A/N: Aren't you guys lucky, two updates in one day! Later today (I've been up for almost 20 hours, everything is blurry) is the 4 year anniversary of this story and I am hoping to post one more chapter then too. I wrote this chapter in a couple hours so if there's any errors well... I blame it on a lot of things, none of which are myself.

"Look, let's just be each other's dates," Isa said finally, staring at the poster announcing their very first school dance. "That way I don't have to get worried about getting asked by someone weird and you don't have to worry about asking someone and finding out they're weird."

"Yeah, I guess we could do that."

"Just what a girl wants to hear on the eve of her first school dance."

"Do we have to dress up for this thing?"

"You don't want to go, do you?"

Colton shrugged as they found a seat on the bus.

"I could go without, but I want to go with you if you're going."

"We might as well get it out of the way," Isa reasoned, opening the bus window. "We just go to this one and if it sucks we never have to go to any dances again."

"That's a good idea," Colton laughed. "It probably is good to go together. Like a best friend safety feature."

"Exactly. I've been seeing the looks that one girl gives you in science class."

"Is…"

"I think she wants to be your lab partner, if you know what I mean."

"You're gross."

"I think she'd like to swap DNA with you."

"ISA!"

"With kissing Colt! Geez. Maybe in high school I'll mean it the other way."

Colton clapped his hand over his face and peered at her through his fingers as the bus pulled away from the curb.

"You're crazy."

"And you love me a lot."

"There's something wrong with me."

"Hey!"

They laughed together while she found her headphones, grimacing at how tangled they were.

"Are you coming to my house today?"

"Yeah," she answered with a roll of her eyes. "Apparently us kids have been getting into too many fights when we're left alone, so we have to have adult supervision. I told ma that Dum was barely an adult but she was too fed up with me to laugh."

"Fed up with you for what?"

"Talking back. Again. Seriously, she should just get used to it."

"Yeah, or…" he trailed off, not wanting to start a fight.

"Or what?"

"Or she should appreciate your wit," he managed to say, feeling awful for lying about how he really felt.

"You think I'm being horrible, don't you?"

"Not horrible, Sweet Thing. Just… I don't know, I guess I don't really know how you feel so I can't judge. I just wish you guys didn't fight so much, no matter whose fault it is."

She gave him a smile and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks Colt. I know I'm screwing up a lot but thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt."

"Are you ever going to tell me about it?"

"I don't understand it. I don't know how I could tell you about it."

"Fair enough."

"Sometimes I just get really mad. Almost for no reason, especially at ma or Sarah. I mean, I totally flip out. It's scary."

"So you think there's something wrong with you, or is it just a phase?"

"I hopes it's a phase," she confessed quietly. "I'm tired of feeling out of control so much and I'm tired of laying in my room alone while the rest of the family…"

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and ran his fingers across the back of her hand.

"I love you Is. For all the days."

"I love you too Colt."

He smiled and they both settled in to their separate bus ride activities, her with her eyes closed and music pounding in her ears, him with his nose buried in a book. The ride was over twenty minutes long and it was a good way for them both to wind down at the end of the school day.

After a while the bus bumped to a stop and they both stood up, their things already carefully tucked away, and headed down the aisle and outside. Feet hitting the sidewalk, they made their way down the street, his arm around her shoulders while they chattered about the drama from the day.

"You are home!" Avery shouted from the front porch. "Great! You got some quarters?"

"Why?"

"Because! Daddy is teaching me the importance of money management, and entrepreneurial skills. That means I must create a lemonade stand and earn money and the money will pay the expenses of the lemonade! Can I sign you up for two cups each?"

"There's a sucker born every minute," Isa chuckled, fishing some change out of her pocket. "Is your lemonade any good Avery?"

"Nah," Avery answered honestly, handing them each two cups. "It is terrible but thanks for the money!"

Exchanging a look, they went inside, finding the rest of the kids at the coffee table with their homework out, full cups of lemonade next to them.

"So it's not good?" Colton asked.

"It's disgusting," Ben answered, not looking up. "She put to much sugar in it."

"I feel like my insides are rotting and I only sniffed it," Daniel added.

"Guys be nice," Sarah sighed. "At least Averylin is trying."

"Trying to kill us you mean."

"I heared that, Daniel Messer!"

