Disclaimer: I do not own The Simpsons characters; only the original characters listed in this fic.

I accept constructive criticism. c:

~•~•~•~

Springfield Penitentiary's halls were buzzing with energy as the inmates were led back to their cells after lunch hour was up. Jack Crowley was not among them, however.

The convict was sitting in one of the board rooms with his defense attorney, the Warden, the local district attorney and a couple of guards at the door (for safety reasons in case things went awry). He had been pulled from his solitary table in the cafeteria a few minutes ago by one of the guards, telling him that he was needed for a meeting regarding his pending trial. Throwing away the last bit of his meal, he got up and was handcuffed before being led to where he currently was. Jack wasn't exactly keen on dealing with these people but he didn't have a choice in the matter; escaping and being returned to prison really cut down on your freedom. Since he came back, he was placed by himself in one of the newer cells, reinforced with steel walls so he couldn't dig himself out again, and placed under constant supervision by the guards. He also wasn't allowed to do any recreational activities like his fellow inmates, only permitted to sit in his cell and keep himself entertained. Somehow, he convinced the book mobile guy to drop off a few titles for him so he could brush up on his literature; doing push-ups and sit-ups got old real fast nowadays.

He considered himself somewhat lucky though; the Warden was ecstatic to throw his ass in solitary confinement the second he stepped foot inside the building. Thanks to his attorney's interference, he insisted that Jack needed to be in a stable mental state in order to build a strong defense in preparation for the trial. The convict wasn't completely unscathed though, he had gotten a bit of a beating from a couple of power-hungry guards later that day; it was overlooked, courtesy of the head honcho himself.

"Mr. Crowley, I'm glad you could join us today. We have some news to deliver."

The brunet grunted and crossed his thick arms over his chest. "Spit it out."

The DA frowned a bit (still not used to Jack's coldness) and composed themselves before speaking again. "A date has been set for your trial which means that the details on your case must now be solidified."

Now Jack's attention was piqued, only showing through a slight eyebrow raise. "What's the date?"

"November 16th."

"I see…"

"Here's the problem, though…" The DA leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table. "It usually takes months for evidence to be gathered in the case of a defense in order to be solid in court. But seeing as how we only have a little less than a month left, it's going to be a bit…trying to build a solid case for you, Mr. Crowley."

Jack could feel his temper flaring as his arms uncrossed before his hands clenched into fists, the veins bulging through his yellow skin. "So you're tellin' me I'm gonna be put through the wringer regardless? What's the damn point of this bullshit trial if that's gonna be the case?"

While the DA swallowed hard at the convict's anger, his defense attorney spoke up in his nasally voice. "Mr. Crowley, I can assure you that I will be doing my best to make sure that does not happen to you. I have been collecting evidence since the day after you were arrested and have been studying all angles in order to ensure that we will have a solid case. Besides-" The blue-haired man smirked. "I have quite the track record so you should have nothing but the utmost faith in me."

Jack scoffed. "Whatever you say, Burnham. That's what the last three attorneys said and look what happened."

He couldn't deny the reputation of the blue-haired lawyer, though. Through news outlets and yard talk, he had heard that Gideon Burnham was one of Springfield's most prominent lawyers, representing the town's not so finest from Snake Jailbird to Mr. Burns. He had won a large majority of his cases with his silver tongue and could make a red-handed criminal look like a harmless citizen. When Jack had been told to choose a lawyer, he had been indifferent after his big plan had been thwarted, telling the prison that he didn't give a shit who represented him. They were about to call one of the state-appointed lawyers before Burnham had contacted them and asked for a meeting with the convict. The two had been introduced to each other before being left under the supervision of a guard in a room smaller than this. Before the blue-haired man could start asking questions about Jack and his case, the muscled man had grilled him on why the hell some yuppie would ask to represent a lowlife like him. It wasn't like he was rich so he wasn't getting a bribe plus he had a large amount of charges against him added onto the ones he was already serving time for. Not even the most talented defense attorney would glance at this case, fearing a mark on their winning streak. To his shock, the man gave him a deadpan stare and in that nasally voice, said that he wanted to have an actual challenge this time around and found the convict to be the perfect guinea pig (his exact words). Jack wasn't very on board with the lawyer's view on him but he figured that beggars couldn't be choosers and so, he agreed to have Burnham as his defense attorney.

"Now, now, Mr. Crowley, have some faith in me. That 'angle' we discussed about representing you as? We're still going ahead with it, especially with all of the new information you gave me in the last week. I'm going to be doing my best to make sure everyone on that jurors' stand will be in your favor by the end of this trial."

At this, the Warden finally spoke up with a scoff, his mouth turned down into a frown. "Good luck with repaintin' the picture, Burnham, this guy is as troubled as a kid from the south side of Springfield. I don't know why you bothered with him in the first place, he's a lost cause."

Usually the mustached man's degrading comments would cause him to mouth off but the convict smirked instead at him. "Love ya too, Warden. I ain't goin' in that chair any time soon so just get used to it."

The Warden grumbled under his breath before scooting his chair back and standing up. "I've got more important things to do than watch some suit butter up your sorry ass. Good day, gentlemen." He made his exit soon after, leaving Jack alone with Burnham and the DA.

The DA cleared his throat, visibly unnerved by the tension in the air. "A-Anyways…we need to start discussing more details so we can move forward with the trial proceedings." Burnham nodded in agreement and began to converse with the other, spewing all kinds of legal mumbo-jumbo that the convict wasn't super familiar with; he made sure to pipe in with whatever he could whenever they questioned him, though.

In the back of his head, the date had been imprinted. He was sure that Marge, the trust fund brat and the boy would be asked to testify against him, among others such as the police or civilian witnesses. Maybe if Burnham's plan worked out, he could change Marge's view of him and sway her into his favor. Just maybe…

~•~•~•~

"Alexandra, we need to talk."

Said girl looked up from her laptop to see her father standing next to her, his face looking slightly grim. "What is it, dad?"

She didn't notice the crumpled letter in his hand until he held it out to her, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. "Is that for me?"

"Yes…it's from the DA's office. I think you should read it thoroughly."

Her arched eyebrow raised now at his words. She hadn't heard anything from them since that night in the hospital. She remembered a man of average height with slicked back blond hair, a clean-shaven face and a gray suit coming in her room and letting her know that they were seeking legal action against Jack and wanted to obtain some statements from her to use for an upcoming trial. But due to her shaken state and the lack of a legal guardian in the room at the time, Alex couldn't give him anything to work with at the time. The disappointment on his face showed but it was replaced by a sympathetic smile quickly. The DA let her know that he understood how difficult things had been but let her know that if she changed her mind (with her parents' permission), his doors were always open. He then left, just missing her parents as they burst into the room, her father barking for a doctor and her mother in near hysterics. She almost missed the calm nature of the DA.

Alex took the letter from her father and unfolded the tri-fold, eyes narrowing a bit as she began reading. But once she saw the third line of the first paragraph, they widened before looking up at her father again. "T-They want me to testify?!"

Nathaniel nodded before sighing in exasperation. "Yes. I was hoping they would cease and desist after our last conversation but it seems like a trial date has been set and they're collecting as many witnesses as possible."

"Oh my God…" She continued reading until she hit the end of the page, staring at the signature of the DA. The room was quiet for a couple of minutes before her father broke the silence.

