"He's not gonna ask you, G." Charlotte picked up a bedazzled orange dress and examined herself in the mirror, "I can assure you that."

I put down my honors algebra book and bit my lip, nervously, "I don't want him to."

She turned to look at me, "Hmmmm.... And who do you think he's gonna ask? The tooth fairy? No, he's gonna ask his girlfriend and then you're gonna be all upset and you're gonna cry cause he didn't choose you."

"No. I wouldn't. I don't even want to go." I picked up my notebook and doodled a little dress in it

"Sure you don't. Dervik got you into his homecoming, a year, at least, before you're suppose to go and you don't even wanna go!" She clicked her tongue at me, "And who is he not gonna ask? You. So you ain't got no chance. So don't you worry."

I went back to my algebra and she went back to her dress shopping. She looked at me a couple of times to see that I wasn't hurt by what she said, but I put on a brave face. In reality, I was an emotional mess and I so wanted to throw up, scream, cry, and yell at Charlotte. She hurt my feelings with her bluntness. Yes, she was honest but she didn't have any filter and said it as it was. Which, in most cases, hurt.

"Why is there homecoming? And why is it so important?" I asked writing down the answer to number fifty-four

Charlotte slammed something down and stopped looking at the dresses. I had her full attention now, "What the hell did you just say?" She asked walking toward where I sat, "Why? Did you just ask why? WHY?!"

"Yea." I rolled my eyes, how melodramatic of you Charlotte, "Why."

"Homecoming is the first official dance of the school year and it's a high school right of passage! Dervik managed to get you and quite alotta other kids into this year's homecoming. If you don't appreciate that," She took one more look at the orange dress and then compared it to her light-milk-colored skin tone before looking back at me and continuing, "Then maybe you should just go home now and leave me alone in this dress shop. Not like our friendship will last long anyway." She mumbled and turned back to the mirror.

"What do you mean by that friendship thing?" I asked looking at her face, via mirror, "Is there something you're not telling me Char?" I stood, uneasily

Charlotte walked to where I was sitting and plopped down among the throw pillows. She looked at me sadly before a choked sob escaped her lips, "I gotta move."

"What!?"

"My folks, they're havin...problems. My daddy keeps hittin my momma. I hear them screaming at each other while they think I'm asleep."

"But then why are they moving?"

"I'm moving. Until they get divorced or until the house is more..um...kid-friendly, I gotta live with my grandma down in Louisiana." Charlotte stood up and brushed off her hands, "No more crying. No more of that sappy stuff. Let's get you into a pretty ball-gown."

"Charlotte, you know I'm here for you, do you need any help? Anything at all?" I pleaded, putting down my math book, "Please, you're my best friend."

Charlotte turned, rolled her eyes, and put a weak smile on, "All I want you to do, is try-on a dress and go with me to homecoming. That's all you gotta do. That's all I want you to do."

I walked over to her side and gave her a hug, "What should I try on first?"

Charlotte smiled and put on a determined face, "I think something black would slim ya down. No blue or green they'd match your eyes and wouldn't make em pop. As for yellow, I know you hate that color, so maybe purple...." She concentrated, deep in thought, then noticed I was still standing there, "Well go try something on while I'm thinkin!" She yelled and I scrambled toward the racks, then the fitting room with at least four garments in my hands. "Are you done changing yet?"

"Yea."

"Cmon out then! Geez Louise, you take forever. Im not getting any younger here!"

Taking a deep breath I smoothed down the front of the dress and opened the curtain, "I don't think it looks very nice on me. It's not my color..." I rambled as I watched Charlotte look over the dress, making sure it was perfect. "Stop  making a fuss over me Char. I'm not gonna-" She looked at me harshly and I shut my mouth as quick as I opened it. I could see her mentally changing the dress's color and certain parts of the style to find something that would suit her taste on what I would have to look like for Homecoming.

"Turn."

"Char, I'm gonna go try on a differ-" I closed my mouth again. Another look. I stood straighter and the crimson fabric brushed against my still-stinging scar. I cringed and pulled the dress up a bit so it woudln't touch. One of the straps fell and I went to fix it, when I noticed the girl that Noah was with a few weeks ago, walk past, laughing with some other people. One of them actually being him. I yipped and quickly ducked into the changing room.

