five minutes. I think everyone is stund.


    Katelyn breaks the silence. ¡°Hey guys this is a good thing. Babies are blessings. She will be a terrific mother and she has us to help out.¡±


    Kevin looks at me. ¡°Are you going to tell him?¡±


    ¡°Eventually. Not now. I don¡¯t want to be Brittney. He needs to choose to be with us. I will not force him. I am going to ask you not to tell him Kevin. I know you talk to him just as much as I do.¡±


    Kevin rolls his eyes. ¡°You know how happy he would be to hear about this. He does not want Brittney to be pregnant but that is not because of the baby, it is because of Brittney. He is just hoping that the paternity test says that he ain¡¯t the daddy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and you know what he will do. He will jump on a ne and put everything on hold to be here. I will not put his life on hold because of me. He needs a life outside of me.¡±


    ¡°Riley, he loves you. He would want to know. He deserves to know.¡±


    ¡°Kevin, he will know. Just let it be right now ok.¡±


    ¡°Not until you give me a good reason.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be like my parents, ok. They stayed together for my sake. It made my life and theirs miserable. Just give me damn time.¡± Tears are streaming down my face.


    Alex takes charge. ¡°Alright, I think that is enough stress on the baby for one day. Let¡¯s cool it. Kevin lets go to the store and get some crackers and ginger ale. It is the only thing that my mom could hold down when she was first pregnant with my sister. It will be good for her.¡± He pulls Kevin out of the room.


    Katelyn is rubbing my back. ¡°I hate to agree with him, but he is right. Dn deserves to know and make the choice himself. I love you, but I think you are making the wrong choice here. You are not your parents hun. However, I will be here for you nheless. That baby is not going to want for nothing with Aunty Katelyn around.¡±


    I give a smallugh. ¡°Yeah, you know you¡¯re the Godmother right?¡±


    ¡°Damn straight. Now get some rest. I will talk to Kevin, I am sure he will be a stick in the mud about it, but he will do what you want. Maybe you should tell your mom and aunt. They would like to know.¡±


    ¡°Now them, I will tell.¡± I lean back on the bed. My stomach has settled down for now. ¡°Can you open the window please? I don¡¯t want to throw up again. Fresh air is the best right now.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± She opens the window.


    I pull out my phone when she leaves. I see a message there from Dn.


    Dn: Good morning, beautiful. I was thinking ofing to visit you.


    Crap no, he can¡¯t do that. Me: I am pretty busy right now. It might be best if you don¡¯t. Plus I¡¯m sick. I don¡¯t want to give it to you.


    Dn: I could nurse you back to health.


    Me: No it is best you work out your stuff there. I know that Brittney thing is still up in the air.


    Dn: I have already decided that I am taking on the baby. I am not going to be with Brittney. She doesn¡¯t seem to really care.


    Me: See sounds like a lot on your te. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.


    Dn: I already have it worked out. But I won¡¯t have time to see you after the baby gets here. That was why I wanted to go now.


    Me: I just don¡¯t think it is best right now.


    Dn: Then start video chatting with me. I want to see your face.


    Me: Maybe sometimes. Not all the time ok. I want you to date and have a life.


    Dn: You are my life.


    Me: You¡¯re getting ready to be a dad. There is more to your life now.


    Dn: I know but you are my life too. I know that when you get back here you will be a great mom.


    Me: Yeah, I have been told that.


    Dn: Was it that guy?


    Me: Dn, that guy is Katelyn¡¯s cousin. He lives here. There is nothing going on between us.


    Dn: I saw his picture. He is really attractive.


    Me: You want to date him. I didn¡¯t know you swung that way.


    Dn: You know what I mean.


    Me: I am not some horn dog. I am heartbroken Dn. I have no desire to be with anyone.


    Dn: I¡¯m sorry.


    Me: You should be.


    Dn: I won¡¯t say anything about that guy again. Video chat with me.


    Me: Fine tonight at 7 your time.


    Dn: Thank you. I love you.


    Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah.


    I click over to call my mom. She answers quickly. ¡°How are you, baby? I heard you were sick.¡±


    ¡°Is Dn there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can you step into another room, I don¡¯t want Dn to hear what I am going to say?¡±


    ¡°Alright hun.¡± I hear her on the line speak to Dn. ¡°I need a minute.¡± Then there is some rustling. ¡°Ok. I am in my bedroom. What is it? Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Ok mom. I am going to tell you something, but I want you to promise that you will not tell Dn. I don¡¯t care if hell freezes you do not tell him until I say.¡±


    ¡°Ok, you¡¯re scaring me. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Promise.¡±


    ¡°Alright I promise. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I am pregnant.¡± I am pretty sure I heard the phone fall, then there was a scream. Then I heard Dn bust into the room.


    ¡°Are you alright Peggy?¡±


    ¡°Um,, Umm. Yeah, just a spider. It¡¯s gone now. Thanks.¡± She picks up the phone again. But she waits for a few minutes for the door to close again. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I took like five tests mom.¡±


    ¡°Is it Dn¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Who else do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°You need to tell him, baby. He needs to know.¡±


    ¡°I will, but not right now. I just found out, let me get used to the idea. I mean we broke up, this isn¡¯t something that will be easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he got the memo on the breakup. He has been here having breakfast with me every day. I had a date the other night and had to make sure to call Dn and tell him that he couldn¡¯te over. I should not have to do that, if you two broke up.¡±


    ¡°Mom, you shouldn¡¯t have to do that anyway. It sounds like he is dating you. Just tell him to kick rocks or something.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I can see how much he loves you. He sits here every morning and talks about you. I think he feels closer to you being here. A couple of times I found him in your room. I think the guy is hooked. You aren¡¯t getting rid of him as quick as you think. And maybe this baby is a sign from God that you aren¡¯t supposed to.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I am not ready to deal with this ok.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will keep quiet for now. What about Polly have you told her?¡±


    ¡°No, I am getting there.¡±


    ¡°I will tell her when I go in. I will tell her not to tell Dn either. Hees in sometimes and helps out.¡±


    ¡°Jesus the guy is starting to sound obsessed.¡±


    ¡°He just lost you. He needs time to deal. Plus Polly kind of gave him a job.¡±


    ¡°He seems like he is trying to get closer, not get closure.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t want closure. Just think about it baby. You have someone else who is going to need him now too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know mom. Just promise that you won¡¯t tell him alright. I can¡¯t deal with him in my face right now. You and I both know he will be on the first flight out here if he finds out.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Honey, I love you, but you are being stupid right now. I will respect your wishes but I will keep telling you that you are being stupid, until you tell him.¡±


    ¡°Alright mom. I love you too. I need some rest. I just puked my guts out.¡±


    ¡°Ok. make sure you eat. Even though ites back up you still get vitamins from it. Also get some good prenatal vitamins. Make sure you brush your teeth. That is important.¡±


    ¡°Thanks mom. I will. Bye.¡±


    I click off the phone and lean back to think about what everyone has said. I mean he is already taking on a baby, that might not even be his. Would he be able to handle a baby that is his? Would our rtionship be built on a baby and not on actual love? I just don¡¯t know. I need time to think.

 It鈥檚 Time

    You know when they say that nine months is a long time. At some points it seemed like an eternity, other times it seemed like it was too fast. Kevin had gotten over his attitude, although he still told me every chance he could that Dn should know. I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell him. When I would video chat with him I would make sure the camera only showed my face.


    Katelyn was true to her word the baby would not need anything. The room next door had been set up as a nursery, there were tons of clothes and all kinds of stuff that a baby would need. I swear she went way overboard. When I would tell her to stop she would just say, it¡¯s cute.


    Alex has been great. He is supportive. Almost too much. I just don¡¯t feel for him the way I do for Dn. I told him one night that we just met at the wrong time. He still hangs around. I think he might be hoping I change my mind.


    I had worked out my school schedule so that I had campus sses for the first semester and then online sses my second semester. That way I wasn¡¯t in school really when the baby was due and I would have time at home with it after the birth. It was due in February on the tenth.


    A few days before the baby is due I get a call from Dn. ¡°Hey, baby. How are things going?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Fine I guess. Have you started dating yet?¡±


    He is silent for a moment. ¡°I went on a date tonight.¡±


    I feel tears threaten my eyes. ¡°Good. How was it?¡±


    ¡°Not you. I¡¯m trying to do what you said babe. I just don¡¯t think it is going to work. I kept expecting her to do something that you would do. But she wasn¡¯t you.¡± I can hear a baby in the background.


    ¡°You got the baby?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, A little boy. He is a pain in the ass. I know I said I wouldn¡¯t do a paternity test and just take on him, but he looked so much like someone else that I had to check. I was right, he isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    ¡°But you still have him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got attached to the little bugger. Call it an adoption. I have the papers to prove I¡¯m not the father, but I have full custody. Brittney has no say in what I do.¡±


    ¡°How are you doing school?¡±


    ¡°I hired a nanny. She helps out. She is an olderdy, loves the shit out of my son.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°I named him Riley.¡±


    ¡°No you didn¡¯t.¡± Iugh.


    ¡°Yeah, I did that so if I identally say your name on a date I can cover it up with him.¡±


    ¡°No really.¡±


    ¡°Really that is his name. I named him that because it is a great name. I want it on my lips every day. Plus he is stubborn as hell, just like you.¡±


    ¡°Good, someone else to keep you on your toes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he certainly does that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a good dad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a good mother.¡±


    ¡°So I am told.¡±


    ¡°Riley. I miss you. When can I see you? You didn¡¯te back over winter break.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just may not for a while. I want to give you time. I want to make sure that you still want this.¡±


    ¡°Baby, I don¡¯t know what else I can do to prove to you that I want you. I am trying to respect your wishes but it isn¡¯t easy for me. No other girl is doing it for me.¡±


    ¡°Dn, as much as I like hearing those words I just want to give this time. It has only been six months. Ok, maybe a bit more.¡±


    ¡°I know, I just don¡¯t see things changing between now and the time you get back.¡±


    ¡°Then you will still be there, but if you aren¡¯t I can ept that. I don¡¯t want to hold you back in your life.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hold someone back when you are what they want. I love you Riley, please just think about what I said.¡±


    ¡°Just keep doing what I said ok.¡± Tears are fully running down my face now. Alex has silently snuck into the room and isying on the bed with me. He is like a humanforter. He knows this is hard for me, but I think it is hard for him too.


    ¡°I will try. Babe, I love you.¡±


    ¡°I am going to rest Dn. I have some school work that is due soon.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that. I have somethinging up soon that is going to be a bit time consuming. I may not be able to talk as often as before. I will call you back if I don¡¯t answer right away ok.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cut me out Riley.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but I have this thing. Just listen ok will ya.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll talk to you when I can.¡±


    ¡°Ok, Thank you.¡± I click the phone off.


    Alex looks at me. ¡°I noticed that he tells you he loves you every day but you don¡¯t say it back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give him false hope. I want him to move on.¡±


    ¡°Even if you won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Even if I won¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry this isn¡¯t fair to you.¡±


    ¡°I told you that you are a girl worth waiting for. However I think someone is more determined than I am. I think it is time for me to step aside. I will still be here for you and the baby but, I think I need to find me a girl who isn¡¯t already spoken for. If things change in the future, then you know where to find me.¡±


    ¡°You mean down the hall.¡±


    ¡°Just close enough to check on you.¡±


    ¡°OWOWWWWWW.¡± I start clutching my side.


    ¡°What is it? Is something wrong?¡± Alex is in a panic.


    ¡°I think it is time.¡± I grunt out. ¡°Get Katelyn.¡± Alex runs out of the room yelling for Katelyn and Kevin.


    They bothe into the room. Katelyn takes charge. ¡°How close are they? Has your water broken?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how close but close. Yeah, my water broke. It is not pretty. I am surprised Alex is dry.¡± I try tough it off. But that is short lived.


    Kevin lifts me out of the bed and takes me to the tub in the bathroom. ¡°Ok, so the books say to take our time and not panic. Let¡¯s get you cleaned up. Katelyn you get her clothes off and run her a bath. I will strip the bed. Alex, find her somefortable clothes, no underwear.¡±


    I am surprised that Kevin knew this much. He leaves us in the bathroom while he pulls Alex out. You would think that Alex was the dad the way he is acting. Katelyn strips of my clothes. And starts a warm bath. We start counting contractions. They are about ten minutes apart and going pretty steady.


    ¡°When do we go to the hospital?¡± I moan out.


    ¡°It is supposed to be six minutes, but I think we should head now. Your water already broke that baby ising. Plus traffic.¡± She leaves the room andes back with the clothes that Alex had picked. It looks like his clothes. They will be huge on me. I guess they will befortable though. ¡°I told Kevin to bring the SUV around. I have the car seat already installed in there, plus I packed the hospital bag in there yesterday. I thought we had a few more days but here we are.¡± Katelyn smiled. I think she is happy. I didn¡¯t think she would be happy. She looks ecstatic.

