Gen adjusted the bag on her shoulder and leaned against the tree where she said she'd meet her cousins after school. She watched all the people exit the building and didn't see either of her cousins. She cracked her neck quietly and looked around behind her. She saw Eva coming up behind her and turned completely to watch her.

"Hey." Eva said as she reached her. She looked around for Juli and frowned when she realized she wasn't there. "Where's Juli?" Gen shrugged and turned back to the school just in time to see her come out of the school with the schools bitch. Gen set her bag down by the tree and started for her cousin.

"Gen." Juli started but was rudely cut off when the bitch grabbed the back of her neck and caused her to lean forward.

"This doesn't concern you, Gen." Gen raised an eyebrow and looked between her cousin and the bitch.

"I believe that if it concerns my cousin, it concerns me, Kate." The bitch nodded and grinned, throwing Juli forward, causing her to fall into the bike rack. "I don't want to fight you." Gen said as Kate was putting up her fists. "I just want you to leave my little cousin alone."

"Why? You scared?" Gen shook her head and the other girl rolled her eyes.

"Gen don't do this. It's not worth it." Juli said standing up and rubbing the back of her neck where the older girl was holding her.

"I'm not scared of you. I'm not scared of anybody." Gen started. "I have no reason to be. I can defend myself."

"Then fight me. If you beat me, I'll leave you and your cousins alone." Gen raised an eyebrow and raised her fists lazily, knowing she wouldn't use them. "Oh, you wanna bang?"

"Sure. Why not?" Gen replied sarcastically. After a second, Kate flew at Gen, but Gen just simply moved to the side and smacked the back of Kate's neck as she flew by. Gen turned to look at the other girl and kept her eyes open.

"You think your cool." Kate said before flying at her again, which made Gen do the same thing. Kate growled and stepped closer to her, raising her hand to Gen's face, but Gen blocked it easily and shoved her arm away.

"I told you I didn't want to fight you."

"You're not even fighting."

"You can't even hit me." Gen said loudly. She looked up just as the male Phys. Ed. Teacher came running over.

"Ladies, is everything okay here?"

"Everything's fine." Kate stated, fear washing over her. She didn't need to get into trouble, but Gen didn't care if she did.

"No, sir, this bitch is trying to kick my ass, but she's a little troubled. She can't even hit me." The teacher looked between the two of them and Kate looked at Gen with pleading eyes. "But, like I said, she couldn't hit me, so I had no chance to hit her."

"Um." The teacher was speechless. "Well, you two should get along home." They both nodded and he walked away. Gen looked over at Kate and Kate glared, but Gen noticed the little smile on her lips.

"Are we through here?" Gen asked.

"Yeah." She said nodding. "We're through." Gen nodded then turned back to the tree and Juli followed, looking over at Kate a few times.

"Let's go home." Gen said putting an arm around Eva's shoulders. "Chris is probably wondering why we're late." Juli and Eva nodded and the three of them started up the street. Gen was the only one to notice that a dark purple colored car kept driving by and slowing as they passed the girls.

"What's up?" Juli asked Gen when she noticed she was looking around. Gen shook her head and they started to walk a little faster. Gen stopped when she reached the sidewalk in front of her house, when the car drove by again. Juli and Eva stopped and looked at her.

"Gen?" Eva asked.

"Go on inside. I'll be inside in a minute." They both nodded, knowing she'd be okay by herself. Gen watched Eva and Juli walk into the house and close the door behind them. She set her bag down on the sidewalk and walked into the street. She saw the car round the corner then took a deep breath and held out her hand. The car stopped about two inches from her and he leaned over and put her hands on the hood of the car.

"Get off my car." A woman said out the driver side window.

"Why are you following me?" Gen demanded. The driver revved the engine but it didn't faze her.

"What makes you think I'm following you?"

"You've passed me five times in the past five minutes. I'm not stupid." The engine revved again and Gen rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to see you." Gen pounded her fists on the hood of the car and ignored the pain. "What did you want to hear?"

"Nothing." Gen stepped away from the car and toward the sidewalk.

"Gen, come on." The driver's door opened and Gen looked over her shoulder with a glare.

"What? You want me to welcome you back in my life, with open arms."

"No."

"Okay. Enough said."

"Gen!"

"Fuck you!" Gen shouted to the woman. She picked up her bag and headed for the front door. She pushed it open then slammed it closed.

Gen stormed to her room, slamming her door loudly, causing her cousins to jump. She didn't care, she just flopped down on her bed throwing her face in her pillow and screaming as loud as she could, which was muffled, but still loud. Juli got up first and approached her bed slowly.

"Gen?" She asked quietly.

"Go. Away." Gen warned through the pillow. Juli nodded and walked back over to her bed and went back to her homework.

After about twenty minutes of complete silence, there was a knock on the door. Eva and Juli both looked at it as it opened. Chris looked over at Gen and cocked her head to the side.

"We don't know." Juli filled her in. "We think she's asleep now." Chris nodded and looked over at Eva.