"What the hell are you doing Gwen?" Charlotte asked, annoyed, "You know what, whatever. Just put another dress on will ya?"

I changed out of the crimson one slowly and heard the door open and close, then Charlotte talking to the sales lady. Finally Charlotte yelled for me to come out and show my face. So I did.

Unfortunately, the girl and the rest of her group were near the changing area looking over dresses, skirts, and other really girl-y things. "Char can we leave now?" I whispered with a slight whine in my voice, "Please."

"He's here isn't he? With that girl?" She asked and I nodded, truthfully, "The urge of that boy! I'm gonna give that girl a lesson or two. Don't you worry about that. They'er gonna ever regret coming to this boutique. I swear upon the Lord Almighty's great name!" She tossed down a box of shoes and a couple items of clothing, then stormed their way.

"Charlotte no!" I ran after her and stopped her before everyone, but a bored-looking Noah, noticed us

"Gwen?" He asked, startled that I was there and of course, mocking the dress that I was despising more and more as the minutes ticked on. A deep blush creeped up to my cheeks and I turned on my heel, heading back to the changing rooms. Closing the curtain, I quickly yanked my clothing on and fought the urge to cry. Charlotte was right. He wasn't going to ask me. Not that I secretly hoped that he would. I would never do that. Taking a deep breath, I emerged and grabbed my backpack from where Charlotte had sat. Looking around, I quickly paid for a pack of nail polish and a how-to book then I skedaddled outta there.

"Hey mom? Can you pick me up now?" I spoke, my voice surprisingly steady after what I had just witnessed, "Please?"

"Honey. I'm at work. You know that. Did you try calling Dervik or your father?"

"Yea. Dervik didn't answer, no surprise there, and dad is out of town."

"Excuse me what now?"

"What?"

"Your father is out of town? Since when?"

"Since I called him? He was getting on a plane I think. He said his business was taking him to Detroit.  Why? What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing. I have to go... make some calls. Good luck and see you tonight." The line went dead

"Love you too mom."

Out of money, can't use my emergency card. I'm stuck in an okay-during-the-day, not-so-much-at-night part of town. Great. Deep breaths. Let's see here, hitch-hike? No, that's illegal. Walk home? But it's going to rain. No, rain is good. My reasoning won out in the end and I decided to walk home in the pouring rain, letting it beat upon my back and wash my troubles away. A car pulled up in front of me with it's brights on, temporarily blinding me. Was this a kidnapping?

"Hey little girl... You want some candy?" the potential kidnapper laughed from inside the car, trying to be as serious as possible

"Dervik seriously? Turn down the damn brights!" I yelled

"I thought I could dry you off so you don't mess with the interior of my car."

"That's so not your car."

"Yep, it is. I was about to pick up some cute chicks that were hiding under a bakery doorway but then I saw my little sister marching home in the rain and thought., Hmmmm. Sleazy girls or my own kin? I was about to choose the first but you looked so upset and so I decided that, against my better nature and judgment, I would help you out."

"Gee, thanks."

"No problem Dolyn. I got your back. I got you."

"Can you turn off the brights now?"

"But they're drying you off right?"

"I'm standing in the God-forsaken rain Dervik! Do you think I'm alright?! Your stupid headlights aren't doing anything but shining a light on me like I'm a guilty suspect charged with first degree murder! And it makes you look like you are trying to blind a kid and kidnap them!" I yelled frustrated

"Well sorry if you don't like my effort, I kinda turned my brain off for a couple hours."

I widened my eyes at that lousy comment he always made at dad when he would catch Dervik coming home late at night, "Are you drunk?"

He pretended to be offended, "Drinking and driving?! Committed by me!? No siree! I would never!"

"Bull. I call bull."

He smirked, "Can you do me a favor Doyln?" He motioned for me to come closer, "I drive you home, and you do two small things for me. Kay?" His smirk quickly disappeared, "What a dastardly deed! How dare you suggest it! Shame shame Dolyn! Shame on you! Shame on your cow! Shame on your-"

"What."

"Throw this bottle in that trash bin over there. That's what you can do first off." He handed me an empty bottle that had a lime in the bottom of it. A Corona bottle. Giving him a look, I tossed it in the bin. Glass shattered as it hit the bottom and a cat hissed from somewhere in the dark alley.

"Dervik let me in now." I pulled at the locked passenger seat door, "Please!"