 Labor

    After Katelyn helps me dress, Kevines and helps me down the stairs, half carrying me. I think if there weren¡¯t stairs involved he probably would have. Alex is close behind. Kevin helps me into the back seat and Alex slides in next to me. Katelyn and Kevin get in the front seats with Kevin driving.


    Alex turns to me. ¡°I will be in the waiting room, they won¡¯t let me in during the delivery. Two is the maximum. I think Kevin and Katelyn should be there. Plus Katelyn ns to record it.¡±


    ¡°Damn straight. When you ever get around to telling Dn he is going to want to see it. Plus Alex can see itter.¡± Katelynughs at the look on Alex¡¯s face at the prospect of watching the birth.


    ¡°I think I am good. I will see the baby when it is done. Thank you very much. Plus I don¡¯t think Riley needs me seeing that much of her body.¡± Alex tries to look dignified but he changes colors to a funny pale.


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t in so much pain I would find this humorous. However the only thought in my head right now is pain, pain, pain. And maybe Dn¡¯s balls in a vice. That is an afterthought.¡±


    Kevin rolled his eyes. ¡°That is why he should be here to understand the pain you went through for him. But of course you haven¡¯t told him yet.¡±


    I grit my teeth, ¡°You know he is at home with another baby right now.¡±


    He scoffs, ¡°Yeah, a son he named Riley. Do you honestly think he is going anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Kevin not right now will ya.¡± I growl out.


    ¡°Fine, but that doesn¡¯t change facts Riley, the sooner you deal with them the better.¡±


    It remains silent on the way to the hospital, except for my grunting and groaning. As soon as we pull in Kevin runs to get a wheelchair and Alex and Katelyn help me out of the car. At check in they herd us up to the third floor,bor and delivery where the nurses stand behind a desk to check people in. A nursees out and tells us that they have a room for us, and ushers me and Katelyn back to get changed. Once in a robe they hook up the machines and check everyone¡¯s hearts and monitor the contractions. Katelyn goes and gets the guys after we are all set up and they enter not really sure what to do.


    The baby¡¯s heartbeat is echoing in the room.


    Everything else is quiet. Iugh, ¡°You guys I am having a baby not going to my death bed. Come on, why are you guys so quiet?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Katelyn nods to the others. ¡°We all think you should call Dn. I know you don¡¯t want to but it is the right thing to do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to yet. I will tell him.¡±


    ¡°When? When the baby is thirty?¡± Kevin scoffs at me.


    ¡°No, look can we just get through this stressful situation without Dn. He has a life, let him live it.¡±


    Katelyn heaves arge sigh, ¡°Riley you know this is wrong you are just too damn stubborn to do what you know is right. We can drop it today but it is getting to the point that we can¡¯t let it go much longer.¡±


    The nursees in a few minutester, ¡°Alright who is the father?¡± She looks at Kevin and Alex.


    ¡°Neither.¡± I moan as a contraction hit.


    ¡°Contraction.¡± I just nod. ¡°Alright men folk, I am going to have you step out in the hall while I check her dtion. You cane back in a minute.¡± She waits for the guys to leave. ¡°Alright Riley, I am going to check you out and see where we are. I understand that your water already broke so we should be getting close. The baby looks good right now. I want to make sure it is in the right position. Go ahead and lift your feet up on the stirrups and spread your knees.¡±


    I do as she says then her hands are in my woo ha. I swear there have been so many people up there I am not shy about it anymore. She pulls out. ¡°Alright we are head down. It looks like we are dted to nine. So it will still be a little bit. But that number can jump real quick. So who do you want here during delivery?¡±


    ¡°Katelyn and Kevin.¡±


    ¡°Alright, the other gentleman will have to wait outside. He can be in here until the pushing starts. Do you know what we are having?¡±


    ¡°No, we wanted it to be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Alright, will the father be showing up?¡±


    ¡°No, he isn¡¯t in town.¡±


    ¡°Ok anyone else that is stopping by that we should be aware of? Is there any information that you don¡¯t want talked about in front of others?¡±


    ¡°No, it is fine. Talk away. I know they will.¡±


    ¡°Alright then I will be back in a little bit to check your dition. We probably won¡¯t see the doctor until it¡¯s time to push. I¡¯ll let the guys back in. Push that button if you need anything.¡±


    I nodded and she left letting Alex and Kevin know that they coulde back in. ¡°She said you can stay in here until it is time to push. Although she didn¡¯t say anything about pain meds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I gave them our birthing n at the desk.¡±


    I look at her like she is nuts, ¡°What birthing n?¡±


    She rolled her eyes at me, ¡°Remember when we sat down and nned out how you wanted the birth to go.¡±


    ¡°That was before, now I want drugs.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°no you don¡¯t, you will be d in the end that I made you stick to it.¡±


    She was right but as another contraction hit I red at her. Kevin came to take his seat on my left side. He took my hand. ¡°Hey, we are here for you. You will get through this. Even Alex, he will be here. If not in the room.¡± He patted my hand. ¡°Now, Katelyn, you better pull out that camera and start getting some clips for Dn. He won¡¯t want to miss a part of this.¡±


    Alex goes over to the window seat. ¡°So, everyone says all these great things about this Dn guy, but he is the one who broke Riley¡¯s heart is he not.¡±


    Kevin rolls his eyes. ¡°You just want Riley to get over him so you can have her.¡±


    Alex res at Kevin, ¡°If you weren¡¯t obsessed with my cousin you would too. Riley is terrific. Anyone would be a fool to lose her. So I think Dn is a fool.¡±


    Kevin res back. ¡°So what if I want Katelyn, I still think that the guy deserves to know that he is having a baby. You don¡¯t even know him. He really isn¡¯t a bad guy.¡±


    I look at Kevin, ¡°I never said he was a bad guy. But he is confused about what he wants. He has a lot on his te right now and I will not drag more into it. He didn¡¯t even really know if he wanted me or Brittney. I made the choice easier. That night I found them together in a room he was going to pick her.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t. Riley that has to mean something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that he is confused. I want him to be certain that he wants this. That he wants me. I know this is a big point where this is going toe up a lot but we need to curb it. He is not finding out tonight. Also this is not Alex¡¯s fault. Don¡¯t take it out on him.¡±


    Kevin grits his teeth. ¡°Fine. I will do my best.¡±


    Time passes and we discuss names for the millionth time. Finally the nursees back in, ¡°Alright let¡¯s check you again. See if we are about ready to have this baby.¡± This time only Alex steps out. Kevin holds my hand. ¡°Good news, we are at ten. I will get the doctor in here and we should be able to start pushing. Let¡¯s have a baby.¡± The nurse goes to fetch the doctor. Alexes back in for a moment.


    Hees up on my right, ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll be out there waiting. You got this, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I smile, ¡°Hey maybe you¡¯ll find a hot nurse out there you can take home.¡±


    ¡°They still wouldn¡¯tpare to you.¡± He kisses me on the forehead and leaves the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡± Kevin grumbles.


    Katelyn rolls her eyes. ¡°He has been nothing but perfect to Riley, you are just team Dn. I think he should know about the baby too, but I don¡¯t think she should run back to him. He fucked up. He needs to fix it. Alex is being nice. Would you rather he be a rude asshole?¡±


    ¡°No, but he knows she is messed up right now and needs time. Yet he is always around.¡±


    I roll my eyes at both of them. ¡°Right here guys.¡±


    Katelyn takes out the video camera that she packed. She fires it up and then startsmentating. ¡°Alright folks, here is the birth of the baby of Riley Anderson and Dn Matthews. Yes, Dn you heard that right. We also wanted to put that in there so it is no question that this baby will know who her daddy is.¡±


    I groan, ¡°We don¡¯t know if it is a girl yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a girl I know. Alright Kevin, what do you have to say to the baby?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and get out here. Your mother has been nothing but a pain since you showed up.¡±


    I groan, ¡°More like Uncle Kevin has been a pain.¡±


    Katelyn turns the camera to herself. ¡°We are all happy to see you. Come out and greet us all with your beautiful face. Come on with your parents there is no way you are going to be an ugly baby. You are going to be the cutest baby on the block.¡±


    She turns the camera back to the room. Just then the doctores in with the nurse right behind her. ¡°Good evening, Riley. I am Dr. Goldsmith. I will be helping you get this baby out today. Are you the father?¡± He looks at Kevin.


    Kevin shakes his head. ¡°No, we are the aunt and uncle, the father couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°I see. Alright, well let¡¯s have this baby. I can see that your contractions are close enough together that we can start pushing. So I am going to have my nurse bring you to the end of the bed and we are going to have you sit up. Uncle I am going to have you hold one hand and my nurse will hold the other. I see that the aunt is the official photographer. Most people get grossed out by the blood stuff so try not to focus on that.¡±


    The nurse starts shifting me around with Kevin¡¯s help. Once I am up in position the doctor tells me it is time to push. We wait for contractions and push along with them.


    At one point I am squeezing Kevin¡¯s hand, He hollers out. ¡°Dn this should really be you dude.¡±


    Katelyn and I both turn to him, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    I keep pushing. ¡°Alright so most of the head is clear. I need you to give me three good pushes. So herees another contraction. I want you to take a deep breath and push with it. Alright now push, push, push. Keep pushing. Alright take a breath. We have the head through, now we just need the shoulders. This isn¡¯t the time to rest. Alrighte one deep breath deep and push, push, push, keep pushing. Alright one more good push and you get to see your baby. Come on, let¡¯s do this Riley. Push.¡±


    I was pushing along with him and I felt like my brains were going to explode. Once thatst push did it¡¯s job I felt it¡¯s body slip free. Then there was some crying and the baby was in my arms. ¡°Congrattions, it¡¯s a girl.¡± She was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. Even covered in white goop and still connected to the umbilical cord. In my arms they did the long cut on the cord and then the nurse took her. ¡°We will get her back in a minute. Come on uncle, let¡¯s get the baby weighed and cleaned up.¡± They both walk away from me and then the doctor looks at me. ¡°Alright I know you are tired but we aren¡¯t done yet. You have to push out the after birth. I know it sounds gross, and it kind of is, but we gotta do it. So I am going to have you give me a couple more pushes and then you will be all clear. You will be able to rest with your baby as soon as this is done. Alright, breathe with me. Push, push. Alright one more.¡± Then I felt the most disgusting thing ever. Come out of my body and I heard it plop into this bucket.


    ¡°Alright Riley, you did a good job. I am going to have the nurse clean you up and I will check on you in a few hours and make sure everything is going well. Congrattions.¡± He smiled at me as Iid back as far as I could on the bed. I could only give him a nod.


    The nurse came back with a nice clean little bundle. She ced her in my arms. I looked down at this amazing little thing. She had Dn¡¯s blonde hair and blue eyes. Although they could just be baby blues, I don¡¯t think so. She had my nose and mouth. She was looking around everywhere in wonder. I know she can¡¯t see very far, but it still looks really cute. Now that she is in my arms she isn¡¯t crying any more. ¡°Are you going to nurse?¡±


    I nod to her. ¡°Alright let¡¯s get you set up make sure you got it right. This is your first baby I am assuming.¡± I nod again. ¡°Then let¡¯s make sure you got a goodtch.¡± She showed me how totch on and after a few minutes I got it right. My little angel is looking at me as she eats. ¡°Do you have a name picked out?¡±


    ¡°Grace Elizabeth Anderson-Matthews.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a strong name. Beautiful too. She is eight pounds six ounces, a perfectly healthy baby. I am going to give you a few minutes and then I am going to clean you up.¡± She walked away and started to clean up around the room. Setting up the bass, things like that.


    Kevin came back over with Katelyn running the camera. ¡°You did good. She is beautiful. That was certainly a lot grosser than I thought it would be. Definitely not something I want to do again anytime soon.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Next time I¡¯ll trade you ces.¡±


    ¡°No thanks, it was painful enough on this side.¡±


    Katelyn sets the camera down, seeing that Grace is sleeping. ¡°She is so beautiful. Dn will be so happy when he meets her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, trust me, I want to tell him. I am just waiting for the right time. Ok guys he will know about her.¡±


    The nursees back over. ¡°Alright uncle I am going to kick you out for a moment so we can get momma cleaned up.¡± Kevin smiled at me and then headed out to join Alex. ¡°Aunty, do you want to take the baby while I help momma.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I want to hold that baby.¡± Katelyn takes her and snuggles her close. I smile at her face. She looks so content holding her.


    The nurse helps me up and wipes me up, and gives me a clean gown. These funny underwear that holds this huge pad up. All together a very gross ordeal but so worth it when I hold that baby close. She changes the sheets and then helps me back up in bed. After she clears all the dirty stuff the room looks good. You wouldn¡¯t know all the gross things that just happened here. Now all that is left is the beauty.


