“The halls were bleak and the rain outside was thick as the students trudged their way to the auditorium, heads bent down in sadness. The shoes shuffled against the muddy floors as they listened to the sirens outside. They were coming, but not soon enough.” Looking up, I stared at my brother who looked at me expectantly from my bed.

“This is amazing Luke! Did you show this to Ms. Zimmerman?” I asked him, handing back the laminated papers. He shook his head and I sighed. “Just because you can write like our father could doesn’t mean you have to hide your skill. It’s not shameful.” His eyes glazed over and a scowl moved over his features.

“I’m not like dad,” he said and looked up into my eyes.

“Yes you are, and so am I, and so is everyone in our family but Austin. Just because dad turned out to be a jerk doesn’t mean you inherited that. You inherited his writing skill, not his personality.” I sat down next to him on my bed. “Promise me you’ll show this to Ms. Z? Please?” I looked at him, and after a few moments, he nodded.

“Okay, but you’ll come with me?” I smiled.

“Of course I will.” Standing up, I pulled him into a short hug and let him head back to his bedroom to continue writing while I cracked down on my history paper due in three days.

~!~!~!~!~

“Just another dream come and gone away. Wake up it’s just another rainy day.” Jumping, I felt around for my phone to turn off the alarm and found it halfway down my bed. Groaning I massaged my temples and blinked the sleep from my eyes as I stood up and walked to my bathroom.

Ten minutes later I was emerging from the bathroom showered and awake, towel wrapped around me, and Vanessa Carlton blaring from the stereo.

“Turn it down!” I heard my older sister yell from across the hall. I laughed and did as she said before heading towards my closet.

“What to wear, what to wear?” Fingering through my jeans, I pulled out my favorite pair of washed blue Arizona’s and walked over to my tank tops. Pulling on my jeans I looked to the right side of my closet and saw my new maroon shirt waiting to be worn. Pulling it out I quickly put it on and walked to the mirror on the inside of my door to the closet.

“Carly my dear you do look delectable today,” I turned to see Robbie standing in my doorway in his famous, ‘I Wear Prada Bitches’ t-shirt with his dark blue jeans and white tennis shoes.

“Why thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself,” I said as I scrounged around for my favorite pair of Jimmy Choo shoes my mother and David had gotten me for Christmas last year.

“To your left underneath… it that a pink unicorn sweater?” Robbie asked utterly bewildered.

“Shit! I forgot to go through my closet and get rid of all my grandmother’s installments since her latest visit.” I scrounged around and picked up three of the seven visible sweaters I had received in the last week.

“Oh Grandma Katherine? The kooky old bird?” He sat on my bed watching as I shoved the sweaters into a box a put them in the back of my closet in a lockable wardrobe.

“Yeah that’s the one. I get sweaters and clowns and Michelle gets wind breakers and figurines.” Robbie laughed blatantly as he pointed at me mercilessly. “Shut up Mr. Rainbow,” I said jokingly to which he stuck out his tongue. Laughing we walked out of the room, my shoes finally on and my book bag over my shoulder.

“So guess what?” I said once we were headed to his car.

“What?”

“I think Luke wants to be a writer.”

“Are you joshing me!?” Robbie had been one of the first people that Luke had shown his writings to and since then Robbie’s been trying to get him to enter contests of all sorts for the county.

“No. He’s started a really amazing story and I read like three lines and wanted to cry. It was so well written.”

“I’m going to have to have a chat with that boy about listening to me more.” Shaking his head Robbie started the car and we were on our way to Grant High School.

~!~!~!~!~

“Miss Fremont do you mind sharing with the class what you and Mr. Washington find so interesting?” I jerked around in my seat and smiled sheepishly as Mrs. Hill approached Robbie and I, taking from his desk the paper I had passed back to him.

“I’d rather not,” I smiled up at her innocently and she scoffed before beginning to read.

“Mr. Washington, kindly leave Miss Fremont alone, it is very clear she does not wish to share her plans for the weekend with you.” Mrs. Hill walked to the front of the room and threw the paper into the trash.

“Yes Mrs. H.” I laughed as Robbie sat back dejectedly. “How come I’m the only one who got in trouble? You replied. That should count for some humiliation,” he whispered hoarsely to which I imagined him crossing his arms and pouting.