The last bell of the day rang and Colton gathered up his things, taking the time to stuff it into his backpack before heading out of the classroom. There was a tingle of excitement in the air, especially from the female population and he wondered again just what he was getting into. He wasn't like Ben, he didn't have much interest in girls at this age. He knew he would get married and have kids once he got older and established, but he didn't see the point in trying to rush things. Besides, this was just a dance, why get yourself all worked up about it.

"Hey, want a soda?" Isa asked, falling into step with him. "The machine gave me two."

"Yeah, thanks."

"I know that soda is taboo in your house now so…"

"I hate when my parents go on a health kick," he sighed. "Everything is normal and then suddenly mama's throwing out all the Beef-a-roni and telling us that we eat too much crap."

He snapped the top open and guzzled nearly half of it down.

"Ah, tastes like rebellion."

Isa laughed and clinked her aluminum can against his.

"So, how do you think this is going to go? In the movies dances are always at night in the gym and everyone is wearing ugly formal clothes."

"I bet it's lame and we call someone to pick us up early."

He didn't miss the second that she looked crestfallen and he nudged her arm to perk her back up.

"Just kidding. I bet it's fun. There's going to be a D.J., I bet we can request something good."

"Think they'll play Nirvana?"

"I think Savage Garden is going to be the closest things to that time period we'll get."

"I can live with that."

They stowed their things in their lockers and entered the gym, finding the windows covered over and strings of lights hanging from the ceiling. It didn't really look like a cafeteria and while the music pounding from the speakers was not something either one of them would have ever listened to on their own, it seemed that they could overlook it for now.

"Should we dance?"

"I… I don't know."

"Aw c'mon Colt, let's get this over with."

He sighed and followed her out into the middle of the floor where a few of their awkward, sweaty-palmed peers were shuffling from one foot to another, not daring to look at their dance partner.

"Ug, this is so weird," Isa whispered, wrinkling her nose and wondering where to put her hands.

"Yeah. Here, like this," Colton said, putting them into the correct dance positions.

"Okay, I have decided one thing," Isa started after a few moments. "I am definitely not having dancing at my wedding unless it's the Macarena and even then I am only doing it ironically."

"Good plan. Mama made me promise I'd dance with her at my wedding, but she didn't say what kind of dancing so she can't get mad when I ask her to do the robot with me."

Isa giggled at the thought.

"I can't imagine you married, Colt. You're much too serious for something like that."

"What do you mean?"

"I just mean like… look at our parents. My ma and daddy are always getting up to something, making each other laugh. And your parents, even though things were bad for a bit, they're pretty much back to themselves. They're always laughing again. I just don't see you like that, Colt. I mean, you're not a grump or anything, but you just are a quieter kind of happy."

"Well maybe when I find the right person."

"Maybe."

"I can see you getting married but you're going to have to find a guy with a lot of patience."

She glared and punched him gently in the arm.

"And you're going to try and scare off every guy I date. So thanks a lot in advance."

"You're welcome."

The song changed and they silently agreed to stop dancing, heading instead over to the refreshment table where they found punch and cookies.

"I think these are stale," Isa giggled taking a cookie and inspecting it. "Gross."

"Maybe you have to soak them in the punch."

"Ew. I'm going to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."

He nodded and she made her way across the room, needing to wash her hands of the sticky punch that has sloshed out of the cup when she picked it up. The bathroom was full of giggling girls, all doing their makeup and perfecting their hair, which Isa found entirely silly, given that this whole shindig was happening right after school and they were all dressed normally.

"Hey Isa," one of the girls, Makayla greeted, waving. "Did you come with Colton?"

"Yeah, but just because we didn't want to get asked by weird people."

"So um… would you be mad if I asked him to dance?"

Isa suppressed a giggle. Makayla definitely had a crush on Colton, though she was one of the least blatant about it. Colton probably had no idea.

"Sure, you could ask him. He doesn't really like to dance though, he might say no."

"Do you think you could ask him for me?"

Isa paused her handwashing and looked at the other girl briefly.

"Seriously?"

"I'm shy!"

"I can't do that! I can't just ask him for you, that would be totally weird."

"Why?"

"Because it just would be."

"Hey, I'll ask Miles to dance with you. I know you like him."

"I don't like him, he's annoying!"

"Well whoever you like I'll ask them to dance with you if you ask Colton for me. Deal?"

"Okay, but I don't really like anyone."

"Wait, do you like Colton then?"

