Thirteen really IS an unlucky number... I can't tell you how many times I've lost this chapter. But, I finally got it up! So, yey! Be proud of me! I'm being really nice, too! My time it's like 1:30 in the morning -_- SO, I stayed up writing this for you guys. I expect a butt loud of reviews please! ;D

No, but seriously, reviews? A LOT. I get cranky when I'm tired ;)

~Anni12

P.S. This chapter is only edited somewhat, so, please forgive all grammar/spelling errors. It was probably just a typo! Oh, and if you want the translations, you can probably just go to Google, but if you're lazy, like me, and don't feel like it, it's not the big of a deal to the story, so... anyways, ENJOY this unlucky chapter, good things are coming in the furtre :3, and REVIEW FOR PETE'S SAKE!

Thanks :3 Luv yooooouuu gwuuuyyysss ;D

Chapter 13:

Today was officially team up on the mute kid day.

First period; Mr. Louis called on me to answer a question, knowing very well that I knew the answer, but couldn't tell you. Luckily Josh had intervened and told him off. Second period; Mrs. Cadwell does the exact same thing, except no one was there to stick up for me. So I just sat there, the room completely silent, and stared at her until she gave up. Third; we were reading Romeo and Juliet and she wanted me to read the part of Peter. No matter how small the part, it wasn't going to happen, I promise you. Once again, my savior butted in and volunteered to read the part.

But fourth period there was no Josh.

"Ana!" My head snapped up immediately at my Spanish name. "Yo quiero ir a España. Qué es lo que quieres?"

Quiero dejar esta ciudad. Desaparecer y dejar de hablar a mí! I thought bitterly, fighting the urge to scowl and instead stared at Señora Ricardo, my mouth set in a firm line.

A few moments passed before she spoke again. "Qué es lo que quieres?" she said more forcefully, her eyes hardening.

And again, I stared blankly at her, my hands tightening on the pen I held.

For the third time, she repeated the same sentence. "She's not going to answer you." A student said, her voice dripping with boredom.

At that comment, rage and the impulse to prove her wrong ran though my veins.

My chair screeched across the floor as I stood, the whole class going silent as I made my way to the board. My heart was pounding in my throat even at this small action. What was I doing? What had gotten into me? I hadn't wanted to rebel against people for a long time, before I stopped talking. But when I grabbed that marker, it was like all the strength in the world rushed through me. Yo quiero dejar esta ciudad. Yo no voy a hablar, así que voy escribir. I wrote quickly before turning abruptly and staring hard at la profesora. Her jaw clenched and she nodded once curtly. I smiled, a sweetly poisonous smile, and returned to my seat.

That'll teach them from ganging up on me. I thought, the pen scribbling random words in my notebook.

Aww, are people being mean to you? A familiar voice echoed in my head.

I blinked, a smile forming on my face. J, shut up before I rip your throat out and feed it to your pack.

Ouch, harsh. I'm hurt. He said with a smirk evident in his voice.

Well, I'm not in the best of moods here, buddy.

Do you need your boyfriend here to cheer you up? He mocked, snickering.

I blushed deeply. How do you know about that?

Do you love him? He asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

What? I asked, astounded. That's none of your business. Besides, we just started dating…

So? He said nonchalantly. Just answer the question. Unless you're scared…

You're crazy. I admitted, shaking my head.

He thought for a moment. Maybe. You still plannin' on goin' to the dance tonight?

They're dragging me along, so… yes. I said grudgingly, staring at the clock, willing it to go faster. It was crazy, I knew, but I wanted to see Josh again, and I wouldn't until after his tryouts.

Great! His tone suddenly turned enthusiastic, as if this one piece of information could brighten his whole day.

I rolled my eyes. So you're gonna tell me who you are, right?

I think not. His voice was no longer zealous, but instead disappointed.

I whined mentally. Plleeaassee, oh plleeeaaassee? I begged.

Um, gottagobye! He said quickly, and there was suddenly a wall clocking me.