“You’re not out of going to the party yet my dear,” I looked to my right and saw my best friend grinning like an idiot with her phone on her lap, showing some sort of picture I couldn’t quite see clearly.

“Party? What party?” Lacy turned around and told Sasha Miller, one of the nicer cheerleaders about the party the football team was having for all the fall sports teams at Grant.

~!~!~!~!~

“You’re going to the party Car, my sister made the perfect outfit for you, and according to my resources, the boys from NHS are going to crash it and kidnap all the pretty girls to take them to one of their hoity-toity parties in the valley.” Lacy said causing Robbie to squeal, sending our table into fits of laughter over just how girly the boy could get.

“Robbie honey, you may be a member of the gay society but boy, you’re too hot to be a girl,” Jade said as she picked up her chopsticks and stabbed them at the chicken.

“Well thank you dollface, but that’s what I have you girlies for. You’ll get kidnapped and I, the master of boy tracking, will follow you.” He grinned and stifled a laugh as Jade’s chicken flew across the room and onto the table where the people in the writer’s society sat. Suddenly his eyes lit up. “Hey! Car! Look!” He pointed to the right side of the table where Luke sat shaking his head at Jade. Jade grinned sheepishly and said sorry to the table before turning back around to our table. When everyone turned their attention back to Robbie I smiled at Luke and he shrugged his shoulders and grinned carelessly.

“So what’s this outfit you’re talking about Lacy? Is it something that will make our shmexy Carly the hottest things on legs?” Lissa asked, picking up her chicken with ease, much to the dismay of Jade who glared from Lissa’s plate to hers.

“Of course it is. It’s like this leather pair of bottoms and a corset with coverings for her arms and it’s like so strange only tall and thin girls can pull it off without looking tremendously ridiculous like I myself would.” Everyone cooed their agreement, but I only laughed at how many times the girl who was the poster child for the disbanding of the word ‘like’ managed to use it.

“Hello ladies.” Everyone at the table dropped their chopsticks and let their mouths drop open at the sound of the voice behind me. I turned to face the IT boy at Grant and about fainted. His blonde hair stood messily upon his head, his blue t-shirt clung to his muscles and dear god that boy’s jeans clung to his hips in a way that probably even made virgins crave for sex.

After everyone enthusiastically said hello and caused him to step back slightly, he looked at me and suddenly I wished I were in something much hotter than maroon V-neck and jeans.

“Hey,” he said and nodded. I smiled lightly and turned back around to see everyone staring at me. “Actually, ladies, I was wondering if I could borrow Carly from you for a moment?” Before I knew it I was being shoved up from my seat by three different pairs of hands and into the arms of the IT boy himself.

“Well that wasn’t subtle or anything,” I whispered to myself as he chuckled and stood me upright.

“Can we go outside for a sec?” He asked. I nodded politely and followed him to the doors that led out into the senior courtyard. He stopped when we got to the fountain dedicated to a teenager from thirteen years ago who had died in a car crash.

“So what’d you need me for?” I asked him, shoving my hands into my back pockets, not knowing exactly what else to do which was a completely new concept to me.

“Actually I was wondering what you were doing tonight?” He rubbed the back of his neck, and I realized he was working up to asking me out.

“I’m kind of being forced into going to Adam’s party tonight.” I rocked back and forth on my heels and looked up to see his reaction.

“How about tomorrow night?” He looked less confident but all the same he looked pretty at ease. I smiled, confidence was a major turn on.

“I have to work until six tomorrow, but I’m free after that. Why? What did you have in mind?” It was getting slightly less awkward.

“Want to go with me to the pier, say around eight?” He grinned causing me to do the same, and I looked sideways pretending to think about it.

“Hm… I don’t know… I might have to think about it.” His smile faltered and I had to laugh. “I’m only kidding. I’d love to.” Suddenly the air felt a lot lighter and his posture seemed to relax and he pulled me into a one armed hug.

“Alright, so I’ll pick you up?”

“Sounds fine. Do you know where I live?”

“Blue house on the corner of Marc’s street?”

“Yeah. So I’ll see you tomorrow?” He nodded.

