Like every Friday night, Harley's response to Maddy's "there's a party at I don't know who's house, you coming?" text message was no. Harley imagined the pout on Maddy's face when she read the message, and again, like every Friday night, Maddy called her boring, but then told her she loved her —love you, bitch— and that she would see her on Monday. With a deadpan face, Harley locked the phone and tossed it onto the dashboard of the car, waiting a few moments out there, parked, waiting for the clock to strike eleven so she could get out of the vehicle and into the store.

Friday nights were Harley's only day off during the week, so she had to make good use of them. The rest of the week her mother was at home, because on Friday mornings she had to catch a plane to she doesn't know where —Harley knew her mother told her that, but she never paid enough attention to remember— and she'd be back on Saturday lunchtime for work. And even if it wasn't work, Harley had learned all that time not to care what her mother was up to, just as her mother gave her her own space.

The best part of all that freedom was not partying and showing up home at six in the morning completely drunk, but the long drives at night, the wind ruffling her hair and some song that reminded her of better times playing on the radio, oblivious to everything around her, arriving home around two because no one was going to ask her where the hell she had been. And if her mother found out that she spent Friday nights surrounded by that company, she probably wouldn't go on the road again —or maybe she would, who knows?, Harley wasn't about to find out.

"Hey, Fez."

"What's up, Harley?" Fez walked up to her, stepping off the counter and gave her a friendly fist bump. "Same as always?"

"Please," Harley chuckled a bit. Fez replied with a brief smile, turning around and reaching out for a pack of Takis and a soda. Harley caught in mid-air the snack, and turned the can over to see the brand of drink. "Fanta this time? Nice."

Fez winked politely at her. Harley and Fezco had known each other for a long time: a younger Harley loved to antagonize her mother, so meeting up with the soon-to-be high school dropout bad boy in class was the best way to do it. Fez was still young when his grandmother ran the store, so Ashtray had also grown up with the female figure of Harley by his side. Now, more than five years later, their friendship was only growing exponentially. "Ash's in the back. You know where to find him," Fez nodded, picking up the cash Harley had left on the counter. "It's been a long fucking time since I don't do math, man."

"Happy to help," Harley replied simply.

Ah, it was just that her Friday night plan was so much more interesting than a teenage party. Or, at least, much more reckless and risky, and in the end it was adrenaline she preferred to have running through her veins rather than alcohol. Ever since Harley found out about Fez, Ash and their grandmother's real business, and Fez dropped out of high school, Harley had volunteered to do the bookkeeping for the week's sales every Friday night. So, since she was thirteen, Harley would say she was going to one of her friends' houses, but she was really counting bloodstained bills and addiction in the hole behind the false door of a refrigerator.

"What's up, Ash?" Harley flashed a small smile at the boy, who nodded in her direction as he jotted something down in the notebook.

"You're early today. Got shit going on?"

"Just feeling like breaking the law, I guess."

Ash looked at her and composed a sneer. "Very funny. You're lucky you're family. We wouldn't let anyone but you do this. Now let's get this shit over with."

"Okay," nodded Harley, who took the notebook from Ashtray's hands. "Tell me names, quantity, purchase price, sale price, and I'll tell you how much you owe Mouse."

"You know too fucking much. I swear to God, if you snitch one day..."

"I won't. You're family."

Ash simply shot her a look of mock disdain. "Fucking cheerleader and shit. How do you manage to be fucking pretty and be a smart ass?"

Harley let out a short laugh. "In your defense, I'll just say that most of the time it's a calculator that gets the result. Here, you got a gap in yesterday's weed sales. The rest adds up perfectly. Your profit is five grand and, based on the prices, you owe Mouse half of that. Fucking great month, huh?"

Ashtray nodded. "August is always good, carnivals, parties and shit. Just wait till you see Homecoming again," the kid smiled as he separated the bills into two piles. "Are you excited to start another year?"

"That's one way to put it. I'm excited to get it over with and get the hell out of here. After what happened months ago with Rue, I think things will be tense."

