Thanks for the reviews so far! I am enjoying writing this story, and I'm glad to get positive reviews!

I created a 'Stoneybrook High Yearbook' with pictures of who I chose to 'portray' each character. I will be adding more as I find good pictures (haha!) The link is:

good-times. webshots. com/album/567881917SKCDOM (delete the space before the W and the com)

Any suggestions for cast would be appreciated as well :)

Chapter Four

"What the fuck is this?" Vanessa repeated when Adam and I didn't answer her. "Is this why you made me leave last night, so I wouldn't catch you making out with this loser?"

"You know what, Vanessa?" Adam asked. "I think the only loser out here is you."

Vanessa scoffed. "Oh please!" She laughed. "I am only trying to protect you!"

"Protect him from what?" I spoke up. "From me? You actually think that I am that evil as to do something to hurt your brother?"

"Well, why do you think we aren't friends anymore?" Vanessa asked me. "I didn't just wake up one morning and decide, Hmm, I don't think I want to be friends with Charlotte anymore."

"Uh, yeah, you pretty much did, actually!" I replied. "I did nothing wrong to you or Haley, and you guys just ditched me and Becca for no good reason."

"Well, we would of had to stop being friends eventually anyway." Vanessa said, glancing at mine and Adam's hands still joined. "Real friends wouldn't go after someone's brother."

"We aren't friends anymore!" I shouted, getting angry. "I can hold hands or kiss or do whatever with whoever I want, including your brother! I don't need your fucking permission!"

"Whatever." Vanessa said. "I think that you, Adam, are making a huge mistake. And don't come crying to me when she's ripped out your heart and is friggin disecting it in the bio lab." With that, she turned on her heals and stomped inside.

Adam stood in front of me and rubbed his hands up my arms. "You okay?" He asked. "I honestly didn't think she would be leaving the house today. I'm really sorry."

"I don't want you to always feel like you have to apologize for your sister being a bitch." I told him. "Cause, let's face it, you will be apologizing a lot!"

Adam grinned, opening my door for me. I climbed in and he joined me on the other side. Then he said. "What really did happen with you and Becca, and my sister and Haley?" He asked. "I mean, one day, you just stopped coming over."

I sighed as I did up my seatbelt. "Basically, Haley and Vanessa wanted to drink and be sluts, and Becca and I didn't... so we separated, and they went off with Kerry and Tiffany."

"I still can't believe my brother is dating Tiffany." Adam said. "I can't really see it lasting though. She is way too much of a hooch."

"I don't like her at all." I said. "I think she is honestly the dumbest person I have ever met in my life. She is in my bookkeeping class, and she seriously thought it was a class on how to organize the library!"

Adam started to laugh. "Yeah, that sounds about like Tiffany!" He said. "She is dumb as a post, and Jordan only sees her tits."

"What did Vanessa tell you happened between the four of us?" I asked.

"She said that you and Becca were ditching them for Corrie and Carolyn, and that her and Haley felt so left out, they decided to find new friends as well." Adam told me with a snicker.

"Yeah, except for the fact that none of that's true." I answered. "We didn't become friends with Corrie and Carolyn until after Haley and Vanessa ditched us."

"I know." Adam answered. "I found it weird that she told me this like six months after you guys did 'split up'"

"It took her that long to think of a good lie, I suppose." I answered with a laugh.

"So, what are you doing for the rest of the day?" Adam asked me as he turned down my street.

"I have to have dinner with my parents tonight." I replied. "Supposedly, anyway. My mother said she wouldn't be long at the office, and she's still gone."

"She works a lot huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I said. "Too much. I miss her. I wish she was home when I got home from school. Or at least, you know, before I went to bed."

"Your dad isn't home a lot either, is he?"

I shook my head. "No, he's in New York during the week, sometimes he stays there over the weekend too, depending on Mom's shifts and stuff. I worry about them sometimes."

"You mean their marriage?"

"Yeah... They never see each other! How can they possibly have a good relationship?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't know." He said. "Maybe it works for them. You know, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"I don't know." I said. "They have had some problems in the past. Right before my dad started working away. And I know they had problems when I was younger, because Dad wanted more kids and Mom didn't."

"Really?" Adam asked, pulling into my driveway. "Who told you that?"

"My Auntie Nell."

"So you're worried they might get a divorce?"

I nodded. "I tend to worry about a lot of things that I don't really need to worry about." I admitted to Adam.

