The first day I went over to Ace's to help him study it took me nearly an hour to take his mind off his card game, to focus on his school work. I knew I could have just went home and left it up to him, but I had a feeling that he will be more likely to actually do it if I was there, not to mention with him not in class he was missing the daily lesson, and any notes we needed to take.

So I dedicated my time to sitting there with him, going over the lesson that was taught in class by going over the notes I would take in every class. I stopped doing homework in class, after that very first day I came over too, so I could do my homework with him.

That first day after it took me an hour just to get him to focus on working on the assignments, all he wanted to do was copy what I have already done, and he refused to ask for help when he is struggling. So to avoid him trying to just copy my work, and appeal to his pride I felt that it would be best just to do my homework with him.

It was a lot more effort than most in my shoes would do for a friend I admit, but as much as I like denying it, I still held strong feelings for the blonde. I was able to keep them at bay while in his home alone with him, by mostly sticking to the kitchen with him at the table. I was trying to remind myself that just because it was over with Holly doesn't mean he is suddenly interested in me, the past couple days.

However, the memory of our dance kept coming back to me every time We happen to accidently touch. Whenever his hand or arm brushed up against mine while we worked, I thought about how safe I felt in his arms. On more than one occasion I caught myself staring at his lips during the few times he was too focused or distracted to notice.

I would try to kick the thoughts out, but then I would catch sight of his bruised, and healing hands, and those butterflies come racing back to my stomach. The desire to ask him why he did it, why he stuck up for me, risking to waste his life away for me, was eating away at me.

It was making it harder and harder to help him with his work with all these thoughts racing around in my head. I know he was starting to notice it as well, especially on the final day of his suspension. We were in our normal seats at the table, my history book splayed out on the table between us two, and a worksheet in front of each of us.

"Alright Ace, how bout you read page 327 and 328." I said, filling in our last answer we found.

"Why? You do such a good job at it yourself."

I threw him a look over my shoulder.

"Because I have read absolutely everything the past 3 days, and it's time you pull your own weight." I retorted, flipping through the pages of the text book to get to the correct ones to start on, patting the contents.

Ace leaned back into his chair, kicking his feet on the table, in defiance. He was looking at me with that mischievous grin that I tell him I hate so much. Truth is that it makes me weak in the knees every time I see it, but he didn't need to know he has that kind of power over me.

"Come on Ace, there is multiple pictures on each page so it's only really three paragraphs you're reading."

He raised an eyebrow at me as if asking,

'Do I look like I care?'

I hated throwing out the "big guns" for something so small, but I really just needed to win one, so I gave my absolute best pout. Jutting up my bottom lip every so slight to make it seem bigger, and giving him the big sad puppy dog eyes that I knew I was good at.

"Please, my throat is starting to hurt. These are the last two pages assigned as well."

It took a few seconds of him giving me a half-hearted glare, before rolling his eyes and dropping his feet back to the ground. He leaned over the table to get closer to the book and started to read as I asked. I grinned triumphantly to myself, happy that I have at least one trick against this man.

I listened to him speak, and was more than a little pleased to hear that despite him not wanting to read aloud, it wasn't because he was illiterate. He spoke quite well in fact, the only thing I really noticed was he did lean in a little closer than what I would say was normal. I watched as he brought his hand up to the book as well, and let a single finger run along the page, as he read.

I stared at his hands for the umphteen time in the past 3 days, inspecting every little dark purple and yellow splotch across his knuckles. I couldn't help my thoughts traveling back to how he got the bruises, and I once again was over come with the need to just know why he did it.

"Why do you keep staring at them?" Ace's voice snapped me back to reality, and I realized he was now staring at me funny, his hand pressed flat on the book now.

"What?" I asked dumbly, not sure how to really answer that, cheeks growing red with embarrassment. I knew I would get caught if I couldn't control myself.

"Why do they bother you? They are healing fine. Are you afraid of me or something?"

He sounded a bit bitter asking that, and I couldn't help the tremendous amount of guilt that washed over me at that question. He must have caught me many times staring and didn't say anything until now, and I am sure my facial expressions weren't helping with portraying my true thoughts.

