Gia did help Stephanie out of her dress. But that confidence that she had gained in front of her house had dissipated with the drive back to Gia's apartment. A comfortable silence had fallen upon them as they made their way to the elevator, and by the time the two walked through the apartment door, Stephanie had completely gone back to her shy self.

Gia didn't mind the switch and only dared to press a chaste kiss to Stephanie's neck as she unzipped the back of her red satin dress. As the girls got dressed into their pajamas, Gia rustled through her bag, pulling out the wanted contraband.

"Steph," She called out in a sing-songy voice, making the girl turn around.

"Yeah?" She replied, trying to see what Gia was holding up in the dim room. It was a glass bottle that glistened with liquid inside. "What's that?" She asked.

"Oh, a little prom night treat. I got it under that big banner back at the venue." Her tone was smug as she came forward, the liquid in the bottle jostling against the glass.

Stephanie thought back to finding Gia talking with the random guy. "He owed you a bottle?"

By the way her girlfriend tipped her head back and laughed, she knew that she had said the wrong thing. "What? What is it? Don't just stand there and laugh!"

"Steph, it's Fireball!" When the girl didn't say anything, she added "Whiskey."

Stephanie's jaw dropped. "Whiskey! Gia, that's what you were doing at prom?"

"Hey, he got a pack of Newport's off of me," She said simply, shrugging at Stephanie's reaction. "A fair swap."

" Cigarettes? I thought you didn't smoke!" Stephanie felt as though her whole world was spinning.

"I don't! Doesn't mean that I can't help a friend out once in a while. Besides, my mom doesn't ask too many questions. She just bought what I asked for."

"Your mom buys cigarettes for you?" She said, her voice cold with shock.

"Well, not anymore. I'm legal now, but she used to. How did you think I had them in middle school?" When Stephanie didn't reply, she kept on explaining. "I used to just steal a pack from her until she got so fed up that she bought one for me."

Stephanie couldn't even comprehend the insanity of this new information. Danny Tanner didn't even let his daughters have boys in their room without the door wide open, let alone buy them cigarettes.

"Look," Gia said, a hint of annoyance coming through her calm demeanor, "Let's just move on. I know my mom sucks, okay?" The girl sat on her bed, unscrewing the cap of the Fireball bottle and tipping her head back to drink from it. Stephanie padded over and scooted next to her, feeling bad for making a big deal about it. Her head fell to Gia's shoulder, and Stephanie closed her eyes as she felt the girl swallowing.

"Has your mom always been like that?" She asked suddenly, a thousand questions still in her head.

"What do you mean?" Gia asked, putting the capped bottle on the floor before looking at her.

"Well, so…" Irresponsible. Reckless. Neglectful. " Careless? About your health, I mean." Stephanie added that last part quickly to try and make her statement seem less harsh.

Gia unfortunately saw through that. She always did. "No, you can say it. She's pretty crazy sometimes." She paused for a moment before continuing. "And yeah, she's always been like that. Even when my Dad was around. That's probably why he left us."

"Were you sad when he left?" Stephanie asked.

"Well shit, yeah. So was my mom. I don't think I need to tell you how I ended up after he left."

Stephanie thought back to junior high school Gia. The one that smoked and played hooky; the girl that used to be her enemy.

"You've changed in some ways," Stephanie said.

"Not according to my mom. You know she is so dead set that I will go and get knocked up like she did. It's starting to piss me off now, cause me and you both know that that's not going to happen." A fit of giggles interrupted Gia as the two girls laughed at that comment. "And it's not like I can tell her why I'm so sure, 'cause that would mean that I would have to tell her."

Stephanie cringed at that statement. "Oh god, nothing could be worse than that. I can't even imagine telling Dad."

Gia didn't respond and instead leaned her head against Stephanie's. "It sucks, but that's life I guess," By the way that she sighed, Stephanie knew that she didn't seem to like it. "You're lucky though. You have sisters that you could tell maybe. I don't have anyone really."

"Lucky? Gia, they would probably go and run to Dad as soon as it was out of my mouth. I can't tell anyone either."

