It's weird, but I wrote all of this at the train station. I mean all of it. Weird huh?

I don't own the characters. I attach strings to them and shout, "Dance marionettes! Dance for my pleasure!"

My first word was move.

I was watching a dance show with my dad. He explained to me that the two people were dancing, moving together in sync. I repeated the word and my mom screamed and ran to the baby book to jot down the momentous occasion.

Cue my snort.

I'm not the most social person to be around. I don't even think any student actually knows my name or knows who I am. I like it like that. I'm quiet because I don't like to talk. I like to observe. It's what I'm good at. Besides, most of my classmates are smoking druggies or sluts trying to seduce the teachers. Why would I want to try and fit in there?

If you asked me what the first thing that came to my mind was it was how I was going to dance in my next practice. If I was gong to dance freestyle or samba. Ballroom or foxtrot. I'm never happier than when I'm somewhere private, be it my room or somewhere that has no prying and judging eyes. No one to tell me what I can do and what I can't. What I should do and what I shouldn't.

My mom has always been against my dancing. It was only my dad who really encouraged me to follow my passion. Mom thought it was a waste of time. After Dad died she threw away all my dancing equipment and told me to start studying more and find a boyfriend to take care of me. I secretly went to the junkyard when she didn't notice and took back all of my stuff. I hid it at a relative's house until I could find someplace to stash it.

Thank goodness for Pretty n' Fit. The owner, Dawn, is a dance teacher and the owner of the place. She has several studios that were perfect for dancing. Although there was a pretty good age difference between her and myself we still managed to become friends (how is the question, especially with my personality) and now she lets me have a permanent room in her building just for me, my IPod Touch and my dancing.

I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for her.

I was sixteen when I finally left the house.

Ever since Dad died Mom has become a useless tramp. She gets money by sleeping around with rich sleezebags who don't have anything better to do than cheat on their wives.

Classic right?

I couldn't take living in that house anymore and Dawn was gracious enough to offer me a room in her house until I could get back on my feet. I really owe everything to her.

Of course, Mom made a hissy fit about me leaving.

"Why?" She demanded, a bottle of whiskey in her hands and I vaguely wondered if her drunk side or sober side was the one speaking to me. Judging by how much space was left in the large bottle, I guessed it was her drunkenness talking to her.

Damn her for always acting like a drunk and never a mother like she should have been.

I sighed and balanced my large duffle bag on my shoulder. It would be the only thing I took with me. "I'm going to stay at a friend's house until you start getting your act together and start being a mother instead of a drunken tramp."

Without any warning she smashed the bottle against the wall near my head. I ducked just in time, but not before a shard of glass implanted itself into my neck. I winced at the sting of alcohol that clung to the shard of glass and bit back a curse.

"You disrespectful brat!" She shrieked. "I've done everything for you and all you do is call me a whore? I can't believe you're my daughter!"

That makes two of us. "Well until you can give me a reason to start calling you Mom instead of Teresa, I'm going to stay with a friend of mine. Be sure to feed yourself properly once in a while. If you have any trouble, don't call my cell."

"Come back here!" She grabbed one of my shoulders. "You aren't leaving until I get some straight answers! Who is going to cook and clean for me? Do my laundry? Help me take care of the house?"

I bitterly laughed and shook her hand off. "Have fun with your boy toys."

Before I could step outside the house she shouted, "I'll look for you! I'll drag your sorry ass back home and give you a punishment you'll never forget!"

I laughed again. "Just try and catch me when you're sober."

I slammed the door on her furious shriek.

"Oh my goodness!" Dawn exclaimed when she saw me walk through her door. My blood had soaked through my shirt and was now dripping onto her black fuzzy carpet. "What happened? Did she take it that badly?"

I nodded, but refused to say a word. I knew that if I opened my mouth I wouldn't be able to hold back the tears that were threatening to show themselves.

Dawn sighed and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, careful to avoid the nasty cut. "I'll show you to your room. Then we'll clean the cut and bandage it, have dinner and a bath and then go to bed. You can talk all you want tomorrow."

This time I couldn't hold back. I hugged her and apologized and thanked her. I said things I wouldn't have said to anyone else.

I cried all night before sleep finally overtook me.

True to her word Teresa tried to look for me.

I knew she wouldn't make an appearance at my school. She couldn't have the school board become suspicious. If they did that they might take away her precious alcohol. I couldn't drop out of school. My counselor said that if I kept my grades up I might be eligible for a scholarship to a school of my choice.