    Katelyn brought back Grace to me. ¡°I will go get the guys.¡± She smiled at me and left with the nurse right behind her. I sat with my little bundle of joy in my arms. She was awake now I am sure with all the bustling around. She looks so adorable looking around. I just smile down at her. She is the most amazing thing ever. If anything Dn gave me this amazing gift and I will forever be grateful for it.


    Alex and Kevine back in with Katelyn. ¡°How is it to be a mother?¡± Alex asked as he ced a kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°It is the most amazing thing in the world.¡±


    Kevinughed, ¡°Can you believe they gave me a pair of scissors around a newborn. It is not a safe option.¡±


    ¡°Kevin, you did a good job uncle.¡± I give him a look that shows him how grateful I am for him.


    He shrugs, ¡°Hey, you did all the work. I do think you need to get some sleep. We can help with the baby while you rest. That was a lot of work.¡±


    I nod and hand Grace to Katelyn. Then Iy back and let my eyes close.

 Alex鈥檚 Words of Wisdom

    After a little while I woke up. The room is dark, but the bathroom light ising through to the room. I look around and see Alex rocking Grace. He looks like a natural with her. ¡°Hey, you look good doing that?¡±


    He wags his eyebrows at me. ¡°You offering to give me one of my very own?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I giggle. ¡°I am just saying that maybe you should have one of your very own. Some day.¡±


    Heughs low so as not to wake up Grace. ¡°I will just practice with her for now. She is great. The others went home to get some sleep. I offered to stay. That guy has been calling. I think it has been like four times now. I was going to answer but then I figured that might cause you more problems.¡±


    ¡°It will most definitely. I will call him backter. You don¡¯t think I am stringing him along do you?¡±


    ¡°No, you told him to date others. He does seem pretty fixated on you though. Maybe you should make a go of it. I mean he did screw up but that doesn¡¯t mean that he should be punished for life.¡±


    ¡°I am not punishing him for life. I don¡¯t even want to punish him at all. I am just scared. You see that right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you can¡¯t be scared forever. You are never going to have a life if you don¡¯t try. Being scared is a part of it. You were scared of having this baby, and look, it all turned out fine. Maybe it will with him too. But if you don¡¯t give him a chance then you wont move on either.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted me for yourself.¡± I cock my eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Oh, I do. I am secretly hoping that he will screw up and then you will be ready for me. Right now I know that you aren¡¯t. That was what I was going to tell you earlier. But then you had to go intobor on me. I want to be with you Riley, but I want you to want it too. I need you to do something about this guy that actually ends it. That includes telling him about Grace. For now I will see other people. Hopefully it will work out for the both of us.¡±


    I smile at him. ¡°Thank you Alex. You get it. I don¡¯t want anyone to put their life on hold for me. Please live your life and if there everes a day that I am ready for you. Hopefully I am not toote.¡±


    He smiles that smile that I love to see. ¡°Good, keep that smile.¡±


    The nursees in. ¡°I came to check on you. I want to check your bleeding. Do you want him to stay or go?¡± She looks at Alex.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I smile at Alex. ¡°Turn around. I think Kevin is scared enough for the both of you.¡±


    Alexughs a lowugh, ¡°Alright.¡± He turns away from me.


    The nurse checks me out and then smiles. ¡°You are doing great. We can probably send you home tomorrow afternoon as long as everything checks out with the baby. We are going to run some tests tomorrow and then we will do a couple of blood tests on you. Make sure there isn¡¯t more bleeding that we just don¡¯t see. Then you can leave with your baby.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. As great as you all have been, I would much rather be in my own room.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not a whole lot of people want to stay here. You get some rest and a nurse will be in in the morning to run those tests.¡±


    As if on cue Grace starts fussing. Not loud but enough that I know she is hungry. ¡°Give her here Alex. I am sure she is hungry.¡±  Alex turns around and gives her to me. Once I put her to breast I see that Alex is watching us. The nurse has gone and it is just the two of us in the room. ¡°What?¡±


    He smiles at me. ¡°I really hope he screws up.¡± Then his lips meet mine. It is our first kiss, I have a feeling that it will be thest. This is a goodbye kiss. Unless of course Dn moves on and I manage to move on too. It is sweet and soft. I would lie if I said that I felt nothing but it isn¡¯t the same as Dn. God how fucked up am I? ¡°Get some rest I will watch Grace. After she is done there. Right now I need to get some coffee. I don¡¯t think I will make it through the night without it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Alex. You are the best.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. Just waiting for you to see it.¡± He winked at me and then left me alone with Grace. I saw my phone on the stand by the bed. I reached over and grabbed it. It said there were four missed calls from Dn.


    I called him back, knowing that he was probably sleeping but he could see the message when he got up. Then he couldn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t call. Much to my amazement he answered. ¡°Hey, I thought something happened. You didn¡¯t answer me.¡±


    ¡°I told you I was going to be busy. I am really busy now. I am fine though. You can rest easy.¡± Even though I am going through all of this it still feels nice to hear the concern in his voice.


    ¡°I did what you wanted. I went on a date. Can we talk about this?¡± Dn sounds like he is pleading.


    ¡°Go on a few more, then we¡¯ll talk about it.¡± I smile at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I want to be with you. Can you please just be with me again? I don¡¯t want to be apart from you. It drives me crazy knowing that you are living with that guy. I have seen pictures of that guy. I know he may not look like me but he is attractive.¡±


    ¡°How have you seen pictures of Alex?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s his name? On Katelyn¡¯s social media. She posts pictures of you guys all the time. So does Kevin but he conveniently misses that guy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Kevin doesn¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°I heard. He is attracted to you. He wants to be with you. Do you want to be with him?¡±


    ¡°Dn honestly a small part of me does but I still want to be with you. I just know that we need time here. I am not going to rush this. Alex and I have an understanding, I will give you the time that we need and if it doesn¡¯t work out between us, then and only then will we try to do something.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like he is patient. He still wants you. And he is there. I don¡¯t get to be there. You are pushing me away.¡±


    ¡°I am not pushing you away. I just need to know that you are not giving up your life to be with me. There are things going on that you don¡¯t understand. Things that will make you feel pinned down. I don¡¯t want that to happen to you. I want you to finish school and be ready for me when Ie back. If that is what is in the cards. You don¡¯t know everything and I don¡¯t want to tell you yet. I will though and you will have a choice to make.¡±


    ¡°I have already made my choice. If it will make you feel better I will do as you say. I will practice patience. I will wait for you to be ready. I only got what three and a half years left. Piece of cake.¡± I can hear the humor in his voice.


    ¡°Ok, so you are going to give us some space. Date other people. Maybe not have breakfast with my mom every morning.¡±


    ¡°My rtionship with your mom is personal. I will not stop that. I will date, if that is what you want. Hell, the onest night wasn¡¯t so bad. I mean I hated it but I got through it.¡±


    ¡°Just try to have a life without me alright. If in the end it was meant to be then it will be. I will not be an anchor to you.¡±


    ¡°You could never anchor me. I love you so much I just think of what we can build together. Please just think about it. Keep me in mind. And don¡¯t run off with that Alex guy. I am here for you day or night.¡±


    ¡°Dn, Have a good morning. I was uptest night. I need some rest. I will talk to you when I can.¡± I smile at his words. They are what I need to hear, even if I don¡¯t want to admit it.


    ¡°I love you. Get some rest.¡± Right when I go to click the end button Grace starts to make a noise, it is so cute, but a minute too soon. All I can do is pray that Dn didn¡¯t hear it. I wait a minute to see if he is going to call back, but he doesn¡¯t. I must be in the clear. Alexes back in the room and helps me with Grace.

 I Don鈥檛 Want to Do This

    DYLAN¡¯S P. O. V.


    This is killing me. I mean I am busy with school, being a dad and trying to work when I can. I have started with investments. My father assists with that, but I get a regr paycheck from the Library. For some reason recently Polly has been really nice with me. I am not sure if she feels sorry for me or if she is starting to like me. But even with how busy I am I still miss Riley.


    Then there is this whole date thing. She wants me to date. I lied a couple of times about having a date. I figured if she thought that I was doing what she wanted she would take me back, but apparently that isn¡¯t going to work. I just want her back. She says there is something going on that is going to change things. This just has me worried. I mean she got sick, what if it is something that has her in a wheelchair or something. Or she can¡¯t have kids. I mean it has to be something like that right. Something to make her think that I wouldn¡¯t want her. Cause honestly I can¡¯t think of anything that would make me not want her.


    Today I was approached by a girl from ss. She wanted to go out for a drink. Of course my first instinct was to say no. I took her number and told her I would think about it. I am not so sure that I will ever call her, but then I get off the phone with Riley where she insists that I date again. Why the hell won¡¯t she just take me back? So I call up Martha and see if she cane watch Riley. She is thrilled that I am going out. So now I just need to call the girl.


    ¡°Hey, this is Dn. Are you free tonight for that drink?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey. Yeah, I can be ready in like an hour. There is a party down the street that we can hit. Does that sound good?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, So I¡¯ll meet you at the front gate of the school.¡± I do not want hering to my house right now. ¡°I¡¯ll see you then Elle.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll see you then.¡± She clicks off. I can¡¯t help but hear that she is actually happy. I don¡¯t know what I have done to make her feel that way but I am sure that it won¡¯tst long.


    It doesn¡¯t take me long to get dressed and ready to go. Martha is here right on schedule. Of course I try to back out but that just has Martha pushing me out the door. ¡°You need to have a night out. You are more than a dad and a student. Go let loose.¡±


    ¡°You know it isn¡¯t that simple.¡± I give her a pointed look. She knows I am trying to get Riley back.


    ¡°Do what the girl says. Enjoy your youth. She wants you sure so be sure. Telling her you are going on dates that you aren¡¯t going on, isn¡¯t going to do it. You need to live.¡±


    Then she literally pushes me out the door. I pulled in front of the college about twenty minutester. There standing at the entrance is Elle. I mean she is a pretty enough girl. She just isn¡¯t doing it for me. All I want is Riley.


    I get out and she meets me about half way. ¡°Alright so this party is within walking distance?¡± I ask her. I am not being polite at all. I didn¡¯t even tell her that she looked nice. God I am damaged. ¡°You look nice.¡± Of course she noticed that it was an afterthought.


    ¡°Thanks. Yeah the party is just down here.¡± She points down the right. I start walking with her next to me. ¡°So you live off campus. Do you have a bunch of roommates?¡±


    Iugh. ¡°I have one, if you can call him that.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? Do you still live with a parent or something?¡± She looks confused.


    ¡°Or something. Look what I am about to tell you will probably have you running for the hills, but here it goes. I live with my son.¡± I wait for her reaction. She seems shocked but not running for the hills like I thought.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to hear about a dad stepping up. Usually they leave the girl high and dry. So, how old is your son?¡±


    ¡°Six months. He is a cute little bugger. I don¡¯t get out much, if you can¡¯t tell already.¡± I can already start to hear the bass from the music in the house down the block. There is the party.


    ¡°I just thought maybe you were shy or something. I know of a lot of girls that would like to take you out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just have a lot of baggage. I prefer to get through college and get the job that I dream of. To be honest with you I am nursing a bit of a broken heart. I love this woman who is pushing me away.¡±


    She gets a knowing look. ¡°Your baby momma.¡±


    ¡°No, I wish. To get into way too many details on a first date, I was with his mother before I started dating this other woman. His mother cheated on me. So we split. She dropped him on me and the other girl just wanted me to be sure about her. She is going to school in California.¡±


    ¡°So, then why are you out on a date?¡± She is genuinely curious.


    ¡°She told me too. She said that the only way that I could prove to her that I was living my life was to date. So I am trying. I am doing a horrible job of it. I can tell.¡±


    ¡°I get it. You aren¡¯t ready for anymitment. Let¡¯s just have some drinks and see where things go. I can be your friend tonight. I won¡¯t expect anything from you. Let¡¯s just enjoy the night.¡± She links her arm through mine and then snaps a selfie. ¡°For prosperity. You can post it on social media and then at least you have evidence you went on a date.¡±


    I give her a smile. ¡°Thanks for understanding. My nanny will be pleased that you are understanding.¡± Iugh.


    Sheughs too. ¡°Your nanny? She must have pushed you out the door.¡±


    ¡°That she did. She said she is tired of me being alone. I think she wants more babies to watch. I think she is nuts.¡±


    ¡°Is she one of those young hot nannies?¡± She gives me a silly look. I can tell she is going to be fun for the night.


    ¡°Na, She is old enough to be my grandma. But she is great with Riley. I am not so sure what we would do without her.¡±


    We got to thewn of the party. ¡°Alright so let¡¯s drink this girl away for the night shall we?¡± She pulls me into the house. First thing that happens is a red solo cup is thrust in my hand. I do not recall how much exactly I drink, but it is enough that I can¡¯t drive home. I managed to give my address to Elle. She puts me in bed and then crawls in with me. I don¡¯t even register it until I wake up in the middle of the night, all I want to do is call Riley.


