Kathy lifted the hood of the old truck in her front yard and looked inside. The engine was dusty and full of rust. She scratched her head with the wrench in her hand. When they'd bought the house, the truck had been there. Her father hadn't scraped it because he'd thought they'd make a project of it; fix it up together with his daughter.

The truck still wouldn't start and Kathy hadn't touched it in two years, but she'd loved working on it. Kyle was right. She should start doing things for herself, and she'd start with making this old piece of junk work. Except she couldn't remember half the things she'd known two years ago.

Baby steps, Kay, baby steps.

She stopped scratching. She'd never thought of herself as Kay before, but it seemed to fit the moment. Shrugging the oddity off, she put the wrench on the side of the engine and went inside the cabin to try and start the truck. Of course it wouldn't start, she'd done nothing to fix it, but the sound it made could help her know where to start.

She got into the driver's seat, pressed the clutch and turned the key. The truck let out a sound like a donkey with a sore throat. Helpful, but not very. Kathy gave up on the ignition and opened the door, just to hit it against something.

"Ow, Kathy, be careful," Donnie said jumping out of the way.

Kathy narrowed her eyes at him and didn't climb down from her seat. There was an uncomfortable ball in her stomach at the sight of him. He had some nerve coming here, walking to her like nothing was wrong.

"Why don't you answer your calls or texts?" Donnie looked at the phone lying beside her in the passenger seat.

Kathy looked at it, too. "I do. Just not the ones from you."

"Why not?" he asked on a shocked tone.

She glared at him. "Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Kathy, look—"

"Get lost! I don't even want to see you, let alone talk to you."

"I don't know where all of this is coming from..."

"You don't?" She jumped down from the truck and slammed the door. "Let me refresh your memory, or would that make me an annoying, frigid nag?"

Donnie cringed and stepped back. "The library thing, huh?"

For a moment, Kathy considered it worth it to do the time for cracking his skull open with the wrench. Maybe Kyle could teach her how to make a shank.

But she would take the high road. "Please leave." The words hurt coming out.

"Look, sugar, I know this looks bad, but I don't really remember what happened in the library. At least not properly," he said quickly, raising his hands in surrender.

Kathy stared at him, unable to believe her ears. How stupid did he think she was? She'd swallowed a lot of his crap, but he had to be out of his mind to think he was sweet talking his way out of this one.

Donnie seemed to realize she wasn't buying his fake amnesia because he sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. "Look, it's complicated."

"Oh, I'm sure it is." It was very complicated how he'd turned into a complete ass.

"I don't like your sarcasm."

"I don't give a shit."

He cringed when she swore, but she'd had enough. "Kathy, sugar, this isn't you. I know you. You're sweet and innocent and gentle and fair..."

Naïve. Kyle's words spun around her head. The second one is unfortunately naive. Yeah, she was done with that. Kyle was right. She shouldn't be talking shit from anyone.

"Ah, if you know me, then you must know how much your words hurt."

Donnie flinched. "That's not fair."

"What's not fair? Me pointing out that you hurt me or the emotional manipulation you're trying to pull?"

As usual, he chose to ignore that she had a good point. "I didn't mean any of that."

"I don't care if you meant it or not," Kathy said between her teeth. "You said what you said without thinking how it would make me feel, without caring if you were hurting me."

"Like I said, I don't really remember what happened... Wait!" He raised his hands to stop her before she told him to take his lies and shove them where the sun don't shine. "It's complicated. It's about... Pete!"

Kathy raised an eyebrow. "Pete. If you insulted me just so your stupid friends could feel better about themselves, you're not winning any points."

Annoyance shot across Donnie's face the moment she insulted his friends, but he chose not to call her out on it. "Will you just hear me out? It's not that, it's..." He turned with his back to her and clasped his hands. "You were partially right when you confronted me. Jackson and I have suspected for a while that Pete might be on something. For the past weeks, we've been trying to gain his trust and find out what's going on. In the library we were so close. And I think Pete might have slipped us something." He turned back to her, a pleading look in his hazel eyes.

Kathy stared at him. Pete was probably on drugs. The news had a surreal feel to it. Jackson, she would've believed it, but Pete? He was the nicer, more sober one.

Donnie looked at her hopefully, the corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile, waiting for her to bow her head in defeat and accept his explanation. She couldn't. And not only because she wasn't sure she believed him, but because she was fed up, she was tired and she needed more time to herself.

"No," she said.

Donnie smile turned into a frown. "What do you mean, no? Come on, Kathy, I'm just trying to help my friend."

"As you should. I just don't want any part in this. I'm sick of Pete and Jackson and all the crazy crap they drag you into." She turned her back to him and walked back to the lifted hood of the truck.

"So this is it, then?" He stomped after her. "You're breaking up with me over some shit I've said when I was drugged?"

Kathy lifted her gaze from the engine and looked at him. Break up? She hadn't even considered it. She and Donnie had known each other their entire lives. They grew up together, played together, were the best of friends before they became boyfriend and girlfriend. Donnie was her first love, her first kiss, her first touch... Her first and only everything. Deep down, she still believed that things would be okay again, that this would blow over.

