Author's Note; Thanks to all who reviewed. I'm sorry the last chapter was so short and I'm sorry that this one's a little longer. I think I may take my story down to rewrite it.

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"Hey, Sara, I think we better get you home. You're parents are probably getting worried."

Sara flinched inwardly at the thought of her parents. Should I set him straight? I mean, I've only known him for a day. She decided against it. If they stayed friends then she would tell him but, for now, for all she knew, he could just be being nice. He might not even really like her. She decided against this train of thought and decided to start talking.

"So, what are your sisters and brother like?" Sara asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, they're all straight-A students, are the best at everything they do, but they're really insane."

Sara laughed at how serious he sounded at the last sentence. "That's not nice, Nicky."

"No fair, I don't have a nickname for you."

"I'm sure you'll come up with one."

"Well, Nicky, are you going to start the car or are we just going to sit here talking for the next twelve hours?"

I wouldn't mind. Nick thought as he started the motor. The ride to Sara's place was pleasant and filled with funny anecdotes about Nick's large family.

Sara couldn't wait to meet his family. They sounded like a wonderful bunch of people.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Sara said as she dug in her book bag. "Here." She wrote her number down on a slip of paper and handed it to him.

---

"Dan, Lisa, I'm home." Sara called from the doorway. "Dan, Lisa, where are you?" That's odd. Oh well. She picked up the book that she had been reading and picked up where she left off.

"Dan, she's here." She heard the relief in her foster mother's voice.

"Sara, where have you been, Lisa and I have been worried sick."

"I was at a friend's house." She shrugged. "No one came to pick me up, so I went to Nick's."

"Nick who?"

"Nick Stokes. He's really popular, he's nice, and he offered me a ride home. We got to talking and he wound up driving to his house."

"What did you do there?"

"What do you think we did?"

"I don't know Sara. I honestly don't."

"We ate dinner. I got to meet his family. They're nice people." She was beginning to get angry. "He asked me to go to their football game this Saturday and I'm going."

"Calm down sweetie, we were just worried." Lisa said quietly.

"Well, don't be." Sara spat as she ran up the stairs.

---

"So, Nick, she's pretty isn't she?" his father asked him as they sat down together in the living room.

"Yeah." Nick agreed.

"So, when are you going to ask her out?" Sharon asked, leaning over his shoulder. "I mean, she's obviously into you."

"No she's not. And, even if she was…" Even if she was, she deserves better. Nick had only known her for a day, but he knew she was special. She was beautiful, smart, funny in that sarcastic way of hers, but there was also something about her that made Nick's heart skip a beat when he met her.

"Even if she was what?" his mother asked. "Nicky, any girl would be pleased to have someone like you in their life."

"I'm going upstairs." Nick faked a yawn.

"It's only eight o'clock." His sister pointed out.

"Yeah but I was up early."

Nick climbed the steps to his room and flopped down onto his bed. He pulled the covers up over his head and just let his mind wander. He wondered if maybe there was a possibility of Sara ever liking him like that. Maybe…He stared at the slip of paper in his hands.

---

"Sara, open the door." Dan said angrily.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm on the phone."

"To who?"

"Bridget."

She heard her foster father sigh. They didn't approve of her being friends with Bridget but Sara adored Bridget, tongue ring and all. Bridget was her best friend and, at least for Sara, best friends didn't come along very easily.

"Come one sweetheart, let us in. Don't shut us out." She heard Lisa as she came up the stairs.

I don't want to talk to you. I want to talk to Bridget. "Fine." She got up and unlocked the door. "What?"

"Sara, you've got to stop trying to push us away or-"

"Or you'll what? Send me back like everyone else."

"No. We're not going to give up on you." Lisa answered. With that, Lisa turned to leave.

"Wait." Sara said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right."

Lisa shut the door and the tears that Sara had been holding back came out in a rush.