Sharpies and Electric Guitars (chp. 1 and 1/2)

ONE

Such a heartbeat

But you left me out on the street

Baby, I still need you

Maybe, I still love you

My sixteen-year-old self rolled her eyes as the song blared downstairs. My brother, aka “guardian”, France could be heard singing along, always a few words behind. Obviously the anniversary of our mother’s departure didn’t really faze him. True, it hadn’t fazed me that much either but still, a little sorrow had to be felt. The woman wasn’t around much in the first place but I noticed the difference her total disappearance made. Maybe a good difference, I feared.

Note this as of now: France is right on target when it comes to me. Usually.

“Molly Cola Queen! I need some help here!” France shouted over the music. I smiled and shook my head. Our last name is Cola, a sure-fire thing to add to the “things to use to make fun of Molly Irelelyk Cola” list....yes the Irelelyk is pronounced like, “I really like.” I don’t know whose idea it was, my mom’s or dad’s. I never knew my dad and my mom was a refuse-to-acknowledge-I-know-the-person kind of woman.

Parents: Moronic at time of my birth apparently.

I pushed the thoughts of my parents away. I was not ready for that just yet. I left the safety of my room and bolted down the stairs. I walked through the front entryway and paused at the screen door, my feet wanting to linger on the warm clay tile that’s laid there, and looked outside at Applewood Valley in all its glory. The perfect sun in a perfect blue sky shining down on the perfect little neighborhood. We had lived on Apple Lane since I was in kindergarten, when my mom was still around. The neighborhood was the beginning of the new housing starting around my town but was soon forgotten to much more expensive houses being built nearer to the expressway and farther from town. Yet I had never known a place quite like this one. Our neighbors took pride in everything they did, from tending to lawns to throwing neighborhood parties for everyone to attend. It felt secluded from most of the town, only two roads led out onto the main street that would take you anywhere else. It was a feeling I liked to have, a security blanket. Finally, much to the protesting of my toes, I slipped away from the door and entered our great room slash dining room slash computer room. The only rooms with doors were the kitchen and bathroom, plus the four rooms upstairs with connecting baths.

Nice, right?

My brother jumped up from the couch to greet me. I noticed right away (which would be the point here) that he had renewed the room. The walls were painted a deep purple color with blue stripes. The couch and chairs were new too, black leather compared to our old white suede. The old coffee and side tables were the same (thank God) as was the plasma mounted on our wall, (a personal waste of money if you ask me, it’s a television for goodness sake! Who cares about the size after a certain point?).

France smiled at me, a big genuine smile that made me smile too. He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair, a small lock falling right over his eye. I studied him for a moment. At age twenty he was 6’8 with light colored skin and a good physic. His face was soft, only broken by a proudly arched nose. His best feature, so my friends always told me, were his green-grey eyes that always seemed to be full of laughter. “Like it?” he asked over the noise of the radio which now played some old 80’s song.

“When....where.....?” I couldn’t even form a sentence. In my head I was screaming, “What have you done to my living room you dolt! Did you actually pay someone to do this? Was said person blind? It’s terrible, like my upchuck after a day of dizzying car rides and ice cream.” I calmly collected myself and replied, “What did you do?” Honestly, was he high when this was done?

France’s smile fell straight to the ground. “I-the other stuff....it reminded me of mom too much. And when I was out looking at paint for my room I saw these colors and said, ‘What the hay?’ to myself and picked them right up.” He explained in a quieter voice, “Spur-of-the-moment I guess.” I shook my head and hugged him tight around the middle. Turning my face up to his I smiled and nodded, saying I realized why he did it, that I missed mom a little bit too.

“It’s perfect.” I whispered even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. Taking my hand he spun me around, laughing. As another spur-of-the-moment action we danced to “Footloose” and sang at the top of our lungs to “My Heart Will Go On.”

Later that night France made me my favorite treat: strawberry milk and four Oreos. Before heading up to my room, he grabbed my arm to stop me. “Hey, what do you think about heading to Home Depot tomorrow with me? I need to pick up the new paint for my room.” He waited patiently, knowing I would take some time to decide. I guess this is how you hide things. You cover them up with a fresh layer of paint, and pretend they just never happened. I know he wanted me to come along, maybe pick out paint for my own room, switch it around too. Patch up old wounds.

I flashed him a smile and said, “Sounds great!” His look of relief made it worth it, and he let me go. I went up the steps two at a time, careful not to spill. I flopped down on my bed after finishing the milk and closed my eyes, thinking of those old wounds.

My mom had never really been too maternal. She was more interested in her work. She loved rearranging and changing, she was a natural decorator. She interiorly designed most of the homes in Applewood. We were one of the first houses, and my mom was in on the entire project until the finish. She flitted from new house-to-house wearing her best smile and designer suits. People fell for the charm and quick grace she had almost instantly. Her opening line was always, “Cheryl Cola here and I’m ready to make your dreams appear.” Yuck. But it wasn’t always like that. Sometimes I’d find myself remembering her soft face with those lively green-grey eyes just like France’s. She even had the same dark brown hair that always smelled of oranges. I used to get mad for having blue eyes and blonde hair, because I never felt like I truly belonged with them. She reassured me once or twice that I looked just like my father. In reality, if she had cared to notice, it didn’t really help. I didn’t want to look like some guy who I never even knew and wasn’t good enough for. But that was my mother, utterly about herself most of the time.

What never ceased to remind me of her were the closets. She cleaned out closets like a lunatic whenever good news had arrived. The last time was when I was in third grade. I had just gotten back from a friend’s and was walking towards my house when I saw the three garbage bags piled at the end of the driveway. I ran up the steps to the door and bolted inside, looking for her, wanting to hear what the news was this time. I found her in her room, on her knees, surrounded by more trash bags, the big black ones used for serious business. She was in such a frenzy I almost backed out of the room. Then she turned to me and smiled the realest smile I’d ever seen on her. “Oh, Molly,” she said, “it’s just the most wonderful day!” I didn’t reply, just waited in breathlessness for her to spill her secret. But she didn’t, just went back to the closet, humming like everything was perfect. That’s when she stopped being my mom after all. That’s when I knew she was completely gone in her own world. I never stopped wondering what the news was, wondering if I’d ever finally be told.