He started laughing, "Cmon Dolyn, what's so bad?"

"I'm fucking scared Dervik!" I whine and yank at the door handle even more

"Promise that none of this is spoken to dad."

"Dad?" The sound of a bottle being kicked radiated from the black void that contained the cats and the criminals, "Fine! Fine! I'll do it!"

"What now?" Dervik asked rubbing his hands over his face and causing the car to lurch forward a good foot onto the curb

"I won't tell dad, now let me in Dervik!" I yanked open the now unlocked door and jumped in slamming it shut behind me. Breathing heavy, Dervik laughed at my shaking hands and quick hyperventilating breaths. "Take me home! Now Dervik!"

Dervik placed his hands on the wheel and gripped it tightly, "We gotta make one last stop first."

"But you promised!"

"Promises are meant to be broken!!!!" The car screeched and lurched forward, riding on the curb for several seconds before the wheels crashed back upon the asphalt.

The car was a nice one. Dervik wasn't drunkenly lying about that which is good. Black leather seats, black dashboard, silver knobs and control dials. Everything in this car is silver and black. "Whose car is this really?"

Dervik looked at me a second longer than necessary and had to swerve back into our lane, almost causing me to vomit, "You saw right through my act. How did you do that Dolyn? How are you that good? You're even better than dad."

"It's a gift I guess. A gift for sniffing out lies and stupidity."

He smiled at me and took a sharp turn right, "It's my friend's. He said I could keep it until he gets ungrounded. And his girlfriend wants him again. So pretty much forever."

"Not forever. He won't be grounded for long."

"Well he's not getting his girlfriend back anytime soon! Not that she wants him anyway! " Dervik laughed so hard he was crying, "So pretty much forever."

"Yep." I somewhat agreed to shut him up. This was a new side of my brother that I didn't want to see. The side that I knew and liked was compassionate, rule-following, caring, smart, he'd never steal, and I couldn't help but want to be his exact copy. This side, however, was vile, rude, disgusting, sick, mean, stole, and made me want to slit my wrists rather than hear what so-called funny thing decided to pop out of Dervik's mouth. At least that's what he seemed like.

A sharp left turn and we were bouncing along a dusty gravel road and the car's shocks were working horribly. I flew up once and hit my head causing Dervik to laugh and tell me to put my seat belt on, along with some other strings of swears. "Where are we going?!" I yelled over the heavy metal song that Dervik was blasting.

"Where?"

"Yea! Where!?"

"To a party!" With a holler, he fist bumped the car's roof

I turned down the radio and asked him in disbelief,  "What now?"

"A party!" Dervik pointed to the strobe-lights that illuminated the many windows in the distance and all the cars scattered on the nicely manicured lawn

"Dervik, no. I don't wanna go to a high school party. Some weirdo's gonna try to feel me up." Objecting, I crossed my arms and refused to look at him. This always made him change his mind.

"Nope. You're coming. I'll protect you. Don't you worry. I got your back. I got you!"

"Damn it."

Dervik parked and led me toward the door, a blonde guy opened it and raised his eyebrows at me, "Dude, get your weird kid-girlfriend outta here."

"Excuse me now, Blondie, but you got real nerve calling me that." I yelled at him and turned to Dervik, "See, that's why I don't want to be here! I don't want to be by idiots like Blondie over here! No offense."

"None taken." He smiled, "Geez, rip your boyfriend a new ass-hole?" He laughed at how I went off at Dervik, "If you really want someone who can treat you with respect and not drive you to late parties drunk, then you should have given me a ring-a-ding-ding." He winked

I pushed past him muttering, "Thanks Blondie, but no thanks." Turning I gave Dervik a look, "Can we get this party thing done and over with so you can take me home?"

"Uh, yea sure." Dervik looked between Blondie and me, shocked, but then a smile formed on his face, "Are your clothes still soaked?"

"Yea. Why."

He turned to Blondie and gave him a smile, "Do you by any chance know where my babe here could get some dry clothes? She and I got stuck in the rain and I had a change. She, however, said she didn't need one. And now look at the poor girl, shaking and already half-way frozen."

You know the saying, that when the opportunity bus comes, people jump on it? Well, Blondie had a huge smile grow on his face and then he jumped on that bus with a reassuring, "Yes! I mean I could. If that was okay with you.... I mean she is your girlfriend." He cleared his throat.