"Alexandra…legally, I shouldn't be saying this but…if you don't want to testify, you don't have to. We can give your testimony to our lawyers and have them represent you at the trial."

Alex was somewhat shocked at his offer, not because of his slight disregard for legal proceedings but because it almost seemed like he cared about her well-being for once. Knowing him though, it was probably so it wouldn't be yet another pile on his already massive workload. But as easy as it would be to refuse to testify, she knew in her heart that it would be an injustice to herself, Bart and Mrs. Simpson if she didn't show up. The three of them had suffered too much by Jack's hands and the teen was damned if she was going to let that psycho get off scot-free. With determination set on her face now, she looked up at the other once more.

"I'll testify…tell them I can give them whatever they need ASAP."

Nathaniel's eyes now widened at his daughter's decision before he nodded stiffly. "Yes, I'll go call them right now." He turned and started to walk out of her room before he looked back over his shoulder. "Alexandra…this is serious, not any of your last-minute shopping trips that you can change your mind on."

The teen pursed her lips and nodded. "I know, dad. It's not going to be easy but…I want to do this."

The man nodded once more and left the room, leaving Alex alone with her thoughts. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and rested her elbow on the desk, cradling her forehead in her hand. The thought of facing that man again after he physically and emotionally scarred her was, well…terrifying. Of course he would be in handcuffs and on the other side of the witness stand but one wrong look from those cold, dark eyes of his and she could possibly freeze up and want to book it out of the courtroom. But she was going to try her damn best and that was final.

She lifted the letter up and stared at the bold letters of the court date. November 16th.

'That's the Monday after the Harvest Dance…guess I'll really make sure I have a good time, then.'

~•~•~•~

Bart shut the door behind him as he walked into the house with his mom, a pep in his step as his right leg was now free of the confining brace. His mom picked him up from school an hour early in order to make his appointment with his doctor. True to his word, he removed the brace as Bart's shinbone had healed for the most part and didn't require constant stabilization. He did warn the teen not to do anything too strenuous for two more weeks or else he'd have to wear it again. Bart promised wholeheartedly to follow his advice; he didn't want to have to look at that damned thing anymore.

Marge carried the mail in her arms before setting it down on the coffee table in the living room. "Bart, could you rummage through and separate these for me? I have to go get dinner started."

"Sure, mom."

The Simpson woman sped off to the kitchen, leaving Bart alone. He plopped down on the couch with a sigh before picking up the stack, speaking out loud as he sorted them out. "Let's see…junk…water bill…junk…Metropolitan…insurance scam…huh?"

He reached a plain white envelope in the stack addressed to him from the Springfield District Attorney's office; he put it to the side and saw the same thing again but with his mom's name instead. Extremely curious on what they were about, he put the rest of the mail back on the table and picked up his copy, ripping the top open and pulling out the folded paper inside. It had addressed him by name before explaining that the DA had personally typed this letter, asking him to testify in an upcoming trial. The trial was for Jack Crowley and the new charges he had been saddled with and they were looking for witnesses immediately. Bart was considered one of the key ones and was being requested to testify against the criminal, starting on November 16th, causing his eyes to widen. They were giving him an option instead of demanding he attend (to his surprise, considering his previous experiences with the legal system).

Sucking in a deep breath as the contents of the letter sunk in, he leaned back against the cushions and pushed back a few strands of hair hanging over his forehead.

He wasn't surprised that he was being requested for this but it didn't make the thought of having to recall that night any easier, especially with his assailant in the same room. Bart Simpson was no scaredy-cat but having a near-death experience messed you up pretty bad. Although, if he was being contacted, he was sure Alex may have received the same letter as well. Whether she would go through with it was a question in of itself but if she did agree, the blond was sure she could use some support from a fellow victim.

Still unsure about his decision, he looked at the other envelope addressed to his mom and frowned before calling out. "Mom, come here, there's mail for you!"

A few seconds later, the blue-haired woman rushed in, the sleeves of her cardigan rolled up and her pink, frilly apron tied around her waist. "What is it, sweetie? It's not another debt notice, is it?"

The teen shook his head and said no more, picking up her letter and handing it to her. Marge took it and looked at the front with confusion. "The District Attorney? Oh dear, I hope this isn't for any of those past trials we had. I'm pretty sure we paid off all those fines-"

As she rambled, she opened the envelope and began reading the contents inside, cutting off when she reached the lines explaining what they needed her for. Her mouth hung open for a bit before closing into a grim line. She reached the end and lowered the paper, making eye contact with her son once more. He spoke up, holding up his own copy. "They sent one to me too…"

"Oh..."

Bart licked his lips before talking again. "Mom…I don't know what you're gonna do but…I want to go and testify."

"Bart…honey…are you sure? This is going to be a pretty trying experience…they'll have you say everything that he did to you word for word…they might even try to use it against you."

"I know but…I have to do it. Especially if Alex is gonna be there too…she'll need the support and both of our testimonies should be enough to nail that bastard."

The two were quiet for a minute before the older woman spoke. "Okay, Bart. You're almost an adult now so you can make your own decisions…just promise me that if it gets to be too much, you'll back out." He nodded in agreement before pointing to the paper hanging loosely from her hand. "What about you, mom?"

"I…hrmmm." Marge attempted to speak but found that she could only give her characteristic murmur. She wasn't completely sure why they would need her as a witness as well when Bart and Alex had suffered bodily harm from Jack while he broke out of prison to see her…and merely stalked their house…and strongly implied that he was planning to kidnap her…

Her hazel eyes narrowed while her fists clenched, crumbling the paper. It was rare she became consumed with anger but with everything that had been happening, her tolerance was low, especially for a convict who had abused her trust and terrorized her family. And by God, if she had to be the strong one in order to support the emotionally troubled teens, she would do it with no hesitation.

"I'll do it."

~•~•~•~

Before everyone knew it, it was the second to last week of October and it was beginning to show in the town. All of the trees' leaves had turned color and began shedding at an accelerated rate, succumbing to the drop in temperature. Springfieldians began donning their fall jackets and hats as they roamed the streets, not wanting to become sick. Among the residents, many of them, especially the children, were excited about Halloween coming up soon. The promise of costumes, trick or treating and mischief night was something to look forward to as this weather became more harsh. However, Lisa and her group of friends were not one of them, putting the holiday second to outfit shopping for the Harvest Dance.

The group of girls walked down the streets of Downtown Springfield, chattering among themselves on what they wanted to look for. Earlier in the week, they had planned to meet up on Saturday to go shopping. The mall was where they had decided to hit up first, thinking that they would find everything they were looking for there. Unfortunately, the mall had become so run down that the same stores they had gotten their dresses from last year had shut down or relocated to the Downtown area. After attempting a couple of stores (the girls were cringing at the cheap-looking and overpriced options), they decided to grab some smoothies for the road before having Winston drive them Downtown. With some persuasion by Alex, they all agreed to go to Costington's, hoping they could find some affordable options.

"So ladies, any idea what colors we're thinking of?"

Lisa hummed in thought. "Mm, I know it's fall but I was just thinking of sticking with red."

Becky piped in after sipping her berry smoothie. "Anything with more than three colors will make me happy!"

Sophie chimed in, shaking a curly lock out of her face. "Mm, nothing too bright, I'm more interested in the silhouette than anything."