Just a few weeks after that she stopped being home so often. I almost never saw her, and France took it upon himself to learn the household things that would keep the place running. By the time he was in eighth grade he was a wiz at laundry, cooking, and keeping the rooms tidy. I helped the best I could, being limited by his four years senior to me, then slowly learned the skills as well. When he was in high school my mom was only around to pay bills, leave enough money for us, and grab stuff from her room. My brother and I learned to fake excuses for my mom’s limited time at our house. He convinced his driving instructor that his mom was too busy to teach him how to drive by forging a note and paying him more than she had planned. The day he got his license he came home and asked to talk to me. He told me that we needed to stick together, because mom was disappearing from us. He promised to always be there if I needed anything. The only thing I had to promise was my trust in him, and to never ask about money. “Mom’ll send money, that’s all you need to know. I’ll take care of it.” He told me.

That night I couldn’t sleep. I tiptoed to my mom’s room and peeked inside. Everything was gone. Empty. Anything that was hers was cleared out. Only the furniture was left behind, stripped bare of anything that would remind me of her. I stood there in shock, wanting to scream. I held on to the thin strand of hope that maybe she would be back for years following. When France finally turned eighteen and she still hadn’t returned, I turned my back on her for good. He had to attend a community college in town because he couldn’t leave me behind. He could’ve been so much more, and my mom ruined that for him with her selfishness.

I blinked and pushed my memories aside again. I drifted into a restless sleep as some rebel tears slid down my cheeks.

We didn’t even deserve her goodbye.

Early in the afternoon the next day I surveyed the scene with an expert eye before adding a comment of my own. The lady at the Home Depot was making me insane. She was such a sexist, no joke. Right as France explained we needed two colors of paint for my “new” room we were whisked to Barbie land by the chubby lady, about forty-five with greasy black hair tied up in a bun and stains of...something on her orange smock. So sexist! You can’t judge a book by its cover, usually, but this lady was so readable. She simply drooled over the make-me-puke shades of pinks, purples, and the occasional pee yellow thrown in.

Disgusting. Violating. Offending. I seriously felt like screaming at her....”Get a life of your own! Don’t live through your freaking customers.” But I know how to keep it sharp yet not too impolite. So I cleared my throat and said, “Please miss, please let us do this on our own. As you can see I’m sixteen and quite capable of picking out paint colors I actually like. And I never liked pink.” France let out this strangled moan of some sort and the lady, well she just looked at me like she had been slapped right then and there. She nodded stiffly and walked away.

“Molly!” France hissed turning on me. “What the heck was that?!”

I looked down, the picture of regret. “I’m sorry....mom.....s-she liked pink a lot.” I said with a fake whimper. I hated doing this, especially in public, but I’d hate for France to be angry at me. Something of a people pleaser I’m not, but for France…sure.

“Oh.” My brother looked shameful too. He took my hand and squeezed it as we looked for the orange colors. After about fifteen minutes I had picked out laughing orange and firecracker red. France drove home with them in his dark blue Honda while I opted for a cleansing walk.

I went the length of Para Rd. that the Home Depot was situated at the very end of and turned left and the next intersection. It wasn’t until I had passed a bent street sign that read Chagrin Ave. that I realized where my body had been taking me subconsciously; the Molten More that was in the little shopping strip we had by the highway that leads out of Ouida, Illinois. Molten More was an ice cream shop with killer flavors and the most random name. That was the place my friends and I hung out nearly everyday in the summer. Sometimes we didn’t even buy anything. Mr. Mirchijuragulikopadolsi, the owner, gave us freebees from time to time as well in exchange for us trying to pronounce his out-landish name. Usually we stick to Mr. Mirch.

I checked my pockets for cash and found ten dollars France must’ve given me the last time I wore these shorts. I walked about fifteen minutes more on the empty street that was occasionally occupied with one of those large, look-we’re-rich-enough-to-separate-ourselves-from-the-world houses. Although I thought it must be nice with just empty fields surrounding you and being so close to a shopping strip that included Molten More, Kentucky Fresh Grocery, Fair Hair (wonderful salon), and Photo Pail. There was also a Thrifty Thuy’s, the vintage clothes store I absolutely loved and some other random shops. I could see why some people choose to isolate themselves I guess.

I strolled into Molten More excited to finally be here again. Immediately a large red object obscured my vision as something nearly knocked me over. “Molly thank God you’re here!!” my friend Tammy Quick cried releasing me from her tight hold. She was the “pretty friend” with her long, silky red hair; tan skin, adorable freckles, and to-die-for liquid blue eyes no guy could resist. Tammy was pretty rich, her parents died and she and her guardian sister, Meghan, inherited a large fortune. I noticed my other two friends behind her.

Next, my friend Alexi Morris came up for a hug, her frail arms only holding me for a second. She was the “shy friend” always quiet, but always there for everyone else. She had short auburn hair, pale skin, and deep green eyes set deep in her small heart shaped face. We depended on her for a lot, like rides, or just a shoulder to cry on. She didn’t mind, Alexi was used to babysitting a lot, she had to help pay her own tuition for half the year as a freshman. Her parents then bought a florist shop and made much more money.

“Irelelyk Molly Cola!” My other friend Rella sang as she and I did our high-five, kick, spin, knuckle punch handshake we made up in the 3rd grade. Rella’s real name was Cinderella Ashor, but she hated Cinderella (yes, the movie) with a passion so no one, not even family, called her that. Ever. She was the “funny friend” always making us laugh even when she wasn’t having a good day. She had shoulder length coco brown hair that was always in a ponytail but always looked amazingly perfect. She had light skin that brought out her emerald eyes and that, in turn, made her well-carved features light up.

“I didn’t know we were meeting up today! I had planned on painting my room, which technically France is doing for me anyway.” I replied to all of this, quite lamely. We all burst out laughing and Tammy offered to buy a round of chocolate and strawberry ice cream shakes with real bananas blended in it. The rest of us found a small table by the picture window every store has right in front allowing us to people watch, get adequate sun, and be scoped out by the guys who work at the grocery or photo shops. I loved the way vinyl feels after its been warmed up in the sun and sighed with appreciation as I slid into my chair.

Watching Rella and Alexi discuss a bagger at the grocery store I felt like I was in one of those moments where you become slightly detached from the world and are given few seconds to think like a philosopher. I missed this. There’s just no time during the school year to actually kill a whole day just sipping shakes and talking about nothing. These moments seemed like the daily normal to most people but in my moment of detachment, I realized how happy this made me, how I’d never want to lose it. Being like this always, with no past to wonder about, and no memories to hide. Suddenly Rella was looking right at me, her lips forming some words I couldn’t hear. I was back to normal just in time to catch the end: “...to get his number?”

