Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter really concentrates on the friendship growing between Sarah and Vanessa and the next chapter will focus a lot on Bailey and Lainey's friendship. Also, I could not find anywhere were it said what Paul's last name was, but in here when it says Sarah's last name, Paul is actually her father. And I'm sorry that I said adoptive parents instead of birth parents. I swear I read it like five times and never noticed. LOL. Sorry that these next couple of chapters are kind of fillers, but I fill that these are necessary for the story line, so enjoy!

"What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters to what lies within us."

Chapter Twelve

"Sarah, are you going to get out of bed today?" her mom called in irritation.

"Not really," Sarah shrugged off, "decided it definitely was not worth my time."

"What in the world is wrong with you?" Lena asked, concern filling her voice as she stepped into her daughter's room, "Susie and your other friends tried calling all day yesterday and already this morning and you won't answer any of their phone calls. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine mom," Sarah said, irritated, "Maybe I just didn't want to talk to any of them."

"Fine, you know what, whatever," Lena dismissed, "I want to help you. You are my daughter and I love you with all my heart, but since you don't seem to want to talk to me about anything, I'm leaving to go to work."

"Bye mom," Sarah half-heartedly said as her mom walked out the door.

Sarah always told her mom everything. But, she knew that she couldn't exactly tell her mom this big secret she had. And it was killing her inside. She needed somebody to tell. However, she'd already been through everybody that she could possibly tell. Her mom was definitely out of the question because she would freak out and want to kill Carlos, Susie and her clones were out because they thought Carlos was a great guy, Bailey was out because Sarah was sure that Bailey would have no idea how to react in that kind of situation, Lainey was out because she didn't seem like the kind of person who would worry too much about it. And then Vanessa ... who wouldn't be out except for the fact that she pretty much hated Sarah's guts right now. Not that Sarah could blame her. She had helped plan the revenge on Vanessa with Susie, and Vanessa had found out. So, here was Sarah, she had nobody, nobody cared, nobody would listen.

—

Vanessa hummed on her way down the stairs. She thought it was a beautiful morning and couldn't wait to spend the rest of the day outside. After getting back from Craig's house last night, she realized that the time to approach her parent's was now instead of later. She figured that she would do the seemingly impossible tomorrow night. She decided on tomorrow night because she needed a quick route to escape if the conversation got too difficult for her to continue. Lost in her train of thought, she suddenly tripped over something.

She quickly climbed to her feet, silently glad that no one was around to see that and looked at what she had tripped over. It was a package. She curiously picked up the package and noticed that the address label on it said "Sarah Phelps."

"Oh crap," Vanessa said out loud. She knew what had happened. Of course it had happened. She was expecting to happen. But, instead of giving Sarah a real warning she decided to be petty all because of one stupid thing Sarah had done to her. She quickly ran back upstairs to grab some shoes. She had to go try and fix this. Try to be the adult that she knew she could be.

The irony of the fact that Vanessa had spend the first sixteen years of her life being mature and it all seem wasted now was not lost on her. This summer. This whole three weeks of summer she had been involved in had turned out to be the total opposite of what she would have expected. And she hadn't acted maturely about any of it.

—

Sarah curled up in her bed. Tears still present on the pillow. She couldn't tell when they were from. She'd been crying so much these last couple of days that she could never tell. She knew she had to do something. She couldn't stay here for the rest of her life. But, at least for today, the idea sounded pretty good.

"Sarah Ann Phelps," she heard someone say as they entered the house. It was definitely a girl's voice, but she knew that her mom already went to work. And Susie was probably mad enough at her that she would never come visit her. Heck, if Susie ever talked to her again it would be a miracle, then, before she knew it someone had pushed her bedroom door open, "these are for you."

And then Vanessa threw the package by her on the bed. Sarah did not even have to look at it to know what it was.

"I don't want them," she firmly stated.

"Sure you don't," Vanessa rolled her eyes, "it's your turn. You can't refuse to take them. It will unleash a curse on you."

"I'll take my chances," Sarah hollowly muttered. Sarah knew that one of the worst things had already happened to her. What else could a curse do to her?

"Tell me what happened," Vanessa demanded, sitting in Sarah's desk chair.

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked, bewildered.

"Come on, I know something happened," Vanessa sighed, "because you wouldn't give up the pants unless something happened. You might be the person who waited for the pants the most."

"Well ... the other night at the party, Carlos and I ...," Sarah started, but before she could finish Vanessa jumped up.

