Hello, thank you for reading! I had lots of fun writing this chapter. Penny's a little stinker in the chapter, you'll see what I mean. I hope you all are staying safe and happy! R&R

I don't own anything other than my own characters.

Revised 04/06/22

"There may be fairies, there may be elves, but God helps those who help themselves."

― Stephen King, Misery

No matter the time of day, Castle Rock Highschool was a madhouse.

The halls cluttered with students as they each clamored to meet their friends before classes. Penelope pushed her way past a group of jocks throwing paper planes at unsuspecting theater kids. Connie scurried after Penelope as the girls made their way to their lockers. Yesterday's mailbox incident hung like a guillotine's blade over the girls with Connie pleading forgiveness from her annoyed friend. Penelope's mother yelled at her for "failing as the home's protector." As punishment, though she had a sneaking suspicion her mother was reaching for an excuse not to do it herself, Penelope had to clean out the gutters and fell off. The pain from the hidden bruise on her rump only made her more resilient in her dislike for the hoodlums.

"Look, maybe they're not so bad once you get to know them," Connie shrugged, flipping her long, black curls over her shoulder.

"I don't want to know them. I'd rather those Cobras stay far away from me."

"Please, don't hate them," the pretty teenager frowned unhappily. "My friend and my boyfriend can't be enemies!"

Grabbing her books, Penelope slammed her locker shut. "Do you even know his friends though?"

"No one really knows them. Girls aren't allowed to hang with the Cobras."

Penelope raised an eyebrow. "So, he doesn't bring you around them?"

Connie just sniffed distastefully and started walking away, hips swaying each step. A group of juniors leaning against their lockers all followed her figure appreciatively. Disgusted, Penelope ran to catch up, thankful her own conservative clothes often discouraged any unwanted attention. She wouldn't be able to walk straight if people leered at her.

"Has he met any of your friends?" Penelope asked, side glancing at Connie's annoyed frown.

"Well, he met you."

Penelope shrugged. "If him meeting people you care about is important to you then he should be willing to do so."

A speeding freshman cut in front of them, forcing the girls to halt to avoid a collision. Connie faced Penelope, the frown still on her glossy lips. "I wanted him to meet my friends, but he said his only concern is me, not anyone else. That's a sweet thought, right?"

"Not if he's constantly brushing you off."

Connie's eyes drifted towards a beautiful blonde cheerleader with an equally good-looking football player leaning against the wall, a muscled arm propped above her head. They looked so in tune with each other as they talked lowly and smiled adoringly, both lost in stolen moments between classes. Connie sighed, not noticing Penelope secretly stealing a look at the two lovers as well.

"I really like him though," Connie turned away from the two and continued her stride to their class. "Everything good thing doesn't come easy."

Penelope shook her head, adjusting her textbooks in her arms. "Being single is good, and it's easy."

"I'm going to ignore you said that."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Connie nudged Penelope with her hip. "Do you want to hang out tonight? We can eat dinner and head to Nancy Gilligan's party after."

Penelope shook her head. "I better stay home."

"Afraid your mom will be mad?"

"I'm just not in the mood to hang out."

"Who's brushing off who now?"

They navigated through the crowd, passing various posters of different student clubs. Teachers stood in doorways, shouting at wild students to hurry and get their items for the lessons. Everything about the school's life was rambunctious yet perpetual, except for one recent addition that devastated Penelope's day like a raging monster. She stopped abruptly at a glass display case. The monster in question was a number nineteen football jersey that taunted Penelope with its clean, ironed appearance, never to be worn again.

Almost everyone who rushed past the case shot it a regretful or mournful glance and resumed their day as carefree and normal as before they saw the memorial. But she couldn't continue - couldn't forget even if she tried with all her might.

"It really bites about that Lachance guy, huh?" Connie mused, following Penelope's line of sight.