But would it? Donnie was right. She'd turned into a right nag, but only because she no longer agreed with what he did, with his quest for fame and the bodies he was stepping on to get there. She didn't like that person.

Maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the way, they'd lost themselves, grown apart. The thought brought tears to her eyes.

Donnie's expression softened, and his eyes turned glassy as if he were on the verge of tears, too. "Don't do this, Kathy. I love you, I don't want to lose you." He walked to her and took her hands. "I'll do anything. I won't ever talk to my friends again, just please... Don't."

She pulled out of his reach. "I don't want you to give up your friends because of me. I just..." She took in a big breath. This was exhausting. "I think we need a break."

Donnie scowled. "A break. You want a fucking break?" he yelled. "We're not one of those couples that need a break."

Kathy cringed when he swore, but straightened her spine and looked down at him, taking advantage of the little hight advantage she had. It made her feel less vulnerable.

"And while we're on this break, you could work on that awful temper of yours."

He deflated immediately. "I'm so sorry, I'm so..." He turned away and started pacing. "You're right, I don't know what's wrong with me. I get so angry lately, so jealous, even if I know I have no reason. Even if it's not your fault." He rushed to her and took her hands again. "You're the best thing in my life, the only constant ray of light.

"Whatever happens, no matter how bad, it's okay, because at the end of the day, I know I have you. And here I am, being an idiot, not showing you how much you mean to me. You're my world." He let go of her and rubbed his nose. A sob escaped his lips. "I'm so sorry, Kathy. So sorry for not showing you every day just how much I love you."

Kathy bit her lip to hold in the tears. This was so hard. She hated seeing him like this, not going to hold him, comfort him. But maybe the shock would pull him back on the right track. His actions had consequences and she should've done this the moment he'd cheated on her.

"Please." Donnie looked at her, his eyes full of tears. "I don't want a break from you. Let's just... Take it slow. How about that? We could pretend it's the beginning of the relationship and I have to woo you. Baby steps."

Could she do that? Would taking it slow solve the problems in their relationship?

Donnie fell to his knees. "I beg you."

That display was more than she could take. She grabbed his elbow and pulled him up. "Okay, okay, just get up. We'll take it slow and rebuild from there. But don't start the emotional blackmail because it won't work anymore."

"Thank you!" He planted a short kiss on her lips. "I promise you, you won't regret it. Want help with the truck?"

"No, I want you to go away and stop crowding me right now," Kathy answered, pulling back from him.

Donnie smiled though it seemed to cause him pain. "Sure thing. I'll text you later. Maybe we can plan a date later this week."

Kathy waved him away and went back to the truck, but as she lifted the wrench, her hand shook. She wasn't sure what she'd just done, but everything already felt wrong.

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Kyle knocked on Cecily's door, his helmet under his other arm. He couldn't even remember when was the last time he'd been there, but this was a bit of an emergency.

He'd avoided broaching the subject in school, but he had to know if what Kay had told him was true. It was plaguing his conscience almost as bad as Donnie.

He heard yelling from inside the house, then Cecily yanked the door open, an annoyed frown on her face. She lightened up the moment she saw him.

"Kyle! What a surprise. You haven't been over in ages." She moved out of the way to let him in.

"Hi. Is everything okay?" he asked, dropping his helmet on the hall table.

Cecily waved her hand airily. "Yeah, just fighting with my brother over who gets the door. Honestly, I'm glad I lost this time."

Kyle followed her into the sitting room which was fortunately empty. Cecily sat on the cream couch and patted the spot next to her, but Kyle took a seat in a matching armchair oposite, separated by the mahogany coffee table. He needed to see her face for what he had to do.

Cecily looked a little disappointed, but recomposed her expression into the joyful one she had before. "Want a snack?"

"No, I'm here because we need to talk." The slightest frown crossed her face, and he quickly added, "Not that talk."
       
Cecily giggled. Kyle sighed, hating that he had to do this, but he couldn't just let it go. He had to know who this girl in front of him was because he sure as hell hadn't started dating a bully a year ago.

But Cecily was good with words and charismatic. If he started out subtle, she'd catch on and probably deflect. He'd have to shock the truth out of her.

"I hear you've been bullying people," he said casually.

Her eyes widened in shock. Unfortunately, it wasn't what are you talking about shock. It was who the hell spilled shock. It only lasted a second before her expression turned amused.

"I'm opinionated and strong willed. Most people find that intimidating, but it doesn't make me a bully."

He would normally agree, but this wasn't about words.

"So you wrapping people up in posters and writing insults on their foreheads with permanent markers is your definition of being opinionated," he said flatly.

The slightest trace of annoyance flashed across her face, but he caught it. "That's just a stupid rumor."

Except, it wasn't. Kyle wasn't sure when and how it started, but he'd always been able to know when someone was lying. Everyone had a tell. Cecily's was an extra blink of her lashes and a slight tension in her jaw. She was a good liar, but not good enough to fool him.

