Home was supposed to be somewhere you could seek refuge from the mind bottling pressures of the world you lived in. To Faye, it was pure torture.

She didn't mind her mother, really, but she was a single woman raising five grown teenagers, and she had tons of stress....*always.* It pained Faye to be constantly yelled at one minute for not doing laundry, then hugged and told she was beautiful the next. Honestly, she didn't know what to expect of her mother most of the time. One minute she was nice, funny, and had this glow around her. The next she was scolding, mean, spiteful. It made Faye's head hurt.

Her brothers didn't really have a problem with Mrs. Berry. The oldest, Brian, who was twenty one, still lived in the Berry home while working in town at the local factory. He wasn't really concerned with his home life-he was busy trying to save money for college. He wanted to get out of Castle Rock so bad, and it broke Faye's heart to know the chances of that were slim to none. Billy, who was twenty, mostly spent his nights in the bar he helped manage as the bar-tender. He was a good guy, overall, but had dropped out of high school in his junior year.

Faye loved her family, she really did, but after awhile she had a hard time of being the only girl among so many guys. She couldn't really talk to her mother, she was always at work, or at home sulking.

So when Faye walked into her room to find her brothers, Gabe and Johnny, rummaging through her diary and reading it aloud, it was all she could do from screaming at the top of her lungs and flailing her arms out.

"What are you doing?!" She screamed, dropping her bag and running over to where her brothers were sprawled out on her bed.

"Ouch, Faye," Gabe yelled, covering his face. "Get the hell off of me!"

Faye stood back and glared, hot tears in her eyes. "Get out of my room! Give me that back-no Johnny stop it, stop reading it!"

Johnny had flipped to her most recent entry and began to read aloud in a mocking tone-"Dear Diary, I really admire how very strong Chris is. He still listens to me, even with all his bullshit going on. I don't know what it is-but I have a feeling I really do like him as more than just a friend."

Faye stood there, tears in her eyes of humiliation. "Give it back! Johnny!"

"Oh, come on Faye, we're only joking," Gabe said, standing up. "So who's Chris? Your boyfriend?"

"Get out!" Faye screamed, shoving them out of her door. "Out! Oh, God, I fucking hate you!"

They chuckled and shut her door, losing interest in her diary. Faye sat on her bed, angry tears running down her face. It wasn't the fact that they knew she liked Chris in more than just friendly ways, she could care less. It was the fact they had read her diary-her only *real* privacy in her life. And that had been taken away from her.

Sighing, she shrugged it off for the moment. She turned on some music-her favorite, The Beatles, 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and laid on her bed, closed her eyes and forgot her problems for the moment.

Her phone began to ring on her bed stand and she reached over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is Faye there?" Faye knew immediately the voice to be Grace. She grinned and moved the phone to the other ear.

"Hello my dear Gracie," Faye said happily. "What can I do for you?"

Grace chuckled into the phone. "You're going to the movies, right?"

"I hope so-I have to find somehow to get out of the house."

"Okay. Good-I'm making sure you're going."

"Why?"

"Because you're my bestest friend in the whole wide world!"

Faye frowned. "What do you want?"

Grace sighed and Faye knew there was something more. "I just think that you and Chri-"

"Ohhh no!" Faye shrieked into the phone. "If this is about trying to play match-maker, it's over sister. I'm done, you are *not* going to try to hook me up-"

"Faye!" Grace cried. "Stop. Sheesh. I never said anything about that.........I was *going* to say that you and Chris being friends makes me happy and I'm glad, because I know you've been feeling down lately."

Faye blushed furiously, even though Grace couldn't see it.

"Oh."

"Wait-why did you suspect that I was going to hook you up with him? You like him, don't you!"

"No-I-"

"You do! I knew it, you *like* him No wonder you're always talking to him..."

Faye was now a deep shade of crimson. "Grace, stop-"

"Oh just admit it bitch! You like the guy, it's not doing any harm."

Faye sighed and gave up. "If you tell *anyone* about this I will personally see to it that your head is chopped off."