"Go ahead. I'll be in the back. You guys doing jello-shots?"

Blondie nodded and Dervik got lost in the crowd, leaving me with a total stranger. Nice promise Dervik. Blondie offered his hand and I refused to take it. Shrugging, then smiling at me, he led me up the stairs to a pink painted room. He shooed away the couple that was making out on the bed and welcomed me inside, "Welcome, this is my sister's room. Aka, the one whose hosting this party. Shit I shouldn't have said that, now you probably think I'm a lame dumb ass that just follows his sister around trying to be as cool as her. Like, I saw your car. Or your boyfriend's car. How can I ever get a girl if I can't compete with that?!"

"A girl like me wouldn't want to be with an abusive cool guy. Don't worry, Blondie. You'll find a girl soon enough. Who knows, she could be down there right now sitting on a couch as several couples are making out around her, making her uncomfortable." I offered and took off my wet shoes, "Where do you want me to put my wet clothes?"

He smiled then shook his head and frowned at the thought, "Here let me get you something, what size? Probably..." He looked me up and down, "A zero?"

I laughed so hard I was crying, Blondie looked at me in shock at my sudden outburst, "A size zero?! Are you nuts kid?! I've never been able to fit into a size zero!" I wiped a tear from my eye, "Good one. I'm a size two."

"Take your pick then, my sister's the same size." He opened a closet and several drawers. When he accidentally pulled out the drawer that his sister's undergarments were in, his face turned a deep scarlet, "Whoops. Um, I'll be outside the door...so no one will...come in, you can pick what you like and change and let me know when you're done and um... yea. Uh, bye."  

 I laughed as he slammed the door shut out of pure nerves. No guy has ever acted this way in front of me. Nether less a high schooler. Raiding his sister's closet, which by the way was all black and dark metal related stuff, I found a couple of shirts that Noah would have loved. Picking a Panic! at the Disco tee and black jeans, I opened the door to find Blondie arguing with a couple other guys. When they saw me, they all stopped and stared, "Hey." They said in unison

"Uh, hi." I walked past them and headed toward the jello-shot area, trying to find Dervik. I finally found him, eating jello off a girl in a bikini, "Dervik!" Blondie had come up behind me and tried to take my hand, I yanked it away from him and turned toward the door, "Don't touch me. Dervik! I'm leaving! Have fun getting drunk!" Blondie tried stopping me before I ran out the door but I brushed past him, "I didn't even want to come here in the first place! I want to go home!"

A truck pulled up next to me about half way down the gravel road, Blondie. "Get the hell in and stop screaming like an idiot." He demanded

"I don't take rides from strangers."

"We're not strangers." Blondie reached over and opened the door, "I saw you change remember?"

"Excuse me what now?"

He laughed, "I was kidding, now get in. I'll take you home."

"Do you know where Dervik lives?"

"Yea."

"Just take me there."

"Then hop in, I don't bite. Or kidnap for that matter." I looked at him wearily, "Please. You know I wouldn't hurt you."

"Why were those guys outside the bedroom?" I had to make sure he could be trustworthy

"They wanted to sneak in and..." He forced a smile and then frowned again, "You know..."

"No I don't."

He blushed several times and I finally hoped in. On the way to my house, no words were spoken. We just sat there in absolute silence. Not even the radio was on. Finally we got to the house and he tossed my backpack and wet clothes at me, "It must have been scary to be the only middle schooler there, eh Gwendolyn?" I turned and looked at him in shock, "At first I thought you were from a different school but you acted so natural around Dervik that I finally figured out that you're his sister or cousin and the only sister he has is an eight grader and when I saw your honors algebra book, my thoughts were confirmed. Don't lie Gwen, please don't."

"Fine. For your sake, I will not lie."

"I want the truth. Did your brother..."

"No. No! Oh God no." I shook my head

"So your brother just decided to take you along?"

"He was drunk and I was walking in the rain and he was suppose to take me home but instead he went there and he said he would protect me from guys like the ones outside the bedroom door, the same ones you were fighting off. And then he just... Yea." 

"I would give you a hug now, but that would be kinda weird." He smiled, "I should go, I'll see you later and make sure your brother doesn't drink too much okay?"

"Okay, thanks again Blondie."

"It's Henry." He drove off and I headed inside. Hopefully, to go to bed.