

Copyright 2011 Patricia Caviglia

ISBN number 978-0-9869379-3-4 - paperback

ISBN number 978-0-986-93790-3 - eBook

To Theresa, you taught me the meaning of happiness.
Contents

Acknowledgments

THE WINTER DANCE

THE BUS RIDE

THE ENEMY

THE DATE

THE FIGHT

THE FALL DANCE

THE FALLOUT

THE BECCA SITUATION

About the Author

Want To Read More
Acknowledgments

Thank you Karene-Isabelle Jean-Baptiste for reminding me that I have always been a writer; Flavia Longo for being my guinea pig; the Regina Girls for being the best sisters ever–your support is limitless and powerful; and of course, thank you to my mother and father for giving me life.

THE WINTER DANCE

Rebecca Jacobs was incredibly excited as she entered the high school gym behind her best friend, Diana Rainville. She grinned like a madwoman.

"Will you stop that!" Diana ordered rolling her eyes.

"I can't! It's my first school dance!" She felt lighthearted and silly. She had achieved a real milestone tonight. Her parents finally trusted her enough to have an evening out with her friends. This was a new beginning for the three of them.

"Talk about corny!" Diana complained about the gym's frosty winter decor of silver and white.

"I think it's awesome." Rebecca said. Unlike Diana, she was not jaded. She took it all in with a sense of childlike amazement. The huge overhead lamps were turned off. Multicolored beams bounced around the gym to the rhythm of the music blaring from huge, black speakers. If she ignored the bleachers, she could almost forget that she was in her high school gymnasium.

She blushed when she noticed a couple of senior boys staring at her. Normally, she was invisible in a T-shirt, hoodie and jeans, but tonight she looked great.

During the week, Diana had helped Rebecca pick out an outfit. They had chosen a dark metallic blue shirtdress and black knee-high boots. Rebecca let her curly brown hair cascade down her back for the evening. She rarely wore makeup but this was a good occasion to play up her eyes. According to her, they were her best feature since her nose was too straight and her mouth was too wide.

As the evening progressed, she grew more comfortable with the attention she attracted. She flirted a little, but mostly she hung out with her clique. She was having a great time with Diana, Rohini and Janet.

She spotted David Miller, the high school bad boy. He looked good in his slightly snug T-shirt and jeans. He was definitely one of the hottest boys in school. What distinguished him was the hard set expression he always wore like a mask.

He nodded to her in recognition. It looked like he might come over to talk to her when his girlfriend suddenly appeared at his side. She molded her tall, lean body to his. Rebecca almost laughed at the overly sexual move. Tracy Johnson should be X-rated, she thought.

The announcement came over the music. "Rebecca Jacobs. Please come to the DJ booth. Rebecca Jacobs."

Rebecca looked at Diana and shrugged. Why was the DJ paging her? Alone, she made her way through the sea of bodies and arrived at the DJ's table.

She waited until the young man removed his headphones, then yelled to be heard above the music, "You paged me."

The DJ barely glanced at her as he yelled back, "Your father's waiting for you."

Rebecca looked at her watch: eight thirty. Dad was not supposed to pick her up until ten! Her heart started beating a little hard. She wondered if something had happened. Why would he be here so early?

The neon lights in the white and orange striped hallway assaulted her eyes. She squinted against their brightness.

Her father's voice thundered through the hall. "I'm right here!"

Rebecca located her dad. His dark mood was out of sync with her excitement and joy.

He did not wait for a reply from her. "Are you drunk? High? You don't even recognize your father? What have you been doing in there?" He grabbed her by the arm and started to drag her toward the exit.

Sadness engulfed her. In all her daydreams about tonight, she had never imagined he would show up and throw one of his tantrums.

She wriggled out of his grasp.

"You're coming with me. We're going home. Do you think I'm going to leave you here?" His voice became louder and louder with each statement.

Despite her growing embarrassment, Rebecca tried to soothe him. "I don't drink and I don't do drugs, Dad. The contrast between the darkness in the gym and the lights in the hallway made me squint."

She let the information sink in. She hoped that would calm him down. She searched for the almost imperceptible sign that indicated she had reached him. It never manifested.