    RILEY¡¯S P. O. V.


    It has been a few months now and I am starting to get the hang of everything with being a mom. Of course my friends are helping but it is still a lot of work. I find myself sleeping as much as having a newborn and going to school will allow. So when a calles in the middle of the night I am too damn tired to question it.


    I look at the time on my phone when it rings. Three in the morning. I look at the name, Dn. What the hell? I slide to the green phone. ¡°Hello,¡± I am well aware of how groggy I sound. Hell I just went to bed two hours ago when I finally got Grace to sleep.


    ¡°Hey,¡± He sounds quiet, almost a whisper.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I can¡¯t help but match his tone.


    ¡°I was thinking about you. I figured I would talk to you if I could. You don¡¯t answer my calls most of the time.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t look forward to having my heart broken again.¡±


    ¡°Riley, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. Can we just meet up and talk about this?¡±


    ¡°Are you drunk?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a little, why?¡±


    ¡°We live about three thousand miles apart. There is no meeting at the local bar for a drink.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± There is a noticeable pause. ¡°I miss you.¡±


    ¡°Dn¡­¡± I almost told him. He has a right to know, right? But then the sound in the background stops me.


    ¡°Dn,e back to bed.¡±


    ¡°You better get back, don¡¯t want to piss off the new girl.¡± I quickly hung up. I can¡¯t help the tears that are streaming down my face. This is why I don¡¯t tell him, he has his life, I have mine. I can not be sucked in by his charms. I know I told him to move on but it still hurts.


    I cry a little before I drift off to sleep.

 Now I Got on Everyone鈥檚 Nerves

    A short timeter I find I am staring at his social media. I can¡¯t help it sometimes. It is getting ready to be summer break and I contemte going home to talk to him about it. But this stops me.


    ¡°See Katelyn, it¡¯s another one.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Katelyn came up from behind me to look at what was on my phone.


    ¡°He has another girlfriend. See this is why I don¡¯t tell him about Grace. I don¡¯t want my daughter to have a new step mommy every other week.¡± I threw my phone down on the couch.


    ¡°Maybe if he knew about Grace it wouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± She rolls her eyes at me.


    ¡°Yeah, right, he likes his pretty girls. I don¡¯t even know why he was into me. Oh, yeah I do, to piss off Brittney.¡± I know I sound bitchy, but I think it is postpartum hormones. That is a thing.


    ¡°Maybe he is looking for the right girl.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. Who are you trying to kid?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe he found the right girl and she ran away with her tail between her legs.¡± I can hear the tone in her voice. She is not happy with me.


    ¡°Did you just call me a bitch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think you are being a petty bitch. You are sitting here trolling his social media and putting him down. You haven¡¯t even told him anything and you expect him to act differently. Even Kevin thinks you are being a bitch about this and that is saying something. Kevin epts everything. You need to get off your high horse and tell him what the hell is going on. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that he has tried to reach out to you.¡±


    ¡°So, what the hell does it matter? It¡¯s not like it is going to make a difference. I was a fool to fall for him and I am not going to have Grace be something that he resents. He has a life, it is best if he just lives it.¡±


    ¡°Then stop talking shit about a man who isn¡¯t here to defend himself. He has no clue what is going on. He is just trying to live his life, like you want.¡± Katelyn softens her tone, but I can tell she is still mad.


    Just then Kevines into the room. ¡°Hey, guys I want to talk to you about something.¡± He takes a seat on the couch arm. ¡°I think I am going to go home for the summer. I need some time away from things. Maybe seeing my family will help me deal. I¡¯m sorry Riley, but I am not handling this whole thing very well. I don¡¯t like lying and I feel like I am doing it all the time. Dn has a right to know.¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I look him in the eyes and I see the anguish in him. I have put him in a bad spot. It isn¡¯t his fault that I have this secret that he can¡¯t tell, I made it a big deal. I even told them all they couldn¡¯t post pictures of Grace, in case he sees them. I have really pushed it too far. ¡°I understand Kevin. I put you in a bad position with your friend. Please just keep it quiet. I will tell him just not right now. He is just getting on with his life.¡±


    Alexes in. ¡°I am going with him. I want to see my aunt and uncle, they have been harassing me. Plus I am thinking of moving back there with you guys after school. So I figured I would check it out.¡±


    Katelyn smiles, ¡°Let me guess you are going to keep an eye on Kevin.¡±


    ¡°I would never do that.¡± Alex gives a mocking smile.


    I can¡¯t help butugh. Alex has gone on a couple of dates since Grace has been born, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be happy with any of them. I wish I could give him what he wants.

 Makeover

    Over the summer, Katelyn and I spend more time bonding. With neither of us in sses it is easier. We get to see Grace really blossom too. She is crawling now. I can¡¯t believe how much she has be my world. I do still drift to Dn¡¯s social pages. I see that he is spending time with Kevin and he has little Riley with him too. I still see girls. They don¡¯t seem to be prominent in his life though.


    In the beginning of July we are sitting in the living room, watching Grace y, when Katelyn jumps up. ¡°That¡¯s it, we are going shopping.¡±


    I look at her like she is possessed. ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°You need to be done with those baggy clothes. It is time to start feeling better about yourself. It is time for a makeover. I am not saying that you need to dress like me, but something better than those baggy things. Plus Grace is growing out of her clothes. It is time for more.¡±


    ¡°Katelyn, it is too much to buy us both clothes. You know your parents are not going to be happy hearing how you are supporting me and my child.¡±


    ¡°Who said I was using their money? I have been investing. I have made a pretty good amount. Pretty soon I will be able to not use any of my parents¡¯ money. So no moreints and let¡¯s get going.¡±


    I think for a moment. ¡°On one condition.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Show me where you invest so I can too. I don¡¯t want to be a freeloader. Then I can pay back my mom and you.¡±


    Katelyn smiles, because this is not the first time that we have had this conversation, I have always said no. Secretly I know that she is right and I need to feel better about myself. Maybe then I can move on from Dn. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking.¡± She grabs my hand and pulls me off the couch and soon the three of us are loaded in the car.


    We first went for a haircut. I know my hair is in need of it. I haven¡¯t had a hair cut in like three years. Usually I just go for a trim when I do get a haircut but this time I decide to let Katelyn decide. She decides to go with a shoulder length cut that has someyers in it. I decided that I like it. It really frames my face and best of all it looks pretty.


    Already feeling better I start to get this high as Katelyn starts picking out clothes that she thinks will look good on me. I am d that she is taking myfort into the equation. She starts with some jeans that actually fit me. That makes me feel even better. I can¡¯t believe how nice my ass looks in them. Now I am really feeling the high. Katelyn hands me a pile of clothes to try on and takes Grace to y with her. There were a few discards that I didn¡¯t like. Like these really short cut offs. Or that top that barely covered my breasts. What I find that I really like is this dress style that she found. It is kind of retro, and a knee length skirt that res and a bodice that hugs my skin, the shoulders are the only thing covered. It kind of has this swoop neck thing and it looks amazing with a thick belt.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After this discovery, of course Katelyn says I have to get some new shoes to go with it. I get a few different prints of the dress, but essentially it is the same dress. After she is done getting the shoes that she thinks will go good with my new clothes, we head to the baby department for Grace.


    I swear they have the cutest baby clothes on the face of the. No wonder Katelyn can¡¯t stop buying things for her. I find that I am throwing just as many things in the cart as her. After we are done I think we spent far too much money, but Katelyn shrugs it off and says, ¡°It is worth it. You look so much happier. In this one instance money bought you some happiness.¡±


    Iugh, ¡°Thank you Katelyn. I will pay you back for all of this, you know that right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. I keep a ledger.¡± She winks at me. I know it is a joke. I still feel bad, but I know my words are true. I will pay her back every cent.


    With my new look I feel the need to start being healthier. I mean I have a baby that needs me around for a long time. I started researching diets and exercise programs. In no time at all I am hitting the in house gym that I have never stepped into before. I found some programs that step up gradually. So I know I am on the right track. Katelyn couldn¡¯t be happier to see this change in me. She knows I needed the moral booster and she was happy to provide it.


    When it hits August I get a call from Dn. His calls areing less frequently now. I think he is finally moving on. However when I answer his call I find that is not the case. ¡°Hey, babe. I thought maybe you woulde home over the summer. I missed you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I figured you were busy. Kevin was there. I saw that you met Alex.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he is not a fan of mine. He punched me in the face.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like Alex. What happened?¡±


    ¡°We were talking about you. We were drinking. Then he said how I was an idiot to ever lose a girl like you. I got pissed and told him that wasn¡¯t about to lose you. He said I already did. Then he said something about making sure that I never had you again. I got pissed and told him where he could shove it. I know we are meant to be together. Then he hit me.¡±


    ¡°Dn, why is this even a topic of conversation? I mean I saw that you moved on.¡±


    ¡°No, not really. I mean sure I have gone on dates but none of them are clicking. They aren¡¯t you. Please, I need you toe home. I miss seeing you. Please don¡¯t tell me you are dating that guy.¡±


    ¡°If I was or wasn¡¯t it wouldn¡¯t be your concern. Dn I think you and I both know that you are better off without me. I mean take this time to move on.¡±


    I can hear the pain in his next words. ¡°Have you moved on?¡±


    ¡°No Dn, but I am getting to a ce where I feel good about myself. I feel like I am worth something now. I don¡¯t ever want to feel worthless again. I am not second best.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry I ever made you feel that way. I know you are not second best. You are the best for me.¡±


    ¡°Dn as much as I like hearing that. I am scared that it isn¡¯t true. I need more time. If that isn¡¯t good enough for you, then take my advice and move on. Because before I can be any good for anyone else I have to be good for myself.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I love you and I will wait for you. Just if you decide to move on, let me know please. I want a chance to fight for you before you are gone forever. You know I would be there in a second if I thought it would bring you back to me. I want you by my side so freakin bad I can taste it.¡±


    ¡°Dn I will let you know. As of right now I am doing me. You do you.¡±


    ¡°Baby, I love you. I hope to see you soon.¡± He ends the call. I think at this point he knows I won¡¯t tell him that I love him back. I still like hearing him say it deep down.

 Alex and Dylan

    A few more weeks pass and the guys return home to get ready for the uing semester. I have been busy trying to find a nanny for Grace. I am almost able to pay my own way, with the investment advice from Katelyn, we are building quite a bit of a fund.


    Alex finds me in the gym where I am on the treadmill. ¡°We¡¯re back.¡± He hollers out to me, with a big smile on his face.


    I stopped the machine. ¡°Hey, how was it?¡± I returned his smile.


    He sighs and loses his smile. ¡°The town was great. I tried to get along with your baby daddy, but we did not hit it off.¡± He is shaking his head a little.


    My smile turns to a smirk. ¡°Yeah, I heard. He told me you hit him.¡±


    He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Clearly he is not a fan of Dn¡¯s ¡°God, he can¡¯t even man up about it. He had to whine to you.¡± Alex folds his arms over his chest. He is waiting for a lecture from me that he is sure will follow this statement.


    I return my smile. He needs a littlefort right now. Not that I am happy he punched Dn, I just want to keep Alex as a good friend. ¡°I told him he had no right to talk to you like that. I told him that I am focusing on me and that he needed to do the same. Ifter I decide to be with whomever that is my business.¡± I step off the machine and head to Alex.  He is still in a guarded position. ¡°I am d you¡¯re back. I missed having you around.¡± I give him a hug that he greedily returns.


    For the first time he notices my appearance. My shortened hair. The tighter clothes then there is the fact that he found me in the gym in the first ce. His eyes sweep over my whole body. I can¡¯t say that he doesn¡¯t like what he sees. ¡°What happened while I was gone? What brought all this on?¡± He waves his hand over my body, like this is the exnation of what he¡¯s asking. Like I wouldn¡¯t know.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I shrug, ¡°I decided that I needed to be healthier for Grace. She needs a mom that will be around. Plus Katelyn wanted to give me a makeover. This time it turned out that I liked it. It made me feel better. I feel better about myself. I like it.¡± I look down at my body, maybe Alex doesn¡¯t like it. God why am I so self conscious.


    He pulls me into a hug. ¡°You know that you don¡¯t need to change yourself right? You were beautiful before.¡± He rests his head on mine. I like this. It makes me feel safe. However, it is not the same as Dn. I shouldn¡¯t beparing the two, but it happens from time to time. Sadly Dn always wins. I am not moving on today.


    I pull back so I can look Alex in the eyes. I need to convey this. ¡°I know that you thought so, but I didn¡¯t. I thought I was in. I don¡¯t feel that way any more. It is more than that though. I have someone that I have to take care of myself for. I need to be better for Grace. I need to be the woman that picks herself up off the couch when I need to.¡± I look back on it now and I was just sitting on the couch. I was letting the stress and depression get the better of me. I feel so much freer now that I have put things into perspective.