Well, that was weird… I thought, shaking my head as the bell rung to signal the end of the day.

I jumped up, never so happy to get out of school—I had never wanted to go home before. But this time… this time I was going with the Millers… where Iya and Coffeeblue are going to use me as their own personal Barbie doll. "Ana," a voice with a Spanish accent called, making me look towards Señora's desk, "come here, please." She said in Spanish, beckoning me over.

I hesitated for a moment, glancing towards the door before I sighed, trudging through the lines of desk until I stood in front of her, holding my books to my chest as a barrier between us. She spoke in Spanish, but it automatically translated when it hit my ears. "I don't know why you don't talk," she said, her dark lips dipping down in a frown, "and nor will I ever understand, but a part of Spanish is to speak it. If you can't do that, then I'll have to be forced to give you a zero for participation."

I caught her eyes for a second, biting my lip as I shrugged. I did know what to do, I mean— someone coughed just outside the room, making me turn to see those brilliant blue eyes peeking out at me from under a baseball cap. He tilted his head to the right, his eyebrows rising. I blushed, turning towards Señora and giving her an apologetic smile. I raced towards him, wrapping one arm around his waist and pressing my ear to his chest in a tight hug. He led me out of the doorway. "Hey," he said, kissing the crown of my hair. "Give me your books." He demanded, taking them out of my arms before folding his free hand over mine.

"So what was that about?" he asked, nodding towards the Spanish room. Surprisingly, the hallways were almost completely empty. I glanced at him, surprised that he was already dressed in his practice uniform. 'Mustangs', the school mascot, was sprawled across his chest in cursive; a large, bold number twelve was placed near his right shoulder. The uniform was a dark blue on light gray, button down and tucked into gray belted pants. He was still wearing his Nike's, dark blue socks protruding from them and disappearing into the leg of his pants.

I frowned, looking at my feet. "Nothing," I paused, sighing. "Just that she'll give me a zero for participation if I don't talk." I shrugged. "But whatever."

He squeezed my hand, tugging me towards him; I had drifted a ways. "I'm sorry. I wish there was somethin' I could do."

I shrugged again. "It's not your fault. It's my fault I can't talk in front of people." I kicked the ground, scowling at it. Actually, it's not. It's not my fault my 'father' has taken even that away from me through fear.

He kissed my hand, gazing at me with those orbs of blue. "You'll talk ta other people when you're ready."

"It's not like it hasn't happened before," I said, ignoring his hopeful sentence. "Everyone's tried threatening me into talking."

"I'm sorry," he breathed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, sending that electricity through my body.

I looked up at him, a small smile playing on my lips. "Why are you so perfect?" the words slipped through my lips without filter.

He let out a short huff that wasn't a laugh or a scoff, but somewhere in the middle. "I'm not, I promise you."

I hugged his waist, feeling my cheeks heat up for no reason. "So you ready for tryouts?" I asked him.

I felt him shrug and I could hear the smirk in his voice. "Of course," he said arrogantly, "I'm amazin' at baseball." He said, glancing down and winking.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you are," I repeated. "You're amazing at everything."

He laughed. "I'm glad you think that, but I'm really not."

"Josh," I said, ignoring his comment as I blushed, "How do… relationships work? I mean—how are we supposed to act, or me, specific. What are we—?"

"Calm down, sweetie," he said, kissing my hair. "Just… there's no rule book or anythin', Danny."

I flushed, burying my face in his side. "Shut up," I said, embarrassed. "I've never done this before."

A deep chuckled ran through him. "Believe it or not, me neither." I glanced up to see his cheeks redden before returning to normal.

"No way," I said disbelievingly, shaking my head.

He gave me a look. "I'm serious," he said, "You're my first real girlfriend. Whether you like it or not." He winked, giving me a smile that made my insides twist.

