"On first dates, always eat at your favorite restaurant, because if the date goes bad, at least you got a good meal."

Gene decided to just ask him. His response took her by surprise.

"I'm taking you home of course. Guys always take the girl home."

She smirked. "So I'm your girl now?"

"As if, I was speaking hyperbolically."

"I don't think that's how that works."

"I don't care."

Before she could swoon about that, regardless of if it was romantic or not, her phone started to ring.

"Hey could you slow down just a bit?" He ignored her, and thinking she couldn't hear him with the wind, turned to yelling. "Slow down a little, will you?!"

Begrudging groans echoed from his mouth as the motorcycle slowed down, allowing her to grab it and handle talking under much slower stress and the worry she wouldn't get hit by a car as long as she held onto his ripped, cooked, Stop n Shop bought sausage abs and answered.

"We heard about what happened."

"We're disappointed in you. You're a girl, you shouldn't be getting into those fights."

That unriled her. "Seriously? I was just eating and having a civil conversation with my friend, my friend who has a crush on me, my friend who I can barely stand, and a bunch of random people who were talking to them. How was I supposed to defend myself against someone who threw food on me?"

"You should've handled it more responsibly. You're not like other girls, you're a daughter to someone who's trying to make this town a better place."

"All we ask for you is to be perfect. Get great grades in all your classes, be a good role model, don't waste time with nonsensical stuff like friends and that boy who I'm not sure is, honey, what are those redheads known for?"

"Being hot tempered and bizarre. Probably born from witches or something."

Knuckles cracked but they didn't come from her. "Celin isn't my boyfriend, and even if he was, mom, dad, aren't you being a little bit judgy? Yeah, the dye, but he was born with that. He looks up to me after all, maybe the other guys do. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Anyone who's hair isn't normal or blond is practically a sinner. Urgh," shuddering. "So many young girls these days are losing their wills to demons."

Gene scratched her head. "But wasn't there a president with red-hair," snapping her fingers while closing her eyes and thinking of the answer before it clicked with her. "Right, Coolidge!" Coping off of Token's notes when they spent most of their time in study sessions where her best friend would give her answers and easy ways to remember them seemed to be working.

"There are exceptions of course. And we don't want you hanging around with any bad apples."

"Like that friend of yours. Tolkien or something? Why can't you be friends with more, well, normal girls, like Alpha."

Gene sighed. "Oh here we go."

"She's lovely and sweet and even helps out and volunteers. I wish I could have a daughter like her."

"Mom," trying not to crack, crumbling her fist and trying to keep it together. "If you could stop comparing me to her, that'd be lovely."

"Then come with us to a town meeting. I want to speak with the members of the other side of the town. Sure it's not the most ideal place, but if I can get their voters with a student they're familiar with, then-"

Gene hand quoted while mockingly prattling alongside him. "He who controls the youth, shall control the world," adding a blah blah blah to the end much to her father's displeasuring sighs.

"Then get ready. We'll be home soon, and Exo is getting bored of going."

"That's not my fault, she noted. And I can't, my stockings and dress are ruined."

"Stop making excuses."

"You want your daughter to show up looking like a slob? I still smell like mashed potatoes and kale salad."

"Oh kale smoothies are good for your health. All the other girl's parents in the PTA make theirs drink it."

"Doesn't mean I like it, I'm not like other girls," wondering what that actually meant in the back of her mind. "It'll take me a while before I get the scent out and I have to change. Doesn't it start really early?"

"Sigh. What a disappointment. Fine, get home and babysit your brother?"

"I can't, I'm out right now."

"Doing what?"

"Umm," trying to come up with a valid excuse. "Tu-tor-ing?"

"And why does it sound like there's a ton of wind from outside?"

She quickly texted to Token, if mom asks I was studying at library, after struggling to properly switch apps and pressed send. "You can ask Token."

"I'll talk to her mother. We need to keep the public feeling secure regarding all these disappearances. And while that's going on, you'll be on curfew."

"You're punishing me? I didn't do anything wrong."

"We're keeping you safe. What would happen to us if Exodus was taken or kidnapped?"

Gene didn't bother asking their thoughts on her getting taken. "Hire a babysitter then."

"You're his sister."

"Who's busy trying to be perfect like you want me to be? I can't do that when I'm busy with school!"

"Then just play with him a bit, get him to do his work, and then make him fall asleep."

"Maybe if you raised him better instead of giving him what he wants all the damn time, we wouldn't be in this mess," Gene muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Then we're done, Genesis. Maybe act as a better role for your brother instead of interacting with other girls."

"Be home before 5pm. If you don't, we'll ask Exo when you got back, and make sure you follow our orders. Start acting like the good little girl we raised you to be."

They hung up before Gene could argue back. She unleashed a hard f-d despite preferring not to say it to keep up her classy image, but just collapsed on Xotic's back in frustration. She started questioning if they had a point, evaluating what Zhang said earlier, and what to do and let it out. Her parent's ridiculously high expectations, school, the fight, and tapped Xotic, hoping he would be hearing her out. She even brought up the fight they had in the bathroom and what Zhang and Token said to her.

"Maybe I screwed up a bit. Hey, wait, didn't Token. Oh crap, Xotic, just scratch all that, maybe we should turn back and see if she's-"

Xotic suddenly stopped the motorcycle. "You were saying something?"