He laughed. "Nooo!" He answered teasingly. He took my hand and pulled me into the middle seat. I curled my legs up onto the seat beside me and snuggled against his chest. He smelled so good, his arms fit perfectly around my shoulders.

"I really like you, Char." He told me, twirling a lock of my hair around his finger. "I know that I said we should take things slow, but I mean, it's not like I just met you. I've known you practically my whole life.

"Um, so..." He continued. "This is kind of an awkward question to ask, but there's not really any other way to ask it. Do you want to... you know, be my girlfriend?"

Did I want to be Adam Pike's girlfriend? Was he really asking me that? I glanced up at him and he was looking down at me, with a shy, little smile on his face. Was it moving too fast? Maybe. But I was already in the 10th grade, and I have never had a boyfriend, never had a real kiss until a few hours ago. And Adam was right. It wasn't like we just met. We have known each other our whole lives. We know each others friends and families. And I felt comfortable with him. After I went though those few facts in my head, I sat up straight and looked at him with a smile.

"Yeah." I answered. "I really do."

Adam's face turned to relief and then a huge grin spread over his face. He pulled me back towards him, cupped my face with his hands and kissed me. I was really starting to enjoy all these kisses!

We had only been kissing for a couple minutes when all of a sudden, there was a loud knock on the drivers side window. Adam and I both jumped, and then turned beet red when we saw who was staring into the window.

My father.

"Jesus Christ." I muttered under my breath. Dad indicated to Adam to roll down the window.

"Hi, Pike Boy." Dad said, obviously not knowing which one he was.

"Adam." Adam said, extending his hand out the window. "Hi, Mr. Johanssen."

Dad politely shook Adam's hand, but I could tell that he wasn't impressed catching his fifteen year old daughter making out with someone in his driveway.

"You might want to go home and wash your face." Dad told Adam. "Looks like you got a bit of my daughters lipstick on your face."

"Oh, my God, Dad." I mumbled, burying my face in my hands. I don't think I have even been more embarrassed, and we all know that I embarrass a little easily.

Adam blushed and nodded. "Okay." He answered. He turned and looked at me. "I guess I'll, um... call you later?"

I nodded and glanced at my dad, who was still standing beside Adam's truck. I didn't care. I leaned over and planted a kiss on Adam's now-pink lips.

"See you soon." I said, grabbing my purse and sliding out the passenger door. My dad was waiting to walk with me to the front door.

"So what was that all about, Charlie?" Dad asked me, opening the front door.

I shrugged. "I was just kissing him." I told him.

"Why were you kissing him?"

"Cause he's my boyfriend." I told him. Dad turned and looked at me in shock and shook his head.

"No..." He said, opening the fridge and getting out a beer. "No, you are way too young to have a boyfriend!"

"Da-aa-ad!" I exclaimed. "I'm fifteen years old! Most girls who are fifteen have boyfriends! Becca had her first boyfriend when she was thirteen."

Dad looked at me as if he hadn't seen me before. "Jeez." He said under his breath. "You really are fifteen. You're not a little girl anymore. A few more months and you'll be driving, then graduating..." Dad sounded wistful. "Time sure flies, doesn't it?"

I nodded. "Dad, I really like Adam." I said. "And you know his family, you know he's a good guy."

Dad nodded. "I know, hon." He said. "But you know that no guy is ever going to be good enough for my baby girl."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad." I replied. I stood up. "I'm going to go call Becca. Mom is bringing Chinese food home, she said."

"I'll give her a call." Dad said, picking up the phone. I ran upstairs to my bedroom and hit '2' on my cell phone, speed dialing her.

"Oh, my God." She answered. "I'm hearing rumours about you!"

I laughed. "What are you hearing?"

"Well, Marilyn and Carolyn were having lunch at the Rosebud, and Vanessa was in there, freaking out to Jeff about her brother and you, making out in the friggin parking lot! What the hell is up?!"

"Oh, not much." I said nonchalantely. "Adam came by to get his sweater this morning. He invited me for coffee, we kissed-"

"You really kissed?" Becca exclaimed. "Yay, that is so exciting!"

"Yeah." I agreed. "The best kiss was definitely right after he asked me to be his girlfriend."

"Whaa-aa-at?!" Becca screeched. "Are you fucking serious? No, you're lying. Did he really?"

I was laughing by this point, feeling almost giddy. "Yeah, I'm friggin serious!

"Did you say yes?"

"Of course!"

