Rory stared up at the ceiling, unmoving. Her radio was blasting, but she wasn't exactly listening. For the past week all she'd been able to think about was Charly's story. Something about it wasn't right. She just couldn't put her finger on it. It was so much more serious than her problem, and Charly hadn't said it as a lesson to her. She may have loved Tristan, but it wasn't as if she couldn't get over him. She was fourteen years old for Christ's sake! It wasn't like her life was over, or her husband of twenty years had left her! Her boyfriend of five months had left, that was it. She sighed and laid her head back on the pillow. She was pitiful, that much she knew. She was wallowing, something that was simply unacceptable. Then she just stopped thinking. Her mind was completely blank, until Korn came on the radio. She rolled over and screamed into her pillow.
A few seconds later her slammed open and Devin stood there, looking around wildly, "What's wrong?"
She lifted her head to arch her eyebrow wryly, "Devin?"
"Are you okay?" she nodded, he looked around her room, still unsure, "Did you scream?" his eyes fell on his little sister. She scowled. "What?"
She shook her head, "Nothing."
Devin looked around, trying to figure out what was wrong with her when his eyes fell on the stereo and understanding dawned on him as he realized who was on the radio. He nodded, "Ohhh."
"I just can't get over him, and it's been two weeks I'm like a fucking needy little..." she trailed off, waving her hands, unable to think of a word strong enough, "Little girl who can't do anything for herself and needs a boyfriend! I do not need a boyfriend!"
Devin looked at her with sad eyes, "Ror, can I give my suggestion without having my head ripped off?"
She pursed her lips, thinking it over, "That depends on what you say."
"I think you need to cry."
She froze, "Excuse me?"
"You need to cry." he repeated.
She held one finger up, "I have. I did, don't you remember?"
Devin walked over and sat on her bed, "Not for very long."
She snorted, "Crying is crying. It doesn't matter how long you do it for."
"Then if you don't want to cry, why don't you just move on?"
"I told you, I can't!"
Devin tilted his head, studying her, "Fine. Don't take my advice, or do. It's your choice." and with that he stood up and walked out, closing the door behind him.
WHITLAND, NEXT MORNING
Erin walked up to Devin before homeroom, "What's wrong with her?"
He looked at his girlfriend, confused, "Who?"
"Rory."
"I wasn't aware that anything was wrong with her."
She put her hand on his shoulders and spun him around so his back was to her, and Rory was in his line of vision. Rory and Allie. "That looks alright to you?"
Devin's eyes widened, "No."
"Well what happened to her?" Erin turned him back around so he was facing her again.
"I don't know."
"Did you say something to her?" she prodded, trying to find anything.
"No."
"Are you lying?"
"No."
"You didn't say anything about Tristan?" she asked, waving her hands around.
"Um..." he trailed off, not wanting to say anything.
"What?"
"I might have said something along the lines of moving on." he said uncertainly.
"Devin!" she yelled.
"What?"
"You-you don't just TELL her to move on! Her boyfriend lied to her and moved away for god's sake! She's hurting!"
"Erin, she hasn't been herself! She hasn't been talking! She won't do anything. This is completely ruining her and it shouldn't, she's fourteen years old. It's not like they were married or something!" he yelled back. Erin screamed and threw her hands in the air. Devin shook his head, "What am I supposed to do?! You think I LIKE seeing my little sister hurting like this? Because I don't. I don't want him to effect her like this! It's not normal for someone to feel like that, and it pisses me off. She doesn't let people get to her. Ever. And he did. I can't control her, you know!"
Erin shook her head and covered her mouth, "Why is she hanging out with Allie? If you two are so close, tell me that."
"I can tell you why I THINK she is, but I can't give you a definite answer."
"Then tell me what you think."
"She wants to forget about us."
"What?"
"She wants to get all new friends, and loose her old ones. You all remind her of Tristan, something she wants to forget. She thinks that if she starts hanging out with Allie, she won't have to remember him and be reminded of what she lost everytime she turns around."
Erin breathed in deeply, closing her eyes, "That's what it is?"
"That's what I think it is."
"Why would she change completely because of that?"
Devin shrugged, "She's just like our mom. She's in a free fall, none of us can help her until she wants to be saved. And she doesn't."
Erin nodded, "I have to go." she pushed passed him.
"Erin," he called after her, "Erin!" she kept going, not looking back.
---------------------------
Devin walked up the front steps after school to see Rory swinging back and forth lazily in the porch swing, right leg pulled to her chest and her chin resting on the knee. Her left leg was bent and laying flat on the seat, under the arc of her right leg, cigarette in hand.
Devin sighed and walked over until he was directly in front of her, "What are you doing?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" she didn't look up.
"You hate smoking."
"I did hate smoking."