I don’t know if she was referring to me or herself so I half nodded, half shook my head before Alexi bailed me out. “The guy is a total cutie, go ahead.” She told Rella giving me a look. Rella pouted a little, “You know you can still look at guys, right?” I blushed. Ever since I started dating Chase Garson I stopped offering my opinion when my friends spotted a guy they thought was cute or such. We’d only been dating for a month, but I felt guilty scoping. He loved basketball and was a sports guy; Athletic and usually working out or watching the game. Nothing super spectacular, but he made me laugh and we had fun. People had warned me about a meaner side, but I hadn’t seen even a hint of that being true.

Tammy plopped down next to me and handed everyone a shake. Gladly I took a sip, the first official sip of the first official shake of my summer. We talked about random things for the next ten minutes, the topics ranging from guys to tan lines to money issues for this year, and even a possible road trip. When the bell that signals a customer has entered or left the store tinkled, I looked up to see Chase looking right back. He was tall and muscular with blonde mussed hair and grey eyes. I went to greet him with a hug. The only thing about our relationship I didn’t like very much was how we never really seemed to spark. I didn’t know what people meant by a “fireworks kiss” but I was pretty sure I had never experienced it. When we kissed I just felt our lips pressing together, nothing more. I thought that was how it was supposed to be, though. He pulled back and gestured to a table in the corner of the store.

“Look, Molly, here’s the summer deal.” He began right off the bat. “My parents like you, and they trust me more because of our relationship, which is good for me.” I could feel the confusion spreading across my face. He went on, “It’s summer, and I never have a real girlfriend in the summer. That’s just how it goes.”

“What?” I asked, dumbfounded by his upfront manner.

He rolled his eyes, “Molly, you pretend to be my girlfriend, but I go after whoever I want. Summer is freedom, and I’m free to the girls of my liking.”

“You want to hook up with some hot chicks you meet for a night or two and then just call me up whenever you feel like it? Like I’m some booty call?”

“Well, when you put it like that…” He tried in defense.

“Yeah. Exactly.” I spat. How just…disgusting! And just moments before when I was thinking that I had never seen this side. Chase looked confused for a minute, and then changed tactics.

“Listen. You will keep being my girlfriend, all right? I don’t want to see you with some other guy this summer. I need you to pretend so my parents will think I’m heading in a good direction, whatever that means. I’m not asking you for anything, I’m telling you. Think of this as a non-exclusive relationship in your part.” He said. I didn’t like the tone of his voice. It was hard. Almost scary. He grabbed for my hand and squeezed it tighter than needed. I winced in pain.

“Chase!” I was panicking. “Let go, it hurts! Please.” He finally pushed it away from him.

“Remember what I told you to do. It’s not like I haven’t done this to a girl before, so stop with the dramatics, Molly. You had to know what you were getting into when I asked you out. A good girl makes the parents worry less.” He winked at me and got up to leave. I watched him go. Had he ever been like this to me before? How had I not known he was such a jerk? He had put on a good act during school, that’s for sure. I had been looking forward to summer so I could hang out with him longer. But now I’d be avoiding him as much as possible. Still his girlfriend…yeah right.

“Molly?” Alexi called. I composed myself and went back to the table.

“Nothing, just a little disagreement, no big.” I told them to keep the questions at bay. Finally Tammy broke the silence by telling us about a party going on tonight. She knew a lot of people who threw parties around town, and always brought us with if she thought it was going to be a good one. I declined on it, knowing Chase would probably be there. I made my excuses for needing to leave and walked the twenty minutes back home. I couldn’t help but think, What the heck just happened to my summer?

I spent the rest of the day in my room, reading and trying to not think about Chase. At about eleven thirty that night I decided to just go to bed. I took a shower, dried off, and blow-dried my hair quickly. I looked at myself in the mirror, wondering if I looked different. My light blonde hair was naturally curly and down to my shoulder blades, I had rather large baby blue eyes that lightened my already light complexion that was dappled with freckles that paled in comparison to Tammy’s. I began to feel weird, wondering why the heck I cared and I turned away. I heard my phone vibrate against the wood on my nightstand and went to grab it before it fell on the floor.

“Mooooolly!” the voice on the other end sang. Rella launched into a song about my name and Coke-a-cola products. When she could hardly breathe, let alone speak, for all her laughing, someone else took the phone. Alexi’s collected voice spoke next, “Rella’s head-over-heels for some guy she met at the party. Want to come out and meet him?”

“Come out?” I said in my intelligent way.

“We’re right outside your house lovely one, on our way to Kim Keesh’s house for round two of party night.” She responded. I closed my eyes, trying to collect myself. The impossible-to-dispel dread rose in my throat like bile. I couldn’t possibly face Chase yet, not after what happened earlier and with my luck he’d be at this party too. I asked for a minute to change, and she hung up. I pulled on a pair of my jean shorts and a red t-shirt before slipping my flip-flops on and heading downstairs. I figured the I could at least see this new guy, and then go back inside.

I snuck outside the front doors to find my friends standing around Alexi’s car, a red Mercury something-or-other. Alexi bounced against the car in a steady rhythm, her expression clearly said, “Please shoot me now.” Tammy was checking her outfit, which was truly intriguing. She wore a black shimmer tank top, a short pink skirt with black leggings, and radioactive-pink high-heeled sandals. Rella, though, she was simply radiating with excitement. She chattered brightly to a guy who looked to be a nineteen-year-old with long black hair and baggy black clothes. He shifted and the lights from the streetlamps flashed across his pants. Ah, chains. How warm and inviting, I thought, he seems so positive and unharmful with those chains. I found myself grinning wildly as I imagined the sight of his pants grabbing innocent passerby with those cold whips, his face a mask of stone. Suddenly, as if she had only then noticed her other friends’ presence, Rella turned to me and let out a little laugh. “Hey Molly! Meet Dambre.” She said with such a flourish that I half expected to be meeting a prince.

Nope. Well, maybe the Prince of the Damned, in my opinion. Sadly, no one asked for it and I was forced to keep my thoughts away for now. I gave a small wave “Hello, Dambre.” The smile returned, but not for the right reasons. What a name. Dambre. Pronounced DOM-bray. He actually did sound like a lord of some underworld. I couldn’t imagine that this would last very long, especially with Rella’s habits but I held onto the smile and looked to Tammy.

“Tammy, look, I just met Dambre.” I said to her, stifling the giggle rising in my throat. She wore her utterly bored and dissatisfied look, usually reserved only for the worst of the worst dates. I caught the smile in her eyes though, just barely. Rella simply beamed at everyone. I wondered where on earth she found guys sometimes.

