Chapter 1

There were, for the most part, two distinct ways that Mr. Nicolas Benson could have handled his wife's untimely death due to T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia. He could have broken. That is, he could have become a shell of the man he once was now that the woman he had fallen in love with when he was just sixteen was no longer in his life. He could have shunned all five of his daughters, especially the eldest, Erin, who looked so much like his Melanie with her big brown eyes that it sometimes made something inside of him ache with sadness.

He could have done all of that, of course, and no one would have blamed him. But Nicolas Benson was not the type man to fall apart. He reacted in another other manner, the opposite way, by drawing together his rather larger family of six into one close knit bundle that he watched over most precariously.

There was Erin, the girl who resembled her mother not only in looks but in spirit. She had the same fire for music, the same eerie presence on the piano that his wife had had. She was thin and willowy, her big brown eyes full of zest that he hoped would never be quenched. Then there was Janet, named after his own late sister whom he had loved dearly. Janie was the sensitive one, the one he had the hardest time knowing and understanding. He worried for Janie the most. She was clearly going to be a little beauty, with her flyaway blonde curls and soft face, yet she had none of Erin's spark. Seven year old Janie weeped for weeks after her mother's death, and often took to doing things completely alone. Only Erin was allowed to enter her world.

Melly was third, the middle child, only four and rather short and stocky. She seemed to only be curious about death. She would ask questions about it to which he frankly could give no answer. He was vague with Melly, and he could already see her little inquisitive mind not accepting what he told her.

Yet it was easily the twins whom he pitied the most, the two year old babies, Lily and Katie, who would have to rely on mere photographs to try to know their mother. They had her music as well he supposed, but nothing was ever so powerful as Melanie physically before them. Nothing would ever replace her and Lily and Kate would never remember her.

He knew the road would present challenges, knew that he was a man who knew not the sensibilities of young girls. He had had one sister and had lived with only Melanie, and had had nothing to prepare him for such a feat. Still, he knew that he was not a man to crumple, that Melanie had certainly not loved a man whom would be defeated so easily.

The thought of moving crossed Nicolas's mind; the hope that maybe distancing himself from places and things that only made him think of Melanie would make it hurt less, make him miss her less, definitely took a tip grip upon him for a while. But they had ties to the town, life-long friends in the forms of the Luthers, the Knights, and the Olivers. Nicolas did not want to cut-off everything and everyone for a relief he knew would only be temporary.

So the Bensons stayed put in Heathrow, Rhode Island. Time passed, as it is doing now, and as it always shall. The girls got used to the looks filled with pity and Nicolas steadily ignored them. Many a nanny was hired and then simply disposed of by the rowdy bunch. It wasn't until Erin was eleven that Nicolas found the nanny all parents dream of. Her name was Sydney Blair, a petite girl with dark hair and thick lashes. She was a college student with a creative flair and happy mannerisms, attending a nearby university while living at home with her mother and father.

The girls all fell in love with Sydney and her warm smile. She taught Janie to paint, Melly to laugh, and the twins to make friendship bracelets. She let Erin teach her a song on the piano, although not the one that Erin's mother had taught her. That song was too special. Sydney was by no means the sitter with her phone glued to her ear; she cleaned, helped with laundry, and did a little bit of cooking. She was like an older sister that all of the girls came to rely on.

It was three years later, just three days before Erin's fourteenth birthday, when a second tragedy shook the Benson family. Sydney Blair was killed in a car accident on her way home from their house. Janie was particularly distraught, as she was easily the most attached to Sidney. They all shed tears, all thought bitterly of death, and all secretly wondered if there was some sort of curse in which every mother-like figure in their life would be taken away from them.

It was on that cold, majestic December day of Sydney's death, with the snowflakes whirling down, floating on a chilling wind, that Erin sat poised at the piano. She was wearing a black dress, one so loose it looked like a garbage bag over her small body. Still, Erin never minded about appearances, something which made her quite stand out amongst her peers. She had long ago learned the notes of the piano, long ago felt the power that she had only through them and the power that they had over her. Erin knew about music. Yet this was the first time that she wanted music to know about her.

Her fingers did a delicate dance, dipping into the sounds of a few notes, mixing and blundering. She tried the notes, each calling out to her something different.