Allison spoke up, adjusting her jacket with her free hand. "I wanted something light, maybe pastel?"

Nina finished off with a deadpan tone. "All black, baby."

Becky grinned at her friend. "Like your soul?"

"Like my soul."

The fashionista took in everyone's thoughts (rolling her eyes at Nina's predictable answer) before giving her own two cents. "Alright, hopefully we'll hit gold here today, Costington's hasn't let me down yet!"

"Alex, do you even need to buy a dress? I'm sure you've got tons of them sitting in your closet that are unworn."

"Pft, yes I do, Soph. I can't believe I'm saying this but they're too fancy for something like the Harvest Dance. I want something downplayed yet eye-catching at the same time."

Nina snorted before shaking her head. "Knowing you, you'll get something with a shitload of glitter or sequins."

The fashionista batted her eyelashes at the other. "Oh Nina, you know me too well!"

The group of girls laughed at the banter before finally reaching and entering the department store. Once they stepped through the revolving doors, they looked around, realizing they were in the perfume department.

"Alright, does anyone know exactly how to get to the dress shop?"

Allison looked up while thinking of an answer to Lisa's question. "I believe it's on the third floor…if we're in the perfume department, we should be on the first floor right now."

Becky sniffled, rubbing her nose. "Alright, let's get the heck outta here then, all these scents are making my allergies act up!"

Before the group could begin walking off, a heavyset woman with pounds of makeup on and a Cheshire cat grin ran up to them with a bottle of perfume. "Care to try the new Pretension Lies perfume by Calvin Klein, ladies?"

All the girls' eyes widened at the peddler before Alex pointed away from the woman. "Ooh, look, I see a man who's alone and wandering around confused!"

The woman turned around with lightning speed. "Oh, he must be shopping for his lady! Time to bombard him with overpriced scents!" The girls took the advantage and booked it towards the escalators, sighing in relief once they hopped on.

Nina groaned and rubbed her temples. "Ugh, those perfume ladies always piss me off. No, I don't want to smell like a French whore, I'm only fifteen."

Lisa sighed in agreement. "I can respect their drive but they're like parasites sometimes."

Becky took a deep inhale of the air. "Well, my nose doesn't respect them."

After taking one more escalator, the teens finally reached the third floor, spotting the sign with an arrow pointing towards the dress shop. They walked towards the area, their excitement growing as the various mannequins in gowns, cocktail and party dresses came into view. At the right of them, a couple of sales associates were conversing and spotted the group, approaching them with a smile. "Hello ladies, can we help you find anything today?"

Shooting a smile back, Alex spoke up for the group. "Possibly. We have a school dance coming up but we all had some ideas of what we wanted, if you could point them out to us." Lisa piped in quickly. "And budget, can't forget about budget!"

The saleswoman chuckled at the add-on before nodding. "Well ladies, you're in luck. Our juniors collection just got some new additions for the season; they're affordable yet stylish and just might be what you're looking for! If you could just follow me…" She began leading the girls further into the shop before stopping in front of a section towards the back, two smaller mannequins, built to look like teenaged girls, each donning a dress. Alex stopped in her tracks, gasping at one of them. On the right one, the dress consisted of a nude-colored tulle with gold gems and glitter overlaying it, becoming more clustered at the hem and the bottom of the short, gathered bell sleeves. The V-neckline was slightly daring yet tasteful for a teen to wear and the skirt part was made up of two tiers, hitting a few inches above the knees. The saleswoman noticed her gaping at the outfit and flashed her pearly whites.

"I see that something caught your eye! That's actually one of our predicted bestsellers for the season, it's part of the affordable juniors line created by Kera Liang for the Costington's stores."

Alex's hazel eyes widened as her face lit up in recognition. "Ohmigosh, I forgot she was releasing a line here! It's freakin' gorgeous!"

Allison spotted her best friend having a gushing moment and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Alex, it is a beautiful dress but let's look at all the options before making a decision, yes?" The platinum blonde pouted but nodded. "Oh, you're right, Alli. I'm going to keep that one in mind, though!"

The woman laughed at her excitement. "Of course, miss. I'll leave you ladies to shop around, just come ask for Erica if you have any questions."

After thanking Erica, she walked back towards the counter to ring up a few customers in line now. The teens looked around at the many choices and began rummaging the racks, picking up a few choices and showing them to each other, earning either a coo of approval or a wince and a head shake. A half an hour later plus a couple of visits from Erica, the girls all found some choices (surprisingly, Alex had only three dresses while Allison and Becky had enough that they had to hold their pile with two arms). But since there were only three dressing rooms, the girls had to take turns and let Allison, Becky and Sophie go first, leaving Alex, Lisa and Nina to stand outside and give their opinions on whoever stepped out. While the girls inside were in the middle of changes, the trio started making some small talk. In the midst of their conversation (and saying no to the gaudy rainbow dress that Becky came out in and the too simple dress Allison wore), Lisa decided to speak up and bring up something her brother and mom had told her a couple of days ago.

"Hey Alex."

"Hm, what's up, Lise?"

The Simpson girl bit her lip a bit, hesitant on her next question but remembering that Alex said she could handle talking about that topic now. "Did, um…did you get a letter asking you to testify next month?"

At her question, the fashionista's face grew not into one of distress but of seriousness. "Yeah, I did. I was gonna text you guys about it but I figured I should say it in person, instead."

Nina's gray eyes widened. "You mean they have an actual trial date now?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be November 16th. I agreed to testify against…Jack."

The two other girls gaped at her bold decision. "Alex, are you sure? It's not gonna be a walk in the park, dealing with some…some sicko who hurt you."

"I know, I know…but I feel like I have to. That bastard hurt too many of us, I can't just sit by and live in fear and possibly watch him walk away from getting what he deserves." She looked down at her clenched fist. "If I refused, I might as well just spit in Bart and Mrs. Simpson's face. My parents are talking with their lawyers now and letting the DA know that I'm on board."

Lisa wrapped a free hand around her best friend's clenched one, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry Alex, you're not going to be alone. Mom and Bart are going to testify too." The platinum blonde's eyes widened at the other's info before she smiled a bit, happy that they were planning to speak out against Jack as well.

Nina clapped a ring-clad hand on her shoulder, shooting her a smirk. "We'll be there for you too, even if we have to camp out in order to get good seats."

Alex couldn't help but laugh a bit at the brunette's promise. "I appreciate the support Nina but it is on a Monday in the morning, I don't think your parents are gonna want you to skip school for that." Said girl gave a groan of annoyance and scowled. "Aw man, a Monday morning, why not later? Even so, one day of no classes isn't gonna hold me back!"

Out of nowhere, Becky's peppy voice piped up from behind one of the curtains. "Exactly, screw school!"

"What the- Becky, are you eavesdropping?!"

The blonde opened her curtain with a dramatic flourish (well, as dramatic as you could be in a bright yellow tutu dress) and rolled her eyes. "Duh, you're not the only one with supersonic hearing, ya know. But really, we've got your back, Alex! I'll even make signs if I have to!"

Allison came out next, an amused expression on her face as she giggled at the other. "Becks, the guards will confiscate those the second you step foot into the building." Her smile then switched to the fashionista. "We'll do whatever we can to support you and the others, no matter what."