“Let’s head to Kim’s, it’s supposed to have good prospects!” she suggested. She was completely wired. It was hard not to be happy for her, but I already knew how this would end. She’d become infatuated the first few seconds, (check-o), call it love after a week, get way to involved, and then dispose of him in sheer heartbreak. Then we were left to pick up the pieces. Alexi was never really good at consoling her, never having a real boyfriend of her own, so Tammy and I dragged her over to either one of our houses with a few boxes of Cheez-its and poured out the boy stories until she felt better.

Alexi stopped her bouncing and got in the car. Tammy rolled her eyes and followed suit, but not before shooting me a look that said, “No way am I going to suffer in the backseat with them. Good luck.” I shook my head and tried to back towards the house, but Rella would not hear of it. I was ushered into the backseat against my will. I was able to glace my house once more before we turned the corner. A sick feeling rose in my stomach.

Chase. Oh god.

Tammy was searching for a radio station to listen to and talking quietly to Alexi. I turned to Rella and whispered urgently, “I can’t go to this party, I need to go back home!”

She whispered back, “Don’t be silly, what’s the matter?”

“Curfew?” I lied.

“You don’t have a curfew. France won’t care.”

“But…Rella…I really do need to get back…”

“Not unless you give me a real reason. It’s only midnight.” She pestered.

“Oh screw you.” I hissed. I was angrier than I thought. She looked at me in shock and I turned away as the tears began to rise. I swallowed, hoping to make the lump in my throat go away. I heard Tammy turn to look at me but I ignored them.

“Uh, Molly, we still exist.” Tammy said.

“Not if I can’t see you.” I reply to the window. It makes a wonderful conversationalist. It even replies in a deep husky voice.

“You can see the reflections.” I’m startled so badly I jump and hit my head on the car roof. Now we turn to look at Dambre. He shrugged. “Since I was about eight.” Rella smiled so big I feared her face would crack in two. She battered him with questions, forgetting about my little predicament. Dambre, the dark lord of the underworld and master ventriloquist. How lovely!

Finally we reached the house where the party inside was evident by the cups all over the yard, and a few drunk kids making out on the lawn. My friends headed off for the door. Tammy hung back to talk to me for a second. “Why did you say that to Rella for God’s sake? She’s so happy right now, just leave it be.” I mumbled something about my period, which earned me a sympathetic look. She linked her arm in mine and together we went through the front door.

The music’s loud bass was giving me a headache and didn’t help my edginess. At any moment I was ready to see Chase with some girl that wasn’t me. Soon someone had me in a game of bloody knuckles at the kitchen table. I played half-heartedly, but delivered two good shots to the guy across from me. The second time I hit him he looked like he was about to say something to me but was interrupted when I was suddenly pulled away from the table by my arm. Rella took me to the hall so I could hear her talk.

“Chase is looking for you Molly, he thinks you’re avoiding him.” She told me. I thanked her and feinted looking for him. Instead I went back to the kitchen. Bad idea, because suddenly I felt hands on my waist. Chase asked some guy for two beers and tried to move to the beat with me. I resisted. When the guy returned he handed Chase one cup and me the other. My friends and I weren’t interested in the whole alcohol bit. At parties we stuck to pop. Even thinking of drinking beer at the age of sixteen made me want to barf. Before I had a chance to set it down somewhere Chase led me outside and onto a large deck by the arm. More people were out here, drinking, dancing, or making out by a large in-deck pool. I tried to back away from him but bumped into a couple of people.

“C’mon Molly, don’t be like that.” He slurred at me. “Let’s go somewhere quieter, so we can be alone.”

“I-I really don’t think-” I stammered.

“That’s fine, there’s no need.” Suddenly he pulled me close to him. My beer went flying into the pool. I felt his hands travel up my back. His breath stank of alcohol and I knew he was drunk. I pushed myself away and tried to find the door back into the house but was caught up in the mass of people. Chase was in front of me again. He forced me off to the side where there were less people and kissed me. I was utterly repulsed but couldn’t get him away from me. I felt his hands wandering again, and then he was trying to unhook my bra. I pushed against his chest harder until he let go. I stumbled backwards as he went after me. He made a grab for my arm, but then someone, definitely not Chase, pulled me away in the direction of the house. I didn’t know who it was; they never let go of my hand but held fast, as if afraid of what might happen if they didn’t. The music was so loud, the crowd of people just a blur before my eyes. I shut them and let myself be led away.

Cool night air assaulted my senses next. I opened my eyes to find myself standing a little bit away from the house in the grass. The person who had saved me stood to my right, looking up at the sky. I spoke first. “I…t-thank you.”

“It was nothing. You needed help.” The stranger replied. He looked at me and smiled. He was cute, with straight brown hair, tan skin, startling brown eyes, and a strong nose. Those eyes were beautiful, like liquid honey and cinnamon. When he looked at me, I saw within them a deep understanding that shocked me.

“How…” I started. When I didn’t finish right away he cocked his head to the side as if waiting for the end. “I’m Molly.” I told him in place of asking the question.

“Karak. Karak Alloy Realm. And I noticed the look on your face when he grabbed you in the kitchen, and then again when I saw you with him on the deck. It wasn’t exactly the face of someone who was with their prince charming.” He replied.

“You’ve got that right.” I laughed. Then I grew quieter. “Thank you. You really did save me.” I said, looking at the ground.

“Hey,” Karak whispered, lifting up my chin with his hand, “it’s alright. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re okay now.” I nodded slowly. “Now, can I get you home?” He rebuffed my protests until I told him the name of my street. He started to walk away and I realized he was going to keep walking.

“Wait, Karak!” I called after him. I ran to catch up. “We’re walking the whole way?”

He nodded, “The air will clear your mind a little. And I figured after what just happened you wouldn’t want to get in a car with a stranger.” He was right, so I shrugged and walked with him. “It’s only four blocks away.” He told me when I had finally caught up with his pace. I didn’t think to ask him how he knew that.

We walked on in silence, but it wasn’t the uncomfortable kind. It was soft and inviting. Like everything not being said filled in the space just right. Saying something might have ruined that. When we finally reached my street Karak stopped walking. I waited for him to say something. “You don’t mind me knowing your address?”

“Nah,” I said, taking the lead, “you don’t even know my full name.”

He didn’t follow me right away. “I’d like to know your full name.” he admitted.

“Molly Irelelyk Cola. And yeah, that’s the truth.” I replied. My house came up abruptly and I blinked in surprise. Had we been walking for such a short time? No…four blocks takes at least a quarter of an hour, not three seconds.

