Kyle was finishing his breakfast when Ayala finally came out of her room with her backpack as well as the bag filled with all the stuff she'd be bringing to Vanessa's place, which she both placed on the counter.

"Good morning daddy!" She enthusiastically greeted as she went to the pantry.

"Good morning sweetie! It sure took you a while getting ready this morning." Her father observed.

"Yeah, I had trouble falling asleep last night so I woke up half an hour late. No biggie though; I'll just grab something to eat in the car." She replied as she chose what she'd be eating.

"Did you have trouble sleeping because of that exam? You shouldn't worry so much about it. Vanessa is kind to help you out." He tried to reassure her.

Her body stiffened and her throat clenched upon hearing her father's words. She suddenly stopped her search through the pantry and pulled out a blueberry muffin out of a box before she turned to face him, praying to God that her cheeks bore no blush.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right daddy." She finally lied after she cleared her throat.

Kyle wasn't stupid; he knew his daughter enough to tell when she was not behaving normally, and this was once such instance. He was about to question her odd demeanor when there was a knock on the door. Kyle got up and went to answer the door.

Ayala let out a sigh of relief. Saved by the bell, she thought before she quickly shoved the muffin that she had chosen in a brown paper bag. She could hear her father and someone else talking, most likely the security officer that would be driving them that morning, but she couldn't understand what was being said. She also pulled out a travel mug from the cupboard and poured herself some of the coffee her father had made before she cleared the things he had left on the table while she was waiting for him to call her over. She had just finished when her dad called her over because it was time to go. She grabbed all her things and quickly walked to the entrance where she was greeted by a security officer she had never seen before.

"Ayala, this is Max. He'll be your driver and bodyguard for today and tomorrow morning." Her father announced.

"Good morning Miss. I am at your entire disposition. Your father has provided me with the following orders: you will not get out of my sight and once you will be in the safety of your friend's room to study and sleep, I will grant you privacy by standing behind the closed door as there is no other way in or out." The young man promptly recited.

"Hi Max." She greeted as a faint blush spread on her cheeks.

Max was a young man, probably new to the job. He looked no older than twenty-two or twenty-three and still had somewhat of a baby face. He was tall and muscular in build; his hair was thick and brown, and he had the bluest eyes Ayala had ever seen. She found him quite handsome and couldn't wait to see the look on Vanessa's face once she'd see him.

"Shall we go?" Kyle asked.

Ayala nodded and reached out the doorknob, but Max had beat her to it; he swiftly opened the door and gestured the father daughter duo to exit.

"After you." He gallantly proposed.

Kyle entered his office and shut the door behind himself while his bodyguard remained behind it. While his laptop was booting, he pulled the files he had worked on the night before and called his assistant to come fetch them so she could begin typing up the notes. Once she was out of his office, he opened skype and called his very pregnant business partner.

"Good morning Kyle! How are you?" Tiffany cheerfully answered.

"Hi Tiff! I'm not too bad, how are you?"

"I'm OK. The baby's been kicking nonstop since five this morning." She replied as she looked down at her huge bump.

"That's a good thing! It means the baby is healthy. Listen, I am calling you because I want to ask you a favor. Ayala is sleeping over at her friend's house tonight and I'm all alone. Think I can borrow your husband for a boy's night?" He nervously requested.

"Of course! You guys haven't spent time together since I got pregnant. I am sure Eric will appreciate some time alone with his best bud." She laughed, completely oblivious to what was occurring behind her back. "We were supposed to have diner with my sister's family, but I can go alone. My booboo bear deserves a night off once in a while too." She then added.

Kyle said his goodbyes and once the conversation was over, he cringed internally at the nickname she used for his lover before making another skype call.

"Well good morning my gorgeous!" Eric greeted once he picked up the call.

"Morning, fat ass!" Kyle replied with a grin on his lips while Eric's brows furrowed on the screen. "Listen, Ayala is sleeping over at her friend's place tonight, so you and I are gonna spend a night together undisturbed." He added.

"I wish." Cartman tenderly replied. "I'm supposed to for have dinner at Ivanka's with Tiff tonight." He then sighed.

"We have your wife's blessing." He proudly said. "I called her first."