“See ya Carly.” I smiled and walked back inside, leaving him at the fountain.

“Oh my god! You’re smiling! You just had like a five minute conversation with IT boy himself and you’re smiling!” Robbie was squirming in his seat waiting for my details.

“What Prada man here means is what the hell just happened!?” Lacy yelled, turning a few heads towards our table. She grinned and waved. Most girls rolled their eyes but two of the football players winked and she grinned before turning her attention back to me. I laughed at he and she winked in a suggestive manner. I cracked up even more.

“I have a date.” I finally managed to spit out.

“You mean to tell us that Peyton Davenport just made a public move of taking you outside and then he asked you out?” Jade exclaimed.

“Yepp.”

“What a jerk!” Everyone’s heads snapped to Jade in disbelief. “He could’ve taken you outside and ravished you and instead he asks you out? How lame.” She grinned and we all fell into hysterics.

~!~!~!~!~

Standing in front of Lacy’s mirror, I stared at my reflection. Wearing short black leather shorts that had X’s cut out of the sides and a black leather corset with red ribbon tied up the middle, I didn’t look half bad. Of course, I was more into the elegant version of hot rather than the daring way of hardly wearing any clothing at all. To each their own I suppose though. Thankful for receiving my mother’s skill at walking in heels, I sat down on the vanity chair and waited for Kenzie to do my makeup. Kenzie was Lacy’s sister and was attending fashion school in Rhode Island, but was taking cosmetology classes at the local college as well.

“Long time since I’ve had you as a doll,” she said as she walked in, carrying a box not all that dissimilar to a small suitcase.

“It’s been two weeks.” I smiled as she opened the bag. Having Kenzie do my makeup was always fun. She managed to make me look as if I belonged in a Disney Movie. I’d be the princess and some prince with deep green eyes and black scraggly hair with extraordinarily profound muscles and wit would come to my rescue at the third window to the right where I’m locked up by the evil being in my family.

“Car? Earth to Car?” Kenzie had taken to waving her hand in front of my face and I smiled.

“I’m here, I was just day dreaming about my Prince Charming.” I had long ago told her about how pretty she made me feel when she did my make up so she smiled and set to work.

“No lie Car, if I were straight I’d take you right in front of these two lovely ladies,” Robbie said from the doorway to Jade’s bedroom. I smiled and thanked him as Lacy took the seat in front of her sister.

“Natural if you please?” Lacy said jokingly. Kenzie snorted and grabbed the purple pouch from her bag. Lacy grinned and I laughed as Kenzie began to do her work.

“Honey, you look like you’re camera ready,” Robbie stated once he turned around from looking in Lacy’s closet.

“Exactly what I was looking for Robert my dear,” she said, twirling as she stood up and posed as if there really were a camera.

“Dance Dance?” Jade walked into the room.

“Too much booty in the pants!” Robbie, Lacy and I yelled together, effectively sending us into a fit of giggles.

“I’m glad I’m out of high school,” Kenzie said as she walked out of Lacy’s room shaking her head.

“Booooo!” Jade yelled in protest causing a chuckle from Kenzie.

~!~!~!~!~

“Oh! I wanna be the dramatic entrance!” Robbie piped up from the backseat.

“No way! You’re always the enterer person!” Jade answered eloquently.

“I got a brilliant idea!” Lacy said from the passenger side, and I knew immediately I was in trouble. She turned to look at me before facing the two in the back.

“Good idea!”

“No, it’s a great idea!” Lacy turned around back to face me and slowly she began smirking.

“Three versus one. We win.” I conceded defeat in a way that let them know I’d be fine, and we got out of the car.

As we began walking up to the house you could hear the music blaring through the windows and you could see people in small groups smoking outside around the back. That was something I loved about Grant parties. No one dared to allow smoking in their house because everyone’s parents would notice the moment they stepped foot into the house.

“Alright, get ready to strut your stuff little Miss Daring,” I looked to Robbie and laughed as he pointed up and down at my leather outfit grinning. Lacy and Jade both hit him and motioned for me to go in.

“Change is a wonderful thing dearest Robert,” I said smiling.