“This’d be you?” Karak pointed to my house. “I’ll see you, Molly Cola.” He gave me another smile before walking back the way we came. I was opening the door when I heard him say one more thing, “You have got serious bloody knuckles skills. You drew blood twice.” I controlled the urge to turn and look at him though I was surprised with the revelation that he was the one across from me at that table. It seemed like such a long time ago. Why didn’t I notice him the first time?

I crept back inside the house and up to my room. When I had finally changed into decent pajamas and had a blanket over me, I just stared at my ceiling, trying to make sense of everything. Undeniably, Karak was very attractive. Nothing guaranteed what would happen next. Would I see him again? Catch a glimpse of him at another party? Were we going to be friends? Then I remembered something Tammy had told me once.

We’d been watching the guys play volleyball in the pool at school when she starting talking about Rella and guys. “The thing is, anyone can be cute. It’s easy to swoon over guys you don’t know; the air of mystery is there still, you don’t know all of their flaws and weaknesses. You don’t know that they’re human too.” I listened with interest, glad to have this insight into her mind. “When you find out that they’re human, you turn away. You want perfection. You want everything right.”

“But light couldn’t be light without dark. And you can’t love without hate. I don’t want someone perfect. I want someone who makes me laugh and annoys me, who wipes away my tears and makes me cry, who cries for me and laughs in my face. I just want someone real, in that totally cliche way, yeah. You know?” Somehow, in those words she had shown me a new way to look at love and relationships. Meeting someone for the first time was usually just a small tidbit into who they really were. It gave you an opportunity to look, but that’s all. With Karak, even in all the silence, it felt like I had gotten more than a sample. He had been a stranger who didn’t once seem like one. I kinda liked that.

I checked my phone for the time; nearly two in the morning. Then I heard footsteps outside my house. I went to the window and peered out, surprised to see Karak, now walking the opposite way of the party. He was singing something to himself, words I couldn’t catch. I watched him until he disappeared down the road that led out of Applewood Valley and back into town.

TWO

The ring from under my pillow woke me later. I sat up, rubbed my eyes with my fists, and pulled the phone out from under my pillow. I had set an alarm for exactly half-past nine, so France was definitely awake by now; I even heard him downstairs, making himself breakfast. I turned off the alarm and fixed my hair before heading down. I walked into the kitchen, glanced at France eating some cereal at the table then had to stop and do a double take. He was clean-shaven, his hair was combed and moderately neat, his face was lively, eyes all the way open, and he was wearing nice khaki cargos with a sky-blue polo. I stammered, utterly surprised, “F-France? Is that…did you….why is…what?”

He laughed and stood up to give me a hug. “I just feel great today, Molly! What can a person do? Well, he can get up and look out at the world saying, ‘By God am I in a great mood!’ and that is exactly what I did this fine morning!” His voice was confident, his demeanor positive. I sniffed. Was that…cologne?

Good thing there was me; bubble buster extraordinaire.

France looked at me with that huge smile and he seemed to be glowing. I had never seen him so happy so I could not help but be worried, (or maybe just a little curious), about what was going on in his life. “So, France, what’s going on?” I questioned him.

“Oh, Molly, right now I just feel utterly fantazmic! Something big is going to happen today I can just feel it.” He explained to me. I gave him a look but just shrugged and went to grab a bowl and spoon for my own breakfast. Things were not going great for me right now, but that did not mean I should spoil France’s day. The best thing for me to do, more often than not, was to just shut up. I hated feeling like the one stuck in such a funk but I couldn’t deny it. I smiled at my brother, nodded, went to grab something to eat from our pantry.

France stood there looking confused for a moment more before shaking his head. He cleaned up his breakfast dishes, another first, and went up to his room. I made myself some toast to eat while reading the paper. Like I felt, nothing seemed to be going on. I purposely lingered in the kitchen until I heard France shut the front door. I just assumed he was going out to work or to see one of his friends, whatever France does.

I was contemplating on whether to bury my sorrows in a tub of ice cream, or back into my pillows when the phone rang. Tammy’s voice on the opposite line sounded panicked yet excited. “Molly you must meet us at Molten More ASAP! I have some HUGE news to dish!”

That sounded appealing, and I was curious, so I replied, “What’s so big that we need an emergency meeting at Molten?”

Tammy squealed out, “IT’S JUST HUGE AND LIFE CHANGING TRUST ME ON THIS ONE MOLLY I’M SO EXCITED I MIGHT PEE MY PANTS IF I DON’T TELL YOU GUYS!” I put the phone back to my ear and laughed, “Okay, I’m coming right now.”

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot for Molten More ten or so minutes later, I felt oddly giddy, like I just wanted to dance in circles. I stepped out of my car, entered the store, and placed a quick order. Alexi waltzed over to me and hooked her arm through mine. “Hello darling!” she sang merrily, “Let me escort you to the head table by your leave, love.” I laughed and grabbed my dish of ice cream and let her lead me to our normal table.

Tammy and Rella had ridiculously large grins on their faces to match Alexi’s.

I took a seat and looked them over. The excitement was nearly bursting out of each of them. Instead of asking, although I did want to know what was going on, I started to eat my ice cream. “Oh,” I said, grinning at their incredulous looks, “this new flavor is really good you guys. Anybody want to try some?” I licked my spoon slowly. Finally, Tammy ripped it out of my hands.

“Molly! Do you not remember that I happen to have HUGE news?” she nearly shrieked. I stifled a laugh and admitted I remembered. “Well,” she huffed,” don’t you want to know what it is?!”

Looking at her expression, as well as my other girlfriend’s faces, I was more curious than ever, and I couldn’t help myself. “YES. Of course I do!” With that, we all burst out laughing. Tammy eventually contained herself, returned my ice cream to me, and got everyone’s attention. The four of us leaned closer to the center of the table and hushed ourselves.

In a quiet voice with a hint of trembling Tammy began, “Ok, so yesterday I had told Meghan I was leaving around one to hang out at the mall. She believed me and went to make a phone call, which she’s been doing for a while now. I figure, sister got something going on, you know. Secret calls, being very secretive about where she’s going out at night suddenly, and once I heard a car leave the driveway at like, three in the morning!” All three of us gasped and our ears greedily begged for more to quench their thirst for gossip.

“I left my house, parked the car about a block away and walked back home through the backyards of my neighbors.” Tammy continued, “When I came to my house I saw another car in the driveway. Oh, I was SO intrigued! I crept in the back door and listened for my sis’s voice. Then, I heard this, like, guy’s voice whispering something to her that made her giggle like she hasn’t in forever.”

