When Rachel was in her room safe from her father she was struggling mentally of what to do about tomorrow. To add on top of that Richard admitted he liked her. Rachel had to admit she had some feelings for Richard, but she could never go out with him. Rachel always looked down on herself, how could Richard like someone like her. Rachel decided to put her thoughts at ease and call Richard.

"Hello."

"Hi, Richard. It's me Rachel."

"Did you get home okay?" Richard asked concerned.

"Yes, I did." Rachel says a smile gracing he lips.

"Good." It was silent on the phone. Rachel slapped her hand against her forehead thinking the phone call was a bad idea. "Rachel do you want to do something tomorrow night." Rachel perked up by this getting excited.

"I would!" Rachel sad getting ahead of herself.

"Okay great! I can pick you up at..."

"Wait. I can't tomorrow." Rachel began forgetting she had to go to Roy's party.

"Oh." Was all Richard said and the call was quiet again.

"I'm sorry Richard." And Rachel hung up the phone. Rachel burried her face in her hands and cried. She realized that she really liked Richard, but she was not good for him. Roy's words echoed in Rachel's head, 'you need hang out with people like you'. Rachel though back to all the bad things she has done and all the schools she has been kicked out of, and then she thought of her evil father who has made Rachel who she is today.
"I can never be with Richard." Rachel said out loud to herself. How could troubled Rachel be with kind, sweet, handsome Richard?

Saturday afternoon at Richards house he got out of bed and slumped around the house.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked.

"Nothing." Richard answered.

"What's her name?"

"Rachel..." Richard said realizing he fell right into Bruce's plan.

"What seems to be the problem?" Bruce asked and Richard sat at the table with him and Bruce put down the morning paper giving attention to his adoptive son.

"I don't even know. I kinda get nervous around her." Richard admitted.

"Since when are you nervous when it comes to girls." Bruce speculated.

"She is different. If it were any other girl they would say yes to me in a heartbeat, not to sound cocky or anything." Bruce laughed and raised an eyebrow for him to go on. "But Rachel, she would say no."

"So you are afraid of the rejection." Bruce suggested.

"No!" Richard said. "I think she likes me but I can't tell. I don't think she can show her emotions well, and if she has them she hides them. Rachel has been through a lot."

"Well son let me share some advice with you. I think that until Rachel learns love herself she can't go on and love someone else. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yeah I think so." Richard got up from the table with a smile on his face determined to put one on Rachel's face soon. Maybe if he could help Rachel with her troubles she can come out from all her pain and learn to love and be happy again.

Later that Rachel was getting ready for the party that she did not want to go to. She put on some black skinny jeans with a nice pretty balck shirt. It was one of the only clothing items that were nice that she owned. Rachel left her house and walked across the street to Roy's house. She rang the doorbell but no one answered and the door was open, so Rachel let herself in. When she walked she was overwhelmed by the smell of alchol, the smoke of marijuana, and the noise of loud music. The party was bad news. Rachel hesitated walking into the living room, knowing if she got caught here it would be another strike, but Rachel kept on walking in. She started having flashbacks of all the other parties and how they never ended well.

"Rachel, there you are. I was afraid you wouldn't come." Roy said getting up from the couch greeting her with a drink in his hand. "Thirsty?" he smiled and Rachel shook her head no. "Come Rach, sit down, relax, have some fun." Rachel sat down and was looking at some of the other teens who were already wasted and the kids who were passed out. "So Rachel, did you bring anything?" Roy said.

"No. what would I bring?"

"We both know. Come on thats what your known for. Thats how you got your bad girl streak. You were always at all the raging parties and you were always the one who brought weed or drinks and would get the most drunk." Roy said with a smirk.

"I don't do that anymore." Rachel said.

"Trying to change for the good? I think you have been hanging out with Richard to much. I know the real Rachel. I am not trying to change you." Roy said. Even though he was high and drunk he was making sense to Rachel and she was falling for his plan and grabbed his drink from his hand and took a sip that led to another one then to another cup. An hour or so later Rachel's phone rang.

"Hellooo?" Rachel answered.

"Rachel?" Richard asked.

"Who is dissss." Rachel said slurring her words.

"It's Richard. Are you drunk?" Richard asked and Roy grabbed the phone from Rachel.

"Hey you have reached Rachel's phone . Please leave a message after the beeeeep. hahaha" Roy said and hung up the phone.

"Damn it." Richard said getting in his car driving to Roy's house. When he arrived to Roy's house he could smell all the illegal aromas going on. He looked around from the people dancing to the people smoking in the back yard and then he spotted Rachel drunk on the couch with Roy. Richard was steaming with anger. He could see Roy trying to advantage of Rachel and she just let him. Richard disrupted Roy's fun with a single push. Richard pulled Rachel off her seat and put a hand around her waist to help walk out the door.

"She belongs with us Grayson."

"No she doesn't." Richard yelled back at Roy."

"You don't even know her history." Roy stated.

"It doesn't matter cause I know her future will be better then this." Richard spat and then just picked up Rachel wedding style because she could not walk right. He placed her in the car, and Richard just drove around for awhile not knowing what to do. Then when Rachel put a hand to her mouth Richard pulled over to let her throw up. Richard held her purple hair back and rubbed her back.

"Sorry." She whispered.

"Shhh. It's okay." Richard replied to her. "I'm just glad you didn't get hurt or caught. Since you probably won't remember this conversation in the morning I just want to say that, I really like you Rachel and I can't lose you. I don't know why, but you are special." Rachel kept throwing up and Richard rubbed her back with a smile knowing she did not comprehend a single thing. They got back in the car and Richard was driving to Rachel home.

"I can't go home. Not like this." Rachel said softly.

"Are you a little sober now, so we can have a talk?" Richard asked.

"Yes, but you cant take me home."

"Fine you can stay at my place in the guest bedroom." Richard replied.

"Thank you."

"So is this why you couldn't go out anymore? You wanted to party with Roy?" Richard asked in a sarcastic voice.

"I didn't want to go, he made me."

"How did he make you?" Richard asked frustrated but then noticed Rachel's face turn green and he had to pull over again to let her throw up some. "We will just finish the conversation tomorrow morning, with some coffee." Richard said to the Rachel.

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