"You sneaky ass Jew! My place or yours?"

"Up to you Fatso."

"Hai! I'm not fat you son of a bitch!"

"Don't call my mom a bitch!"

"My place then! I wanna fuck you in my bed for once!" The brunet decided with a devious smile.

"Works for me. Gimme a shout once she leaves. We can order something to eat, and then we get busy."

"Excellent! See you tonight." He replied as he looked up for a moment. "I love you." He then whispered.

"I love you too. I can't wait to see you tonight." Kyle whispered back before terminating the call.

He sat back and let out a satisfied sigh; he didn't like the idea of his daughter sleeping over at her friend's house at first, but the previous night, after his third spiked drink, he saw an opportunity to do something he hadn't had the luxury of doing in over a year.

Since his divorce from Rebecca, his daughter had to spend a month during the summer with her mom and her brother. During that time, Kyle would stay at the old Denkins' Ranch, the property that his lover had purchased some time ago, and Eric would make it a priority to go spend some time there as well. The problem was that Tiffany would always follow, so their solution was to go on a fishing trip in Conifer. They would rent a shack and a small boat and Tiffany would never want to go with them.

Last summer, Eric couldn't make the trip to South Park; Tiffany had gotten pregnant and she had terrible morning sickness. Kyle spent a couple of nights at the Ranch, but he got so lonely that he then went to spend the remainder stay at his parent's.

He smiled as he looked forward to an amazing cozy evening with his old flame.

The day had been ordinary to say the least; Max dropped Ayala off at school and was there to pick her and Vanessa up after their ballet rehearsal. The redhead had mentioned to her best friend how handsome her bodyguard was and upon seeing him, Vanessa looked at her, smirked and raised her eyebrow in agreement. The two girls sat at the back of the black SUV with tinted windows. Ayala sat behind the driver's seat so that her friend could have a good view on the hunky bodyguard.

"So, Ayala tells me you're new… is this your first gig as a bodyguard?" Vanessa asked in a flirty and almost suggestive tone.

Max shot the preteen an amused glance; he knew exactly what she was trying to do.

"Yes Miss. I was a Police officer until recently and decided to change careers." He respectfully and neutrally replied as he started the engine.

"Of course! I can totally picture you as a cop. Ayala and I love men in uniforms, isn't that right Aya?" She began in her extravagant tone, causing the redhead to giggle uncomfortably. "Oh, silly me! Where are my manners? My name is Vanessa Alvarez. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Maximillian Prosser, but you can call me Max. The pleasure is mine." He smiled.

"So, Max, do you have a girlfriend?" She began.

"No, I do not." He replied as he continued to be amused by the inquisitive thirteen-year-old girl.

"Boyfriend?" She continued as she rose her eyebrow and smirked.

Max's jaw dropped and Ayala's face turned a deep shade of red as she resisted the strong urge to laugh out loud.

"I'm not gay!" He exclaimed, more out of surprise than out of offence.

"Good! It would have been such a waste!" She kept going in a very inappropriate, almost sensual tone that made everyone else in the car very uncomfortable.

She was about to ask another risqué question when her phone buzzed.

"Oh great! My mom had to go back to the hospital. Emergency surgery it seems. She said there's lasagna in the freezer and that we can pop it in the oven for an hour at 375 degrees." Vanessa sighed.

"Is your mother going to be OK?" Max wondered only to be met by the roaring laughter of the two girls.

"Vanessa's mother is a heart surgeon, and her father is an E.R doctor." Ayala gently explained.

"Yeah, they met in med school. How romantic!" The other teen added. "I guess you're stuck with the two of us all… night… long!" She continued. "It will be so much fun for you. Stuck all alone with two gorgeous girls!" She concluded before giggling some more.

Max swallowed dryly; he was no longer amused. Throughout his careers as a cop, had been in many dangerous situations where he could have been wounded, or worse, killed. He had felt fear several times as he performed his duties and knew that it came with the job, but he had never felt terror the way he had in that moment.

"Max?" Vanessa called, just to be ignored.