“Being the curious person I am, I took it upon myself to make sure this guy wasn’t ugly. If my sister was going to have a secret relationship, I want to be able to at least look at the guy cause he’s hot or something.”

Alexi snorted a little before hiding her smile behind a hand. Tammy gave her an evil look, but shrugged and kept going, too excited to care. “So, I carefully looked into all the rooms and found them in my basement. She totally knows I make out with my boyfriends down there. She stole my spot!” Tammy interrupted herself to express her indignant feelings.

“Tam! Come ON! What happened next?!” Rella pleaded with her, shaking her arm just a tiny bit. “Finish the story!”

“Oh, right.” Tammy replied with a blush, “Anyways, I crept down the stairs and watched them when I was close to the bottom, but hidden by that hideous fern thing. Meghan had the widest grin I’d ever seen on her face, and the guy she was with was totally a hottie. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked her straight in the eyes. They stayed like that for a few moments, (god I felt like I was going to explode), until he told her something. He goes, ‘Meg, I know it’s been only five months, but I really…I’m trying to say that I…I love you. So much. I care about you like no other babe. Really.’”

With a collective gasp we began to badger her with questions about who he was, what he looked like, and how her sister responded. She held up a hand to quiet us. After a breathless moment Tammy went on, “Meghan simply beamed at him and threw her arms around his neck. She was all, ‘I love you too. I have for a while now, I’m so glad I can finally let you know.’ I, personally, felt like screaming for joy and excitement. Instead, I bolted up the stairs and to my car. That’s when I called you guys.” She finished, nearly as breathless as when she called me.

I looked at her and asked, “Who was it? The guy…do we know him?”

Everyone looked at Tammy again, and she squirmed a bit before answering. “Well, that’s why it was so huge and stuff…Molly,” she said, turning to me. She paused, and I felt my heart jump into my throat. It couldn’t be…if she was going to say that name to me…I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “Molly, it was France.” She finished.

I let my breath out in a great, audible whoosh! I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t decide if this was something good or bad. I couldn’t even think. Five months, and France hadn’t told me? Why was he keeping secrets? Suddenly I wished I had never heard the news. A gasp from Rella made me look in the same direction as her. As soon as I had calmed myself down, I was back to heart-in-the-throat-breathing-is-kinda-hard-to-do-at-this-moment syndrome. I swear I must’ve had some type of infection for this to keep happening so much. Right outside Molten More, Karak was talking to some beautiful blonde girl in the parking lot. Rella took one look at my face and made a sympathetic noise. “I know, such a cute guy right? Then you see him with some blonde girl and you know it was never meant to be.”

“Wait, aren’t you into Dambre?” I asked a little harshly. Then I added, “Do you know him?”

“Well,” she blushed big time, “I am, yeah. But one can’t help but notice cute guys. He was at the party last night. I guess he saved some girl or something. Everyone was buzzing about it.”

“Oh, really? Sounds like some kind of prince.” I sighed. Looking back outside I noticed the girl drive off while Karak watched her go. He began to head for the Molten More and saw me in the window. Watching him. Great. Now I was a total creep. He waved and I returned the gesture, much to the surprise of my friends and despite the flush that was rising in my face.

“Hey! Molly!” he said after coming in. “Do you mind if I join you?” he asked all of us. Impressed, Tammy pulled up a chair for him. He thanked her and sat down.

“Molly, why don’t you introduce us to your friend,” Rella suggested, kicking my shin. I did so and in turn everyone introduced themselves to Karak.

“So, how do you guys know each other?” Alexi asked.

“This girl plays a mean game of bloody knuckles. She whipped me big time yesterday at Keesh’s house. I still have the marks.” Karak said in response. She and Tammy laughed, but Rella grew interested.

“So you are the guy who-” Immediately I sent my cup of ice cream flying at her face. She shrieked and ended up getting ice cream on Alexi in the process of freaking out. Karak gave me a quizzical look, to which I blushed.

“I’m sorry Rella, I felt something on my arm. I thought it was a spider. You know how I hate them.”

“Molly you are such a freak! Look at this mess, ugh. I’ll see you guys later, I need a shower hardcore.” My ice cream covered friend stalked out of the shop. Tammy linked arms with Alexi and followed her. They both gave me a little wave goodbye. I watched them go, feeling a weird twinge in my stomach. Small pools of ice cream spread across the table. Some touched each other and combined; others stretched off in lonely directions. I thought about the last few times I had seen my friends this summer. Each time I was able to pick out the moment someone ran away. It was always them leaving me behind, or me leaving them. It wasn’t like I had ever meant to run out on them, there’s was always a reason. But what about them? I remember when I saw them at Molten More, already together, without me. No one had even called.

Even in the sun, I shivered. I had been friends with all of them for so long…through the fun, heartbreak, tears, weirdness, and burdens. We always held each other up. But something was wrong, it had to be, else I wouldn’t have felt the guilt and worry building up. Someone’s grip was weakening, who it was I didn’t want to know. Losing them would be like…losing any real hope in the world. Life without any of those real friends. I couldn’t think about it any longer. Karak came to the rescue.

“Molly,” he said after tapping my shoulder for my attention, “I just got a brilliant idea. Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?”

I looked at the door and swallowed. “Not anymore.”

“Great! Well, or not. Just come with me. I want to show you something I think you’ll really like.” He said. I followed him out of the store and to an old blue truck. Both the outside and inside were clean, no rust, no dents, no food wrappers. I raised an eyebrow at him in surprise. He shrugged, embarrassed, and climbed inside. I hesitated. Was this really like me? To just run off with some guy I met a day before? Yet things were changing, even this early into summer I could tell. Something was in the air, something in the back of my mind, quiet and patient, just waiting for the chance to break loose and fly. Spontaneity I might never have had before was suddenly there, in control. I got in, buckled my seatbelt. He started the car, turned on the radio, and pulled out of the parking lot.

We drove for a while with classic rock as our background music. I asked him some questions about the truck, he answered. It was strangely peaceful. Karak told me his grandfather had left the truck to him after he died about five or six years ago. His father had been the one who fixed the engine and made it drivable again. I noticed after a few questions that he was leaving parts out. He’d pause to think, but I knew he was feinting it. I could tell he was going over the sentences, picking out the areas that gave too much information before he answered. That was fine with me, he had a right to want to keep things private. Too bad I didn’t feel fine about it. I tried to think of all the reasons he wouldn’t tell me something, tried to push back how I felt- as if I wanted him to be able to confide those thoughts with me, I wanted him to trust me.

I could’ve smacked myself about twenty times, thrown myself out the door. But I didn’t. Stupid, stupid, Molly.

