Hello, people! I am back with a brand new chap! I should be doing homework right about now, but... :) Five more days of hell and then I'm FREE! Hahaaaaaa! Wow. I feel like Genie from the movie Aladdin at the end when he's set free... O.O

ANYWAY!

Here's chapter Eighteen! I hope you all enjoy it! The chapter is 1,688 words and towards the bottom you get a glimpse at Jaycee's troubling family life. Trust me, questions are raised.

I just turned around from the computer screen and I saw my little brother with his back to me. The disturbing part? I'm pretty sure he's naked.

Chapter 18-Double Date Ditchers

"Just get in the dress!" Lana screeched at me through the door.

"No way! I'm not wearing a dress!" I yelled back, defiant.

Here, I'll catch you up to speed. After quietly sneaking my way back into my room, being pounced by Meg and Katie, chased down by a psychotic Lana, I had managed to lock myself in the bathroom with Lana banging on the door trying to get me in 'the perfect dress'. As far as I could tell, it was fancy and hot pink, and came straight out of Lana's closet instead of mine.

I had Meg on my side though. When she first saw it, she looked exactly how I felt.

"Open the door! " Lana demanded.

"It's not even my size!" I shouted back, looking for escapes and excuses.

There was a paused, thoughtful silence on the other side of the door. I could almost see Lana tapping her chin in thought.

"You're right. What was I thinking? And it'd look horrid on you. Pink is not your color. It's a wonder that red is…" Lana rambled, her words jumbling together as she started talking faster and faster.

"….won't have a dress! And if you don't have a dress, you can't go on the date, ruining our plans! I have to find you a dress! Katie help me look for a dress! I need to find her a dress!"

Plans? What plans? I'm not sure I want to know….

I could hear Meg and Katie coming over to the door, a thumping sound resonating outside.

"What was that?" I called.

"It's all right!" Meg called back. "Lana's asthma acted up! She's fine, she just needs her inhaler!"

A retreating of footsteps followed her voice as I sighed in relief and finally opened the door. I saw Katie propping Lana up against the wall.

"She'll be fine….I think. I'm not a healer, so I really can't help here," Katie said, sounding apologetic.

"It's not your fault that she has asthma. It's her fault for getting overly-worried," I joked.

"Not the time for jokes." She scolded. Whoa, buzz-kill over here. How'd she and Travis fall for each other, anyway? She's a total no-nonsense person and he's all about it. Weird.

"Sorry, sorry," I held my hands up in surrender. "So…how'd you and Travis get together?"

Katie blushed a strawberry scarlet. "Oh…uh…he just annoyed me a lot, and I annoyed him, you know?"

I wanted to say 'No, I don't know.' but decided against it.

"Ah. I was just wondering because, you know, he's all jokes and then you're really serious and stuff."

I felt really awkward talking with Katie, not only because I didn't have a clue what to say, but also because she felt like my complete opposite. Sure, she was cool I guess, but even a small joke irritated her.

So, naturally, I was glad when Meg came back with Lana's inhaler. After a few puffs of the thing, Lana was talking again, but still felt really dizzy.

"You know, that pink dress was terrible," Meg announced.

"Thank you!" I nodded my consent.

"But, I think I have a better dress, and Jay and I are close to the same size."

Ahh, best friends. What would I do without Meg Andrews?

Katie seemed happy about the dress change, and Lana managed a weary smile.

"Is it the one I'm thinking you're thinking of?" Lana asked slowly.

"The one we bought-"

"When Jaycee was-"

"And it's in the back of-"

"Go get!" Lana nodded as fast as she could.

Katie and I just exchanged a confused look.

"What?" We asked at the same time.

"You guys look gorgeous!" Lana gushed as Meg nodded her head in satisfactory.

I turned again to look at myself in the full-body mirror in Lana's room.

I was wearing an about knee-length strapless gold dress that was sequined at the top and from the waist to about my knees was the silky fabric that flowed like liquid sunlight in the early morning. Lana clapped with delight as Katie handed me a silver clutch hand bag, and Meg laid out silver flats.

Katie was dressed in a grape purple dress with a black trim, along with black flats and a black purse slung over her shoulder. Lana had also done a fish-tail braid down her back to her hair, putting a little dark eye shadow on her to bring out Katie's eyes.

Meg had also braided my hair over my right shoulder in a French braid. She always called those braids the 'Katniss Braids' because she always imagined Katniss with a braid like it.

