***** Monday 10/24 *****

School felt like torture for Tori on Monday. She walked up to her locker at 7:47am and there was a huge note taped to the outside that simply read "whore" on it. She took it down and threw it out.

Between third and fourth periods, she passed Logan, Laura and some of his other friends in the hallway. "How come you fucked the entire baseball team except for Logan?" his friend grinned. "Are you embarrassed cause you're so loose now? Probably got every STD in the book, huh?" The group laughed and Tori kept walking. She didn't realize that Tyler was walking right behind her as they had English class together. She was the first one into the classroom.

"That was fucking mortifying," she sniffled to herself. Tyler was dying to say something nice to her but he had no idea what the right thing to say was. He waited a few seconds then walked into the classroom. He saw her quickly dry her face with her sleeve before she looked at him and half-smiled.

"Hey," he spoke shyly.

"Hey." They sat down and got ready for class while other students filed into the room.

Toward the end of the class, the teacher reminded them about a paper that was due on Wednesday. "Shit," Tori whispered to herself. Tyler overheard her and wondered if he could help her. The bell rang and most of the students hurried to get out the door. Tyler stayed behind and took a deep breath before speaking to her.

"Tori?"

"Yeah?"

"Hi. I'm Tyler… I'm in your math class."

"I know."

"Oh… Um, how is your paper coming along?"

"You mean the one I totally forgot about? I haven't even started it yet. I didn't even finish that stupid book yet."

"I could help you… I mean if you wanted."

"I don't know. I just wanna get through this crappy day and go home."

"I'm so sorry you're having a bad day." She stopped stuffing her things in her bag and finally looked at him.

"Thank you." He smiled warmly at her then walked away.

Spending the remainder of the day worrying about the paper she hadn't started yet, Tori was distracted. Fortunately she didn't have to deal with Logan or any of his buddies again that day. She knew that she should skip dance practice and go finish that book but she also knew that, if she did, she'd never hear the end of it from her coach.

As soon as practice was over, she went to the band room hoping to find Tyler. If he could tell her how the rest of the book went and she could skip reading it, it would save her a ton of time. She looked inside and saw him. Knocking lightly on the door, she waited for him to invite her in. When he saw her through the widow, he sprang to his feet and went to open the door for her.

"Hey!" he smiled.

"Hi. Sorry to bother you… I wondered if you had some time today to talk about that book?"

"Really? Yeah, absolutely!" Josh, with his always impeccable timing, walked into the room. They looked at him and waited for him to say something.

"Look, I don't know your name but we're trying to work here." The venom in his voice was obvious and he didn't care. She'd had enough drama for the day so she didn't fight back.

"Okay. Sorry to bug you Tyler." She hurriedly left the room.

"Dude!" Tyler gawked. "What the hell?!"

"What?"

"I was gonna help her with her English paper!"

"So?"

"So she had a really shitty day and we were just talking then you had to come in and make her feel even shittier! Not cool, man."

"Sorry Ty," he raised his hands in surrender. This was the first time that Josh realized that Tyler might genuinely like this girl. He was still 99% sure that Ty had zero chance with her and she would probably break his heart if given the chance… but maybe he would just have to let him figure that out for himself.

**** Thursday 10/27 ****

Tori turned in her half-hearted attempt at her English paper on Wednesday. At this point, she really just wanted a C in that class for the term. She really didn't give a shit right now. Thursday and Friday were statewide inservice days so everyone would have a four day weekend… and she really needed that right now.

Late Thursday morning, she packed her things and headed toward her spot in the woods. When she reached the point on the road where she usually crossed to head into the woods, she stopped and looked at the big farmhouse before her. She could hear keyboard music coming from an open window and it sounded familiar. She walked closer to the house and listened. Then she heard him sing. "I'm standing in front of you. I'm standing in front of you. I'm trying to be so cool, everything together, trying to be so cool…" She heard him rapping a verse that she couldn't really understand the words to but it sounded so cool. "While you're doing fine, there's some people and I who have a really tough time getting through this life so excuse us while we sing to the sky…"

Walking quietly up onto the porch, she tried to get as close as she could to listen in. "We're broken, we're broken, we're broken, we're broken people…" Suddenly Tyler's mother opened the door startling her.

"Can I help you sweetie?"

"Sorry!"

"Are you a friend of Tyler's?"

"Um…"

"Well come on in! He's just upstairs working on his music."

"I don't really think I should…"

"Nonsense!" Tyler's mother had never heard him mention a girl and she'd actually been kind of concerned that he'd never even dare to speak to one. The realization that this beautiful girl was here because of her son made her so happy. She put her hand on Tori's back and coerced her into the house. "Tyler!" She called up the stairway to him.

"Yeah?"

"Someone's here to see you!"

"Be right there!" Tori stood nervously waiting for him. She had no idea what to say to him or what he might say to her. This is crazy!

"I should probably go," she said nervously to his mother. "I mean I don't wanna distract him from writing." He came down the stairs and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her.

"Tori… Hello."

"I'm so sorry to bug you… I just heard you singing…"

"No, not at all! I mean you're not bugging me at all!"