Karak didn’t notice. He drove through town and passed the road that led to my neighborhood. Suddenly I felt like paying attention. We went further down the same road for a good few minutes until the traction seemed to change. Curious, I looked down and out the window. The road had turned to dirt, and I hardly recognized the area. Thick trees lined the road that was more of a path in the woods than anything. Sunlight filtered down between open branches in small areas, leaving everything else darker than usual at the time of day it was. Karak made a right turn onto another, even smaller, dirt road and parked his truck. We sat for a second with the woods all around. Then he stepped out of the truck with me in tow. I followed him down the little path, further into the trees.

“Uh, Karak,” I asked, wary, “Where are we going, exactly?” He didn’t answer, but put a finger to my lips with a smile and a mischievous wink. Up ahead, faintly, as we kept walking, I could see the trees thinning, the sun becoming brighter. Then the two of us stepped out into the open and stopped.

All I could do was stare. First at the vast expanse of grass the surrounded us, lined by the woods we had just left in a big circle. Then at the two story, grand Victorian house, complete with four columns, that sat in the center of the grass. How it didn’t catch my eye first I didn’t know, because that would be the perfect word to describe it, eye-catching. The trim, windows, and front door were all a sunny yellow color, bright in the actual sunlight and the columns were stark black with white stars painted on them, just as the roof was. The bricks were all the possible colors between red, orange, and blue blending seamlessly with each other, creating a glorious sunset. My breath was caught in my throat again. “Molly?” Karak asked, eyebrows raised. I let it out slowly.

“It’s…wow. That is the house of all houses.” I said. He laughed.

“Thought you’d like it, but there’s the inside too.” I nodded and again followed him as he led me closer to the house. I couldn’t get over how amazing it was. As we neared the house the colors seemed to leap out at us, I was entranced. I could see myself getting lost in those colors. Spending hours gazing into them, trying to find the answers to all of my questions.

Karak pulled me away gently by the arm and opened the front door. I was surprised at the interior almost just as much as the exterior. We entered the great room, which had an entertainment area, a fireplace, and several couches. The interesting thing about it was the colors of everything. It was done in all different types of reds. It wasn’t over powering, but it was definitely noticeable. Karak gave me a tour of everything, and I grew more amazed and speechless by the moment. The great room was connected to a grand dining room that was done in shades of orange. Next was a gigantic kitchen, (here I was beginning to realize that all the rooms would be huge), done in shades of yellow. The rooms continued like that, the colors following the order of the rainbow. The bathroom was shades of green, the bedroom next to it was shades of blue, and the next bedroom was done in purples. Each time I gazed at everything until my eyes hurt. Karak only briefly showed me the bedrooms, telling me that his was the blue one. Everything was so large too. I couldn’t stop telling him what I thought.

“Karak, all of this is so amazing! I can’t believe this is your house, it’s so breathtaking and magnificent!” I’d say. He laughed every time I complimented him, keeping a modest face.

“Hey,” he said after I had spent some time walking around the great room again, “I haven’t even shown you the upstairs yet.” The staircase was in the kitchen, which I had noticed previously but been too shy to ask about. We went up and came out into an open area. The entire second story was open. No walls, no doors or anything. The walls were black and speckled with stars, like the columns and roof. It was a giant library.

Reading took up a good amount of my free time. Devouring stories was something I could do forever. I liked to relate myself to the characters in the book, and imagine those things happening in my own life. This was like heaven for me. Bookshelves that reached the high ceiling lined most of the walls. White chairs and couches were placed around in small groups, usually with a coffee table in the center of them. A grand piano stood in one corner, accompanied by both an acoustic and electric guitar.

“Molly, that expression is priceless.” Karak grinned at me. He took my picture with an invisible camera. “You look hilarious. I’m glad I brought you here to see my house.” I shot him a look.

“Me too Karak, really. I can’t get over this.” I said. He led me back downstairs and outside. “Wait,” I said, stopping, “who do you live with?”

Karak took a second to answer, running a hand through his hair. “My Grandma Mabel and our dog Remington Eight who’re out at the vet right now.”

“Your parents?” I asked before I could stop myself. I immediately wish I would have. Running over them again in my head, it was like someone else asked them. I never liked when people asked me about my parental situation, mainly because I always had to lie about my mom and didn’t know anything about my dad. Blushing, I looked at my feet.

“They were killed a while ago. Car crash during a bad winter storm.” He answered quietly. “They were coming home from a Christmas party. I remember being too sick to go, and they promised they’d be back in time to open Christmas presents the next morning.” He cleared his throat. “They weren’t.”

“Oh, Karak.” I whispered, hating myself. Saying sorry didn’t feel right, not at this moment. I opened my mouth to say something else when my phone went off. I pulled it out of my pocket to answer it, feeling like a complete dolt.

“Molly, where the hell are you? I’ve tried you five times already and you aren’t at your house.” Heart-in-the-throat-breathing-is-kinda-hard-to-do-at-this-moment syndrome struck again. It was Chase.

“I’m with a friend, what do you want?” I replied, trying to keep my voice level.

“I want you to come over to my house. I’m having a party, and everyone expects my girlfriend to be there.” His voice was hard, threatening. I felt a lump rise in my throat.

“I’m not-” I started. He cut me off.

“Yeah, you are. You listen to me and do what I tell you, remember? You’d better be here at seven.” Before I could even reply, he hung up. I looked up and my eyes locked with Karak’s. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he knew something was wrong.

Finally he spoke, calmly, quietly still. “You know where I live if you ever need anything. Don’t think I won’t be here to help you. That’s what friends do, okay?” I nodded, swallowing to rid myself of the lump still in my throat. He walked with me back to the truck and drove me home. Other than him asking for directions, the ride was silent. When he pulled into my driveway, Karak took my hand and squeezed it gently. “You alright?”

“Fine.” I replied too quickly as tiny lightning bolts shot up my arm. I jumped out of his truck and headed inside. My phone vibrated once, the signal that I had a new text message. My stomach sank. It was Chase, reminding me to be there at seven. Like I could forget.

I was afraid. I knew what he was doing to me was considered abusive, even if he hadn’t hit me, though I knew he very well might given the opportunity. If I kept playing along it would only get worse, but if I tried, resisting Chase could really hurt me. Suddenly all I wanted, all I needed was a hug. After scouring the downstairs for France, I headed up the stairs two at a time. When I was outside of his room I could hear voices. His, and a female voice replying. Remembering Tammy’s revelation at Molten More earlier, I gasped, knowing that the proof was right in front of me. My brother, my only caretaker my entire life, was keeping secrets from me. We once promised to tell each other everything after what mom did to us. I slid to the floor and began to sob.