So she always had one of her idiot boy toys to look for me instead. They always searched for me at school. Sometimes, there would actually be a competent man and he would actually have a photo of me. He would try asking me to coffee or getting a drink or something stupid and cheesy like that. Of course Dawn had the police on speed-dial so most of those cases were solved.

Most of them. The rest were solved with a quick kick in the ass.

Who knew Dawn was a black-belt in Martial Arts?

It was a regular afternoon when I met him. I needed to finish my Biology and Financial World homework, but that could wait. Dancing was what I needed to do right now. School was draining, Teresa's friends had been perusing me non-stop and all I wanted to do was dance my stress out.

Plugging in my IPod into the speakers I threw off my jacket to reveal my tight, no shoulder T-shirt with black and blue yoga pants. Normally I would wear dance shoes but today I felt like being even more free and just letting my feet go for once.

I put on Hollaback Girl and started to swing my hips. I kicked, thrusted, punched and kicked again every second. I was always moving some part of my body. I let my passion overcome my mind and let instincts do the rest. My feelings guiding my instincts.

Anger, sadness, pain, rage, disappointment: all of them guided my body while I danced.

I looked up to the sound clapping to see him.

My Geology II teacher, Mr. Steven A. Stone.

Fuck.

He approached me the way a hungry jungle cat would stalk it's prey; slowly moving forward, the rhythm of his clapping hands never faltering as each step brought him closer to me.

It was ironic really. He was the hottest teacher in my school and all the female students (and unmarried female teachers) lusted after him. In fact because of that, he only opened his class to boys and serious girl students. I was part of the latter category obviously.

Even in class most of the girls still had stupid dreamy looks in their eyes whenever he spoke. It was disgusting really. He always said he wasn't interested in dating, so why go after a lost cause?

Again, stupid.

They said the reason he was silent was because he was stuck-up and arrogant. Too good for everyone else. They also called him a playboy, but everyone knew that rumor was because of jealous male students.

I attended a school of idiots really.

"I'm impressed." He started. "That was some incredible dancing."

I suppose he was handsome in a way. His hair was white and his eyes were as gray as a stone. He wasn't overly buff, but underneath that dress coat he wore it was obvious that he had muscles. No wonder there were a lot of people after him. He could have been a model. To bad he decided to set his sights on Teresa.

I shook my head. "Not really. I could have done a lot better."

"How so?"

I ignored his question and grabbed a bottle of water. "What are you doing here Mr. Stone?"

"I've been told you ran away from home." I spit out my water and began to cough. He winced and tried to come near me. "Are you okay?"

I quickly backed away from him and bit down the urge to growl like a rabid animal. "Just what I need to deal with. I've been having stalkers crawling up my ass all week and now here you are! Just even more icing on the cake than I need." He looked more surprised than I thought. "Look, I don't know what Teresa told you but if she thinks that I'll come back home by her little boy toys following me around everywhere she has another thing coming. I'll die before I go back to that house again." I turned away from him and began to pack up my stuff. "Get out of my sight before I call the police."

When I looked up, he was gone, the only proof that he had even been there was a note.

It's not what you think.

After the bell rang I began to reach for my backpack, but a question held me back. "Miss Maple, will you stay a minute?"

Instantly there were glares of jealousy from the girls. I sighed and stayed at my desk as the last few jealous girls left the room, but not before they muttered, "Bitch." I flipped them off. Mr. Stone didn't say anything. He was probably used to this by now.

I crossed my legs and bent forward when they were gone. "So what do you want? And can we hurry? I have a lunch I need to eat before I die of hunger."

Mr. Stone sighed and folded his hands on his lap. "I wanted to make sure you were alright after I came and...visited you yesterday."

"I'm really going to share how I'm feeling with a spy working for Teresa?" He flushed but didn't protest. I sighed. "Thought so."

"I–"

"Save it. It's probably not worth hearing. Just tell her to at least give you a good fuck for all your troubles." I grabbed my ratty backpack and left.

"Don't you have tests to grade? Detentions to supervise? Teresa to screw with? Something that doesn't have to do with stalking me?"

Mr. Stone leaned against the doorway, watching me stretch. I rolled my eyes and ignored him just like he was ignoring all my questions.

"Why do you think I..." He trailed off.

"You can say it you know." I said nonchalantly as I stood up and lifted my leg, securing it with my hand behind my back. I saw his breath hitch a bit and inwardly smirked.

So he was weak to flexible women hmm?

Just to tease him I lifted my leg a little higher, spreading out my leg even more. He discreetly shook his head, but I wasn't finished just yet. Letting go of my leg I grabbed the railing next to the wall and slowly slid my legs down into a split and arched my back towards my back leg. His quiet moan snapped me out of my teasing.

