Mother was sitting at her desk working on a case. Mother was this town's most famous prosecuting attorney. She wasn't just famous for her wins, of which she had many, but for the ruthless brutality that she used, ripping the heads off everyone and anyone who got in the way of her victory.

"Mother, I'm going out with some friends."

"Be back before eleven." she answered sternly. With nothing more I left. She then made a pronounced 'ahem.' I turned and gave a formal curtsey and said, "Thank you Mother." She gave a firm nod and continued writing with her red pen with a heart on its end. After all these years her obsession with hearts has never ceased to astound me. As I walked down the hall, I passed the house bar where my father was sitting. "Where do you think you're running off to?" he shouted from within. I turned to him and answered, "I'm going to meet some friends. Mother said it was alright." Father stiffened and sipped his brandy. He didn't dare to contradict Mother. This home was a palace and she ruled as queen.

Outside the dark night was brightly illuminated by the city lights. I opened the gate which guards my house and make my way to downtown Palm Springs. As I walk down the sidewalk a small rabbit runs out of a hedge-bush. Déjà vu. Just like the first time I went to see X.


It probably would have been a lovely day out were it not for the thick clouds in the sky. My cousin Chashira and I were both walking back home from school. Chashira lives with her mother, her baby brother, and their cook in the guest home behind my own. She's already changing out of her uniform as she walks, pulling off her tie, rolling up her skirt and showing off her long elegant legs, removing her jacket and tying it around her waist, and undoing the top few buttons of her white button-up shirt. "That's better." she purred. She reminds me so much of a cat with her thin body, long limbs, angulated face, and highly trained agility and nimbleness from years of gymnastics. "Don't like the uniform very much do you?" I asked sarcastically.

"No I don't. It's way too constricting."

"You should get used to it already."

"I think you've gotten a little bit too used to it. I mean, look at you. You look like a prissy little school girl."

"Perhaps it's because I am one."

"Well with a little help you could be hot. Let's start with this." She reached and pulled my black hair band out, allowing my long blonde locks to flow freely from my head. "Much better." she remarked. I frantically tried to grab it back but she held it so high above her head I couldn't reach it. "Chill out; you look fine." I gave up and dropped my arms to my side with a frustrated sigh. "Here, let me try something else." She tucked my hair band in her purse and continued her impromptu makeover. She undid my tie and put it in her bag along with my hair band, undid the buttons of my polo shirt and untucked it from my skirt, and removed my jacket. She then reached inside her purse and pulled out a mirror. "See?" she said showing me my reflection. "Like I said, hot!"

"I guess I do look . . . better." I admitted shyly.

"Told you."

"Oh, thank you Kitty." I called Chashira by her nickname and scratched her behind her ear. She closed her eyes and grinned and leaned her head into my hand, purring like a kitten. "Ooh, Kitty, look." I whispered into her ear and pointing to a nearby hedge-bush. "Ooh it's a wittle white bunny wabbit," she whispered back, "Let's get it!"

"Alright, on the count of three. One . . ."

"Three!" she shouted and dived after the rabbit. The rabbit sprinted off and Chashira and I both ran after it. We chased it through the park yelling, "I'm gonna bwast ya ya wascally wabbit!" I was so close and I lunged at it, missing it by an inch and landing in a patch of tiger lilies. The white 'wabbit' ran and disappeared down a hole. I stood up and wiped the dirt and grass from my uniform. Mother was not going to be happy about this. Chashira chuckled, "Nice going."

"Shut up." I snapped. Another voice spoke, "Guess Bugs got away again, huh Elmer?" I turned in the direction from which the voice came from. Lounging relaxedly on the park bench was the person who spoke. I recognized him from school, not only by his uniform but because he has been the object of my obsession ever since I first saw him. He was just so handsome, from his chiseled face to his beautiful silver hair to his perfectly fit body. He was still in his uniform, except his sleeves were rolled up, showing his biceps and revealing a tattoo of a 10/6 on his right arm, his tie was undone and hanging from around his neck, and the top couple buttons of his shirt were undone. I shyly tucked my hair behind my right ear and tried desperately not to stammer out, "Y-yeah, I guess so."

"So what are you doing here X?" Chashira asked suddenly. His full name was Xavier but everyone calls him X for short. "Enjoying this lovely day." he answered. Chashira squinted and nodded her head in response. He turned his head to me and tipped his purple sunglasses down his nose and scaled me down and up with his emerald eyes. "And what's your name?" he asked. "Alice." I answered, twirling my hair nervously in my fingers. "Alice, huh? You ought to change it to Beautiful." he said sweetly. I couldn't help but smile and blush. Chashira just rolled her eyes. X took a sip from his bottle and held it up to me, "You want a sip?" he offered. I took the bottle from his hand and, before taking a sip, asked, "What is it?"

"Tea." he answered. I muttered, "Oh." and took a sip. It tasted delicious but had a bitter undertaste to it. I swallowed a mouthful and released the bottle from my lips, licking the excess from my lips. X inhaled deeply as I did this. I blushed again. "Mm, this is good. What kind of tea is this?" I asked him. "Long Island." he answered smiling. My eyes widened in shock. I've drunken champagne at party's that my parents held but I've never drunken real alcohol before. He chuckled in amusement, "What, you never drank before?"

"No I have not." I answered shoving the bottle back at him.

"Jesus, you don't have to freak out; it's not that big a deal."

"Yes it is!"

"It's true; her mother will kill her." Chashira interjected.

"Well who is your mother?" X asked. Chashira answered, "Her mother is Counselor Liddell." putting an emphasis on the name.

"Whoa, I guess that would make it a big deal. Well, what Mommy won't know what hurt her." he winked and took another sip from his bottle. Chashira rolled her eyes again, "Well we better get going. Alice?" she gestured for me to follow her and I did. "Hey Alice." X shouted after me. I stopped and turned to face him. "See you tomorrow?" I nodded a yes and he tipped his hat, and Kitty and I continued walking home. We walked through the iron gates protecting our home. Chashira handed me my hair band, my tie, and my jacket back and continued walking to her house while I entered mine. As soon as I walked in, Mother shouted, "Where the hell have you been?!" I stammered, "I-uh-I-"

"Speak clearly, chin up, and stop twiddling your fingers." I dropped my hands to my side and lifted my head up straight and answered as clearly as I could, "Chashira and I stopped in the park for a few minutes."

"And why are you only wearing half of your uniform? And why is it so filthy?"

"Chashira gave me a makeover and when we went through the park I fell in the grass."

"Foolish, clumsy girl. Do you realize how much your uniform costs? And you know you are not allowed to remove a single article of it until you come home. Well, you are grounded for a week and you get to wash this yourself. Now get going!" She turned and walked off. I changed into some more casual clothes and washed my uniform. I then went to my room and worked on my homework.

The next day at school I met X at lunch. We had no classes together being that he was a junior and I was a mere freshman. We talked, we laughed, we wooed, and sure enough he asked me to go out on Saturday. I told him I couldn't because I was grounded, and he asked me out for next Saturday. That I answered yes to.