Enjoy!

Time lapse: A month later.

Rae had fallen into a rhythm living with her parents. She had gotten a job at a local record store and Callie and Nate had brought her car and some of her stuff. She had yet to talk to Logan again and she loved staying with her parents. She still had a little less than two months until her senior year.

She was working at the store.

"So, you don't recommend 'American Idiot'?"

She'd been having this conversation for too long with a man who seemed too old for Green Day.

"No, I do, it is a great album. But if you're just getting into them, I really recommend 'Dookie'. It's, in my opinion, better and more punk. If you are going mainstream then 'American Idiot'."

"But-"

"Buy both!"

"That is a great idea young lady."

"Thank you." She exhaled as he walked away, and walked toward a register.

After telling a seven year old that he had to check with his parents before he could buy Fergie's new album, Rae started counting receipts.

"Excuse me?"

"One sec."

"I think you might want to look up."

"Dad?" Standing in front of her was Mr. Logan Huntzberger

"Hi."

"What are you doing here?"

"Want to get some lunch?"

"No."

"Well you don't really have a choice. When do you get off?"

She sighed. She knew this was coming. "Five minutes. I'll meet you next door."

"Great."

"So what are you getting?"

"Dad."

"Because the chicken sounds good but I've had that thirteen times in the last-"

"Dad!."

"Sorry. Listen. You know Gina?"

"Yes, the wacko girlfriend."

"Well I asked her to marry me."

"Ha!"

"I'm serious."

"What?"

"And the wedding is in two days."

"Oh my god."

"I really want you to be there Rae. Gina does too."

"Sure."

"Really!"

"I'm not coming to your wedding, you don't even love her!"

"Yes I do!"

"You're lying!"

"Rae come on you HAVE to come! It is important to me!"

"It's important to society, not you."

"That is not true! You don't know anything!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Rae. Please come!"

"When did this happen?"

"A month ago."

"When I was still at home?"

"It was around there. Listen I'm sorry I didn't tell you I just have not been in the mood to talk to you at all and so now I am and I want you there."

"Why so fast."

"She likes fast."

"I can't believe you."

"Rae, just tell me you'll be there."

"No! I don't know! I'll call you or something." She got up and left the restaurant.

During her next break at work she got a call.

"Hello?"
"Hi."

"Hi Nate."

"You sound bugged."

"So do you."

"Yeah well."

"Well, what?"

"It's just I've been kind of…out of it lately."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"I just…I just miss you Rae. You are never here and I only have gotten to see you once this whole month at our gig. And even then you had to leave directly after and you didn't say goodbye to anyone."

"I'm sorry-"

"It's just I want to know when I'm gonna see you again!"

"God Nate, you know that I have to be here!"

"No you don't! Why won't you just come home? This whole summer was planned, Rae."

"I'm sorry that I needed to meet my mother!"

"I gotta go. Bye."

He hung up leaving her close to tears.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

She walked home quickly and when she got home no one was there. "Why isn't anyone here when I need them to be!" She walked straight to the fridge and grabbed a beer.

After her fourth "Brady Bunch" rerun, the bell rang.

Rae had had more than enough beer and she stumbled over to the door. She opened it and saw Nate looking back at her.

"Nate!"

"Hi. Listen Rae I am so…You're drunk."

"I am not."

"Yes you are. Is anyone home?"

"Oh no, it is Friday Night Dinner night, because you see, it is Friday."

"Yeah I see." He pushed open the door to see the coffee table littered with bottles. "We need to get you to bed."

"No way, dude. I need to find out if the light goes off in the fridge when Alice goes in."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do Nate. I don't know anything apparently so I need to count on something and that something is if the damn light goes off when you shut the door!"

"Come on!" He picked her up and carried her to her room.

"Put me down Nate!" He dropped her on her bed. "Hmm…So tired."

"You look it. Go to sleep, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Mmkay." Nate suspected she was already asleep.

He was on his way out when Rory came walking through the door.

"Hi there."

"Hi."

"You must be Nate."

"Yeah, sorry. Listen I just got here. I just brought Rae to bed because apparently she had been drinking."

Jess walked in. "Hey."

"Hi."

Rory spoke up, "Rae's been drinking."

"Sure it didn't have anything to do with this guy?"

"No, no! I just got here!"

"Why was she drinking?" Rory asked.

"I don't know. She's only done this when she was really upset. We did have a fight earlier but I don't think that would have made her this mad."

"She's sleeping?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay. Go home, sorry. Um, thanks for helping out."

"Bye." He left.

Jess looked at the bottles spread out on the table. "Jeez." And he followed Rory toward Rae's room.