What the hell was I doing? Seducing my teacher who was screwing my mom? That was just gross on all levels! Ewww! Like mother like daughter I guess. The whore gene is heredity.

I finally sighed and turned to him. Unsurprisingly, his face was a bit pink. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

He shook his head again, probably trying to snap himself out of it. "I just want to clear the air a bit."

I snorted and began my rotation stretches. "Couldn't you have come up with something a little more original?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't."

"No really, I don't!"

I sighed and stopped stretching. Putting my hands on my hips, I turned to face him. "Look Mr. Stone–"

"Steven."

"...Huh?"

He chuckled. "Mr. Stone is my father's name. I'm Steven. You can call me that outside of class."

"...You realize that by saying that, you are implying that I will see you more often outside of class."

"Yes."

I sighed again. "Look M-Steven, if you're going to be a lap dog for Teres–"

"My father."

"...Huh?"

"It's not your mom I'm working for, its my father."

"This has to do with me how?"

He shrugged. "My father has never liked any of his...mistresses. This one is different for some reason and he'll do anything to please her, and that includes bringing her daughter back home."

I groaned. "Fuck fuck FUCK! Another problem. Just what I needed."

He was silent for the first time. When I looked up, his expression was one of concern and shame.

I sighed (I've been doing that way too much since I left home) and walked up to him to pat his shoulder. He was surprised, but didn't flinch away. "Sorry. You don't deserve to listen to my ranting. It's not your fault."

I didn't let him reply as I gathered my stuff and pushed past him.

Steven A. Stone had to be the most infuriating man I had ever met!

He always called me back from class and tried to talk to me. He sat with me at lunch, said hi to me between classes, and escorted me to Pretty n' Fit for dance practice. Sometimes he even watched me dance!

That drew the line. No one watched me dance.

It was one of those days when he watched me practice. I couldn't concentrate on my moves, I miss-stepped more than once and finally, it all became too much for me. I walked over to my speakers and stopped I Won't Give Up.

"What are you doing here?" I growled.

He looked surprised, then shrugged. "I'm watching you dance. You're very good."

Pushing my inflated ego aside. "Again, why are you here? You say you're working for your father. You know I'm running from my mother. Your father is working for Teresa. Yet you wonder why I want to avoid you?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. I hate it when father cheats on my mother behind her back, so I usually don't help him. He promised to leave me alone if I brought you back to your mother."

"Are you?"

"No."

I frowned. "Why not?"

He smirked. "Because I don't like dealing with petty young schoolgirls, much less having to drag a runaway home." I nearly slapped him for that one and he could tell from my warning growl. "Sorry. That was below the belt."

"Ya think?"

"Anyways, I'm here to make you an offer."

I was instantly weary. "What?"

"If you allow me to become your bodyguard, I'll make sure that you don't have to go back home."

My heart nearly stopped. A way to avoid Teresa without much of a catch? Hell yeah!

First, "Why are you doing this?"

The gleam in his eyes disappeared. "I've met her. Teresa. She's...not exactly fit to be a mother."

"Not exactly?"

"Okay okay. She's not fit to be a mother. Nobody deserves that, especially you. I've been blessed with a wonderful mother and I've never had to deal with never having my mother's love." He paused. "I admire you for helping yourself grow up without parental advice and I want to help you out."

I sighed. His excuse was good (with my inflated ego aside) and what other choice did I have? All this stalking was getting to me. "I'll do it."

That's how we partnered up.

He somehow got me to tell him about my past, my passions and my goals. He told me about his past and his old job as a Geologist. Sometimes we would stay up 'till five in the morning just talking because we could talk. He wasn't cold like everyone thought he was. He was just shy and he didn't like to talk to people because of that reason. He was just like me actually.

For some reason I didn't mind the whispers of me being a slut for banging the Geology teacher. I didn't care that the female teachers had it out for me. I certainly didn't care about the death threats I was being sent every day.

Nope. No siree.

Not. At. All.

I began to scream in frustration one day when I found that the inside of my locker had been trashed and covered in mud and garbage. The word SLUT coated the front of the locker in glaring red paint. I barely restrained the urge to bang my head against the paint-coated locker.

Everyone laughed at my reaction. Of course Steven just had to come see what was wrong.

"Is everything okay?" He asked as he walked up to me. "That scream belonged in a horror movie."