"Dinner." She stated clearly. Eva nodded and set her books to the side and climbed off her bed. She walked toward then passed her aunt, who looked back at Gen. "Gen." Gen didn't move. "Genevieve."

"What?" She asked, still not moving.

"Everything okay?" Chris asked.

"I'm fine." She said with a sigh. Chris nodded and exited the room silently, closing the door behind her. Juli stood up and walked over to Gen's bed and leaned against it gently.

"Gen?" Juli asked.

"What?" Gen whimpered. Juli faked a smile and sat on the edge of Gen's bed. Gen felt the weight change on the bed and looked up at her over her arms, which she'd folded her face into.

"What's wrong?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"I mean, what's wrong with me." Gen looked up at Juli with questioning eyes. "Why is Kate always messing with me and why are guys always being mean to me. Especially Larry. I can't stand him."

"Larry's a jerk." Gen stated quietly. Juli nodded and looked at her cousin for more information.

"What about Kate?" Gen shrugged her shoulders a little then started to sit up.

"Kate probably messes with you because she's afraid to mess with me. She probably knows you mean a lot to me and the last thing I want to see somebody do is mess with you. So, obviously, if she messes with you, I'd stand up to her."

"Why doesn't she like you? You're so easy to get along with."

"I'm not this nice to everybody else, especially people at school. The only people I'm nice to are you, Eva, Chris, Sara and…"

"And who?"

"Mark." Juli giggled and pointed her index finger at Gen's nose.

"You like him, don't you?" Gen laughed and shook her head.

"We're friends."

"So?"

"Friends don't like each other. Not like your thinking." Juli made a sarcastic face at Gen and she laughed. "Our friendship is complicated. But we're just friends." Juli nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.

"So, you wanna hang out this weekend? Go to the movies and see that new movie you've been dying to see?" Gen chuckled a little and rubbed the back of her neck, looking down at her lap. "What?"

"I've got plans." Juli arched an eyebrow. "Mark and I are going to the movies."

"Like a date?" Gen shook her head. Juli gave another sarcastic look and then Gen shrugged. "Aww."

"Shut up." Gen said smacking Juli upside the head with a pillow. "I've never even gone out with a guy, not like that." She looked at Juli and sighed. "Not even with Larry. It was just that one night and that was it. But, you know about that." Juli nodded and started looking around the room.

"Are you sure it's not a date?" Gen shrugged and Juli shook her head.

"I could ask."

"You don't ask a guy if it's a date. It's a rule, you should already know." Gen raised an eyebrow and Juli shrugged. "Okay, maybe you should ask him."

"No, I don't want to look stupid."

"Well, then just ask him about it. Like, tomorrow morning just ask him all the details." Gen nodded a little.

"Great, I've resulted in taking advice on dates from my little cousin." They both laughed and Juli hit Gen with the same pillow.

They laughed constantly for ten minutes until there was a knock on their bedroom door, and then it opened. Chris again.

"Dinner's done." They both nodded and smiled. "Feeling better, Gen?" Gen nodded and Chris smiled. "That's good. There's a boy on the phone for you." Gen looked over at Juli and smiled a little. "Keep it short." Gen nodded and pushed herself off her bed. She walked into the kitchen where Eva was trying to feed the always-fussing Sara. Gen chuckled, picked up the cordless, and headed to the basement, where she could be alone.

"Hello?" She asked when she was safely behind the basement door.

"Hey baby." She sighed.

"What do you want, Larry?"

"I told you earlier I wanted to know what was up with you and Sara. Fill me in. I am her dad."

"And I'm her mom. You took advantage of me and you're lucky I didn't call the police on you. Leave me alone." She hit the end button then started back up the stairs. She pushed open the door and sighed heavily as she entered the kitchen, putting the phone back on the charger.

"Who was it?" Chris asked from the table. Gen shook her head and sat down at the table between Sara's highchair and Eva's empty chair. Eva was busy walking around the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner.

"I know you don't like burgers, Gen, so I made you a chicken salad." Eva said putting a bowl in front of her along with a bottle of Italian dressing and a fork. Gen smiled and looked up at her cousin.

"Thanks." Eva nodded and smiled. She stepped away and walked back to the counter picking up two more plates and set them down in front of her aunt and Juli. Double stacked, double cheese'd burgers with a side of deep fried fries. Juli licked her lips and stared at her burger with a smile.

"This is good, Eva." Chris said taking a bite of her burger. Eva smiled then sat down beside Gen with her plate. Gen stood up and walked over to the fridge and pulled out a can of Pepsi. She looked at the table and Chris motioned for one so she got her one too. She walked back to the table and set it in front of her.

"That's so not healthy to drink." Juli said nodding toward Gen's Pepsi.

"Said the one with the dead cow in her mouth." Juli rolled her eyes and stuck a meaty tongue out at Gen. Gen made a disgusted face and Juli laughed.

"Juliette!" Juli winced at the use of her entire first name, especially when Chris used it.

"Sorry." She apologized quickly. Gen and Eva giggled and Chris glared at them.

"Sorry." They both said at the same time.