Rachel was in town, walking and enjoying the sun while her father was in a council meeting. She walked pass the Grill and saw Matt looking grim through the window. She entered and went to him.

"Is everything alright Matt?" She asked softly as she took a sit in front of him.

"Oh, hey Rachel… I'm fine!" He replied distractedly.

"You don't seem fine… You want to talk about it?" She asked him.

"You remember my sister?" He asked her.

"Vicky? Yes, she's dating Tyler right?" Rachel asked.

"Apparently she's been screwing with Tyler AND Jeremy Gilbert the whole summer. Maybe even others who knows with her... They both found out, confronted her. They asked her to choose one and she said she didn't want to have to choose… Before that time I didn't see how much like our mother she really is…"

"Where is your mother? I don't think I've met her yet…" Rachel said.

"You didn't… she left town about six months ago and hasn't been back yet."

"Oh, she must have a very important job!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Nope, she's just a whore who follows her conquest of the month wherever he is and stays there until she's bored. Then she comes back and stays until she's bored again." Matt replied.

"I'm sorry… My mother isn't the best either…" Rachel said softly.

"Where is your mother?" He asked her.

"She's never been in my life… She tried to kill me when I was little… She never wanted me and thinks I'm a freak or something…" Rachel confessed truthfully.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be." She smiled back.

"Well anyway, my sister didn't want to choose and we got into an argument… She's a year older than me… she's supposed to look after me, not the other way around but I feel like I've always been in charge of my own life… The bills keep piling up and I can only work part time because of the school… I told her it wasn't fair and that she needed to act more mature…"

"I take it that it didn't go very well…" Rachel said.

"She packed a bag and left town… I called everyone we know and nobody saw her…"

"Maybe she went to get your mother…" Rachel suggested.

"Maybe but she never told us where she was and she hasn't called in several months…" Matt said.

"Oh… I'm really sorry… If there is anything I can do…"

"I don't think so…Unless you can find me a part time job that pays as well as a full time job and gives health insurance!" Matt joked.

"I'm sorry, I don't know any…" she chuckled before she added:

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know… I can't afford the apartment and it's one of the crappiest and cheapest in town… I could sell my truck to pay for the bills but it would be only a temporary solution and I need it to get to school and to work so… I don't know…" Matt said.

"Maybe you should talk about it with the Mayor… Maybe he can help you find a solution… what about your father?" she asked.

"My father was one of my mother's passing lovers… We don't know anything about him… What do you think the mayor can do?" he asked her.

"Well, I'm not 100 percent sure but there has to be solution they have planned in case something like this happened… Maybe you can be emancipated and get help… Or maybe the Pastor can find you some help too... Churches have things like that all the time! We could go and ask right now… The founder's council is almost over…" Rachel suggested as she looked at her watch.

"It's not a bad idea but my shift starts in 5 minutes…" Matt replied.

"Well, I'll just go find them and tell them what you just told me… We'll see what they have to say about it and I'll come back to tell you what they said okay?" She suggested.

"Thanks Rachel, you're a good friend!" He replied before he went back to work and Rachel left the Grill.

So, what solution will they find for Matt?

Find out in the next chapter!

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I love all of my readers!

Lorelei Candice Black