Hey guys! So it's been almost a year and I'm back. I just kept thinking about the story and how I want to finish it so I am going to try to do that this time. Also, a reminder that this is a slow burn as Antonia is 16 and I don't think Boyd is the kind of guy that would be into that. But she's going to get older and stuff so you'll have to see what happens.

****** Chapter 2 *****

Plans are nothing; planning is everything. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Antonia finished off her whiskey drink as if it were a shot and not a tall glass of the amber liquid. She made a face of disgust as she roughly sat the empty glass on the first table she found. It had been years since she had seen him last, but that one fleeting gaze bubbled all of her emotions back to the surface. Her foolish ridiculous adolescent crush seemed to be rekindled and she was angry at herself. He was a much older person. It wasn't like she even had a shot at dating him or whatever. Only a weirdo would pursue a person of her age. He hadn't even given her reason to think these thoughts anyway. She went over to the railing and let out a deep breath. Her quickening inebriation clearly wasn't helping matters. If she had a clearer head this wouldn't be such a big deal. She could just stuff those emotions away like she normally did and go on with her day. Antonia didn't date guys. Don't get it twisted,she didn't date ladies either. She simply watched what romance had done to her mother. What it was doing to her sister and that was enough for Antonia to not want to deal with any of that in her life. She was happy to become a spinster and get a bunch of cats or something. She was until she saw him and then the wall she had so carefully built up seemed to want to crumble.

"Excuse me." a voice from behind. Antonia whipped around unsteadily. He was standing just outside the door. His eyes swept over her with lazer like precision. So fast, Antonia wasn't able to register it fully. He smiled at her politely, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like you left this at the bar in there." He held up her purse. She put her hand to her chest. Antonia usually slung her bag across her body and thought it was still there. How drunk was she? She didn't feel as if she had that much. She must have if she didn't notice taking off her bag and leaving it on a stool.

"Oh." she simply stated. "How did you know it was mine?" she questioned as she reached out and gently took the purse from his hand.

"This may be presumptuous of me, but the rest of the patrons at the bar don't seem the type to carry such a feminine item." he replied, his eyes never leaving her face. It felt as if he was studying her. It seemed to her as if he was judging every gesture she made or word she spoke. But it could have all been in Antonia's head. She was known for being a bit of a paranoid drunk. At his words she leaned over and looked past him to the world inside. There were women trotting around, but none up at the bar. Burly men of various sizes and ages populated that area.

"I'm sure your presumptions are correct." she felt her brain start to go a bit fuzzy. "That was awful kind of you to return it to me." she said with a small smirk. "Thank you." Antonia added.

"Well, I'm nothing if not a gentleman." he replied. "Don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way, but do you come here often? I've got the vaguest notion that I've seen you around before."

Antonia tensed up. He remembered her. Not as she is now, almost a grown woman. But as that frail girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. "No." she answered quickly. "In fact, I make it a point to never come here if I can help it."

He smiled at that. "Smart girl."

"I think I just have one of those faces." she asserted. She didn't want him to recognize her. Not like that. She had grown up since then she didn't want him to think of her as some innocent girl. Barely a teenager and unwise to the ways of the world. Not like it would matter anyway. She was sure he wouldn't think of her in the way she would like. Not while her biggest priority was getting into an ivy league university.

"You most certainly do not." he replied, and she wasn't sure if he was complimenting or something else. The awkwardness she felt in that moment was only deepened by the drunken state she was currently in. She was about to say her goodbyes and go find a hole to live out the rest of her days when Kylie showed up. She always seemed to appear when Antonia needed her the least. She slithered over and put an arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Let's get out of here. Jay is being so boring." Kylie whined.

"Aww, what happened? Did the two of you stop sucking face long enough for you to realize he has the personality of a gold fish?" Antonia questioned, with a giggle. She took her sister's arm off her shoulder and let it fall to her side.

" .ha." Kylie responded with a glare. "I forgot that booze make you think you've got a sense of humor." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked over at the man standing close. "I didn't realize you were talking to someone." she spoke to Antonia, but kept her gaze on him. "Who are you?"

He scoffed, "I'm Boyd. Boyd Crowder." He looked her over in much the same way he did Antonia. Sizing her up, judging her worth. However, after he came to his conclusions his gaze seemed to harden. Both of them had heard of the Crowders. Harlan was a small town, but aside from that they had a certain reputation. A certain criminal reputation that Antonia was sure Kylie wouldn't be able to ignore. Not with her foolish plan fresh in her mind.

Kylie smiled at him seductively. "I'm Kylie."

"Delighted." he dryly cut her off, turning his attention back to Antonia. "I don't think I've caught your name."

Antonia went to speak, but Kylie cut her off before even a syllable could be uttered. "Antonia. She's my sister. Listen. Are you looking for any extra work?" her voice dropped to a near whisper. "You know, the kind that requires a special set of skills?"

Boyd arched an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, was that an attempt at being sneaky and tactful?" he asked. "Are you two trying to pull some sort of-" he went into a mock whisper. "- illegal crime?" Antonia began to giggle again. No one had ever reacted to Kylie in such a way. No one except for Antonia. It took the wind out of Kylie's sails a bit, but she wasn't giving up. Kylie nudged Antonia in the side hard enough to turn her giggles into one mournful groan.

"What if we were?" Kylie decided to ignore the fact he was clearly making fun of her and continued on in her business.

Boyd seemed about fed up with the conversation already. He sighed. "Are you looking for drugs? Weed or something? Because I don't do that. And even if I did I sure as Hell wouldn't sell to minors."

"We aren't minors." Kylie balked. Her face went into a grimace. As if the very idea caused her physical pain. His face scrunched up at her words. It said 'don't insult my intelligence'. Antonia couldn't take much more of this train wreck. It was all going so ok before Kylie came along and made things so much worse. Antonia was going to feel this embarrassment for the rest of her life.

"Ok. Either way, I ain't selling the pair of you anything." He looked them both in the eye with a severity that could make a flower wither. "Why don't you two run along home now. Toni here looks as if she's about ready for a tall glass of water and some Advil." He turned and walked back into the bar without so much as a backward glance.

"What an asshole." Kylie said with a mouth full of venom she usually only reserved for Francis.

"He's not." Antonia replied. "He was just being nice." she wistfully slurred.

"Nice? You really have had too much to drink haven't you?" Kylie took her sister by the hand. "Come on, let's get you in bed before mom gets home." Kylie dragged her sister to the direction of the car. Kindly stuffed her into the vehicle once they reached it. As they pulled out of the parking lot Antonia sluggishly turned her head towards her sister.

"Hey Kylie." Antonia quietly said.

"Yea?" Kylie was equally quiet. The perfect set up for a tender sister moment.

"Great plan." Antonia said with a quick guffaw.

"Shut up." Kylie answered, they drove the rest of the way in silence.