A photo of the dark-haired senior in his football uniform sat framed in the display case. He stood proud with a football gripped in his hands and a smile bright enough to rival the sun. It did not take long for her to learn that Dennis Lachance was a god walking among Castle Rock until a tragic jeep accident claimed his life back in April. Looking at his kind face, she could understand why he garnered such a reputation.

"Penelope." Connie waved her hand in front of the girl's face.

"Sorry, what?"

Connie just pointed back to the display before moving on to find their English class. With one last lingering glance, Penelope sighed. "Yeah, a real shame."

Halfway through the day, the student body congregated in the cafeteria for lunch. Connie ran off to look for Billy, always in the pursuit for his attention, while Penelope carefully selected an isolated table in the back. She tuned out the noise as she opened her lunch bag, consisting only of a peanut butter sandwich. Her mother insisted she would remember to pack a lunch today.

"Oh, honey, you always do it. Let me be a mom for once and make your lunch," Ms. Summers smiled, dimples making a showstopping appearance.

"Gee, mom, I don't know, are you sure you won't forget?"

Her mother's face dropped. "Yes, I'm sure! Just trust me, ok?"

The plan changed when the lawyer she had been seeing for a week called her last night. Ms. Summers, dressed to the nines, flounced out the door and was still gone when Penelope awakened the next morning. She only managed to make a pitiful sandwich before she had to leave or risk tarnishing her perfect attendance record.

A clipboard shoved in her face startled the girl from her thoughts.

"Hey, there, Priscilla, right?" Senior classman, Jane Webster, stood before her with a megawatt smile.

"Sure," Penelope said, not caring to correct her. It's not like they would talk again.

"Would you be willing to make a difference and sign this petition for city hall to do something about the old church on River Road?" She asked, voice clear and strong, something Penelope envied.

Penelope's curiosity peaked. "What? What's wrong with it?"

Jane stared at her in disbelief. "You're kidding right? That fire wreckage is a complete eyesore for the town. And, if it stays it'll send a message to every hooligan in town that they can break the law with no repercussions. It has to go."

Penelope gulped. Months ago, an old Protestant chapel burnt to the ground in the night. The chapel was a big deal since Castle Rock had many religious groups, and the chapel, an old but extremely beautiful building, was often used by the community for different events like socials and weddings. It was quite an important building. The incident made headlines in the newspaper with people outraged at such a communal loss yet excited for something new to discuss and gossip over. Police suspected foul play, but no one had any clue who could be responsible until an anonymous tip was left.

"Wasn't Ace responsible for that?"

She dared to glance across the cafeteria to the table in the middle of the cafeteria where Ace sat with his long legs and arms stretched out, effortlessly commanding all attention on him. The Cobras lounged around him, making crude remarks to any passing female.

Someone had called and pointed the finger at Ace. News of the accusation spread like wildfire in the bored town and divided everyone in deciding if he was innocent or guilty. Even though, Ace's rich doctor daddy obviously paid off the cops and newspaper to waive Ace of any incriminations, the damage had been done. Since then, the blonde boy was on the hunt for who accused him and branded him an arsonist.

"Mr. Bubblebutt?" Jane questioned. "Of course not! He's too handsome to do anything stupid like that. I feel bad for the stud, after spending a night in prison and all because some jealous loser just threw out his name."

Penelope wanted to ask how looks correlated with intelligence but just hurriedly signed her name on the petition.

"Thanks, Priscilla! As Student Council President, I on behalf of Castle Rock High thank you for your participation against injustice." Jane chirped and strutted away.

Passing the senior, Connie gave her friend a bizarre look as she slid into the chair beside Penelope.

"Did Jane Webster just call you Priscilla?"

"Don't worry about it." Penelope waved her off. "Any luck talking to Billy?"

Connie's unhappy expression was answer enough. "Whenever he's with his friends, it's like I'm a ghost. A sexy ghost, mind you."

Penelope frowned sympathetically. "He'll realize how great you are soon."