"I'll leave you two kids alone," his mother smiled and left the entryway.

"Um… why don't you come upstairs? Wait… can you give me a minute to make sure my room's clean enough?"

"I shouldn't even be here." She turned toward the door and he stopped her.

"Tori, wait! Just come in for a minute… If you still wanna leave in a minute, I get it." He held his hand out to her, praying to God that she would just give him a few minutes to prove that he's not the weird, creepy kid everyone took him for. She warily slipped her hand into his and followed him up the stairs to his room. She saw Josh and wanted to turn and run away. Josh sprung from his seat and closed the bedroom door, holding her captive. "Don't be a dick, Josh," Tyler begged him.

"I should go," she said softly, unable to look either of them in the face anymore.

"What are you doing here?" Josh inquired.

"I just heard the music… that's all."

"Why can't you look at me? You're acting all weird." She finally gathered the courage to look into his eyes and spoke:

"I don't know why you hate me and treat me the way you do. What the hell did I ever do to you?"

"What do you mean the way I treat you? What have I ever done to you?!"

"You always treat me like shit! You talk to me like I'm dirt and you're the king of the fucking world!" Tyler was slowly dying inside listening to this. Josh was mean to her and for absolutely no founded reason.

"You're the one who thinks she's better than everyone else! Miss Popular! Miss Perfect. Miss fucks-every-athlete-at-school!"

"I'm a fucking virgin!" she blurted out. She looked at Josh then at Tyler before her tears emerged.

"What?" Josh was shocked. He could tell that she was telling the truth but he had been sure that the rumors were true. She went to open the door to leave and he stopped her again. "Wait..."

"Why? You're not done humiliating me?" she sobbed. Tyler grabbed a box of tissue of his desk and held it out to her. She took a couple and tried to compose herself. Josh was still figuring out how to respond when Tyler's mom knocked on the bedroom door. Tori stepped aside and Josh opened the door.

"I brought you guys some hot chocolate," she smiled proudly. "And extra marshmallows like you like, Joshua."

"Thanks."

"Thanks mom."

"Oh, sweetie," she said, seeing Tori's tear-streaked face. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "Just a rough week this week. I was just venting."

"Okay. Well I'm going to run to the store. I'll be back soon." She left and they went back to their moment of uncomfortable silence. Tyler handed her a cup of cocoa and she accepted.

"Tori," Josh began. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk. I guess I assumed that what I'd heard was true."

"Yeah well that was stupid," she sniffled.

"I know. And again, I'm sorry."

"Can I take your jacket?" Tyler offered. She figured that she would stay for just a few minutes so she let him take her coat.

"I think I'll take off so you guys can talk. Clearly I've said enough," Josh chuckled. Tori didn't say anything else to him. Tyler walked him down to the front door and Tori sat on the edge of the bed to wait for him to come back. She looked around his room. There were dozens of notebooks, two keyboards, two guitars, a ukulele, a small drum set, his bed, a desk and a night stand. The open sliding door on his closet revealed almost nothing but black clothing. He returned to the room and shut the door behind him.

"I'm really sorry about him."

"It's okay. It's probably what everyone else thinks about me too."

"I don't think that stuff about you." She looked into his eyes and saw his sincerity. "I know better. I think you're a lot like me."

"You do?" He nodded. "How so?"

"I don't think that anyone gets to know you before they judge you. Maybe everyone goes through that, I don't know. But it's like no one bothers to talk to anyone before they decide what they think about them. It's really messed up if you think about it."

"Like we all assume like Josh did? My parents have money so I must be spoiled and happy?"

"Just like me… I keep to myself so I must be some kind of freak with no social skills."

"They don't know how smart and talented you are." She fidgeted with the mug of cocoa in her hands while she spoke to him.

"Me?"

"Yeah… I heard you singing a few times and I know you write your own stuff. And you're in all AP classes…" He had no idea what to say back.

"Can I tell you what part of Josh's problem is?" She sipped her drink and nodded. "He had a thing for your friend Jenna and she shot him down… hard. Told him there's no way in hell she'd ever go out with a loser like him."

"So he thinks I'm like that too?"

"Yeah. He thinks all popular girls are snobby like that."

"Can I ask you something, Tyler?"

"Anything."

"I can trust you right? I mean I don't talk to anyone about anything… I mean I don't talk to anyone about anything that's real, not even Jenna."

"You can trust me, I swear."

"Okay… Jenna's a shitty person and Josh can do better. She would date him just to hurt him. It would be funny to her."

"Wow… How come you guys are still friends then?"

"Cause she doesn't push me to tell her anything. She doesn't really know anything about me and she doesn't care."

"Don't you wish she cared?"

"No."

"What doesn't she know about you?"

"Everything. Who I am. What matters to me. What my life at home is like…"

"What's it like? At home?"

"Tyler, I don't talk to anyone…"

"You can talk to me." She thought about it for a minute. It would feel so good to get things off her chest and have a confidant in this world. "I wanna know you."