He felt as though he was being gutted by some long, invisible knife and he was beginning to break a sweat and his heart rate accelerated at the mere thought of what was to come. He was going to be stuck alone in a house with the two preteens, and although he wasn't worried one bit about Ayala trying anything funny, he was petrified of the idea that the other girl would be all over him.

"Max?" Ayala tried this time around but still without result.

He was in no way, shape or form attracted to the preteen and that's not because she wasn't pretty but because of the age difference. He was scared that she'd try something with him and that once he'd refuse her advances, she'd accuse him of being the creep who wanted to score a girl half his age in the first place.

"Maaaaaaaaaax?" Vanessa yelled this time, causing the poor young gentleman to get startled.

"Yes Miss?" He asked, obviously shaken.

"Relax, Max. I was just fucking with you." She chuckled. "I'd still like you to have dinner with us."

"Very well." He responded after sighing a breath of relief.

He parked the car in front of Vanessa's house and opened the door for Ayala.

"Your friend is quite… intense." He whispered to the girl he was hired to protect.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that. She's not so bad once you get used to her sense of humour." She reassured him.

The girls used the time that the lasagna was baking in the oven to do their homework so that the moment that their meal was over, they would barricade themselves in Vanessa's room in order to get ready for the party.

"Your mom makes a pretty mean lasagna." Max complimented as Vanessa removed the empty plate from in front of him.

"Why thank you my darling." She replied before blowing him a kiss.

Max was laughing at that; now that he was aware that the girl had been pulling his leg that entire time, he was no longer nervous around her. Ayala smiled, happy that Max turned out to be such a good sport. She made a mental note to tell her stepmom to request his services more often. Unlike most of the other bodyguards she had throughout the years, he wasn't as overbearing and serious; he made small talk with her and cracked a couple of jokes with her and her friend during dinner. In a strange way, he reminded her of Trent.

Vanessa finished putting the leftovers in the fridge and cleared the table before she started the dishwasher.

"Alright Aya, time for your history lesson. Max, if you get hungry or thirsty, don't be shy and help yourself. Mi casa es tu casa." The brunette casually said as she grabbed her friend by the shoulders.

Max thanked his young host and followed the girls as they marched upstairs. Vanessa's bedroom was on the top floor of the four-story luxurious townhouse. Max was amazed by the detailed ornamental woodwork of property. Coming from a much more modest background, it was a novelty to be in a home that had an actual library room. He stopped a few feet away from Vanessa's bedroom door once he saw the girls stepping in.

"If there's anything, I will be right here at your disposition." He said before the girls thanked him and closed the doors behind themselves.

Once alone, Ayala's friend wasted no time and went straight for her closet where she pulled out the outfits that she had chosen for the two of them.

"Van, how are we gonna sneak out of your room? We can't exactly climb out the window from the fourth floor." Ayala asked, a little worried to hear the answer to her question.

Vanessa smirked at her friend before she pushed her hanged clothes left and right revealing a small door at the back of her closet.

"Simple; we'll just use the fire escape. You see this door? It connects to the storage room at the back of the washroom. That storage room leads to the fire escape. I'm gonna put some music on and Max won't suspect a thing. Now, put this on before I do your hair and make up."

Ayala obeyed her friend and removed her school uniform. She put on the mini skirt and tube top her friend had lent her before she began rummaging in Vanessa's jewelry box.

"Tell me what jewelry you're planning to wear so I'm not tempted by it." She asked the brunette.

"I already pulled them out. Go ahead and pick whatever you prefer." Vanessa casually answered as she gathered her makeup brushes and pallets.

Ayala picked out a pair of oversized back shiny hoops as well as a silver necklace adorned by bright feathers before she showed them to Vanessa who winked in approval.

"Alight, sit down so I can do your make up."

The red head sat at the vanity while her friend switched the lights on. She armed herself with a brush and began applying makeup to her friend's face. The redhead's multiple freckles simply vanished under the foundation, concealer and bronzer. About half an hour later, Vanessa was done with makeup and began straightening Ayala's hair. The whole operation took another half hour before she told her friend to look in the mirror.

"Oh my God! I don't even look like me anymore!" The redhead gasped, obviously pleased by her transformation.

"I told you I'd make you look like a supermodel! Alright, my turn to get ready. Meanwhile, go check the bottom drawer of my nightstand. I have a little something for us in there."