I blushed at the word. We turned a corner and he stepped away from me, frowning as he took my hand in his iron grip. I looked up to see a pair of dark eyes observing me. I glanced down automatically, wanting to separate our fingers, but he wouldn't allow. I stole a look upwards, seeing his face hard and determined as he stared him down. Destiny turned as she noticed the look on Jake's face, scowling as she saw our locked hands. I stepped back, hiding slightly behind Josh. I guess the girl from this morning was gone, replaced once again by my sister. I kept my eyes down as we passed them, but I could still feel her gaze in the back of my head as if just by simply staring at me, I would burst into flames at her command.

"Hey!" Jake called after us, making me stop in my tracks, squeezing my eyes shut and holding tighter to Josh's hand. "B****!"

Reluctantly, I turned my head, peeking up at him. I felt Josh tense next to me; we had the whole hall turned to attention. Jake smirked at me, winking. "I'll see you later."

I frowned, furrowing my eyebrows at him as Josh let go of my hand, whirling towards my sister's boyfriend. I lashed out, grabbing his arm and shaking my head. He's not worth it, I said, hoping he would get my message through my expression. He ground his teeth together, glancing from me to Jake before his beautiful eyes scanned the dispersing crowd. He flared his nostrils, his jaw tightening before he nodded briskly, taking my hand rather roughly and turning away from them.

"That's right, b******," Jake incited, "Walk away like the little coward you are."

Josh stopped dead, his eyes blazing as his hands closed into tight fists. He reeled around, raising his fists, but I was quicker, flinging myself between them. I closed my eyes, my arms stretched wide as I awaited the blow. A sharp gasp spread through the crowd, but all I heard was a low growl. "Why would you do that, Danny?" Josh's voice snarled.

I opened my eyes to see his fist hanging in the air before it dropped, leaving a twisted expression on his face. I glanced behind me to see Jake smirking and Destiny frowning before I lunged forward, placing my hands on Josh's chest and pushing him away. Eventually he gave in, giving one last glare towards Jake before falling into step by my side. "What the crap were you thinkin'?" he growled in a whisper, draping his arm over my shoulder, showing his 'possession of me.'

"I was thinking," I said, blushing as I looked up at him, "that you wouldn't hurt me. And I was right." I shrugged, but my heart was still hammering inside my chest.

"And what if I had?" he said, his voice dripping with anger and his eyes still blazed. "Huh? What if I hadn't a caught myself and hit you?"

Again, I shrugged it off as if it was nothing. "I'd deal with it. I couldn't let you get in another fight with Jake. He was provoking you, you know."

He raised an eyebrow, pushing the front doors open, but I continued. "He wanted a fight," I said, shaking my head. "He wanted you to get in trouble. And I do like the idea of having a boyfriend on the baseball team."

His lips twitched in a smile before returning to a frown. "I coulda hurt you," he said, his expression suddenly sad.

I bumped his shoulder with mine, sending slight pain waves through my bruised back. "But I knew you wouldn't," I said, taking a deep breath as I said for the first time in my life, "I trust you." As soon as I said it, I knew it was true and I felt like a huge weight had been lifted up off my shoulders.

His twinkling eyes turned towards me as he leaned down to press his lips to my hair. "Good," he said, smiling widely. "I'm glad. I won't let ya down."

"Better not," I growled, but my cheeks heated with embarrassment as I bit my lip.

I glanced up at him, surprised to see his eyes filled with emotion he opened his mouth to say something, but another, higher voice cut him off. "There ya are! We've been lookin' for ya!" Coffeeblue called, her low heels clicking as she jogged up to us. "Josh, you're gonna be late for tryouts."

She grabbed his arm, dragging him back to the car without waiting for him to respond. "Coffeeblue! Coffeeblue!" he groaned as I followed them, silently shaking my head. "I can walk myself."

"Maybe," she said as we reached the Prius, where Iya was sitting on the hood and Cormac leaned against the door, "but you're too wrapped up in your girlfriend ta think." I blushed at her words, and I swear I saw Josh's cheeks darken slightly as well.