"I um-just family stuff."

He took out a cigarette, lighted it up by stroking it on his hard abs, blew it right in front of her, causing her to cough up.

"Yup. They'll act like they care for you one minute, and then not give a shit about you for the rest of their life. Just want you to be exactly like them."

As she dusted off the smoke, she looked around. "Wait, this isn't my house."

"Duh, stupid."

It was at a pizza parlor she was familiar with but stopped going to once her parents stopped picking her up and the bus rides were inconsistent as hell. They expected her to just drive and wouldn't allow her to catch a ride with anyone else out of fear for what they would do, and just walk home. And she wasn't like the sporty girls that could run and back. It was a full twenty minutes, and he got her there with no problem at all.

"Your stomach has been growling since we came out of the school. Did you forget to eat lunch or something? Or were you focused on something else?"

"Well," trying to keep her head together. "I got distracted by you."

"Of course you did," flicking her on the head and leaning into her ear. "Now be a good girl and let me shove something nice and warm in your mouth for you."

Had they not been in a setting next to a gas station, a few other shops, and some fields, most people would just run or reject that. Gene was too caught up in how hot and bothered he was making her care.

Regardless, the two walked in and Xotic opened up a fat stack of cash from his wallet. Gene was about to ask how he earned his money, but he brought three entire pies.

"Here's some Lincolns."

The cashier struck her head. "You mean fives?" Gene was questioning why someone would be working at a place like this instead of doing something more productive. Her mom always said that she either had to work hard and marry a rich man and take advantage of the situation, truly the only way women could gain power and influence. Anyone else was just unlucky to be born in that situation.

Gene started questioning that thought, trying to remember when was the last time she visited Token's house and if her living situation was actually good. The only thing that came to her mind was Token talking about police work, but other than that she struggled to think of more.

The two sat down and her stomach couldn't resist as she swallowed one slice after another without hesitation. Instead of eating alongside her, or listening to Gene's whims about how she felt much better, not listening to her parent's dumb advice about what to eat and and enjoy, he had this to say.

"I love the way you swallow."

That got her struggling to eat, swallow, not choke, and keep the way his words were turning her own. "It's not weird or anything like that," speaking faster and faster as she tried justifying herself despite that being normal for a starving teenger. "I just, exaggerating, "love pizza, like I love it much more than anyone else," chowing down at least two slices before swallowing it whole. "But like my parents are like, wahh, it's not good or healthy for you, eat properly, and guys don't like that with girls," chuckling. "Maybe that's why some guys are afraid of talking to me. I'm, totally not like other girls," she snicker while her hair almost grazed a brunette wearing a familiar hat she didn't bother to notice who apologized with pizza in her mouth.

All Xotic did in response was wink with a smile.

Two women, one darker than Token and blonde hair, one light as Gene with wavy curly hair, both with massive curves, hips that didn't lie, that made him lick his tongue ring as they passed by with three slices of pizza. His verdict was clear.

Gene only noticed his eyes were on something else and snapped her fingers. "Hey, are you listening?"

She only noticed the two women that passed and made her judgments on her body clear as he responded.

"Um, yeah sure. I just need to handle my pepperoni from how hot you swallow. I'll be back."

The bathroom door closed as he got up. She wondered why he just didn't order pepperoni or if he was talking about his member downstairs but briefly heard the door open up again. Instead of turning around, Gene checked in on her phone and realized it was now 4:20pm. Thinking it over, she figured could probably make it back if they left at 4:40pm on the latest, but noticed there weren't any notifications.

"Token didn't get back to me? First she says I don't hang out with her enough, now she's ignoring me. I'm sure she's fine," but her doubts started to get to her. "Just in case," starting to text her friend while finishing up one pie and diving straight into the next.

Just as she was about to press send, she finally turned around and noticed the two women were gone. Outside there were two guys she viewed as intimidating, choosing not to interact with people she barely knew while wondering where the guy she only knew for a day and had little information on had gone.

"Wait, he didn't. Not with those two. But he-"

Xotic popped out of the bathroom just a few minutes afterwards, flaunted his leather jacket, and sat back then, only for her to interrogate him with a stern look on her face.

"Didn't those two girls go into the bathroom before you did? Where are they?"

"Huh, oh, they left when they were done. I just walked in right after. You didn't notice?"

"I didn't hear any door open after you went in."

Xotic slammed his fist on the table. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"You're supposed to be taking me out and you're talking with other girls?"

"You don't own me," scoffed. "And if you could, you couldn't control me."

Gene pulled him up by his shirt. "Don't talk with other girls."

"I never said I did. You can't make me do anything. But I could play you with just my fingers and make you sing."

She finally took offense to that and slapped him in the face, only for him to shrug it off. She started to storm off when he took her by the hand and dragged her back down to their seat.

"Now shut the fuck up, and stop causing a scene," with a smile that contrasted his tone. "Alright?"

She pretended like she would, and ate a few slices once she realized how tight his grip was. The moment he let go, she took the empty box with one hand and smacked him across the other, took the other remaining pie, and opened the door, expecting to spot the next bus and leave.

Unfortunately, the two guys stopped her path with little warning. And Gene wasn't sure what they wanted from her.