Erica set the change of clothes on the bathroom sink. Making a point to not look at the wet jeans on the floor, or the wet pair of boxers inside them or the lacy red underwear on inside of them, she cleared her throat. Of course, as soon as she redirected her gaze, it landed on Gloria's soaked black tank top and zebra striped bra in the sink. Fighting a blush, Erica raised her voice to be heard over the running shower, "I'm just going to leave these here, okay?"

The brunette poked her head out from behind the shower curtain. Her dark eye liner ran down her cheeks, her red lipstick staining her mouth as she arched a dubious brow at her. "Alright…uh, thanks, I guess."

"I'm…I'll just be downstairs, okay? My mom went over to my aunt's and she's been kind of sick lately and with the storm…"

"Erica." Gloria said sternly from the stall. She didn't seem to notice the blonde's brown eyes darting down to where the shower curtain covered her breasts from view or the way they lingered just a moment too long for the glance to be completely innocent, just that she was hovering unnecessarily. "Can we finish this when I'm not naked?"

"Oh, right," the blonde blushed a faint pink and went to leave. "I'll just be downstairs, okay?"

The older girl nodded and closed the curtain tightly, "Sounds good."

Erica bit her lip, fidgeting with her fingers as she leaned against the sink. She wasn't exactly sure why she was stalling. Maybe she didn't want to leave the known criminal alone in her bathroom, or go downstairs to face an empty kitchen, but for whatever reason, she kept talking. Both to Gloria's, and her own, horror. "I'm not sure if the clothes will fit… I mean, you're a little bit taller and my hips are a bit-"

"Erica!" The older girl roared from the safety of the shower stall, "Get the fuck out!"

"Right, right, I'm going, sorry!" She ran out of the room, only to stick her head back in after a moment, "did you want me to take your bag?"

A bottle of shampoo flew out from behind the curtain, followed by a sharp, "No!"

"Okay! Sorry, jeez!"

Five minutes later, Erica found herself sitting alone at the kitchen table with only a vegetable platter to keep her company. Her brown eyes sharpened at it. She wasn't sure if her aunt really was sick or if her mother had just gone out to give them some privacy. Frankly, the Reyes girl didn't really care. At least with Diane in the house if Gloria snapped and tried to murder her, there was at least a small chance of her being saved. With just the two of them in a big empty house, Erica feared for her personal safety. She picked up a slice of cucumber and popped it in her mouth as she heard the shower turn off. Chewing it furiously, her gaze drifted from the ceiling to the wall where the black guitar case rested.

There was a small pouch in the front, and Erica didn't realize how badly she wanted to know what was inside until she was standing beside it. Faintly, she could hear Gloria moving around the bathroom, no doubt getting ready to come downstairs at any moment, so Erica made it a quick peek. A pale, slightly shaking, finger pulled the flap back. There wasn't anything particularly interesting inside; a soggy pack of cigarettes, some loose bobby pins and a glasses case, with a few brightly colored plastic guitar picks littered the bottom of it, but that was all. She had been expecting something a bit more exciting, considering all the rumors about Gloria. A switchblade or a pair of brass knuckles. Maybe even a gun. But there was nothing of the sort and Erica was almost disappointed. Almost.

"See anything ya like?"

Erica startled at the voice, snapping to a standing position as her gaze whipped over to the brunette in the door way. Gloria was leaning against the frame, her hands shoved deeply into the pockets of a pair of the blonde's sweatpants that hung low on her hips, flashing an inch or so of pale skin below the borrowed black t-shirt. The look on her face was thankfully more amused than annoyed, but just barely.

"I…let's just get started, okay?" Erica blushed furiously as she brushed passed the older girl, not liking the cruel, mocking smirk on her lips one bit. "I don't know how long my mom's going to be and it'll be easier to get this done without her here."

Gloria kicked away from the frame. Dark hair hung limp and wet around her shoulders, wetting the black t-shirt Erica had loaned her and curling in the damp air. Her eyes went from the now seated blonde back to her guitar case, but she stayed silent. She slid into the barstool across from her and eyed the vegetable platter dubiously.

When her hazel eyes lifted to Erica's, the blonde snapped at her, "I didn't make it!"

"It's cool," The brunette picked up a piece of cucumber and bit into it. Chewing, she gestured to the books laid out in front of them, "You're doing your homework on a Friday night?"

Not mentioning that it had been the other girl's idea to meet up, Erica shrugged meekly. "I just figured it was best to get it out of the way."

Gloria blinked. With a disinterested quirk of her brows, she hummed, "Huh."

"Yeah…" Erica cleared her throat. She spread the sheets out in front of her, "We have to have the outline and a sample product by Monday."

"I know." Her blank gaze seemed to narrow slightly. "I was right beside you when he said it, remember?"

The blonde's brown eyes flickered to the girl's bruised hand as she reached for another slice of cucumber. Her gaze lingered there a moment too long, but the other teen didn't seem to notice as she asked what the first question was.