"Oooh!" Grace squealed. Faye held back the phone for fear of losing her hearing. "I knew it! Oh Faye, honestly, I'm not going to tell anyone. Why don't you tell him yourself?"

"Because! I'm not exactly great at this sort of thing, you know. I didn't even have my first kiss until I was in grade nine, and my first real boyfriend wasn't until sophomore year."

"I know," Grace said. "But I think you've got a chance with this one. He is pretty hot, you know."

"Shut up."

"I'm coming over right now, and we are going to get ready for tonight."

"Grr, fine."

**

"Are you wearing that?"

Faye lay on her bed, fiddling with her phone cord while Grace leaned against her bureau, finishing her make up.

Faye looked up and sighed at Grace. "Yes, Grace, I am wearing this. Why?"

Grace shrugged. "Nothing, it's fine."

Faye looked down at her blue cardigan and white skirt. "What's wrong with it?"

Grace rolled her eyes. "Nothing!" she giggled. "It's cute. I like it. Especially your hair. You're so lucky to have that frigging long hair. Mine just lies on my shoulders."

Faye sighed. "Grace, stop babbling. The guys are going to be here any second, let's go downstairs."

**

"Gordo, man, you look like you just got run over."

Teddy, Chris and Gordie made their way to Faye's house, in Gordie's station wagon. Gordie looked back at Teddy and glared.

"Shut up, man," he sighed. "I have a major head ache."

Chris looked on from the back seat. "Gordie, you're the one who made these plans, man."

Gordie nodded. "I know, I know. It's just, I always get-weird-before going to the movies."

Teddy chuckled. "Gonna slip Grace the-"

"Man, knock it off," Chris said. He knew why Gordie always got 'weird' at the movies. This was Denny and his favorite place to hang out. He never really knew the sickening feeling Gordie got, but he understood his friend.

Teddy stopped talking after that, and the trio pulled up to Faye's driveway. Gordie got out of the car to go get the girls.

"So, Chris," Teddy said, leaning his head against the back seat. "What do you think of Faye?"

Chris looked over at Teddy suspiciously. "She's alright. Why?"

Teddy shrugged. "I don't know. I think she likes you."

Chris rolled his eyes, but his heart skipped a beat. Ever since Anne dumped him, he always felt insecure around girls. He wouldn't believe Teddy, but something was different with Faye. She didn't really take his breath away, and he didn't get nervous around her like Anne. She wasn't as beautiful as Anne, that was for sure, but there was something about Faye. She listened to Chris, something that made him look forward to seeing her. Her smile made him feel like everything was going to be okay, and the way she just understood him, left his head spinning. She was funny, much funnier than Anne, and sarcastic, which made him want to know everything about her. He was confused, he knew he liked Faye as a friend, but when his heart pulled him in the other direction, he was afraid of getting hurt again.

"Chris-you look sick."

Chris looked up at Teddy and gave a weak grin. "Sorry, man, I was zoning. Look, here they come."

Grace and Faye were walking side by side to the car, and Grace hopped in the front. Gordie climbed into his seat, and Chris moved over to make room for Faye. She sat next to him and smiled at Teddy and him.

"Hello," she said pleasantly.

Chris could smell her sweet scent and he had to steady himself. She smelled so good, what was it? He couldn't name it but it made him want to never stop looking at her.

"So," Faye said, shaking Chris from his daze. "What movie are we seeing?"

Gordie looked back at her as they drove to the theater. "Casablanca."

"Oh, God, no," Faye whined, putting her hands to her forehead. "No sappy love stories. Please!"

Teddy nodded. "I'm with her."

Chris smirked. "Gordie wants to see it because Grace wants to see it."

Faye sighed and looked out the window. It was going to be one long night.

**

Short chapter, I know, but I have a fever right now and I'm hurting. I had to be sent home from my swim meet, and I feel like shit. So review please. Thanks to :

StormShadow21, beautyqueen321, and Starlight Kisses for their constant reviewing! :) Much kudos. Also, to everyone else for reviewing! Makes my day a little brighter.

Take care, Nina

*Love and Strawberries*