"You coughed so much you almost died the first time you inhaled."
"I know, thank you very much." she took a long drag and blew the smoke to the right of her brother. "What do you want Devin?"
He sat beside her, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I'm moving on, remember?"
"THIS is how you planned on moving on? You stop talking to all your friends and hang out with people you previously hated?"
She looked up at him, "People I previously hated that weren't friends with Tristan."
"Rory, he was my best friend, all of your friends, they were friends with him before you came here. They're gonna remind you of him. And in case you don't remember, the whole school was in love with him. And after you came, you two practically ruled the Freshman and Sophomores. And the only reason you never talked to upperclassmen was because we're in two different buildings. He was a big part of your life, he was a big part of all of out lives, and we were all hurt when he left-"
"But he didn't yell at you and call you a whore either." she whispered.
Devin stopped his rant cold. His eyes fell on his sister, sometime during his speech, her head had found it's way back onto her knee, eyes downcast. He sat in silence, unable to think of anything to say. He looked away, "No...he didn't."
She nodded, "Didn't think so."
"It's just...Rory, I don't want to see you hurt like this. And you really think that hanging out with Allie and Bailey will help?"
She shook her head, "No. But I don't care." she stood up and dropped the cigarette, walking into the house.
WHITLAND, FRIDAY
"So, the party's at JJ''s, but you'll just spend the night with me afterwards, right?" Allie asked, smiling at Rory.
"Um, yeah." she nodded, tired of the girl's voice.
"Good, so do you just want to come home with me after school?"
"Sure."
"Okay, great. I'll see you later." Allie and Megan walked away, and Rory went to her seventh period, groaning. After the class got out, she walked to her locker, only to see Allie standing there, waiting. Rory breathed in deeply and plastered on a smile, walking over, "Hey."
Allie whipped around, "Hey. So, since all of us have dates for the party and you don't, I found you one."
Rory's fake smile faltered, "You did?"
"Yup."
"Um...who was it?"
"You'll see tonight."
"I will?"
Allie nodded, "You will."
"Great." she said, Allie missed the sarcasm.
"Come on, let's go." Allie grabbed her arm and they walked out of the school together.
ALLIE'S, THAT NIGHT
"Here, try this on." Kelsey threw a tight black top to Rory, whose eyes widened, but she pulled it on anyway. The other girls looked at it, shook their heads, and told her to take it off. She tried on three more tops before they were all satisfied with a pink halter top and black jeans.
It was ten thirty when they got to the party, and as soon as they walked in, Allie beckoned someone over. "So, who's my date?" Rory asked, looking around.
"Right here." Allie said as the boy walked up. "Rory, I think you know Zack." Rory turned around and her jaw dropped to see Zack Jackson standing in front of her, a smug smirk firmly in place.
A few seconds later her slammed open and Devin stood there, looking around wildly, "What's wrong?"
She lifted her head to arch her eyebrow wryly, "Devin?"
"Are you okay?" she nodded, he looked around her room, still unsure, "Did you scream?" his eyes fell on his little sister. She scowled. "What?"
She shook her head, "Nothing."
Devin looked around, trying to figure out what was wrong with her when his eyes fell on the stereo and understanding dawned on him as he realized who was on the radio. He nodded, "Ohhh."
"I just can't get over him, and it's been two weeks I'm like a fucking needy little..." she trailed off, waving her hands, unable to think of a word strong enough, "Little girl who can't do anything for herself and needs a boyfriend! I do not need a boyfriend!"
Devin looked at her with sad eyes, "Ror, can I give my suggestion without having my head ripped off?"
She pursed her lips, thinking it over, "That depends on what you say."
"I think you need to cry."
She froze, "Excuse me?"
"You need to cry." he repeated.
She held one finger up, "I have. I did, don't you remember?"
Devin walked over and sat on her bed, "Not for very long."
She snorted, "Crying is crying. It doesn't matter how long you do it for."
"Then if you don't want to cry, why don't you just move on?"
"I told you, I can't!"
Devin tilted his head, studying her, "Fine. Don't take my advice, or do. It's your choice." and with that he stood up and walked out, closing the door behind him.
WHITLAND, NEXT MORNING
Erin walked up to Devin before homeroom, "What's wrong with her?"
He looked at his girlfriend, confused, "Who?"
"Rory."
"I wasn't aware that anything was wrong with her."
She put her hand on his shoulders and spun him around so his back was to her, and Rory was in his line of vision. Rory and Allie. "That looks alright to you?"
Devin's eyes widened, "No."
"Well what happened to her?" Erin turned him back around so he was facing her again.
"I don't know."
"Did you say something to her?" she prodded, trying to find anything.
"No."
"Are you lying?"
"No."
"You didn't say anything about Tristan?" she asked, waving her hands around.
