Author's Note: Thank you all for the overwhelming support! You're the best readers ever.

TWO | She's Just a Girl

~*Ashley*~

One whole week and not a word was said from Dylan. She refused to speak to anyone and holed herself up in her bedroom. We would hear her come down after midnight to eat and shower.

"Have you tried talking to her?" Spencer asked me one night as we cleaned up the kitchen after dinner.

"Of course." I scoffed and threw the dish cloth on the counter, wiping my forehead in frustration. "It's not like we ignore her or her needs, right? I mean this can't just be about her being a teenager, can it?"

Spencer blew a few blonde strands away from her eyes and shrugged a little. "I think she's really hurting. She's upset that Lucas is leaving and there is probably a lot more that is bothering her."

"She used to talk to me about everything." I whimpered and flopped down on the barstool. "My heart is so heavy, Spence. I don't know what to do."

"I know." I felt my wife rub her hand on my back and kiss the top of my head. "Tomorrow is another day, maybe we can get her to talk."

Dylan started to show signs of rebelling once she had hit grade nine. She had been suspended and grounded more than once. As a member of the staff and the school board, it had been hard for any of the parents or other members to take me seriously. How could I impact those students when I could barely contain my own daughter's behaviour?

Spencer sat down beside me and placed a hand on top of mine. "She does owe Lucas a huge apology though."

"Yeah." I agreed.

"You didn't see Luc's face, babe. She was so hurt." Spencer shook her head.

Sighing heavily, I stood up and finished cleaning up the kitchen before making my way upstairs. Spencer could be heard finishing her part and then trying to wake a sleeping Matthew on the couch.

"Momma?" Dylan whispered from the doorway of her bedroom. She looked so fragile and the only thing I could think of was how I felt when I thought I had lost everything after my parents died. Letting out a quiet sob, she flung herself into my arms, holding me tightly. "I'm so sorry." She whispered through tears.

I just stood there, holding my little girl while rubbing her back. We rocked back and forth and when we heard footsteps, we broke apart to find a sleepy Matthew barely acknowledging us as he went to brush his teeth. Spencer swallowed and then Dylan moved to fling herself in her arms, reciting the same apology.

I made eye contact with Spencer. We silently vowed to help our youngest daughter through whatever it was she was going through.

~*Dylan*~

"Why do they even have band practice in the summer, anyway?" I asked my little brother, who was busy building a massive lego launchpad.

"It's an advanced band class. Not every student can be in it, you had to audition." He stated proudly while concentrating on the model in front of him.

Mom and Momma had left to go do a few errands before Lucas returned from camping that night.

"Yes, but why in the middle of summer?" I chuckled and went back to reading a book I had borrowed from my best friend.

"I don't know but it doesn't bother me." He shrugged nonchalantly.

A knock at the door caused us to stop what we were doing. Matthew got up quickly and skidded to a stop at the door. Swinging it open, he raised an eyebrow at me. "We aren't supposed to have friends over today."

I frowned and got up to find Mason and my best friend, Taesso, standing there with sheepish grins. "What are you doing here?!" I asked with a huge smile on my face.

My moms would kill me if they pulled up to find company over.

"Well I was beginning to miss you and I figured the blow of your parents yelling would lessen because I brought back up." Mason pointed his thumb towards Taesso, who just grinned.

"Dylan." I heard my little brother warn behind me and I waved him away. I could hear him stomp back into the living room and mumble something about not going down with you and I see nothing.

"You are going to get me into so much trouble." I groaned but invited them in. I hopped up in Mason's arms and kissed him.

"I'll protect you." Taesso grinned, puffing out his chest. "You know they can't deny this charming African accent." His dark eyes danced with mischief. Though he was right, my parents loved Taesso and his accent. He had moved to Kenora a couple of years ago and his parents were new doctors at the hospital. We had clicked and pretty much became inseparable.

"Whatever dude, you wig out whenever Spencer scolds you." Mason laughed and put me down on the couch, holding me close.

"Yeah, she's scary and I don't want to be on her bad side." Taes shrugged, not denying it.

"She'll yell at you for being here." Matthew grumbled from his spot at the coffee table.

"Right." Taesso looked a little worried before Matthew asked for his help, saying he'd protect him.

"So, there's a party in Lakeside tonight. Think you can sneak out?" Mason asked with his handsome smile.

I pushed myself off of his lap and shook my head. "No. Lucas is home tonight and we have a private dinner to go to at Rapture."

"Afterward." Mason shrugged and sat back on the couch, getting himself more comfortable. "Little bro won't nark on you, will you Matt?"

"Don't call me that." Matthew said in a serious voice, not turning his attention away from the lego model he was building. It was very obvious that he didn't care for Mason in the slightest.

"Mase, I can't tonight." I said and slid to my knees in front of the coffee table, my body resting against Taesso's as I inspected the legos in front of me.

"Can't or won't?" I felt my boyfriend shift forward, sitting right behind me.

Taesso pulled a face and reached over to punch Mason's arm. "Dude, she said no."

"Whatever. I haven't seen you for two weeks and I thought maybe you'd miss me enough to spend time with me." Mason got up and started toward the door.