One said smile, the other rain, the next, pain. She mixed them together, different patterns, different tempos, dipping her fingers time and time again.

She couldn't tell you how long she sat on the cushioned piano bench right by the window revealing the falling snow. She couldn't tell you how many combinations of notes she tried before she got it right. But she could tell you that it had been worth it.

She played 'Sydney's Song' at the funereal, a song that felt to her like Sydney, at least the closest she could get. It was a haunting melody and even more tragic and awe-inspiring because it had been written by so young a person. But music knows no ages or boundaries, and on that day Erin gave herself to music, and it reciprocated the favor.

There wasn't a dry eye in the church after the last note was struck.

And Erin knew at last that it was through music, and through music only, that she could make others understand her. She knew at last that it was the only way that even she could understand herself.

~*~

The Benson home was by no means a scaling manor home with grandeur architecture unlike many of the others that were located next to it in the secluded neighborhood of Longbourne Acres. Instead it was a modest white building with two stories and large, cheerful looking windows scattered about. The front yard was wide and spacious, although nothing in comparison to the giant backyard, which was framed by various kinds of trees and, in the spring and summer time, sprinkled with wild flowers. And although tragedy had certainly hit the family, one would never guess by seeing the home. It looked joyful and light, a simple yet elegant home that always had music and chatter tinkling out from its open windows. The inside was decorated just as lightly and elegantly as the exterior, something which always seemed to surprise people who knew that the Benson girls had no mother.

Erin loved her home and her town of Heathrow. It was there that she grew up and went through many a trial and discovered many delights. The first and ultimate delight in her life was music. The second was learning.

She attended St. Luke's Academy, a small and local private high school and middle school located a mere twenty minute walk from her secluded neighborhood of Longbourne Acres. Rain or shine, bitter cold or blistering heat, she walked to school. Sometimes her sisters would join her, but other times they would opt out and ask their father for a ride if they deemed the weather too dreadful to walk in. It was something Erin could never bring herself to do; she loved the walk down the little path, loved the way it was displayed to her in every season. There was something almost awe-inspiring about how the exact same place could be so transformed in appearance just because of the weather. It never ceased to thrill her. She also delighted in her alone walks. It was a rare moment of peace. With four younger sisters all with various quirks and peeves, the Benson home was always loud. Of course, Erin herself contributed much to the noise not only with her spirited conversations and playful demeanor, but also with her music, which she practiced nearly everyday.

It was on the very last day of her senior year that Erin found herself walking alone to school. The day had dawned slightly chilly considering it was the end of May, and the overcast skies were so dark, they were almost purple. Lily and Katie, who rarely walked, didn't even consider it, and Melly hated the rain. Even Janie refused the walk, knowing she wouldn't be ready by the time they would have to leave in order to arrive at school on time.

Erin didn't mind too much, even as the cool wind blew her long dark hair around her. There was an energy surging in the air; she couldn't help but feel some of the electricity running through her own veins. The dark sky starkly contrasted against the bright green of the trees that loomed around her. Erin was sporting her bright yellow raincoat over her old and much used purple Jansport book bag, and with umbrella in hand, she strolled casually along in her polka dotted rain boots down the path that would take her out of the Longbourne residential area and into the outer circle of the center of Heathrow.

Longbourne was known for its manor homes, and she passed many along her way. Most of them were beautiful, but many were for sale and had been for as long as Erin could remember.

She passed the Luther's, home to her best friend and classmate, Carly Luther. It was a red brick, graceful building with sloping windows and enchanting arcs. It was much larger than the Benson's home, despite the fact that the Luthers were only a family of four. Pale white violets patched with purple stains were sprouting up everywhere along the gate that framed the Luthers home, painting a rather pretty picture and pleasing Erin's artistic eye for beauty. The wind made the tiny delicate violets shutter and vibrate only adding further to the humming energy that Erin felt.

She knew it would begin to storm at any moment, but the knowledge didn't bother her. She loved the rain just as much as the sun. Thunderstorms were even more fascinating to her; there was something special and almost haunting about them. Storms happened quite a lot, but each one was always different from the last. And she found that whenever she tried to describe them with words or music, their uniqueness often eluded her and refused to be captured.