"Screw this." I muttered as I slammed the locker door shut. I grabbed his arm, ignoring all the glares, and led him to around to the back of the school and away from prying eyes. I slammed his body against the wall as I forced him to look into my eyes. "Whatever is going on between you and me has to stop. When I mean stop, I mean stop. No going to your apartment. No coming to my dance practices. No walking me home. No shit that I should have stopped when I met you. Clear?"

"Why?"

I groaned. "Because if things like what just happened with my locker keep happening, I might not even make it out of this without injury. I need all parts of my body to dance. I'm going to be frank with you Steven: if I had to choose between dancing one day and then dying the next, or spending the rest of my life with you and never dancing again, I would always choose death. So whatever we are, it's over."

He was silent for a moment as he took this all in. His bangs covered his face and for a moment, I could hear the shattering of glass somewhere.

"Fine." It was faint, but he still said it.

I looked into his eyes. They weren't the warm gray I was used to seeing.

They were cold and hard as stone.

I wondered why I had the urge to make them into liquid silver again.

I continued on with my life and the year went by quickly. Soon enough I turned seventeen and my Junior year began.

As soon as I started to ignore Stev-Mr. Stone the rumors died down and everything went back to normal.

Well...almost normal.

Thanks to the incident last year I was labeled as a whore who would screw anyone for money. I was so offended when the first guy asked me to screw him for a couple hundred bucks that I punched him and received my first detention in my high school career.

Dawn was far from angry though.

"Go you!" She cheered as she picked me up from my detention. "When I heard about what happened I wanted to punch the guy myself! I'm so proud of you! Say, why don't we go out to dinner tonight as a celebration?"

Oh yeah. I could get used to this if this was the punishment I got from idiots asking me to fuck them. Which happened often.

Again, I go to a school for morons.

Mr. Stone called me back before I went to lunch a few weeks after I punched the idiot. The glares I received from the jealous girls were not welcomed.

I sighed as I plopped down on my desk instead of my chair. "I told you, we can't meet up like this anymore."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

I snorted. "I can't believe you would underestimate me like that. I'm made of tougher stuff than you think."

He smiled faintly. "I know, and I admire you for it. I heard a rumor that you basically..." He winced. "ripped off his–"

"Dick? Asshit. I should have for all the trouble he gave me."

He laughed. "As much as I would have loved to see that I'm glad you aren't hurt."

I shrugged. "Whatever." I glanced at the clock and cursed. "Damn. Only half of lunch left."

"Would you like to spend it with me?"

I shook my head. "There are girls outside waiting for me to leave."

"How do you know?"

Without answering I gathered my bag, walked over to the door and opened it, making sure I was out of the way. Immediately girls began falling out of the doorway. Some glared at me and some blushed at being caught by their favorite teacher.

Without looking back I walked out again.

"You know if you keep showing up like this I'm going to have to report you to the police for stalking a teenage girl."

"It is my classroom you know."

"So what? You're the one who asked to spend lunch with me."

"But if you were gone, where would I get my fun?"

"...Screw you."

"No thanks. That would be illegal."

"What you're doing isn't?"

"What am I doing wrong?" He was smirking damn him!

"Whatever. Look, stop hanging around me. People are alread–" I quickly stuffed my mouth with my cheese sandwich.

He stopped drinking his coffee. "What? People are what?"

I quickly shook my head. "It's nothing."

"I can tell. It's not nothing."

"Let it go okay?"

"No."

"You're stubborn today."

"Yep. I'm sick of you running away from me trying to help you. You can't do everything on your own May."

I gathered my trash as I stood up. "Watch me Steven."

Before I could walk away he grabbed my arms with an iron grasp. "No. I won't watch you run yourself down like this. I can feel the heat of your body through your shirt. You've got a flush on your face and you've been sounding nasally since yesterday. You're not taking care of yourself properly."

"What should I do then? Stop working at Dawn's and I'll be abusing her hospitality. Stop coming to school and I won't be able to graduate. If I go home, Teresa will kill me, and I do mean kill me."

"You're sure?" He took a step closer to me.

I sighed exasperatedly and took another step back. "Why do you think I haven't gone home for a year and seven months? Because I'm afraid of that old bat? Please! She couldn't take me down if I had one arm behind my back."

One step forward. "Nice confidence, but you're changing the subject. You need to go home and rest. A few days in bed won't kill you."

One step back. "Thanks for noticing, but I can't go home."

"Why not?" Forward.

Because I don't want to make Dawn upset. "...You can't make me leave school." Back.

"One teachers note, a phone call to your guardian and it's bye-bye school and hello a nice comfy bed." Forward.

"You wouldn't dare." Back. We were circling his classroom now.