    He rubs small circles on my back. ¡°I know. I just don¡¯t want you to feel bad. You don¡¯t deserve to feel that way.¡± When Alex gets all serious it usually makes me feel a little small. But today I feel strong, because I am being me. I care about what I think and not what Alex and Dn think.


    ¡°Thank you. Anyway.¡± I pull away from him. It is time to talk with a little less affection. I do not want to continue to give Alex the impression that I am picking him. Especially since I do not know where everything stands with Dn. Deep in my heart I still love him. I don¡¯t want him to move on. I want to be the one by his side. It is now time to discuss what I need him for. Business. ¡°I have hired a nanny. She will be starting tomorrow. She will be watching Grace while I am in school. Tomorrow it will be a short time, while I get my books and make sure my schedule is what I need. Can you be here, so that way I can make sure that you all know her.¡±


    He smiles at me. Of course Alex knows that I am changing the topic of conversation. ¡°Yeah sure. I am going to unpack and rest. The ne trip was exhausting. I will spend some time with Grace this evening. It is good to be back.¡± He gives me that smile that lets me know that he is thinking about me. I really did meet him at the wrong time. He will make someone a great husband one day. I just don¡¯t see that being me. Dn has worked his way into my heart and he isn¡¯t going anywhere.


    ¡°I am d you¡¯re home, Alex.¡± I give him a friendly smile. As much as Alex is my friend I do not want to give him the impression that I pick him. I think he knows it. That is what the fight was with Dn, it was the fact that he was pissed that Dn has what he can¡¯t.


    ¡°I know who can resist my face for long.¡± He shoots me a cocky grin as he leaves the gym. I watch as he retreats. Why couldn¡¯t things have been lessplicated? Alex should never have been in this triangle. He is a good guy and he deserves better than this in between thing that we have. Hopefully I can convince him soon that he needs to move on. I know when Grace was born he said that he would, but it still seems like he is hanging on to something. I can¡¯t let him do that anymore.

 Nanny Meeting

    The next day the nanny came right on time. Everyone met her in the living room. ¡°Hey everyone, this is Adel. She will be around taking care of Grace. This is Kevin, Alex and Katelyn.¡± I point to each one in turn. ¡°They will be around, they live here too. They usually help out with Grace so if you need anything feel free to ask. I know that this is a little unorthodox with all these people floating around but it will make the job easier.¡±


    Adel smiles at those around her. ¡°I think this is awesome. Which one of you is the dad?¡±


    Kevin coughs in his hand and Alex shes her a smile. I roll my eyes at them. ¡°Neither. Call them Uncle if you would. The dad isn¡¯t in the picture at the moment. I will ask that you take plenty of pictures then send them to me at the end of the day. We are kind of documenting her life for her dad. For when he is in the picture. That being said, are you ok with all this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry about the mix up. Now I am kind of embarrassed that I jumped to that conclusion.¡± Adel looks at the ground.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it. We are not a conventional family. It is ok that you asked. Don¡¯t feel afraid to ask questions. I take no offense, plus I know these two could care less about that impression. Hell this one,¡± I point at Alex. ¡°gets called daddy at the park all the time. Now you know so it is all cleared up. Any other questions?¡±


    Adel looks up and looks between us all. ¡°Um, this may sound a bit out of ce, but do you have a schedule that you will want me to have? I don¡¯t want to be stepping on toes. With this many people around I don¡¯t want to be hanging around if I am not needed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, any time that I am gone at school. These guys have their lives. You are the one responsible for Grace when I am not here. They will just be around to help. They are in school too, so there might actually not be too much ovep time. If for some reason one of them takes her to the park or something, then you can apany them or you could set up snacks and clean up. Just know that I trust them with her.¡± My phone starts to vibrate. I look down and it is Dn.


    ¡°Excuse me for a minute.¡± I head out to the hall. Little do I know that Alex is behind me. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hey baby. Do you have everything ready for the new school year?¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Alex asks. I turn and re at him. I know he is doing this on purpose.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Dn sounds pissed instantly.


    ¡°Alex. He is here at the house.¡± I try to give Alex the notion that he needs to leave. However at the moment he is being stubborn, he folds his arms over his chest and stands right next to me.


    ¡°Why does he need to know who you are talking to?¡± Dn is not cated.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t, he was just curious. Why do you need to know who I am talking to? I don¡¯t ask you. Hell you called me at three in the morning with another woman in the background, did I ask you a million questions?¡± I sneer. Ok yeah I am still a little bitter about that.


    ¡°Sorry, I know I am stepping out of ce here. I just know that he wants you and he made it clear that he doesn¡¯t want you to be with me. He raises my hackles.¡± Dn is calming down and I think Alex can sense it because hees up and gives me the loudest kiss on my cheek. I know Dn can hear it and Alex knows it too.


    ¡°Good morning Dn.¡± Alex calls as he gets a mischievous smile on his face. ¡°I am going back in there. I will let them know you¡¯ll be in in a minute.¡±


    I nod my head, but I am ring at him. He knows he was being an ass, I don¡¯t even have to say it.


    ¡°What the hell was that? I thought you said that you two weren¡¯t dating.¡± Dn is fuming now.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t. Alex is messing with you. I told you I am focusing on me. I am not dating anyone. It is just easy for Alex to get a rise out of you. It goes the same for him. He is pissed that you call all the time and I answer. So you two need to just cool it.¡± I seath into the phone. This bickering is pissing me off.


    He instantly gets softer. ¡°Sorry baby. I just miss you. I can¡¯t be there and he is there nting kisses on you. It is a bit aggravating. I am sure you know what I am talking about.¡± He gives me a knowing tone. Because he knows I was pissed that he was with some woman in the middle of the night. Although to be fair it was like six to my three, but still she saide back to bed. Which means that they were in bed before together. He hasn¡¯t caught me in bed with someone else before. Not that I caught him, he called me.


    ¡°Dn I get it. It is just irritating. Yes, Alex wants to date me. But I am totally focused on myself. If he gives me a kiss on the cheek from time to time I really don¡¯t care. You need to not care. You are supposed to be moving on.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to move on?¡± He soundspletely serious.


    ¡°Then focus on you. Make sure you are the best you you can be. You have a son to take care of, remember. You need to make sure that you are able to make a living to take care of him. You need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself to be there for him. That is part of being a parent.¡±


    ¡°The other part is giving him a mother, he needs you.¡±


    ¡°I am not his mother. I have never met the kid.¡±


    ¡°You will be his mother. I love you. I don¡¯t want someone else.¡±


    I have to take a deep breath. I can¡¯t believe that he is spouting this crap right now. ¡°Look I need some space here Dn. I won¡¯t get on you about your overnight guests and you will leave Alex alone. I am not sleeping with him at least.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep with her either. I passed out drunk and woke up next to her, fully clothed. I told her I can¡¯t see her anymore and she left. I haven¡¯t seen her since. She could tell I wasn¡¯t interested. Especially when I left her in bed and called another woman. I think she was a little put off by that.¡±


    ¡°Dn, why did you call me?¡±


    ¡°Now, or then?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°I told you I missed you. I can only take it for so long before I have to call you.¡± His voice got really soft.


    ¡°I have a meeting right now. I will talk to youter, ok.¡± I feel guilty. I think I am really regretting this decision, but I have made one. I am not going to tell Dn about Grace until I return home. I can¡¯t handle this. He is pulling my heartstrings and I need to nip it in the butt.


    ¡°Alright I love you. I will talk to youter.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I click the phone off. Shaking my head as I go back into the living room. ¡°That was not funny Alex.¡± I try to give him a stern face, but he is giving me a stupid smile that I can¡¯t help but smile back at.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it if it is so much fun to piss off daddy.¡±


    Adel looks at both of us. ¡°He has something against your dad.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Not my dad. Grace¡¯s. He doesn¡¯t know of Grace at the moment. We are keeping it that way.¡±


    Kevin jumps up. ¡°What? I thought you said you would tell him soon.¡±


    ¡°I just got off the phone and I decided that I am going to wait until we move back home. He has his son to worry about. He is shopping for a mother. I am not going to just be a mother to his child.¡± I protest.


    Kevin waves his arms in the air clearly aggravated. ¡°You are the mother of his child. Sure not that child but you are still the mother of his child.¡±


    ¡°Fine I am not going to be the mother of Brittney¡¯s child. Does that sound better?¡± I am yelling at Kevin now. I know it is wrong to take it out on him but I am pissed. He keeps defending Dn, I know they are friends, but he is my friend too.


    ¡°You know it isn¡¯t his either. He just gave him parents who will actually give a shit about him. He wants you to be the other parent. He has always wanted that. You are the one pushing him away.¡± Kevin storms out of the room.


    I turn to smile at Adel. ¡°Sorry about that. At this point I wouldn¡¯t me you for running out that door.¡±


    She gave me a pleasant smile. ¡°I am not going to run. Every family is unique. It would seem that yours is a little more unique than other peoples is all. I don¡¯t judge. Just try not to fight in front of Grace is all I ask.¡±


    ¡°We keep all this from Grace. I am not really angry at her father but there are some things that need to be worked out.¡± I give her a smile back. ¡°I am so d you are not running for the hills.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bail on you like that. If anything I would tell you that you needed to find someone else and I would be here til then. But at this point I don¡¯t see the need for that.¡±


    I p my hands with a little gleeful smile. ¡°I am so d. Alright I have to go get my books and work on my schedule, Grace is up in her crib. She was still asleep when I checked on her before you got here. Let me walk you up there.¡±


    I head up the stairs and show Adel where the room is and Grace is starting to stir but not quite awake yet. We quietly leave the room to let her rest some more. I close the door so I can talk to Adel. ¡°So there is milk in the freezer for her. It is breast milk only. If I remember correctly you were familiar with that and know how to prepare it. I have pumped quite a bit to get ready for this time so there is no shortage. Let me show you where the kitchen and the bathroom are. Then you should be good. I am only going to be gone for a few hours today. Are there any other questions?¡±


    ¡°No, I just need to know where the bottles are kept. I saw the changing table so I am good there. She will be a piece of cake. Thest family I was a nanny for had three kids from three months to four years. I was ragged. Truth be told I will miss them, but they moved away for work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this will kind of be the same thing. I will be here until I graduate, then I will be moving back home to take over the family business.¡± We continue to walk down the stairs. ¡°Oh and before I forget the baby monitor is beside her bed, I usually keep it in my room but if you can¡¯t find it that is where it is. You probably won¡¯t need it today. I am sure she will be up in about fifteen minutes.¡±


    We enter the kitchen and I direct her to the milk storage and the bottles. ¡°Alright I am nervous as hell, but I think you got this.¡± Alex, as if sensing my distress,es into the kitchen and throws his arm around my shoulders.


    ¡°Come on. You hired her, you know she can do the job. It is just like leaving her with us for a little while. You need to get your stuff done.¡± He practically drags me out of the kitchen with Adelughing at the sight. ¡°She will be fine.¡± He shakes his head at me.


    ¡°But Alex what if something happens and she doesn¡¯t know what to do. I should stay home. I mean she might need me.¡±


    He turns and grabs my shoulders, ¡°Riley, you know that you need to get this schooling done. The fastest way to do that is to take sses on the campus. You need to do this and Grace is ready. She will miss you but you are not leaving forever. You need to do this.¡± His look in my eyes is encouraging.


    ¡°Thank you Alex. Alright, continue to drag me away. Or else I might never leave.¡± I give him a dramatic sigh.


    Heughs and throws his arm around my shoulder and leads me to his truck. ¡°I was going to take my car.¡±


    ¡°Na, I know this is your first day without your baby, I am not leaving you alone.¡± He gives me that knowing smile. ¡°Get in. Let¡¯s get to campus before it is too crowded and it takes forever.¡±


    The trip was pretty boring, but I had Alex there to keep me distracted. I am d for it, otherwise I would have ran home after twenty minutes. Once we got back I was able to rx a little. There was my baby with her nanny on the floor crawling around with toys. She had a beautiful smile on her face. When she saw me it got even bigger. God I loveing home to that. It will make it all worth it. ¡°Any problems?¡±


    ¡°No, she was great. She isn¡¯t a big fusser. She took her bottle and she got changed. We have been ying. I fed her twice. She is already for momma. Your sses start tomorrow right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Oh, I forgot to tell you we are starting to give her baby food. So on longer days you want to try feeding her. She is a bit fussy about it. But it is time to start getting her food.¡±


    ¡°I was going to ask about that. She is at that age. She might like having some of your food mushed up. I had this one kid that that was the only way he would eat. He thought that it was the same as what we were eating so it was what he wanted. Stuff like cooked carrots and peas. Stuff easy to mash. Just an idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try. You can too. I am not against it. So I will see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yeap, bright and early.¡± She nods to me as she leaves. She gives Grace a little kiss on the cheek on the way out.