Erin was just passing one of the many empty estates when she saw two moving trucks and a sleek, black car parked on the side of the road. Her interest was immediately piqued, and she slowed her pace, hoping to perhaps catch a glimpse of people she could only assume were to be her new neighbors.

The house itself had always been one of Erin's favorites. It was three stories, probably the largest of the homes in Longbourne, and it was painted a bright yellow color. There was a wrap-around porch, with steps leading up to it and a massively ornate wooden door. Strong, white and evenly spaced columns stretched up from the porch and connected to the third floor of the home.

It had always seemed like a beautiful, cheerful place, probably due to its coloring and the blooming trees which surrounded it in the spring time. Erin especially loved the mix of the ancient columns and the modern coloring. It seemed like the perfect balance.

A few workers were hurriedly unloading some small pieces of furniture and a few cardboard boxes, clearly hoping to get a few things moved in before the rain prevented them from doing such. Erin gave a small smile as she passed and received one back in return from one of the men, although it looked quite strained, as he was hurriedly carrying a rather large and seemingly heavy box.

The car that was parked next to the trucks seemed to scream money, but Erin had no idea what kind it was, and didn't pay it much attention. She knew that whoever her new neighbors may be, the fact that they would have money and probably way too much of it was never doubted. She had met such people all her life and was always a bit apprehensive about it. There were those at school who stayed well away from her and her family due to their lack of connections. The Bensons were by no means dirt poor, but they certainly did not have millions at their disposal. Most of the students, however, had no qualms about the lack of the Benson girls' trust funds, and there were others who were in the exact same position as the Bensons themselves. Still Erin couldn't help but be curious if there would be any people her own age moving into the house on Netherfield Lane.

As she followed the path down Netherfield Lane, the wind began to pick up, rendering her umbrella quite useless. Big drops of rain soon fell, and with her hood tied tightly against her head, they made a popping sound as they hit her. She walked briskly, and the drops picked up in frequency. It wasn't long before it was pouring, and the sound of the rain falling on the pavement of the road and leaves of the trees echoed in her head.

It was still pouring by the time she reached the school, but thanks to her rain jacket and her rain boots she had stayed relatively dry. There were only two large wet spots, one on each knee of her jeans, but she was not at all bothered by it, knowing they would dry quickly once she was inside. She made her way into school, calling out to greetings to a few friends as she made her way to her locker. She stowed away the wet raincoat, careful not to get any of her other things wet, and took out her flats that she had stowed in her bag, deftly slipping off the rain boots. She noticed with some pleasure, as she was getting her books, that she seemed to have beat the rest of her family in getting to school and had plenty of time before her day would begin.

"You walked today?" came an incredulous voice. It was a voice that Erin recognized immediately and she turned to smile at her best friend.

"Yes, Carly I walked today. I walk every day. You think you would stop being surprised."

Erin found her best friend behind her, dressed simply in her school uniform, her blouse perfectly ironed. She wore her usual light dusting of make-up, her copper hair sleek and straight, and had her glasses perched on her long nose. Carly just shook her head in apparent wonderment at Erin. "I know. But I keep thinking there's going to be a day where you don't. Looks like I am wrong seeing as this is officially our last day of high school."

"And thank God for that," Carly continued, as she tugged at her long, blue plaid skirt, "I am so sick of this skirt."

"It's not that bad," Erin remarked as she pulled her own out of her bag. "At least we never had to worry about what to wear."

Carly rolled her eyes. She would have loved to worry about what to wear. Her closet was teeming with designer outfits that only got to see the light of day on glorious weekends. It just wasn't right.

"Can you believe it's our last day though? It's just gone so fast," Carly remarked wistfully leaning up against the locker next to Erin's.

Erin was stretching to reach her History book, though she doubted she would be using it. With all of her tests taken, today would be nothing but a freebie day.

"Do you even have any tests today?" she asked Carly as she shut her locker and turned the lock.

"One right before lunch. Then I'm done. I'm thinking about just leaving after. It's not like they will do anything. You should come. I told a bunch of people to meet up at my place."

Erin chewed her bottom lip, thinking over her schedule. She only had Spanish and History after lunch, two classes that she was already finished with. Both of her teachers were pretty lenient, and added to the fact that it was the very last day and that they would all just be sitting around in those classes anyway, she couldn't really see the big deal in skipping out a bit early. Carly made a good point; what were they even going to do about it? It wasn't like the administration could keep them from graduating just for missing one afternoon.