I had to hold the phone away from my ear because Becca squeeled so loudly. "Oh, my God, Char!" She exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you! I told you so, I told you he liked you!"

"Do you think... I should have waited to say yes?" I asked her. "I'm really worried about what people will say."

"Like Vanessa?"

I snickered. "Well, I already heard what Vanessa had to say!"

"If Adam was someone else... like, someone you didn't grow up with, then I would say yes." Becca told me. "But you have known him since the beginning of time! I think that it was just waiting to happen."

I smiled. My face was starting to hurt, I couldn't stop smiling!

"I think it will be good." Becca assured me. "Adam is a really good guy, you know that. I think that he will bring you out of your shell a bit more, which, less face it, is a really good thing!"

I laughed. "Yeah, I know." I replied. "I did kiss him in front of my dad. I'd say that's pretty bold."

"Holy shit, and your dad didn't kill him?"

"Not yet." I answered with a giggle.

"Well, I am really happy for you." Becca said. "I don't think its too fast, and I wouldn't worry about what anyone else will say. They will just be jealous!"

"Thanks, Beck." I answered. "I have to go, I hear my dad yelling at me downstairs. We are having a 'family dinner' tonight."

"Well, give me a call later, if you're not too busy with your boyfriend." Becca teased. I giggled. I love that word!

"I will." I told her. "I'll talk to you later!"

"Bye, Mrs. Pike." Becca said with a laugh before hanging up.

I laughed and closed my phone, then headed back downstairs. My dad was setting the table in the kitchen.

"Is Mom on her way home?" I asked.

Dad nodded and handed me a few forks. "She called me from Uncle Ed's, she is just waiting at the restaurant for our takeout to be ready."

"Yummy." I said approvingly. Uncle Ed's makes the best Chinese food I have ever had.

"So, did you have to go and get your little girl talk over with?" Dad asked me teasingly.

"Of course." I replied, pulling a packet of iced tea out of the cupboard. I dumped it into a juice jug and watched the dust rise. I have always loved making the instant iced tea. I have no idea why. Maybe it was the first 'kitchen' thing my mother let me do. I filled the jug with water and stirred it up.

"How come when I left two weeks ago, you were a little girl, and now you're a teenager with a boyfriend?" Dad asked.

"Well, I'd like to think its about time." I told him, adding some ice cubes to the iced tea.

"I just hope he doesn't get in the way of your studies." Dad told me, setting some serving spoons on the table.

I rolled my back. That's my parents for you. Always about the school. Study hard, don't get good grades, get the best grades. I remember when I came home with my first test in European History. I was a year younger than most people in the class and I got 88. I was so excited, but my mother looked over my test and asked me why I didn't get 100. Dad drilled me for weeks at the dinner table over European History. Most parents would have been so proud of 88. Mine wished it was higher.

"Dad..." I told him. "I will always get good grades."

"Good grades won't get you into Yale." Dad reminded me.

I sighed. "Do we have to have this conversation right now, Dad?" I begged. "I am only in the 10th grade. I have a long ways to go before college."

"How well you do in the 10th grade determines how well you'll do in the 11th grade." Dad stated. "11th grade is when it starts to matter. If you don't study this year, next year will be twice as hard."

I took a deep breath and blew it out towards my bangs. "Okay." I said simply, hoping I could get him to drop the school subject.

Luckily, I was saved by my mom. She pushed open the front door, arms loaded with two paper bags filled with egg rolls, chop suey, sweet and sour pork and other yummy good stuff. Dad reached down the stairs to help her, and passed one of the bags back to me. I set it on the counter and started pulling the take out containers out and opening them up. The aroma was making my stomach growl, so I stole a chunk of pork out of one of the containers.

Mom swatted my butt. "Jeez, are you starving or something?" She joked, stealing a baby corn out of the other container before taking both and setting them on the table.

I grabbed two more containers and the fortune cookies and set them on the table as well. Mom gave me a grin as she passed the chop suey to me.

"Dad tells me you have a boyfriend now." She said with a smile. "And it's a Pike boy too! Talk about a small town or what?"

I scooped some chop suey onto my plate and passed it onto Dad. "Yeah, well, he's a nice guy and I really like him." I told her. "Nothing wrong with that."

Mom laughed. "No one said there was, honey." She assured me. "Adam is the one out of the three that I would pick for you anyway. Jordan seems a bit stuck on himself, and Byron... well, he's just a little left of center."

"So you don't think its bad if I have a boyfriend?" I asked her. "Like, you don't think it will get in the way of school?"