He ripped his arms out of her grasp, rolling his eyes and scoffing as he went to the SUV that was parked next to them. "Maybe," he repeated, mocking his cousin, "but at least I have a right to." He said, opening the back door as he stole a glance to the scowling Cormac. He reached in, and picking up a bag that had two bats protruding from it.

He walked up to me, ignoring the glare Cormac placed in the back of his head as he cupped my cheek. "Bye," he said, kissing my lips lightly before slinging his bat bag over his shoulder and backing away from me towards the school. He eyed the two girls. "And you two... Go easy on her, will ya?"

Coffeeblue smirked. "What're ya talkin' about?" She said innocently. "We're just getting' ready for the dance..."

Iya shot her a glance. "Yea," she said, "Speakin' a which, Josh, would ya like her hair curled or straight as it is?" She asked, her voice being smooth as silk.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why don't yaask her?"

All eyes turned towards me, making my face go red with embarrassment. I shrugged, twirling my finger around a lock of hair. "Alright," Cormac's voice sliced through the silent like a sharpened dagger, "so curled. It's settled. Get outta here." He nodded towards the school, his eyes narrowing at Josh.

Josh rolled his eyes, but started backwards towards the baseball field. "Still jealous, I see?" He smirked before turning his back on us, but not after a wink in my direction.

Cormac growled, his eyes blazing as he glared after his cousin. "He is such a confident, arrogant jerk." He snarled, his hands clenched by his side.

Coffeeblue put her hand on his shoulder gently. "It's alright, Cormac, you'll find her eventually. I promise."

His glare shifted to her. "Just like you'll find him?" He growled, his eyes darkening. Iya glanced worriedly at me as I watched Cormac's flare-up silently.

Coffeeblue stiffened. "Excuse me?" She said, her voice becoming hard. "What're you talkin' about? Of course I'll find him someday."

"You've never worried that you might be mateless; cursed to spend your life alone? Forever?" He snapped, hurt flashing through his eyes. Mate? What was he talking about?

She frowned, lowering her eyes. "Sometimes," she confessed. "But Mom says that's hardly ever the case. Everyone has a mate."

Cormac's eyes hardened. "Well, ya better hope he doesn't come until after I meet her."

"Excuse me?" She repeated, her voice angry again. "Just because you're older doesn't mean you get your mate first. And I can go out with anyone I please if I feel like he's the one."

Cormac's gaze looked up as he frowned. "Well, let's see."

Suddenly a boy appeared next to her that I hadn't noticed had approached sheepishly, shifting his weight from foot to foot awkwardly. "Uh, Coffeeblue?" He asked in the scratchy voice of a young boy.

She whipped around, raising her eyebrow as she plastered a fake smile on her lips. "Oh, hi, Owen!" She said enthusiastically.

He was an odd boy. His stringy brown hair curled in his small, dark green eyes as he looked over her shoulder towards her twin brother. His figure was small with tiny feet and hands and a triangular face. "Uhh," he stammered, "Would you go out with me...? On a, um, date?" He blushed, glancing down at his feet while he awaited her answer.

She blinked, biting her lip. "Sure," she said eventually, surprising everyone, especially Owen. "When?"

"Uh... Is tomorrow night, uh, alright?" He asked nervously. He didn't actually expect her to really say yes.

"Of course! I'll see ya then!" She waved as he turned and strolled back to his pathetic excuse for a car. We all watched him go.

"What the crap was that?" Cormac all but growled as she turned back towards him.

She shrugged. "What? He could be the one." She rolled her eyes. "Let's go before steam starts comin' from your ears." She yanked open the driver's door, getting in and expecting us to follow. I did, planting myself in the back immediately. Iya slid in next to me soon after, rolling her eyes at her older brother. Cormac slammed the door closed as he got into the front seat, huffing.

I buckled myself in, biting my lips at the awkward silence. A slow country song began playing as Coffeeblue put the car in drive, speeding out of the parking lot. "So you're really goin' ta go on a date with this guy?" Cormac asked, turning towards Coffeeblue with an eyebrow raised.

