Disclaimer: Nothing here is mine…at least not in this chapter. Maybe the VP…and the car…but none of the characters. I'm not that smart.

Author's Note: Uhm this is my first ES fic…I hope I'm good… Review and tell me what you think! And the bold letters are to represent new paragraphs or…you know…

The months had been too slow to count and the heat had been too hot to measure. Summer had always been the highlight in any teenagers life, but this one, with brother and sister entering in to the same school once again- the summer had seemed to take on an aloof nature, instead of the ever welcoming traits it usually held.

With the lingering joys of summer left in their mind, Ren and Louis Stevens climbed into Ren's newly bought car, a 2000 Nissan Ultima. As soon as he closed his door, Ren sped off towards the school.

"Why in such a hurry?" Louis asked, changing the radio station.

"Because," Ren said, changing it back, "I have an appointment with the vice principal."

Louis sighed and leaned back, "For once you're in trouble when I'm not."

Ren rolled her eyes, "Louis, you have detention all this week…the very first week of your high school careers! How is that not being in trouble?"

"Because I have it with Twitty."

She rolled her eyes again. It only figured. Alan Twitty and Louis Stevens were like modernized Bonnie and Clyde. Ren couldn't figure out which one was Bonnie and which was Clyde. And although she had heard them refer to themselves as Frenchie and Honeytoast, it was all nonsense if they asked her. The two had started a food fight with the high schoolers on the last day of school last year when they were still in junior high.

"You're a sophomore…why don't you two just grow up?"

Louis frowned, "You don't honestly think it was us who launched those meatballs at the sophomores last year, do you?"

Ren looked at her little brother, the answer written all over her face. He shrugged, "Okay, so maybe we did, but the important thing we had a fun time doing it."

"What good is fun if you get caught?"

"We don't usually get caught…but you can thank Larry Beale for that."

Ren smirked, "He did what I would do."

"You disgust me," Louis scoffed, "You agree with Larry Beale? I don't think you've done that since you two were chained together."

Ren sighed and rolled her eyes as she stopped at a light. The one thing she was most irritated about her little brother was that he remembered the tiniest, stupidest things but couldn't remember the important things like underwear and where he parked the car. "That's something I wouldn't like to bring up. And don't think that just because I'm giving you a ride to school that you'll be getting I ride home." She said, quickly changing the subject.

Louis rolled his eyes and looked out the window as Ren went again, the school coming into view. "Twitty can drive me…I did remember that you had to work today."

Ren nodded, for the first time in your life, she thought to herself. She parked quickly, they departed, both mumbling a 'goodbye' and rushing off to meet their friends.

Walking into Mrs. Norman's office was fine until Ren was met with the dark chocolaty eyes of Larry Beale. She quietly took a seat when Mrs. Norman told her to do so and glancing over at Larry. He met her gaze and winked at her. Ren rolled her eyes and sneered to herself. He is impossible.

"Now, I'm sure this is a little surprising, I am aware of the relationship you two have."

"We don't have one." Ren said quickly.

"Exactly." Roshare Norman was a black woman in her early thirties. She was beautiful in every aspect and Ren had learned to look up to the woman in the past year she had been at the high school. Trusting her completely in any matter, Ren looked foreword to her second year with the vice principal. She cleared her throat and said, "Yet I know how well you two work individually, so putting you together would be the best thing…correct?"

"Mrs. Norman…why would we have a reason to be together?" Larry asked.

"Well, because our homecoming dance is in two weeks, and I don't know a better team that could put it together in two weeks." She smiled weakly, "In other words, you two are the dance committee."

Ren's mouth dropped as she looked from Larry to Mrs. Norman, a few quiet squeaks came from her mouth, but she lost the ability to talk. "Well I'm going to take your silence as a yes. Excellent. And if you have problems with this arrangement…work it out. Because there is no one else." She eyed the two teenagers in front of her and kept going before yelling could possibly come from their mouths. "You can assign anyone you desire to help, but I have a list here of people who wanted to help and two young men who I sent for punishment."

That comment broke through Ren's shock. "Punishment?" Something gave her reason to think these young men were also going to be punishing her.

Mrs. Norman sighed, "Alan Twitty…and your brother, Louis."

"Look Ren, things could be worse…." Monique Taylor said as Ren sat in the hallway against some lockers, mindlessly staring at her lunch. The hall was crowded with sophomores, juniors and seniors as the cafeteria was too small to fit the whole school. She had told her friends about the news of the dance at the first chance she got and tried to focus that morning, but nothing had come to her mind but anger.

"How could it get worse?" she said bitterly. Ruby and Monique were getting a little freaked out, 'hopeless' was unusually never a trait Ren held.

Ruby Mendel jumped in, "We'll be there for moral support! And I'm sure Ivan won't be there…"

"Oh no, Larry's devil lackey will be there…you can bet on it."

The two girls winced, "You like doing this stuff though Ren! Don't you?" Monique asked.

Ren sighed, "I supposed…but the fact that I half to share the responsibility with Larry Biel doesn't help…"

"You know," Ruby started, "I don't see the problem between you two! He's sorta a nice guy…" Monique nodded in agreement but the two girl were cut short when Ren sent daggers their way.

Meanwhile, down the hall sat Twitty and Louis. "Why do schools have to have math?" Twitty said eating his hamburger slowly. Louis shrugged but his attention was directed elsewhere. For down the hall, stood Tawny Dean, getting books out of her locker and looking as radiant as ever. But something wasn't right. Todd Downy, the QB for the football team was leaning against the lockers talking to her. A tall, handsome junior who had thick brown hair that was perfectly curled and crafted around his head brought out his large blue eyes. His wide shoulders and a smile that could make girls go weak at the knees made Todd irresistible.

That's what scared Louis.

"Dude, c'mon!" Twitty said, trying to get his attention. But when he started to look in the direction his friends' eyes were turned, he soon realized why Louis wasn't paying attention. He sighed and sat back, shaking his head.

"No good can come of this."

Louis shut his eyes at hearing the comment and leaned back, ripping his eyes away from the scene. Tom Gribalski stood next to Twitty, also seeing the sight, but saying the thing they all were thinking. "Thank you Tom." Louis said, irritated. "Sit down, would you? And stop staring?"

Tom nodded and said, "because you already did enough of that."

Twitty turned, looked at him and said very seriously, "Dude, don't kick him when he's down."

"Cut it out!" Louis said, making a face, "Who said I was down?" The two merely looked at him. "Well I'm not! This is nothing! Alright? Nothing!"

Before he could get another word out he heard, "What about nothing?"

"Hey Tawn." Twitty said quickly. She smiled and sat down next to Louis, smiling at him. He smiled back a little and then asked, "So…who was that?"

"Who?"

"At your locker…"

"Oh, that was just Todd…you know, the quarterback?"

Louis nodded, everyone knew Todd Downy. "What'd he say?"

Tawny sighed and shook her head, "He asked if I was going to the homecoming game and dance. I said I might, but I was helping you decorate all this week and next." She took his hand, "Nothing to worry about."

Louis took in a big breath and nodded, but somehow he thought it was going to be the exact opposite of nothing.