Chapter 2

"Oh, thank God you're here," I sighed, shutting the door. Brian sped away from the house, getting onto the main road.

"What's wrong? You look a little shaken," Brian noticed, darting his eyes at me then dartin them back at the road.

"My mother, she's going crazy," I muttered, shaking my head. I closed my eyes, and took deep and heavy breaths. Brian grabbed my hand. "It'll be OK," he reassured me, squeezing it. I opened my eyes, and smiled.

"Let's take a little rest stop before we go to dinner. You could use it," he said, and made a sharp right turn. He drove onto a dirt road and stopped once we had gone about half a mile. I climbed out of the car, and looked out. We were standing on top of a cliff, looking out at the city. I sucked in my breath.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," I gasped, looking at all of the city in one look. I turned to Brian. He was leaning against his car, smiling broadly. I smiled, and turned back to the view.

"I found it a while back when me and my dad were just driving around," he said, walking up to me and placing his hand on my shoulder. I sighed, and closed my eyes, letting the wind dance with my hair. The cool breeze had made me shiver, and I hugged myself to protect from the cold.

"I have a jacket in the trunk," he said, and went to go fetch it. I stood there, staring out. My father could be in one of those buildings, I thought. Brian trotted over to me, and slipped the jacket on for me. It smelled of his cologne. I smiled, and headed back to the car.

"Are you feeling better?" Brian asked, touching my cheek. I nodded, and sat back. He started the car, and sped off to the restaurant.

"I didn't choose anything fancy, so I chose a cafe down the street. Is that OK?" he asked, looking over at me.

"It's better than nowhere," I muttered.

"I'm glad you decided to come," he said, smiling. I almost felt guilty, because I was using the opportunity to get away from my mother. I lowered my head. Brian parked the car, and escorted me into the building.

During the dinner, things went very well. We talked a lot, about school and social events. Just as we had gotten our order, my cellphone rang.

"Hello?" I asked, knowing it was Brad.

"Hey it's me. I'm back from my date."

"Wow, that was quick," I said surprisingly.

"Yeah, well she decided that she didn't want to get to know me personally, if you get what I'm saying," he muttered, clearing his throat.

"Sorry. So what's the analysis?"

"Right now," he paused. "She just noticed that you were gone."

"Oh, now she notices," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Wait, now she's," He paused again.

"What?" I asked after he didn't answer.

"There's some guy pulling up in the driveway."

"Is it my dad?" I asked desperately.

"No, he's carrying flowers," he said. I grunted.

"Great, another sleep over party for Mommy," I mumbled, looking over at Brian. He shrugged.

"Yeah, don't be surprised if you see him there when you get home. What time are you going to be home?"

"I don't know. We're right in the middle of dinner."

"Oh, well call me when you get home. I have to go."

"Call me if anything dramatic happens," I repiled, and hung up. I looked at Brian.

"Who was that?" he asked, biting a French fry.

"It was Brad. I asked him to look out for my Mom." I shoved the cellphone violently back into my pocket. He nodded, and continued our conversation until we were both full, then deciding to leave.

"I had a great time tonight Skye," Brian said, when we pulled up to my house. I sighed and nodded. Just as I was getting out of the car, Brian grabbed my arm.

"Skye," he said softly. I turned around, and raised my eyebrows. He was going to kiss me. Our faces were slowly brought together, and soon, our lips were connected in a kiss. It send a ribbon of electricity up my spine. Brian pulled away, and smiled.

"Thanks for taking me out tonight," I whispered. He nodded.

"I'll call you later," He said, and turned to face front. He smiled at me one last time, and sped off after I had shut the car door. I staggered into the house.

"Where have you been?" Mommy screeched as I entered the house. I shrugged. "Out."

"I was just about to call the police! How could you leave the house, even after I told you that you were grounded?" She inquired, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why do I have to tell you?" I snapped, running to the stairs.

"Because I'm your mother!" I turned to her. She walked up towards me, narrowing her eyes.

"You, will never be called my mother again, your trashy whore. I'd be honored to have Laura Skimpsky's mother," I screamed, and bolted up the stairs. I slammed my door, and flung myself on the bed, crying.

A few minutes later, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I choked, sitting up and wiping tears off of my face.

