Author's note: I know I procrastinated on updating this one, but I just know you guys are gonna be mad at me for the ending. So I'm gonna apologize in advance. Sorry.

{~~~TORI~~~}

Ms. West is late.

I check my bedroom window again, just to be sure; but I wasn't mistaken. Her lights are still on. She's still home.

That's weird.

I'm an early riser, so I always wake up before my alarm goes off at 6:30. Miss West is usually gone by then, but not today.

I hope that doesn't mean I'll have a substitute. Not that I have anything against them personally. It's just that Ms. West is my favorite teacher.

I don't know why. She's extra hard on me. And not like the kind of hard where the teacher is trying to get her students to reach their maximum potential; but hard hard. It's almost like she doesn't like me as a person.

But the thought is just unfathomable to me. I don't think I'm anything special, but everybody likes me. Even people I don't want to like me. But teachers especially like me. In fact, I've been called a teacher's pet my whole life.

I don't think it's a bad thing.

I start getting ready for school. Shower, last minute checking of my homework, teeth brushing, the works.

I do my hair last, in a simple singular braid that I secure with a hair tie at the end.

I smile at my image in the mirror. Maybe not just my image, but at the braid itself. It's nothing special. Kinda sloppy even. But it was sloppy yesterday too when Ms. West did it.

It was when we were stuck in the elevator. It got really hot in there and I was starting to sweat; so Ms. West pulled my hair away from my face and put it in a quick braid because she didn't have an extra hair tie to put my hair up with.

I tug on a few strands on the side of my face to give it a bit more of the uniformed messy look.

"Perfect." I murmur before skipping my way down the stairs.

My dad's at the coffee maker already. He's an early riser, like me. Mom and Trina, on the other hand, they never wake up.

"Morning, Papi!" I sing, giving him a huge hug.

"Morning, M'hija." He grins brightly. He always gives me that smile. I'm kinda his favorite person, and I know it.

"Need a ride to school today?"

Every morning he asks me this as if I'll accept, and every morning I have to decline. I don't really like cars too much. Plus, it's not a long walk to school. Just ten minutes. I'll be fine.

"Need me to walk you?" He presses.

Like I'd ever say yes to that!

"Papi!" I groan. I mean, I get it. He's a police officer. Of course he's gonna be super overprotective, but sometimes he just goes overboard with it.

"Alright, alright. I had to try." He smiles at me. "You're just growing up too fast for me. It's not my fault if I can't keep up."

"Yeah, yeah," I roll my eyes, but playfully. I don't think I've ever been mad enough at him to roll them seriously.

He tosses me an apple.

I blow him a kiss, and then I practically skip my way to school.

I don't even know why I'm so happy today.

My apple's all gone by the time I get to Hollywood Arts. I've been carrying the core for about two minutes because I haven't come across a trash can yet.

Trina would probably tell me to just throw it on the ground because it's biodegradable, but Mami probably wouldn't want me to litter. So I don't.

Once I get to my locker, André meets me there a few seconds later. He's my best friend. I know Papi wishes it was Amber, or Riley, or Cat, or Josie, or Melissa, or some other girl. He's always saying, "M'hija, there's no such thing as a platonic friendship between a boy and a girl." But I don't think André would ever be interested in me. Not like that. He's always too busy treating me like I'm his baby sister. Plus I think he likes Riley…or Melissa. I can't tell which one. I don't think he even knows which one he likes more. But when he figures it out, I'm sure he'll ask one of them out. And I'm sure she'll say yes.

"So…." He grins at me.

I smile back and wait for him to continue.

"Are we having a Sadie Hawkins Dance or not?"

It takes me all of three seconds to realize he's the one who told on Ms. West.

"André!" I exclaim.

"What? You deserve a dance. It's my job to make sure you always get what you deserve." He defends himself with an oh so serious look on his face.

I soften immediately. Seriously. Who can be mad at that?

"Thanks, Dré." I smile.

"Anytime." He winks, like he's off the hook. And he is, mostly, but I still want him to know what his little stunt cost me.

"You know she almost killed me yesterday?"

"Who?" he scowls, looking around for the girl who almost killed me yesterday, I guess. I shake my head. André's a mess. He's supposed to be a gentleman. Gentlemen don't hit ladies. But André…he's not a gentleman.

I grab his hand and start pulling him toward first period. "Ms. West, silly."

"Oh." He relaxes. "Don't worry, Tori. West can't kill you. She doesn't touch her students, remember?"

I touch my hair. A subconscious gesture I guess.

Ms. West touched me yesterday. Then before he realizes that I haven't responded, I smack him in the back of the head.