"I hope you're right. I shaved my legs last night for him!"

Penelope smiled but tuned the girl's voice out as Connie prattled on about possible Labor Day plans. August had not even ended yet, and people were already starting to decide which parties to attend or ditch. Chewing her sandwich, disturbed emotions rolled around Penelope's head as she stared hard at the table of teenage dirtbags. Those boys needed to be taught a lesson.

Soon the bell rang signaling lunch had ended. The girls quickly threw away their trash, and Connie latched onto Penelope's arm.

"Come on, Priscilla, the thrill of scientific discovery is calling my name!" Connie fist pumped the air and pulled a laughing Penelope behind her. Jane Webster saw them from across the cafeteria and waved which only made the girls laugh harder.

After arriving at the classroom, Penelope slumped in her chair, ready to be over with her science class while Connie bounced excitedly in her chair for the class to begin. Last week, they took a test that Penelope was not optimistic about the results. Connie, being the science whiz of the two, promised to help her study, but ditched her last minute to suck face with Billy. From her seat next to the window, she noticed two figures strolling through the parking lot, no doubt skipping class. She recognized the sleeveless denim vest of Eyeball and Ace's all black ensemble. They sat on Ace's Coupe smoking, which was prohibited on school grounds, when Ace said something to Eyeball causing the brunette to laugh and nod his head enthusiastically. Ace pulled something out of his pocket, and by the glint off the sun, she guessed it was a knife. Her eyes almost popped out of her skull when the blonde walked over to another student's car and stabbed a front tire giving some unsuspecting high schooler a rotten surprise when school ended.

Those rotten thugs! She thought angrily, turning away from the scene before her, determined to have a semi-enjoyable class.

After biology, she only had a couple more hours until it was time leave school. Science was fun, but not her favorite subject.

Until today.

"Ok, my future scientists," Mr. Stifler's cheery voice boomed as his students ambled to their seats. "To celebrate the surprisingly successful test scores, not that I lacked faith in your capabilities, I've decided to give you a little sneak peek into chemistry so we're going to have fun with ammonium sulphide."

At the blank stares, the teacher smiled devilishly. "Also known as a stink bomb."

Cheers erupted, and the fun began as a marvelous, deliciously wicked idea formed in Penelope's mind.

Revenge pushed people to act completely different than themselves and do things they wouldn't normally do. Maybe she was being foolish. She should not do this. Ace's knife and Eyeball's bat flashed in her mind.

Why did revenge have to be so exciting? Biting her lip nervously, Penelope zipped through the halls. She only had ten minutes before the bell rang and allowed everyone to pour into the halls. Once she was in the parking lot, it was easy to pinpoint Ace's car. Everyone was too scared to park beside the black Coupe. She reached for door handle.

The door easily opened.

"Stupid snake." She shook her head. Of course, he didn't bother locking his doors. Who would be stupid enough to mess with Cobra property?

Tossing her classwork into the driver's seat, the Summers girl turned and fled as fast as her feet could go. Right as she ducked behind a red car across the lot, the dismissal bell rang. Students filled the parking lot, hurriedly rushing to their cars, and some slowed down as a strong, pungent smell hit them. She scanned the faces in the crowd until her heart jumped at sight of the gang of boys she hated storming across the parking lot. They all looked confused as students circled around Ace's car, trying to pinpoint the rancid odor.

"Where's the circus?" snickered Billy Tessio, but then he quickly quieted as the smell hit him. The Cobras covered their noses, some of them gagged, but they all groaned as the Coupe's smell wafted throughout the air.

"Why are you vultures circling my car?" Ace demanded the only one not covering his nose, maintaining his tough demeanor but not well enough to stop his nose from wrinkling in disgust.

Penelope took that as her cue to leave. Loud cursing sounded behind her.

Revenge truly was sweet.

The teen girl was on cloud nine. To celebrate her victory, she skipped all the way to the general store to buy a candy bar.