"No I am not afraid of you or anything like that." I said, with a sigh, propping an elbow on the counter to lean against while I looked at him.

"Then what's your problem?" He asked. I watched as his hands balled up in little fists out of nerves. It was something I noted he did very often.

"Why did you do it?" I finally asked, turning my body to face him head on.

"What do you mean why? They deserved it." He asked shifting awkwardly in his seat avoiding my gaze.

"I'm not saying they didn't, but Ace why did YOU do it. You didn't have to do anything for me, you know that right?"

I looked over at him, he didn't answer, and he still refused to look at me, so I continued, I needed him to understand the depth of his actions.

"You risked everything Ace, you could have been expelled. You would have ruined your only chance to get the hell out of this town." I said, looking at him with what I was sure was a burning intensity, trying to will his eyes to meet my own. He only glared at the table in front of him, but I felt confident that he was still listening to me.

"You would have thrown away your opportunity to show these assholes that you are much better than what they think of you." I said softer, starting to wring my hands together nervously, and biting my lip. I was fully aware that I was starting to rant at this point, out of nerves alone.

"I just don't understand why you would do all that for some stupid girl-"

"You're not just some stupid girl, don't call yourself that." Ace cut me off. I paused looking at him from the corner of my eye, but not facing him head on, out of embarrassment.

"Even so Ace, I'm not worth that kind of sacrifice." I told him, looking at my shaking hands in my lap, continuously wringing them together to distract from their shaking.

"yes, you are."

I looked over at him slowly through the curtain of my hair, he was looking at me now at least, his blue eyes were just filled with a storm of emotions. We sat still there for a few seconds before I noticed that he started to lean over slowly. At first I thought it may just be my own hopes and dreams going haywire, and I was imagining him leaning in closer.

His hand reached out to move the curtain of hair I was using as a safety blanket back behind my shoulder. Once my face was now unable to hide his hand slowly came back to rest on my cheek, and my breath hitched. When his thumb stroked my cheek, I leaned in instinctively to the touch, and looked him directly in the eyes, silently pleading that he continue with what he was doing.

I watched as his eyes flickered down for a split second as he continued to lean over to me, and that same excitement from that special night, started to wound itself up in the pit of my stomach. I let my eyes flutter close when his face was only a couple inches away.

There was a brief moment were I grew fearful that he would back away, and cut our day short much like he did that night. But when the soft pressure of his lips met my own, all the worries, and fears melted away; much like how I melted into him. I wrapped my arms around his neck lightly, wanting to keep him this close to me for as long as I could.

The kiss started off soft and more sweet than anything else, with the small amount of pressure, and movement he initiated. It wasn't long before the pressure started to increase, and the kisses became a little more fervent between us. My arms started to tighten around his neck pulling him closer and closer to me.

He broke the kiss for a quick second, as his hands ran down to my waist, and soon I was pulled to sit in his lap both of my legs handing over his left side. This being a lot more comfortable than us both leaning over in our chairs, we were able to deepen the kiss. I ran my hands down his chest and his biceps, enjoying the feel of his body flexing below me.

His hands ran up and down my sides, and eventually one rested on my hip, while the other moved back to my cheek to better control the kiss. I didn't want to admit it, but I caved into him easily, letting him dominate the kiss, and lead it to wherever he wanted it to go.

My mind was too fuzzy, to even care that this was the furthest I have ever been with a boy, and that it didn't show any signs of stopping any time soon. I have never felt that way for anyone before, not so much so that I didn't even think about how I may have seemed, or how much he may want from me.

Luckily Ace still had enough common sense to slow down and take a break before we threw all caution to the wind. He broke the kiss slowly, and we were both finally able to breath, our face still mere centimeters apart, and our foreheads resting against each other.

He gave one, two, three more soft lazy kisses to my lips, before placing a final one to my cheek and letting me rest my head on his shoulder, with my arms back around his neck, and his wrapped around my middle. We sat there for a few moments, catching our breaths, and I tried to gather my thoughts.