Sophie then joined a second later, leaning against the edge of the dressing room. "What they said, Alex. As long as you give all the details you can, I think you've got this in the bag."

Alex's heart couldn't help but warm at the sheer love and support of her friends. To think that merely a week ago, things were tense between the group as they tiptoed around upsetting their friend, promising never to breathe a word about that fateful night. But after her heart to heart with Bart earlier this week, she realized that she should be more open with them, seeing that they just wanted the best for her and her well-being. And so with that, the teen had made a group call later that night and apologized to the girls for her behavior before letting them ask questions about what exactly happened from when she went up the stairs until she escaped from the backyard. Tears were shed, outbursts of anger erupted and comments of sympathy were given. Humorously, their session went way past their usual bedtimes and some of them almost missed school the next day. "Thank you girls, really…I wouldn't trade any of you for the world."

The group smiled at her kind words before jumping a bit as she clapped her hands together all of a sudden. "Alright, enough of the sentimental stuff, I need to judge those dresses of yours!"

"Aaand there goes our moment."

The platinum blonde poked Nina in the shoulder. "Hush, you." She eyed the trio with their dresses on for about a minute before speaking with finality. "Sophie, yes. Allison, meh. Becky, absolutely not."

Sophie grinned and gave a thumbs up while Allison sighed and Becky gasped in horror. "What do you mean, 'absolutely not'?!"

"Girl, you look like Cyndi Lauper and a ballerina had a love child then decided to paint themselves in the color of the sun."

The other girls laughed at her unique critique while the now scowling blonde put her hands on her tulle-covered hips. "You are so lucky I love you, Alex. I've got four more dresses to try on, I will gain your approval!" With that promise, she stepped back inside the booth and shut the curtain, the sound of fabric being whipped off loud and clear.

Allison, after getting her laughter under control, spoke. "I'm kind of glad you said no to mine, I'm not exactly feeling very pleased with this one. Let me go try another one on."

When the redhead disappeared behind the curtain again, Sophie turned a bit, giving the others a better view of her approved look. "You really think this is the one?"

Lisa nodded, eyeing the dress close. "I agree with Alex, this one really suits you."

Nina chimed in also. "It fits you pretty well, too."

The curly-haired girl's dress was in a sleeveless maxi style with a modest keyhole neckline, gathered at the waist before falling into an uneven hemline around her shins. The color was a forest green and overlaid with pink and white flower print, suiting her love of earthy tones and nature prints. When she turned around, the closure part of the back showed a larger keyhole that Sophie's short hair would be advantageous in showing off. "Hmm…I really do like this one…the price is nice, too…"

The trio helped with her decision, speaking at the same time with enthusiasm. "Do it."

Satisfied with the reassurance, Sophie grinned and ran back in to change out so one of the others could get their turn. Time passed by as the group continued to try their dresses on, Lisa taking Sophie's place as Allison and Becky still couldn't find one they were pleased with. While the spiky-haired girl emerged in a light pink dress with lace overlay (with an underwhelming response), the redhead came out in a dress that immediately had the others clamoring on how good she looked (leaving her with reddened cheeks at the shower of compliments). Her dress was a cornflower blue and made of a sheer polyester, the second layer underneath giving modesty to the fabric. It was sleeveless with a mock turtleneck that gathered into a narrow ruffle at the top; the same method was done for the sleeve openings also. The gathering continued at the waist, accentuated by the sash that tied into a bow at the front. The skirt part stopped a few inches above the knees and was sectioned off with two seams and spreading out, giving the redhead a feminine yet breezy look. Happy with this one, Allison changed into her normal clothes, switching out with Nina. Surprised that Alex was patiently waiting for her turn, she questioned her on why she didn't want to go instead. She waved off her concerns once again and stated that her fashion expertise was needed before she tried on her own picks.

The girls continued with their dressings and opinions for a little longer (Alex shot Erica a thumbs up when she asked if they were doing alright) until Lisa seemed to find one she was pleased with. Her dress was in a shade of red, similar to her sweater, and made of a polyester like Allison's although the silhouette had slightly less femininity. A large ruffle covered her shoulders and bordered the V-neckline, stopping at the waistline where a thin sash tied into a bow on her left side. The skirt was flowing and spread out wide when she gave a little twirl, earning a sly comment from Becky on how she better make use of it on the dance floor (prompting Lisa to give the blonde a deadpan look and a poke on the shoulder, knowing how she hated dancing in public). After getting approval from the rest, she changed out and switched with Alex, curious to see what the fashionista was going to pick.

Not to much surprise of the girls, all of Nina's dresses were black, true to her promise. Alex gave her a hard time about them but figured that it was a miracle that the braided girl wasn't wearing pants instead and let it go, throwing her hands up before going back inside to change. She eventually settled on one with a bustier-style bodice with spaghetti straps, a dark gray and white plaid pattern overlaid on it, that sat high on her waist. The bottom of the dress had a black lining underneath that was fitted and stopped a few inches above her knees with a sheer skirt of the same color that fell in choppy, uneven layers down to her shins. Not long after she stepped out, Becky hopped out with a triumphant shout, having finally found her chosen one. Although the cut of the dress was simple in silhouette and base color, the V-neckline short and the sleeves absent, the print was what had caught her eye. All over the white dress were heart-shaped lollipops in a multitude of colors; had the material been cheap, it would've been passed off as something from Dingo Junction, but its thick cotton-polyester blend made it something worthy of Costington's. When the girls all gave their approval on her choice, the blonde let out a breath of relief, happy to have found something seven dresses later.

Now Alex was the only one left and with only three choices, it didn't take long for her to make a decision. Despite the royal blue off-the-shoulder dress and a burgundy satin flare dress that the others complimented, her heart kept going back to the gold tulle one that was on the mannequin. Once she put it on, the group could see why. The gold complimented her lightly tanned skin and the length did her toned legs justice. Almost two hours later and everyone was set to check out.

As the girls gathered and put away whatever they passed on, Erica sauntered over. "Well, how did we do, girls? Did everyone find what they were looking for?"

Lisa smiled along with the others. "Oh, definitely! Sorry we hogged the fitting rooms, heh…"

The older woman laughed and batted her hand. "Nonsense, you all looked like you were having fun! It's not like these are the only ones in the store, most of our customers usually go to the larger ones downstairs. Anyways, let me start ringing you all up."

The group followed her to the register and began checking out, one by one. Allison's phone began ringing while she waited in the back with Nina, the tune of Für Elisesounding. The redhead pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket and smiled at the caller ID (Nina caught the name and nudged her with an elbow while wiggling her eyebrows) before answering.

"Hi Martin!"

"Hello my darling! Having fun shopping?"

She giggled, eyeing Alex blabbing with the saleswoman as she talked about the coveted dress. "Surprisingly, yes. You know how this isn't exactly my favorite activity."

"Ah yes, something more like watching jazz documentaries would be more to your liking."

"Indeed, at least I got what I came for. So what's going on, it's not like you to call spontaneously."

"Oh yes, well dear…" She could hear his throat clear. "Are you busy tomorrow night?"

Allison's head tilted in confusion. "I'm not, actually. Did you want to get together tomorrow too?" The redhead was surprised but secretly elated at his implication. They had a date planned tonight at Chez Nous followed by a showing of Rear Window at the local drive-in so the thought of spending even more desired time with him was pretty exciting. God knows they needed to make up for some lost time lately.