"Well… my mom is a raging drunk. I find her passed out all over the house all the time. My dad has at least two or three girlfriends on the side… my brother killed himself two years ago when he was 18… I haven't sat down to a meal with a family member in years. They don't care where I am, what I do, who I'm with… they don't care if I come home at night. They don't even know when I'm home and when I'm not. They just don't care. And I'm sure you've heard the rumors about me at school… I can't escape them."

"Shit, Tori… I'm so sorry." He grasped her hand and she allowed it, enjoying his warmth.

"It's okay. That's my life, you know? What can I do?" He had no idea what to say next. All he wanted was to comfort her but he didn't know how.

"I've seen you in the woods," he spoke.

"You have?"

"Yeah. The night you saw the deer… I saw you."

"Like… you were watching me?"

"Would it freak you out too much if I said yes?" She pulled her hand away from his and shrugged. Part of her was a little weirded out that he'd been watching her but another part of her thought it was kind of sweet. It was her turn to confess.

"I've seen you in the woods too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's why I started hanging out there. You looked so peaceful while you were there. I thought maybe I would feel that way too."

"Did you?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "I kinda did." He smiled back and this was the first time she noticed what a beautiful smile he had. She'd never looked at him as a guy before… He was actually a good looking guy. He had beautiful skin for a 17 year old, his lips were full and soft and there was a kindness in his dark eyes that was so endearing. His palms began to sweat the longer she looked into his eyes.

"Tori, I…"

"Yeah?"

"Are you planning to go to the homecoming dance?"

"Tyler!" his mom called up the stairs to him startling both himself and Tori. He went to his door and opened it.

"Yeah?" he called back with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"I'm back, honey."

"Okay mom!" He rolled his eyes and shut the door. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I should probably go." She stood up and began putting her jacket on. He in no way wanted her to go but he had no clue what to say right now. I'm a lyricist and I have no words… shit! "I'll see you Monday."

"Bye Tori." He watched out the window and saw her walk across the street and into the woods. He was dying to follow but wasn't sure if he should or not. Instead, he decided to call Josh.

"What's up?"

"I need your help… We gotta finish this song and practice the hell out of it…"

"Which one?"

"Screen."

"Sure man. Just tell me when."

***** Friday 10/28 *****

Friday afternoon, Lexi and Amanda from the dance team drove to Tori's house to pick her up. They decided that an afternoon at the mall sounded good. They would dance at the football game that night then have the rest of the weekend to themselves.

"Are your parents home?" Lexi asked when Tori answered the door.

"Nope. You ladies wanna come in?"

"Yeah. You got any liquor?"

"Tons," Tori chuckled. They had no idea just how much alcohol was stashed throughout this house.

"Can we have some?"

"Who's driving?"

"I'm driving," Amanda announced. "One drink won't mess me up." Tori's two guests walked into the kitchen and began looking through the cupboards.

"Bacardi and pineapple juice?" Tori offered and the girls accepted. She mixed them herself, keeping the amount of rum in each glass to a minimum. Rain began to pour outside the windows as they talked.

"Can I smoke here?" Lexi queried.

"Yeah in the garage."

Twenty minutes later, after they had all touched up their makeup and hair in the downstairs bathroom, the girls hit the road in Amanda's car. Pulling out of the driveway with Tori in the back seat, they turned left onto the country road that Tyler lives on. She caught herself smiling up at his bedroom window as they drove by. A mile up the road, Lexi spotted two boys walking.

"Dude is that those two losers from school? Josh and… whatever his name is?"

"Oh I think it is! I recognize that stupid backpack." Amanda sped up and Tori's heart raced.

"Don't hit them!"

"Not gonna!" She sped through a newly formed puddle and completely soaked the pedestrians. Lexi rolled down her window once Amanda stopped the car.

"Sorry losers!" The girls in the front seat laughed as they started up the street again.

"Fuck you!" They heard Josh yell after them.

"That was so messed up! Stop the car," Tori asked. "Stop the car, Amanda!" Amanda stopped and turned to look at Tori.

"What is your problem?!"

"That was really shitty."

"So? Who cares about those lame asses?"

"I do." Tori stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lexi called to her.

"Let her go," Amanda said, screeching the tires as she sped away from Tori leaving her standing in the rain. She could see the guys about 100 yards down the road and she walked toward them. When Tyler realized that it was her walking toward them, his heart rate increased.

"It's Tori!" he said to Josh. His friend rolled his eyes but didn't say anything back. He wasn't yet convinced that she was not the enemy. "Tori, what are you doing here?" he asked when they finally reached each other.

"I'm so sorry she did that to you guys."

"It's okay, it's not your fault," Tyler assured her.

"It wasn't your fault, right?"

"Josh, I'm standing here with you in the pouring rain rather than going to the mall with those bitches… I had nothing to do with it!"

"Give her a break, man."

"Okay."

"Where are you guys going?"

"We were just walking to the store for some snacks. I didn't realize the sky was gonna open up on us like this."

"Can I go with you?"

"Yeah, of course!" Tyler replied without Josh's input.

"Is it okay with you, Josh?" she asked, granting him the opportunity to protest if he really wanted to." He looked at her then at Tyler who pleaded with his eyes to let her join them.

"Yeah. Let's go. My feet aren't getting any drier."