"Hey! What was that for?" He whines while rubbing his head.

He never hits me back.

"You don't have to touch someone to kill 'em, you dope. Ever heard of a gun before?"

He thinks about it for a second. What's to think about? Either he's heard of a gun or not. And we already know what the answer is.

"You should join track." Is his answer.

"Seriously, dude?"

"Yeah, dude."

I giggle.

"André here, Tori there." Our teacher sighs the minute he lays his eyes on us. He seems to think if we sit together we won't be able to concentrate in his class. So, he always separates us.

It's totally not true though. I'd hear every other word at least, and I'm smart enough to use my context clues to get the message.

"Good morning, Mr. Hart." I grin at my teacher.

He smiles back at me. "Good morning, Tori."

"Good morning, Mr. Hart." André mocks me.

"Don't make me start handing out detentions this early, Mr. Harris." Our teacher says sternly before getting on with the lesson.

Everybody laughs at André. Even me.

"Teacher's pet." He mouths to me.

I shrug my shoulders, never losing my grin. Like I said, I don't see anything wrong with being liked by my teachers. They are in charge of my grades, and essentially my future, after all.

His class creeps by real slow though. Slower than usual. And so does the next one, and the one after that. I know it's because I can't for my last class, Ms. West's class. Even fourth period, Mr. Sikowitz's class, seems to take forever. And I usually think his class goes by too quick.

But finally the lunch bell rings. A signal that the day is almost over and that I'm that much closer to seeing Ms. West again. I start to get a little nervous. What if she's still so…Ms. West-y. What if she doesn't like the way I've worn my hair. What if she doesn't like the reminder that she's broken her rule? That she touched me.

She doesn't ever touch us. And she doesn't ever let us touch her either, not even by accident. She's really adamant about that rule. I mean, she doesn't even touch her sisters. In fact, I didn't even know Riley and Amber were her sisters, despite the fact that they look a lot like her, until one of them told me. I don't exactly know which one it was. I couldn't tell them apart back then; but if I had to guess, I'd say it was Amber.

I touch my hair again. Yeah, Ms. West probably wouldn't like the reminder.

I start to undo the hair tie at the end when André grabs my arm, making me forget about it.

"Let's go, chica. I'm hungry."

"I'm coming." I giggle after him.

"That's what she said." Riley says behind me.

Everybody laughs, but I don't too much get it, so I ignore her.

"Wait! Don't forget to sign up for the extra credit script and improv merger! Last chance!" Mr. Sikowitz yells. Everyone pretends they don't hear him except me. I double back, towing André with me so we can sign the sheet. I'm not too sure what a script and improv merger is, but whatever. It's extra credit.

We make a quick stop at the grub truck, and then it's off to The Asphalt for lunch. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I had my burrito sitting in front of me. Half of it's gone in like two seconds.

"Slow the chiz down," André lectures. I swear he thinks he's my father sometimes.

Then I choke on a dry patch of beans.

Jammit.

"See?" André pats my back, not bothering to hide the smug "I told you so" look on his face. He loves it when he's right.

I stick my tongue out at him. I don't want to talk to him anymore. So, I turn to the others at our table. Robbie and Cat are kinda arguing. Well, Cat's arguing with Rex, but Rex is Robbie's dummy. So…yeah. Beck's here too, but me and him aren't really that close. He's more like André and Robbie's friend. So that leaves Riley, Amber and Melissa.

"Hey," I say, getting their attention. When they turn to me, I continue. "Did you guys already sign up for the extra credit thing?"

"I went last year, I'll never go again." Melissa says, flipping her long red hair. A little bit of it lands in Riley's food.

I think she's going to kill her.

"What is it?" I ask before Riley can start yelling obscenities at her. Those two fight over everything, but they're really close when it counts. It's so weird. "Why wouldn't you ever go again?"

"Didn't you sign up for it?" Riley asks with a slight frown.

"Yeah?"

"And you don't know what it is?" Melissa double teams me.

"….No."

"It's camping," Riley offers.

"And homework," Melissa adds on.

"At the same time." They finish together.

I shrug. "That doesn't sound too bad." I've been camping a couple of times, and homework…well, it's an extra credit thing for school. I expected there to be a little work involved.

"It's bad," Amber cuts in.

"What's bad?" Ryder Daniels, Amber's boyfriend, appears at our table. "Not this, right?" he asks before kissing her. He's very sweet to her.

"No, that's not bad." She smiles back.

"Well, come with me and I'll get you some more."

Amber doesn't need to be told twice. "Later guys." She says, and then she's leaving with her boyfriend.