"Hi honey," Daddy greeted. I gasped.

"Daddy! Oh you don't even know how good it is to hear your voice again! Where are you?" I asked quickly. Daddy sighed heavily.

"Honey, I have some bad news. Your mother has gone and filed a restraining order against me. I can't even go 60 feet near the house." My heart stopped beating.

"You're joking, right?" I asked slowly, biting my lip until blood was drawn.

"I wish I was honey. I've been calling for days now, but your mother always has an excuse saying that you are gone somewhere," he informed. I sucked on the blood from my lip.

"Where are you staying?" I asked softly.

"In a hotel in the next town."

"When will I get to see you again?"

"I don't know darling. I hope soon," he said. I nodded, and sniffled.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll give you the number to the hotel, and you can call anytime you want," he said cheerfully, trying to brighten my spirits. I grabbed a piece of paper, and scribbled down the hotel number quickly.

"I'll talk to you later honey, I have to go," he said softly.

"OK Daddy, good-bye," I said, and hung up the phone. I waited for the phone to have a dial tone again, then picked it up, and called Brad.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Brad asked, his bedsprings creaking.

"Oh Brad, it's horrible. Mommy filed a restraining order against Daddy, and now he can't see me anymore!" I cried, fighting back tears.

"Oh man, that's serious," he muttered.

"You can say that again," I mumbled, and lay back on my pillows. He sighed.

"Did you see the guy that came over yet?" he asked.

"No, I completely forgot. I'll go look for him now," I said, and opened my door softly, and peered out. I crept over to her bedroom, and cracked the door.

A man in his early 30's was sitting on the bed, waiting for Mommy to come out of the bathroom.

"He's there. He's wearing a tan colored sport's jacket, a white polo shirt, and tan colored pants," I whispered quickly.

"That's the guy I saw," Brad said. Mommy came out of the bathroom, smiling. She walked over to the man, sat down on his lap, and kissed him. I shuddered, and crept away from the door.

"What happened?"

"What do you think is going to happen? I didn't want to watch that," I said, going into my room.

"Anyway, how was your date?" I heard him chuckle.

"It was great. We had a good time together," I told him.

"Did he kiss you?" he sounded nervous.

"Yes, actually, he did. Just as I was getting out of the car."

"Oh," Brad laughed.

"Yeah, I bet Wendy Parker didn't even want to touch you," I snapped. He stopped laughing.

"Truce," he called after silence. I nodded.

"Truce," I repeated, and smiled.

"I'd better go, Mom's calling me downstairs," he said, and hung up. I cradled the phone, and paused for a moment. The man and mommy were making noise loudly enough for me to hear. I grunted, feeling nauseous, and called Brian.

"Hi," he greeted merrily.

"Hi."

"What's going on?" Brian asked. I sighed.

"I talked to my father today," I whispered.

"Oh, is everything OK?"

"No. My mother filed a restraining order against him, and he's in another town," I sobbed, crying loudly.

"Don't cry Skye. Hey, I'll be over in a few minutes," he said, and hung up before I could protest. I slammed the phone down, and crept downstairs, to wait for Brian. I saw his car pull up in the driveway, and I leaped out of the house.

"Hi," he said. I ran to give him a hug, bursting out into tears on the way. He stroked my hair.

"Let's go," he whispered, feeling my legs being lifted off the ground. Brian carried me to the car, and placed me in the passengers seat. I tried stifling back the tears, but they continued to fall freely. Brian started the car with a loud roar, and sped off into the night. I closed my eyes.

"I saw another car parked in the driveway, who's was it?" Brian asked. I opened my eyes.

"Some guy for Mommy. They are making my step sibling," I muttered. After a while, we pulled up into his driveway. He ran to open my door, and helped me inside. He shut the front door behind him, and led me to the couch.

"My parents are away on business," he said, going into the kitchen to make something. I nodded, and hugged myself. Brian had made some hot chocolate, and handed me a mug full of it. I sipped it, as Brian turned on the TV. I watched it blankly as the images flashed by.

"How are you feeling?" Brian asked, rubbing my shoulders.

"I don't know what I'm feeling," I said, darting my eyes at him. He smiled, and brought my head to his shoulder. I sighed, and felt his lips on my forehead.