There had to be a reason he was here so early. She refused to believe he would ruin her first dance on purpose. "Did something happen at home?"

Her father ignored her and continued his rant. "Your mother should have never allowed you to come."

Disappointment crushed her hope. "Dad, I'm fine. I was just dancing and talking with my friends."

"I knew this would be a perversion. I came to rescue you from it."

He was so overprotective.

She knew better than to answer back, but she did anyway. "Perversion? We were just dancing, Dad."

"In the dark!" he sputtered.

Her father sounded like a raving lunatic. She tried to infuse some reason into the conversation. "Lights are always low at a party."

He was not interested in reasoning at the moment; he went to grab her again. This time she backed away before he reached her. She would go home with him just to end this scene, but she was not going let him lead her around like a disobedient dog.

"I have to get my coat. My locker is down there." She pointed in its direction. She noticed her hand shaking and brought it to her side quickly. He made her so nervous. She never knew when he would blow up like this. "I'll be right back," she assured him.

Until now, she had not noticed the kids staring at them, at her. She felt the rush of blood in her cheeks and forehead. She began to sweat. She was so embarrassed.

She avoided eye contact with anyone. She wanted to run, but forced herself to walk instead. She had suffered enough humiliation for one night. She would not allow these people to get the satisfaction of seeing her flee like a mouse from a cat.

***

David was surprised to see Rebecca at the dance. She rarely seemed to show up at any school events or house parties. Not that he had ever looked for her, but he certainly noticed her tonight. She looked beautiful in a dress and knee-high boots.

Her brown curls bounced when she danced. He wondered if they would feel as weightless and silky as they appeared. He was about to go talk to her when his girlfriend wrapped herself around him.

He hung out with Tracy and their friends until Tracy's favorite song came on. He resisted when she tried to pull him to the dance floor. "I'm going for a smoke. I'll be back soon."

Tracy rolled her eyes at him. He smiled. She wanted him to quit. He knew he should, but it would not be for her.

David headed for the double doors completely unprepared for the scene in the hallway. A red-faced Mr. Jacobs was hurling insults at Rebecca. David had never seen anything like it, except in the movies. It was unreal the way she quietly spoke to her father while he screamed in her face. Crazier still was that she let him.

David would never let anyone, not even his parents, scream at him like that. Mind you, his parents did not even talk to him. They were like strangers. The Millers were so wrapped up in their own careers and social lives that they did not bother with David or his older sister, Cindy.

The spectacle in the hallway was absurd. David wanted to step up to Mr. Jacobs and punch him, but he was sure it would not be to his benefit to get into another fight.

Besides he did not really know Rebecca. Maybe he would just upset her. He did not think she needed anyone else making her miserable. Her father was doing a great job.

While her father waited for her to return from her locker, David studied the man. His dark brown hair and bushy eyebrows contrasted with his red face; he looked like a cartoon devil. His fists were clenched at his sides, and he breathed heavily.

Anyone could see he was angry. About what? David wondered. He would have never guessed that Rebecca's dad was a bully; she seemed so well-adjusted.

There was nothing he could do here. He headed out for his cigarette. The cold felt good after the heat in the gym. He fished the cigarette pack from his pocket and lit up.

The door burst open. Mr. Jacobs was still angry as he lead the way to his car. Rebecca followed like an obedient dog. "Come on! We've wasted enough time here. You are never going to a dance again!"

A pang of sympathy went through David as he noticed how sad Rebecca looked now. She had been so happy dancing with her friends.

How hard was it to be her? How hard would it be to be her on Monday when she came back to school and had to face all the gossip?

In the shadows of the school's parking lot, he decided to become her friend. This girl needed all the support she could get.

On Monday, the gossip buzzed around school about the events of the dance: who hooked up; who broke up; best dressed; worst dressed. It was like the high school version of a televised awards show.

Of course, the hallway scene between Rebecca Jacobs and her father was the top story. The calls and texts had started going out on Friday night. They were still going strong on Monday. By first break, the story was so distorted that apparently Mr. Jacobs had tried to hit his daughter.

As they picked their way through the crowded hallway, David listened to Tracy tell him about it. "Can you believe that?" She asked. "I'd die if my dad did that to me."