Ayala opened the drawer and promptly found the bottle of grey goose vodka her friend had stashed.

"Are you nuts? We're way to young for this shit!" The redhead gasped as she turned around with the bottle in hand.

"So?" Vanessa casually asked before she marched over to her friend, grabbed the bottle and took a few swigs directly from it. "We're going to a party, and it's not polite to show up empty handed. That doesn't mean we can pregame a little bit. Aren't you a little nervous that you are defying your father and getting the hell away from your bodyguard?"

Ayala had felt nervous all day and as her friend spoke, she realised she had butterflies in her stomach and the feeling was intensifying.

"Gimme that!" She exclaimed as she grabbed the bottle and took a few swigs herself, immediately chocking up on the burning liquid. "God damn it! This shit is strong!" She managed to say in between coughs.

She handed the bottle back to her giggling friend who put the cap back on before she turned her attention back to finishing her makeup. The redhead went and sat on her bed and patiently waited for Vanessa to finish getting ready. As she sat, she began to feel much more mellow and the feeling of butterflies gradually calmed down until they disappeared. Is that why they call it liquid courage? Now I get why daddy used to drink so much of this stuff. She thought.

"Alright Aya, grab your boots, the jacket, stuff the vodka bottle in your purse and follow me!" Vanessa announced as she grabbed a pair of expensive stilettos that she had swiped from her mom's closet the previous day as well as her purse.

The redhead followed her friend through her closet, then the storage room and finally the fire exit. Once they were in the metal stair cage outside, the girls made their way down barefoot to avoid being too noisy and alerting Max. Once they arrived at the bottom, they slipped their shoes on and swiftly made their way to the alley.

Trent had arrived in New York City at noon and had met up with Max, his protégé, in order to grab a bite. He had known him for close to a decade; just like him, he had run into trouble when he was younger and spent some time in Juvie, where Trent met him. At the time, Trent would go visit young delinquents in order to deter them from pursuing a life of crime once they'd get out. He was mainly doing it in the hopes it would count for something if he ever were to get an official pardon.

Max was sixteen when they met, and he had gotten in trouble a year prior for petty theft; his single mom was working two jobs at the time and could barely make ends meet for them. He got caught stealing perfume from a department store in order to then resale online. His mother was heartbroken that she couldn't pay for a lawyer, and the one that was provided to him by the state told him to plead guilty right off the bat. He was fifteen years old when he was sentenced to three years in Juvie.

By the time Max had finished repaying his debt to society, Trent had become Flavia Fornari's official bodyguard and had received a full pardon. Max was determined to turn his life around and so he completed his high school and then enrolled into the police academy. His career as a cop was exemplary, but his colleagues weren't too kind to him because of his past. After working a few years for the NYPD, he resigned and upon learning the news, Trent was more than thrilled to recommend him to Flavia.

"So, how do you find the job? How do find the girl?" Trent asked as they began to look at the menu.

"You do realize I only just started this morning, right? Let me do this for a couple of weeks and I'll be able to give you a straight answer. As for the girl, she's a typical thirteen-year-old it seems." Max replied.

"She's not just a thirteen-year-old; she's the Governor's stepchild and she's also the face of a foundation dedicated to prevent and help the victims of sexual assault. She basically has a target painted on her back."

"Is that why the Governor sent you in to babysit me?" Max sarcastically asked as he put down his menu after he had selected what his meal would be.

"I'm not here to babysit you; I am here to assist you. As I explained yesterday, I will be checking the back of the house and if I see anything suspicious, I'll give you a head's up."

"Jesus Christ! She's a kid, who would go to such lengths to harm her?"

"She had a rough childhood, trust me." Trent sighed.

"No. We had a rough childhood. The girl's tuition per semester is more than my mom would make in a year." Max snickered.

"The girl would be dead if Flavia hadn't intervened. She was almost abducted by a perv, then her own mother was slowly poisoning her for months. Do you have any idea how many threats her stepmother's cabinet receives every day? How many of these threats are directed towards her family? Granted, our situation wasn't pink and rosy, but neither is hers." Trent declared.