She shot him a furious look. "Maybe," she said, "if you keep actin' like this."

"Like what?" he growled.

She growled back, startling me. "Like a jerk."

Cormac scoffed, shaking his head as he returned his gaze out the window. I glanced over to see Iya biting her lip, playing with a thread on her jeans. "So…" she began, "Someoneaskedmetothedance," she mumbled quickly.

Coffeeblue squealed, hastily forgetting her argument with her twin. "Oh my gosh!" she said. "Who?!"

At the same time, Cormac said, "What?!"

Iya ignored him. "His name's Anthony," she said. "He's a senior and he's really cute. He's really sporty too."

Cormac growled. "Shut up!" Coffeeblue snapped. "We're your little sisters; you can't control us. Iya can go to the dance with whomever she sees fit. She's smart enough not to make some stupid decision."

He sighed. "Alright," he said, his voice oddly calm, "chill out."

Coffeeblue flashed him a furious glare. "You really wanna go there?"

"You're my sister," he shrugged, "I think I have a right ta be protective."

"Lay off a bit," Iya interrupted. "Josh's isn't even that protective."

Cormac laughed out loud; a short, humorless laugh. "Yea right!" he exclaimed. "Just you wait and see. No guy would even dare glance in Danny's direction, and Hanna's not old enough ta date yet." A blush rose to my cheeks as my name was brought into their conversation, but I could easily prove him wrong. Jake.

"It's true," Coffeeblue said dully, "He got in a fight the other day with Jake."

Iya glanced at me before returning her gaze to the front. "Because of Danny?"

Coffeeblue nodded curtly. "He didn't say why exactly, though."

"And," Cormac huffed, "you're buggin' me about bein; protective. At least I don't punch a guy for flirting."

He wasn't flirting. He was harassing me. I growled mentally. And Jake provoked him… I added silently.

"Shut up, Cormac." The girls said at the same time, throwing him glares.

"Ouch," he said, pressing his lips together in a firm line. "You've hurt my feewin's."

The girls couldn't help but giggled, but they composed themselves quickly. "Don't bring Hanna into this," Coffeeblue snapped, but covered her mouth as she laughed again.

Cormac chuckled, shaking his head. "Hey, aren't we supposed to be pickin' up Levi?" he asked, and Coffeeblue did a sharp turn, throwing me against the side of the car.

I jumped as Iya's phone rang in her pocket, making her squeal as she checked the caller ID. "It's Jesse!" she screamed.

"Great!" Coffeeblue said, pulling up behind the line of cars. "Put 'em on speaker."

She did just that. "Heeeeeelllooo?" she sang, sliding over beside me to free a seat for Levi.

"Hey, Iya," a deep, male voice answered, surprising me.

Cormac and Coffeeblue immediately interrupted. "Hey Jesse!" they both screamed, earning a chuckle from the other side of the phone.

"Did I call at a bad time?" he asked.

"Nope," Iya said, popping the 'p'. "We were just pickin' up Levi from school."

Jesse laughed; it was pleasant and soft. "Good," he said, "Tell 'em I said hi."

"You can tell him yourself." Iya said, opening the door as Levi appeared.

Levi jumped in, straightaway noticing the phone in Iya's hand. "Who're ya talkin' ta?" he asked, the seatbelt faintly clicking as he buckled himself in. I zoned out of the rest of the conversation, pressing myself against the side of the door to create space between me and Iya. I stared out the window and sighed mentally. Why had I agreed to go with them again? Oh right… the dance. I groaned silently, squeezing my eyes shut. Briefly, I heard my name being mentioned, but I ignored it.

"Can I call ya later, Iya?" Jesse asked, suddenly sounding uncomfortable.

Iya noticed as she furrowed her brow. "Um…" she hesitated, "Sure, I guess. Bye."

"Bye!" The rest of the car said before the line went blank.

"He's so in love with you," Coffeeblue said, smiling.

"Um," Iya muttered, blushing deeply. "No, he doesn't, really. Besides, I don't even like him like that."