"Yeah, count me in." Erin slung her bag over her shoulder, and the two began walking slowly towards their first class, despite the fact the bell had yet to ring. Erin stopped by the bathroom to quickly change into her skirt, but it took a mere thirty seconds, and then the girls were promptly on their way, still discussing their plans for the afternoon

Carly clapped excitedly. "We'll have to stop by the grocery store and get some snacks for everyone. Oh and tell Janie to come too if you seen her."

"She still has a few finals to take," Erin replied simply. "But she'll probably stop by after school."

"Ahh, poor Janie. All of us leaving her behind," Carly remarked, with a sad look on her face.

Erin couldn't help but nod in agreement. It would be so weird not going to school with Janie and not seeing her every day. Being so close in age and sharing so many tastes, she and Janie had become extremely close throughout the years. They shared the same friends and many of their interests were the same as well. The only area that they seemingly differed was music. Erin was passionate about it, and while Janie could appreciate her sister's talent, she felt none of the magic when her own fingers grazed the keys. Erin had often wondered if it still took Janie back to memories of their mother, memories that Janie didn't like visiting.

Janie wasn't the only sister who had no interest in music. Melly, who was named after their pianist mother, seemed to go out of her way to reject it. Erin again suspected that maybe it was all in an effort to not be compared to their mother. She could understand how sharing a name with the famous pianist and composer would be more than enough. It was something that Erin herself often worried about too. She would be attending Pemberley Academy in the fall, the most prestigious music school in the country. Her mother had studied there and later had gone on and produced some greatly praised pieces in her short career as a composer and solo pianist. Erin knew she would be compared to her mother on a daily basis; the instructors there would be well aware of Melanie Benson nee Foster's legacy and would no doubt be expecting some great things to come out of her eldest daughter. Plus there was the fact that Erin looked almost exactly like her mother, with the exception of her father's dignified nose. She was nervous about the pressure that the constant comparison would bring upon her. Still, at the same time, she was ready for a change and ready to focus on what she loved most in the world; music.

"I'm going to miss you Carly," Erin mumbled softly. She had known today was going to be a bittersweet day.

"Stop," Carly declared, "We are not going to be sad yet. We still have the whole summer."

"You're right. And it will be an amazing summer."

"Of course it will be," Carly said lightly. "We've got my graduation party at the cabin, not to mention everyone else's. It will be fantastic."

Erin smiled and agreed, already excited about the prospect.

"Plus," Carly continued as they entered their classroom together, just as the first bell rang, "My dad's old friend from high school is moving in next door to us. You know that yellow house on Netherfield Lane?"

"Yeah, I saw moving trucks parked outside on the walk over here," Erin replied, as she sat in her assigned desk in the front row. Carly took her seat right next to her, throwing down her bag unceremoniously.

"Oh wow, I thought they weren't moving in until next week. Well anyway, they've got two kids, a boy and a girl and then like a foster kid or something. I don't know, I didn't really get it. I think that like the other boy is their son's friend and he's just staying with them over the summer or something," Carly rambled on. "Anyway, I totally facebook creeped them. And they are both gorgeous."

Erin couldn't help it; she busted out with laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me. You are such a creeper."

Carly pretended to look offended. "Please, you would have done the same thing."

"Doubtful, grasshopper, doubtful."

Carly smirked. "Well I'm glad I did it. Now I know just what to say to make them both fall madly in love with me. And then they can duel over me, you know, fight to the death, like Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr."

Erin continued to laugh. "Yes because it's still the 1700s."

"Hey duels still happen. Case and point, Max Cramer and Jeremy Frank."

"That was a lunch room fight in which Max bashed Jeremy in the face with a tray over a piece of thrown food," Erin pointed out.

"Meaningless detail," Carly said with a wave of her hand, just as the second bell rang, and Mr. Leon rose to begin to teach a pointless lesson.

The day passed quickly despite the fact that all of the seniors did nothing in their classes. Most had already taken their tests and tied up all the loose ends of their high school careers. Many classes were spent with yearbooks being shuffled through and passed around, and with a few teachers popping in movies or putting on music. It was probably the most relaxed Erin had ever seen the teachers and her classmates. Yet considering all the hard work that had been put in to their four years at St. Luke's high school, everyone felt like they had earned the laid back and carefree day.