"In the end, everything will be OK," he crooned, stroking my hair. I closed my eyes, and drifted into sleep.

I woke up hours later with a blanket draped over my body, and a pillow under my head. I sat up, and rubbed my eyes. It was almost midnight. I looked down at the floor, where Brian was laying, his hands folded behind his head. He jolted awake when the springs in the couch had squeaked.

"Oh, you're up," he mumbled, scratching his head. I yawned.

"Sorry if I caused any trouble," I blurted, pulling the blanket nearer to me. He stood up, and sat on the other end of the couch, taking my hand. I moved towards him, and looked up. He smiled, and kissed me.

"Don't worry about it. You aren't causing me any trouble," he protested, brushing strands of hair back that had fallen on my face. I smiled, and closed my eyes. His lips traveled down my face, until they met my lips again. I kissed him back, and my arms traveled up around his neck. He embraced me, and kissed me longer, his tongue gliding over mine. I closed my eyes, and let myself fall back against the couch. His kisses were longer and more passionate. His hands moved to the edge of my shirt, slowly lifting it up.

"Brian," I said softly. I felt that he was getting excited, which made me gasp.

"Brian," I repeated louder. He stopped, and looked at me. I sat up.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, running his fingers through his hair. I gulped, and nodded.

"No, I- I just wasn't ready. I got scared," I claimed, sighing. He nodded understandingly. I stood up, and went to go get a glass of water. I drank it down quickly, and went back into the living room. He turned around to face me, and smiled.

"It won't happen again," he assured. I nodded.

"I want it to happen, but only when I'm ready," I declared slowly, biting my lip, feeling the scar from when I made it bleed earlier in the day. I winced, and grunted.

"Are you OK?" Brian asked, leaping towards me. I nodded, and shook my head.

"It's nothing," I protested, shaking my head. Brian grabbed my hand.

"Let me look," he demanded firmly. I stretched my lip out, and showed him. He led me into the bathroom, where he put some medicine on it. I smiled, and led him back to the couch. I curled with the blanket next to Brian, and kissed him goodnight. He turned off the light, and lay beside me.

In the morning when I had woken, I went into the kitchen to start breakfast. I had dropped some butter into the pan, when Brian came up behind me and grabbed my waist.

"Good morning, you don't have to cook breakfast. I can take care of it," he said, taking the pan from my hand. I grabbed it back, and looked up at him.

"It's the least I could do. Now go sit down and watch some TV while I take care of things," I commanded, and waved my hand towards the living room. He sighed, and shuffled away.

Once I had finished cooking, I brought it to the table, and announced that breakfast was ready. I sat down, and picked up my fork. Brian walked over to the table, and smiled.

"It looks wonderful," he said, rubbing his hands together and pulling out his chair.

"Hurry up and eat it then," I teased, smiling. He nodded, and began to eat.

Near the end of the meal, the phone rang. We both froze, thinking that it was my mother, and waited for Brian to pick it up.

"Hello?" he said nervously, leaning against the wall. A second later, he sighed.

"Oh, Mom, it's just you," he said. He paused.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering who it was, that's all. No, somebody isn't stalking me over the phone and making threats. I'm fine. OK, I'll see you next week," he said, and hung up. "It was just my Mom, checking up on me." I nodded. I picked up my plate, took Brian's along with mine, and put them in the dishwasher. I headed back into the living room.

"I better be going. My Mom is going to start to wonder," I said, brushing my hair back. Brian nodded, and walked towards me. We headed towards the door, hand in hand. He grabbed his car keys, and opened the door

"Do you think that guy left?" Brian asked on the way home. I shrugged.

"Who knows?" I muttered, and opened the door when we had arrived. I kissed him good-bye, and headed towards the front door, taking out my house key and unlocking the door.

Mommy and that man were sitting at the dinner table, bent over a cup of coffee. I looked around, and headed towards my room. Mommy jumped.

"Skye, I didn't expect you to be home so early. How was the sleepover?" she asked, walking over to hug me. I shrugged.

"OK," I said, and went into the kitchen to pour a glass of milk.

"Skye, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Zach James," she said, gesturing him with her hand. He nodded, and stood. "Nice to meet you Skye," he greeted with a smile. I smirked, and took a sip of milk.

