"Hello, Britta?"

"Yeah?" A girl stocking cans of soup at Safeway turned to see a middle aged man with brown hair a slight beard talking to her.

"You know Dwayne Hoover, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"I need you to do me a favor concerning him." Britta turned and faced the man, looking bored.

"Like what?"

"You need to stop screwing him."

"Why would I do that?" Oh, let's see, maybe because he's under age, and because he has a problem that he needs to fix.

"So? Who are you to butt in on his life like that?"

"I'm his family, so just stop, ok?"

"What if I don't?" she asked, testing the man's nerve.

"I will report you to the police and you will get arrested." The man looked at her determinedly. Britta tossed the thought around in her head, weighing the consequences of both. On one hand, she was sure that she could find someone else anyway. On the other hand it was simple, Dwayne was flat out good by now, and she liked him.

"Fine, but it's going to cost you."

"That's just what Joanna said." The man pulled out his wallet and wrote a check for $200. "Will that be sufficient?" Britta looked at the check, knowing that it was more then she made on a regular basis. She nodded and took the check. Frank walked away, smiling at his accomplishment. He had single handedly stopped the two girls Dwayne was using from helping him out, now he would have to find another way around things. He went home, feeling genuinely accomplished.

Dwayne stopped off at Starbucks before going to Safeway, and got his necessary cup of coffee. Then he walked on to the Safeway where Britta worked. He meandered around the store looking for her, finally finding her down the dairy isle checking out inventory. "Hey," he said casually as he walked up behind her. She turned to look at him.

"Since when do you talk?" she asked him.

"About a week ago, it doesn't really matter though. You're off in 10 minutes though, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I'm busy after."

"Wait, I thought…"

"Yeah, well you thought wrong. You're out Dwayne, I've got to stop screwing around with you, you didn't tell me that your family knew about us, and that they clearly don't approve!"

"Ok, what the hell are you- oh my god, Frank. Fuck." It clicked suddenly.

"Yeah, so I'll see you around, ok?" Britta turned back to her work, and Dwayne walked away. He understood that his uncle was only doing what needed to be done, but it still pissed him off. Not knowing where else to go, he simply went home, not feeling too good about everything or anything at all for that matter.

"Where have you been?" asked his mom when he walked in.

"I just went out to go get some coffee, why?" He looked at her, and she didn't appear to be pleased with him at all. Frank was nowhere to be seen, and Dwayne was hoping that he hadn't said anything about Joanna and Britta.

"Earlier I got a call from your father Dwayne. He says that he is flying up tomorrow to present a custody case. If I refuse to relinquish custody, he is going to take me to court." Sheryl looked really upset about this. "Are you really that unhappy here with us?" Dwayne sighed. His father had gotten his letter obviously, and he was actually taking action to help his son for the first time in his life.

"Yeah, I am. Richard is a fucking jackass. You've seen how he looks at me, and heard how he talks to me. He hates me, and you know it, he can't wait for me to get out of here. Why not just let me go?" Dwayne stared at Sheryl.

"It's not that easy honey. Dwayne, Richard doesn't hate you, he just…"

"HE HATES ME! You know it, he wishes that you'd never had me, doesn't he." Sheryl sat down on the couch, and motioned for Dwayne to sit in the armchair across from her, but he opted to remain standing.

"I need you Dwayne, I really do need you. You have lived with me for 15 years and I have gotten used to that. Please honey, stay." Sheryl was crying now.

"That's what you need, but I need a father who doesn't hate me, a father who actually cares about me. If you want to take this to court, fine by me, you can't win. Dad has a lot of money, which means a good lawyer, and he has the subject of custody," Dwayne gestured to himself, "on his side. You can't win."

"You really want to go and live with someone who you have only seen for one week every year?" Dwayne nodded, his glare fierce and his mind made up.

"Well what about Olive." Sheryl played the card that she knew would have the most effect on him. "You can't take her grandfather and her brother from her in the same year. You know that she will be worse off if you leave. She needs someone to look up to, and trust me, lets hope that's not Richard, me, or Uncle Frank."

"I would am a shitty role model for her! I am way too fucked up. I have too many problems! It's unfair of you to ask me to be here for her always just because you and that fucking husband of yours can't!" Dwayne screamed at the top of his lungs, his turning bright red with indignation. He ran in to his room before his mother could pull Olive in to this anymore then she already has.

Luckily for him, his uncle was out for now, so he had the place to himself. Anger consumed him, and blinded him. Everything was clouded by his hatred for the moment that the only thing he could think of to do to release his anger was punch the wall until he re-opened the fist that had bled earlier that week, as well as opening the other one. Once both hands were bleeding, he went to his bed, and sat down, just staring at them for a moment. Oh my god, I can't so this anymore. This fucking family is killing me! I gotta get out of this place! He stood up, and crawled through his window, running to the park to seek refuge, blood still dripping from his knuckles. He tried to outrun his thoughts, his feelings and his emotions, but instead he ended up running into someone, Melanie. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you. You should have been paying attention though…" he said.

"Oh, I was. I knew you were coming, I didn't move on purpose. You look upset. What's eating at you?"

"Just leave me the fuck alone." He tried to push past her, but she grabbed one of his hands.

"Oh my god, you're bleeding! Here, let me clean this up, we are only a block from my house and I have a first aid kit in the bathroom." She pulled him towards her house, and suddenly he didn't have the energy to fight back.