"wow." Was all I could think to say, a goofy smile on my face.

"I've been wanting to do that since I saw you in that dress." I felt the rumbling in his throat and chest as he spoke.

"Really?" I asked, looking up at him, curiously.

"You know I did, I couldn't hardly keep my hands off you. Why else would I willingly make a fool out of myself, asking you to dance." He said with a roll of his eyes.

I smiled resting my head back onto his shoulder.

"Why didn't you kiss me that night?" I asked, feeling a bit more brave. There was a few seconds of silence, and Ace gave a sigh, possibly thinking how he was going to answer.

"You heard about my reputation. I don't fall for girls; I get what I want, when I want, to fulfill a basic need and that's it. Kissing you that night would have meant I really liked you, and I wasn't ready to admit that."

I ran my fingers over one of his arms that was wrapped around me, and nodded my head in the crook of his neck in understanding.

"Is that why you suddenly became interested in Holly Wilson?" I asked, I tried to keep my bitterness out of my voice as I spoke her name, but I didn't quite succeed in it.

"Yeah, she was an easy distraction, I figured if I played around with her, whatever I had with you would go away." He said. I felt a small lump form in my throat, preventing me from speaking.

"Didn't do a damn thing though, I think during that short time, was when I thought about you the most." He admitted with a laugh.

"It was driving me insane, I was angry that I wasn't able to think straight, and go through life how I normally do." He said, rubbing his hands against my side.

"I regretted what I said as soon as I said it, you know? You were right, I did what I did, because I wanted to." He said, moving a hand to my face, lifting my chin up to look at him. I gave him a soft smile, and ran hand against his cheek, feeling the stubble of his growing facial hair scratch against my palm.

"I know." I whispered and leaned in to give him a single soft peck on his lips, before resting back into him.

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses, cause I've been wanting to kiss you for quite a while." I said with a smile of my own. A little embarrassed of the admittance, but since he was being so open with me now I figured I'd return the favor.

"Really? For how long?" He asked, a smug tone to his voice and I was sure it was accompanied by a devilish grin.

"An embarrassing amount of time." I admitted with a huff, annoyed with his already inflating ego. Well not really, I rather found his confidence attractive, but It did irk me that he wore it so damn well, and he was rather smug about it all.

We sat there like that for a little bit in a comfortable silence, before I decided that as blissful as this moment was, I was not willing to let myself get hurt again.

"So what do we do now? What are we?" I asked nervously, swallowing the nervous little lump in my throat back down.

"Simple, you are mine. And as to what we do." Ace said definitively, running a hand down the back of my head, and through my hair. I sighed contently, hugging myself closer to him, relishing in the knowledge that I was HIS girl.

"We are getting the hell out of here Princess, together. Now that you're mine, I don't think I like the idea of you going off and becoming someone's little trophy wife."

I laughed at the ridiculous idea.

"I like that idea, as long as you are mine as well." I said with a bright smile that he couldn't see as I kept myself snuggled against his neck and shoulder.

"Well, I guess I can agree to those terms." Ace said. I felt his lips press against the top of my head, and I sighed contently. I have never felt more at peace, and safe, than I do right now in his arms. It was perfect, and I made sure to take a mental "picture" of this moment, to hold on to for as long as I lived.


I spent a couple more hours with Ace, finishing up the daily homework, and sneaking some sweet kisses in between our work. However eventually I did have to go home, Ace of course ever the closeted gentleman drove me home like he did every day after we finished our work.

The third day was a little later than usual, since we kept getting off track with all the kisses, and this time Ace drove me all the way to my house instead of a block down. I leaned over and shared one more short kiss before I had to leave his presence.

I gave him a soft smile as I slowly exited the vehicle, closing the passenger door gingerly.

"See you tomorrow, at school?" I asked hopefully, know that his suspension should now be over.

"Bright and early princess." He said giving me one of his signature smirks, before his eyes shifted to something at the front of the house. He rolled his eyes, before looking back at me. I looked over to see my mom standing with the front door completely open, glaring daggers at us.