He kept in a disappointed sigh. Somewhere deep inside, he'd wished Kay had been lying or had misinterpreted things. It was strangely refreshing that she hadn't, and he couldn't help but appreciate that she'd had the balls to tell him this. Well, not literally.

Of course, that opened up an entirely different can of worms.

"You shouldn't bully people, Cecily.
Nightmares and social insecurity are not worth a stupid prom theme."

She rolled her eyes. "And you should stop listening to the grapevine."

"I don't listen to the grapevine."

She straightened in her seat, her eyes narrowed. "Then who told you this?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters. I want to confront them."

Which was exactly what Kay was afraid of. "And by confront you mean bully some more."

She rolled her eyes again. "Stop being so prechy. It's not like you never bully people."

Ouch. He wasn't even sure if that was true, but she was trying to deflect. "Irrelevant. And I don't do it on purpose anyway. Or that obviously."

"It is relevant. Because you, just like me, know how to stand up, get your voice heard." She got to her feet and took a step towards him. "Bullying only happens because people let it happen."

Kyle stood too, fighting the impulse to slap his forehead. "Some people are more sensitive than others. You can't judge everyone who is not like you."

"Yes, I can. The only difference is that people shouldn't care that I judge them. You don't."

"You judge me?" She'd actually managed to throw him off with that remark.

"Of course I judged you. Hot bad boy in a band. You were a bit of a shock, to be honest. I expected you to be a bit more..." She bit her lip and took another step towards him.

"Stereotypical?" he offered.

"I guess," she answered after a moment's thought. "Don't get me wrong. It was a pleasant surprise. My point is, I like that you don't give a shit. Why judge me for being the same?"

"Not giving a shit is not bullying. Humiliating people is."

"Honestly Kyle, just drop it." Her fists clenched and she took another step forward. They were not inches apart.

He raised his eyebrows. "Drop it? Are you serious?"

"Are you?" Her voice was slurty and her eyes hooded. Desire sparked in them.

She had to be joking.

"Yes!"

She circled her arms around his neck and there was a smile on her face now.  "I'll try to tone it down. For you."

"Not for me. Because it's the right thing."

He wasn't sure she was listening anymore. She moved even closer, pushing him back into the armchair and climbed in his lap. Before he could open his mouth and point out that they were in a middle of an argument, she kissed him.

It was the all-consuming kind he used to love, and even if force of habit wanted him to accept it and kiss her back, the annoyance made him want to push her away. Especially when she lowered her hands from his face and slipped them under his t-shirt.

"Cecily, what are you doing? We're in the middle of your living room."

"Good point." She barely detached herself from him and took his hand to pull him up. "Let's go up stairs."

"We were sort of in the middle of something."

"Yes, we were. But it would be better to finish it upstairs."

"Not that."

She let go of his hand and squinted at him. "You're saying you'd rather fight than go upstairs with me?"

"We're not--" Huh, he guessed they were sort of fighting.

Cecily climbed off his lap and rolled her eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing."

"Obviously."

That was turning into an issue, but he was in no mood for that particular conversation.

"Look, I just... If you're going to keep bullying people, I won't stand for it."

"Is that a threat?"

"I want you to be better, not threaten you. Because I care about you."

She opened her mouth but closed it. A calculating expression filled her face for the briefest moment, then it morphed into defeat.

"Okay, I see your point. Just..." She hugged herself again. "Let's just spend more time together, okay? You've been pretty out of it since you came back."

That was a reasonable request. "Sure. Fair enough."

She came over and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back, resting his cheek on her hair. It smelled like cinnamon and he'd always liked that.

"I really missed you," she whispered.

"I've been back for a while, though."

"Have you really?"

"Ouch, you're cruel."

She grinned at him. "We're cool, right?"

"Of course." Especially if she made an effort to tone down the whole queen bee act. An idea came like a flash of light.  "You're actually very cool, having no issue with me doing my thing."

She let out a laugh. "You're thinking of Joey, aren't you? He really does seem glued to Kelly, doesn't he?"

He huffed, too. "Yeah, a little. But we're not like that."

"No, we're not."

"I mean you don't tell me what to do and who to hang out with, just like I don't tell you."

"Exactly." She froze as if she couldn't believe the word had left her mouth. There was a flash of fear in her eyes, and Kyle was sure she was wondering where the entire thing came from.

He wasn't about to give her the chance to figure it out, so he leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips. "That's my girl."

She smiled again, honestly this time. "Don't be a stranger."

He gave her a wave and finally left the house. As he put his helmet on and got on his bike, he got an unpleasant knot in his stomach.

Kay had been right. He was dating the Queen Bee and he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

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Hi everyone.

So, we're back to Kathy in this chapter. I'm crazy curious if you're warming up to her. How do you feel about her interaction with Donnie? Can you understand where she's coming from?

How about Cecily and Kyle? I totally changed their interaction here. They're a bit at odds with what is right and wrong. I'm sure that's not going to bite them in the ass. Oh well...

Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to vote, comment, share and sacrifice that small goat (people keep forgetting that for some reason).