Harley was only ten when her father had packed up and left home. Sad, and mostly traumatic, but true.

Harley didn't realize it until the next morning, because her father at least had the decency —or the non-existent shame, on the contrary— to leave during the night, without even saying goodbye to his wife and daughter. When she woke up, provoked mainly by the angry shouts of her mother, who was pacing back and forth on her heels as if trying to make even more noise, Harley stood watching the scene in silence, seeing through the half-closed door of her parents' room that nothing that had belonged to her father was there anymore.

Besides, the cries of "your father's an ass" or "he's gone, the son of a bitch" were certainly telling. Harley thought her father would have left for the night to avoid things like this, the dodgy looks from neighbors and their whispered comments criticizing his departure. East Highland was the perfect place to pry, to comment behind people's backs and to criticize anything they did, so Harley, still confused by her father's sudden absence, tried to understand that he had left like this for everyone's sake.

Harley spent the whole day at home, silent. It wasn't that she had been rendered mute overnight by the trauma of her father's inexplicable departure —her daddy issues would eventually show up, much to her chagrin— but she couldn't stand her mother's drama and hypocrisy either. She was hardly home since she had gotten her new job, and when she was all she did was criticize whatever both her father and Harley were doing. So, silently, Harley nodded, understanding her father's decision, and even feeling bad that she couldn't do the same.

A few months after what had happened, and it was still foreign to the neighborhood as to why Mr. Jordan didn't show up in the neighborhood, her father showed up. Harley's heart skipped a beat, thinking he would come back for her, but her father showed up with a sad smile and some papers in his hand, which judging by her mother's screams, was about the divorce. "You should go to your room, honey," her father recommended, leaving a kiss in her hair, and Harley nodded, scampering down the hall to lock herself in her little shelter. She heard the muffled screams through the walls, but pretended as if nothing was happening, as she hoped the neighbors were doing.

"Dad, are you staying over for dinner?" Harley had asked him when, after ten minutes had passed without hearing any more discussion, she had left the room.

Her mother had stood there watching them, and at her soon-to-be ex-husband's non-response, encouraged him to talk. In her own way, of course.

"Tell your daughter what's going on. Come on, have the courage to do it, to give her an explanation after you've left without saying anything and come back like nothing to leave again," her voice cracked, and Harley looked at her curiously: she had never seen her show so much feeling at the same time. Harley looked at her father, and then at her mother again, who crouched down to her level. "Now Dad is not going to live here anymore. Dad now has another house, and another family—"

"Rachel, please—"

Her parents were still arguing with each other, but Harley had stopped paying attention. Another family? What did that mean? Had her father decided that this one wasn't good enough for him, and had looked for another? Did he have another wife to hug when he came home, and other children he would love more than her? Harley frowned because she didn't quite understand how that worked.

"Daddy won't be staying for dinner today, honey. From now on, it's just you and me, okay?" Her mother wiped away her tears quickly, as if she didn't want Harley to see them, and the girl, not knowing what else to do, simply nodded. "Okay."

"That doesn't have to be true, Har," her father smiled, bending down as well. "You can come live with me whenever you want. Nothing's going to change between you and me, honey. When you're older you'll understand why this has happened. In the meantime, I'll be happy to see you for as long as you want."

In the end, as expected, in the trial to determine Harley's custody, Rachel won. That her father had left without saying a word to his daughter and that he apparently now had another family were too much determinative evidence to even bring up joint custody. Harley didn't complain at any point, because although it was clear to her that she loved her father more, she didn't want to leave her mother alone. No one person deserved what she was going through, so Harley decided to abide by the court ruling without complaint.

Things changed from that point on. Rachel changed her last name to her maiden name, and although Harley had the option to do so as well, she didn't eliminate "Jordan" from her life as quickly as her mother did. Rachel started working a lot more with the excuse of not being at home, because it supposedly brought back bad memories, which translated into more income, which translated into more whims for Harley, which tried to compensate for the lack of her mother's presence at home. As a result, Rachel was barely aware of what was going on in her daughter's life, and Harley began to like things that way.

She still saw her father periodically, but it wasn't until two years later, when Harley had already started high school, that on a visit to her father, he stunned her. "We're thinking of having a baby —how would you like the idea of having a baby brother or sister?"

Her mother's fancy new black car was at the door of the restaurant five minutes later, at Harley's own request. She said nothing on the way there, merely crossing her arms to imply that she didn't want to talk about anything that had happened. She tried to forget the sad look behind her father's green eyes, the ones she herself would have, and wondered if there would be another being in the world with the same eyes who would be able to dethrone her.

Now, eight years later, no one still knew why Mr. Jordan had left their home overnight.

"Are you okay?" Harley heard her question asked between whispers, and when she turned around, Lexi was looking up at her from her bed with a frown.

"What?"

"Blue or green?" Maddy interrupted, holding a blue dress in one hand and a green one in the other.

"It depends on who's it for. Blue suits Cassie more, and green suits you best."

Maddy smiled. "Cass, we've got a winner! Put this one on."

