"Oh, look at this one." Bobby held up a gun and I looked at it, the thing seemed like the last four that he pulled out.

Currently, Bobby, Jack, and I were in the kitchen, looking at the guns Bobby stole from the house. I thought they were cool, but they also didn't look any different from each other to me at all.

"Bobby, that looks exactly the same as the last one." I said. I watched them, my head propped up on my hand from where I sat at the table, staring at him bored, an eyebrow raised.

Bobby shook his head, "Danielle, do you see the barrel of this gun?"

He showed me the gun and I shrugged, "Yeah."

"The barrel is the exact opposite of this gun."

He held up another one, "Still don't see it."

"This one holds six bullets, this one holds two."

I rolled my eyes, "Man, all you had to say was that. I know how to shoot one, not what every piece of the dumb things are called."

"You should learn them." He pulled out another gun, placing it on the table.

"Nah, I think I'm good."

Bobby rolled his eyes and turned to Sofi, "Ai mami, I think you missed a spot on the floor there."

Sofi threw the towel she was carrying at Bobby and he ducked, it knocked a lamp on the table, it crashed down to the floor, breaking instantly.

"Ha you missed."

Sofi flipped him off, walking away as she yelled in Spanish.

"Danny, I'm not going to bail you out every time you get into a damn fight." Jack sighed, hoisting me up a little farther on his back as Bobby walked beside us.

I coughed, wiping the blood of my split lip on my jacket, "He started it."

"He was twice your size. I don't care what he was saying, but I'm not always gonna be around."

Jack sighed, "Trust me, this is only one fight she's been in this month."

I'd been permanently staying with the Mercer's for a month now, since Jack had saw the bruises from Phil, Miss Evelyn had called Bobby and he'd personally beat the shit out of the guy. Not that it made him go away.

Bobby shook his head, "Why are you getting into so many fights now?"

"Because I can." I didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to think of the rumors that had been started about Jack. It pissed me off that, thanks to Bobby, everyone now thought he was gay just because his older brother called him a fairy.

Bobby shook his head, "No, there has to be a reason."

"Maybe I'm just permanently angry, just like you Bobby."

He turned to me angrily and I glared back from where I was perched, Jack carrying me all the way from the school to Miss Evelyn's house.

"I'm not playing anymore Danielle."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, scary Bobby. I know you won't hit me."

"Don't be to sure."

"Miss Evelyn taught you better than that Bobby."

He growled and walked away, I sighed, laying into Jack a bit more on his back. I wanted to just take some pills and go to sleep, I seriously felt, and probably looked, like hell.

"Why did you get in that fight Danny?" Jack asked quietly.

I sighed, knowing I should tell him. But I really didn't, I didn't want him to know that people that he was gay, he probably already knew though, he'd been a few fights himself.

"He was calling you gay." I bit my lip, defeated now. I didn't think he would be mad at me for fighting a guy over that, but I knew if bugged him when people said that about him.

Jack laughed a bit, obviously embarrassed, "You really hit the quarterback of the football team over that?"

"Yeah, it's not cool. You're not gay."

"I know that, but it doesn't mean you should be getting as messed up as you are because of that."

I sighed again, "I think it's a pretty damn good reason."

"It's really not. They're high schoolers, they're gonna do that kind of shit."

He walked up the steps, ignoring Bobby as he held the door open and walked up the stairs. He walked into my room and deposited me on the bed lightly before leaving, going to get the handy dandy first aid kit that Miss Evelyn kept in the bathroom.

"Just because they're dumb, doesn't mean they have the right to say that."

Jack smiled at me, taking out some of the crap from the box. He wiped my left eye, I couldn't see out of it right now, it was swollen shut and my eyebrow had been split in the fight as well.

So fighting the quarterback of the football team probably wasn't the best idea in the world, but he'd been provoking me.

"Ouch," I flinched back, recoiling from Jack's touch as he put pressure on my eye.

He sighed, "Sorry Danny."

"What are you sorry for Jack?"

I turned, looking at the door to see the extremely surprised Miss Evelyn. She was obviously shocked, I'd been in a couple of fights this month, but this was the only time I had yet to defend myself properly, it had to freak her out. She was used to Bobby, Jerry, and Angel coming home like this, not me.

"What happened?"

"I got in a fight at school Miss Evelyn. I'm okay though."

Bobby stood behind her, his arms crossed, "You're not okay. You've got a black eye that's swollen shut."

"Like you haven't come home looking exactly like this."

"So what if I have. You're my little sister, no one touches my little sister."

I made a face, regretting it instantly and then watched at Miss Evelyn took Jack's place in front of me, fixing my split lip and clucking her tongue as she looked at my eye.

"You're staying home tomorrow."

I sighed and shook my head, "Miss Evelyn, don't make me stay with that jerk." I pointed at Bobby and watched as her lips twitched with a smile, "I need to go to class."