“France,” I shouted, “I hate that you’re keeping secrets from me! Why can’t you trust me?” The voices stopped abruptly. Seconds later France opened the door to find me in the hall, still crying.

“Molly, I don’t-” he started.

“I know it’s Meghan, and I know that you love her and she loves you.”

My brother was silent. “How did you find out?” he asked finally.

“Tammy told me earlier today. Why didn’t you?”

France hugged me close. “I’m sorry Molly. I don’t have any good reasons I guess. I can’t think of a single thing that would make sense. I promise, from now on, no secrets anymore.” I nodded, thinking about Chase.

“Now I think it’s my turn France.” He helped me up and we headed for the kitchen.

A few glasses of strawberry milk and a half eaten package of Oreos later I was done telling France about my current situation with Chase. Before we had sat down to talk at the table, Meghan apologized to me, and said her goodbyes to France. I had nothing against her; she was the older version of Tammy, basically her twin in looks and personality. But it was nice to be alone with France, telling him everything. As if a giant weight was suddenly lifted off my shoulders, and I could breath easier again.

“He didn’t hurt you at the party did he?” France asked. Worry was written all over his face but I knew he wouldn’t get involved. This was my battle, and we both knew only I could fight this.

“No, I was...saved.” I replied as the blush worked its way up my neck and to my cheeks. He caught my embarrassment and waved a hand, saying he could wait for that.

“Do you have any idea what you’re going to do about him?”

I shook my head, still thinking. Suddenly it hit me. I nearly spit out my milk trying to tell France I knew what to do. “That’s it! I’ll really break up with him. I’ll do it at the party where all of the people that know him will be, that way he can’t force me to pretend anymore.”

My brother tried to look less concerned, and failed. “What if he gets angry because you humiliated him in front of his friends?”

“Oh don’t worry,” I laughed as I got up from the table, “I have three very good buffers to protect me from any possible harm. I’ll speak to them now.” Once I was back in my room I called Tammy first.

“Molly, Meghan told me you found them out! She admitted everything.” My friend said, “Did you spy on them or something?"

“Tammy,” I said, refusing to answer, “I need you to come with me to the party at Chase’s tonight. I need all three of you guys to come, it’s important.” I gave her the quick version of everything that had happened between Chase and I, and my plans for tonight. When I finished she let out a long whistle.

“We got your back Molly, you can count on us.” She crossed her heart and promised that I’d be seeing her, Rella, and Alexi at five to get ready for the party- or as she liked to call it, “Mission Jock Jilt.”

“If you’re going to do this right, you have to shut up and stop squirming.” Rella let out another exasperated sigh. Alexi was on my bed flipping through a book she took off my shelf while Tammy was raiding my drawers and closet for a decent outfit. She and Rella both insisted I look my best tonight in order to really rub it in Chase’s face.

Unfortunately, looking good seemed to mean I had to undergo some form of torture that involved my hair, an evil looking brush, and Rella’s merciless hands.

“Why can’t I wear it down? It looks good like that.” I said. Tears sprang to my eyes as my friend yanked my hair once more. The chair she had brought in my room for me never felt more uncomfortable. I squirmed again in pain, earning me a bop on the head with the brush.

“Because, Molly, you always look like that. This is the time for change. Tonight is about showing Chase that anyone would die to have you as a girlfriend.”

Tammy walked over towards me and laid out some clothes on the foot of my bed. “How do you feel about sexy?” she asked.

“Not interested.” I said. Clearly that didn’t really matter. She fished through the pile and pulled out a light yellow tank top that had a lacey fringe on the bottom, a short denim skirt, and a pair of black boots. She smiled and nodded, satisfied, and put everything else away. Meanwhile I had hardly noticed that Tammy was almost done with my hair.

Alexi gasped. “Tammy, that’s so cool!” I went into my bathroom to check out the new ‘do. Tammy had arranged it near the top of my head in a ballerina bun, the curls spilling out in a carefully organized mess. It did look sexy, showing off my neck and the lines of my face. Next I changed into the tank and skirt, surprised that these too seemed to look just perfect tonight. When I modeled the finished product for my friends they applauded themselves.

“I told you,” Tammy said, “it looks great. This is going to be so good.”

“Then let’s get moving.” I said. Chase lived about fifteen minutes away so Tammy drove us. The whole way every breath I took felt like bonds were tightening over my heart. My mouth kept drying up. When we finally pulled up to the curb near his house I took a few minutes to calm myself down.

Alexi put a hand on my shoulder. “You can do this. We’ll leave whenever you give the word, just stay strong Molly.” Tammy and Rella nodded. Finally, I shook off my dread and got out of the car. The four of us made our way up to the door, every step echoing in my heart. This was it, my escape from this small nightmare.

Inside everyone was dancing, drinking, or talking loudly. A football even flew over my head. We walked from the small entry alcove into the hallway, the living room to our left, stairs going up to the right, and the kitchen dead ahead. I led everyone into the living room first, hoping to find Chase right away. I did.

“Hey baby, how are you?” he sidled over to me, a cup of beer in his hand. I put a hand up to block his try for a kiss. His brow furrowed.

“Chase, I’m here for one reason only, got it?” My voice was surprisingly harsh. A small crowd had started to gather, people throwing curious looks our way.

“Yeah, so you’d better listen up.” Tammy said to back me up. Courage seemed to flow into me like a giant wave. My heart racing, I straightened myself and looked him straight in the eye with no fear in my heart.

“I’m done pretending Chase, we’re over, through. I am not your girlfriend, I am not going to take you back, and you will not be using me to save face.” Everyone around grew quiet. Then someone shouted, “Daaaaaaang! Treated.” People laughed and continued what they were doing before. Chase just stood there, fuming.

“I swear, Molly,” he said through gritted teeth, “you’re going to pay for this you little whore. I will-” Suddenly he grabbed my arm. I cried out, the fear returning to me. Panic seized my insides. I let out a wild punch, sending him reeling backwards.

“Molly let’s go!” Tammy shouted, taking my hand. We ran out the front door and sprinted to the car. Only when we were about five minutes away did anyone talk.

“I’m shaking like a freaking leaf here.” Rella laughed. Her voice was shaky. My own hands were trembling in my lap. I bit my lip and tried not to cry. Alexi put an arm around my shoulder.

“You guys came through,” I sniffed, “you really did. Thank you.” And I cried the rest of the way home.

**Just let me know what you think. Thanks.**