"Would you like me to fail your next test instead?" I took another step back and was stopped by a wall. Both his arms blocked my escape. He smirked.

"...Bastard." I flushed.

"I try." He chuckled.

As expected he made Dawn take me home.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling good?" She scolded me as I hopped in her car.

I sighed and buckled my seat belt. "Because then you would have made me stay home and I had an English project due today."

"Bullshit." She sang as she started up the car. "You wanted to see Mr. Hottie-Teacher didn't you?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "Where the heck do you get ideas like that?"

"From your flushing face." She sang merrily. "Hey! I think that was an alliteration!"

I sighed and let my head fall against the cool glass of her car window. "Look, I don't like Steven. He–"

"Well if you don't, why do you call him by his first name?"

...Why do I call him by his first name? I know I could easily call him Mr. Stone if I wanted to. And I am stubborn enough to stand by my own decisions. Why didn't I just call him by his last name?

Dammit! "Okay, maybe just a small crush."

"All right!" Dawn cheered. "Finally! Your first crush!"

"Way to go and shout it to the whole world!" I snapped playfully. "Keep this up and Paul will never marry you."

She flushed. "We happen to be at a perfectly good standing point in our relationship thank you very much. I don't need marriage to make myself happy. Besides," She turned to smile at me. "I've got you. That's all I need right now."

I smiled. "I know. I've got you too."

Three days later and I was still stuck in bed.

"Jesus!" I thought as I threw a magazine across my borrowed room at Dawn's house. "Only a few days in bed and I'm already wanting to kill something." I glanced at the pile of magazines Dawn had lent me to cure my boredom. "She knows I'm not interested in stuff like this! Ugh." I fell back onto the bed. I spoke out loud. "What I wouldn't give for someone to come visit me right now. Even one of Teresa's screw-toys would be better than this."

"Do you really mean that?"

I bolted from my bed only to have cool hands push me down. "Easy. You're still sick."

"I hate being sick." I mumbled. "Why are you here?"

"Dawn asked me to check up on you when school let out. She feels bad she has to work."

"She shouldn't. It's not her fault."

"She thinks it is, so she asked me to check up on you. How are you feeling?"

"Better." I admitted. "A lot better than when I last saw you. Don't let that go to your head." I quickly warned at the growing smirk on his face.

"Hungry?" My stomach answered for him. "Alright then. I'll make you some stew. What are your favorite vegetables?"

"...Onions, carrots and butternut squash."

"Then vegetable stew it is. I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, he came back with the most delicious smelling soup I had ever smelled.

"Mmmm." I moaned as I took a sip of the wonderful tasting broth. "I didn't know you could cook."

He smirked and took some soup from his own bowl. "I can when I feel like it. As long as this helps you get better, then it's worth it."

I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I think I blushed. "Stop saying stupid things like that!"

"What?" His voice seemed completely innocent, but I could see the beginnings of a sly smile on his face and that mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Stop saying what?"

"Things that...t-that make me..." Damn it! I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. "Stop saying things that make me blush!"

His sly smile turned to a full out grin. "Now why would the things I say make you blush? I couldn't be that you have a tiny crush on me, do you?"

"N-No way!" Did he really figure it out? "I'd never have a crush on a narcissistic guy like you!"

Without breaking contact with my eyes, he set our bowls down on the nightstand and began to lean over me. "Are you sure?"

"Y-Yeah!" I tried to scoot away, but the bed frame blocked my escape. Since my bed was against a wall, my only escape was blocked by one called Steven Stone. "What are you doing?"

"Why don't you tell the truth?" As he looked into my eyes, I could see some sort of emotion I had never seen before. "In all the time that I've known you, you've always put up some sort of strong wall between everyone else and your heart. Why have you never let anyone in?"

"I don't need to." I somehow found strength and pushed him away. "Dawn is the only one I can trust, but I've never completely opened up my heart to her." I chuckled unhumorously. "Ever since my dad died I've always had problems with expressing my feelings. Maybe that's why I love dance so much. It's given me an opportunity to show how much I can feel."

"You don't have to just do it through your dancing." He covered my hand with his. "You can do it by speaking, by showing people through your actions."

"How?"

"Why don't you let me show you?" I didn't trust that smirk on his face, but there was honesty in his eyes. Honesty that he didn't often show.

"Fine." I relented. "Show me."

He leaned in closer and covered his mouth with mine.

I couldn't think. I couldn't move. I don't think I took a breath. All I could do was listen to my heart pump uncontrollably and smell the scent that clung to Steven. He smelled like clean minerals. His lips were hard, but soft and he tasted like mint.