"Um..." he trailed off, not wanting to say anything.
"What?"
"I might have said something along the lines of moving on." he said uncertainly.
"Devin!" she yelled.
"What?"
"You-you don't just TELL her to move on! Her boyfriend lied to her and moved away for god's sake! She's hurting!"
"Erin, she hasn't been herself! She hasn't been talking! She won't do anything. This is completely ruining her and it shouldn't, she's fourteen years old. It's not like they were married or something!" he yelled back. Erin screamed and threw her hands in the air. Devin shook his head, "What am I supposed to do?! You think I LIKE seeing my little sister hurting like this? Because I don't. I don't want him to effect her like this! It's not normal for someone to feel like that, and it pisses me off. She doesn't let people get to her. Ever. And he did. I can't control her, you know!"
Erin shook her head and covered her mouth, "Why is she hanging out with Allie? If you two are so close, tell me that."
"I can tell you why I THINK she is, but I can't give you a definite answer."
"Then tell me what you think."
"She wants to forget about us."
"What?"
"She wants to get all new friends, and loose her old ones. You all remind her of Tristan, something she wants to forget. She thinks that if she starts hanging out with Allie, she won't have to remember him and be reminded of what she lost everytime she turns around."
Erin breathed in deeply, closing her eyes, "That's what it is?"
"That's what I think it is."
"Why would she change completely because of that?"
Devin shrugged, "She's just like our mom. She's in a free fall, none of us can help her until she wants to be saved. And she doesn't."
Erin nodded, "I have to go." she pushed passed him.
"Erin," he called after her, "Erin!" she kept going, not looking back.
---------------------------
Devin walked up the front steps after school to see Rory swinging back and forth lazily in the porch swing, right leg pulled to her chest and her chin resting on the knee. Her left leg was bent and laying flat on the seat, under the arc of her right leg, cigarette in hand.
Devin sighed and walked over until he was directly in front of her, "What are you doing?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" she didn't look up.
"You hate smoking."
"I did hate smoking."
"You coughed so much you almost died the first time you inhaled."
"I know, thank you very much." she took a long drag and blew the smoke to the right of her brother. "What do you want Devin?"
He sat beside her, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I'm moving on, remember?"
"THIS is how you planned on moving on? You stop talking to all your friends and hang out with people you previously hated?"
She looked up at him, "People I previously hated that weren't friends with Tristan."
"Rory, he was my best friend, all of your friends, they were friends with him before you came here. They're gonna remind you of him. And in case you don't remember, the whole school was in love with him. And after you came, you two practically ruled the Freshman and Sophomores. And the only reason you never talked to upperclassmen was because we're in two different buildings. He was a big part of your life, he was a big part of all of out lives, and we were all hurt when he left-"
"But he didn't yell at you and call you a whore either." she whispered.
Devin stopped his rant cold. His eyes fell on his sister, sometime during his speech, her head had found it's way back onto her knee, eyes downcast. He sat in silence, unable to think of anything to say. He looked away, "No...he didn't."
She nodded, "Didn't think so."
"It's just...Rory, I don't want to see you hurt like this. And you really think that hanging out with Allie and Bailey will help?"
She shook her head, "No. But I don't care." she stood up and dropped the cigarette, walking into the house.
WHITLAND, FRIDAY
"So, the party's at JJ''s, but you'll just spend the night with me afterwards, right?" Allie asked, smiling at Rory.
"Um, yeah." she nodded, tired of the girl's voice.
"Good, so do you just want to come home with me after school?"
"Sure."
"Okay, great. I'll see you later." Allie and Megan walked away, and Rory went to her seventh period, groaning. After the class got out, she walked to her locker, only to see Allie standing there, waiting. Rory breathed in deeply and plastered on a smile, walking over, "Hey."
Allie whipped around, "Hey. So, since all of us have dates for the party and you don't, I found you one."
Rory's fake smile faltered, "You did?"
"Yup."
"Um...who was it?"
"You'll see tonight."
"I will?"
Allie nodded, "You will."
"Great." she said, Allie missed the sarcasm.
"Come on, let's go." Allie grabbed her arm and they walked out of the school together.
ALLIE'S, THAT NIGHT
"Here, try this on." Kelsey threw a tight black top to Rory, whose eyes widened, but she pulled it on anyway. The other girls looked at it, shook their heads, and told her to take it off. She tried on three more tops before they were all satisfied with a pink halter top and black jeans.
It was ten thirty when they got to the party, and as soon as they walked in, Allie beckoned someone over. "So, who's my date?" Rory asked, looking around.
"Right here." Allie said as the boy walked up. "Rory, I think you know Zack." Rory turned around and her jaw dropped to see Zack Jackson standing in front of her, a smug smirk firmly in place.