Trent glared at Max and there was a moment of silence between them. Trent's goal was simple; he wanted Max to understand that his job was serious and that the stakes were high. If anything was to happen to that girl, the Governor would make sure he'd never find work in that field ever again. The silence was interrupted by the waiter that came to take their order.

"I won't fuck this up Trent. You have my word." He said after the waiter left with the menus.

Trent nodded and then the two made some small talk until their meal arrived.

"One more thing; this is for you." The blond said as he extended a smartphone to his colleague.

"I was provided a blackberry when I was given the job." Max replied, visibly confused.

"It's a burner. I programmed my burner's number on it. HQ sees everything you text with the blackberry and anything that pertains to your official duty, such as reporting to her father or to the Governor, you use the blackberry. Anything that goes off the record, you text me on my burner first." Trent sighed.

"I understand." The brunet replied as he grabbed the phone.

Once they finished eating, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

Trent then spend the rest of his day scouting the vicinity of Vanessa's house; he walked in the alley behind the luxurious homes and looked for potential points of entry an intruder could use to break into the house. He had also made sure to park his car a few blocks away so that Ayala wouldn't recognize another secret service car.

Around five thirty, he stood at the corner of the street and once he saw Max's car park in front of the town house, he went back to the alley and hid in the small garden behind Vanessa's house. He felt his burner phone vibrate in his pocket.

The girl's friend is fucking nuts!

Trent chuckled to himself, knowing exactly what he was referring to; Vanessa had been flirting with him as well since she was nine years old.

I know exactly what you're saying.

He put his phone away and decided to walk from one end of the alley to the other, checking if there was anything suspicious going on. He was bored out of his mind, but at least Flavia's mind was at peace knowing he'd be looking out for Ayala.

A little over an hour after his last message, his burner vibrated once more.

The girls are in the bedroom and I am in front of the door. This is going to be a long night.

Tell me about it! At least your ass is warm in there. Keep me posted if there's anything. Out here, so far so good.

The blond went back to Vanessa's backyard and hid under the tarp that was on the outdoor couch, which was much more comfortable than hiding under the table. He saw the light coming from the fourth floor and could faintly hear some pop music coming from there as well. How the fuck can they study with all that noise? He asked himself. Fucking kids!

A few hours later, decided his legs needed a stretch and he went for another walk in the alley and got to the far end when he heard a series of faint metallic sounds. He looked up but didn't notice anything and figured it was probably just a squirrel running around on the emergency fire stair cages. The sounds stopped for a few moments, when suddenly, he recognized the distinct sound of high heels clicking rapidly on the ground. He picked up the pace towards Vanessa's town house when he saw two young ladies running towards the street.

He immediately called Max on his burner phone because he was too far to be able to tell for certain if they had come out of Vanessa's backyard, or that if it came from one of the neighboring townhouses.

"Yo!" Max answered.

"Where are the girls?" Trent asked, agitated.

"They're in the room. They haven't come out since they went in." Max casually replied.

"Knock and check." The blond ordered as he ran in the direction of the girls. He listened to the sound of his colleague knock and calling out the girls' names.

"No answer, I'm going in." Max said, his voice quivering. "They're not here and I think I know how they got out of the house. There's a door in the girl closet that leads to some sort of storage room and the fire escape." He continued in a state of panic.

Trent had reached the street and he looked around but didn't see them anywhere. In truth, they hadn't made it that far, but the fact that they were all dolled up was the reason he didn't recognize them; he had never seen Ayala with straightened hair. More so, it was dark in the alley and he didn't see what they were wearing.

"Get your ass in the car and come pick me up. We're gonna go look for them." Trent ordered.

"Where are you?"

"Go straight and take he first right. I'm right by the alley." He instructed before he hung up.

Fuck! Flavia is going to kill me, he thought as he called her burner phone.

The girls made it in front of Ashley's townhouse; they could hear the music blaring from the inside. A few seniors and sophomores were hanging out in front of the property smoking. Ayala didn't know whether they were smoking cigarettes, pot or something else. She was starting to get nervous again and tried to reach for the bottle in her purse.

"Not until we're inside Aya. Last thing you want is a neighbor calling the cops because underage girls are drinking in the street." Vanessa promptly warned her. "Come, let's go in and find Ashley."