"Haha, that's the thing…um, it's not 'too', it'll have to be only tomorrow night."

And there it was. She should have known that the thought was too good, considering Martin's recent track record.

Her face fell as it begun to sink in what he was saying. "Wh-what? What's going on with tonight? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes, it's my fault, really. I had forgotten my parents have a function to attend at the convention center tonight and a few of their colleagues who are attending teach at Yale so I was planning to go and speak to them."

Her next question came in a blank tone. "So we're not going out tonight but tomorrow instead?"

A sigh sounded on his end. "Yes dear. Once again, it's my fault and I'm deeply sorry about this, I swear I will make this inconvenience up to you. I was able to push our reservation to tomorrow with no issue although it's a little earlier than the original time. Plus, the drive-in will be showing Gone with the Windinstead, their classics marathon is on for the rest of the month, thankfully!"

Allison inhaled through her nostrils before speaking sternly. "Martin, you know I dislike Gone with the Wind, I was really looking forward to Rear Window tonight." She meant to just stop there but her temper got out of control for a bit. "And what if I was occupied tomorrow night? Were you going to push back yet another date? Or maybe you'd buy me a gift or some flowers to appease me, hm?"

She could picture him wincing on the other end as he spoke timidly. "A-Allison, darling-"

Not in the mood to have another fight, especially in front of her friends, the redhead shook her head even though he couldn't see. "You know what, Martin? I'll talk to you tomorrow after I leave church so we can discuss what time we'll have to meet up. Goodbye." With a push of the red icon on her screen, she ended the call and pocketed her phone once more.

While she continued to scowl in silence, she didn't notice Nina staring at her the whole time with concern at her friend's ranging expressions and voice. The brunette frowned as the other seemed to have yet another situation with her flaky boyfriend. Clearing her throat slightly (more so the others didn't hear), she spoke. "Everything good, Allison?"

The shorter girl jumped a bit at her voice before turning her head and shaking it. "Yes…well, no…ugh…"

Raising a dark brow, the braided girl guessed in a sarcastic tone. "Let me guess, another cancelled date?"

"More like postponed…God, I can't believe this, he can be so inconsiderate sometimes! I mean, sure, I should be happy he didn't cancel it completely but what if I had something important going on? Then we would just end up on the same cycle of 'next time' plus some gifts to make up for the trouble!" The redhead realized she was starting to ramble and became flustered, shooting an apologetic look. "I-I'm sorry Nina, I got a little carried away…"

Nina scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Girl, don't apologize to me, he should be the one apologizing to you. If I was in your position, I'd be cussing his ass out right about now, make him wish he'd take you out tonight." Sighing, she spoke lowly, stepping forward with her as Alex and Lisa stepped away from the counter with their shopping bags. "I don't know why you put up with this shit…you deserve better."

Allison shifted in discomfort at her words. "It's…it's hard to explain, Nina…I don't think he means to do it, it's just that college is so important to him. All that hard work he's done over the years would go to waste if he didn't go to one of his dream schools."

The brunette's gray eyes narrowed slightly, boring into the other's green ones. "Is that what you think or is that what he's been convincing you of?"

The question felt like a punch to the gut. Standing there and combing through her memories, she came to the realization that her friend was correct in her accusation. Those words had mainly come from the mouth of Martin, not her own; although denial was a strong emotion and could cloud even the most clear-headed of individuals. The last few months had been full of that and justification for his actions, becoming a cycle that was starting to get on her last nerves. She had hoped that after their last serious conversation about his cancellations becoming a habit that he would continue to be consistent and act like the boy she had fallen for over a year ago. But he had fooled her once again and it took the advice of others to realize that things might not go back to the way they were before.

Sensing that Allison was starting to get wrapped up in deep thought from her words, Nina's eyes softened as she wrapped an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders. "Hey, I'm not saying to do anything definitive but just promise me you'll keep all of this in mind, okay? I only want the best for you and so do the others."

She couldn't help but lean in a bit to the embrace. "I know…thank you…I'll do my best."

Flashing the redhead a smile and getting a timid one back, she gently pushed her forward when they reached the counter so she could check out first. Deep down, the brunette was seething at the situation. In her mind, she would've dumped Martin's ass by now for all of these last minute cancellations, declaring that anyone who wasted her time was not someone she wanted to be involved with. But her and Allison did not have the same mindset or personality and ultimately, it was between her and her boyfriend on how to handle their relationship going forward. She meant what she said when she told the redhead that she deserved better, the girl was too sweet to be putting up with some know-it-all asshole who put education over a relationship he pursued.

Shaking her head to dim her anger, Nina stepped forward once Allison was done to make her purchase. Once she grabbed her bag, Erica gave the girls a heartfelt thank you and farewell, hoping to see them again in the future. The group gave their own thank yous as well and headed to various other departments in Costington's, some looking for shoes or accessories to go with their new dresses. However, they quickly realized that most of these would eat up the last of their budgets (sans Alex with her credit card) and decided to see what they had at home first. They decided to spend the rest of the day roaming the Downtown area, grabbing a bite to eat and heading back to Alex's mansion to hang out for a few more hours. Much to Allison's pleasure, all the fun she was having with them made her forget that at that time, she should have been sitting in the front of Martin's Corolla with him as they watched L.B. Jefferies spy on his neighbors. As she watched Lisa and Sophie reenact a ridiculous scene from the latest episode of Riverdale, leaving the rest of them rolling on the floor or bed with raucous laughter, she realized that she wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.

~•~•~•~

"And then wham! Their car smashes through the barrier and flies over the canyon!"

"And then what?!"

"Then the screen faded to black."

Multiple groans of displeasure sounded in the group of teenage boys, consisting of Bart, Milhouse, Donny and Nelson. Nelson was doing a reenactment of the last five minutes of the season finale of a show they were watching last night; unfortunately, the others' cable provider suffered technical issues and they ended up missing out on the excitement.

"Of course they'd do that, how else would we not look forward to what happened to them?"

Donny sighed after Bart spoke. "The shitty part is that we have to wait even longer than usual for the next season."

Milhouse groaned. "Three months was already bad, but six months?! How will I go on?"

"Ah, quit bitchin', van Houten. Sons of Rebellion is coming back on in a couple of weeks, you'll be fine." At the older boy's reminder, Milhouse sighed in relief and began talking about that show, discussing its recent events with the group until they reached their destination: Krusty Burger.

It was a Saturday and much to Bart's surprise, Comic Book Guy gave him the whole weekend off. He wondered if maybe he finally had a successful date with an actual woman instead of pixels or a cardboard cutout to put him in a generous mood. But the Simpson boy wasn't complaining and so, he hit up his group to see if they wanted to hang out Downtown for the day. Everyone managed to get on board sans Richard and Lewis (the former caught a bit of a cold and the latter had an assignment to make up from last week) and so they met up at Donny's place before catching a bus. It was times like these that Bart debated on using his savings for a car as the public transit was packed with people.

