What's up Fan-drea's, it's your girl coming to you live from downtown Brighton town square. You are all privileged to watch, LIVE, as I go to collect my newest and most favoritest purchase ever! Internet, meet my new toy; Molly McGee!

Andrea crouched down, holding her cellphone camera at arm's length to ensure she could capture both her own face and the whimpering mass curled up on the ground.

"My god Molly, what are you doing lying down in the snow? You are going to get your frankly already tacky clothes soaking wet. And seriously, is that what you used to wear to bed? OMG, the only outfit worse is turtle girl." Andrea joked, turning the camera to include Libby who had sat down cross-legged after the announcement and hadn't moved since.

"Wait, corn… sweet corn…" Molly rambled.

Andrea sighed contemptuously.

"Well Fan-drea's, looks like Molly spent too much time outside and her brain is frozen so we'll just have to wait until she thaws out to give a real introduction!" Andrea told her audience before shutting off the feed, "Good going McGee, you managed to embarrass me AND yourself. Maybe I really should have bought the other one instead… what was his name, Darryl I think?"

"Wait, you know where Darryl is?" Molly asked, a protective portion of her psyche kicking her brain back on at the sound of her brother's name.

"Not really. Daddy said I could only get one toy today, even if I could afford more so I had to decide whether I should get you or him. Obviously I picked you. Congratulations!"

"What the fuck Andrea, are you seriously going along with this bullshit?" Molly asked the blue haired diva.

"Why wouldn't I? And you should watch your tone around me now that I own you. It's your first day as my toy so forgive and forget but seriously, if you don't show me proper respect I'll take out all my anxiety on you." Andrea teased Molly in a less then playful manner.

"Oh my god this is soooo bad." Molly whimpered.

"No, it's amazing though I guess I can see how you might not see it that way… yet. Now, give your little friend a hug goodbye so I can put on your collar and take you home."

"Wait… did you buy Libby too? Please say you did."

"God McGee, do you not listen at all? I already told you Daddy only let me buy one toy today. I wanted to buy more but I had to settle for just YOU. And it seems like such a waste since turtle girl would have been quite a steal. I mean, fifty dollars is frankly embarrassing even for someone who can't manage to comb her own hair."

"Please, I don't want to leave Libby here alone. It's starting to get dark and if she is left here much longer she might get seriously injured. Let's just take her with us, ok? If she really was that cheap, no one is going to notice or care if she isn't here and by the time whoever bought her figures out where she is then this whole slavery thing will be figured out and everything will be back to normal."

"Back to normal? 46 other countries passed the same laws and more are doing it every hour. This is the new normal McGee! You are my property to do with as I please and Libby belongs to someone else so if I took her without their consent that would be stealing. Now, you don't want your new Mistress to steal, do you McGee?"

"Andrea, this is serious! We can't just let her freeze to death out here. There must be something we can do?"

"Even if I cared, what exactly do you expect me to do?" Andrea asked, sounding quite annoyed.

"I don't know, something. Anything! There has to be a solution!"

"It's ok Molly, I don't want you to get in trouble over me. I'll be fine. I'm used to having bad things happen to me. It's no big deal." Libby told her friend, trying to force herself to smile the fake, simulated expression she had used for so many years in school.

"No, it's not ok! You are my best friend and I'm not just going to leave you here on the worst day ever! Please Andrea, I'll do anything you want if you just figure out something to help Libby." Molly pleaded

"McGee, you are already going to do anything I want. Do you NOT understand how being a slave works? I thought you were supposed to be somewhat smart." Andrea sighed.

"Look Andrea, there is a BIG difference between being forced to do what you tell me to do and being willing and eager to do what you tell me to do."

As the two teens argued back and forth, Libby stood up and began to stare out into the distance.

"Andrea, hold on a second. Is everything okay Libby?" Molly asked.

"I don't know. I think I saw something and it felt familiar but I don't know what it was." Libby tried to explain.

"What was it?" Molly asked.

"Oh my god McGee, your brain must really be frozen! She just said she didn't know what it was." Andrea chastised Molly, "I naturally tune out half the things this dumb bitch says and even I knew that one."

"God damn it Andrea, can't you be nice for like 5 minutes. I know you don't really care and I don't really have anything to offer to persuade you but seriously, this has been probably the worst day of my life and I could really use just a tiny bit of compassion. Please!" Molly pleaded.

The expression on Andrea's face softened, "Fine, I'm not heartless. Take a moment, talk to your friend, try and find some peace of mind or whatever. I'm going to go get some hot chocolate from the coffee vending machine down the street. But when I come back you are going to be collared and then you are going home with me and you are not going to protest or complain."

"Thank you Andrea."

"Yeah yeah, just don't expect this niceness to be a regular thing." Andrea muttered as she started walking off.

Molly abruptly hugged Libby, burying her face in her friends shoulder, weeping openly. After a few moments Molly managed to compose herself enough to speak.