"I think I better be going. I have a meeting with my manager, Mr. McBride," he grabbed his coat, slung it over his shoulders, and smiled at the both of us.

"I'll call you later," Mommy called once he was stepping out of the house. He shut the door behind him softly. I set my glass down, and headed towards the stairs. Mommy followed.

"I'm guessing that you had a great time last night," I said coldly, entering my room. She grunted loudly.

"It's not what you think it was," she explained, walking into my room. I turned to her sharply.

"Then what was it Mommy? We're you playing hide and seek or something?" I snapped, placing my hands on my hips. She sighed, turning away guiltily.

"Let me guess. He's going to be my step father, isn't he?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. She turned around, her eyes wide. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. She nodded, and turned away. I felt the anger boiling up inside of me.

"WHAT!" I screamed, bolting over to her. She cowardly held up her hands.

"He asked me, and I couldn't refuse. He is such a handsome-"

"I don't care if he was the sexiest man in the world! How could you do this to me! Always selfish! Always!" I screamed, tears spilling over my eyelids. She walked over to me and embraced me. I shoved her off of me violently.

"Don't you EVER touch me again. I never want you to come near me ever again. I don't even want to hear you speak, that's how much I hate you," I shouted, backing away from her and pointing. She started to cry, and ran out of the room. I screamed, and ran out of the house, running towards Brad's house. I pounded on his door.

"Brad, hurry, please," I moaned outside of his doorway, sliding down against it. He opened it, and looked down.

"Skye, what's wrong?" he asked, helping me up. My knees knocked together, making it hard to stand. I looked up at him, crying harder until my chest hurt. He scooped me up, and carried me inside of the house. He ran into the kitchen to get a glass of water, and helped me drink some. Once my sobbing had stopped almost to an end, he asked again what was wrong.

"Everything!" I wailed, and more tears erupted from my eyes. Brad sighed, and sat next to me until I was ready to explain.

"I came home from spending the night at Brian's house, when that guy that Mommy had over last night was there. He left quickly, which left Mommy to talk to me. We got into this argument, and I brought up something about a stepfather. Her eyes widened, and she turned away, showing that they were engaged. I screamed at her, then she went running into her room. And now, we're here," I explained, trying to suppress my sobs. Brad looked down.

"Man, I'm sorry," he sputtered, shaking his head.

"Yeah, me too," I said dryly, and took a sip of the water. It felt cold and icy going down my throat. I choked, and put the glass down. Brad lifted his head and sighed.

"So now what's going to happen?" he asked, slapping his hands against his jeans and standing. I shook my head.

"I don't know. I don't know," I moaned, standing up. I shook my head, and grabbed my hair, soon releasing it. Brad ran over to me, and took my shoulders into his hands.

"Don't lose it Skye. You're one of the strongest girls I know. I don't want to see you get hurt," he comforted, lifting my chin so that he could glance at me. I looked away. "You know that I'm always here for you Skye, you just come knocking on my door." He released me. I nodded, and wiped away stray tears.

"I don't want to go back there Brad. I never want to go back there again."

"Unfortunately, you have no choice. She's your guardian," he replied softly. I nodded.

"I'll call you later," I said, and ran out of the house, and back into mine. Mommy was still in her room, doing something. I raced to my room, and shut the door softly. I walked over to my phone, picked it up with trembling hands, and dialed the hotel number that daddy was staying in.

"Mr. Rick Lawrence," I said softly. I heard a click, and the phone rang again.

"Hello?" Daddy answered. I smiled.

"Hi Daddy," I said softly, sitting on my bed.

"Oh Skye, it's good to hear from you again," he said happily. Tears came to my eyes.

"Yes, well I'm afraid that I have some bad news to tell you," I wept, a lone tear sliding down my cheek.

"What is it?"

"Mommy's getting married," I whispered and began to cry. Daddy sighed.

"Oh Daddy, it's horrible. I don't even think that she knew him even for a week!" I wailed, wiping my tears. I heard him mumble something under his breath.

"I'm sorry Skye, but there isn't anything that I can do. Your mother put that restraining order on me, remember?" he asked softly. I nodded.

"Daddy, I want to run away, and I want to stay with you," I told him.

"Oh no, Skye, you couldn't do that," he protested. I moaned.

