A QUICK A/N: thanks again for the reviews. As requested, I will start with the Michelle/Aaron situation. FH Fan is forgiven. 

CHAPTER 4

"Aaron, please." Michelle called into the phone, exasperated. "We need to talk! Can you meet me at—"

"I don't think so, sorry." Aaron said shortly.

"Aaron!" Michelle cried, near tears. "What's wrong? Please tell me! Please!"

There was a slight pause.

Then, Aaron said, "I have to go." And he hung up before Michelle had a chance to even respond.

Michelle hung up the phone, tears slipping down her cheeks. Why would he not talk to her? Why was he so distant? What's going on that he's not telling her?

She decided not to sit in her room and cry about it anymore. No, she was going to find out what's going on, right now. Even if she had to walk around the entire city, she was going to confront him. She grabbed her coat off the rack and walked out the back door. Where would she go to find him?

She had a pretty good idea where.

Well, sort of.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

She decided to start at his house. She had dated him for a year and a half, and during that entire time span, he had spent the majority of his free time at home. He tried to help take care of his younger siblings, because his dad had died when he was a young age and his mother needed help around the house. She rang the doorbell of the old fashioned townhouse, not really knowing what to expect.

She heard tiny feet running toward the door. Must be Cara, thought Michelle. Cara was Aaron's youngest sister. She was 6.

"Can I help you?" Cara cooed in an adorable little girl voice.

"Is Aaron here?" Michelle asked.

"He's not available at the current time." Said Cara, like a recorded machine.

"Cara, why are you not telling me where he is?" asked Michelle. "You don't have to keep that a secret unless he's babysitting you or something."

"He is babysitting me." Cara said simply.

"Can I talk to him for a minute, then?" Michelle asked hopefully.

Cara shook her head, her brown curls bouncing. "He's not here."

Michelle gave a puzzled look. "I thought he was babysitting you."

"He is." Cara said, obviously exasperated of repeating herself. "I already told you that. He's at Fullman Park. He had to meet a friend, or something."

"Cara, are you home alone?" asked Michelle, horrified. Aaron was never irresponsible enough to leave his little sister home alone when he was supposed to be watching her. Something was up, that was for sure.

Much to Michelle's dismay, Cara nodded.

"Oh, my God." She said in a hushed tone. "Cara, get your coat. I'm going to have to take you to Fullman Park with me."

Cara squealed with excitement. "Were going on an adventure!" she cried, skipping back into the house to grab her coat. Michelle was speechless. Just speechless. And appalled at Aaron for being cruel enough to leave a child alone. She shivered to think about what could have happened if she had not come. What if the house had caught on fire? What if Cara had hurt herself and hadn't been able to call for help? The more Michelle thought about it, the more enraged she was at Aaron.

Cara came back out. "Is Aaron going to get yelled at?" she asked, with a mocking grin.

Michelle gave a small smile. Cara was so adorable. "Oh, I believe so." She said, with perfect truth.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Michelle stared across the green field at Aaron, in complete shock yet again. He was standing with Tiger and Buddy. Buddy was the biggest drug dealer for all the sophomores in her high school. And Tiger was his girlfriend, who was just as much of a druggie as he was. What on earth was Aaron doing with these two dangerous people?

Michelle's first natural instinct was to make sure Cara didn't see Aaron with a bag of weed in his hand. As disgusted as she was with Aaron, she couldn't run up and yell at him with Cara right there, no matter how much she wanted to. She sighed. She was just about to take Cara home and stay with her until her parents came home when Cara ran across the field. For one heart stopping moment, Michelle thought Cara was running towards Aaron. But she was racing towards a german shepard, one that Michelle recognized as one of the neighborhood dogs.

"He's so pretty!" squealed Cara, patting the dogs head. Michelle, relieved that Cara was occupied for the moment, walked across the field towards Aaron. She was just about to tell him off when Buddy started talking. She hid behind a tree, out of sight.

"I told you that it would be easier to take a hit without a pestering girlfriend following you around!" Buddy remarked. "I'm telling you, Aaron. This stuff is the best thing that will ever happen to you. That chick ain't worth the trouble."

"That stupid perky sister of yours may ruin things, though." Tiger added regretfully. "I can finish her off, if you want."

Michelle stared at them, gaping. She had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming in rage. How could Tiger talk so casually about killing an innocent child? These two were truly evil people. There was no doubt in her mind about that.

Much to Michelle's relief, Aaron said, "Nah, its cool. She won't get in the way too much. Not like that bitch, Michelle."

"Aaron Nathaniel Burlington." Michelle said firmly, revealing herself from outside the tree. "You are an ass. An absolute ass. You're getting into drugs, you left your little sister by herself and you left me with no warning. What's happening to you, Aaron?"

Aaron laughed casually. "Chill out, dude." He said rudely. "I know you're obsessed with me and all, but you don't have to follow me around. We broke up. Don't be pathetic. Get over it, sheesh."

"Why are you being like this, Aaron!" Michelle cried desperately. "Up until two days ago, you loved me and cared about me. You never would have done drugs, and you never would have left your sister alone, and you never would have talked to these two delinquents!"

Aaron gave her a jerk smile. "I've been smoking weed for a month now. You kept getting in the way, so I bagged you." And he went on laughing with Buddy and Tiger, who were intensely making out. Michelle lowered her ash brown little head, ready to turn away. She was not interested in watching Aaron do drugs or Buddy shove his tongue down Tiger's throat. As she began to walk away, a little girl came running toward them.

Cara.

Being the innocent little girl that she was, she had no idea what was going on. "What's that?" she asked curiously, pointing at the bag of weed in Buddy's grubby hand.

"Nothing." Growled Buddy obviously annoyed with her. "Get away, you annoying little pest."

"hey." Said Tiger. "Ask shorty if she wants anything. Maybe we can have a new customer. She could tell all her little friends about our stuff, and we'll be rich, Bud."

"Don't be ridiculous." Said Aaron. "My little sister can't know about stuff like this, and I'm pretty disappointed in Michelle's judgment for bringing her out here." All three of them shook their heads, as if they had moral values and were looking down upon Michelle.

Michelle was so digusted with the way Aaron was acting that she grabbed Cara's hand and took her home without another word. These animals were not going to respond to her objections in a respectful way.

As far as she was concerned, Aaron was out of her life.

That was for sure.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: well, there you go. The reason why Aaron dumped poor Michelle. Isn't this horrendous? This is why we don't get involved with harmful substances. Aaron proved that getting into that kind of stuff can hurt you and the people you love.

I apologize for the cursing. It was used strictly as a literary device.

Next chapter returns to the Steve/Steph/DJ situation. Plus, as an added bonus, Danny will meet up with an old flame.

Happy holidays, everyone.

Review, review, review!