AN: This chapter is told through third person point of view, and was inspired by the song "Spilled Perfume" by Pam Tillis.

That following day back at home, late morning early noon, Rew is sitting on the couch, her feet up on the coffee table, drinking a bottle of pop and flipping through TV channels. She's also the only one in the house.

Pepper had to get to work, Peach and Straight A drove into town to pick up some groceries for Pepper, Tom went to play baseball with her friends, and Hermann went to some party and wasn't back yet, which was to be expected.

Rew doesn't really have anything to do, so she's waiting for Rainbow to get back from her sleepover.

"Boring...boring...boring." Rew mutters to herself as she flips through the TV channels, she let's out a slight groan, "C'mon Bow...come home so we can go out and do somethin' fun." She mutters and at that moment, she hears footsteps walk up the porch steps.

'Speak of the Devil.' Rew thinks, setting her pop down and turning off the TV.

When Rainbow walks in, Rew can't help but draw back, she's a mess.

Her hair is messed up, the dress she has on isn't hers, and it's wrinkled, there are dark rings under her eyes, but the look on her face is what gets to Rew.

"Girl, if I ever saw one, that's an 'I can't believe I did that' look." Rew says, taking her feet off the coffee table and patting the seat on the couch next to her.

"It's that obvious, huh?" Rainbow asks, sitting down and running her fingers through her already messy hair.

"I'm not gonna bust your chops Bow, but I gotta know if you did what I think you did." Rew is secretly dreading the answer to be 'Yes.'

Rainbow looks at Rew with a confused look, "What are-" Her eyes widen as she realizes what Rew is talking about, "NO! No...I didn't do that...I almost did, but I didn't."

Rew releases the breath she didn't realize she was holding, then she places a hand on Rainbow's shoulder, "How'd it happen?" She asks, "I thought you went over to Elise's for a sleepover."

"Well, she wanted to go to Samantha Green's party, I told her I didn't want to go, but she eventually convinced me and we went." Rainbow sighs, "Well, the minute we get inside she disappears. So I just kinda milled around, and no I didn't drink any alcohol, though I wish I could use that as an excuse."

"So...Who was he?" Rew asks.

Rainbow sighs again and leans back so her head is resting against the back of the couch, "Joey Don..."

Rew's mouth drops open and her eyes widen in horror.

"I'm so stupid." Rainbow groans.

"What happened?" Rew asks, wrapping her arm around Rainbow's shoulder.

"Well, like I said, Elise hauled butt the minute we got inside, so I wandered around looking for her, I talked to one of my friends for a few minutes. I had given up on finding Elise and was about to leave, but then I felt this hand on my shoulder and was spun around."

"Joey?" Rew asks.

Rainbow nods, "Yup, well, I wasn't really shocked because my friends had all been saying that Joey wanted me to go to the party, so I just greeted him, and he responded by pulling me onto the dance floor."

"Okaaay..." Rew says.

"Well, while we were dancing, I was a little uncomfortable because he was getting a little handsy, but at the same time I kinda liked it," Rainbow's face burns.

"It's okay Kiddo, what happened next?"

"Well, like I said I got very uncomfortable, so I told Joey that I wanted to stop, well, he gave me this...smile and dragged me from the room and upstairs."

A vein twitches in Rew's head.

"Well, when we got there, we went into the bedroom and...You don't wanna hear this, I'm gonna go." But when she tries to get up, face red with embarrassment, Rew pulls her back down.

"Rainbow, you need to get this off your chest, tell me everything, don't be embarrassed." Rew says.

Rainbow gives her a slight smile, "Thanks Rew. Well, when we got in the bedroom, we both sat on the edge of the bed and he started to tell me that he thought I was one of the prettiest girls he'd seen and that he really cared for me...and then, uh we started to make out..."

Rew is dreading the next part even though she knew Rainbow didn't do anything.

"Then, he pushed me down on the bed and said that he wanted me really badly, and I was so flattered and uh...I guess enthralled to resist at first...but then he laid on me and started to give these... kisses," Rainbow makes a face that makes Rew want to burst out into laughter.

"They were big and wet and gross, and then I came to my senses and thought, 'What the hell am I doing?' and I started to try to push him away, but he wouldn't have it."

Rew makes a fist, but keeps it out of Rainbow's field of vision, 'Don't let her see it, you'll scare her.' She thinks.