Finally, they had a taste of his own medicine, she thought smugly. Maybe the Cobras would stop vandalizing other people's shit. That'll be the day. Chuckling to herself, she skipped to the next aisle, looking for a sweet treat, but the people standing there stopped her cold.

Mrs. Lachance stood perusing the food items with a small kid in tow. Penelope knew that boy. She never officially met him, but she heard his name and read his stories.

"Oh, hello, there," the woman greeted when she noticed the teenager staring at them.

"Hi," she mumbled, diverting her eyes. She moved to look at the food options, but candy was the last thing on her mind.

Mrs. Lachance's eyes bored into the side of her face. "Excuse me, do I know you?"

Afraid to meet her eyes, Penelope just shrugged. "I attend Castle Rock High."

"Oh," the mother sounded hopeful. "Were you one of Dennis's friends?"

"I knew him." She shook her head. "But I'm a sophomore. I didn't really hang out with the seniors."

"Oh." Her disappointment hurt to hear. Dennis's little brother, Gordie, stared at the teen. His hazel eyes, those damn identical hazel eyes seemed to see right through her. Grabbing a random candy bar, Penelope paid at the register and fled.

The fresh air could not alleviate the pounding of her heart. The sun's rays beat down on her as she ran down the street, wanting to leave the store far behind her.

When she passed the end of Main Street, she stopped and bent over, trying to catch her breath. Could this day be anymore awful? She just wanted to be home and rest before it was time for her nightly adventure. Thirty minutes later, Penelope arrived home. Her two-story house had its white paint peeling off, and almost all the windows were cracked. Her mother, who was not hurting for money as a realtor, insisted on fixing them herself. They did not have to spend money on an unnecessary repair man, her mother always claimed. But with her constant love affairs and commuting for work keeping Penelope's mother busy, all the home repairs remained untouched.

"Mom?" she called, swinging the screen door open. No reply.

Trudging up the stairs, Penelope flung open the door to her bedroom. She finished her homework in peace, before flopping on the bed.

"Tonight will be better," she hoped, but her hurt weighed heavy in her bones, pinning her down on the bed. She closed her eyes to rest, but had difficulty sleeping as a young hazel gaze kept shifting into kind, familiar eyes in her mind.

At nine o'clock, Ms. Summers returned smelling like heavy perfume and booze, while her daughter sat on the couch munching chips. Her mother gave Penelope a sloppy kiss on the forehead in greeting.

"It's so good to see you, Nellie," she slurred. "I'm gonna go take a shower. I need it."

Silently agreeing, Penelope smiled at her mother. "Good date?"

"Oh, the best," Ms. Summers cooed, tossing her heels to the side. "I think this one's a keeper, bumblebee."

A lawyer had the honor of being Ms. Summers's arm candy of the week. The men never stayed long enough for knowing their names to be necessary.

Penelope rolled her eyes as her mom ascended the stairs to wash off the evidence of her date. Normally, she waited until her mom was asleep, but since Ms. Summers was clearly not in a sensible mindset, Penelope decided now was time. Her habit of walking around town at night formed only a week after Penelope moved into town on a night where her mother needed the house to herself to entertain a lousy traveling magician with a bad combover.

The evening air felt delightful as Penelope jogged to her destination. The cemetery gates had such an ominous, ghostly presence. Goosebumps pebbled along her skin. She took a step in, and then immediately turned and ran out.

So, she stood in front of the entrance, feeling like she was staring into the entrance of hell.

"I saw your brother today, Denny," she whispered, praying that wherever he was he could hear her. "He's every bit as wonderful as you are."

As always, there was no reply.

She leaned against the gates, listening to sounds of nature surrounding her.

Quiet.

So much quiet that reflected the isolation she felt.