"Robin, get your butt over here right now!" She screeched, her arms crossed, and toe tapping against the wooden porching rapidly.

I rolled my eyes myself and met back up with Ace's gaze.

"If you need me." He started.

"I will run out the house, and head towards town. I will be okay, I can handle her just fine, you go have fun with the boys." I answered, giving him a smile. I knew he was supposed to go play pool with the boys tonight, and I was determined that he actually go do so. He still hasn't taken the time to talk to his friends since the incident, and he really needed to at least let Eyeball know he was coming back.

He nodded with a smile, "That's my girl. You know where I will be if you do need me though."

"Robin! Right NOW!" an even louder shrill scream came from the front of the house. I sighed, patting the top of the passenger door.

"I know, go now, before she tries chasing you away with a broom." I said, walking away, and towards my ever-growing irrate mother. I climbed the steps, and successfully maneuvered around her to get into the house before she got the chance to grab my by the ear or arm and drag me in.

I started slipping off my shoes, and lacing my few books and finished homework on the small table near the door that held the items we needed before heading back out the door every day. The door slammed shut behind me, and I heard the clicking of my mom's heals as she walked up behind me.

"What was that? You told me you weren't involved with that hood!" She screeched, grabbing onto my arm, turning me around to look at her red face.

"He isn't a hood mom, and that was then, things change." I said gently, trying to keep things as calm as possible for now. She dragged me off towards the living room, Where I could see Tom was already waiting sitting in his recliner.

"You think I am just going to sit idly by while my daughter is out screwing a dead beat hoodlum?" She yelled, pushing me down to sit on the couch, while she stormed over to stand by Tom's side, for support. He took her hand in his as his silent comfort, and I rolled my eyes.

"We aren't sleeping with each other mom, it was just a kiss." I defended myself, crossing my arms, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute.

"Where do you think kisses lead to Robin?"

Ugh here we go, her just assuming what kind of person I am by her own poor choices in life.

"We haven't done anything like that, and quit calling him that, Ace isn't a dead beat, he happens to make a very promising mechanic." I told them proudly. Ace really did have great mechanic skills, he told me all about the praises his boss showers him, and I really did think he could make a decent living off of it.

"Oh my god, my daughter with a mechanic? I could cry." Mom wailed dramatically.

"Look I know your angry with us, but this is no way to retaliate." Tom finally spoke up, a first among family issues such as this.

"Retaliate? I'm not with Ace to piss you two off, I happen to really like him! And Ace really likes me too." I shouted, from my seat sitting up on the edge of the couch to sit up tall.

"Oh, does he? Well, we will see how long that lasts after he gets between your legs." Mom shouted, her mascara starting to run down her cheeks making her look admittedly a little crazier than she usually does.

"That's enough! Why do you hate him so much anyway? You don't even know him!" I yelled standing up now, unable to sit idly by while they talk bad about my closest friend, and someone I really cherished.

"His name is Ace, and he looks like he is no good, what else is there to know?" Mom asked snottily, reminding me of a bratty toddler.

"I have heard about him from some other families here, and they say he is trash. His father is a drunk bum, constantly at the bar, if he isn't in jail. You don't think he won't turn out just like him hm?" Tom asked, raising his voice as well.

"I know he won't, you can't judge people based on their parents! What would that say about me with mine huh? My mom was pregnant with me at 16 years old, and my birth father is currently in prison for murder." I yelled back, looking at them honestly astounded by the amount of hypocrisy in their accusations.

"You watch your tongue!" Mom shouted, shaking a thin long finger at me.

"No, I won't! Mom you can't just tell me to shut up every time you hear something you don't want to hear!" I shouted pointing an accusing finger back at her.

"And you can't just pretend that your past doesn't exist just because you don't like it. You made the mistake of sleeping with a guy and getting pregnant at 16, not me! You made the mistake of marrying a man who you knew had anger issues, and drug and alcohol problems, not me!"

Mom looked like she was about to cut me off, but I wasn't going to allow her to butt in.