"Mhm," Coffeeblue hummed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Shut up," Iya growled, biting her lip. "I don't like him like that…"

"IYA STEPHANIE MILLER!" Coffeeblue yelled, turning her sister's head to a certain angle for the hundredth time. "STAY STILL!"

Iya grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest, but let Coffeeblue continue to straighten her hair. I sat on the bed in my little black rose dress, a smile spreading on my lips as I stared at the two. I had not yet had my 'hair and make-up' done, and I was personally fine with it. Coffeeblue had already had her hair curled by her sister and her pink and gray eye shadow brightened her hazel eyes.

The door suddenly flew open, making me jump. "'Ello, ladies," Josh smirked with one hand on the doorknob and the other on the wood of the doorway.

Coffeeblue groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Just take her," she said, waving her hand in the air. "We'll need her later, though."

Josh lifted his hat, running a hand through his hair, chuckling. "Alright then," he took a step into the room, smirking at his cousins.

Coffeeblue held her straightener out at him. "Don't you dare touch me, Joshua; you're all sweaty!"

"I am not," he said sarcastically, taking another step towards her.

"Joshua Kevin Miller," she growled, threatening him with the steaming straightener again, "if you take one more step, I swear I will kill you."

Josh laughed, holding up his hands defensively and side stepping towards me. "Alright, alright, CJ, calm down," he said.

She scrunched up her nose. "Ew," she replied as if he hadn't spoken, "and you stink, too. If I was Danny, I wouldn't want to be near ya at all."

I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand. Josh shot her a glare before taking my free hand and pulling me up to my feet. "Well, you're not her," he said, pulling me out of the room. "And for your information, she does want ta be near me—you do want ta be near me, don't ya?" he asked, closing the door behind us.

I pulled him further away from the door, giggling. "Yea," I breathed, "Stinky, sweaty, and all."

He smiled victoriously, his arms wrapping around my waist. "Good, because I'm afraid it'll happen again and again." His eyes twinkled as he pulled me closer.

I gasped, my hands squeezing his upper arms. "You made the team?!"

"Well," he rolled his eyes, "I'd be surprised if I didn't; I'm a pretty good hitter, if I do say so myself." He smirked conceitedly, something sparking in his eyes.

I raised an eyebrow. "You are an arrogant little—" He cut me off, his mouth crushing mine hastily.

I pushed him away before it could get anywhere, biting my lip. "Okay, I'll admit that was a pretty good way of shutting me up, but…"

"I could do it again," he said quickly, lowering his mouth towards mine.

I ducked my head, blushing. "No!" I squealed.

"Mmm," he whined, his fingers dancing at my waist. "Please?"

I sighed, standing up on my tip toes to peck his lips briefly. He smiled, chuckling quietly to himself. "So," he said. "I've decided tabget a job."

My eyes widened, my mouth gapping open. "A job?" I smiled. "Where?"

"I was thinkin' the General Store," he replied. "I need some money if I'm goin' ta have a girlfriend."

I bite my lip. "Why would you need money?"

He kissed my forehead, chuckling. "So I can take ya ta dinner, or buy ya somethin' once in a while."

"Oh," I shook my head, "You wouldn't have to do tha—"

He cut me off again, taking my face in his hands as he pressed his lips to mine. All too soon, he pulled away. "Yea, I do. That's what guys do, Danny, when they lo—like a girl." He said, dropping his hands to study my face.

I blushed, running my hands through my hair. "Well, um, uh…" I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I think I'd like that." I breathed, kissing him softly on the lips.

"Comin' out, lovebirds!" Coffeeblue yelled before the door opened and she lashed out, grabbing my upper arms. "Sorry, cuz, we need her." She flashed him an apologetic smile before pulling me after her.

"Go take a shower!" she screamed before closing the door. "You stink!" she added, groaning to herself before dragging me over to the now empty chair.

"He is so whipped," she muttered, sitting me in it and running her fingers through my hair. "'Iya, would you do her nails and make-up while I curl her hair?"