"I pushed at him harder, and that's when I realized he was drunk, I got scared because I wasn't ready and he kept pushing it...the next thing I knew, my knee came up and I pushed him off and ran out of the house and back to Elise's, but I couldn't slee-e-ep." Rainbow finishes with a yawn.

"I can see that. Why don't you go back to sleep now?" Rew asks.

"Is it okay if I sleep in here? I don't want to wake up alone if this comes up in a nightmare."

Rew pulls away and moved so she was leaning against a pillow that's against the arm of the couch. Rainbow looks at her with confusion for a minute until the older girl pats her shoulder.

"I couldn't ask you to do that."

"Who's askin? Now get over here before I make you."

Rainbow smiles at Rew lightly before she scoots over and lies, back up, on Rew's chest, lying her head on Rew's shoulder.

"Comfortable?" Rew asks, taking her jacket off and laying it on top of Rainbow.

"Mhmm." Rainbow says, drifting off in a matter of seconds.

After an hour long nap, Rainbow wakes up.

"Hi there. Have a nice nap?" Rew asks as Rainbow sits up and stretches.

"Yeah, but I think I'm gonna take a shower." Rainbow says, standing up and walking from the room.

The minute Rew hears the bathroom door close, she stomps her foot on the floor angrily, "Stupid, stupid!" She says through her teeth.

She sighs roughly and runs a hand through hair, "I can't believe this." She says to the ceiling.

Rew stops fuming when she hears footsteps on the porch steps, and Peach, Straight A, and Hermann all walk in through the front door. Peach and Straight A carrying bags of groceries.

"Welcome home." Rew says, standing up, "Need any help?"

"Nah, we got it." Peach says as she and Straight A walk into the kitchen.

Rew chuckles, "How was the party Hermann?"

"It was good, I danced and sang, but then I also got a little plastered and had to spend the night." Hermann explains, sitting in the armchair, taking off her high heels.

'Of course she comes home happy and spotless while Rainbow comes home a mess.' Rew thinks bitterly.

"Hey, did Rainbow ever come home from her sleepover?" Straight A asks from the kitchen.

"Yeah, she's taking a shower now." Rew replies, picking up her pop bottle and walking into the kitchen to toss it into the recycling bin, when a thought hits her.

'I'll bet Rainbow hasn't had breakfast yet...I'll take her out to eat when she gets out of the shower.' she thinks.

After a few minutes, Rew hears the bathroom door open and close, then the door to her and Rainbow's bedroom close.

She gets up from her place on the couch and goes to her bedroom door, "Rainbow, it's Rew, can I come in?"

"Gimme a second."

Rew crosses her arms and leans against the wall, looking around until she hears, "Okay."

When Rew opens the door, she sees Rainbow sitting on her bed, fully dressed and her slightly damp hair put up in a bun.

"What's up?" Rainbow asks.

"I wanna go out, wanna come?" Rew asks.

"Uh...sure I guess, where we goin'?"

"To that new cafe they built downtown." Rew says, jabbing her thumb in that direction.

"Ooh, sounds good, let me put on my shoes." Rainbow says, jumping up.

"We're goin' out!" Rew calls as she walks into the living room, slipping her jacket back on.

"'Kay! Be careful!"

"We will, see ya!" Rew calls and she and Rainbow walk out the door.

Once at the cafe, Rew and Rainbow order some food and start up a conversation while they wait for it to arrive.

"Why do I have a feeling there's more to this than meets the eye?" Rainbow asks, taking a sip of the sweet tea she ordered.

"More to what?" Rew asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Taking me out to breakfast."

"Oh, well, I figured you were hungry, I can't cook very well, and..." she breathes in, "I figured you needed to get out and get your mind off of...things." Her eyes dart left and right nervously.

"Oh..." Rainbow looks as her lap for a moment, "Thanks...I do feel better than I did earlier." She looks over as the young waiter delivers their food, Rew looks at her eyes.

She knows that look, it's a look of fear, a look of fear, distrust, and anger toward men, all men. And Rew doesn't like it in her sweet sisters eyes.

"I hope you weren't doing anything today, cause I have more stuff planned." Rew says taking a bite of her eggs.

"Oh really, and what plans would that be?" Rainbow asks, pouring some syrup on to her pancakes.

"You'll have to wait and see." Rew says teasingly.

Rainbow just sticks her tongue out and makes Rew crack up something awful.

After the girls eat their breakfast, they leave the cafe and kill time by wandering around town.