The group decided to hit up the Noiseland Arcade first, eager to catch up on their favorite cabinets and games. Because it was the weekend, many kids and teens were roaming the building, waiting their turns to spend their quarters on the machines. It was quite the wait but each boy managed to play what they desired, Bart with his rail shooters, Milhouse with his Alien game (he still got jumpscared after all this time, much to the others' humor), Nelson with his punching bag and Donny with his motocross racing. After three hours, the group worked up an appetite and agreed to walk down a couple of blocks to the nearest Krusty Burger, the greasy food sounding appealing right now. Once Milhouse finished explaining to Donny about why a character on Sons of Rebellion made a certain drug deal, they reached the building and entered through the front doors. The teens inhaled the scent of fries and grilled meat and joined the line, debating on what they were planning to order.

After fifteen minutes of waiting (one obese guy who looked like he was barely holding his weight on his stubby legs was ordering half of the menu), the boys sat at a booth in the corner, trying not to get stuck on the multiple rips in it. Leaning back against the seat, Bart spoke up. "So, you guys gonna do the Harvest Dance again this year?"

Milhouse and Nelson gave opposite responses, the former nodding eagerly while the latter shrugged his broad shoulders. Donny gave the blond a confused look from across the table instead. "I keep hearing about this Harvest Dance, what's it all about?"

"Eh, it's kind of a mini fall-themed prom. They've usually got things to do but it's just a chill event."

Nelson joined in. "People usually use the dance to pick who they're gonna take to prom next year, honestly. Get some good practice in before making the jump, ya know?"

"Hmm, I see. Sounds alright but dances ain't my thing."

Bart frowned at the other. "Aw come on, Donny, no one's gonna force you to dance or anything. Hell, you can chill with us and if it's lame, we'll ditch early."

Milhouse grinned. "Remember sophomore year when we left and snuck into Foxy Boxing?"

"Heh, I can remember it like it was yesterday. Didn't have to look at my Playdudes for weeks after that! Can't believe it took them almost an hour to find us, though."

The blond chuckled at Nelson's reminiscence. "Getting kicked out sucked but at least we managed to run before they called the cops."

Donny couldn't help but laugh at the other three's recollection. "Damn, this is the kind of shit you guys get up to? I wish I came back years ago!"

Bart pointed a finger gun at the other with a smirk. "Don't you worry, my man, we're gonna get you up to speed on our rendezvouses. That's only a taste of what we can do."

The dirty blond smirked back. "Well then, I look forward to it."

As soon as he finished talking, a greasy-faced teen came over with a cart of their food, setting the trays down in front of each boy before telling them to enjoy in a cracking voice. Without hesitation, they dug into their meals, savoring the salt and greasiness with content. Halfway through their eating, Donny spoke after swallowing some fries. "So, you guys usually get dates for the dance or are you flying solo?"

Bart shrugged while sipping his orange soda. "I usually get some offers but I don't know if I feel like being bothered this time. Kind of drags the night on if you get stuck with some girl who you're not that into."

"Says someone who had half of the school fawning over him the last couple of weeks, at least you've got options."

The blond looked at him with exaggerated pity. "Nelson, if you need a date, you could just ask me to put in a good word for you. I'm sure someone will appreciate your rugged charm."

The former bully scoffed. "The last person who did that was your sister and look how that turned out, I'll pass."

"Speaking of Lisa…" Milhouse pointed his half-eaten chicken tender at his best friend. "Can you see if she's going with anyone this time?"

The Simpson boy groaned and rolled his eyes at the request. "Milhouse, we go through this every time the dance, prom or any kind of social event comes around. You ask Lisa out, she says no, you sulk for a week and bitch to me about why she won't change her mind and the cycle goes on and on and on."

"But Bart, it might be different this time! C'mon, do me a solid for once!"

Nelson reached over and flicked the bluenet on the forehead, prompting a yelp from him. "Drop it, dork, it ain't gonna happen. Just come and hang out with us. Besides, if you're not tied down to one chick the whole night, you can go dance with multiple of them."

"Hrm…I mean, you do have a point…"

"Trust me, Milhouse-" Donny pointed a fry at him. "It's your best option. You get to know one, you don't like her? Move on to the next one and so on."

"Oh…fine, you win this time, guys. I'm guessing you're going solo too, Donny?"

He nodded. "Damn straight. I mean, I think this one girl I went on a date with might ask but I'm not trying to get her hopes up."

Bart raised an eyebrow while taking a bite of his burger. "You really don't have your eye on anyone? All these girls who've been hitting on you and none of them caught your eye?"

"Nope, not one. I'm a lone wolf." Unbeknownst to the others, a smiling face with emerald green eyes passed through his mind. He mentally shook it out of there, not wanting to dwell on what that meant.

The group continued to eat their meal with idle chitchat about school, family and life in general. Milhouse brought up how his parents were planning on getting him a car, Nelson talked about how he had an interview to work at Herman's Military Antiques tomorrow and Donny showed them pictures of the decals he was planning to add to his motorbike. Bart gave his own comments to each topic and enjoyed sitting back and listening for once. Eventually, his soda cup was empty and he got up to go get a refill. Walking to the soda fountain, he pondered on the choices before deciding to get Coke this time. While filling up his cup, a worker passed by with a mop bucket, heading towards what looked like a puddle of leaking ceiling water. Bart was about to walk away with his refill until they turned towards him while mopping up, giving pause as his eyes widened.

The worker was a girl around his age or so and nearly his height with black hair and bright pink bangs that looked shockingly familiar. His brain was racking through all the people he had met over the years, trying to figure out just who this mystery person was. He got his answer when someone, who he figured was the manager, shouted from behind the counter.

"Hey Gina, after you're done there, go on your break, yeah?"

Bart's jaw dropped now. 'Gina? From juvie?! No fuckin' way.'

But as he heard her name, all of the memories started flooding back. From their first violent meeting to the escape he was roped into to their getting arrested and her taking the fall for him. The more he stared at this girl, the more he was sure that she was that aggressive girl from his childhood. Gina looked up at the manager and nodded, her face blank as always. Somehow she didn't notice Bart looking at her and so he quickly but carefully snuck back to his table, sitting down and trying to act normal. He tried his best to listen to and respond accordingly to whatever his friends were saying but it was hard when a girl you used to have feelings for was standing less than eight feet away from you.

Eventually, the group finished their meals and discussed where they were going to head to next; they decided on going to Try-N-Save to check out the new electronics and video games that came in. As they were throwing their garbage out, Bart spotted Gina walking out the front door, presumably going on her break. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, he fibbed to the others that his stomach was bothering him a bit and that he might be in the bathroom for a while. The boys told him to go ahead and meet them in the Bookaccino's down the block once he was done. As soon as they all walked out and split up, the blond walked out himself and snuck to the back of the Krusty Burger, hoping he would find the teen. Sure enough, she was sitting on the hood of her car in the employee section of the parking lot, her hat sitting next to her and a cigarette hanging loosely from her right hand. Her head was downcast, pink bangs obscuring the expression on her face. Swallowing hard, Bart stepped forward until he was about a foot away before clearing his throat. Gina looked up with irritation before it turned into immediate shock, her dark brown eyes widening and her mouth dropping open.

"Holy shit…"

Nervously chuckling at her reaction, he gave a casual wave. "Heh…h-hey, Gina. Long time no see."

Her shock went away as she shook her head, eyes narrowing slightly in skepticism at the last person she expected to see. "Bart Simpson…to think I'd see you again after seven years. The hell are you doin' here?"