    Alex puts his hands out for Grace but I decline him. I just got her. ¡°I like her. She seems like she is a good fit. Plus she didn¡¯t run after the Dn exnation. She is a keeper. Plus Grace likes her.¡± He tickles her sides and she gives him a little giggle. I swear it is so cute.


    ¡°I think it will work out too. Here, you can hold her. I know you missed her too. I am being selfish.¡±


    He takes her from me. ¡°That¡¯s right she loves uncle Alex. Huh Grace. Uncle Alex is that best ever.¡±


    As if Kevin knew what Alex was saying he entered the room, ¡°Excuse me. I am the best uncle ever.¡± He looks at me. ¡°Riley, I know it is your choice to make and I am sorry for how I acted. I am upset about the whole situation. I still think that you would change your mind, but I understand that it is your choice. You have chosen to wait and I will respect it. I will hold my tongue. Until we graduate then you are going home and telling him. If you don¡¯t I will hog tie you and ship you there to tell him.¡±


    I give him a smile. ¡°Thank you for understanding Kevin. I did panic a little today when he was telling me that he wanted me to be Riley¡¯s mother. I mean I have never even met him. It was scary. I know though that it is a possibility in the future. It is scary to think about having two kids the same age. It is like going to twins. I mean they are only about two months apart. I need time to adjust to it. I mean if anything Grace will have a brother the same age. I know it is adoptive, but still they will only be three when we go see him. That is a lot in and of itself. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Just know, you know this ising. Dn has no idea, so if he freaks it is because you waited too damn long. That is thest thing I am going to say about that.¡± Kevines and hugs me. ¡°I hate it when we fight.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± I hugged him back.


    Alex looks at the two of us. ¡°So you are pretty sure you are going back to him?¡±


    ¡°I am not really sure of anything. I know it is a possibility though. I told you not to wait for me.¡± I can¡¯t even really look at him. I know this is not what he wants to hear.


    ¡°I understand I mean he is Grace¡¯s father. I can tell he loves you. I am just going to continue to give him shit to make sure he deserves you. And you better believe if he screws up I will be the first one there. I will always be there for you.¡± He looks serious and he is making sure that I see it in his eyes. There isn¡¯t a trace of a smile that he usually wears.


    ¡°I know Alex. Plus Grace couldn¡¯t live without her uncles.¡± We all kind of group hugged. It was a little difficult with Alex holding Grace but since she decided to grab my face at that time, it worked out.

 Alex and Adel

    Time seemed to fly by. Since I decided on when I was going to tell Dn it made things a lot easier. Now it was a countdown. It was a good thing I decided on when to do this because by the time Grace was two she started calling all males daddy. It was fun to try to exin that to a two year old, note the sarcasm.


    I also noticed a few other things too. Alex was spending a lot of time home when Adel was here. I don¡¯t me him, I mean she is a pretty girl. She is good and caring. Actually she is a really good match to Alex. I was a little heartbroken that it would mean that he wasn¡¯t moving back with us, but it was just me being selfish. He is a great friend that I want to have around.


    About March before graduation I broached the subject with him. ¡°So, it would seem that maybe you like Adel.¡±


    He just shrugs. ¡°Maybe. Look, she is great. I just don¡¯t think she sees me that way. I have made it clear that I think she is great, but whenever she is here it is all about Grace. She isn¡¯t giving me the time of day.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought about asking her out for a date? You know outside of work. She may be just trying to be professional. I mean that is why I hired her. I wanted someone to be herepletely for Grace. Not that I wouldn¡¯t miss both of you if you decided to stay. I mean I am already going to miss Adel when I leave.¡±


    ¡°You still leaving in June?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s time. I have to take over for Aunt Polly soon. She needs some time to actually retire. She will still work with me of course, but she wants me to take over.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°What if I convinced Adel toe with us?¡±


    ¡°Well, that would be awesome. But starting a rtionship at this point and then asking her to uproot her life would seem pretty fast.¡± I give him a pointed look. Like maybe you are thinking a bit too fast here buddy.


    ¡°Adel has been saying that she doesn¡¯t want to stop watching Grace. I think if I talk to her about the whole situation then she would be open to the idea of moving. We have a ce for her to stay. You have a job, so you will be able to pay her sry in the future. It makes sense. I am not saying that it is a definite, but a possibility. I will talk to her tomorrow about it.¡± He gets up as if he has a purpose. I am assuming it is to make sure that he actually has a n. I smile at his determination. It makes me happy to see that he has moved on to someone who can love him.


    This however returns that thought that I have Dn to worry about soon enough. As if he knew I was thinking about him, my phone rings. His calls have be less frequent these days. I am a little surprised to see that he is calling. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hey. So I was wondering, are you stilling back soon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why wouldn¡¯t I? I mean unless you would prefer I stayed away.¡±


    ¡°No, I just didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up again. I really can¡¯t wait to see you again.¡±


    ¡°I thought maybe you might not want me since you haven¡¯t been calling me as much. I also figured you were busy. I am nervous. I have something to tell you that I am not so sure you are going to want to hear.¡±


    ¡°You can tell me anything. It won¡¯t change how I feel about you.¡±


    ¡°This might. I am scheduled to depart the second week of June. Aunt Polly is going on vacation then so I will be going straight to work. I am taking a train this time so it will take a few days, but it should be nice.¡±


    ¡°Are you bringing home that guy?¡±


    ¡°That guy¡¯s name is Alex, and I am not sure yet. We are working on it.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? Are you two together?¡±


    ¡°No, he might be seeing someone else so he is in debate as to whether toe with us or stay here. Happy now.¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly, yes. I know you haven¡¯t said that you want to be with me, but at least I don¡¯t have topete with him.¡±


    ¡°Dn, it was never apetition.¡± I sigh. ¡°So how is Riley?¡±


    ¡°Good, he is excited to meet you. Another reason why I wanted to make sure you wereing. Of course I am not just going to throw him at you. I told him you were my friend. He knows I have missed you. He is a perceptive little guy.¡±


    Sounds like Grace. They seem like they will get along great. ¡°Sounds cute. I will be d to meet him. So I will see you then huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, absolutely. I can¡¯t wait. Two months is going to be an eternity. I haven¡¯t seen your beautiful face in four years. I still love you Riley.¡±


    ¡°I know. Dn, I¡¯ve gotta go. I have some things to do right now.¡± I don¡¯t really but I have tears streaming down my face and I don¡¯t need him to know that. After all this time he still says these things. He may not say them after he finds out about Grace. He may hate me. I have to cherish this time now. I have made a choice and I will stand by it. I have to deal with the consequences of my actions.


    ¡°I get it. I have finals and stuff too. Good news though I have a new job as soon as I get certified. I am going to be recing Mr. Harman at the school. I have been working with him for thest year and learning the ropes. Along with studying. I am pretty sure I got this. He thinks so too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great Dn. I am d that you found a job in town. I know that is what you really wanted. I am happy for you.¡± I am, it also means that he will stay close to me. I am not sure how great that will be when he finds out what I have been keeping from him. I just really hope he loves me as much as he says.


    ¡°I wanted to make sure I could stay close to you. When Mr. Harman put out there that he was retiring. There were a few people vying for the position. I managed to talk him into trusting me with the job. I think he did it for you. He asks me about you sometimes. I think he will be d to see you back in town too.¡±


    ¡°You know Mr. Harman does like you right. He might give you a hard time but he does like you. I am not surprised that you did your student teaching with him. He isn¡¯t as hard of an ass as people think he is.¡±


    ¡°I know that now. It was really nerve racking to ask him about it in the first ce. He was really cool about it.¡±


    ¡°I really have to get going now. I will see you soon.¡± I try to send a smile his way. I don¡¯t want him to feel like I am mad at him anymore. As much as it pains me to admit it, I think I feel more love for him than I did before. I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder.


    ¡°I love you, I will see you soon.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± Then I click off. That is the first time I have said that in four years. I am sure he knows that. I just really hope that he gets the message.

 Back Home

    Two months fly by. Soon I am back in my hometown and back in my old house. I look in my old room and everything has changed. ¡°Mom, what did you do?¡±


    She peeks in behind me. ¡°What? I thought you could use a bigger bed. Plus you don¡¯t really need the desk in here anymore. I am sure you will have an office at the Library now that you are taking over. I put in more updated curtains. I put the little girl ones that used to be in here in the room for Grace.¡±


    ¡°You put together a room for Grace?¡±


    ¡°What kind of Grandma would I be if I never put together a room for my little angel. It was hard hiding it from Dn though. You know he stilles for breakfast every morning. You should have seen it when he showed up and I was moving your old bed into the guest room. Of course he offered to help, but he panicked like it was a sign that you were nevering back. I had to rify that I was giving you a bigger bed. He then asked why I was making a guest room. I said I just wanted one. I don¡¯t think he found anything wrong.¡±


    I walked over to the room that she set up for Grace and she did an amazing job. She got this bed set that is a really beautiful purple then matched it with a light blue rug in front. She set up some stuffed animals that I am sure she bought just for her. She put cushions on an old bench and made it a window seat. ¡°This is perfect, mom.¡± Just then Grace ran in.


    ¡°I love it Grandma.¡± She started spinning and dancing around. ¡°When is uncle Alexing over?¡± She stops spinning.


    ¡°He will be here in about a month with nanny Adel. They areing together.¡± I give her a smile. I am d she likes my friends. It makes me hopeful that she will like Dn.


    ¡°Mommy, when do I get to meet Aunt Polly?¡± I of course told her all about her family. Well, except Dn. I didn¡¯t want to breach that subject until I talked to him and knew that he wouldn¡¯t reject her. I would hate to see her crushed little face.


    ¡°We are going to meet Aunt Polly tomorrow. She is really excited to meet you. She wants to show you all the books in the library. Won¡¯t that be fun?¡±


    She gives me a big smile and then nods. ¡°Yes, I like books.¡±


    My mom smiles. ¡°Just like her mother. I am going to make dinner, you guys get settled in. Your things are supposed to arrive in a couple of days. I assume you have enough things to get by.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, mom. Hey, are you expecting Dn in the morning? I just want to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°No, I told him that you needed some time to getfortable. And we would be busy. However I am sure he is going to show up at the library tomorrow.¡±


    She gives me a knowing look. Dn knew full well when I was going to arrive. I am d it will be in public, he can¡¯t totally yell at me there. Plus after we meet with Aunt Polly, Katelyn is going to take Grace to the park, so there is more of a chance that I will see Dn will be eased into her.


    ¡°Grace, wash up for dinner and thank Grandma for the amazing job she did in your new room.¡±


    She smiles at my mom. ¡°Thank you Grandma. I love it. It isn¡¯t as big as my old room but it is really nice.¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°Yeah, my house isn¡¯t as big as that fancy one you have been living in but it was good enough for your mom. Soon it will be your house.¡±


    I look at my mom. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I am moving in with Polly. We decided that it was time you had your own house. Plus Polly and I are going to start traveling a lot. We are leaving a lot to you.¡± She smiled at me, that smile that warms the heart. ¡°You are the Anderson that is going to take over everything. Although you should be Williamson, it¡¯s ok. Besides, you might be something else soon. Like maybe Matthews.¡± She gives me a smirk.


    ¡°Funny mom.¡±


    ¡°Why would your name be Matthews, mommy?¡± Grace looks up at me.


    ¡°I will exin tomorrow ok. Right now go wash up.¡± I nod my head towards the bathroom.


    ¡°Ok mommy.¡± She runs off to the bathroom.


    ¡°So you are breaking the news tomorrow?¡±


    I take a deep breath. ¡°Yeah, At least that is the n. This is really hard for me. I know he needs to know, but I don¡¯t want him upset at her because I kept her from him. It was my choice. I am also really scared he will never speak to me again.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. He is buzzing that you are here. He would have been at the train station but I had to tell him to give you some time to adjust. I didn¡¯t think that it would be a great time to introduce them.¡±


    ¡°Thank God. That would have been very awkward. I am still scared. I don¡¯t think I will sleep a wink tonight.¡± She pats me on the back.


    ¡°It¡¯s time dear. We have all done our best to make sure he didn¡¯t know, but she deserves a father. He is a great dad. He brings Riley over here and it is like he is one of the most loved children on the. If he can do that for a child that isn¡¯t even his then I am sure it would be even better for a child that is.¡±


    ¡°So, you like his son?¡±


    ¡°After all I have a strong feeling he will be my grandson too. I mean he named him after you for crying out loud. His momma isn¡¯t in the picture. She took off soon after he was born. No one has seen her since.¡±


    ¡°Figures Brittney would do that. Thanks mom. I will get Grace ready for dinner and then I am giving her a bath and putting her to bed. It has been a long three days. But better than driving.¡±


    ¡°See, told you.¡± She smiles as she leaves for the kitchen.


    I finish getting Grace cleaned up for dinner and we head into the living room and wait for my mom to call us into dinner.