I slipped the flats on and clutched the clutch hand bag in my right hand. I tried hard not to think about the last time I had to wear a dress. I couldn't afford to break down like a little girl now. I closed my eyes tight as I opened the door and headed for the door to the outside world.

"Let's just get this over with," I sighed and took a shaky breath.

"Whoa, Katie, you look…" Travis stuttered when he saw Katie and I exit the elevator. I had my arms crossed across my chest, feeling very uncomfortable and self-conscious. Katie smiled, grabbed Travis's hand and said, "I know."

I raised an eyebrow. Seriously? The first time I saw the two, she was screaming his head off for pranking her cabin. I never would've guessed that they'd end up together. I rolled my eyes slightly, feeling like gagging at the sight.

Conner's eyes were wide as he looked for something to say.

"Need to say something, or you got to go to the bathroom?" I asked an eyebrow raised as his mouth moved up and down like a fish.

Travis had already looped his arm with Katie's and they were heading out the door when Travis turned back to look at Conner to see him standing there gawking.

"Dude, come on! We got to go!" Travis called over laughing slightly, as I heard Katie giggle.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arm. "C'mon, man up and say something! I prefer not to be stared at."

"Uh-huh," He said intelligently.

"Glad you can at least form two syllables."

"Uh-huh."

"Gods, this is going to be a long evening," I said as I let go of his arm.

I walked out the door, Conner stumbling behind me. Somehow, the two mysteriously were able to afford renting a limousine. We all know that's the profit of pick-pocketing.

I slid into the seat across from Kati and Travis as Conner came in behind me. As he shut the door, I started feeling claustrophobic, and Conner seemed closer then he really was. My breathing got heavy, and I started feeling light-headed like I used to when….no. Those stopped! They aren't supposed to happen anymore! I shook the thought from my mind and leaned back into the seat.

From where I was sitting, Conner and I had the perfect view of Travis and Katie talking, giggling, occasionally kissing the other, and other romantic junk. And as all this was going on, I wasn't feeling any better.

Now, you all are confused, aren't you? About what I meant earlier? I would be too, if I were in your shoes. Well, how to explain…? Oh, I know.

I see the future.

No, not like the Oracle of Delphi. I see little bits and pieces, and usually forget them until they happen and I get a massive head ache. My mom passed it off as constant allergies acting up, and when I was six years old and told her I already knew she was having a baby boy before she went to see the doctor to find out, she nearly flipped.

But my case is much more serious then the Oracle's. I learn stuff that'll happen and I can change it. I know the outcome, and when it happens in real life, I can change it. You can't change what the Oracle sees, but you can change what I see.

And my 'problem' caused a lot of trouble between me and my parents. We definitely weren't the perfect happy family my mom had been hoping for. She had 'adopted' my 'older sister' when my sister's parents (My dad's sister-in-law and his brother) died. But that was when I was two, and she'd adjusted to our way of life and didn't even call Mom 'Aunt' anymore.

And, of course, there was my devil of a (little) brother. He was born when I was six and got so much attention. My mom started to ignore and neglect me. Acted as though I didn't exist. Stephanie-my older sister-was sixteen and didn't mind, Drew was fourteen and couldn't care less but he felt bad for me all the same. He went through the same thing when I was born, too.

So, technically, I was raised by my older brother, and when Jace-the Diablo as I nicknamed him-turned five, my mom tried to take over my life again. But I wouldn't let her in, or anyone else for that matter. Drew was my comfort and reliability. My 'Dad' always listened, but he didn't know what to do or say.

So, yeah. My family is messed up. End of that miserable story. It's definitely not something you can just say 'Sorry' and put a band-aid over. And with the feeling I had, it just brought back more bad memories.

"Jaycee!" Someone waved their hand in front of my eyes. I blinked and snapped my head to my left to see Conner with his hand raised.

"You coming or not?" He asked uncertainly.

"You don't want to be here, either, do you?"

"Not really. But I owe Travis."

"You know what I say?"

"What?"

"We ditch them in the middle of this date and go to the nearest McDonald's or something instead. I've got a party to visit tonight anyway."

"Are you serious? You want to ditch this wonderfully fancy date for something nice and junky like McDonald's?" Conner snorted.

"Anything is better than dressy and stuck-up."

"Got that right!"

So, how'd you like it?

~*J.C*~