When Harper arrived at Olivia's it was with a smile on her face. She knocked and Olivia opened the door after a few seconds. "It's nice to see you in good spirits," Olivia greeted, giving a small, halfhearted smile of her own.

"I passed my driver's test," Harper announced.

"Really? That's amazing, Harper," Olivia replied, her smile brightening to a more truly happy one. "Come in. This calls for a celebratory dinner. It's nothing fancy. I only made mac and cheese, and Andy isn't—"

"You don't have to explain," Harper interrupted. She knew full well about their troubles and didn't wish to ruin Olivia's mood. With a nod in thanks for the interruption, the two of them went to the kitchen.

Olivia went back to working on the mac and cheese with a promise that it was nearly done, and Harper rifled through her bag. Coming across the balled up paper from the driving test, she pulled it out and flattened it out. It turns out it wasn't hers, but it was nonetheless familiar.

The snickering coming from a couple of tables away hadn't fazed her at the time. Harper and Hannah were sitting together laughing over some dumb joke that she couldn't quite recall now. Then the list made it over to them. Harper was the first to look at it. To her it was childish, stupid. She found her name under "Biggest Tease" and rolled her eyes. To her it was just words on paper. She didn't realize a few simple words could ruin a life.

Hannah had looked over her shoulder to see what she was reading. Harper couldn't imagine how she didn't see the hurt on Hannah's face at finding her own name listed there. But she hadn't. She laughed the whole thing off, dismissing it, and unknowingly dismissing Hannah as well. But Hannah couldn't laugh it off like she could, and it only got worse from there.

"Harper." The sound of her name from Olivia's lips made her come back out of her memories. She looked at Olivia, focusing in on her blue eyes and fully bringing her back to the here and now. Harper balled the paper back up and threw it in the garbage.

"Sorry, just cleaning out my backpack. I hadn't realized how much of a mess it was in there," Harper played off. She wasn't about to ruin their evening bringing up old wounds. This wasn't the time.

Olivia smiled. Whether or not she believed Harper was up for debate, but she let it go at her word for now. She slid a bowl of mac and cheese over to Harper and then dished one for herself. They made a little light conversation as they ate, even allowing themselves to laugh a time or two before Harper

"You know you're welcome anytime," Olivia said, taking Harper's dish and putting it in the sink. Harper gave Olivia a quick hug goodbye and Olivia placed a kiss on her cheek before letting go. Then it was out into the cool October night for her walk home.

"Where have you been," rang the accusation as soon as Harper stepped foot inside her home.

"Olivia's," she answered her mother truthfully. "I passed my driver's test and I thought I'd maybe want to stop and tell someone who cares."

"What the hell do you need to drive for? You walk everywhere."

"My point exactly," Harper muttered under her breath. The least she could have said was 'congrats' before jumping down her throat. "Maybe I'd like to get out of this town someday, mom."

To that she was only scoffed at, so Harper left the argument to die there in order to preserve what was left of her formerly pleasant evening. But her mother wasn't done with her yet it seemed. "You're always over there. All I hear is Olivia this, Olivia that. Sometimes you don't even come home anymore. What is it about that woman?"

Harper wouldn't discuss this any further, she only went to her room and closed the door, locking it behind her. She didn't even know how to answer that question if she had stayed to fight about it. She didn't know what Olivia was to her. All she really knew is that she liked her, liked spending time with her and felt safe and even happy when she was with her. She fell asleep to the thought of that kiss on her cheek that Olivia had given her before she left.

The next two days were tense around her house, but thankfully quiet. Colleen had given her a lot to think about and though she hated her mother for putting the idea into her head, she had to reason that the exact nature of her relationship with Olivia was unclear. And, whatever it was, Harper had to ask herself, was that all she wanted it to be? Harper had somewhat retreated back into her own little world over this whole thing and her relationship with Clay and with Tony had started to suffer because of it.

While she wanted to put in more effort with Clay, it seemed all they could manage was a hello or a how are you in the hallway, which was more than they'd ever done before, but somehow didn't feel like enough at the same time. And it was only when Tony pulled up to the curb after school that Harper realized that she hadn't even seen him or so much as sent him a text in the last two days.

"Hey, can I give you a ride," Tony asked.

Harper gave a weak smile. Once again, Tony was there to save her from her self isolating tendencies. "Yeah, I could do with a ride," Harper agreed and Tony leaned over to open the door for her.

"Do you remember the night we met, well the one where we became friends," Tony asked out of the blue.

"I— yeah, actually. I do."

It was the winter formal the year before. Dances were very much not Harper's thing, but Hannah had convinced her to go along. She'd actually begged her to come, so Harper could hardly say no. She didn't have the worst time, but she did spend most of the night at the edge of the room, watching.

She recalled seeing Hannah and Clay dance together that night, and she couldn't help but smile. Harper had the feeling that he'd be good for her after all the bad that year had brought. And maybe she was right, but now she'd never really know for sure.

However, seeing the two of them so happy had reminded her of how alone she really was at that dance. She had borrowed an old dress of Hannah's since her mother wouldn't spring for one. The only reason she'd come at all was to keep her friend company, and while she was sure she could have had her share of offers from some of the boys at Liberty, she didn't want to dance with any of them. So she went outside for a breath of air.

The chill that night was the polar opposite of the stifling environment inside, where everyone was moving, and dancing, the temperature boosted by all the closeness and hormones raging. And there was Tony, leaning against the building. Also alone.

"Not really a place for the likes of us, is it," he asked. "I only came as a favor to Clay, and the extra money to DJ didn't hurt either."

"Yeah, it's not really my scene, even if there was anyone I wanted to dance with," Harper admitted. Tony gave her a knowing look. And that was it. That understanding that both of them had something in common, something that set them apart from most of their peers. And in a quiet way, they'd been there for each other ever since.

"Was there a point to bringing up that memory," Harper asked after reminiscing.

"Only to remind you that I'm still here if you need to talk. You've been radio silent for a couple days."

"Right. I've just had a lot to think about." Tony's look of concern caused Harper to amend her statement. "I'm good, I promise. Or I will be. I wouldn't even know where to start right now, but when I'm ready to talk, you know I'll come to you." Tony nodded, taking her at her word. She hardly ever broke a promise to him. And he drove her the rest of the way home in silence.