David did not mention that he had been there. And he did not bother to give her the correct version. He knew it would not make a difference to her or anyone else.

"She's here today, you know. I would never show my face again!" Tracy said.

He knew what it was like to have gossip about you floating around. People would look at you, wondering whether it was true or not. Some would judge you, especially the teachers.

They had decided he was a bad apple from his first year of high school. And no matter how good his grades were, his teachers always thought of him as the bad kid in their classroom. There was nothing he could do about it, so he just lived with the reputation.

They reached her classroom. "See you at lunch," he said. He kissed her good-bye. Her glossy pink lips gave him a hard-on. He tried to hide it with his binder as he walked to his own class.

Man, was she ever sexy. She was tall and lean and had high, plump breasts that she loved to feature in a variety of sexy tops. Maybe they could skip their afternoon classes and go over to his house. As usual, no one would be there.

History class dragged on as he continued to fantasize about Tracy in his bed. But he did remember to check if Rebecca was there. She was. With his mind still on Tracy, he also managed to catch bits and pieces of Mrs. Stein's account of the Métis Rebellion led by Louis Riel.

The bell finally signalled the end of the period. David caught up to Rebecca at the door. He noticed that her hair was held back at her nape as usual but it looked just as touchable as it had on Friday night.

"Hi," he said tentatively.

She seemed a little surprised at his approach. "Hello."

"Are you going out for a smoke?"

She nodded eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'll see you outside." He walked away without waiting for a response, went to his locker, grabbed his black and yellow ski jacket with the cigarettes inside, and stepped out into the cold.

Since smoking was prohibited on school property, he moved past the fenced courtyard to the sidewalk. The boulevard was busy; he watched the cars drive by while he waited for Rebecca.

She appeared, bundled in her red parka. David pulled out his pack and offered her a smoke.

"No, thanks," she said. "I have my own." She held up her pack. It was a different brand than his.

He shrugged. "Sure, it's up to you."

Rebecca stepped away from him, lit her cigarette, and blew the smoke away. She started to pace along the sidewalk. David joined her. After a few steps, Rebecca stopped suddenly and faced him. "Is there something you want?" she asked.

"Nah, our paths just cross out here all the time. We're usually alone. I just thought some company would be nice." He tried to be nonchalant, but he was having a hard time. He sensed her unease. How could he blame her, with all the gossip about her flying around.

Her almond-shaped eyes scrutinized him. He must have passed the test, because she finally said, "So, how are you doing in history class?"

"Good. I like history, but Mrs. Stein talks with such a high-pitched voice that my ears always ring for a while after her class."

Rebecca laughed.

David was surprised by the pretty sound. He forced himself to focus on her words.

"I know what you mean. Mine too. She's good though, you know? She's funny. It's just her voice, right?"

"Yes, it's just her voice," he replied a little dazed.

How had he never noticed Rebecca Jacobs' sexy laugh before? He also noticed that, unlike their teacher's voice, Rebecca's voice was pleasant and her smile was sweet.

None of these facts were enough to distract him from Tracy's body and the afternoon possibilities. Yet, he could not remember ever noticing these things about his girlfriend. That bothered him.
THE BUS RIDE

Rebecca discovered she liked David Miller. He was a pretty nice guy in spite of his reputation. At the beginning of February, they had paired up for a history project. She found him smart and hardworking which was a relief since her last partner had been stupid or lazy. She never did figure out which although she suspected it was a bit of both.

The bell rang announcing the start of the period. Instead of taking their seats today, students in Mrs. Stein's history class dragged chairs and desks together to finish their projects. The scraping noises were horribly loud.

This was the students' last opportunity to prepare for their presentations. With everyone in deep discussion, the mood was frenzied. Rebecca looked around relieved that she and David were done. The partnership had turned out so well they were ahead of schedule!

David nudged her to get her attention. "What are you going to do with your free period?"

"This is not a free period."

"It will be." He wore a devilish smile.

Rebecca was not going to skip class. She planned on sitting at her desk and doing other school work until the end of the period. She pulled out her English homework. "Who says were getting one?"

"Mrs. Stein will let us go if we show her we've done our work."

David was sitting so close to her she could feel his body heat. She had to focus on her reply. "You think so?" She managed to croak.