"I'm fine," Harley merely replied to Lexi when she knew they were alone, as she heard giggling from Cassie's bathroom.

"You don't look that fine. You've been out for, like, ten minutes."

"Everything's fine," Harley smiled briefly in an attempt to convince Lexi.

During the short time she had known Cassie and thus her little sister, Harley had been able to distinguish the differences in the two sisters in a heartbeat. While Cassie liked to draw attention to herself and be publicly liked, Lexi was used to staying in her sister's shadow, quietly observing others and was not as outgoing as the blonde. And yes, Harley had grown to love Cassie's drama and complications, but, in her eyes, Lexi was too different from her sister not to notice her.

And one of the main differences was that Cassie would believe her lie, but Lexi wouldn't.

"Fuck! Kat's just cancelled," Harley heard Maddy exclaim from the other room. When they returned with the two Howard sisters, Harley arched her eyebrows at the sight of Cassie and Maddy dressed like that. "This bitch, I swear to God. We can't do pairs anymore this way."

"Try BB," Cassie suggested.

Maddy shook her head. "She already said she couldn't. Should I try Nate?"

"Hell no," Harley ruled, rising from Cassie's bed. "Lexi can come with us. If she's free."

Lexi opened her mouth, hesitant as to why Harley was proposing her as Kat's replacement, but Cassie beat her to it, ignoring her friend's proposal. "Try BB again. Maybe she's changed her mind."

So Lexi fell silent, sinking onto the bed and feeling slightly embarrassed that it had even crossed her mind to go bowling with her sister and her friends. "I already told you she can't make it today. Lexi, put your shoes on."

"She can't," Cassie interjected.

Lexi frowned. "Why can't I come with?", and judging by Cassie's face, the blonde wasn't expecting her sister to answer back. "I'm free, I have nothing else to do."

"It's settled," Harley said, ignoring Cassie's face. "Let's go before it's too packed."

The four girls left the house, bidding a friendly farewell to Suze, who had already filled her second glass of wine that evening. She reminded them that before ten o'clock they had to be home, because the start of the new high school year was approaching and they needed to start getting used to it. Harley promised to bring them back early, and Suze winked at her: she had always liked Harley. She was like the rudder that gave meaning to that crazy group of friends, reliable, responsible and loyal.

"Shotgun!" Cassie shouted.

"You called it last time, it's my turn now," Maddy whined back, and the two became embroiled in a staring contest that ended with Harley.

"None of you are getting it. Lexi, shotgun."

"Me?" Lexi opened her eyes wide in disbelief. "Oh, okay."

Harley gave Lexi a sidelong glance as she cleared her throat to herself and climbed into the car, still a little unsure. Her small lopsided smile widened a bit as Lexi glanced to her left and checked to see that Harley was already looking at her. A slight blush flared on her cheeks, so she tried to hide it, reaching up to reach for her belt and buckle it silently. The brunette was grateful that Harley wasn't mocking her in that situation, but rolled down the windows in the back, earning shouts of support from Maddy and Cassie, who cheered as they stuck their heads out of the gaps briefly.

However, it didn't take long for the two teenage girls in the backseat to start arguing again, apparently over an Instagram filter that favored Maddy and not Cassie. Their voices began to raise, so Harley's hand went to the volume of the music, progressively increasing it until Maddy and Cassie's voices became non-existent. Lexi wrinkled her nose at the volume, but smiled when she saw that it took effect and the two girls could no longer be heard.

"Do you always do that?"

Harley smiled, "It's the only way to stop listening to them bickering. Here," the blonde handed her her phone, and Lexi looked at it. "Play the song you want to. They won't even listen to it."

"I can play a song? Whatever I want to?"

"Go ahead."

And just as Harley predicted, Cassie and Maddy were too engrossed in their Instagram photos and poses that they barely heard Taylor Swift's Paper Rings play through the speakers. Lexi glanced at Harley when the song had been playing for at least a minute, waiting for something resembling approval, her finger still on the name of a more commercial song in case Harley didn't like her choice. However, she smiled and breathed easy when she saw Harley bob her head to the beat of the song.

"You like it?"

"It's not crap," Harley admitted. "Not my style, but it's good."

"I can play whatever you want me to. How about this one? It's the first on your playlist," Lexi suggested, starting to feel a little sheepish about sharing one of her favorite songs. So, fearful of Harley's reaction later, she pressed on Passionfruit by Drake. At least Lexi knew the singer, it couldn't be that bad.

"I love this song!" Maddy shouted from the back seat, and as if in response Harley turned up the radio voice.

Soon, all three girls began singing along to the song, getting all the lyrics right, even the monologue before the song began. Their earlier argument at the Howards' house had been forgotten, replaced by the sorority the three older girls felt with each other. Lexi stood watching silently, though with a small smile on her lips as she saw the relationship that bound the other three girls together, and partly feeling lucky to finally be able to experience something like this.