"Jack can get your notes for you."

"Miss Evelyn."

She shook her head, and stood up, handing the first aid kit to Bobby to put up, "Don't Miss Evelyn me Danielle Love. You're to do as you're told. You are staying here tomorrow, this is the sixth fight you've been in this month. What has gotten into you?"

"People suck." I looked to the side, unable to look her in the eye.

She sighed, and I saw from the corner of my eye the stern look she was giving me. I stopped myself from biting my lip, knowing it would just start bleeding again.

"Danielle, why are you getting in so many fights?"

I shrugged, not wanting to tell her even more than I didn't want to tell Jack, "I don't know."

"Danielle."

"I don't know."

She sighed again, "Jack, Bobby, can you give Danielle and I a moment please."

They left the room and Miss Evelyn sat down beside me, "Danielle, what's going on?"

"People have been making fun of Jack because of Bobby."

"What do you mean?"

Miss Evelyn looked at me expectantly and I shrugged, "Well, um...You know how Bobby's been calling Jack a fairy all the time?" she nodded ,"Well, everyone's calling Jack gay now…and he's not."

"So you're getting into fights because of that?"

I shrugged, "It's not just that, it's people making fun of me to for hanging out with him. It's not cool."

"Sweetie, Jack can take care of himself."

"Yeah, but he shouldn't have to."

"Man, what the hell are you doin' to ma's house?" Jerry walked in and I turned, look out from the kitchen and seeing him shaking his head.

The house was messy, there were taco bell wrappers and packets everywhere and the coffee table, which had once been pristinely clean, was now covered in trash.

"We need to clean up a little you guys." I stood up, pushing Jack out of the kitchen with me.

"Hey Jerry."

"Danielle, why the hell does the house like this?"

I shrugged, "We've been a bit busy."

"Busy? You're making mom's house into a gun shop now to."

"I'm not turning anything into a gun shop. That would be your big brother, thank you very much."
Jerry nodded and walked into the kitchen, arguing with Bobby over the guns and I turned to the table, picking up some of the trash we'd left on the coffee table from the night before.

"Here," Jack took everything out of my hands, "go sit down."

"What? He smiled at me and shoved me onto the couch, grabbing a few more things off the table and turning, going back into the kitchen where Bobby and Jerry were still arguing.

"Jack you sit down."

He looked at me and smiled as he came back into the room, "Why?"

"Because."

Jack laughed and did as I told him, pulling me closer to him. He'd been doing this a lot lately and it surprised me, Jack wasn't one that could be close to people this easily, but I was happy that he felt comfortable enough with me to do that.

"You're a dork." He messed up my hair and I rolled my eyes, punching him slightly.

"You're a douche."

I looked down the hallway of my room, making sure that no one was going to walk past as I tried to escape. Smoothing the dress I was wearing a little, I took a deep breath and made a quick getaway.

"Danielle, where are you going?" I froze, not wanting to turn to see Bobby.

I chose to keep walking, ignoring him.

"Danielle, answer me." He followed me down the stairs and grabbed my hand, making me turn to face him.

"I'm going out."

"With who?"

"Me."

I turned, smiling at Jack as he came down the stairs. He was wearing a button up shirt and some slacks, he looked sharp, too bad he wasn't really my date.

"Where are you two going?" Bobby took in our appearance, surprised.

Jack shrugged, grabbing my hand, "A dance at the school."

"Oh." Bobby dropped my hand and I turned as a car horn honked from outside.

Jack and I walked out the door, making sure we were in the car before he let my hand go and I sidled in beside my actual date, Leroy Sweet, Jack got in the back, smiling over at Elizabeth Collins and I waved goodbye to Bobby as he watched us from the doorway.

…

"Okay, let's go dance." We all got out of the car, I smoothed down the fabric of my dress again, watching Jack as he led Elizabeth away.

I let Leroy lead me into the school gym, my floor length purple and black dress looked out of place in the vibrant and short dresses that the other girls were wearing. We followed Jack and Elizabeth, knowing that we should all stay together, it would be stupid to separate at a thing like this, even at a school thing.

"So, um…you look nice?" Leroy said, looking at me.

I smiled bashfully, I hadn't wanted to go with him, I didn't even know who he was, but Jack had already asked another girl when I was about to ask him myself, so he was my last choice.

Damn you Elizabeth Collins.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

We sat down and watched as Jack and Elizabeth danced, both smiling about something. Her blonde hair was curled, just like mine was, but everything seemed to be in the right place, whereas mine probably seemed like a rat's nest.

"Hey Leroy!" said Sweet turned to the sound of his name and smiled, getting up and walking away with some friend.

I sighed, tonight was going to suck, epically.

…

"Danny?" I looked up from the book I had brought with me, knowing that I probably wouldn't be doing much dancing tonight anyway.

