Trechial watched from across the street at high noon as a dirt bike pulled in front of Devin's house.

She knew it was him from the Michigan State starter jacket. He pushed the kickstand down and got off, then helped the girl off who sat behind him. Trechial knew exactly who it was, even with the helmet still on her bobblehead.

No matter, Trechial still wanted to make things right with Devin. He was drunk that night, so she decided not to take anything he said or did personally. Not even the horrid kiss that differed so greatly from their first kiss.

Trechial rose to her feet and stretched. She walked in their direction, and Devin looked up at her. He said something to Candice, then Candice shot Trechial the side-eye and went toward Devin's house, disappearing inside. Devin and Trechial met in the middle of the street. He avoided eye contact with her and ran a hand through his spiked hair. A hickie the size of Montana was on his neck. Trechial looked down, trying to will the pain in her chest to go away.

"Look," he said, glancing at her, "I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have kissed you."

"It's fine."

"It won't happen again." His tone was dry. Emotionless.

Even though she didn't like how forceful his kiss was last night, she couldn't help her disappointment; she did want him to kiss her again. She wanted it more than anything. Eventually.

She decided to change the subject. "Are you okay? Have you sobered up?"

His jaw flexed, and she instantly knew she had made him mad again. "Trechial, I think we should take a break from each other."

She took a step away from him. "What?"

"I'm not looking for a replacement mother, and that's what you're coming off as."

"What—Because I care about you?"

This Devin was totally different from the drunk Devin last night; he was closed off and crass, and she couldn't decide which one was worse. "I don't want you to care about me. That's why I have Candice. You should focus on your relationship with Jared."

He left her standing in the middle of the street, watching him stroll away and out of her life.

Where did we go wrong? she thought. How did all this go so wrong?

****

After Devin declared they should take a break from each other, Trechial immersed herself in her studies—exams were coming up and she needed to get at least a B to round her grade point average to a high 3.2 GPA. She did everything to not think about the boy across the street, though worrying became her constant companion every time she saw him riding on that dangerous bike he acquired. She made best friends with the local library, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she volunteered at Cellos. It was hard at first, and she cried a lot but she couldn't stay down about it. Devin was his own person and could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, with whomever he wanted.

And it hurt.

***

Friendless on a Friday night was her theme. Maylee went out of town, and as usual, Trechial's mom was at work. Leandro had a date, and Jared had other plans that he was vague about— something about a sick aunt.

Charlie was in the living room sleeping in the recliner, a beer can in one hand and the remote balancing in the other. His hairy beer belly slouched over his uniform pants. Trechial sped past him into her room and closed the door lightly. She tossed her library book on the desk then collapsed on her bed. She closed her eyes. They hurt from doing so much research on the computer and thumbing through the card catalog.

Her heart leaped out her chest with the ringing of her phone. She ignored the first couple of rings, then sighed and snatched it off the ringer. "What?"

"Dang, what's wrong with you?" Trey said.

She huffed out a big breath. "I'm exhausted. What's up?"

"Come get ya boy?"

"And who would that be?" she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Devin."

Her eyes shot open into the dark before reality hit her. "He has nothing to do with me, remember?"

"Forget all that. He's out her cutt'n up man and he won't listen to me. He's drunk and high and ya girl trying to get him upstairs." He whispered the last part into the phone.

Trechial rolled her eyes. "Who is 'ya girl,' Trey?"

"Candice."

Trechial shot up to her feet. "I'm on my way. Where are you?"

"At Gary's."

Gary the lecture. "Ugh. I'll be there in a little bit."

Trechial grabbed her keys out of her backpack and quietly climbed out the window. Twenty minutes later, she stood in front of the two-story brick house. Loud music was muffled through the walls. Strobe lights pulsed through the windows, dark blue, red-yellow, and green. She knocked and waited. When nobody answered, she banged loudly, followed by ringing the doorbell repeatedly. Finally, the door opened and an aged brown-haired woman in her forties answered.

"Hi there," she slurred, taking a sip of red drink from a wine glass. "You here to party?"

Trechial nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Well, aren't you a formal little thing?"

She stepped to the side, and Trechial moved swiftly passed her into the house.

She didn't have to go far to look, for the culprit he was sitting on the carpeted staircase that split the room in half. Candice sat on his lap and took the joint out his mouth and put it to her lips. She looked like a complete fool, doing something because somebody else was doing it. She took a hit of the joint and coughed. Devin watched Candice, a sneer on his face, then he took a swig of his beer.