After lunch, she emptied out her locker. It was a much sadder process than Erin had expected and she had to ask the office for extra bags so she could take everything home. She met up with Carly and together the two proceeded to leave. The weather had changed dramatically; there was no trace that it had ever rained, it all being erased by the penetrating rays of the sun. Even the breeze was warmer as it caressed both girls as they carried their bags to Carly's dark navy Volvo. They threw their bags into the back seat, the sun shining on their backs.

"So who's all going to be at your place?" Erin asked as she clambered in the front seat and fumbled with her seat belt.

"Well I told Alison, Marie, and Joe and Ted. Oh and I saw Janie and told her to come after."

Erin chuckled, "I thought you said a small gathering? If you told Marie, the entire school will be there."

Carly shrugged. "My parents won't mind. Plus, Paul is getting us booze." Carly started up the car, and began pulling out of her parking space.

Paul Luther, Carly's older brother, was 21 and in college, but was never too busy to supply his younger sister. Erin had had a crush on him for ages and was only now getting over it, although she would never admit it to anyone.

"Is Paul going to be there then?" Erin asked casually, hoping she wouldn't give herself away by looking too interested.

"Nah, he's just gonna stop by. I just need him to get mom and dad out of the house. I'm sure they'll be cool with it all. I just don't really want them there."

"My dad would kill me," Erin said simply.

"Yeah right, you're his favorite. And don't even try to deny it."

Erin just smirked because she knew Carly was right.

~*~

Like Erin had predicted, the gathering turned out to be rather big. The large living room of the Luther's home was full of teenagers celebrating the end of an important stage of their life. Music was played and danced to, drinks were poured and consumed, and laughter danced around the room as nimbly and swiftly as a woodland sprite. Thankfully, the likelihood of the party being discovered or the noise disturbing anyone was slim due to the secluded location of the Luther's home. It was really the perfect place for a large party. Mr. and Mrs. Luther had no qualms about leaving, entrusting their daughter with their home, as long as her older brother stayed to make sure nothing got out of hand. Paul did so willingly, chatting with many of the guys about sports and even talking to a few of the girls, Erin herself included among them.

Erin looked around from where she sat on the leather couch. To her left, the furniture had been cleared and pushed against the wall in an attempt to create a make-shift dance floor. A few of her classmates were twirling about, some that she knew well, and others that she didn't know really at all. There were a few people there that didn't like each other and that she herself wasn't overly fond of; still everyone seemed to be entirely content. It was as though the alcohol and the fact that they were all in the exact same position – somewhere between being excited for the rest of their lives and absolutely scared stiff – bonded them despite their other differences. Not a harsh word had been exchanged all night, making the atmosphere festive and merry.

The music was loud and thumping, and although it wasn't what Erin would call good music, she didn't mind it, and tapped her foot to the convoluted and overused beat as she sat next to Janie and Carly on the leather couch. Erin sighed and wished she would have been able to convince Melly to come along, but her younger sister had no desire to put down her rather old and beaten copy of Pride and Prejudice down. Of course, Lily and Katie were much too young to come, although they had surely wanted to. Of course, her father had put a stop to that immediately. Erin and Janie were only just barely allowed to stay after Erin had confessed over the phone that there was alcohol present. Erin wasn't a big partier, something that also made her stand out in comparison to many of her peers. Today, though she had had a few drinks, nothing too strong, in honor of the occasion and was trying not to think about the past or the future, but instead just the now. She, Carly, and Janie were watching the others in amusement, a sense of well being and happiness spreading over all of them as they casually chatted about nothing important.

Erin knew it was going to be moments like this that she would miss; Carly snorting in response to something Janie had said quite innocently without realizing how badly it could be misconstrued, Janie denying the advances of nearly every guy at the party in the sweetest way possible all while she resembled a tomato. Erin smiled and stirred her punch. She would miss it.

It was then that the doorbell rang, and Carly shot up like a bullet to answer it, a delighted look crossing her face. She ran off, disappearing behind the heads of people, and Janie and Erin continued their conversation, laughing loudly and often.