"H… have you figured out what you saw yet?" Molly asked, taking her friends hand.

"I don't know for sure. I think it was something green maybe, and something that was calling my name."

"Not literally though right?"

"Not literally."

"I'm really going to miss you Libby. This just feels so unfair. I finally have a best friend in what I thought was my forever home and now…"

"I know…"

After a few moments, while Libby continued to scour the distance for her sense of familiarity, Molly noticed a boy she had never met before moving through the square and stopping at the few remaining people one at a time and slowly heading their direction.

"Someone is coming our way." Molly whispered.

"Is it Andrea? Because if it is you really should go with her this time. I don't want my last moment with you to be one of you getting in trouble because of me. I want to have my last memory of you be… well, not a happy one but at least an alright one."

"It's not her, it's some guy. And maybe this won't be our last time seeing each other. I mean, if your new owner lives here in Brighton we'll probably cross paths again. It will be different but…"

"Different is better than nothing at all." Libby said, squeezing her friends hand and giving her an honest smile.

"Do either of you know where I can find a boy named EEB?" A soft spoken boy asked Molly.

"I don't know anyone around here with that name. Do you Libby?" Molly asked.

"No, I think I'd remember a name like that." Libby replied.

"Oh, ok. This is strange. I'm running out of people to check. The information I got said that they would be here in the group at the city square. This is the city square, right?" The young man asked.

"Yes it is, trust me, I'm definitely never going to forget this place. Oh, do you like turtles as well?" Molly asked, spotting the turtle fob hanging off the zipper on the green winter coat the boy was carrying.

"No, not really. I mean, they are alright I guess. They aren't really anything I've ever put much thought into before today. I'm pretty sure EEB must be a big fan of turtles since he has so many turtle related items."

"Wow, who would have guessed that there would be two turtle fans in Brighton." Molly said, noticing Andrea heading her way from far off in the distance.

"Two turtle fans? You're a fan of turtles then I take it?"

"No, not really but my best friend is."

"I do certainly wish I was one today so I could just retract back into my shell and forget all about today and… hey, that's my winter coat!" Libby squealed with surprise as she turned to look at the stranger.

"Are you sure? I found it in Eeb's room."

"That's definitely mine. See, it even has the little rip along the pocket that I was never able to fix." Libby said, moving the jacket around in the boys hands to show off the tear.

"Oh, well then I suppose you should have it then if it's yours." The boy said, holding out the jacket for Libby. Without any protest Libby quickly slipped into the outstretched garment, zipping it up with a relieved sigh.

"You have no idea how good this feels right now." Libby groaned, giving herself a hug.

"So, hang on a second. How exactly do you spell Eeb's name?" Molly asked the boy.

"According to the paper it's spelled iibb." The boy explained, holding out an auction receipt.

Molly looked at the receipt, squinting her eyes.

"I think that first letter is supposed to be a lowercase L maybe, not an uppercase I. I think it says Libb just in really bad handwriting. Also, I think they forgot the Y." Molly explained.

"So you think it's supposed to say Libby? Are you sure, I mean that's a pretty odd name for a boy don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess. But are you sure it's a boy? The paper doesn't say one way or the other."

"That's true, but I was looking through his room when my mom called and told me to come down here and pick up Iibb or Libby. His room is filled with turtle toys and pictures and sword and sorcery high fantasy novels and dungeons and dragons character sheets."

Libby's cheeks turned even deeper red as the young man listed off the contents of her room.

"That's… actually… my room." Libby told the young man, her eyes downcast.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I just assumed… that's so stupid of me…"

"It's okay, it's totally understandable." Libby said softly, "I do have girly things… they just aren't sitting out in the open I guess."

"Oh yeah, trust me… she a total girly girl once you get to know her." Molly chimed in, automatically trying to reduce the awkward tension.

"Libby, a girly girl?" Andrea said with a scoff, "McGee, why are you lying to this young man? Libby is total nerdy loser!"

"Hey, nerdy girls can be cute!" The young man insisted before suddenly realizing what he had just said.

"No, cute girls are cute. Nerdy girls are loser."

"So, wait… does that mean that you think Libby is cute?" Molly asked the new boy.

"Molly, don't ask him that." Libby whimpered, secretly wanting to know the answer but afraid of what it might be.

"Whatever. McGee, it's time to go. Now let me put on your leash and collar so we can head home." Andrea said with a sinister smile as she pulled a pink collar with a heart shaped ID tag with "Molly" etched onto it from her bag.

Molly sighed, trying to hold up her end of the agreement.

"Alright Andrea." Molly said, stepping closer to let Andrea secure it around her next.

"It's Miss Andrea for you from now own McGee." Andrea said, snapping the humiliating accessory in place around Molly's next, "Now let's go home. I'm sure you must be starving and frankly you need a bath!"