"Come on. Let's show her." He grabbed the blue folder that contained their project from her desk.

Mrs. Stein sat at the front of the class available for questions. Not for the first time, Rebecca wondered whether it was the woman's gray hair and wrinkled face that made the history lessons she taught seem so important.

She stood timidly beside David. She would never ask a teacher for a free period. Was she going to get in to trouble for this? David was a troublemaker. Mrs. Stein would expect this from him, but not from her. "Hi, Mrs. Stein."

"What do you need help with Mr. Miller?" The woman asked in that high-pitched voice that made Rebecca's ears ring.

"Rebecca and I are done. Would you mind having a look to see if we missed anything?"

Rebecca had expected David to be blunt and ask to leave. It turned out he was suave as Diana would say. She would have to tell Diana about this. She would get a laugh. David Miller is suave. She relaxed a little. Mrs. Stein might not let them leave, but she would not be upset either.

All they could see was the top of their teacher's gray head as she browsed the contents of their folder.

Rebecca fidgeted with the zipper on her hoodie as they waited for the verdict.

David noticed. He glared at her.

She shrugged, then stopped and shoved her hands in the pockets. "Sorry," she mouthed.

Mrs. Stein's head popped up like a jack-in-box. "This looks good," she said excitedly. "Good work! I look forward to your presentation next week."

Rebecca smiled proudly until David spoke again. "Since we're done, will you let us go?"

The teacher eyed them each in turn. Rebecca's fists shook inside her pockets. David Miller was going to get her in to trouble!

"Alright."

Alright? Really?

"Thank you." David said.

Rebecca got over her minor shock. "Thanks, Mrs. Stein. See you next week."

"Have a good weekend."

They received jealous looks from the other students as they left the classroom. The white and orange hallway was deserted. The muffled thud of their rubber-soled boots echoed softly as they walked.

David kept his voice low. "You never answered my question."

"What question?"

"What are you going to do with your free period?"

Rebecca thought for a minute. It was the beginning of March and feeling spring-like. "I think I'll go for a walk."

"Mind if I come?"

"No."

Once outside, she noticed the snow was melting. It made her a little sad. "I'm tired of winter. I'm looking forward to spring, but still, I'm going to miss the snow a little."

"Do you snowboard?"

"I tried it last year on the field trip to Saint-Sauveur. It was fun."

"Yeah, it's really cool. I go snowboarding with my sister a lot."

"You must be good at it. I was really horrible. I kept falling. My ass was black and blue afterward." She blushed. Why had she mentioned her bruised ass? Moving on, she said, "You know what I really dislike about snow? When it's so packed that it squeaks under my boots. Ugh." She shivered in distaste.

David nodded in agreement. "It gets really annoying, especially at night when there's noise and you're all alone. It just sounds so loud."

"Totally."

They strolled along the boulevard. Cars were parked on either side of the road. Delivery trucks and morning traffic made the street noisy. Rebecca was enjoying his company so much she almost forgot they had another class. "Do you have the time?"

David dug under the wrist of his jacket for his watch. "We're going be late for class if we don't catch that bus," he pointed out.

They sprinted to the stop.

The blue and white bus was almost empty when they climbed in. An old lady with a grocery bag sat in a single seat. On a bench sat a young woman with her toddler, his nose plastered to the window. Rebecca recognized a boy from her English class who was sitting at the back. She waved and he nodded back.

She sat next to David on a bench by the back doors. It would be a quick ride back to school.

"So what are you doing this weekend?" he asked her.

"I'm working."

"Where?"

"At the mall. The department store."

"What about hanging out with your friends?"

They rarely talked about themselves. Rebecca felt a little uncomfortable about being the topic of their conversation. "Maybe Diana will come over or something. You?"

"No plans for now, but I do work at a gym part-time."

"What do you do there?"

David never answered. The bus rode over a deep pothole. Everyone on the bus lost their seat for a second. Instinctively, passengers searched for something to hold on to.

Rebecca's hand landed on David's thigh. David grasped what he could of the blue bench behind her. She fell into his chest. Automatically, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

They looked at each other and grinned. It was a silly and somewhat awkward situation. The humor faded and was replaced by David's soft warm lips.

They came apart embarrassed. "I'm sorry!" They exclaimed simultaneously.