They wander around until it's late in the afternoon, then Rew leads Rainbow to the park. The park is almost empty when they get there, and they walk over and sit on the edge of the fountain.

Rew lights a cigarette and Rainbow pulls out a piece of gum, "So, is this one of your plans, or are we just resting?" Rainbow asks, blowing a bubble with her gum.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." Rew says, and the seriousness in her voice surprises Rainbow.

"About what?"

"About earlier. I noticed a look in your eyes when the waiter gave us our food."

Rainbow's eyes move back and forth slowly, "And what look was that?"

Rew takes a drag of her cigarette and exhales the smoke before she replies, "A look of fear, anger, distrust."

Rainbow blinks, "I-I don't understand…"

"You hate all men." Rew says bluntly.

Rainbow bites her lip, "Well, the whole incident with Joey kinda-"

"Exactly!" Rew says suddenly, making Rainbow jump.

Rew looks around and takes another drag of her cigarette, "Listen, there's something I'm about to tell you, but it stays between us, savvy?"

Rainbow just looks at Rew and nods. Rew knows she shouldn't be worried, Rainbow's kept secrets before, she'll take em to her grave...or forget them. Either way, Rew kows she shouldn't be worried.

"Um...Joey never told you we went out...Did he?"

"Wait what?" Rainbow asks, her eyes widening slightly.

"When I was a senior...we went out for a month."

Rainbow blinks multiple times, "Wh-why?"

"Hello, because he was a babe!" Rew says, look up slightly, like she was daydreaming.

Rainbow furrows her eyebrows slightly, "But...you hate Joey."

"Yeah, now I do."

"...What happened?"

Rew doesn't answer, she looks around, bites her lip, moves her eyebrows up and down and coughs slightly.

Rainbow realizes what Rew is talking about and gasps, choking her gum for a moment before she spits it out and looks at Rew with wide eyes.

"Yup, Joey got to me to, but unlike you, I succumbed to him."

"Oh please tell me you're kidding!"

"I wish I was."

"Wha-...Why didn't you tell us?!" Rainbow exclaims.

"Because there's no use cryin' over spilled pefume!" Rew says defensively, then she takes a drag of her cigarette and says more calmly, "And the reason nobody else knew about it is because I threatened Joey that if he told anyone I'd tell everyone in school how small his-"

"Okay okay okay! Stop right there!" Rainbow exclaims, clapping her hands over her ears.

Rew laughs for a moment, "Anyway," She says, calming down, Rainbow uncovers her ears, "The reason I'm telling you this is because after that, I thought all men were the same, and I hated every single one of them."

Rew looks in Rainbow's eyes, "And I don't want that to happen to you, I don't want you to hate anyone, you're too sweet and too loving to hate anyone...except Brea Chase and her gang...but-" Rew sighs, "I don't want you're heart to harden like mine did, you have such a pure heart, and I don't want a dingus like Joey to ruin that about you."

Rainbow is shocked beyond words, Rew has never been this emotional and open about...well...anything.

"Rew...I didn't know you felt that way."

"Of course I feel that way!" Rew exclaims, "...I love you."

Rainbow feels her heart swell, "I love you too." she says.

Rew grins and wraps her arm around Rainbow.

"So…how small was it?" Rainbow asks after a minute.

Rew doesn't think she's laughed so hard in her life.

That following week, things seem to be getting back to normal; Rainbow is back to her usual cheerful, kind self, and Rew takes some of the credit for that.

That Friday, Rew is sitting on the couch talking to the other girls, when Tom, Straight A, and Rainbow all walk in. Tom and Straight A seem to be pestering Rainbow about something.

"Hey girls, what's up?" Rew asks.

"Nothing is up!" Rainbow says, but Tom tells them something different.

"She's in looooove!"

"Shut up!" Rainbow says, blushing, before she runs into her room, leaving the other girls giggling like hyenas.

Rew half grins and stands up from the couch, going into her room, where Rainbow is sitting on her bed, holding her sketchbook close to her chest, and staring longingly at the ceiling.

Rew closes the door, "Seeing that I helped you recover from your encounter with Joey and told you one of my deepest secrets, I'd say you owe me." Rew sits her her bed and leans forward so her arms are on her knees, "So...what's his name?"

Rainbow looks at Rew, blushes and bites her grinning lip.

"Ponyboy Curtis."

AN: Now this is when things start to get interesting. ;)