"Really? All those people in that big old house and you can't be honest with one of them? What about Jessie, he seems pretty cool."

"Gia, I've thought about it already. Really, nobody could know 'cause it would all go back to my Dad in some way; and you know that I can't have that."

Gia shivered at the thought and yawned. "Hate to disappoint you, but I think I'm gonna go to bed. I've been disturbed enough this evening. No funny business tonight, unfortunately for you."

Stephanie laid back down next to her, smiling at what she said before yawning as well. "Trust me, you weren't gonna get anything from me even if you wanted to."

Gia looked over at her in confusion before chuckling. "Look, Tanner. I'm not even gonna bother asking you what you mean. I'm too tired. G'night."

"Goodnight," Stephanie replied before nuzzling into her, closing her eyes to settle into sleep.

The first thing Stephanie woke up to was Claire Mahan yelling. She had found the whiskey bottle that was carelessly left on the nightstand and was understandably upset at the discovery. Stephanie sat up dumbly as the woman stormed around the room, Gia trailing after her wake.

"Mom, it's not that big of a deal!" Gia crossed her arms in a pout as her mother snapped around to look at her.

"Not that big of a deal? Imagine how her father would have felt if he found out about this!" The mention of her Dad made Stephanie wince.

"Well, I wasn't planning on telling him," Gia replied dryly.

That seemed to be the wrong response because her mom's face seemed to turn red. "Do you hear yourself? I work all night just to come home to something like this!" She leaned in menacingly, a mere inch away from Gia's face, their noses nearly bumping together. "I don't want you becoming a bad influence on her." The glance over at Stephanie intimated who the her was. "I mean it. One wrong move and it's to Auntie Mildred's you go."

Poor Gia, Stephanie thought. Ever since the two women had gotten back into contact with each other, Gia's mom had been threatening to send her over to the old women's ranch, which was somewhere in the middle of Nevada with only the cattle to keep them company. It was an ultimatum that seemed to work since Gia had been on her best behavior for a while now.

"I mean, look at this place!" The woman now looked around erratically, gesturing to a dirty clothes pile in the corner of the room. "It's a pigsty. Instead of mouthing off, you should clean it up a little." Gia just rolled her eyes again, turning away from her mother's stern gaze.

Stephanie made sure to settle back into the bed, pulling the covers over her head in a feign of sleepiness, hoping that her presence wouldn't be acknowledged again in the argument. Suddenly, a loud rustling noise was heard, one that couldn't be ignored. When she pulled the blanket down below her eyes to peep over at the commotion, she saw that it was Gia's mom snatching her by the arm and yanking her around to meet her, face-to-face again.

"This little attitude of yours is starting to get on my last nerves. You won't be able to get away with this in the real world, you know. Lazy, ignorant women are nothing but jokes to everybody else. Nobody thinks it's funny or cool anymore, Gia. It's just real embarrassing." It was as if Gia had deflated like a popped balloon. Her demeanor turned into one of dejection as her mom finally backed off.

She clenched her jaw shut at the words and quieted down, watching her mother leave the room with the slam of the door. She came over to the bed, slow and glum in her movements, sitting down on the mattress and flopping back. Stephanie watched, unsure of what to say, as Gia covered her face with her hands and sighed. She always felt awkward in situations like this.

"I think you should head back home," She said after a while, still covering her face.

Stephanie knew better than to argue, and got up from the bed, starting to pack her things up. The whole time the girls didn't say a word to each other, and by the time Stephanie's bag was zipped shut, prom dress in hand, it seemed as though the distance the length of a ravine had come between the two. Even at the sound of the bedroom door closing behind her, Gia stayed silent, barely a flinch going through her at the loud slam.

She was mad. There was no denying it, no matter how unfair it felt. Feelings of hurt, of rejection, like being tossed in the trash and abandoned like some used piece of trash.

Gia's treatment of Stephanie was understandable. She had probably felt embarrassed, being told off so explicitly by her mom in front of her. But the memory of her laying on that bed with her face covered, not even bothering to look at Stephanie the entire time; it stabbed something deep in her heart, the part of her that wanted nothing more than acceptance.