"I hate that guy," Riley says before they're fully out of earshot. I guess she doesn't care if they hear her. She doesn't exactly keep the fact that she hates Ryder a secret.

"Why don't you like him?" I ask.

She doesn't hesitate to answer. "He's cheating on her."

"How do you know?"

"He's got to be. I know she's not giving it up and he's not acting like he's not getting any.

I roll my eyes.

Melissa rolls her eyes too. "You're just jealous."

"Of what?"

"Of the fact that your twin has a boyfriend and you don't."

"You don't think I can get a boyfriend?"

"I'll be your boyfriend," Beck smiles at her. He's joking, but not joking, at the same time. He's already asked her out twice, but she turned him down. She says it's because he's in love with her sister, Ms. West, and she's not going to play substitute.

I can see what she means. Beck does seem to have a huge crush on our teacher. He stares at her a lot, and he's always trying to get alone time with her, like asking if she can help him with his work, or offering to help her with hers.

I wonder if Ms. West knows, 'cause she sure doesn't act like it.

"Tori?"

I freeze a little. I was just thinking about her and I could've sworn…I turn around and Ms. West is standing behind me.

I smile. "Yes, Ms. West?"

She doesn't say anything at first. Just looks at the right side of my chest. I look down to see what's wrong.

It's my hair…In the same braid that she put it in yesterday. I forgot to take it out.

I look back up at her. She's not scowling at me, so I relax. In fact, I think I see her lip twitch a little, like she wants to smile, but is forcing herself not to.

"Come with me, please." She commands. Then she's walking away super fast.

"You're in deep chiz," André whispers behind me.

I stick my tongue out at him.

Everyone else is murmuring the same thing though. Except for Beck. He's watching Ms. West's butt. And he's gnawing on his bottom lip. It makes me feel a little bit sick in my stomach.

I rush after my teacher, but I'm careful not to walk into her. I don't think she'd like that. She might yell at me again.

I follow her all the way to her classroom, just so she can sit me down and tell me that she's made me her TA.

"What?" I frown. I have no idea what the chiz that is.

"My teacher's assistant, Tori," she answers impatiently.

"Okay." I agree easily. It doesn't sound too hard.

Until she starts laying down all the rules. "The dance is your baby." She starts off. "You're to plan it on your own, or get some of your friends to help you. I honestly don't care how you do it. The only think I will do is chaperone, understood?"

I nod my head.

"Good, And as my TA, you'll have to stay after school with me at least twice a week to assist me with any extracurricular activities I may need your help with concerning my duties as head of student activities, starting today." She raises an eyebrow at me, asking me if I understand this as well.

I do, but I don't think I can do it. I don't want to.

I bite my lip. "Um, how long will that take?"

"A couple hours."

"I can't."

"It's nonnegotiable."

My heart sinks. "Ms. West"-

"Nonnegotiable." She repeats.

I snap my mouth shut. "Okay." I nearly cry, but I hold it in.

"You can go back to lunch now, Tori." She says curtly.

The bell rings. Lunch is over.

Not that I'm still hungry anyway.

I turn around and attempt to walk out of the classroom, but she calls my name when I'm at the door.

I turn back around to face her. "Yes, Ms. West?"

She beckons me to her with her index.

I hate that. I'm tempted to leave, head for fifth period, but I could never disobey a teacher. Especially not my favorite one.

I walk up to her, careful to leave enough space so that if I fall or something, I'll still be far enough away not to touch her.

She tilts her head a little and stares at me. For a long time. And I can't even look away. The way she's looking at me…It's like she's looking for all of my secrets, so I try my best to hide them.

"You needed something else, Ms. West?" I ask. I even smile at her; even though she's making me so nervous right now. Even though my palms are starting to sweat, and my heart is doing cartwheels in my chest.

She continues to stare at me. She's not that much taller than me, but that stare is making me feel so much smaller than her.

I look down at my shoes. I can't hold her gaze.

Not until she reaches out and fingers the end of my braid. My eyes shoot right back up to meet hers.

"Are you okay, Tori?"

I nod my head and grin at her. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" She gives it a gentle tug.

I nod my head again.

"Alright, go to class."

"Okay." I smile. And she gives me that look again. Like she wants to smile, but won't let herself.

I'm gonna make her smile one day. It's just become my own personal mission.

If my day was going by slow this morning, it practically goes backwards after lunch. Ugh! I just wanna hurry up and get to Ms. Wests class. I wanna see her again. I want to see if she'll be nice to me again. Even if it's just for a few seconds.

And then finally, finally, I'm here, sitting in the front row. Beck sits in the front row too, and he's always on time for this class. Today, he was early.

