That night you had been left alone in the house. Quinton had left shortly after Mrs. Griggs was picked up in the driveway by the airport shuttle service.

The house was very dark downstairs as you sat on your bed wishing you were back home in Texas. You pause your thoughts as you think you hear a crash of a window breaking downstairs.

Suddenly feet run up the stairs and you only have time to turn off the light and get under your bed. You hear doors being flung open viciously. A light is switched on as your door is opened.

"This room is empty" you hear a girl's voice.

You hear Quinton's door opened next "Found it!"

"Let's just get what we came here to get and go" a guy commands.

"Shut up Angel! What parent names their son Angel?"

Even when you hear the footsteps receding down the stairs and the door slam shut you do not move.

Later when Quinton returns home he puts you into his arms. You press your body back trembling as he says "you are okay, this is all my fault, you are okay, you are okay I promise you"

"I can't. I just can't" you reply "Call your mother have her send me home TONIGHT"  you instruct him before looking up in his eyes and say in a wounded voice "Pleasee, please let me go home. Pleasee."

He looks your face over before asking you gently "Do you want to sleep in my room?" he pauses "with me?"

You think about how safe you feel in his strong grip right now. You nod your head yes.

"This might sound strange but" he runs his hand through his shaggy hair "but I rather not get the police involved. High school students left alone by parent kind of thing.  Just because I forgot to set the house alarm"

_______________________

You let the hot shower fall on your face rinsing away the salt trail of tears. The steam was hot on your skin as you wrap a towel around you and wipe your hand over the mirror. Your hair was dripping wet on your shoulders. You were nervous what to wear to the bed of a boy.