Carly wasn't gone long, and had three people trailing behind her as she reentered the room. She was talking animatedly, and from what Erin could see, only one of them even seemed at all interested in what she was saying. He had red hair and freckles and a pointy chin. He was smiling, and looked quite adorable from where Erin was sitting. His clothes were much more casual than either of his companions; he seemed to fit in while the other two noticeably stood out. The girl beside him had matching red hair, but no freckles were visible. Whether or not this was because she had none or they were hidden under make-up, Erin couldn't tell. However, if she would have had to hazard a guess she would have suspected that make-up was covering them – the girl was wearing a lot of eye make-up and looked like the type that would hide anything others considered a flaw. She was really quite beautiful; she had a slender body, wrapped in fancy, short green dress, and arched highbrows. Her cheekbones were to die for. However, she looked less than thrilled to be there, and picked at her clearly well cared for fingernails while Carly spoke.

When Erin's eyes fell on the last of the little group, she was taken aback. He was physically very striking and reminded her of some tragic Greek hero, with his dark hair that curled just a little bit at the very ends, framing his face. He had a strong, square jaw, round blue eyes, and broad shoulders. He seemed to be scanning the entire room, his face expressionless. His eyes met hers, but passed her by quite quickly; she seemingly wasn't worth a lingering look or a second glance. He was also dressed a bit more formally, and looked stiff and extremely uncomfortable in his white button up and slacks.

She looked away, only to see that Janie was staring in the same direction.

"Who are they?" Janie asked, the interest clear in her eyes.

"No idea," Erin said simply, returning her gaze to them, only to see Carly signaling wildly for them to come over and join her.

"Looks like we'll find out now," Janie remarked as she stood. Erin followed.

"Just a few more of your neighbors," Carly said to the group of three as Erin and Janie approached.

"Janie, Erin, this is Clay, his sister Carrie, and his friend William," Carly said, gesturing to each person as she named them off. "They just moved into the place on Netherfield."

Erin had to hold back a bark of laughter. These were the guys that Carly had facebook creeped! It was almost too perfect for them to be at this party. Taking another look at both of them, she had to agree with Carly's assessment. Both of them were quite good-looking, although she definitely would admit that William was much more of her type.

"Nice to meet you," Clay said warmly, his adorable grin back in place as he extended a hand first to Janie and then to Erin. Both girls reciprocated the gesture and smiled back. Carrie gave a small smile, while William just gave a nod, blank expression still in place.

"So where did you guys move from?" Erin asked, trying to be polite and strike up a conversation.

"New York City, actually," Clay said mildly.

"So this isn't much of a change then," Erin said with a smirk, her sarcasm heavy.

"No, not at all," Clay replied with a laugh.

"Heathrow isn't too bad," Erin admitted then, "But I'm not sure it can compete with New York City."

"It absolutely can't," Carrie interjected, looking at Erin as if she were mentally insane for even bringing the comparison to light. "I miss the city already."

Erin nodded, not really sure what to say. Thankfully, Carly as the perfect hostess, took over.

"Would you guys like anything to drink? We've got some wop and beer in the fridge, I can grab some for you."

"I'll take a beer," Clay replied, speaking to Carly, but staring straight at Janie – not that Erin was surprised. Most people tended to stare at Janie upon first meeting her. Janie was absolutely gorgeous, something she would never believe no matter how many times Erin insisted on it. She has a softness about her that was instantly appealing – it was something that Erin could only describe as a summer breeze. That's what Janie looked like. Her skin was freckled, but so lightly you could hardly tell, and her long blonde hair was curly and wispy, and as golden as straw. The angles of her face were smooth and symmetrical, her eyes a deep blue, eyes that she had inherited from their father. The only resemblance that the two sisters shared was the same lightly freckled skin.

Carrie shook her head in response to Carly's offer while William mumbled a forced and stiff sounding "No thank you." His voice had an accent that Erin couldn't place, and it was just subtly noticeable. She wondered just where he had lived before New York. She thought to ask him, but took one look at him and decided against it. His face showed clearly just what he thought; he looked as though he would rather be anywhere else than where he currently was.

"Janie, Erin, you want anything?" Carly asked as she began to step away and head towards the kitchen.