And he's still mad. I told my friends that Ms. West is making me be her TA. Beck got a little pouty after that. It's more than obvious he wants to be her TA. But she chose me.

He shouldn't be jealous or upset with me. It's not like I'm her TA because I'm special. She's punishing me for going over her head and making her give me the Sadie Hawkins Dance. I'm not stupid.

But it could've been worse. She could've taken it out on my grades, or she could've been even meaner to me than usual, but she's not doing any of that, so I'm okay with her decision. I just wish I didn't have to stay so late.

Today's lesson is mostly a review on the five plot points, or key elements, when writing a script.

Ms. West turns to the board and starts writing down notes for us to take.

Beck's staring at Ms. West's butt again. I want to warn her, but really, what can she do about it? She's a very pretty woman, but she doesn't dress like it. She's very conservative, none of her clothes are ever form revealing. And even wears her hair in a very neat bun at the top of her head every day.

The only time I ever see her wear her hair down is when she goes for a jog around the lake across the street. But that's only on the weekends. That's when I see her in regular clothes too. Jogging clothes. She's got a very womanly shape, lots of curves and soft spots.

"Tori!"

I jump in my seat. Ms. West is standing right in front of me.

Oh no. Did she call on me while I was spaced out or something?

"Am I boring you?"

"No, ma'am." I shake my head.

She glares at me, arms crossed over her chest. I hear everyone take a deep breath, collectively. That's how much trouble I'm in. My face starts to burn. I bet it looks like a tomato.

"I'd tell you to see me after class, but that's a little redundant, isn't it?" She says.

"Yes, ma'am." I nod my head.

She goes back to the board. Back to teaching and I finally breathe. I didn't even know I wasn't breathing.

The bell takes forever to ring after that, but it's not like I can get up and go home like everyone else. I have to stay here.

Beck lingers for a bit, but he has to go eventually.

Ms. West tells me I have to write down my plans for the dance, then bring it up to her when I'm done.

I finish in two minutes.

She makes me do it over again because I left out a lot of important things; like the music, ticket pricing, decorations, fundraising, and a whole lot of other chiz. I didn't know it was gonna be this much work. And I kinda feel bad for trying to pressure Ms. West into doing it. I'm sure she's busy enough without me adding to her workload.

I sneak a peek at her from time to time. She doesn't pay much attention to me, just sits at her desk and works on grading papers and stuff, I guess.

She's so pretty.

She catches me looking at her once. I hurry up and look back down at my notes before she can get creeped out by me.

"Tori," Crap. "Come here." She beckons, using her index again.

I really hate that. But I go to her.

"Are you okay?"

I frown. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Because you look like you're not okay." She deadpans.

"I'm fine."

""You're lying.'

"I am fine." I fidget a little.

I'm soooo lying.

She stands up, making me feel small again.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"No, ma'am."

"Are you afraid of me?"

"No, ma'am."

"Good." Then she winks and leaves.

I don't even know what just happened. But I don't have a lot of time to ponder on it either. I gotta go.

I gather up my stuff quickly and run as fast as I can to the nearest bus stop. I notice immediately that it's starting to get dark outside already. I hope I don't miss the bus; then I'll have to wait an hour for the next one.

Luck is on my side because I make it just in time.

Usually I enjoy city bus rides. They're unnecessarily long, but hey, I always have time to finish my homework, or just people watch; but today I'm a bit antsy. I don't like riding the bus at night.

I don't like going to the hospital at night. It's too… empty.

I get to there about an hour later.

Nurse Deidra reminds me that I only have a few hours of visiting time left. I thank her and give her a smile before going into Trina and Mami's room. They share it.

I go to Trina first. She's only older than me by one year, but her boobs are way bigger than mine. I always tease her about that. If she were awake, she'd tease me back. I know it. But she hasn't woken up in years.

I kiss her cheek. If she were awake, she probably wouldn't like that, but I do it every day anyway.

I go to Mami next. She's the same as Trina. Asleep.

I lay down next to her and tell her about my day. I tell her everything. If she was awake, I think she'd find all my stories a bit silly, but I hope she'd like to hear them anyway. Just because I'm telling them.

Dr. Brown comes in some time later. And I freeze, realizing just how late it is. I was supposed to leave before he got here. I always try to leave before he gets here. But sometimes he gets here early, or on his day off, just to see me.

"Tori." He smiles at me. "What a nice surprise."

He beckons me with his index.

I hate that.

I sigh and go in the bathroom with him. He shuts the door, and I pull down my pants. I hear him pull down his too, and that's when I start counting. One, Two, three, four…..I make it to 368 today. Not too bad. Not as bad as the day I made it all the way up to 929, at least.