Between Erica's impeccable math skills and Gloria's thorough knowledge of their product, the outline was a breeze. They had managed to hash out most of the details in under an hour without any bloodshed between them, much to the blonde's surprise. Gloria had been a bit blunt and occasionally a bit irritable, but not nearly as condescending as the Reyes girl had expected. She smiled, more genuinely than she had in a long time, and asked if the brunette would need any help making the product.

"Uh, no." Gloria rubbed the back of her neck absently. A few stray beads of water slipped down her arm, but she didn't pay them any mind. Tugging at the bottom of the loaned t-shirt, the brunette tried to ease some of the snug material from across her breasts. She shifted in her seat, hazel eyes flickering to the clock above the doorway. It was nearing eight and the sun was setting outside the window, or at least would have been setting had it been out. The girl cleared her throat awkwardly, her mouth only just opening to continue when the phone rang. Her jaw snapped shut.

Erica winced at the audible clack her teeth made when they came together, but said nothing. She slipped off her stool and snatched the phone from its cradle. Answering it, she ignored Gloria's eyes on her as best she could. The gaze was unwavering, no longer holding that hint of uncertainty from moments before. The cool, utterly blank intensity from the library was back, but the blonde was able to ignore it as she answered the call. "Hello?"

"Erica? Sweetie, it's mom!"

"I figured," the teen blushed, noting the tug of a smirk in the corner of her partner's mouth. "What-"

"I think I'm gonna have to stay at Marie's tonight! I don't want to drive in this weather!"

Erica blushed. Why did her mother always have to shout when she was on the phone?! "Oh, o-"

"Tell Gloria there are a few extra blankets in the hall closet!" Her mother yelled over the line, "Better yet, put her on, I'll tell her myself!"

Bewildered, Erica asked, "Why would she-"

"Well, we can't expect her to go out in this storm, can we?" Diane asked with just a little too much glee for her to be genuinely concerned. "She'll have to stay the night!"

The blonde's heart stopped in her chest. No. No. Her mother was not doing this to her. Everything had been going so well! They had been civil! Gloria had only glared spitefully at her twice! Prolonged exposure would tarnish whatever unspoken promise not to beat the living shit out of her that Gloria had made to herself!

"Erica!" Diane shrieked through the receiver, "I said put her on the phone!"

Without a word, Erica did as she was told. She then got back on her stool, put her head in her arms, and tried to block out reality. Stomach in knots, the younger student listened as Gloria answered.

"Um, yeah?" The brunette started, clearly hesitant. She watched the girl across from her knot her fingers into her thick, frizzy hair and felt a pang of annoyance go through her. It was bad enough to go through bullying at school; Gloria imagined it must've sucked twice as hard to go through it at home.

"Gloria? Sweetheart, it's Diane, Erica's mom?"

"So I gathered," The girl replied dryly, a hint of frustration in her tone. "How may I help you, Mrs. Reyes?"

"So formal! Call me Diane! Look, I know it's not ideal, but you're staying the night-"

Irritation bubbled in the brunette. "Wh-"

"No buts! It's too nasty out there! Half the roads are closed or flooded!"

Gloria's jaw clenched and her nails dug into her palms to the point of pain. "I can walk. I only live-"

"Absolutely not! It's one night and you said yourself your folks are out of town-"

"You know that." The girl said rather than asked in a blank, somewhat horrified voice.

Erica looked up from her arms and flinched at the bewildered but mostly angry expression on her face. Covering her head quickly, the blonde moaned in embarrassment. Vaguely, she wondered how long she would have to stand out in the rain before she drowned herself. Or more likely, how long Gloria would have to hold her down before she drowned in the rain. She knotted her fingers in her hair and squeezed her eyes shut against her mother's voice.

"Of course I know that! Now, don't let Erica have any sweets it breaks her out!"

Gloria stared blankly, her knee beginning to bounce anxiously as she let out a strained, "Okay. Goodbye, Mrs. Reyes."

"G-"

The brunette hung up on the woman. Her expression hard and lips pulled back in a sneer, she got off the stool without a word. Erica didn't dare peek away from her arms, but listened as the fridge door swung open. It slammed against the wall, but the blonde kept her head down. How the hell could her own mother have humiliated her like that?! Demanding the school bad girl stay the night! With no clothes, no less! Erica had made it perfectly clear to her that they weren't exactly the best of friends and she still invited her to spend the night?! That was just cruel. To the both of them.

"Hey, Blondie."

"Yeah?" Erica muttered into her arms. Absently, she wondered why it was so hard for Gloria to remember her damn name.

"Where's your frying pan?"

"What?" The blonde dared a glance up to find her classmate glaring at her. She shrunk back slightly, but apparently Gloria wasn't mad at her.

"Your mom's a bitch and we're having pancakes for dinner." The brunette cracked the Pepsi in her hand open and continued in a droll manner before taking a sip of it, "Don't worry about the acne thing. Soda does the same thing to me. Now, where the fuck's your frying pans? Seriously, the lay out of this kitchen is fucked."

A small, unsure smile twitched at Erica's lips.

A/N: Reviews please. Also, I updated my Deucalion fic tonight as well, if you read that.