As we entered the doors we’d normally be well received, but since everyone was looking for the NHS boys (I highly doubted they’d take the front door) we didn’t get a very warm reception. Girls were glaring and most guys looked relieved it was just us. Robbie said something about them worrying all the hot girls would get taken.

“Now how come we’re getting glares?” Jade demanded.

“Our shmexy little Car here has quite the hate club after lunch today,” Lacy stated as we went towards the kitchen, everyone’s attention was redirected to their previous conversations and began to let us alone.

“No way! Carly has a hate club!?” Jade had always wanted to be president of Marina Allan’s hate club.

“Yeah I do. I’ve gotten over seventeen messages from girls telling me he’s theirs and I’ve gotten four from Marina alone threatening to ruin my life if I don’t convince him to date her.” I grabbed a water from the bin and took a sip looking out to the pool where the real party seemed to be going on. “Let’s head out back.”

“That settles it then, I Jade; dub myself the president of Marina’s Hate Club, M-H-C for short. I am off to recruit. Toodaloo!” She walked away JD in hand heading back towards the living room.

“I think the water in that girl’s bottle earlier was a little mixed,” Robbie said as we sat down at one of the lounge tables.

“Nah, she was dropped on her head as a baby.” We turned to see Jade’s cousin, Sean standing above the table, his arms around a small brunette wearing his hoody for football.

“Hey Elle, how are you?” I asked her smiling.

“I’m good but I am so tired. This jerk woke me up at six this morning to go running before school and then he dragged me here.” She hit him halfheartedly in the chest as she leaned into him. They were cute. “But how are you? I’ve heard quite a few stories.” She grinned and looked over to the other side of the yard where Peyton sat with his friends drinking.

“I’m pretty good actually.” I watched as her mouth twitched to hide a smile and her eyes widened.

“Where are you going on your date tomorrow?” She asked, and Lacy squealed.

“Oh! He’s taking her to the pier!” She piped in and stood up, taking Elle over to a different table to discuss it.

“The gossip star strikes again I see,” Sean said as he sat in Lacy’s seat.

“You have no idea,” Robbie said before sipping from his coke and turning to look innocently over by the pool where Adam and some junior were playing chicken with some freshmen girls. “No way! I totally just saw a red and black coat behind a tree! NHS is here, get ready to be kidnapped Car.” He smiled and walked away, pulling Sean with him away from me. I laughed at the pair as Sean struggled to get away.

“How would you like to be kidnapped?” I heard a husky voice in my ear. I tried to turn and face him but his hood covered his eyes and I was out of luck.

“Sure why no- whoa!” Next thing I knew he had me over his shoulder and was running with a few other boys who had done the same thing.

“Is this supposed to be the kidnapping part because you guys suck at it!” I smiled. Lacy had been kidnapped. “You don’t ask if we want to be kidnapped you dolts. You pick us up from our conversations and rush us away; you don’t politely cut into the conversations. I mean really.” I just imagined her folding her arms and harrumphing on the back of some gorgeous football player.

“Can I switch?” I heard a boy from the right where Lacy’s voice seemed to be coming.

“No, we don’t have time, if they have boyfriends they’ll be after us.”

“D’you guys hear? Davenport finally asked some chick out. They say it’s some big bet she doesn’t know about.” I froze.

“Some Carly girl wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, the volleyball player, the one with the hard ass serves that bruised me two years ago in the school versus school coed game.”

“That chick was hot!” I heard voices agreeing and felt a little better.

“Car?” Someone whispered from next to me. I turned to my left and saw Lacy hanging over right next to me. Suddenly we heard music and it was safe to use slightly louder tones and we wouldn’t be heard by the boys who held us.

“Yeah?”

“They suck at this,” she said simply.

“Agreed.”

“Carly, is that you?” I looked to my other side and saw Sasha hanging as well of the shoulder of some boy.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Where’d Lacy go? I lost her ranting about two minutes ago.”

“Right here and this big idiot has his hand on my ass.” I saw her swat in the air to try and get him to move his hand. I laughed and the boy who had me adjusted me on his shoulders. I was rather grateful as I was starting to slip.

Getting an idea, I poked the back of the guy who held me.

“What?” he asked. His voice had smoothed over and I shivered. I was going to be in trouble if he spoke for more than two seconds.