After a few more minutes, he finally released me and leaned back. He was out of breath and his cheeks were rosy. I was probably the same. His eyes sparkled with something I hadn't felt in a long time.

"So what did you think?"

I snapped out of my daydream. "Of what?"

"Of showing your emotions through actions. What did you think?"

What did I think? He freaking kissed me out of the damn blue and he asked me what I thought? Why was he looking at me like...oh. Oh.

I took on a smirk of my own. "I didn't really feel anything. You might need to do it again."

He gladly complied.

After that kiss we were basically inseparable. Again.

I spent every moment I could in his classroom and he spent most weekends with me. We mostly made out but we spent a lot of time talking and really getting to know each other.

The students at our high school suspected what was up but if it happened to get out, Steven would be blamed and nobody wanted that to happen. The death threats were still there and sometimes they actually carried them out. I was quick and clever enough to avoid confrontation in front of Steven.

He found out though. I was over at his apartment fixing us a little snack and I had asked him to get a notebook from my backpack. He looked into my backpack and found a stack of small notes clipped together.

I don't know why I kept them. It was really more sentimental really. Just by looking at those notes and threats could I feel like I had something they didn't. I had Steven. And nobody could take that away from me.

"May." He called from the living room. "Can you come in here a minute? I have something I need to ask you about."

"Sure thing!" I called back. "Just let me put the cookies in the oven."

As soon as I set the timer and took off my apron I raced into the living room to see Steven holding the packet of notes. I gulped at his stony expression. He was mad.

Hella mad.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about this?" Yep. He was pissed alright. "Why didn't you ever tell me you were getting death threats? Is that why you came to school with bandages covering your wrists? Why I see scars on you all the time?"

"Steven–"

"Why?"

I sighed. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to blame yourself. I know that what I'm doing is dangerous–"

"Dangerous? That's a freaking understatement May. Someone could really kill you!"

"They've already tried." I mumbled.

He sighed angrily. "You were right. This should have stopped."

"Steven."

"It's all my fault."

"Steven."

"I should never–"

"Steven! Shut up!"

He shut up.

I took a deep breath. "I didn't tell you because it's not your fault. Ah ah!" I held my hand up to his face to stop him from speaking. "Let me finish. As I was saying, none of this is your fault. I like you and you like me. If people want to complain, let them. I don't care what they think. In this relationship there is just you and me. No one else. Teresa is not apart of this. Your dad is not apart of this. The people at school are not apart of this. No one except you and me." I took his hands in mine. "Just you and me, together. If I wanted to I would have stopped the kiss. I could have refused your offer to become my bodyguard. I could have just reported you to the police like I did to every other creepo." I smiled. "I didn't, and now look at us. Together."

"Together." He murmured and buried his face in my hair. "You know I'm going to do something about those threats right?'

"Don't spoil the moment Steven." I wrapped my arms around him and hid my face in his shoulder. We stayed like that until the timer began to beep. "Cookies." I whispered.

"Let them burn." He buried his face deeper into my hair. "I want to stay like this."

I giggled (which was so uncharacteristic of me that I winced) and playfully shoved him away. "You don't want to burn down your own apartment, do you? Then you'd have to stay with Dawn and I."

He grinned. "That's a perfect idea." He playfully lunged for me, but I skipped out of the way and ran to the kitchen before the sweets burned. I quickly pulled on some oven mitts and opened the oven door. Thank God they hadn't burned yet. I would have killed Steven. I gently put each cookie on a plate until I felt myself being lifted on to someones back.

"Steven!" I shouted and began to laugh when he started to tickle my sides. "Stop it!"

"We have to let the cookies cool down anyway." He pointed out.

I rolled my eyes and smacked his butt. "Put me down."

"Nope." He was way too cheerful. "You know love, smacking my lower backside just gets me aroused. If you don't believe me, feel free to try it again."

I rolled my eyes again. "Ugh. I thought old men weren't supposed to be horny. Or have phony British accents."

I grinned when I heard him scoff. "I'm an old man?"

"Yes, yes you are. The sooner you accept it and move on with your life, the better." I grinned even wider. "I love you anyway."

"Well if I was an old man, could I do...this?" He took off out of the kitchen and ran to his room. When we got there he threw me on his bed and closed the door behind him, pouncing on me and striping off his shirt and mine.

That was the first night we had sex. There were several others, but that was our most memorable. After every time I would always wake up and see his smiling face (he always got up earlier than me, damn him!).

"Good morning love." He kissed my cheek after the first morning. "Hope you slept well."