"Are you kidding? No way, he's my best friend. We've seen each other in diapers, there's no way I would like him."

"So you'll ask him?"

"Yeah. I'll ask him. Be out there in five minutes."

Makayla nodded gratefully and Isa returned to the cafeteria, spotting Colton basically where she'd left him. He handed her the cup of punch when she returned and she took a sip before telling him what had happened in the bathroom.

"So will you dance with her?" she finished, trying to read his expression in the semi-darkness.

"I don't know. I guess. Won't it be really awkward?"

"Probably but she's okay."

"So who are you going to get to dance with you?"

"I don't know. I don't really care either. Most of the guys in this school are gross."

"So you do like someone, you just don't want to say who."

"Shut up, Colt."

"Okay fine. Hold my punch and don't you dare laugh at me or tell anyone about this or anything."

"Deal."

"So how was your dance, Coley?" Avery asked, clutching her hands to her chest dreamily. "Was it most magical?"

"Well it was in the cafeteria so it smelled like fries."

"How fabulous!"

"Did you dance with a girl?" Ben asked.

"Nah, just Isa."

"That's it?"

"Well this one other girl but that's all okay?"

"Wait, you danced with someone?" Lindsay questioned, putting dinner on the table.

"Oh geez, I am never going to hear the end of- mama quit kissin' me!"

"But you're so grown up!"

"I was afraid this would happen. Ugh, you're so sentimental!"

"Yes I am. Adam come in here and congratulate your son for dancing with a girl."

"A girl?" Adam called from the kitchen. "I thought he just danced with Isa."

"Very funny you guys. I am never going to a dance again and when I get married I am eloping."

"Alright, we'll stop," Lindsay grinned, sitting down at her usual place and putting some food on Avery's plate. "How was the dance otherwise?"

"Stale cookies and warm punch. But the D.J. did play some stuff we requested so it wasn't all bad."

"I can't wait to go to a dance," Ben started.

"I bet you can't. You'll go all out for it and try to rent a limo for Charlotte or something."

"Nah, me and Charlotte broke up."

A silence fell across the table and they all looked at him, shocked.

"You breaked up with her?" Avery hollered after a minute. "But you all have been an item for a lot of years!"

"It was mutual," Ben assured. "We are still friends of course but we both thought it was silly to be boyfriend and girlfriend when we can't even go on dates or nothing. I still think she's the greatest girl in the whole world, besides the women in our family of course."

"Well this is quite a change," Avery sighed, stabbing a piece of potato with her fork. "S'pose I will have to just get used to it. I liked when Charlotte came over. She played tea party with me."

"She can still come over, sissy. We're still friends. And, unlike Rosie, she didn't want to break up just so she could get with Junior- I mean Daniel. So at least she is a loyal type person. Cole, don't you got a girlfriend yet?"

"No!"

"Are you sure? Didn't you even kiss that girl you danced with? You're old enough for that now."

Colton's face colored and Lindsay and Adam exchanged looks.

"Okay I kissed her but only because I thought I was supposed to and now she thinks she is my girlfriend and I didn't know how to tell her it was a mistake so at this rate I will probably have to marry her and don't any of you dare tell Isa!"

Ben burst into laughter and clapped Colton on the back.

"Hey Cole, it's okay. I'll clue you in on how to let her down easy."

"And Coley, you must remember that when it comes to stuff like that, you do not have to do a single thing that you don't want to do. Even if the other person would like to kiss, you do not have to and if they want to make you, then you say no. You don't have to be embarrassed."

"Well thanks, Aves."

"You are welcome. Just a bit of advice from me to you."

He rolled his eyes and played with the food on his plate. Clearly the dance had not gone the way he wanted it to. Why was everything in middle school so much harder than it was back in the sixth grade?

"You know right now, this girl might not take it so well. But in a few years, it won't matter much anymore. I promise."

"But I do kind of like her. And maybe I want to get to know her better before we are boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Buddy, just tell her that. If she doesn't understand then she's not ready for a relationship anyway."

"Are you sure it will work out?"

"Yeah. It's always hard at the time but someday when you're doing your taxes and you owe a few hundred bucks, you'll look back on this and wish you were here again instead."

"Okay, I'll do that."

"This is not an easy thing," Avery commented. "I am going to try to not grow up for a bit. It is way too much work."

"You got that right, Aves. You got that right."