    ¡°Mommy are we going back home?¡±


    ¡°Grace, you remember I told you that we are moving here. We put all your toys in boxes. They will be here soon. This is where mommy¡¯s new job is. Mommy is going to run the library. That is fun huh?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes mommy. I was just hoping to find a daddy. I think this ce is too small to find one.¡± She looks at me so solemnly.


    God she is too smart for her own good. ¡°We can still find a daddy here. If not, is it so bad to be you and me?¡± I give her a silly smile that makes herugh.


    ¡°No, I love you mommy.¡± She gives me a serious face. This is what she does when she wants to make sure that I know she is telling the truth.


    ¡°Good. Cause I love you, bug.¡± I open my arms for a hug and she runs into them. God I love this little girl. He better not reject her tomorrow.

 Reconnecting

    Of course I was right, I didn¡¯t sleep a wink. I just tossed and turned. When I got up at five, not even attempting to sleep any more I took a shower and started trying to make myself as presentable as possible. I picked a yellow dress with a wide ck belt. My ssic looking heels. I dry my hair and put it up in a ponytail. By the time I am done with all that Grace is up and I help her get all pretty too. She picks out a yellow dress like mommy¡¯s. She wants to be pretty to see Aunt Polly. She has no idea that she is meeting her daddy today. She puts on some ck ts and I put her hair in a ponytail too. She likes to dress like mommy. She even had Aunt Katelyn buy her a bunch of dresses like mine. Of course she bought her more than what I had. I swear she spoils my daughter too much.


    When we get to the library, Aunt Polly meets us at the door. ¡°There is my beautiful niece that I have only seen in pictures. You are way more pretty than your pictures. Come give Aunt Polly a hug.¡±


    Grace runs into her arms. When she pulls back she says, ¡°I am pretty like mommy. I want to be just like her. I just don¡¯t have her pretty hair.¡±


    I chuckle a little, ¡°No, bug. Your hair is even prettier.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She doesn¡¯t even respond to that. She looks at Aunt Polly. ¡°Mommy said that you have lots of books that you want to show me. Can I see them now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, a girl after my own heart. Of course you can. Riley, your mom is going to show you what we want you to do today and then I heard that Katelyn is going to take this beautiful girl to the park, I think I will join them.¡± She takes Grace¡¯s hand and leads her over to the children¡¯s section. I can see the big smile on my little girl¡¯s face. I hope nothing today will make it go away.


    I head to the office and see my mom with some papers. ¡°Oh, good. So what we need you to do today is to hang this banner over the front desk.¡± She points to a rolled up banner in the corner. ¡°We are going to let you take over in the next few days. I know you know mostly everything. Plus I am sure you learned some things in that school of yours that is going to make you update as much as possible. We are leaving it in your capable hands.¡±


    ¡°I do have some ideas. I am d that you are leaving this to me. I also have some of that money that I owe you for your help while I was in school. I left it back at the house for you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I have plenty of money. You keep it. Put it in a college fund for Grace. Or Riley, depending on how things work out. Hell, both.¡± She gives me augh. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to be gone long, so just run things and hang the banner. Thedder is in the supply closet. I am sure you remember where it is.¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long mom.¡± I roll my eyes at her. ¡°I will do that after Katelyn gets here. It should be soon she wanted to beat the kids to the park.¡±


    I leave my mom in the office and head to the front to see if Katelyn is here yet. She of course is waiting for me there. She is early as always. ¡°Hey, you look hot. Dn is going to lose it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know that. I just hope it is in a good way.¡± I smile sadly at her.


    This makes here up to me and put her hands on my shoulders, ¡°It is time Riley, you have to do this. I swear if I hear Kevin bitch about this one more time I am going to kill him. Then I will be a widow before I am even married.¡±


    Iugh, ¡°So you decided to marry him?¡± I smirk at her.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured I made him suffer enough.¡± She gives me a smirk of her own. ¡°Plus he wouldn¡¯t shut up about it.¡± She rolls her eyes. ¡°I love it though. Thest four years have felt like the longest date of my life.¡±


    ¡°It is about time.¡± I poke her belly. ¡°Grace is over in the kids section with Aunt Polly. I think she just found her heaven.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good Lord I need to get her outside before she is as pale as you.¡± She pokes me back then heads to the children¡¯s section.


    A few minutester my little bug is running at me. ¡°Aunt Katelyn says we are going to the park.¡± She gives me a big smile.


    ¡°Yep, you have fun with your aunts and I will see you in a little bit ok?¡±


    She makes a little pouty face. ¡°You aren¡¯ting?¡±


    ¡°No, mommy has to do some work but I will be here when you get back. I will take you somewhere after that.¡±


    ¡°Ok mommy.¡± Her smile returns. I know she likes to hang out with mommy, but today I have to talk to her daddy.


    Katelyn and Aunt Polly collect Grace and head out, heading towards the park. After a few minutes my momes out of the office, ¡°I have some errands to run. I will be backter.¡± She doesn¡¯t even wait for my answer and leaves without a look back. I think everyone is giving me the space I need to do this.


    I collect up thedder and set it up to put the banner up. By the time I get to the second half of the banner the door dings open. I see him before he really sees me. I can¡¯t believe how good looking he is. Head down thedder and give him a smile. I hope I seem happy to see him. I know he may not stick around for very long.


    ¡°Were you just on adder?¡± He pointed at thedder.


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    ¡°In a dress.¡± He points at my dress.


    ¡°Yes, Actually I know what you are thinking. I have on shorts underneath. Where Ie from, if you don¡¯t you are showing the whole world your underwear because boys think it¡¯s funny to go flippin¡¯ up girls skirts.¡± I chuckle at my own joke.


    ¡°Are you wearing heels?¡± He looks at my feet.


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    ¡°On adder.¡± He looks confused at thedder again.


    ¡°Is something getting lost in trantion here? Yes.¡±


    ¡°Heels on adder don¡¯t seem very safe.¡± He crosses his arms over his chest.


    ¡°Ok can we get off my clothes. Was there something that you needed?¡± I try to be serious with him.


    ¡°That just doesn¡¯t seem very safe.¡± He tries to stay stern.


    ¡°You should have seen mest week. I didn¡¯t wear any shoes. I¡¯m a risk taker. Could¡¯ve dropped a book on my toe. I wasn¡¯t aware that there was a fashion safety police. Do you write tickets or is this just a warning?¡± I joke some more. He can¡¯t take it any more. He smiles at me and then pulls me into a rug.


    ¡°I missed you. God it feels so good to have you in my arms again. You look really good.¡± He pushes me back so he can see my face.


    ¡°Hey, Dn. I missed you too. I have something that I really need to tell you.¡± As if the universe is against me. The door dings again and my little angel runs up to me.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± She hugs onto my leg. Then she spots Dn with his arms around me. ¡°Who is this mommy?¡±


    Dn is shocked. He keeps looking back and forth between Grace and me. His jaw hanging open. ¡°This is mommy¡¯s friend. You can call him Mr. Matthews for now.¡±


    She gets a big smile on her face. I guess she has some wild thoughts going on right now. This girl really is too smart for her own good. Katelynes running into the library now. ¡°Sorry, she runs fast. I was trying to go slow but she was adamant about seeing you.¡± She sees Dn. ¡°Hey, Dn. How you been?¡±


    He finally finds his words. ¡°I have been better. Can you take this lovely little girl to the children¡¯s section so I can talk with her mommy for just a minute.¡± He tries to sound calm but I know he is ready to explode. His arm is still around my waist and it is not the rxed squeeze that it was before. I nod to Katelyn to let her know it is ok.


    After Katelyn and Grace disappear, Dn drags me to the office. As soon as the door closes he turns on me.


    ¡°Riley, who is her father?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I shrug. I know he knows the answer. If he wants to y dumb then so will I.


    ¡°Bullshit. Are you telling me that it doesn¡¯t matter that that little girl is mine?¡± His scowl is almost hot. If it wasn¡¯t directed at me I would be so turned on right now. However since it is turned on me it is a little scary.


    ¡°I told you then I wasn¡¯t expecting anything from you. You told me I was just a tool. Why the hell would I tell you about a child that resulted from your little tryst with me? You didn¡¯t care about me so what did it matter to you if we had a daughter.¡± I can¡¯t help but scold back. I mean he isying all this on me. True it was my choice to keep it from him, but at the time I had my reasons.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter. Not one of you people told me. It has been four years, I missed so much and I didn¡¯t even get a choice in the matter. If the shoe was on the other foot would you have wanted to know. Besides, what happened between you and me was different. I told you that in the end I fell for you. I felt bad about what happened. You never even really gave me a chance to talk to you about it. You kicked me out of your life and by extension my daughters. For Christ¡¯s sake she doesn¡¯t even know she has a dad. You had no right to do this Riley.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I made my choice to make sure that you were not hindered in your life. I didn¡¯t want to be something holding you back. Your life would have changed if you found out about Grace.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me? I had a right to know.¡± He is calming but still upset.


    ¡°I know you did. I told them not to tell you. Believe me they all wanted to tell you. I made them swear not to. I wanted you to live free of me. I came back now because I wanted to see if you wanted this. I am not expecting anything from you. I just wanted you to know. Guilt is something that I can¡¯t continue to live with.¡±


    ¡°Was there someone else?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I looked at him shocked.


    ¡°So she doesn¡¯t have some guy out there who she wants to be her daddy. What about that Alex guy?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t been with anyone since you. Does that make you happy? Pathetic nerd girl never moved on.¡± Now I am pissed. He thinks I would do that.


    ¡°How about a pathetic jock who was jealous every time I saw on your news feed how happy you were with your sunshine?¡± He smirks at me.


    Iugh, I mean a full bellyugh. ¡°Who do you think sunshine is?¡±


    I can see realization clicking on his face. ¡°Grace is sunshine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, genius. I didn¡¯t post pictures of her because I didn¡¯t want you to see things about her. I just didn¡¯t want you to have to deal with all this. I am sorry. I know I was wrong. I just honestly thought I was doing the right thing. Besides how would all of those girlfriends have felt knowing that you had a kid out there somewhere. It was bad enough that you had one at home.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He looks at me like I have lost my mind.


    ¡°Do you think you were the only one trolling social media? I saw the girls.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°They neversted long. I was alwaysparing them to the girl that got away.¡±


    ¡°Brittney.¡±


    ¡°No, You.¡± Heughs.


    ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡±


    He turns serious again. ¡°That is because you never thought that I really wanted you. You were always waiting for the other shoe to drop. When I told you about my original n, you took it and ran off with it. You never let me tell you that I had fallen in love with you. But this Riley, I don¡¯t know if I can forgive you. You took my choice away, I missed four years of my daughter¡¯s life that I can¡¯t get back. How am I supposed to exin to her where I was?¡±


    ¡°I will, it was my choice. I won¡¯t say anything until you are ready though. I want you to want her. I don¡¯t want her to feel rejected. I felt so abandoned by my parents. I don¡¯t want her to feel like that.¡±


    ¡°Of course I want her. I am pissed that you kept her from me. Just tell me what to do to get my daughter in my life.¡±


    ¡°Come to the library tomorrow afternoon. She will know who you are then.¡± I reach into my pocket and pull out the zip drive that we made up of Grace¡¯s important moments. ¡°We put this together for you. It is her most important moments. We didn¡¯t want you to totally miss out.¡±


    He takes it from my hand. ¡°You and I are not done discussing this. I feel betrayed and you are going to find a way to fix it for our daughters sake.¡± He storms out and then he tries topose himself when he sees Katelyn and Grace sitting at the desk up front.


    He goes up to Katelyn, gives her a knowing look. ¡°You should have told me.¡±


    She whispers, ¡°I know.¡± She doesn¡¯t look him in the eye. Suddenly I realized how bad it was.


    Dn leans down and talks to Grace. ¡°It was nice to meet you Grace. I hope to see you again soon.¡±


    ¡°It was nice to meet you too Mr. Matthews.¡± She extends her hand for him to shake, like she has been taught. He shakes it.


    Then he turns and res at me. ¡°Mr. Matthews.¡±

 Grace鈥檚 Daddy

    Without a response he leaves the library. I look at him trying to contemte where this leaves us. I guess I am going to have to wait for tomorrow to know the answer to that question. Grace runs up and hugs me. ¡°Can we go somewhere now? You promised.¡±


    I look down at her and give her my best smile. ¡°Of course sweety. Then we are going back to our new house and we are going to have a long talk. Mommy has something very important to tell you. Grown up stuff.¡±


    I see her eyes light up. She likes to be treated like an adult. ¡°Grown up stuff?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very grown up stuff.¡± I give her a knowing look. I can tell she likes it. I give her my hand so I can take her to ice cream and then we will have the talk about daddy when we get home.


    At the ice creamery I get her a cone and watch as she eats it enthusiastically. She keeps telling me how grown up she is. I am happy that she is excited. I just hope that this all works out well in the end. He says he wants her in his life. That is just going to have to be enough right now.


