Drying her tears she started pacing. 'Bet I made a good first impression.' She thought. She swung her legs over, letting them dangly over the wall, thinking about her nightmare she had.

Flashback

"Momma I swear I don't know where pants are. I gave them back to you after I borrowed them." She hated these days. The days when her mom would come home drunk after another 75cent draft night in downtown. Her mother would be angry at something and take it out on Amber. She found her mother snooping in her stuff, throwing everything out of her draws.

"What are you doing?" she yelled.

"Did you just yell at me?" Her mother questioned. She moved closer and closer to Amber and soon she had her pined against the wall.

"I-I didn't mean to. It's just that…" Before she could finish her sentence Brandy smacked her across the face on both sides.

"I told you to never talk to me like that didn't I? DIDN"T I?" She was in an outrage, hitting Amber with fist punches and hair pulling. Amber screamed out in pain.

"Please don't hurt me…I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

End of flashback

She wished Joel was there. To comfort her. To hold her and tell her everything was going to be ok.

XOXOXOXOX

"Hello? Anyone home?" Natalie asked putting some groceries on the table. She thought it would be nice if they all sat down at the table and ate together. She noticed how silent it was in the apartment.

"John?"

"Over here." He said with one hand raised in the air, letting her know he was on the couch. She came and sat down next to him.

"Where's Amber?"

"She's out on the roof top. She had a Bad dream and she need to get some air. She's been out there for a long time." He said with a little worried-ness in his voice. Natalie couldn't help but giggle on the inside. She thought it was cute that he was worried.

"Did she tell you what it was about?" She held John's hand and cuddled close to him, letting him know she was there for him.

"No. She doesn't really like sharing how she feels. She keeps it bottled up"

"Just like someone else I know." She smiled looking up at him. He didn't argue with her because he knew she was right. She kissed John softly on the lips and then got up.

"Maybe she needs some girl talk." She said getting up heading towards the door.

"What's wrong with her talking to me?" He asked sitting up.

"You don't understand. You're a boy."

"Are you going sexiest on me?" He asked pulling her close.

"No, all I'm saying is it might be easier to talk to me then it is to you. You can go and get dinner started. Just don't burn anything like you did last time." She said as she kissed him on the cheek and went out the door.

When she opened the door to the roof top she saw Amber sitting there looking up at the sky. Except her blonde hair she looked a lot like John. She went over and sat next to her.

"John told me what happened. You ok?"

"Yeah…I'll be okay." She said not looking at her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She watched her shake her head slowly.

"You know it's better to let it out then to keep it in. Or else you'll explode one day." She managed to get a smile out of Amber. She turned facing Natalie.

"I don't want to bother you with my problems."

"Sweetheart it's not a problem. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about anything." Amber looked down then back up at Natalie.

"M-my mother…she would hit me when every s-she got drunk and was angry. T-that's what my d-dream was about." Tears streamed down her face. Natalie couldn't believe what she heard. How could someone do that to their child? The only thing Natalie could think of doing for her was pulling her into a hug. So she did. She could hear her sob harder into her. She stroked Amber's hair to make her feel better.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could think of to say. Amber sat up straight, wiping the tears away as if they were nothing.

"You feel any better?" Natalie asked rubbing her back.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"No problem. You know what I think we should do?" She asked helping Amber to her feet.

"What?"

"I think that after we finish dinner we should go and get new school clothes besides, you need to look good on your first day at a new school. How does that sound?"

"Sure I love shopping."

"Oh Honey every woman does." She said taking Ambers hand with her and leading her back to John's apartment.

John heard giggling coming towards him. Soon he saw Natalie and Amber come in the door. He hoped everything was ok with Amber.

"Looks like Someone is feeling better." John said stirring the sauce.

"Yeah I do. I'm going to go and fressin up." She said walking to the bathroom. John turned facing Natalie.

"What did you do?" He asked. Natalie wrapped her arms around his waste.

"I told you she needed a woman to talk to." She patted him on the back

"What's for Dinner?" Amber asked coming in the kitchen.

"Spaghetti."

"o0! Yummy I love spaghetti." They sat down at the table and ate. After they finished Natalie told John that she and Amber were going to go shopping. Mike came by a little after the girls had left.

"What to tell me? This had better be good because I had a hell of a day." Michael said in an irritable tone. John could tell he was tired.

"You might want to sit down." John said shutting the door, a little nervous about what he was about to tell his brother