"But I hate it here!" I cried, sitting up.

"I know honey, I know," he said quickly. "Honey, I'll talk to the family lawyer about it, and see what we can do. I'll talk to him now," he said, and hung up. I cradled the phone down slowly, and went downstairs to make some lunch.

The doorbell rang once I had entered the kitchen. I sighed, and went to answer it. It was Zachary.

"Hello Mr. James," I said, stepping aside and staring at him hatefully.

"Oh please, just call me Zach," he said, tossing his hand in the air. Zach was an awfully handsome man, with his dark brown eyes, and jet black hair. He had a warm smile, and what seemed like a caring heart. I nodded.

"Where's your mother?" he asked, smiling.

"I think she's up in her room, debating which wedding dress she can get her hands on," I snapped. He raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

"I'm guessing that your mother has told you the news," he said walking towards me. I nodded.

"Congratulations," I said softly, looking down. He nodded.

"Thank you," he bragged, and looked up the stairs.

"Victoria, it's me, Zach," he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. Mommy opened her door, and looked out.

"Zach! Oh good, I'm glad your here. Come on up," she shouted back, shutting the door softly behind her. I looked at Zach, who smiled warmly and started towards the stairs. I sighed, and went back into the kitchen to make my lunch. I sat at the table, and turned on the TV, watching the twelve o clock news. After I was finished, I put my plate in the sink, and crept upstairs.

"Skye told me that you told her about our news," Zach said from the door.

"Oh, what did she say?"

"She congratulated us," he replied.

"Oh."

"She really is a beautiful girl," Zach said, walking across the floor.

"Yes, she inherited my looks," Mommy boasted, giggling.

"Yes, I can see that," he said.

"She's going to be the flower girl. I've decided that already," Mommy announced. I'd rather die than be your flower girl, I thought. "Why don't you take her shopping Zach? Maybe then you can get to know her," Mommy suggested.

"That'd be great," he agreed. I shook my head and walked into my room. I picked up a book, and began to read.

Someone knocked on my door. I raised my eyebrows, and told them that they could come in. It was Zach, just as I was expecting.

"Your mother has told me that you were going to be the flower girl," he said, standing in the doorway. I looked down. "She suggested that we could go shopping together. Is that OK?" I nodded. He clapped his hands together.

"Wonderful. I'll be downstairs waiting for you," he said, and shut the door behind him. I stood up, and pulled on my shoes, grabbed my jacket, made myself look presentable, and walked downstairs. Zach was waiting in the living room, sitting on the armrest of the couch.

"Ready?" he asked. I grabbed my house key, and nodded. He smiled, and opened the door. I went outside, and noticed that Brad was outside talking to one of his friends, Andrew. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"I'll tell you later," I mouthed, and climbed into the front seat of Zach's car. He started it up, and sped down the road.

"Which store are we going to?" I asked, leaning back in the seat.

"I thought about going to the stores on third avenue," he suggested.

"Sure," I approved and shrugged. He smiled, and accelerated speed.

Once we had arrived, he opened the passengers door for me, and helped me out.

"Thanks," I mumbled, and looked at the entrance to the stores. Expensive gowns were worn on mannequins, modeling and posing. I gasped, and turned around to look at him.

"Are we even allowed to walk in here?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. He laughed.

"Yes, I have a lot of money that needs spending," he said, and gestured to the door. I smiled, and headed inside. I looked around, seeing allot the expensive dresses, and ran from rack to rack, picking out dresses that I liked.

"Zach!" I called, wondering where he was. He appeared from around the corner.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm going to try on these gowns," I said softly, and headed towards the dressing rooms. I picked an open stall, and closed the door behind me.

After deciding on the gown I wanted, I finally stepped out in it. Zach's eyes widened as I spun around for him. It was a wine red spaghetti strap dress, which went lower then my feet. It was silky, and felt good against my body. Zach nodded, and stood.

"That's the one, that's the one," he said, walking over to me and taking my hands. I nodded, and looked at the price tag. It was three thousand dollars! I nearly fainted, which made me grab Zach's arm.

"Zach, we can't afford this-" He put his finger to my lips.

"Don't speak. I can afford it," he said, and smiled. I sighed, and went back into the dressing room to take it off. I slung it over my arm, and walked over to the cashier. I watched as Zach took out his credit card and handed it to the cashier. I turned to him.