The girls entered the house and began looking for their friend. The place was filled by teenagers who were dancing to the beat, some more suggestively than others. Most of them had a drink in their hands, and a small minority were eating junk food. Empty pizza boxes littered the floor and there were plastic cups scattered everywhere on the first floor.

Vanessa pulled out her phone and texted Ashley to find out where she was. The brunette's phone vibrated a moment later.

Come to the third floor. It's the VIP section.

Once the girls read their friend's replies, they both squealed in excitement.

"We're gonna hang out in the VIP section!" The two of them yelled out in unison.

They began to make their way up to the third floor despite the crowded staircase. Once they made it to the second floor and turned the corner, they were greeted by two beefy guys; Evan probably had hired bouncers.

"The floors above are off limit." The guy on the left warned them.

"We were asked to go up there by Ashley." Vanessa smugly snapped back.

The two guys looked at each other.

"Names?" The guy on the right asked them.

"Vanessa Alvarez and Ayala Broflovski." Ayala answered in a much more polite manner than Vanessa had just addressed them in.

"Stay right here." The guy on the left told them while the other went up.

After a moment, he came back and hand gestured the girls to go up.

It was much quieter on the third floor; music was still playing; people were still dancing but the place wasn't as packed and as trashed as the other floors. There was a table with all sorts of different alcohol bottles, fancy finger foods and candy jars filled with colorful pills. The people were also dressed much fancier than on the two other floors, some of them even looked old enough to already be in college.

It didn't take the girls long to find Ashley; she was sitting on the velvet sectional couch next to her brother. They recognized some of the most popular seniors that were sitting with them as well.

Evan saw Vanessa and Ayala and signaled them to come join them.

"We come bearing gifts!" Vanessa exclaimed as Ayala pulled the Grey Goose bottle out of her purse.

"You girls are awesome!" Ashley exclaimed. "How did you get that?"

"I stole it from my grandma's house last time I visited her and stashed it in my nightstand. I knew it'd come in handy sooner or later." Vanessa replied in her signature extravagant tone.

"Sweet! I'll go get you ladies some glasses. What do you want as a mixer? I have orange or cranberry juice." Evan offered as he got up from the couch.

"I'll go with orange." Vanessa requested.

"I'll have cranberry please." Ayala answered.

"I'll be right back."

"Ash, I don't mean to sound rude, but you look wasted." Ayala remarqued.

"That's because I am." The raven-haired girl giggled back.

While the three friends discussed on the couch, Evan walked over to the table and grabbed two cups that he then filled with the two different kinds of juice. He was about to turn back when some other guy tapped his shoulder. Evan turned around and recognised Dalton Boone, an aspiring rap artist in his mid-twenties that offered to perform at the party as a means of self promotion.

Evan was a big fan of Dalton's work and would often go see his underground shows. They shared one common contact that had introduced them to each other; he went by the pseudonym T-Bonn and he was Evan's drug suppliers for his parties.

Evan had racked up quite a big debt towards T-Bonn and the thug promised he'd forgive half of his debt if he allowed his friend Dalton Boone to perform at his party, deal that Evan happily agreed to.

"You're ready to give your performance?" Evan asked the rapper.

"Soon, my bro. Soon. Say, would you be kind enough to introduce me to the cute little redhead?" He slickly demanded.

"Dude! That's my sister's friend. Yo! She's only thirteen!" Evan flared protectively.

"Relax my man! I just wanna talk to her." The artist calmly reassured the teenager.

"Kay, but no funny stuff, OK? That's the Governor's step kid." He informed him before he turned back around.

Evan had turned around too quickly to notice how the performer had smiled creepily when he heard who the young preteen was related to. Evan also missed Dalton locking eyes with T-Bonn before he nodded.

"Girls!" Evan exclaimed as he handed the juice filled cups to Ayala and Vanessa. "There's someone I want you to meet. This is my friend Dalton Boone; he's a rapper and he's gonna be performing for us tonight. Dalton, please meet my little sister Ashley and her friends Ayala and Vanessa." He introduced.

Dalton shook hands with Ashley and Vanessa and kept Ayala for last.