The thought of going home to an absent mother tormented her. After her dad left, it was like her mother did too. Maybe he took a piece of Penelope with him. Now, here she was facing just one more loss in her life. She wished to be one of the stone angels that stood in the cemetery, living forever as a guardian over the graves of the lost. With a heavy sigh, the girl turned and began walking.

She wasn't sure where she was going.

It didn't matter.

Nothing ever did.

Her only proof that she was still alive was the dull heavy ache in her chest that she couldn't escape.

She tried to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, trying to ignore the overwhelming wish the night's darkness would swallow her whole.

"I wish I was an artist. I would paint your portrait right now," Dennis Lachance chuckled breathlessly as the two started to come down from their high. The nude girl beside him giggled as she traced his chest with her fingers.

"Could you paint me skinnier?" she joked. He laughed as he traced a finger down her breastbone, before cupping the swell of her breast.

"No, you're already perfect," he whispered. His hand snaked from her chest to the back of her neck, and he pulled her into an open mouth kiss.

When she came up for air, they stared at each other, lost in a moment meant only for them. He pulled away with a beaming smile and grabbed his baseball jacket. Shrugging it onto Penny's shoulders, he zipped it all the way up to her chin affectionate look in his eye. She sighed contentedly and snuggled into its warmth.

"I wish we didn't have to sneak around," she admitted. The handsome boy smiled sadly, brushing stray hair from her face.

"Me too, but my parents," His eyes flashed to his locked door. "My mom wants me to go out with Jane, but my dad says dating will interfere with football. All this on top of having brochures for colleges shoved in my face every second. I'm being pulled in every direction."

Penelope took a moment to analyze his features. He looked like an absolute angel in the moonlight that streamed in from the open window- the window she clumsily climbed through.

"Maybe you should date Jane." His shocked eyes shot to hers. "She's smart, beautiful and any guy's dream girl. I don't want to hold you back."

His lean arms dragged her on top of his chest. "I'm already looking at my dream girl. I could die a happy man."

She laughed, her breath fanning his eyelashes. Dennis smiled at her adoringly.

"No more sad topics - look what my mom gave me today." He walked over to his nightstand and pulled out a camera.

"Gee whizz, that's a nice camera, Denny. I didn't know you like photography," Penelope giggled as he jumped back on the bed causing her to bounce in the air a couple of times.

"Well, I'm no Picasso or anything, but I wanted some way to keep memories of us," he explained as he tinkered with the device. "A little proof you're my girlfriend will help whenever I think I made you up."

Penelope gave him a stern look. "We agreed that being public would get you in trouble with your folks. Plus, everyone would try and butt into our relationship. We'd get no alone time."

"True, but it'd be nice to take you on a real date. When we get out of here, I'm going to take you to the finest restaurant in America!"

She shushed him between giggles. "After we go see a pro baseball game, right?"

"Of course!" Denny's eyes shined brighter than stars. "We'll always be together, babe. I promise you that."

"Promises are dangerous," she teased.

"Only if they're going to be broken," he retorted. "And I won't break this one."

He snaked his arm around her jacket clad shoulders. "Say cheese!"

The bright flash went off, and the two teens laughed as their goofy smiles and sex-tousled hair were perfectly encapsulated in a polaroid.

"Bam, now our promise is forever cemented with this photo," Denny smiled. The two gazed at the photo a few minutes before he spoke again.

"You keep the jacket, and I keep the photo, how's that sound?"

Alarmed, she clutched the jacket. "Denny, this is your letterman. I can't -."

"We'll take more pictures in the summer," He stopped her with a kiss on the forehead. "You'll need proof too that we're not just imagining this."

"You would be the best thing my brain ever created then," Penny grabbed one of his hands. As always, his hands were so warm and strong. "Dennis-," his eyes shot to her hers. "I promise I'll always love you. Only you."

"You better not break that promise." His voice shook. Even in the darkness, Dennis was the only one who could ever truly see Penelope. In a room full of people, he could make Penelope feel like the only one.

"I love you, Denny."

"I love you too, Penny."