"You would know." I yawned and made a move to get up, but found a muscular arm around my waist preventing me from doing so. "I need to shower."

He closed his eyes and pulled me closer. "Smell fine." He mumbled. "Sleep more. Comfortable."

I rolled my eyes and gently shoved him away. "I need to leave in a few minutes. I've got a class to teach this afternoon."

He rolled over and covered himself with blankets. "Too early."

I snorted. "Well if you don't want to shower with me..." I trailed off as he snapped open his eyes and looked at me hungrily. I had one second before he lept from his bed, slung me over his shoulder, and ran to his bathroom for another round. I giggled as he shut the door with a loud bam.

My boyfriend was a sex fiend and I freaking loved it.

It was awhile before I ran into one of Teresa's cronies again. Only this one had a different...something. He wasn't overly cheerful like the others. He didn't look like a father waiting for his daughter to get out of school. This one was different. Everything about him spelled dangerous.

Wow, Teresa really fucked this one up big time.

It was one of those rare times I walked to Pretty 'n Fit by myself. Steven had a teachers meeting and he wouldn't get out until the class I was supposed to teach would be over. I figured I would ride my bike there.

Instead I got some creepo waiting for me.

He wasn't dressed in a suit. His leather jacket and black jeans suited the bad-boy image he seemed to exclude. Leather combat boots and a spiked belt seemed to add to it. His blond hair didn't complete the look, but the sickening way he looked me over certainly did.

"May Maple?" He had the voice of someone who smoked a lot: thick and hoarse.

I had learned to ignore men when they asked for my name so I tried to walk past him. I felt something in my stomach that stopped me. The barrel of a gun aimed directly at my gut.

"Come with me now," He whispered in my ear. "and I won't kill you or your boy-toy. I don't care if he is my boss's kid. And believe me I'm not afraid to do either in public." At least I knew who he worked for.

I gulped. "I don't have one. I'm afraid I'm not like my mother, if I can even call her that."

He chuckled and pushed the barrel further in. "You wanna test me?"

"Whats there to test?" I tried to call his bluff. "The gun is real and if I die, no one would notice. I'm not very close to the owner of the house I'm staying at so they wouldn't care." Lies. "My boy-toy, as you called him, would just find someone else to screw." Bigger lies. "I'm afraid I'm a loner, so no friends you can hold over my head." ...Okay, that was the truth. "You're free to kill Teresa. Never liked the bitch anyway." Now I was being brutally honest. "Anything else?"

His eyes widened. "You talk a lot of shit for a kid."

I smirked. "I have to. Now can you please put away your gun? Do it and I'll walk away with you quietly."

He sighed and put the gun back into his pocket. "Whatever. Now c'mon. I need to take you someplace so the boss can meet us and your mom can get you."

"Well this will be one happy reunion."

He snorted. "So long as he gets his fuck, I really don't give a damn." He suddenly eyed me. "You like your mom?"

"In the sack?" I snorted too. "I'm afraid the whore gene wasn't heredity. I don't have the urge to fuck someone every twenty seconds." Except Steven, but he was always the exception.

"Mmm." He licked his lips. "She was very nice in bed. After she was done with my boss, of course."

I rolled my eyes. "I bet."

We sat at a nice little place in the ghetto part of the city, not too far from the school. In front of it we met his boss, Mr. Stone.

I could see the family resemblance. His hair was the exact shade of silver as Steven's and they both carried themselves like kings. You could tell from their stances. He didn't even greet the girl he kidnapped. He just looked at me disdainfully and motioned for Mr. Kidnapper to take me away.

The man who threatened me (whom I learned was named Surge) had asked us to be seated near the window. I suspected it was so it would put us all at a draw. None of us could make a move in public without drawing attention. Drawing attention to ourselves would reveal us as a runaway and a kidnapper with his assistant. Titles none of us wanted.

I soon saw her approaching.

On the outside Teresa looked normal. Her short red hair was straight with a bit of curl at the end. Her clothes were sluttish as usual: a small white button-up shirt over a bright pink, low-cut tank top with a short black pencil skirt and black faux leather pumps. Her eyes were made up in an exotic looking way and her pouty lips were painted in an obvious shade of red that she couldn't pull off.

She took one look at me and her lips curled into a victorious smirk. I clenched my fists and growled silently. After two years she still hadn't changed. She was still the slutty bitch she was when I left.

"Honey!" She called to Mr. Stone when she entered the cafe. "I'm so glad you found her!" She kissed his cheek.

He shrugged. "It wasn't that hard. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you dear."