Jack stood before me, a concerned look on his face, "Where'd Leroy go?"

"I don't care." I shrugged, looking across the dance floor at him, watching as he goofed off with some of his friends.

Jack followed my gaze and sighed, grabbing my hand, "Come on."

"What are you doing?" I went to grab the table, but he took me away from it before I could do so.

He laughed a bit, "You're dancing with me, come on."

"Jack, I don't want to dance."

He laughed, "I don't care."

"What about Elizabeth?"

He shrugged obviously not caring, "Who knows."

We were on the dance floor now, slowly dancing to the music, swaying to the beat. It felt right, leaning into him and listening to the sound of our synchronized breathing.

I bit my lip, wondering exactly what was going on here…what was Jack doing?

"Jack…"

"Sh."

I looked up at him, his blue eyes bright and he smiled. It was one of those rare smiles that very few got to experience, the small little upturn of the corners of his mouth and a slight showing of his teeth.

"What are you doing?"

He never answered me, instead he leaned down, very slowly almost hesitantly and pressed his lips to mine.

I'd thought of this a lot over the past couple of years, when I realized that guys didn't have cooties and all that bullshit. But this was different, much better than I could have imagined. It wasn't as slow as I pictured, but it wasn't all that fast either, that and it was in the middle of being both timid and hungry at the same time. I was confused, not that I didn't want him too, but Jack didn't show affection, he wasn't the type of person who did that, I'd accepted that a long time ago, but as he pulled me closer to his body and the two of us stopped dancing. I realized that if he was showing some type of affection that maybe, just maybe there was a chance we would have something more.

He pulled back, and I sucked in a breath, biting my lip.

"Sorry…"

He trailed off and I smiled, "No, that was…amazing."

"Really?" He smiled, his blue eyes lighting up a bit more than usual and I laughed.

"You're a dork."

"Way to ruin a moment."

We laughed at each other and smiled, his eyes the brightest I'd seen since he'd moved in with Miss Evelyn only eight years before.

"Jack, how's your band doing by the way?" I leaned closer to him, sucking in his warmth.

He put his arm around my shoulders, smiling slightly, "We've sort of been playing in a lot of shitholes lately. I don't know, it's just been a bit annoying."

"Well, we all have to start somewhere."

He nodded and I leaned closer into him, listening as Bobby and Jerry continued to argue in the kitchen.

"Did you ever look at the pictures on that camera?" I looked up at Jack again and he shook his head.

"No, but we probably should, just to get those two to shut up."

I smiled and let him get off the couch, watching as he walked into the kitchen. The arguing stopped and he came back in, his older brother's following close behind.

He sat down and Jerry, Bobby, and I crowded around him, watching as he flipped through the pictures.

"That's ma's lawyer. The bastard said he'd only met her once."

Bobby took the camera out of Bobby's hand and glared down at it

"We're going to this douche bag's house tonight and finding out what the fuck he was doing with ma."

I nodded, "Yeah, I don't like that he lied to us."

"Me either."

I walked with Jack again, we were holding hands once again and as he opened the door, the two of us walking into the house. We could hear the television on in the living room andwe quietly walked by it, seeing Bobby snoring in the couch, a hockey playing. I grabbed some of the fabric of my dress, pulling it up a little so I could walk up the stairs without stepping on it and pushed Jack slightly as he walked ahead of me.

He tripped and we laughed quietly, not wanting to wake Bobby or Miss Evelyn as we went to our separate rooms to change.

It had been a good night, Leroy and Elizabeth got together too, which seemed pretty ironic to me, but it was better than having that chick making my life hell for the next two years.

I walked into my room, falling onto my bed and giggling for a moment, I felt like a little kid again, felt like everything was slowly falling into place. Like everything that Jack had gone through as a kid could slowly fall into the background of his past, something that he would rarely think about. I knew it would be hard, but it would be nice if I would be able to help him do that, help him slowly get over the past that he should never have had to experience.

Smiling up at the ceiling, I sighed and closed my eyes, committing tonight's kiss to memory. I never wanted to forget that moment, that was going to be the happiest moment of my life, it was something that I'd want to remember when I was having a bad day, something that could make a bad day ten times better.

I stood up, quickly changing out of my formal dress, hanging it up quickly and then changing into a pair of nightclothes and falling back onto my bed. I wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight, I was way to hyped up from the dance to be able to go to sleep.

I wanted a relationship with Jack that would be like every love story I'd ever heard about…but I knew that wouldn't happen, this wasn't a love story and not everything had a happy ending, if we did get together and something tore us apart, it would ruin our relationship, I couldn't handle that.

I also knew that love stories didn't have character's as fucked up as Jack and I were…

And I really didn't find that fair.

"So when do we leave?" I asked, watching Bobby as he threw the camera at the nearby wall angrily.

He shrugged, "Tonight after we eat. I'm starving."