"The pleasure is all mine." He said as he shook the redhead's hand and looked her in the eye.

He then took her hand, gently brought it to his lips and very delicately kissed it, prompting Ayala to blush underneath all the makeup she was wearing. The scene made her friends giggle and as the group began making small talk, Vanessa poured a generous amount of vodka in her cup as well as Ayala's. They continued chatting for some time until Dalton excused himself from the group because he needed to get some business in order before he was to perform, and he asked Evan to follow him leaving the three friends by themselves.

"I'm no specialist, but that Dalton guy is totally into you!" Ashley announced as she pointed her drink towards Ayala.

"I agree! Someone has a secret-not-so-secret admirer!" Vanessa chimed in.

"Oh, shut up! I think he was just trying to be nice." Ayala blurted as she polished off the last of her drink.

While the girls were left alone, Evan followed Dalton who walked back to the table where T-Bonn was waiting for them.

"Evan, it is my understanding that you still owe quite a hefty sum to my boy T-Bonn. Give me the redhead, and I'll take care of your debt." Dalton proposed to a horrified Evan.

"Ayala is thirteen!" He exclaimed, alarmed by such an ugly proposition.

"Then we'll take your sister." T-Bonn counter proposed. "Kid, you're so far down the rabbit hole that it'll take you a lifetime to pay me back. I charge daily interest, and even if you do get into med school and you do become a doctor, you'll owe me millions at that point. Dalton here is generous enough to take that burden off your back." The hefty drug dealer added.

Evan wasn't stupid; he had a good idea what Dalton wanted from Ayala. He had heard rumors, but never believed them because he was blinded by his love for the creep's music. He watched as Dalton stealthily pulled a vial out of his jacket and poured its content in a champagne flute. He then filled the glass with champagne.

"Give it to the girl you'll give us: your little sister, or the redhead. Make your choice before I start to perform. You have two minutes." Dalton ordered him.

Evan grabbed the flute despite his shaking hand. His heart was pounding in his chest as he walked back over to the girls who didn't notice him at first.

"A present from Dalton." Evan said as he handed the tainted champagne to Ayala.

"See? I told you he liked you!" Ashley exclaimed while Ayala accepted the champagne and took her first sip.

The lights in the room dimmed down and everyone turned their attention to the space that was setup for the performance.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present you Dalton Boone!" T-Bonn introduced before handing the microphone to the rapper.

The beat started and Dalton performed his first song. His glance kept going back to Ayala who was dancing to the beat. He noticed how well she danced, and her talent pleased him immensely. He had to fight the urge to smirk every time the preteen took a sip from the champagne glass that he had prepared for her.

"Thank you for showing me all this love." The rapper began once the beat changed. "Tonight, I met a special girl and I've been checking her out. This girl is a terrific dancer and it's a shame for her talent to go unnoticed. Ayala, come join me and dance for me." He invited her on stage as the people in attendance cheered.

"Go! Go!" Vanessa and Ashley encouraged her.

Feeling pressured, Ayala quickly finished the content of her glass before joining Dalton.

"Alright sexy; this one's for you!" Dalton announced as he took her hand and pulled her closer to him.

He began singing his second song which involved a lot of distasteful language such as hoe, bitch, tits, ass and rape amongst other colorful metaphors. Ayala danced very conservatively at first but picked up on Dalton's queues to be more suggestive in her movements.

At some point, not knowing what came over her, she threw the leather jacket her friend had loaned her on a near by chair and began to twerk right into Dalton's crotch. He took it as an invitation and began running his free hand all over her; her breasts, her hips, her genitals… nothing was off limits. His hands would often slip beneath her clothes. None of the things he was doing were bothering her.

She felt so mellow; she felt so lose; she felt so dizzy and soon, she stopped feeling anything at all.

Sorry for the long delay, but my life has been a little crazy in the past two months. I needed to take a break to focus on my mental health. Right after the Holiday season, I finally admitted to my husband that I've been struggling with eating disorders since my childhood on top of dealing with depression and anxiety. I am hoping the worst is behind me, but recovery is a tough road. The good news is that writing really helps me get through the day.

I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Please read and review.

Much love,

xoxoxo Clotgirl xoxoxo