Rebecca tried to regain her composure by staring at the empty seat across the aisle.

"It was a nice kiss," David said.

"Yes, it was," she agreed feeling her cheeks burn hotly.

The bus approached their school. The boy from English class eyed them as he walked past and rang the bell at the backdoors. He had obviously seen them kiss.

Rebecca and David walked silently back to school. They separated at David's locker.

"I'll see you next week," he said casually.

She finally dared to look at him. He looked unperturbed. She was a little disappointed because she was still blushing. "Have a nice weekend," she said as indifferently as possible.

***

English class. David only spared one thought to the 1960s movie version of Romeo and Juliet that began to flicker on the monitor at the front of the class: The play might be ancient, but does the movie have to be too? He tuned out and spent the rest of the class thinking about Rebecca.

Befriending her because her dad was a bully had just been an excuse. While she blended in with the crowd, something made her stand out a little. That something was in full view the night of the dance. Everyone saw it. It was impossible not to see how beautiful and lively she was.

She was much more reserved than his usual choice of girlfriends. Getting close to her was going to take some effort.

The kiss confirmed how he felt about her. His insides had melted. He wondered how she felt about him, but he suspected that she did like him. Or he hoped she did.

As he strode by the green lockers, David realized he could not remember a single scene in the movie. He was not even sure what the actors looked like. Not good.

The green lockers turned to gray ones. This was Tracy's section. He spotted his girlfriend dialling her combination.

"Hey, can we talk?" he asked as she opened the metal door.

Tracy shoved her books inside the locker. "Sure."

The hallway was crowded with hungry teenagers. David did not want to break up with her around witnesses. "How about outside?"

"It's cold."

She was wearing the tightest, almost sheerest of blouses and a skirt she could not bend in, unless she wanted the world to see her ass. If she dressed with a little sense, she would not be cold all the time.

It did not matter. He would break up with her here, he decided. He was unsure of when he had decided to break up with her in the first place, but it was about to happen. "All right, let's just wait for the crowd to clear out, eh?"

Tracy became suspicious. She looked around the hallway at the other kids heading for lunch. "What's going on? Why can't we go to the cafeteria? I'm hungry."

"I just want to talk in private. Maybe we should do this after school instead." David was not sure if she would make a scene. He did not want to deal with a screaming, pissed-off girl.

When it came to relationships, Tracy was pretty quick. "You're going to break up with me, aren't you?"

He looked away from her accusing eyes. "You're really cool. It's just..."

"Just what?" she hissed.

This was not going to be easy. "I'm sorry. I know you won't have trouble finding another boyfriend." Did that sound good or bad? David wondered.

"That's such a stupid thing to say!"

Okay, bad. He hated breaking up with girls. He always felt so darn guilty. It was so much easier when they dumped him.

"Why?" she wanted to know.

He tried to remain noncommittal. "What does it matter? It has nothing to do with you."

She stiffened. "So, it's not me?"

"No. It's me."

There must have something in his voice or his eyes. Whatever it was, the next thing Tracy said was, "Oh, my goodness. It's not you, either. It's Rebecca Jacobs. You like her, don't you? All that time you spend together working on your history project." She was in shock for about a second, then her anger returned. "What the hell is so great about her?"

Screw noncommittal. Since Tracy had guessed his reason for the breakup, David might as well dive in. "I don't know, but I think that she's even better than great. I can't change the way I feel. I'm sorry."

"Why do you have to be so nice about it? Were you cheating on me?" she added the last question almost as an afterthought.

"No. I'm not even sure that she wants to be my girlfriend." He had not expected to say so much. Shit!

"Oh, man!" She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

David tried to hide a smile. She could be so sassy and cool sometimes. He was going to miss her if things did not work out with Rebecca. "At least half of the guys in school are going to think I'm stupid for losing you."

"Good!" She was not angry anymore. She knew he was right. She would replace him in no time.

He would even pretend she had broken up with him. He would let her give out her version of events. It would alleviate some of the guilt he felt. There really was nothing wrong with Tracy. He just found someone he liked better.

***

Rebecca continued to blush the entire afternoon and evening. She could not help it. She was having a hard time focusing on her job.