"Relax Skye," he cried, taking back the credit card and putting it in his wallet. I smiled, and took the bag from the cashier, and walked out of the store. The day had turned from sunny, to rainy. Thunder sounded, making me jump. Zach laughed, and walked to the car.

"You might want to hurry before it starts to pour," Zach said, opening my door. I nodded, and crawled in. He shut the door, and got in. He smiled, and headed for home. He pulled up in the driveway, and helped me inside as the raindrops started splattering against the pavement. He opened the door, and announced his arrival.

"Victoria!" he shouted, slamming the door behind him. I scampered over to the stairs.

"Oh, wait Skye, I wanted your mother to see the dress. Hurry and go put it on," he said. I nodded, and ran to my room to slip it on.

"What is it Zach?" Mommy said, steeping out of her room. Since I had some extra time, I put my hair up in a clip, and re applied my makeup. I opened the door, and sighed. I walked downstairs slowly, holding up the dress so that I wouldn't trip over it. I smiled at Zach, and stood in the middle of the living room. Mommy gasped as she circled me. She narrowed her eyes, raised one eyebrow, which was her way of thinking, and made a conclusion.

"It's wonderful!" she squealed, running to hug Zach. I smirked, and headed towards the stairs. As I walked towards the stairs, I felt someone staring at me. I turned around, and saw that Zach was staring at me, his eyes fixed on me. I stared at him for a moment, until Mommy grabbed his face and brought her lips to his. He smiled, and embraced her. I walked back upstairs, and into my room to change. The phone rang just as I was changing.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Brian."

"Hi," I said, sliding the zipper down.

"What's going on?" he asked. I slid the dress down my shoulder.

"You'll never believe it," I began with a sigh, and told him the story.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry," he muttered.

"So am I, but for some reason, I feel happy right now," I replied, putting on my regular clothes.

"Oh."

"Skye! Dinner!" Mommy called from downstairs.

"Brian, I have to go now, I have to eat," I sighed.

"OK, I'll call you later," he said, and hung up. I cradled the phone, and ran downstairs. Zach was at the dinner table, and Mommy was bringing out dinner. I ran to my seat, and looked down. Zach's in Daddy's spot, I thought. A tear slipped down my cheek quickly, but I brushed it away. I looked up.

"Skye, that dress looked gorgeous on you," Mommy complimented, sitting down at the table. Zach nodded in agreement. I smiled, and began to eat.

"We've decided a date for the wedding," Mommy announced, a forkful of food in her mouth. "The eighteenth."

"But that's a short time from now. Are you sure you'll have enough time to plan everything?" I asked. Mommy rolled her eyes.

"There isn't any need to take our time on it. There isn't that much to plan. Actually, there is. There's going to be about 300 guests."

"300 guests!" I cried. "Where do you plan on having this wedding?"

"At St. Anthony's cathedral," Zach announced, looking at Mommy. She smiled and nodded.

"Do you have anyone that you want to invite?" Mommy asked, starting to eat her food.

"Yes. Brad and Brian."

"Brian? Who's that?" Mommy snapped.

"A very good friend of mine," I fired back. She shrugged.

"Won't it look ridiculous to have two men with you Skye?"

"No, I think it's a wonderful idea," Zach piped up before I could answer. I looked at Mommy, and smirked. She stabbed her food, and shoved some into her mouth. I stood up, looking at how much dinner I had eaten, which wasn't very much, and looked at Mommy and Zach.

"I've suddenly lost my appetite. May I be excused?" I asked. Mommy stared at me, while Zach nodded. I ran to my room, and shut the door, changing into my pajamas. I slid under the covers, and turned out the light, setting my alarm clock.

Later on, just as I was about to fall asleep, someone knocked on my door.

"Come in," I said, pulling the blankets closer to me. It was Zach. He walked over to the bed, and sat at the foot of it.

"Did you have fun today?" he asked. I nodded.

"Wonderful. Goodnight," he said softly, and went to kiss my cheek. His lips remained longer than I had expected, but he pulled away just as I was feeling uncomfortable.

"I'll drive you to school in the morning," he promised, and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. I pulled the covers closer to me, and went to sleep.