I shot up from the floor the moment Matthew gave him a disapproving glare. "You could have came here to see me, you know. I was here the whole time." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Like I want to be around your parents. I don't want to be supervised while visiting my girlfriend." Mason threw his hand up in the air and shook his head. "Taes, you coming?"

He shrugged and went back to playing legos with Matthew, who was smiling in triumph. "I think Matt needs help with his model, right bud?" There was no mistaken that Mason was a little jealous that my best friend could shorten Matthew's name.

Matthew nodded and gave Taesso a high five before going back to his project. The two boys got lost in a quiet conversation that they often got into while he came over.

"I'm out." Mason gave up and opened the door. He turned to look at me with a somewhat sad face. "I did miss you, Dylan. If you change your mind about tonight, let me know."

I just stood there as the door closed and stared at it blankly. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and Taesso's chin placed gently on my shoulder. "You could do better, you know." He whispered with a shrug and squeezed me in a tight hug. "You deserve better."

I sighed and fell back into my best friend's arms, wondering why all boys couldn't be just like my Taesso. "You might get in trouble for being here."

"Not if I invited him over." Matthew threw us a wink and a shit-eating grin. "Come help me build the shuttle, T!"

Taesso laughed into my shoulder before placing a sloppy kiss on my cheek and stepped away. I spun around and flopped myself back on the couch with a smile on my face.

~*Spencer*~

"So I just got off the phone with Robbin," I walked up to Ashley and chuckled a little, "she said her and Allie thought Taesso was with Mason."

I had called Taesso's moms to make sure it was okay for him to be at our place. Normally it wouldn't be a problem, he was over practically every second weekend anyway but we'd usually make sure the Ramirez's were okay with it first.

Ashley grunted a bit before poking her head out of the kitchen to find Dylan, Taesso and Matthew curled up on the couch watching a movie. "I can't be mad for Taesso being here."

"Neither can I." I flung an arm around my wife's shoulder and kissed the side of her head. "Matthew said he invited him over."

Ashley snorted and beamed proudly when she turned to face me; her arms wrapping around my waist. "I doubt that is what happened but I find it endearing he's protecting the both of them." She muttered before kissing me.

"Hey T," I pulled away from the kiss and smacked Ashley on the bottom gently before walking to the living room, "your parents are okay with you coming with us to dinner if you want."

Dylan's head shot up from his lap, a grin wider than I had seen it in weeks. "Really?"

"Of course he'd have to be Matthew's date, since he's over to see him and not you." Ashley sighed in a teasing tone when she sidled up right next to me. She had that mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"But I can sit by him right?" Dylan scurried off the couch and stood right in front of us. "Right?"

I gave a dramatic sigh. "I guess." Arms were wrapped around me with a squeeze and a thank you before she was back on the couch in her previous position.

Ashley nudged my shoulder with hers, "how long is it going to take for those two to realize they're a cute couple?"

"Shh." I hissed and shoved her playfully back into the kitchen. "Dylan has a boyfriend and I will not condone cheating."

"Well if she broke up with Mase and then went out with Taes..." She trailed off before grabbing the tea kettle, a wistful look on her face. She noticed my disapproving glare. "What? Spence..."

"Stop it." I shook my head and kissed her cheek. "Leave the kids alone. I can't believe you're even wanting Dylan to have a boyfriend. She's 16."

"We were her age once." She stated as a matter of fact.

"I'm well aware and it scares me." I bumped her with my hip.

The afternoon wore on and we found ourselves on the loveseat couch watching a movie with the kids. The door swung open and in came Lucas with a grin on her face, two boys trailing behind her. "Hey guys!" I waved from my seat, Ashley sitting up from laying her head on my lap. "Have fun?"

"Totally Mrs. CD." Phillip grinned, strands of his hair falling from his manbun. "Thanks for trusting us with Luc."

"Thank you for giving us a reason to trust you two." I smiled at them gratefully and got up to give them each a hug. Josh held on a little too long for anyone's liking in the room.

"Dude, get off of her, she's my mom." Lucas shoved him away from me with a scowl. He did nothing but give her a smug look.

"Okay well Phillip, you're officially my favourite." Ashley stated from the couch, giving the other teenager a death glare.

Dylan could only laugh into Taesso's shoulder and Matthew's look matched his Momma's.

After a very heartfelt goodbye between Lucas and the twins, I had everyone go get ready for dinner at Rapture. It was a Going Away dinner for Lucas, who refused to believe that it was a big deal.

"Lucas, can you take Dylan?" I heard Ashley yell from upstairs.

"Sure." Lucas yelled back from her spot beside me in the downstairs bathroom. She had a couple of inches on me, well on both Ashley and I, and she often liked to use us an arm rest. "Why am I taking Dylan?" She leaned into me, whispering as she adjusted the tie she was wearing.

"Your Ma thinks she's being sneaky. She wants you two to talk." I shrugged and fixed my make-up.

Lucas only sighed and nodded before checking herself out in the mirror one last time. "I'll grab Dyl and we'll meet you guys there." She kissed my cheek and out of the room she skipped.

Laughing to myself, I finished getting ready before gathering my wife, Matthew and Taesso, ushering them to the car.