"Damn this place looks dull", Emma whispered to her best friend Meghan as the bus drove through Castle Rock, a quiet town in the middle of Oregon.

"Hmm… you're not far wrong they're my friend", the pretty brunette replied.

Meghan was short and thin, with a kind face. Her hair grew out in tendrils along her neck. Emma, on the other hand, was taller, paler and with dark auburn hair that hung straight between her shoulders. Emma's eyes were a bright blue; Meghan's were a chocolate brown. Though the two looked complete opposites, they had been best friends for over ten years. Now, both 17, they had decided to skip town and move out to Castle Rock where they knew no one, had little money and no where to say. Strange thing was neither really cared.

"Tell me again why I let you drag me out here", Emma whined as the bus pulled to a stop and she and Meghan gathered their things.

"Me! Fool, this was your brilliant idea", Meghan replied indignantly.

"Ok. Calm down. No point playing the blame game", Emma was quick to change the subject. "How much cash you got on you?"

"Um… four-fifty. You?"

"Five bucks. We should at least be able to eat".

"Yeah, sure… then what?"

"Um… we'll think of something".

The two walked in silence for five minutes or so, before Meghan grabbed her small portable radio and switched it on.

"Sylvia?" the radio crooned.

"Yes, Mickey!" Emma jumped in.

"How do you call your lover boy?" Meghan sang loudly.

Come here lover boy!

And if he doesn't answer?

Oh lover boy!

And if he still doesn't answer?

I simply say

Baby

Oh-oh Baby

My sweet baby

You're the one

The girls sang and danced their way down the town's main street, attracting more then a few stares from passersby.

When the song faded to an end, Meghan and Emma noticed a black car slow down beside them.

"Hey!" called a voice from within it. The two turned to see four boys, about their age, looking at them.

Emma rolled her eyes and started to walk away but then heard Meghan say "hi" back. Emma poked her hard in the back but Meghan pretended not to notice.

"You new here?" one said.

"Yeah", Emma said tiredly, thoroughly annoyed with the whole thing. Meghan could tell.

"I'm Meghan. That's Emma. Yeah, she's a bitch", Meghan pointed to her.

"Shut up!" Emma yelled, hitting her arm. Meghan hit back and the two just wound up laughing.

"I'm Eyeball", the one in the passenger seat said. "That's Vince, Charlie an the one driving is Ace. He's a bitch too", the three boys began to snicker. Ace, tall and blonde with piercing blue eyes, silenced all of them with one hard stare. Emma, on the other hand, giggled loudly, not bothering to hide anything.

Ace turned his head and looked Emma up and down slowly. Then he smirked.

"Funny. You don't look like a bitch from where I'm sitting".

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Wait. Was that supposed to be subtle or something?" She smirked this time, hers almost rivaling Ace's.

Ace grinned and jumped out of his car, walking towards Emma.

"Yeah, that was supposed to be subtle", he murmured, before leaning in and kissing her lips softly.

"That, on the other hand… wasn't".

Emma reached up and touched her lips, stunned into silence for once. Then she smiled.

"Not subtle… and not that good".

Ace paused, but only briefly. He wrapped his arm around Emma's waist and pulled her to his chest, kissing her again. Only this time, he deepened the kiss and made it passionate, long and hot.

When they broke away, Emma was breathless and flustered. She straightened her shirt and tried to regain her composure.

"Well?" Ace asked cockily.

"Yeah… ok… you've made your point… Now are you going to give us a ride or was this whole thing the end of our exchange?" Emma replied, obviously embarrassed.

"Sure... jump in", Ace's smirk returned as he got back in his car.

Meghan glanced at Emma. "You're blushing", she said. Emma fidgeted silently.

"So… how was it?" Meghan finally asked.

"Fantastic", Emma replied. They looked at each other and started laughing. The they jumped in the car as it took off down the street.