Iya was studying herself in the mirror, and, deeming her appearance worthy, nodded. "Alright," she said, straightening. "Do we need make-up removers?"

Coffeeblue pulled on my hair slightly. "Hey," she said to me. "You already got some make-up on?"

I stiffened internally, but nodded. How 'bout let's not, I thought, squeezing my eyes shut. Let's not do this? Please?

But the cool wipe was already running across my skin. There was a sharp intake of breath and the tension in the room thickened. "Coffeeblue," Iya breathed.

"What?" she snapped, and then gasped. "Get Josh." She muttered.

There was a rustling of feet before Iya spoke again. "Joshua!" she called loudly. "Joshua!"

"I thought I was sweaty!" he yelled back.

Iya scoffed. "Just get up here!"

"Hopefully she'll explain this ta Josh," Coffeeblue said, as though I wasn't in the room.

I groaned inwardly as the door opened, but I didn't dare open my eyes. "What do ya guys want?" Josh asked, and his voice dropped dangerously low.

"Um…" Coffeeblue said awkwardly. "Um, your girlfriend would like ta speak with ya, um, alone, so Iya and I…seeyalaterbye!" And then the door shut after them.

"Danny…" he said slowly, his voice dropping to a growl. "You wanna tell me what's goin' on?"

No, not really, I thought, but at the same time, a part of me wanted to tell him. Maybe it was time someone knew. Maybe I needed to share this burden instead of carrying it around on my shoulders all the time. "After, um," I stuttered, opening my eyes to find his brilliant blue ones gazing at me. I sighed, looking away from him. "My father was pretty mad after you dropped me off yesterday, because I'm not…exactly… supposed to have friends, let alone a boyfriend for that matter. He…. He started yelling and he… he hit me, and then I got away from him, but he caught me on the stairs…"

"Danny…" he repeated, a frown appearing on his face.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "It's time someone knew."

His face twisted into something I didn't quite understand, but I ignored him. "When he caught me on the stairs, I got angry because he… he said that my first was… was using me, and I, uh, kind of kicked him in the face before I knew what I was doing. I—I went up to my room, and, uh, tried calling on my phone, but he caught up with me and smashed it and proceeded to, um," I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, but I couldn't continue.

"He…" Josh's voice was strained. "He… he hits you?"

I nodded, sighing. "Ever since I can remember," I breathed.

"That explains a lot," he growled, standing abruptly and pacing.

Again, I nodded meekly. "Yea," I whispered and he rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing irritably.

"Imma kill 'em," he muttered under his breath. "That doesn't explain why Destiny's such a jerk ta you."

"No," I shook my head. "He's always loved her. She's perfect. Honestly, I don't know why—I mean, why does he hate me and love her?"

He grumbled something too low for me to hear. "Whatever," I said, sighing. "Can we talk about this later?"

He mimicked my sigh, coming back over to my side. "Alright," he said, lightly pressing his lips to my forehead.

"Girls!" he said, standing. "You can stop eavesdroppin' now," he walked briskly to the door, pulling it open to reveal Coffeeblue and Iya on the other side.

Both blushed sheepishly, but it was Iya who spoke. "Whhhaaattt?" she said.

"We weren't eavesdroppin'," Coffeeblue scoffed.

Josh rolled his eyes disbelievingly. "Whatever," he said, switching places with them as they sneaked into the room. Coffeeblue and Iya exchanged nervous glances. Josh smiled at me before closing the door.

"Okay…" Iya said, slowly strolling over to her make-up bag.

"Oh," Josh interrupted as he poked his head in the door and made all of us turn to him. "Don't make her too pretty, alright? We don't want everyone gawkin' at her." He caught my eye, winked, and was suddenly gone.

I blushed, closing my eyes as a smile played on my lips. "Great," Iya said as she took my hand and I soon felt cool liquid on my fingernails. "He's goin' ta be so jealous tanight."

