"Man, it feels good to take a break," Parker says as he sinks into the car seat next to me.

"What do you mean? We haven't worked that hard," I comment.

"Dude, just two days ago some crazy lady tried to sue you. If that isn't stress, what is?"

"A whole lot of other things, Parker. A whole lot of other things..." Kristy joins our conversation. Right now, we're on the road to some resort as a 'work trip' in Lavender's car. Obviously she's driving. Bex is sitting in the front seat listening to music on her portable walkman. The rest of us sit in the back seat. Kristy is sitting to the left eating a lollipop. Parker is sitting to the right dozing off, and I'm in the middle texting Amber.

Amber: Who's making you feel that way?

Me: Are you sure it's love? It's a strong word.

Amber: Yes!...Actually, no. Maybe it's just admiration, or you find joy in seeing people happy. Do you feel that way with other people?

Me: I don't think so.

Amber: WHO. IS. IT?!

Me: Don't laugh.

Amber: I swear.

Me: It's Lavender.

Amber: OH. MY. BABY JESUS! You have a crush on your boss?!

Me: What?

Amber: It's just so cliche.

Me: Wdym?

Amber: Poor guy doesn't have a job. Nice girl saves him from his misery. He falls in love with her. She rejects him cuz he's not rich. After several back and forths, they end up together.

Me: Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

Amber: Why not?

Me: Cuz I'm not gonna tell her how I feel.

Amber: Such a coward.

Me: I'm not being a coward. She has a fiancé, and I'm not sure if I really love her.

Amber: Of course you do. Also, fiancé? How old is she?

Me: Uh, she's 28 if I remember correctly.

Amber: Ooh, you like almost middle-aged women.

Me: Shut up.

Amber: What does her fiancé do?

Me: He's an attorney.

Amber: Well, fuck! You can't win this fight.

Me: I wasn't trying to in the first place, and it's not a fight.

Amber: Whatever, loser.

I chuckle and shake my head. "Who are you talking to?" Startled, I shut my phone off.

"Shit, you scared me, Parker," I state.

"Was that your girlfriend?" he asks.

"For the last time, she's my friend." I sigh.

"Alright. Whatever you say." He goes back to sleep.

"We're almost there, guys," Lavender says.  After what seemed like two hours, we reach a magnificent building.

"This is where we'll be staying for two days?!" Parker stares at it with his mouth agape.

"Can't expect anything less from Ms. Wes," Bex says, taking off her earphones.

"It's so huge!" Kristy gawks at it. I don't think any of us has been to such a luxurious place before.

"Is this place yours?" Parker asks.

"That's ridiculous," Bex remarks.

"It's my aunt's. She left it for me in her will," Lavender answers.

"Wait, so it's yours?" Bex asks as the one who's now surprised.

"Yeah, I guess." Lavender shrugs.

"That's sick." Bex smiles. We take our bags and head to the lobby. Lavender spots someone and tells us to wait for her. We settle on lush couches and watch as she approaches a woman fixing a man's tie. They're both wearing suits. The woman notices her and quickly lets go of his tie. The man turns around and kisses Lavender on the cheek. The woman watches as they converse with a weird expression on her face. After a hug, Lavender returns with a smile on her face.

"Who was that?" I ask.

"He's my fiancé, the attorney," she answers.

"Oh, who was the woman?" I ask with curiosity. Her smile falls for a second then returns.

"That was his secretary," she replies.

"She looked a bit suspicious," Parker comments.

"Nonsense! Come on, let's go to our rooms." She takes her bag and walks to the receptionist. "Bex and Kristy will be with me, and Jason will be with Parker," she declares.

"What? That's no fun," he whines.

"I don't think I want to be with you either." I give a sarcastic smile.

"Stop bickering and go to your room." Bex rolls her eyes. Parker sucks his teeth then hauls his bag into the elevator.

. . .

"Where are the sausages?" Parker asks.

"You definitely don't have them," Bex answers with a smile.

"Haha, very funny."