"It was your mistake to then marry another angry alcoholic soon after, and this time it wasn't just bar fights he got into was it mom? He beat the crap out of us, Both of us!" I reminded her. That time in our life was probably the darkest.

"I had no say in what you did mom, you just dragged me along for the ride, and I had to deal with all your mistakes up to this point." I cried out, the tears, starting to prick at my eyes.

"That was the past Robin, you can't keep holding that against me!" She yelled, a bit more subdued, facing away from me. She knew I was right, and didn't want to have to face her guilt, but that only irritated me more.

"Oh, I can't? Well, how about we look into recent events shall we?" I stood in front of the both of them.

"You forced me to move thousands of miles away from my only friends, without even once asking me how I felt about it. You rushed into a 3rd marriage, without even letting me know you were seeing another guy, after we just escaped the hell we lived in before. Or how about how you threatened to kick me out and disown me if I didn't date that Baker kid, which only led to me being groped and taken advantage of in his car late at night?" I listed all the sins off on my fingers.

"Then when I told you what happened you accused ME of being some kind of whore, leading him into it! Then after all that you decide to try and force my hand AGAIN, only for the same thing to happen with the next boy!" I shouted lifting my hands up in the air, then slapping them back now and held them on my hips. I took another step forward and pointed at my mother specifically.

"You didn't even have the guts to stick up for me after that time mom!"

She still held her head to face Tom instead of me, her eyes shut tight, still refusing to face me, and her mistakes. Tom made a noise as if he was going to cut in now, but I raised a hand to him.

"No, you two need to listen. It could have been so much worse than that, who knows how far Will would have went if I wasn't able to shove him off of me that night. What would you have done if I got pregnant that night huh? Would you be angry with me like you are right now for simply dating a boy, and for making such a mistake? Cause Lord knows you wouldn't believe me if I told you I was forced. Or would it have been okay, because it was by Will fucking Baker, wannabe Lawyer?" I asked. Tom's eyes grew aand he stood up.

"Watch your language young lady!" He shouted. I just looked at him bored.

"Yes, do what you do best Tom, ignore the issue entirely. At least you brought up my tacky choice of words though."

Mom stood up now placing a hand on Tom's chest, looking at me with a horrified expression.

"Don't back talk Robin, Tom is the man of the house, you are just one step closer to being kicked-"

"Kicked out? Throw me out then mom." I said calmly.

"You don't mean that." She said, trying to call my bluff. Little does she know that I really don't care anymore.

"But I do. Living on the streets at this point is better than here right now." I told them, looking between there both shocked and angry faces. I sighed heavily.

"Once upon a time, you were my hero mom. I don't know why everything changed, but it's clear that it did. I really thought that the older I got the closer we'd get, and by the time I did have kids, they wouldn't be just visiting their grandma. They'd be visiting my best friend. Now though, whatever future family I have, I'm starting to realize you don't want to be a part of at all."

Mom was looking at me oddly, I couldn't tell what she was feeling right now.

"Are you threatening me?" She asked. I exhaled and shook my head, disappointed that she really was constantly missing my point.

"Not at all mom, it's just an observation. You don't really care for me, and no choice in man I have will ever satisfy you. So why would any future kids I have meet your expectations?" I said, absolutely exhausted. I started towards the doorway of the living room, more than ready to just head up to my room and stay there for the rest of the night.

I stopped in the doorway and looked back at the still silent couple, both looking like complete strangers at this point.

"I won't be following along with everything you say for now on. If you guys can stand me for the rest of this school year, I will make sure I am out right after graduation." I said, hoping that they would take that "offer". It was only for a few months, and if we can just be civil with each other I'd be out of their hair as soon as I was officially considered an adult.

If not and I was kicked out early, I wasn't sure what exactly I would do but I knew I'd figure it out. I have a few good friends here; I was sure they would try to help out any way they could. Bev said a week ago that she was sure her parents wouldn't mind taking me in for a few months.

So, I was feeling confident despite the huge fight, and the exhaustion. I was going to be okay; I'd figure it out, and I had people in my corner determined to see me succeed.