"Ya got that right," Coffeeblue agreed.

"Let's just hope he doesn't kill anyone," Iya sighed.

Coffeeblue scoffed. "I think he'd do anythin' for this girl," she said. "Even kill somebody."

I studied myself in the mirror in Josh's room, blinking furiously. My hair was curled in loose locks, but they had kept my bangs straight. My brown eyes stood out when they normally didn't, the sparkling silver eye shadow that Coffeeblue had applied to my eyelids. She had put on more mascara than I ever had, and my long lashes curled, making my eyes seem bigger than they already were. Red rose earrings studded my ears and a single heart necklace speckled with diamonds lay on my chest.

I frowned, tilting my head. It didn't feel like me. It didn't feel right. I wasn't supposed to look even remotely pretty—I was a nerd, and I always would be. I'd never be the popular, beautiful girl that I wanted to be. I'd always be the shy, smart, ugly girl who no one would notice. Even years from now, at our ten year reunion, no one would recognize me—if I was even alive then. I sighed, blowing my bangs away from my face.

"Danny," Josh gasped as the bathroom door opened, steam swirling around him. I whirled around—and my breath hitched in my throat. I know knew how it felt when he had seen me in just a towel.

His wet hair clung to his forehead, blinking as his hands went to his waist. Water droplets hung on his tanned skin and exposed chest. A single towel suspended from his hips, and I closed my eyes before I could study him further. I turned around, gasping. "Sa-sa-sorry," I stammered. "I-uh-uh, um—"

He scoffed, and I could just see him running a hand through his hair. "I'll, uh, be right back," he muttered and soon I heard the door shut again.

I relaxed, sighing and biting my bottom lip. Well, that wasn't awkward. I thought sarcastically, making my way to the bed and resting on it. I rubbed my hands together, chewing on my lip. "Sorry 'bout that," Josh said as the door opened again, but it was no better than last time.

His towel hung around his neck and his dress pants settled on his hips. His feet and chest were bare, and he rubbed the towel through his hair before tossing it on the bed. He grabbed a white tee shirt off the bed, smirking as he glanced at me. "Danny," he said, making my gaze snap up to him. "I know I'm gorgeous, but there's really no need to stare."

I glared at him while he slipped on his shirt, the smirk still plastered on his face. "Shut up," I growled. "You're so annoying."

He flashed me a grin before jumping on the bed neck to me, snatching up a pair of socks from the pile of clothes he had strewn on the bed. "You wanna give me a foot rub, babe?" he asked, wiggling his toes.

"EW!" I screeched, pushing his leg away and making gagging sounds.

He laughed loudly before slipping on the black socks. "Don't worry," he chuckled. "You'll get around to it eventually."

"You're disgusting," I retorted, inching away from him.

He stared up at me with innocent eyes. "What?"

"I don't like feet." I shuddered, scowling at him.

He laughed, shrugging on a white dress shirt. "Not even little tiny baby feet?" he switched to his baby voice as he buttoned the shirt.

I rolled my eyes. "Babies are adorable," I said, scoffing.

He smiled, popping the collar up. "Yes," he agreed, making his way to his closet. "But that doesn't answer my question. Which tie should I wear?" he asked, opening his closet door to reveal a dozen ties hanging off the door.

I stood, ignoring his other comment and went to stand beside him. "Definitely the red one," I answered. "Goes with my dress."

He flashed me a smile as he slid the tie off the rack and wrapped it around his neck. "Obviously," he smirked, "because you are my date." He winked.

He groaned suddenly, undoing the tie from the knot he had done. "I can never do these things," he growled.

I rolled my eyes, stepping up and taking the fabric from him. "Here," I said. "Let me."

His hands dropped and he stared at me. My father owned one, crappy, dirty tie that he never wore, but I had nevertheless learned to tie a tie in case he ever made me. At least something good came out of it. I felt his hands at my waist as I tightened the knot, pulling me closer to him. He didn't say a word, but I pulled down on the tie, drawing his lips to mine.