"Shit, yeah. People say she's gonna be out of fucking rehab soon, you know?" Ash stuffed a bundle of bills in a backpack, and the rest he kept in a locked drawer. "Excited about homecoming?"

"Every Friday is Homecoming in this town, so not really. Maddy and Cassie will want to go, so I'll probably go with them. Why, you interested in a date?" Harley smirked.

Ashtray gave her a withering look. "I don't want to hear any more shit, Harley, I mean it. I was just asking, hell. Maybe you were going with... the Jacobs' kid?"

Harley nearly spit out the swig of Fanta. "Nate? Yeah, no, thanks. I fucking hate him. Besides, he's Maddy's on-and-off boyfriend. Did I mention I hate him?"

"No, I meant I can see him through the glass, what the fuck is he doing here?"

Harley frowned, turning in her seat as Ashtray got up and walked out of the small room. Harley had no choice but to do the same and follow him, and both pairs of eyes of the two boys rested on her as she watched him leave. The corners of Nate's lips lifted imperceptibly, as if he was surprised to see her there, when the truth was that he had known about her relationship with the drug dealers in town for years.

"I didn't have you as the junkie type," Nate let out, tossing a bill on top of the counter and grabbing his Redbull and a pack of gum.

"I did have you as the fucking abusive boyfriend."

Nate's jaw clenched almost involuntarily, and both Fez and Ash noticed the tension between the other two teens. Nate let out a sound that was intended to be a sneer. "Don't test me, Harley."

"Don't fucking test me, Nate."

For an instant, Fez thought he would have to stand in front of Harley to keep Nate from slapping her, but something seemed to change in the boy's face, because he stepped back and softened his facial features. "Keep the change," is all he said before he left the store.

"Shit," Fez muttered, "You got some balls there."

"I will fucking blow his brains out," Ashtray commented with a toothpick between his teeth and a scowl.

Harley's phone rang in her pocket, and the sound alerted all three of them. "Maddy?"

"Shit, Harley. I don't know who else to call. Cassie's fucking smashed and she needs to get home. Can you come over? I'll text you the address."

"Sure," Harley sighed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"You okay to drive?" Fez asked. "That was some intense shit."

"You know? If someone were to beat his ass so badly he was in ICU, I'd say do not resuscitate that bitch. I will not let Nate Jacobs stop me from living my life. Fuck his ass. I'm going to pick Cassie up. Seems like she's had too much to drink tonight, and it's barely midnight."

"See you tomorrow," Ashtray nodded in her direction gently and went back to his chores, while Fez gave her another friendly fist bump.

Harley got into the car and connected the cell phone to the Bluetooth, heading for the house Maddy had sent her to, then immediately calling Kat, who picked up on the fourth beep. "Kat!"

"What's up, girl?" Kat laughed, slurring, drunk but not too drunk, apparently.

"I'm coming over to take Cassie home. Anybody else need a ride home?"

"Fuck no!" a different voice than Kat's, Maddy's, specifically, was heard throughout the vehicle. "Cassie's the only shitfaced. She tried too hard tonight for McKay. The rest of us are perfectly fine! Vibing, bitch!"

Harley shook her head, but an amused smile took over her lips. Even she still found it strange to be so attached to these girls, whom she had barely known for months, but their presence made her life more bearable, which was saying a lot, given how little her mother appeared in her life and that her Friday night plans were to hang out with two drug dealers.

It didn't take her long to get to the address, but she didn't recognize whose house it was, so she didn't give it any more thought. She was stopped by several incredibly drunk teenagers, probably celebrating the end of summer and the start of a new school year, and Harley waved to a few she recognized, both from the football team and the cheerleading squad. She thought she saw people fucking in the corner, so she looked away as quickly as she could and, to her chagrin, her eyes landed on McKay, who was keeping an eye on Cassie, sitting on the couch with a blank stare but giggling.

"Hey," the boy greeted her with a slight smile.