"If it does, then you have a problem." Mom told me. "But I think you can manage a boyfriend, social life and homework."

"We want you to do well in school, Charlie." Dad said, cutting up his eggroll. "But we want you to have a social life and enjoy being a kid too. Just don't start slacking off in school."

"I've never been a slacker before, Dad." I told him. "I'm not going to start now."

"Good." Dad answered with a smile. "Now, we can drop the school subject, because I'm sure Charlie is done talking about it."

I smiled. "Yes, please." I laughed.

Dinner with my parents is generally pretty boring. Not that I don't love my parents. But I can only listen to stories about dupuytren contractures or vierendeel trusses so many times (I'll let you figure out which parent talks about which of those boring subjects). So while they discussed their past couple weeks, I spaced out, chewing my food dreamily and thinking about Adam. His beautiful eyes, his adorable, crooked smile, his amazing body. Not only his hunk appeal, but his personality. Everyone likes him, everyone wants to be his friend, or date him. He's never shunned anyone based on what the crowd goes with. Not like his sister. I was hoping that dinner would be over soon so that I could hang out with him, maybe practice our kissing a bit more.

"Char, are you done?" I snapped out of my daydream, and saw my mom standing over me, holding her empty plate.

"Oh... oh yeah, thanks." I said, handing her my plate. Mom laughed.

"And so it begins." She joked, rinsing off the plates. "Soon all your notebooks will be covered in 'Mrs. Adam Pike' in swirly, dreamy handwriting."

"Mom, shut up." I mumbled. She continued laughing, and handed me a fortune cookie. I opened it up and blushed.

"What does yours say, Char?" Mom asked, opening hers.

"Read yours first." I suggested.

Mom cleared her throat. "You are careful and systematic in your business arrangements." She read. "Well, that's boring. What about yours, Rob?"

Dad opened his up. "You can open doors with your charm and patience." Dad read out loud. "Sounds pretty accurate to me!"

"Your turn, Char." Mom told me. "What does it say?"

I shook my head. "I'm not reading it." I told them. Dad laughed and quickly snatched mine out my hand.

"You will find romance easily this year." He read, laughing. "Sounds like they are all pretty spot on, huh?"

I snatched my fortune back out of Dad's hand. "Yours sure isn't!" I joked. "May I be excused now, please."

Mom, who was still laughing at Dad, nodded. I pushed my chair up and ran up to my room. My cell phone was flashing, which meant I had a new text message. I opened it up and smiled when I saw that it was from Adam.

call or text me when ur done dinner. maybe we can hang out :)

I opened my phone and hit 3. (Yes, I already had him programmed into my speed dial... so what?). After a couple rings, he picked up.

"Hey." He said. I could hear the smile in his voice. "What are you up to?"

I laid back onto my bed. "I just finished having dinner." I replied. "What are you doing?"

"We just finished too." Adam answered. "We haven't had dessert yet... my mom told me to invite you over."

"To your house?"

"Nah, to the treehouse down the road." Adam answered laughing. "Yeah, to my house! She made peach pie."

Oh, I love peach pie!

"Is Vanessa there?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I was quiet for a minute. Adam started talking again.

"Look, Char..." He began. "If we're going to date, my sister is going to have to get over it. I already told you that she won't be harassing you anymore without having to deal with me. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable at my house, and neither does my mom. I told her what happened last night and she fucking tore right into Vanessa. She was pretty pissed off at her. My mom and I invited you. Vanessa has no say. She's not the little princess she likes to think she is. She can't dictate who gets invited to our house. I can't stand Haley, but I don't throw a fit when she comes over."

"Yeah, I know." I told him. "You're right, but I just don't want to make your mom or you mad at Vanessa... even if she does deserve it."

"I still think you should come over." Adam replied. "If it gets weird, or you get uncomfortable, just say the word and I'll take you home. But my mom really wants to see you. She misses you, and Becca, tons."

Dee Pike is one of the coolest moms I know. I loved going over there and sitting at the table with her, eating homemade cookies and having her ask about my day. It was like what my mom used to be like, before I got older.

I sighed. "Well..." I said hesitantly. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah." I agreed. "As long as you protect me from the evil witch you call your sister."

Adam laughed. "Done." He promised. "Can I come pick you up right away?"

"Yeah, I'll be ready." I told him.

"Okay, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes or so." He told me. "See you in a bit."

"'Bye." I said, shutting the phone.

Oh dear Lord. What have I gotten myself into?