Bart scoffed and held a hand out towards her. "I should be asking you that. Last I saw you, you were still in juvie, now you're here mopping floors in Krusty Burger? What happened?"

Gina's lips pressed tight together at his inquiry before she brought her cigarette up to them. "It's complicated…" Inhaling on the stick before blowing the smoke out after a few seconds, she aimed her own question at him. "What about you? You a high school dropout now or somethin'?"

"Pfft, nah. I'm graduating next year and I've been working on the side, too. College ain't cheap, ya know."

"Hnh."

Her noncommital grunt brought a silence over the duo as Bart watched the teen continue to smoke and look off into the distance as if he wasn't there. Taking this opportunity, he studied her appearance. Her hair was still black with bright pink bangs yet the back was much shorter, only reaching to the top of her neck and cut unevenly, and the colored strands were now even lengths, framing the sides of her strong face. Her ears had about three piercings in each, two in her lobes and a hoop in her helix. The standard purple Krusty Burger uniform shirt covered her toned body and full chest while her bottoms consisted of faded black jeans and battered black Converses donned her feet. A braided black bracelet sat on her left wrist and a plain silver ring sat on her right ring finger; Bart also saw a tattoo peeking out of the bracelet but he couldn't tell what it was. When they were younger, Gina had a couple of inches on him and he could tell she would grow to be a tall woman; thinking back to when he saw her inside, he figured they must be about the same height now. Her face still had that permanent scowl on it after all this time but it seemed tired now, almost as if things hadn't improved for the young woman over the years. Her dark eyes seemed a bit cold also when she looked at him, leaving him to wonder exactly what happened while they were separated.

"Gina…what'd you do after you left juvie? You didn't escape again, did you?"

The dark-haired teen growled lowly and pointed her cigarette. "I didn't escape from shit, they let me out about three years after you left. And whatever happened after that is none of your goddamn business, Simpson."

'Still as angry as always.'

Bart's eyes narrowed a bit as his arms folded across his chest. "Dude, I haven't seen you for all these years and you won't even tell me what you've been doing all this time? I thought we were frie-"

In a split second, Gina hopped off the car and balled the front of Bart's shirt up in her left fist, bringing his face close to hers while snarling. "Don't say that we're friends. We haven't talked in seven years and now you wanna act like you know me? You're not entitled to shit, Bart, so get bent and leave me the hell alone." Pushing him away, she threw her cigarette down and stomped it out with more force than necessary before grabbing her hat and storming back inside the restaurant.

The Simpson boy was left alone in the parking lot, confused and annoyingly, a bit scared. He blamed the latter feelings on getting flashbacks to when she used to beat him up back then. He wasn't expecting a happy reunion with sunshine and rainbows but the sheer apathy and aggression that came out in those few minutes was unexpected. Gina was hostile even back then but not to the level she had just exhibited. To his dismay, he remembered her acting out back then to cover up the sadness she had at not having a family to go to and wondered if that situation extended to the present. Either way, he realized that if he wanted to get reacquainted with the former inmate, he would have to back off and give her some space. He was pretty sure she wouldn't hesitate to knock him out and leave him lying in the middle of the dining room.

Sighing heavily to himself, he stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and began heading down the block towards Bookaccino's, mind racing as he tried to concoct a plan on how to get back into Gina's good graces. A chuckle bubbled up when he realized that this was the second girl from his past who returned to his life unexpectedly. He was starting to believe he was a magnet for trouble, even when he was trying to be good. After stepping into the bookstore, he spotted the three boys by the audio books and caught up with them. When Milhouse questioned him about the troubled look on his face, he lied and said that the day-old breakfast burrito he had this morning was still giving him trouble.

That and a dark-haired girl who needed serious anger management.

~•~•~•~

Allison stared out the window of Martin's Corolla, watching the familiar scenery of Springfield roll by. Usually the car would be filled with the two discussing recent events, movies they had seen or books they had read or having a harmless debate on a random topic. Once they reached the front of her house, they would part with a kiss and a few loving words, promising to see each other at school the next day. Of course, that would be futile as the two often texted each other late into the night, sending funny clips or interesting articles.

Tonight was different as the car was filled with silence.

Since they had left the drive-in, no more than five sentences had been exchanged between the couple. Martin had attempted to make some conversation but quickly gave up when his girlfriend kept giving him short responses. That's not to say that Allison didn't enjoy the night at all; dinner at Chez Nous was delicious (the shrimp scampi was to die for along with the baklava) and she was able to mostly tune out the questionable aspects of Gone with the Wind in favor of talking to Martin. It didn't last much longer than an hour into the movie when he kept checking his phone, frowning or smiling occasionally before his thumb flew over the screen. Whenever he would catch her looking, he'd shoot a sheepish smile before apologizing and tightening the arm around her shoulder; soon enough, he'd be back to doing the same thing again. It worked on her nerves, causing her glossed lips to press tight in irritation while her fists curled in her lap.

That feeling persisted until they pulled up in front of her house, tension rife between the couple as the car shifted into park. Martin cleared his throat before breaking the silence. "So, um, did you have fun tonight, dear?"

"Huh? Oh, yes…I did."

His head tilted at her languid tone. "Allison, is there something you want to talk about? You've been rather quiet since we left the drive-in."

There was so much that the younger girl wanted to discuss but she had to narrow it down into one sentence. She turned her head towards him, her face still blank. "What's happening with us lately?"

For a brief second, she saw his face flicker into fear before covering up with confusion. "Whatever do you mean, darling?"

Allison sighed deeply and turned her body fully towards him. "I mean…things have changed. I feel like…we're not as close as we used to be. You keep canceling or postponing our dates, you're always going somewhere, I always have to be the one to make plans…what's going on?"

Martin chuckled as if she suggested that the Earth was flat. "Allison…you're overthinking things. Things are fine between us! I mean, the dates we do get to have usually end up going splendidly, I always let you know when I have to travel and don't you usually like when I go along with your ideas? The suggestions you give are usually well-thought out, I don't see what's wrong about that."

The redhead held her hands up while letting out a sound of frustration. "That's the thing, I don't always want to be the one giving ideas! It wouldn't hurt if you took some control for once…"

The older teen sighed and shook his head. "Dear, I'd love to do just that but well, you know how things have been with visiting schools and obtaining scholarships…"

She tried her best to avoid it but the bitterness couldn't help but seep into Allison's voice as she grumbled aloud. "I know, you've been so busy that you put your relationship on the back burner."

At her quip, the teen's blue eyes narrowed a bit at her accusation. "Now Allison, you shouldn't say things like that, it's simply not true."

"But it is, Martin, don't be so lax! When you asked me out last year, you basically made a promise to take our relationship seriously. I know how important getting into an Ivy League is to you but I can't just keep sitting here and smiling like nothing is wrong."

Now Martin's face became stern as his arms crossed his chest. "Are we really having this discussion right now? I expected you to know better on how hard I work and continue to keep working towards ensuring that my future has the utmost successful outcome. I'm disappointed to hear you say these things."

"Do not talk to me like I'm a child." Her finger pointed at him as her green eyes narrowed now. "You keep talking about your future and what you think is adequate…tell me, do you even see me in your future, Martin?"