Lexi wasn't a girl with too many friends. Too focused on her studies and hobbies that her sister describes as "geeky," Lexi didn't have time to form relationships with other people beyond classwork, so she felt included in that little group as she found herself just that day and just that moment right in that car. She felt like she belonged, at last, somewhere, no matter how much her mind wanted to remind her that, at the end of the night, when Harley dropped them off at home, she would again communicate in monosyllables with her sister, see Maddy the times she came home, and who knew when she would cross paths with Harley again.

Harley made her curious. Too much, perhaps. She was totally different from what she expected from her sister's friends —superficial, airheaded, as insulting as that sounded, but in her head there was a stereotype in terms of hot cheerleaders who know they are— and that, in a way, appealed to her senses. She seemed responsible, focused and removed from any kind of drama that East Highland teens might be involved in. Harley marked the exception, and Lexi liked to find out the why of things.

"You okay there?" Harley's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "We're here. You can go ahead and pick an alley. I'll pay for the drinks."

"Honestly, you're the shit," Maddy confessed, her lips curving into a wide smile and sending her a kiss into the air.

Feeling like she would disturb the Maddy-Cassie relationship, Lexi decided to hang back. "I can help you out."

"You know how to bowl, right?" Harley asked once she handed the twenty to the cashier. "We normally play on teams, and since Kat ditched us, you're my partner now."

"Oh— Well, uh, you could always throw a coin."

"Stop," smiled Harley quizzically. "I was just asking if you know how to play. But it doesn't matter, because I'm a pro and our team's gonna win anyway. And the winning team gets a fucking fantastic prize," Harley smiled enigmatically, so Lexi waited for her to speak again. "Booze's on the losers the next party. I haven't paid a single beer since I've known them."

"I would love Cassie to pay for my drinks, to be honest, it would be hilarious," Lexi smiled, nodding. "Okay, do your best because I've never done this before."

When the last of the pins fell, Lexi sprung up like a spring from her seat and stretched her arms upward, uttering a shout of victory. Harley turned around with a victorious look on her face, her hands gesturing to throw bills, and Cassie and Maddy grunted from their part of the couch. The siren indicated that their game was now over, and that the Harley-Lexi pair had won by more than thirty points over the other two girls. "You're making me go poor," Cassie complained.

Harley raised her hand for a high-five to Lexi, who smiled broadly. "I give classes, you know? But first pay for my drinks."

"I heard there's a party at McKay's next week. You know, the last weekend he's on town and shit," Maddy said, smiling slyly at Cassie, who sank into her seat and wouldn't look at any of the girls.

"Okay. I'll be there," Harley nodded.

"Same as always?"

The blonde smiled. "Yeah. Old habits die hard."

"Lexi?" Maddy asked, ignoring Cassie's clear lack of interest in her younger sister. "You coming? I need to know what you'll be drinking."

"Oh, uh, I don't think so."

"Why?" Harley inquired as they left the bowling alley.

"Not really my scene. I've gone to a few parties but it's not my thing, I guess."

"It's okay. You do you. I'll probably pick Cassie and Maddy up, so just get in the car if you feel like it."

"Yeah, okay," Lexi grinned. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"No, I mean, for letting me come here. Cassie doesn't usually agree to me tagging along. So thanks for sticking up for me."

Harley raised her eyebrows, still not understanding why Lexi was making a big deal out of it. "Sure. If you had fun, that's what counts," The girl started the car, completely ignoring the presence of Maddy and Cassie still outside the car, finishing their drinks, preferring for some reason Lexi's few shy words over the mess the other two were causing. Aware that neither would hear them, Harley whispered, "Hey. Remember when we were at your house before? When you asked me if I was fine."

"Yeah," Lexi frowned.

"Today marks eight years since my dad left," Harley confessed, moving her lips in a thin line to show her discomfort and nervousness. "It's usually a tough day for me, and a year before I didn't even know Maddy and Cassie, so I was used to spending it alone. They don't know what day today is, I've never told them. What I'm trying to say is that I had fun today. Being able to focus on something else today was great. So, thank to you too."

Lexi blinked a couple of times, feeling unable to say anything meaningful because Harley's gaze was so searing and contained so much sadness that the brunette suddenly felt overwhelmed. Thanks to some strange force, Harley averted her green eyes from her because Maddy and Cassie entered the car fussing.

The ride was silent. Maddy asked Harley about her mother, because she hardly ever saw her around town, and Cassie scolded her between whispers because she knew what it was like to have a single-parent family —on many occasions, asking about it was a delicate matter. So Maddy, frowning and fearing she'd screwed up, simply shut up and focused on her phone, probably texting Nate, which Cassie was doing the same way but with McKay, which left Lexi, still in the passenger seat, and Harley, mired in deep silence.

Lexi found it a little strange that when Harley dropped her and Cassie off at home, she didn't speak to her in the same sincere and friendly manner as she had that night. Lexi wondered if it was just her imagination, if that was just Harley being nice to her best friend's younger sister, and if Lexi had speculated about so many things only to have Harley turn back into a stranger the next Monday. Lexi didn't like that option.

However, Lexi didn't know that Harley looked up Paper Rings that night while brushing her teeth.