I am terribly sorry that I have been so behind in my updates. I haven't had much time to write lately because of school and everything taking up so much of my time and brain power, and the nice weather begging me to go outside and enjoy it, but I as of today I am on spring break and will have a dangerous amount of free time on my hands, so hopefully I will be able to get a few updates to you guys in the next week to make up for the three weeks of zero chapters. This one's a little bit short, but I think it's leading up to something pretty good, so enjoy!


Upon re-entering my room I immediately notice that something isn't right. The nightlight to the left of my bed was on when I snuck out earlier and now it isn't. I hurry over to nightstand and switch on the light.

"Boo!" says my sister in a hushed tone. I jump at the unexpected sight of her, "Oh, look who's sneaking out with a boy in the middle of the night."

"Does Dad know?" I ask, a stupid question since I know if he did that my window would have been locked.

"Why are you all wet?" she asks curiously as she looks me over. I glance at myself in the mirror across the room. I look like I've been living in the wilderness for a few days. My hair is ratty and my clothes are wet and dirty. My feet are still covered in patches of sand.

"We went swimming," I answer, and this time that word doesn't hold any implications.

"I didn't even know you made up. Did he do something sweet?" she asks, begging for dirty details.

I shrug, "He apologized."

"He didn't buy you flowers or sing to you or buy you something really nice? That is so boring!"

"I didn't want him to buy my forgiveness anyway."

"He pissed you off. Why not get a few nice things out of him?"

"You're right. I was all worried about my relationship going down the drain and I forgot about the more important things, like getting expensive gifts out of it. When will I learn?" I reply sarcastically. Bianca shakes her head at my apparent denseness.

"I'm just saying, that way when he makes you mad he'll pay for it in the most literal sense."

"Are you in my room waiting for me for any specific reason or would you mind if I just go ahead and shower and go to bed?"

"I actually just wanted to ask you a huge favor."

"This can't be good."

"There's a party this weekend…."

"I knew it wouldn't be good."

"And I really, really need you to go so that I can go, because--"

"Because Dad won't let you go unless I go. Yes, I know the rule," I say, noticeably irritable.

"Kat, please! Just do this one thing for me and I'll never ask--"

"Wow, this situation seems extremely familiar. Maybe because that is exactly what you said to con me into going to that dance."

"I actually begged Patrick to get you to go to that dance, so you're wrong."

I point a finger at her as a warning, "Don't get any ideas about that. He's just as disgusted with the high school social scene as I am."

"He doesn't seem so disgusted by being accompanied to a 'ridiculous' social gathering by you. So maybe he will go."

"Bianca," I say, a warning that I am getting extremely frustrated, "just don't."

"Kat, I am so close to cementing my social status at Padua and this'll just get me that much closer."

"The answer is no."

"Then the answer to whether or not I will be keeping this little midnight sneak-in from dad is also a no," she shrugs, loving that this has played out the way she wanted it to. I have nothing to say in response so I just stand with my mouth hanging open, appalled with myself for just walking into this situation. I'm trapped. There is nothing I can do to get out of this because I am completely aware that my delusional little sister will do anything, including rat me out to my dad and consequently get Patrick banned from my life for good, in order to have the social life she dreams about.

After accepting my defeat and unhappily agreeing to go to this party, Bianca skips happily, and quietly, back to her bedroom to get to sleep. I shower, change, and get into bed, pondering how horrible the morning is going to feel due to my immense lack of sleep. When the sun lifts into the sky, I realize that the lack of sleep is actually affecting me worse than I had expected. Luckily, Bianca tells me I can go ahead and head to school on my own this morning because she is getting a ride from Joey. One less thing to make my day horrid.

I meet Patrick by my locker. He's leaning casually against my locker, waiting for me to round the corner. When I do, he peels himself away from it and watches me spin my combination and swing the door open. I place my unneeded books in the locker and remove my Sociology book. I close the door and turn around.

"Good morning," he says, glancing at a clock quickly before leaning in to kiss me.

"Good morning," I agree with a smile.

"You're here early."

"Yeah, well I didn't have to drag the beauty queen along today, so I got out of the house a good fifteen, twenty minutes earlier than normal," I say, my tone flat and unenthusiastic. He studies me because he can tell that something is off.

He narrows his eyes and subtly tilts his head, "Do you miss her?" he asks with an amused smile. I roll my eyes, a small smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

"No."

"You look like kid who just flushed their goldfish down the toilet."

"Well, something is going down the toilet, but it isn't my goldfish, it's my dignity," I begin. He takes my hand and we begin walking toward my first class, even though we have plenty of time before first hour begins, "Bianca caught me sneaking in last night."

"And she told on you?"

"No, but she's blackmailing me; the only way she can go to that party on Saturday is if I go, so she is threatening to rat me out unless I go, which means—"

"That you have to go."

"Exactly. And I would rather eat my own hand than go to a party with a bunch of drunk teens who are all high on themselves."

"I'll go with you."

"I tell you I'd rather eat myself than forcibly go to this thing and you volunteer to go?"

He smiles, "Charitable act," he says. "I have a big heart."