Maybe she was dating him because she was trying to prove something to herself. Maybe she was dating him to be rebellious, to show her hardly-there-anymore father... something. She hadn't figured that out quite yet.

Linda pushed at her boyfriend's chest. "Not now," she told him.

"Not now," he grumbled. "It's always not now. When then? When?!"

She felt a familiar twinge of fear when he raised his voice. "Mark, I told you right off the bat that I didn't want that kind of relationship. If that's all you want, then find yourself another girl."

That should've been sign one and two to break up with him. He kept insisting on sex, even though she had said no multiple times. And he yelled at her, which she hated.

Mark forced a smile, "okay, baby. If that's what you want."

That was why she was staying. Because he did respect her wishes for a few days. But then he'd forget about it, and he'd start the cycle all over again.

Linda peeked her head in the front door, "Mama! Papa! I'm home!"

When no reply came, she stepped in. "Jimmy?"

When she was met with silence, she smiled and opened the door for her boyfriend. "Okay, the coast is clear."

"Let's go to your room," he suggested. "That way, no one can see what a naughty girl you're being."

Something twitched inside her, something she hadn't felt a lot. She bit her lip and hesitated for just one second before nodding and grabbing his hand.

If she had seen the evil grin that spread on Mark's face, she wouldn't have been so eager to let him into her bedroom.

She closed the door, "I don't want any sex, okay? I'm fine with making out, but no sex."

He nodded, "no sex. Got it."

He pulled her to him by her belt loops, and held her tightly while he started to kiss her.

She went along with it, but she would've liked more of a build up. He went right for the jugular- immediately too rough and with too much tongue. She wanted more teasing, more of a build up.

Mark walked them to the bed- which was harder than it looked since she was so short compared to him. They sat down, and very soon after he pulled her onto his lap.

Linda stopped kissing him, "Mark-"

He kissed her again, biting her lip too hard. She whimpered, but he either didn't hear it or ignored it. "You'll like it. We're not having sex."'

"I don't-"

But he kissed her again, and stuck a hand in her hair. The hand in her hair would've been nice, if he wasn't holding it in place so strongly. She tried shifting, but that turned out to be the wrong move when he yanked her hair.

"Ow! Mark-"

"I want your head here," he yanked at her hair again as he tilted her head to his liking.

Linda pushed at his chest again, "stop that."

He bit her lip, "you said you wanted this."

She somehow found the strength to wiggle away, "not if you do it like that! Now please go."

"Baby..."

"Go!" She heard the tears in her voice.

"I- I'm sorry, baby." He advanced towards her, but she stepped back.

"Mark, please."

He closed his eyes but headed towards the door. He gave her one sad, lonesome look, and she had to look away.

She should tell him to walk out of her life, that she never wanted to see him again. But she wouldn't; not yet. She wouldn't until he posed a real threat in her eyes.

She was glad for the change of schools, to be honest. She wouldn't ever have to see that jerk face again, and it wasn't like she'd be the total new kid. She knew Jimmy, and that counted as knowing someone, didn't it?

"Yeah right," she grumbled, buttoning her lime green sweater.

But the first day wasn't as bad as she anticipated. She had made new friends, and everyone was really nice there. The only thing that had gone wrong was the fact that she ran into the hottest guy in school!

But despite the way he dressed (tough, Linda had determined, with the ripped jeans and leather jacket), he was really nice. And he shared his lunch with her! So he couldn't be as bad as the girls made him out to be.

"So what's going on with you and Reagan?" Cherry asked, leaning forward.

"How'd you mean?" Linda wondered, pouring the right amount of baking soda into the bowl.

"Clearly you've got something going on. Look at the way he hangs on your every word!"

"Or how he smiles whenever you're around," Simone added with a sly grin.

"Or how he brings you his mother's brownies."

"If that's not a confession of love, I don't know what is."

Linda looked shocked for a second before she burst out laughing. "No, oh no. No, I know what you're thinking and the answer is no. I am not going to go out with him, okay? I don't need that right now. I've sworn off men for a while."

"Don't look now, but one's coming your way," Simone whispered as she and Cherry turned away from their friend.

"What?"

"Linda," it was Danny's voice.

She turned around and smiled at him, "hey. What's up? Need help with your cake?"

"Nah. Listen, I've got a question for you. You like pizza, right?"

"Of course. Who doesn't?"

"And you like movies."

"Movies? Yeah, I like movies."

"Are you doing anything Friday?"

She wasn't making the connection, "I gotta do my nails." She looked at the chipping polish in disgust.

"Yeah, but you can do that Thursday. And how long does that take?"

"Good point."

"So I'll pick you up at five thirty on Friday for pizza and a movie."

"Okay."

He smiled and walked back to his table.

"Crap," Linda muttered to herself. She turned to the girls, "it's okay. It's okay- it's just pizza and a movie. What could happen?"

"Ow!"

"What?" Danny asked, looking in her eyes. Did he look scared?

She put her hand in her hair, and pouted, "you pulled my hair."

"Did I? Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He put his hand over hers in her hair, "you okay?"

"Yes," she said a little slowly. (She didn't know why she said it slowly).

"Good." He took his hand out of her hair, "come on, I gotta get you home. Your curfew's coming up."

She held his hand as they crossed the street, the events that just transpired playing again in her head. They had been kissing (and oh what a kiss it was!), when his fingers suddenly yanked her hair.

Judging by his face, it really was an accident. She did have a lot of hair- it was easy to get things tangled in it. But the thing that struck her was that he had apologized. Mark never apologized when he pulled her hair.

She was quiet during the drive home (and much later she'd learn she scared poor Danny half to death with her sudden mood change). She looked at her house when he pulled up in front of it.

"I had fun tonight," Danny said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Linda looked back at him. "Sorry we had to park so far away. I didn't realize the tank was that low."

She was supposed to say something here. Something like that's okay- I didn't mind the walk. Or I had fun too, even the walking part! But she just looked at him for a few seconds that felt like an eternity.

He opened his mouth to say something more when her lips were suddenly against his once more.

She pulled back all too soon, "I'll see you in class on Monday. Bye!"

He watched her make a quick exit and run to her front door. "That... was odd... I wanna do it again."