They had been good friends during their relationship, but the truth was that she hadn't fallen in love with him, so, keeping on good terms, Harley made an effort to return the gesture. "McKay," she nodded. "I've come to pick her up. Is she okay?"

"Drunk as hell, but she'll survive. The rest of your friends are here, too. You sure you don't wanna stay a bit? The party is awesome and Cassie will fall asleep soon."

Harley shook her head, being aware that in another time she wouldn't have said no to a good party. "I've gotta take her home. If you see her, tell Maddy everything's fine. And tell her to let me know she's made it home!" Harley shouted over her shoulder as, with a trembling Cassie in her arms, she walked out the front door, dodging the drunken teenagers going back and forth. "Come on, Cass. Let's get you home, yes?"

"But, the party..."

"The party's over. It's time to go to bed," Harley determined firmly. She glanced momentarily at her friend's revealing outfit, and saw her shiver slightly. "Are you cold? I've got a blanket here somewhere," Harley commented aloud, and finally pulled it out of the trunk behind some boxes she reminded herself to throw away the next day. "Here it is," Harley draped her friend's body from the driver's seat, then started up. "Want to tell me about the party?"

"It was... fine. Nate came and Maddy left with him. I think they're going to get back together," Cassie slurred the words, obviously intoxicated. Harley looked at her momentarily, praying she wouldn't throw up in the car. "He's a jerk."

"He is," Harley admitted under her breath angrily. "How about you? Did you have fun with McKay?"

Cassie opened her mouth but said nothing, and Harley feared again for vomiting, but the situation was different, as the blonde later vocalized. "I'm sorry. I like him, but you're too nice. I didn't expect you to be so nice to me after wanting McKay. Are you sure you're okay with it?"

It took longer for the girl to say a coherent message, and Harley felt a little bad for her, so she played it down. "It's okay, Cassie. I would tell you if it wasn't. McKay is water under the bridge. Is he being good to you?" Cassie nodded. "Then that's what matters. We're here. Give me your purse, I'll look for your keys. Let's get you some fresh air, yes?"

The blonde simply nodded, because she didn't feel up to doing anything else. From the window, Harley could see the TV still on but the lights off, so from her experience in the Howard household, she understood that Suze had fallen asleep in front of the TV for yet another night, with the half-empty wine glass resting on the coffee table. Harley complied, wrapping her arms around Cassie's waist after removing her heels to avoid making more noise than necessary.

Trouble started when she opened the door to her room, because Harley momentarily forgot that Cassie shared a room with her younger sister. "Shit," the latter muttered, closing the laptop in her hands and staring at the scene with wide eyes. "What happened to her?"

"Someone got excited and drank too much. I'll put her to bed, don't worry."

"Okay."

And so Lexi spent half an hour watching intently as Harley gathered Cassie's curls into a somewhat messy ponytail, but enough to keep her hair from sticking to her face as she gently removed her party makeup. Lexi watched as Harley's hands then gently undid the knots in her sister's hair, trying not to hurt her, and as she momentarily disappeared down the stairs and appeared with a cool bottle of water and set it next to her nightstand, accompanied by a headache pill. Lexi tried to look away as Harley unzipped her sister's dress, causing her sister to be in her underwear, then pulled her pajamas on and helped her into bed, pulling the sheets over her body and trying to get the girl straight enough so she wouldn't get dizzy and throw up during the night.

"All set," Harley whispered when she was done, trying not to fuss. "I'll be leaving now," she added when she saw that her friend's sister was still awake.

"Okay," Lexi repeated, and gritted her teeth as she realized she always seemed to say the same thing. "Wait! Thanks for bringing her home. No one's ever done that for her."

"Yeah, no problem. Make sure you got a ride home when you go to a party, yes? Wouldn't want anyone to worry over this," Harley smiled a little as she saw what a mess her friend was in bed.

"Okay," Harley's smirk got a little bigger as Lexi repeated the same word for the third time.

"Okay then. Good night, little Howard."