Which was of course such a silly sentiment. Of course Gia accepts me! Why would I feel this way?

Any more contemplation and Stephanie would have driven off the road. Shaking her head, trying to clear her mind, she took a deep breath and set her eyes forward, an attempt at concentration. It seemed to work since she made it home in one piece.

Walking into the house, she was greeted by Comet, who moved slowly with age as he jumped off the couch.

"Hey, boy," She said to him, petting his furry head as she walked into the living room. "Where is everybody?"

For a moment, she had wanted to call out but decided against it. She wanted nothing more than to be in her own bed, to be able to ruminate over her feelings and decisions, the hope being that this would make her feel better. Going up the stairs and into the hallway, she noted the light background noise, seeming to come from a TV. It sounded like it was coming from Michelle's bedroom. Memories from last night came to mind, of her little sister's valiant rescue. The recollection made her smile to herself with fondness, and when she felt the urge to go speak to her little sister, she found herself quickly throwing her stuff onto her bed and hurrying into Michelle's bedroom.

The teen was lying in the dark, morning light filtering through the closed curtains. She was watching SpongeBob but didn't look particularly interested in it.

"Hey, Michelle," Stephanie said, coming over to her bed. "I wanted to thank you for helping me out last night. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there."

Good, Stephanie thought to herself with a pleased feeling, Now she knows how much I appreciate her. It was hard not to feel proud about her seemingly rapid maturation. She couldn't help but think of DJ in times like these, her big sister who always knew what to say.

Michelle's eyes widened a bit at Stephanie's words. She looked over and eyed her sister for a moment before finally answering. "You're welcome."

But something was off. It seemed as though Michelle was trying to stare straight through her. "What's the matter?" Do I have something on my face?" Stephanie was sure that she didn't but didn't know how else to ask.

"No," Michelle replied slyly.

"Then why are you looking at me that way?" She asked, feeling peeved, those feel-good emotions from just moments before disappearing with the strange reaction.

For a moment the two sized each other up like wrestlers in the rink, trying to see what the other was planning. It was a weird feeling, this strange animosity between the two sisters. Stephanie decidedly didn't like it.

"Did you enjoy the prom?" Michelle asked, but the question seemed more pointed than it should have been.

Stephanie crossed her arms, not afraid to let her vexation show. "Yes? Why do you ask now?"

Michelle couldn't exactly be sure why she was feeling like this. She still remembered the way her stomach had quivered at the sight. The next feeling that had followed was guilt. Stephanie hadn't known that she would be looking out the window, wanting to watch her sister drive off. She had acted accordingly to the belief that no eyes were on her.

But Michelle was there, watching. She had walked silently back to her bedroom, unsure of the true nature of her discovery. Laying in bed that night, she silently wondered. How unimportant she felt in times like these, when both her big sisters were now living their own secret lives, leaving her behind.

And now, one of them was near her, suspecting that she knew nothing. Being the youngest had some perks, but one of them definitely wasn't the way that everyone patronized her. Stephanie had what looked like a supercilious look on her face, as if Michelle was still just a kid. Just the idea made her grow angrier, and she decided to drop the act.

She suddenly sat up, making Stephanie startle. "Look Steph, I gotta be honest with you. Real honest."

"Okay?" Stephanie said, starting to get truly annoyed.

" You… " Michelle hesitated, pointing an accusatory finger. "You and Gia!"

A metallic zzing of panic went down Stephanie's spine. She tried to rationalize her little sister's words. She doesn't know anything. She's just a stupid little thirteen-year-old girl who doesn't know anything.

"What about us?" Stephanie said coolly.

"I saw you both. Last night." Stephanie held her mouth firmly shut, making Michelle continue, "Near Dad's car!"

Oh God. Oh God. Oh–

"Hellooooo?" Michelle drawled, waving her hand in front of Stephanie's face, feeling herself grow impatient. "Are you gonna say something?" Stephanie finally dared to look at her sister, whose expression was a questioning one.