At her question, his eyes widened as he scrambled his brain for an appropriate answer. When a minute passed by with no response from the teen boy, Allison's face became solemn as she got her answer. This wasn't a surprise to her but at the same time, she didn't expect him to have such a difficult time responding. "…I guess that's a no."

"My love…"

The redhead held her hand up to silence him, not sure if whatever placidities he was going to say next would ease her worries. "I should get going…I'll see you in school sometime this week."

The older teen swallowed visibly at her words but nodded and unlocked the doors without fuss. With a subdued 'good night', the younger teen opened the passenger door. Before she could step out, she heard his voice speak.

"Allison."

As soon as she turned her head back towards him, a warm hand reached out and cradled her cheek before his head leaned in, capturing her lips with his own. Normally, his kisses would bring her joy and butterflies that lingered in her stomach for hours; she'd always look forward to the contact at the risk of looking needy. Yet with all of the issues piling up lately, her quick mind picked up on every little thing that felt wrong. His lips were taut with tension and stayed completely still against her own instead of moving with passion. His hand was slack and shaking a bit against her cheek, the reason as to why unknown. And most importantly, those butterflies laid dormant and her nerves lit not with excitement but with anxiety. She felt like this wasn't a kiss of love but an underhanded attempt at erasing her anger.

And with that, she pulled away quickly, an internal sigh of relief let out as she caught her breath. Giving Martin a stony stare, she got out and shut the door with a little more force than necessary before storming off towards her front door. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her keys and unlocked the door and stepped in. As soon as she shut it, her mother walked into the lobby from the living room, her face stretched in mild surprise. "Allison, dear, you're home rather early."

"Oh, hi mom…we, uh, wanted to get back in time, we were both feeling pretty tired tonight."

"I see. How considerate of Martin, he's such a thoughtful young man!"

Wincing slightly as her mother praised the one guy she wasn't feeling so loving towards, she quickly gave a fake smile when she looked at her. "That's my boyfriend for you…if you don't mind, I'm going to head up to my room."

Mrs. Taylor nodded and held up a dainty finger. "Don't forget to take those new vitamins I bought for you, dear. I've heard that they'll do wonders for your memory and appearance!"

'Great, more rules on what I can and can't put in my body.'

Giving a nod to the woman, Allison turned and began walking up the stairs. Reaching the top, she turned right and opened the door with a Nina Simone poster on it before walking into the room and closing it. Not bothering to turn the lights on, she set her purse down on the floor (something her mother would have a coronary about due to it being an expensive one she had bought for her daughter for Christmas; she didn't even like it that much, the woman insisted on her using it tonight
) before walking to her bed and flopping down on her back, staring at the light fixture on the ceiling.

She was at a loss.

A year ago, she never would have imagined herself to be in this position. She had figured that her relationship with the school genius would be smooth sailing; not perfect of course, but enough to keep them happy. But now she was backtracking on when exactly things began taking a turn for the worse and why she didn't notice it sooner.

'Don't be naive, Allison. You knew months ago that something was going on but you chose to turn your back to it and act like things were okay.'

Face scrunching at that sassy voice in her head, she pursed her lips and folded her hands over her stomach. Thinking back, she remembered that one November day he had approached her after the school science fair (it was a tough competition but the Prince boy had stolen first place while she came up in second). While packing up her project, he had approached her, commending her on the presentation. The two were merely acquaintances at that point but Allison had given him one of her sweet smiles and thanked him, returning the compliments as well. They continued talking for a little while until Martin, in a bashful tone and reddened cheeks, asked if she could explain more about her project over a cup of Javaccino at Skybucks whenever she was free. Stunned at the invite, Allison accepted with her own flushed cheeks. A few days later, the duo met up at the closest shop and sat down at a booth, conversing for what felt like hours and finding they had quite a few things in common with each other, despite being in different grade levels. Once it became clear that the baristas were ready to kick them out for loitering, they quickly left (after leaving a generous tip in the jar) and planned to go their separate ways until Martin spoke up.

'Allison…f-forgive me if I'm being forward but I would like to do this again sometime. Although, I would prefer to um…ahem, call it a date?'

Her lips tugged as she reminisced on how her eyes widened and how she stammered a 'yes' out to the older teen. And after a month filled with casual and fancy dates, the two officially became boyfriend and girlfriend, much to their friends' shock but amusement. Their status became quickly known throughout the school as the 'genius couple' or the derogatory 'king and queen nerdlinger'. Oh, how she wished for the simpler times.

The frown on her face returned while she tried to theorize as to why Martin's behavior had changed in the past few months. As much as she wanted to put the blame on college applications and visits, something in the back of her head said that there had to be another reason as to why. Had he become so occupied with those that he found himself unable to give her the same attention from before, why not just break up with her? The thought of that made her stomach turn a bit but it was a rational decision.

'Just why is he still with me? It doesn't seem like he's fighting that much to make things right…is he just staying with me to keep up appearances? Or…'

Allison knew where her mind was going but she didn't even want to finish the thought; sadly, her brain was much too fast.

'Is there someone else?'

The sentence made her sit up in horror, green eyes widening as her stomach turned even more than before. She wanted to say she was jumping to conclusions but strangely, the idea wasn't foreign to her current situation. The redhead watched, read and even heard her own friends' romance drama to see some of the signs.

Becoming distant. Constant disappearances. Lack of communication. Showering her with lavish dates and gifts as apologies. Plus that lifeless yet desperate kiss in the car…

"Allison, stop it. You're overthinking-" She stopped her whispering when she realized she was parroting what Martin had said to her earlier. Was he right, though? Was she really overthinking everything and maybe they were just going through the inevitable rough patch of a relationship? Maybe things would improve with time and patience and she was just being a naive girl because this was her first boyfriend? Her shoulders sagged more and more as she started to believe that maybe the older teen had a point and was coming from a place of experience (it wasn't a whole lot from what he told her but it was more than she ever did).

But tonight wasn't a night to sulk over possibilities; she had school tomorrow and her parents expected her to be awake and out of the door at 6:30 sharp and to bring home nothing but straight A's for the week. Staying up worrying would be detrimental to the routine.

Sighing deeply and shaking her head, Allison got up from bed and bounded over to her dresser, pulling out a fresh set of pajamas and underwear. She had taken to long, hot showers whenever she was feeling overwhelmed and tonight was a night for the water to clear her thoughts and bring her to a sound sleep. Before stepping out of her room, she heard the faint buzzing of her phone in her purse. Looking at it out of the corner of her eye, she figured it was most likely Martin sending his usual apologies or asking if they could talk it out.

He would have to wait until tomorrow, some lavender scented steam was calling her name.

~•~•~•~

New chapter, woo woo!

Looks like Jack is finally going to trial, hopefully Alex, Bart and Marge can handle testifying against him when it arrives. I also gave the blue-haired lawyer a name! I went off of the name of the one office he works at and made up a first name for him, I figured he'd be the perfect guy to willingly defend someone like Jack. :)

And Gina and Bart finally reunite…somewhat. If you're familiar with her, you know how aggressive she was towards him in "The Wandering Juvie" so I had to keep that aspect but it's definitely going to take a little while until she opens up to him due to whatever happened in the last seven years.

I also wanted to make this chapter a little more light-hearted with the girls and boys hanging out before some more drama comes along! Although, it looks like Allison is getting pretty troubled by her relationship troubles…

As always, review, review, review! :)