“Mind putting me right side up? You’re letting blood rush to my head and I don’t think you want your friends to think you picked an ugly conquest.” He stopped and lowered me to the ground, effectively turning around to let me hop onto his back.

“Thank you,” I said once situated.

“Yeah,” he answered. I scrunched my nose up. Who said ‘yeah’ instead of ‘you’re welcome’? No one did.

“So what have we been abducted for?” I asked him.

“A party.” I frowned.

“How come we got picked?”

“No reason.”

“Do you talk?” I asked him with a slight animosity to my voice.

“Not to strangers.” Lacy snickered to my left and I figured she caught the way he sounded like a child as well.

“Well that’s just peachy. If you don’t talk to girls then why am I on your back?”

“Football.”

“That’s not really an answer you know.”

“Do you ever stop talking?” He turned to look over past his hood and I froze. The lights from the road close to us had lit up his face and I looked as his green eyes bore into mine and I took a sharp intake of breath and watched as a smirk crawled over his gorgeous features that were accentuated with black hair falling just slightly over his forehead to give him the ‘I’m too old for the shaggy hair, but to young to shave my head’ look. A great explanation, I know.

Finally answering I settled with, “Not really.” He chuckled and turned his head back up front to watch where we were going. The road was visible and on it were two cars, one yellow Mustang Convertible and one black Mazerati Quattroporte. I gasped and he came to a halt.

“A Quattroporte?” I asked and all heads turned to me.

“A girl who knows her cars, I like that in a woman.” I looked towards the mustang and scrunched my nose. The boy who had spoken was rather short and had long blonde hair reaching his shoulders which was a look I had never become fond of.

“Alright, girls who came with boys with varsity jackets are in the mustang, and girls who were on guys with hoodies are in the Quattroporte. Let’s haul out.” Before I began walking I observed how many girls had been taken. Lacy and Sasha were here, plus a sophomore named Taylor, two blondes who didn’t look familiar in the least and then me. Six girls in all. Three girls to a car and three boys to a car.

“We’re not fitting,” I said as I walked towards the Quattroporte. The driver looked up and smirked.

“You’re Carly right?” I arched an eyebrow and he laughed. “We had our girls… if you will… pre picked.” I heard Lacy gasp from the mustang and laughed. They were going to hear an ear full on the way to the party. “Anyway, you’re on the lap of my man Alex in the front seat, so hop in when he’s in.”

“Thanks but I don’t do well on the laps of people.” I looked at the boy who carried me, Alex, and considered it for only a moment before safety popped into my head like always.

“Would you like to stay here by yourself?” Alex piped up, looking at me expectantly. I looked around and shook my head, immediately climbing onto his lap and he shut the door.

“I thought not.” The driver got in and started the car, pulling away from the curb and beginning what would be a thirty minute drive to Newport. I sighed. Not only was I immensely tall sitting on the lap of the boy who had kidnapped me, but I was cramped. A girl who’s 5’7” shouldn’t ever sit on the lap of someone in a car.

After about ten minutes I heard a slight group of snores from the backseat and turned around as best I could to see that the two blondes and the boy in the back had all fallen asleep. Trying not to laugh and shake Alex who was beneath me, I covered my mouth and pretended to yawn, which soon turned into a real yawn and I realized I was tired as well. Not more than five minutes later I felt my eyes flutter closed and let my head fall slowly onto Alex’s shoulder where he adjusted me so we were both comfortable. Who knew a complete stranger could be so damn comfortable?

~!~!~!~!~

“Wake up… we’re here.” My eyes still closed I felt Alex’s hand rubbing my arm to wake me up. Repressing a shiver at his touch I opened my eyes and slowly let the lights of the city invade my vision. Covering my eyes like a little kid and getting out of the car, Alex took my hand and helped me not to lose my balance.

“Thank you,” I said and stood up straight. Surprisingly, I wasn’t cramped as I thought I’d be.

“You’re welcome.” I turned my head to him, but he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head towards where the others were walking. Seeing Lacy I turned to Alex and smiled before walking to catch up with her.

!*!*!*!*!