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my water as she gave him his reward kiss. Ugh. If I had a choice between being tortured and sitting in on a flirting session between a bastard and my supposed mother, I would have taken the torture.

Unfortunately, I had to do both.

When it was finally time to leave, Teresa grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of my seat. I didn't put up a fight and I wasn't planning on it.

What was the point of fighting back now?

Another broken bottle on my back. I grunted in pain, but talking would get me another bottle on my head.

I could feel the sting of the alcohol that clung to the glass shards as she smashed them on my back. Every time I attempted to move she would just take a belt and lash me until I went still. When I woke up she would start it all over again. I couldn't escape since she had me chained to the walls with leather rope.

"This," She grunted as she smashed another bottle on my back. "is what I've been waiting for. I still can't believe you've managed to evade me for so long."

I snorted. Hey, if I was going to die I would die with sarcasm. "It's not like you've ever gone for the smart type. It's mostly the big and brawny with very little brai-ow!" Another glass was thrown on my back.

"Piece of shit." She muttered and took a drink from a half empty bottle. "Should've given you up for adoption years ago."

I rolled my eyes and winced as she delivered another hit to me with a belt. "Then who would have done your laundry? Washed your dishes? Cleaned up your crap?"

She sneered and slammed the bottle she was drinking on my head. Okay, that was painful. "You really shouldn't be talking. I can't believe I put up with your shit."

"Neither can I." I muttered.

"What was that?" She screeched.

I sighed and winced again when I felt a sting in my ribs. "Nothing. Just wondering what I did in a past life to deserve you as a mother."

"You filthy piece of–" She was cut off by the doorbell ringing. She gave me another disdainful look. "Stay here or shit will hit the fan even more than it already has."

I couldn't help myself and rolled my eyes. She sneered again and went to go greet her guests. I sighed when she was gone and took a look at myself. I smelled like a bar fight with blood and alcohol all over me. Most of the damage was on my back, but I could feel a hot liquid running down my face and arms. She had done so much damage to my shirt that the back had been ripped open and damn, it stung!

I wistfully wondered what Steven was doing. He wouldn't just sit around and wait for me to come back. I knew he was looking for me.

Yet I wondered just how long I would have to endure this while waiting for him.

A sudden banging brought me out of my revere. "This is the police! If anyone is standing behind the door, we will give you three seconds before we bang it down! One! Two! Three!"

The light stung my eyes as I adjusted my vision. At once three burly men invaded the basement where I was tied up. They approached me cautiously, like they were walking towards an angry beast.

"Are you alright ma'am?"

For the first time since my father's funeral I cried.

They gave her a life sentence in prison.

I attended the trial, even though everyone was positive Teresa was guilty. I cooperated with eagerness. I patiently allowed them to test the wounds on my back and take pictures of them. I wanted to put the woman who tortured me behind bars forever.

When it was announced she was guilty, she went crazy. She struggled against the guards who held her and tried to lunge at me. She cursed me for ruining her life and torturing her. I finally understood the word insanity as I looked into her mad eyes as they took her away.

Steven came out to meet me when the trial was finished and embraced me. It was a little hard because I had to wear these stupid heels (court requirement) but I managed to stumble into his arms and wrap mine around him.

"You," He gasped as his lips found mine. "have absolutely no idea how incredible you were back there. I wanted to go up to you and kiss you senseless."

"I don't think that would have fared well with the judge." I giggled and kissed his nose. "I am relieved to see you again. Thank you for calling the police."

A little birdy told me (coughDawnCOUGH) Steven had been the one to call the police after he saw me being taken away by Surge. She told me (with a really creepy gleeful look in her eyes that scared the crap out of me) that he had come banging on the door to her studio in the middle of a lesson demanding to know the address to my old house. As soon as she told him he dialed the police and explained to them what happened and then took off.

I sighed peacefully in his arms. "It's finally over. Dawn said she had all the papers to legalize herself as my guardian. I finally have a stable home."

"That's wonderful!" He kissed my cheek. "Will you be seeing me less often?"

I giggled again. "She said she might have to put on a few restraints but I think I'll be seeing you fairly often."

"I'm glad." He dipped his head to kiss my lips. "Because I have a celebration dinner planned for tonight involving you, me, some chocolate covered strawberries, and a bed."

I smiled. "Then lets go. I'm feeling kind of...hungry anyway."

I didn't have to tell him twice.

Wow...I really had to chicken out on that lemon scene. Sorry! I intended it to be more mature with a lemon but...I got kinda scared.

OMFG...20 pages. That has to be the longest I've ever written! Took me a while too...