"I know! Thank you!" She takes a bow.

"Seriously though, where are they?"

"Parker! You were supposed to bring them!" Kristy states.

"Great! Now we won't be able to enjoy this barbecue." Bex sighs.

"I brought in case he forgot," I say. "I'll go get them from the cooler." I go to Lavender's car to fetch the cooler and see her eating a popsicle in the back of her car by herself. "Lavender?" She looks up at me in surprise. "I mean, Ms. Wes? What are you doing here by yourself?" I ask.

"Oh, I just wanted some ice cream, and it'll melt by the fire so here I am." She smiles. "What are you doing here?" she asks.

"I'm getting the sausages," I answer, and she nods her head slowly. "Actually, I've been wondering."

"What?"

"I've heard everybody's story, but I haven't heard yours," I state.

"Well, I don't have one." She gives a lopsided smile.

"What about the story of your friend?" I ask. I know I'm prying too much, but I want to know.

"Well, you must've already heard it from Bex."

"Yeah, just a hint as to what happened."

"As she said, he took the blame for someone. He cared for that person so much that he was willing to give up his future for her."

"That person was a girl?" I ask. She realizes she leaked too much, and her eyes go wide.

"Yes..."

"Who was it? Was she his sister? Girlfriend? Mom?"

"It was." She looks at me with sad eyes. "It was...me." My mouth falls open as if its been unhinged.

"But, but why?"

"I was 15 and stupid."

"What happened?"

"There was this girl in my class. She hated me, and I hated her. We were on the rooftop of the school one afternoon. We got into a fight, a big one. She shoved me, so I did it back to her. She tripped on some pipe and fell off the edge. I didn't mean to kill her..." Her voice starts to crack, and I rub her back. "My friend, Isaac was his name. He came up to look for me, and he saw it happen. He told me he'd take the blame for me because he..he loved me. The police came afterward and took him. He was sentenced for not too long, but the most tragic thing is I never got to say 'I love you too' to him."

"What happened to him?" I ask.

"His cellmate...poisoned him. After that, I sought to fight for those who were like him. Who never got a chance after making a mistake. I should've been the one to be in jail, not him." She starts to cry, and I gently lay her head on my shoulder.

"It's alright." I pat her back. I can't say it's not her fault because it partially was. It was Isaac's choice to take on the blame, but if she hadn't pushed the girl, it probably would've ended differently.

"Jason." Bex appears and spots us. I put my finger over my mouth to indicate silence. She nods then leaves. Several minutes later, I bring the pack of sausages to them. "What happened?" Bex asks.

"Um, just things." I shrug. "Nothing to worry about." She stares at me then returns to grilling the meat. Lavender comes with a wide smile on her face.

"Hey, guys! How's the barbecue coming along?" she asks, taking a seat beside Kristy.

"Ms. Wes, you're eyes are red and puffy. Did you cry?" Kristy asks.

"Huh? No, my eyes were just itchy, and I rubbed too much." She smiles.

"Oh, okay." I look at Bex stare at Lavender with suspicion.

"Bex, the meat's gonna burn," Parker points out.

"Shit!" She quickly flips it to reveal a slightly burnt side. I look around, and my eyes lock with Lavender's. Something in her eyes shows a hint of gratefulness. I nod, and she smiles, showing her perfectly symmetrical dimples. I love seeing her smile and be happy, and it hurts to see her cry. Are these possible signs of love? God, I don't know what to think anymore! I grab my hair in frustration and scratch my head.

"Dude, do you have lice?" Parker asks.

"You look like you're having a seizure," Bex adds in, and Lavender laughs.

"Hey, don't be mean to Jason," Kristy declares.

"We're not. We're just telling him the truth," Bex states. I roll my eyes and stuff my face with a chicken leg.

"You're burning the meat again, Bex," I point out.

"Crap!" She flips it frantically.

"Maybe you should let someone else do it," I comment. "I can do it for you."

"No, I'll do it, Jason." She continues to grill the meat.