    We walk back to the house, hand in hand. She is so excited to have her grown up talk she is practically running me down the street. When we get there she goes straight to the living room and does her best big girl stance. I sit next to her and take a deep breath ready for anything.


    ¡°First off I want you to know mommy made a big mistake. I did something that I shouldn¡¯t have and it is making things a little hard right now.¡±


    She looked at me with big eyes. ¡°Mommy you don¡¯t do bad stuff.¡±


    ¡°Usually no, but this time I did. I told you something that wasn¡¯t true.¡±


    ¡°You lied.¡± Her eyes got big and she was almost holding back tears. God, I am crushing my daughter¡¯s image of me as we speak.


    ¡°Yes, bug I did. You remember today when you met Mommy¡¯s friend Mr. Matthews?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t like him.¡± She gets a little sour face.


    ¡°Why bug?¡±


    ¡°He made an angry face at you.¡±


    I give a big sigh again. ¡°Well mommy kind of deserved it. You remember when I told you that you didn¡¯t have a daddy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Now I can see the wheels working in her head.


    ¡°That was the lie bug. I know where your daddy was. He is mad at me because I didn¡¯t tell him that you were here. He wants to meet you tomorrow and talk to you about it.¡±


    Tears are nowing down her cheeks. ¡°So, I have a daddy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, bug. He wants to see you very much.¡±


    She gets up and runs to her room. I don¡¯t know if I should try tofort her or if I should just let her have some time. I mean I am the one that screwed up. She is just a little girl trying to deal with the fact that her mommy lied to her, her whole life. Even when she would beg me for a daddy, I would lie and say she didn¡¯t have one. To her this is a big heart break.


    I decided to try tofort her. I go to her room to see her sitting on her bench with a teddy. ¡°Are you ready to talk, bug? Or do you want me to go away?¡±


    ¡°Why did you lie mommy?¡±


    I swear it is a stab to my heart to see my little girl this sad. ¡°Well, we lived a long way away. He had school here, like mommy had school there. I didn¡¯t want to make problems. I didn¡¯t think that he would be able toe live with us, because he has another baby that he takes care of.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Your daddy adopted a little boy, his name is Riley, he is a little bit older than you. He loves him very much. But you know what?¡±


    She looks up at me. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He loves you already so much. That was why he was mad at mommy. He wants to see you so bad. He was just waiting for you to know that he was your daddy. Are you ready to see him tomorrow?¡± I ask her because ultimately this is her choice too.


    ¡°Is he going to be mad?¡±


    ¡°No, he is not mad at you, bug.¡± Now I am concerned with the image she has of her father.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°He can¡¯t be mad at you either. I don¡¯t like mad people.¡± She makes a scrunched angry face.


    ¡°I will tell him.¡± I give her a little smile.


    ¡°Can I talk to him on the phone?¡± Her whole face has changed. She is expectant. She doesn¡¯t want to wait until tomorrow.


    ¡°Sure, let me talk to him first then I will get you the phone. How does that sound?¡± I give her a smile.


    ¡°Ok.¡± She smiles back.


    I turn from her and retrieve my phone. I dial up Dn. He has to be home by now. He picks up after the second ring. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Um. so Grace wants to talk to you on the phone. Is that alright?¡± I can hear the birth video ying in the background.


    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±


    ¡°One more thing. She said you can¡¯t be mad, she doesn¡¯t like mad people.¡± I try to keep my voice as neutral as possible. I am breaking talking to him.


    ¡°I am not mad at her.¡±


    ¡°She knows that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she means you.¡± His voice gets soft.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He takes a deep breath. ¡°Riley, I get it but at the same time I am a bit pissed. I will tell her I am not mad though. I don¡¯t want her to hate me right out the gate.¡±


    ¡°Alright, here she is.¡±


    I hand the phone to Grace. She takes it greedily. I can tell she is happy. She has the one thing that she always wanted, a daddy. ¡°Hello¡­ Yes, I am happy to have a daddy¡­ please don¡¯t be mad at mommy she didn¡¯t mean it¡­ I know it was bad, she is sorry¡­ I am excited to see you tomorrow¡­ Can you bring my brother too?¡­ Can mommye?¡­ Ok, Bye daddy, I will see you tomorrow.¡± She hands the phone back to me. I can see that Dn is still there so I put the phone to my ear.


    ¡°You guys work everything out?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Yeah. She is just like you isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yeap, she is a regr mini me.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile. He is talking to me almost how he used to.


    ¡°I will meet you guys at the library. I want to talk to you first. In private. Then I will take Grace out to the park. Does that sound good to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I can barely get it out. He didn¡¯t say anything about me joining. Well at least he is going to have a rtionship with her. That is what matters the most. I can ept my screw up.


    ¡°Then I will see you tomorrow.¡± He is all business. He ends the call with a quick bye. There is no ¡®I love you¡¯ this time. God I really screwed this up.


    I try to keep a stiff upper lip, but really I am dying inside. I don¡¯t think he wants me anymore. It is painful to think about. I try to not let Grace see the sadness in me. It must work because she doesn¡¯t say anything. Or she is too busy talking about what her and daddy are going to do the next day. I am d that she is happy at least.


    After her bath I put her to bed and she asked me onest question, ¡°Do you think Daddy will live with us?¡±


    I don¡¯t really know how to answer that right now. I guess the best way is to be diplomatic. ¡°I am not really sure right now sweety. We will see. Let¡¯s give daddy some time to get used to this whole thing ok. Plus he has to think about Riley too.¡±


    I think she is ready to go to sleep then she pipes up with another question that I don¡¯t have the answer for. ¡°Why did he name his son after you?¡±


    ¡°I am not really sure, bug. Maybe that is something you can ask him tomorrow. I am sure he wants to let you know everything.¡± I give her a smile and then tuck her in her bed.


    ¡°Ok mommy. I can¡¯t wait to meet daddy tomorrow.¡± She shes me a big smile.


    Again Iy in bed sleepless. My mom tried to ask me how it went today but I really didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Thoughts of today were shing in my mind. The look on his face was something that I am having a hard time dealing with. He is never going to forgive me.

 The Day of Reckoning

    Again at five I get up and dress up. Hell, I might as well look good for my execution. I picked a blue dress today with the same belt and ck ts. I decided to skip the heels today. I also decided to keep my hair down. When I woke up Grace she decided that she wanted to look the same. I oblige her by getting her dress from the closet that matches mine. She runs to the bathroom putting it on.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    When she is all ready we head to the library. I think we are a bit early but I want to be there before him. I must have had the same thought as him because he was there before me. With a cute little boy dressed in a pair of jeans and an Avengers shirt. He has dark hair and has a face a lot like Brittney¡¯s. He is holding Dn¡¯s hand looking really nervous. I guess he knows he is meeting his sister today.


    I smile at Dn and Riley as we approach. Grace rips out of my hand and runs up to Dn. ¡°Daddy.¡± She jumps up and he catches her in a hug.


    ¡°Hey sweety, This is your big brother Riley.¡± He sets her down next to the little boy. Of course Grace wastes no time in giving him a hug. He looks shocked, but then he smiles. ¡°Alright, you two are going to go to the children¡¯s section with Aunt Polly, while I talk to mommy ok.¡±


    They both nod and then run to the children¡¯s section. ¡°I have Polly waiting there for them. The office is clear so we can talk.¡± His face is neutral. At least it isn¡¯t pissed like I thought it would be.


    ¡°Lead the way.¡± I motion my hand to indicate that he should go first. I try to keep my voice even. I do not want to break down in front of him.


    Once we are in the office, I turn when he closes the door and then I hear the lock click. When I look at him he has his hand resting on the door and his head bowed. He is quiet for a minute. Then he turns and quicker than I can think he has my face in his hands and his mouth on mine. He pulls back. ¡°I am still so mad at you.¡± He kisses me again. ¡°Exceedingly pissed.¡± He kisses me again. I have my hands on his hips. I am so happy that I can¡¯t express any words. ¡°You are going to make up for this for a long time.¡± He kisses me again. The pattern keeps repeating he says he¡¯s pissed in one form or another and then kisses me again.


    Finally he pulls back. ¡°I have missed you so fucking much. I love you. I know that we can get past this. Don¡¯t you ever lie to me again. You hear me.¡± He looks me right in the eyes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, I really want to make this work with us. Not just for Grace. I want to be with you. Dn I missed you so much. I love you.¡± I curl my head into his chest. He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight.


    ¡°I am not letting you go again. You are stuck with me for the rest of your life, you hear me.¡± It is a statement not a question. ¡°I was up all night trying to figure out everything. All I could think was that I can¡¯t lose you. I know we have both screwed some things up, but we need to know that we are meant to be together. You are stuck with me.¡±


    ¡°I think you got that wrong.¡± He pulls me back with a little bit of panic on his face. ¡°You are stuck with me.¡± I smile at him.

 Epilogue

    Every time I turn around I swear Dn is trying to get me pregnant again. It has been two months and he is determined. He said he missed out on thest one with me so he wants the full experience. Not that I can really me him but when he tries, he tries everywhere. I mean everywhere. The library, the locker room at the high school, our house of course, he even tried the park but I had to draw the line there. I can only go so far with public nudity.


    The kids are loving having each other. They have be so close that sometimes it is hard to separate them. Riley really has grown attached to Grace. His nanny Martha said that he was always a really shy boy, but now he ispletely open to her. I guess she brings out his best. They seem like they are attached at the hip at times. Which is nice because they will be together for a long time. Since they are the same age they will always be in the same ss and Lord knows how long after that. If they are stuck to each other then It is likely that they will go on further to college together. However, I am merely jumping the gun.


    I have fallen in love with that little boy. He calls me mommy like I have been here his whole life. When Brittney came back to town she was not happy to see. She quickly left town afterwards. I think she was under the impression that if she came back and her son still needed a mom then she could weasel in. I don¡¯t think she ising back.


    For once I feelpletely happy. Dn and I are in a great ce. We know now that we both were being stupid and should have just talked to each other to begin with. Now we talk about everything. It makes things way easier to discuss. One night when we were having one of our talks we discussed the time that we were apart. We found out that we both had just waited for the other to return. I knew he had dated while I was gone, but he quickly quelled my worries there.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t you. I mean to be honest the only reason why I even went on dates is because you wanted me to. Plus they couldn¡¯t understand why I would have breakfast with my ex¡¯s mother every morning. Or why I would call her whenever the thought struck me. But overall they never did anything for me.¡±


    ¡°What about that one girl that asked you toe back to bed?¡±


    ¡°We were on a date that night. I got really drunk and she managed to get me back home, but I passed out on her. I guess she decided to be there when I woke up. However, when I woke up and saw her, you were the only one that I could think about. I called you before she woke up. After she asked me to go back to bed and you hung up on me, I kicked her out. Told her it wasn¡¯t going to work. But I wasn¡¯t with her in the biblical capacity.¡±


    ¡°So no one in four years.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°No one in four years. I just couldn¡¯t get past you. To be honest I didn¡¯t want to. I knew you wereing back. I just knew it.¡±


    This filled me with joy. Even when I was confused, and didn¡¯t know what was going to happen next he was still there waiting for me. God I love this man. I am d to see that the love we have, has managed to ovee all the obstacles thrown at it.


    Katelyn and Kevin have finally realized that they were supposed to be together. Much of it was Kevin¡¯s insistence of the fact. I tried to convince Katelyn that we could save money and do a double wedding. She quickly shut that down saying that we each need to have the best day of our lives. We deserve it.


    Alex and Adel are growing closer too. Adel is going to be kept on as my nanny for both kids. Ryder¡¯s original nanny is deciding to retire. She said she will still see the children around but she needs to have some time to herself. Ryder is a little upset about the prospect but he likes Adel enough.


    My mom and Aunt Polly have pretty much left the library to me and Katelyn. They stille in and work from time to time. They are pretty much just helpers at this point. Katelyn and I havepletely renovated the library. All modernized. We have aputerb and it is much more popr than it used to be which keeps us pretty busy. Plus we started programs for tutors, students can volunteer as part of their college applications and help out fellow students as well. Also with the four of us working the library there is always someone here to help out when a student needs help.


    Dn¡¯s family has been really weing. I knew his parents before but they are excited to make me a part of the family. Apparently Dn talked to them about me while I was away. Plus they are pretty excited about having a grandchild. They love Riley, but Grace is theirs too. His mother is right on the train with Dn that we have more and soon.


    We have all moved into my mother¡¯s old house. It feels like we are a real family now. Every night when I cuddle next to Dn, after we put the kids to sleep, I can¡¯t help but feel happy. This is what I want in my life. A man who loves me and kids I can love. It doesn¡¯t hurt that Dn and I are absolutely in love.


    I would like to say that things are looking up, but it is better than that. Things have finally be perfect.


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