Candice whispered something in Devin's ear. After, she stuck the joint between his lips and got up. Trechial thought Candice's clothes couldn't get any tighter than skin-tight, but her ribcage in the white mini dress hugged her tighter than Devin probably did. She pulled her dress down and looked over her shoulder at Devin with a smile, but he was looking at the ground in thought. Candice regained his attention with a word, then began swaying her body to the seductive music. Devin relaxed against the staircase and watched through half-masked eyes, taking a hit of the joint. Trechial wanted to cram that joint down his throat.

Pathetic.

She wanted to turn around and leave and never speak to him again. She wanted to kick dust off at his door never to utter a single word to that pathetic being in front of her. But instead, she was marching over in his direction, a maddening sensation in her chest. If he wouldn't fight for himself, she would do it for him. She reached them pushing Candice in the back of her head so hard she flew forward. Trying to catch her balance, she lost her high heels and crashed to the floor. A group of kids cackled at her.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" Trechial shouted over the loud music.

Devin met her gaze with indifference, then looked down at Candice with the same irrelevance. Trechial balled her fist up and kicked his shoe. "Look at me or I'll never speak to you again, Tae, and I mean it."

His jaw set, and he met her with sheer resentment in his glossy eyes.

"Leave him alone," Jared said, appearing out of nowhere. "It's not like he wants anything to do with you. You're yesterday's news to him."

Trechial kept her attention on Devin and his remained on her.

"Look, bi—" Candice hadn't finished her sentence before Trechial grabbed her by the neck and with all the force she had slung Candice forward sending her to the ground again. Teens cackled as they walked by. Trechial dusted her hands and then focused on Devin. Her anger kindling higher and higher.

Candice staggered back to her feet. "How dare you put your hands on me, troll!" Candice barked on side of Trechial but stayed out of her reach. "I will be calling my lawyer."

Trechial spared her a quick glance, "Do you want Johnny Cochran's number?"

She folded her arms and started to say something more, but Trechial interrupted.

"Let's go, Devin, I'm not kidding," Trechial said.

"He doesn't want to go with you," Jared repeated. "Why are you here? I thought you had to study?"

"And I thought you had a sick auntie?" Her eyes cut to him for a second.

"I––I..."

"Yeah, I thought so."

Jared grabbed Trechial's wrist, and she jerked away, giving him a warning look.

"When are you going to stop babying him?" he snapped.

"Yeah, when?" Devin smirked.

"When he stops acting like one."

Devin rolled his eyes. "I'm sure the woman who nursed me is dead."

The words hit like a bulldozer, and she shivered. It sounded like he was trying to remind himself more than hurt her.

Candice slipped her way back over to Devin and sat next to him. She coddled his face in her claws. "He doesn't need you. He has me."

"Which is like saying I have nobody. You're a money-grubbing walking STD."

"Go away, Trechial," Devin told her.

"Come with me or else."

"Or else what?" His lips curled. "You're going to call Shan? I'm sure he's wasted somewhere too."

Trechial knew nothing short of the cops walking in here would get Devin to budge. Her eyes swept over to his beer can, and she hurried and snatched it out his hand and brought it to her lips, and downed it. A rancid putrid flavor soured on her tastebuds. She made a face and shivered.

"What the hell are you doing?" Devin got to his feet, trying to steady his wobbling body. He clutched his head and regained his footing, then got in Trechial's face.

"Let's" ––she hiccupped–– "go"

His breath reeked of alcohol. "You're a buzzkill."

She squared her shoulders. "And you're a jerk. Will you come with me now?"

"Piss off." He turned away from her.

A random guy walked past with a bottle of something red and the words M/D 2020 on it. Trechial snatched the bottle and began downing the disgusting liquid. Her stomach turned to ash immediately. The guy began to yell, "Chug, chug, chug!"

"No, Trechial!" Jared shouted.

Devin spun around to see the chaos, and he snatched the bottle out her hands and slung it behind them. He saw that she drank a third of the bottle.

"I won't stop," she said, catching her breath. A burning spread through her chest and queasiness overtook her stomach.

Devin glared at her then seized her by the hand. They lingered in their distaste for one another, then Devin caved.

"You win. Happy?"

Her eyes glistened with tears, so he hauled her out the door behind him.

***

Devin moved the trash can next to the bed.

"I feel sick, Tae." Trechial's hand dangled out the bed as she lay on her back with her eyes closed.

"That's what you get."

"I didn't want Candice to trap you."

He scoffed, "She won't."

"Why do you hate me so much? I hate you for what you're doing to yourself. I hate you."

He swallowed, her words and quaky voice tearing at the iron in his chest. "I know. I just can't—"

"I care about you Devin, and I'm miserable without you."

He crouched down next to the bed, and he saw that teardrops dusted her eyelashes. He kissed her cheek. "Ditto."

Her stomach rumbled, and she began to heave. Devin stood quickly as she turned over on her side and released her dinner into the trash can and the floor.