"I–I–" She pressed her lips together to stop the stuttering. It felt as though she had been a gladiator thrown into the middle of the arena, surrounded by people who wanted to see her bloodshed. Like she had been pushed on stage during a performance, her lines forgotten and the expectant looks from the audience being her only encouragement. Like she had been thrown into the deep end of the pool, bystanders watching as she struggled to stay afloat.

It was an awful, sinking, terrifying moment. The more time that went by with Michelle waiting, the more faster her heartbeat. Out of everybody that could have found out, Michelle was probably the worst candidate. She had always been quick to tell on her when they were kids, compared to DJ, who always humored her secret rebellions. But this wasn't DJ. No, this was probably just the biggest mistake that she had ever made.

She wanted to slap herself in the face, that's how stupid she felt. What was I thinking? How could I let this happen?! It was almost pitifully laughable that Stephanie had for once in her life assumed that she was safe, away from prying eyes. Had allowed Gia to kiss her out in the open. Now she would reap the consequences of her mistakes.

Michelle had sat up more, inching closer to her. "Steph?" She said, both her tone and expression softening.

The truth was that Michelle hadn't meant to hurt her sister. She had figured that anger would have been the following emotion, not sorrow.

Because Stephanie was sad. A light wet feeling on her cheeks made her realize that she had started to cry. She hurried to stifle the tears, trying to steady her breathing. Michelle came even closer, now sitting next to her on the bed. She looked concerned as Stephanie tried to quell the panic that was rising in her, punctuated by shuddery breaths.

Guilt wracked at Michelle. This was not the reaction that she had been expecting, not even close. She just wanted her sister to see her as an equal for once in her life. So many questions were fluttering about in her head, ones that seemed to surface from the night before. In a small voice, she dared to ask one.

"Why?"

If Stephanie had been brave enough to meet her little sister's eyes at that moment, she imagined that she would have probably seen a look of pure disgust, of revulsion, even though the reality was far from it. Just the thought of it was too much to bear, and suddenly Stephanie was in action.

She stood up, forcing herself to stride across the room, every footfall spelling out intent. She was never going to make the same mistake again. Never.

"Steph, wait!" Michelle called out, clambering out of her bed and following her sister across the room, whose hand was at the doorknob, ready to open it.

Stephanie paused, hesitating a bit before turning her head. A sickly feeling of dread was heavy on her chest as she tried to think. She found herself wondering whether anyone had heard the commotion, and suddenly a question she needed desperate answering to came to mind.

"Where's Dad?"

A look of surprise came onto Michelle's face as she came closer, now standing next to her sister. "He–He's at the grocery store right now."

"He can't know about this, Michelle," Her voice became shaky as she raised her voice over a whisper. "You know that, right?"

The girl looked confused. "Well, shouldn't he?"

Stephanie reached out, gripping her sister's arm, making the girl wince in pain. "No! I–if Dad found out…he would be so mad."

"Well, how do you know that?" Michelle questioned, looking upset.

"Michelle!" Stephanie exclaimed, her voice sounding like a sob. "He would kick me out if he found out!"

"Why would he do that?" She asked distressingly, Stephanie's tears making her emotional herself.

"Cause–cause that's what they always do! You can't tell Dad, Michelle. You just can't. It would be the worst thing ever!"

The girl looked conflicted as she finally managed to wrench her arm out of Stephanie's clutch. It was hard to be upset at her big sister when tears had started to make wet trails down her cheeks. She wondered how such a big secret could be kept from Dad, and almost mentioned that to Stephanie before stopping. Like the sun peeping over the horizon, a little thought had come to mind. Maybe it wasn't my secret to tell.

"Okay," She finally conceded, leaning in to give a hug to Stephanie, clumsy from the intensity of the moment.

The other sister wrapped her arms around her and the two wordlessly came to an understanding. For Stephanie, it had been that maybe her original impression of her younger sister was wrong. And for Michelle it was that her big sister was a lot less of an enigma than she had always presumed.

"Steph," Michelle said softly.

She sniffles a bit before answering. "Yeah?"

"Why did you kiss her?" She nervously opened her eyes, not realizing that they had closed with the embrace.

A slow, soft sigh came from Stephanie, the deflating of her chest making Michelle's head sink with it.

"I don't know Michelle. It just felt right."