Janie shook her head, while Erin responded that she was fine. Carly disappeared into the kitchen leaving the five of them behind. Clay was the first to break the silence. "So Carly said it was the last day of classes. Excited for graduation?"

"Definitely," Erin remarked. "As fun as high school was, I am ready to move on to bigger things." It was a true statement, of course. Clay nodded and looked as though he knew just how she felt.

"I've still got one more year left," Janie said a bit sadly, with a small smile playing about her lips.

"Oh so you're only … what… seventeen?" Clay asked incredulously. Erin couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be a little bit disappointed.

"Yeah," Janie said a bit unsurely.

"Sorry, I'm just... just really surprised. You look much older."

Janie laughed good-naturedly. "It's okay, I get that a lot. Everyone always thinks I'm the oldest sister, and not Erin."

"Oh... you two are sisters?" Clay asked, again the surprise was evident in his tone, which only caused both sisters to let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, can't you tell?" Erin smirked.

"Honestly, not at all," Clay admitted.

"Don't worry, definitely not the first time we've heard that. None of us really look alike though," Janie admitted.

"You have more siblings?" Clay asked, clearly interested and still staring straight at Janie. Erin could tell that he was trying to split his attention between the two of them, but that his eyes seemed to just be drawn to Janie. Janie surprisingly seemed to be enjoying the intense staring. Normally she would clam up and quickly make an excuse to get away. Now, however, her eyes were bright and smile was genuine.

"We have three other sisters," Janie replied cheerfully.

"So there are five of you?" Carrie snapped in suddenly. She said it in the most condescending way possible, and Erin could feel herself growing irritated.

"Yes," Erin answered shortly.

"God, I can't imagine having that many siblings," She said disdainfully.

Erin looked at her incredulously but wisely chose not to comment. She doubted it was even worth it. The girl seemed stuck up and was looking at Erin and Janie as though they were gum on the bottom side of her shoes. Erin had learned long ago that it was better to just not deal with those types of people – they were never going to change their minds and they probably weren't worth getting to know anyway.

"I'm sort of jealous – I always wondered what it would be like to have a big family," Clay said, and he seemed to genuinely mean it. Erin couldn't help but smile at him, already deciding that she like him. He seemed like a good type of guy, and Erin's judgment had yet to disappoint her. She was normally good at reading people and prided herself on it.

Carly appeared with Clay's beer in one hand, and the other one holding a glass of wop for herself. "Here you go," she said with a smile, and he returned the grin as he took the can. A newer song came on through the stereo system and a few girls squealed and jumped up to dance, yanking any guy they could grab.

"Oh, good song," Janie remarked casually.

Clay smiled. "Would you like to dance?"

Janie was practically glowing, as she nodded, and Clay led her to the area that had been cleared for dancing space. Carly looked a bit put out by this development and Erin had to stifle a laugh as Carly instead turned her attention to William.

"What about you, Will? Are you up for a dance?" she asked playfully.

He turned to glare at her. "Not all. And it's William." His tone was brisk, and rather rude, and Erin arched an eyebrow at him. Is this guy for real? What an ass.

Carly seemed to think so too as her usual playful demeanor turned much colder. "Sorry, William."

"He doesn't dance," Carrie commented stating it as though such an activity was simply barbaric. "Neither do I."

"Parties must be pretty boring for you both then," Erin replied, grabbing Carly's hand, seizing the opportunity to getting away from these self-righteous people. "Would you like to dance with me, my lovely lady?"

Carly snorted. "Why, of course."

They left William and Carrie as quickly as was physically possible without breaking out into a run, laughing the entire way. When they got to the make-shift dance floor, Erin spun Carly around, eyes sparkling with mirth as Carly laughed. A few other classmates laughed along at their wild antics.

"God! They are so full of themselves," Carly said over the music, as Erin was doing a wild rendition of the sprinkler. "Thank you for pulling us away."

Erin nodded and looked up, only to make eye contact with William across the room. She could only imagine what he thought of her; he was looking at her as though she was an idiot, as though she were out of her mind for dancing in such a fashion. She wondered just what he would do if she gave him the finger. I doubt he's even worth that… although it is a pity because he is so beautiful. She broke the gaze quickly and turned her attention back to Carly and the music, her feet pumping beneath her and the rhythm bouncing her ears.