It was the last day of summer break for the kids who attended Dunbar High School. Mercedes Debois, Dunbar's head cheerleader and most popular eleventh grader, is spending it at home. She lives on a big horse ranch with her mother Mary, her two sisters Charlotte age twelve and La'Nita age eight, and her brother Andrew age one. Her father is still in her life, but since her parents are divorced he lives in Mississippi and visits once a month. She was helping her Mom go over the health records of the horses they had, which in total is nineteen, when the phone rang. "Hello" Mercedes answered. "Hey Mercedes it's Mackenzie, I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the mall I need new school clothes and mom's at work" Mackenzie Shiver was a thirteen year old girl who had known Mercedes for a long time and was starting the ninth grade at Dunbar. "Sure Kenzie I'll be right there" Mercedes said hanging up the phone. "Hey Mom, can you do the rest of the records by yourself?" Mercedes asked. "Sure honey why?" her Mom replied grabbing a pen. "Kenzie and I are going to the mall" Mercedes replied grabbing her purse. "OK honey be back around six for dinner" her Mom said. Mercedes agreed and hugged her Mom. She got in her new 2006 GMC savanna cargo her Mom bought her over the summer and got her keys out of her purse and started the car. As show drove through Dayton she noticed all the stores and restaurants that needed some series makeovers. She finally turned the corner on to Phillips Avenue and pulled up in front of Mackenzie´s house. "Hey Kenzie hop in!" Mercedes said opening the door. Mackenzie hopped in and they were off to the mall. When they got there they went into a store called A. J. Wrights. It's a store were girls Mackenzie and Mercedes age like to shop. Mackenzie looked on one of the shirt racks and found a short sleeve shirt. "Hey Sadie, how about this shirt?" it was a purple shirt with the word brat on it spelled out in blue glitter. "Oh that's pretty and it's the perfect word to describe you" Mercedes said laughing. Mackenzie rolled her eyes at Mercedes and looked at the price on the shirt. It was ten bucks so she put it in her little shopping basket and looked on. Mercedes thought that the store had a lot of pretty clothes put she really wanted some new jewelry. She turned around saw a store across the isle called Sparkling Jewels. She went over to the store and looked around.

She saw a beautiful silver necklace with diamonds in it. She looked at the price tag and it was seventy-two dollars. She took one and kept looking. She saw a pair of diamond earrings that were on sale for forty dollars. She bought the necklace and earrings and went back to where Mackenzie was shopping. "Hey where did you go?" Mackenzie asked looking at some low cut skirts. "I went over to that jewelry store and bought a necklace and a pair of earrings" Mercedes said eyeing a light pink sparkly skirt. She bought the skirt for fifteen dollars and put it in a bag with the jewelry she bought. After they left the clothes store Mackenzie asked if the could stop by one of the food courts so she could get something to take home and eat and Mercedes said yes. They stopped by a burger counter and Mercedes sat down a table waiting for Mackenzie to get her food. As she sat there she noticed a guy looking at her. He was very cute and looked around her age. He smiled, but she ignored him. Mackenzie finally got her food, they were getting ready to leave when Mackenzie's friend Bonita West-Stone walked up to them. "Hey Kenza what's up?" Bonita asked. "Nothing getting ready to leave" Mackenzie said tying a knot in the bag she had her new clothes in. "Well, me and my Mom were gonna sit here and eat we'll drop ya off if ya want if that's OK with Sadie" Bonita said looking at Mercedes. Mercedes said it was OK and she walked out of the mall. As she was walking to her car she heard someone yell "Excuse me miss!" she turned around and saw the same guy she saw in the mall and he was walking up to her. "Can I help you?" she asked. "You go to Dunbar don't you?" he asked. "Yeah I'm the head cheerleader" she replied. "Oh so you're the ever lovely Mercedes Debois?" he asked in a sly voice. "Yeah.. isn't there something you wanted? She asked. No, I just wanted to meet you you're very pretty.. well see ya around school sometime bye" he said and walked away. Later at home she was eating dinner watching her baby brother make a mess on his clothes with his dinner when her Mom got an emergency call from her vet office. Mary Debois was the most loved and respected pet doctor is town. "Sadie honey make sure your sisters take baths before bedtime and give Andrew a warm bottle before he goes to sleep" her Mom says walking out the door.

Later that night while watching TV she made La'Nita get in the tub first and then she turned the channel to Maury. It was an episode about abusive and controlling husbands and boyfriends. This one girl was on there and she told Maury that her boyfriend beats her up if she wears a short sleeve shirt. She watched another girl come on and say her boyfriend rapes her if she refuses to have intercourse with him. (I'd never let a guy treat me like that) she thought to herself. She went to the rest room to tell La'Nita bath time was over and she was already out and Charlotte was in. She looked at the clock and in was nine'o clock. She went into the kitchen and made Andrew a warm bottle. She laid Andrew in his play pen and gave him his bottle. She sat on the sofa and turned the TV to a music channel. They were showing a video of her favorite singer Angel. She was singing her hit song "Can't Break Me Down" and Mercedes was singing along in her head. After the song went off she went and told her sisters it was time for bed. She picked up her brother and went upstairs to her room. She but the baby in his crib and went into the bathroom to shower and change. Her Mom kept a spare crib and Mercedes room in case she had to work late. Mercedes put on her night clothes and brushed her teeth. She decided to wear her new skirt with a matching pink top that said sugar on it and her new necklace and earrings tomorrow. and she turned out her light and went to bed.