“She fits in your arms pretty well doesn’t she?” I turned towards Brent and made a noise of disbelief and annoyance. Truth was I had noticed we fit the moment she started falling asleep. She was tall but when shifted, she fit perfectly in my arms and her head managed to find the crook of my neck. Not to mention the car was about sixty degrees and yet, she was warm where as I was cold, holding onto her felt good.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I told him as we pulled up to the stoplight on the corner of 8th and State.

“Then how come you’re letting your head rest on hers? You never even did that with Kathy. I froze and turned towards the window. It was true. I didn’t cuddle, I had fun. Maybe even a little too much, but I hadn’t been dealt a consequence so why stop my life now? Thinking about in I realized there were only two consequences that could make me stop. Love or Death.

~!~!~!~!~

Walking towards a small tan building, I read the scrolling sign, “To die would be an awfully BIG adventure.” I looked to Alex who now stood behind me and he shrugged his shoulders once more. I was beginning to get tired of it, but decided I didn’t know him and couldn’t very well get mad at short replies.

“That’s the password? Isn’t that rather obvious?” I asked him anyway. He chuckled but placed his hand on my lower back moving me forward slightly. It was then I realized everyone had moved towards the door and were already walking in. Moving forward Alex’s hand did not move, but seemingly I was okay with that.

Once through the door we were in a hallway where music could be heard and lights were seen through the cracks between the doors and the floor.

“We’re this way,” he said, stopping at a door on the right. Turning to find Lacy directly next to me, I laughed when I saw her hair had been messed up from the car ride. She turned around and I simply pointed to her hair and her hands flew to the top of her hair at lightning speed.

“You fell asleep then too?” I asked her. She nodded and began patting at her hair some more.

“Ready boys?” I heard Alex’s voice and jumped. I didn’t think I’d ever here him talk in a casual manner. Choruses of yes’s came out, and Alex turned the door, his hand still on the small of my back. Walking into the colorful and loud room, I saw all heads turn towards us. Alex however kept moving and in the process, pushing me towards the bar with him.

“Drink?” He asked. I nodded.

“This’ll sound weird, but does he make Sex on the Beach?” Alex raised his eyebrow, smirked, and turned to ask the bartender if they carried my drink and ordered his. The bartender nodded and I felt a lot better.

“Sex on the Beach?” He whispered in my ear. I simply nodded and leaned against the bar waiting for our drinks pretending to be nonchalant about his breath on my neck. If this was a party was I supposed to stay with him all night?

“Your drinks,” Alex turned around and grabbed them both, handing me my peachish like drink and I smiled as I took the glass. This was better than a party, they made real drinks and I wouldn’t have to suffer through water and beer which I found to be quite disgusting even though Jade had no problem with it. Lacy could drink it occasionally, but when given the option like tonight she’d choose a Cosmopolitan.

“So what was the point in kidnapping me?” I leaned up to ask Alex as we stood to the side and looked over the party going on.

“Football tradition. Varsity players pick the trick, and the JV team learns how to do it for next year.”

“So this is all for fun, there’s nothing secret about it?” He looked at me and I watched as his eyes began to sparkle. Suddenly I had déjà vu as he looked down at me.

“What secret thing were you hoping for?” His breath was on my neck once more as he whispered in my ear and I openly shuddered.

“Anything fun I guess,” I answered honestly but knew I was getting myself into a hotspot.

“And what’s your idea of fun?” He asked. His right hand now danced across my hip as he continued to lean into my neck. Feeling bold all of a sudden, I pulled back and looked at him before placing my free hand on his chest, my tip toes putting me at his neck, and kissed him lightly, letting my lips linger for only a few seconds. Leaning back his hand caught my back and brought my body closer to his. Leaning down his lips caught mine in a fierce kiss. Smiling he placed his drink on the bar before taking mine and doing the same. His arms wrapped around my waist and slowly I trailed my hands to wrap around his neck and slowly began to play with his hair. Pulling at my bottom lip his hands began to dive lower and finally settled on my ass. I laughed at the cliché and he took the opportunity to explore my mouth. His tongue worked expertly against mine and I felt my knees turning to jello. If this didn’t stop soon I’d be in trouble. His mouth moved expertly down to my neck and I lost all thought.

Who the hell cared if I was in trouble? If trouble was this fun than I’d be sure to come to terms with it more often,