"Carlos and you?" Vanessa questioned, suspiciously, "Are you sure that it wasn't just Carlos? And you didn't want to be involved?"

"Of course I'm sure," Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Don't lie to me," Vanessa accused, "I'm not as dumb as you think I am. I have a pretty good idea about what happened then."

"I tried to tell him no," Sarah mumbled, tears welling up in her eyes. It was no use for her to try and lie to Vanessa. Vanessa definitely already knew what had happened, "but, he wouldn't listen. Vanessa ... I was so scared."

"Hey, its okay," Vanessa tried to sooth her, but not very effectively because she was pacing back and forth, "of course I'm too stupid. I should have warned you. I should have told you."

"Not like I would have listened to you anyways," Sarah softly told her.

"I could have made you listen," Vanessa muttered, "I knew what he was like ... I knew it."

"Wait, how did you know it?" Sarah questioned. Vanessa sighed and sat back in the chair.

"Okay, last year Carlos dated a sophomore named Natalie, after they had been going out for a couple of months, she told people that he had raped her when she refused to have sex with him," Vanessa explained, "immediately, the popular crowd turned it into a big joke and said that she was lying. They said that he had dumped her and she went crazy with grief about the break-up, so decided to make up some wild rumors about him to try and bring him down. And, of course, the rest of the school went along with it and didn't believe she was telling the truth. After all, how could perfect Carlos ever do anything like that?"

"But, what made you believe her?" Sarah asked.

"First, I don't put much stock in what the popular kids say to begin with. Second, I walked into the girls restroom one day and found her crying her eyes out," Vanessa softly said, "she was sitting on the floor of the bathroom stall, rocking back and forth. Someone had made a joke about the raping, and she had flipped. I have never, ever seen anybody that broken in my life. Until I walked into your room."

"Thanks," Sarah said sarcastically.

"Look, you have to tell the authorities," Vanessa urged her.

"I can't do that," Sarah protested, "it was my fault anyways. I got drunk, and then Susie went to go get Carlos to take me home ... I think."

"Susie what?" Vanessa coldly asked.

"Susie went and found Carlos," Sarah explained, and looking at Vanessa's face continued, "oh for goodness sakes, she didn't go find him so he could rape me. What kind of sick human does that?"

"What kind of sick person rapes somebody?" Vanessa pointed out.

"Look, you just told me about the last person that this happened too," Sarah quietly said, "and I don't want that to happen to me."

"Who cares if you lose your popularity if justice is done?" Vanessa harshly asked her.

"I'm sorry I can't be as strong as you are," Sarah snapped, "I really am."

Vanessa sighed, "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. You didn't do anything to me. You are the victim here. I should be comforting you. Do you need anything to eat? Something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine," Sarah gave her a faint smile, "but, I do have one favor to ask of you."

"Shoot," Vanessa easily responded.

"You can't tell anybody about this," Sarah plainly told her.

"What?" Vanessa asked, "Do you really think I would announce it down the streets or something?"

"No, but I don't want you to tell your mom or anything," Sarah muttered.

"My mom would have to be around long enough for me to tell her," Vanessa angrily said.

"You and your mom don't talk?" Sarah asked, surprised. She just assumed that everybody in the Second Generation of the Sisterhood was close with their mothers.

"She just doesn't seem to have time for me," Vanessa shrugged nonchalantly.

"Have you tried to talk to her?" Sarah suggested.

"I tried to tell her that I knew I was adopted, but she didn't listen," Vanessa stated, but then, after realizing who she was talking to, looked away from the girl.

"Wait, you're adopted?" Sarah asked, bewildered, "I would've never known."

"Well, I didn't know until I cleaned out the garage," Vanessa bitterly replied, "but it'll be okay. I mean, its not that big of a deal, right?"

"Yeah, Carmen still loves you," Sarah said, "she loves you like crazy."

"Man I hope Lainey and Bailey are having better summers than we are," Vanessa shook her head, changing the subject.

"True that," Sarah replied, "you know what we should do tonight Vanessa?"

"What?" Vanessa asked.

"Have a sleep over," Sarah excitedly said, "I don't really like being alone in the dark, and plus, we can talk some more."

"Sounds like a plan," Vanessa grinned back at her, "but, Sarah, you do know that I'm here for you if you ever need to have a serious talk about what happened, right?"

"I know," Sarah said quietly, "You're a great person."

"By the end of the sleep over, not only will I be a great person, but I will also be a great friend," Vanessa assured her, "I think we'll be great friends."