She was working the cash register in the linen department. There was a sale going on, and the customer line-up was endless. How did the store know that so many people happened to need new towels this weekend?

Her mind wandered to David for the nth time. He thought their kiss had been nice. And it had been. She relived that kiss over and over. She had no illusions about its meaning—it had none. David had made that clear by his vague good-bye. It had happened because of a pothole, one of thousands that plagued the streets of Montreal. She tried hard to remember these facts to keep herself detached.

She was relieved when the store closed for the night. She counted out her sales. She had been so distracted that she worried about being short. Once she was sure everything balanced, she sighed happily.

The bus ride home reminded her again of this morning's kiss. She could not blame it completely on the pothole. David's mouth had hovered so close to hers. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

As much as she might want a boyfriend, she knew she would never get David Miller. She was no sex-kitten type like Tracy Johnson; so maybe a little taste would have to be enough for her.

She wondered if David would tell Tracy about it. If she were Tracy, she would be pissed to learn that her boyfriend was kissing another girl, even if Rebecca was no competition.

Finally alone in her bedroom, Rebecca sat on the polka-dot red and white bedspread. She considered calling Diana. She wanted to tell someone that she had kissed David Miller. But what could she say, really?

The kiss had been accidental for the most part or on David's part. Besides, what if Diana forgot to keep it a secret and the story got back to Tracy? Rebecca did not want to cause David any problems. She wanted to keep his friendship. Most importantly, she did not want Tracy Johnson as an enemy.

The kiss had been too insignificant to share with Diana and risk all that trouble, she concluded.

"Rebecca Jacobs, you are silly!" she mumbled out loud. She put on her earphones, turned up the volume on her iPod until the loudness of the music drowned her thoughts of David, and went to sleep.

Rebecca had spent the weekend resigning herself to being David's friend and nothing more. But this morning, she could not shake the anxious feeling in her stomach. She wondered if David would ignore her or talk to her.

Clutching her books, she weaved through the hallway of teenagers with Monday morning blues.

David manifested before her. "Hey," he said.

She brought her books to her chest as if they could stop her pounding heart from exploding out of her chest. Trying to ignore how self-conscious she felt, Rebecca shot back a cheerful, "Hiya." She gave him a half smile. It was all she could manage considering her nerves.

"How was your weekend?"

She looked down at her shoes, gulped for air, focused on answering his question. "Good. I went to over Rohini's house and baked cookies yesterday."

"Sounds alright. Did you have fun?"

How could he be so casual? Well apparently, they were still friends.

"Yeah. Her brother ate most of them while they were still hot."

"Her brother was hanging around you?"

She was started to relax now. They were just having a normal conversation. Sort of. Once again, it was a little more personal than usual. "Yes, I think it's the whole twin thing. They hang out together so much."

David stared at her like he was expecting something. It dawned on her that she should show some interest in his life too. "So what did you do?"

"I hung out with my sister. We went to the movies."

"So you hang out with your sister too, eh?" she teased.

He laughed at himself. "Yeah, I do."

The hallway was emptying. It was almost time for second period. "I'm worried about our history presentation tomorrow. I keep practicing, but I'm still nervous."

"You'll be fine. We'll be up in front of the class together. Do you want to go over it after school?"

"Maybe we should. Just one last time. Having you and Tracy as an audience will help me prepare."

David shot her a surprised look. "Tracy won't be there. We broke up."

"Why?" she wanted to know. Instead she said, "I'm sorry to hear that. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he paused, "You're going to be late for class. I'll meet you at your locker after school."

"Okay, but I can't stay long. I have to get home. See you later." Rebecca hurried down the hall. She made it through the door just as the bell rang. She took the only seat left wondering what had happened between David and Tracy.

Somehow, she was not surprised they had broken up. David and Tracy were the kind of couple who were together because, to them, being in relationship was part of life and not because they really liked each other. She had never had a boyfriend, but she knew that kind of relationship would not suit her.

What if the kiss had something to do with it?

She shot the thought down before any hope entered her heart. She would not allow herself to wish for something that would never happen.

As the morning progressed, Rebecca was reminded of the Monday after the school dance when all the kids were talking about her and her dad. People just kept giving her looks today.

Thank goodness it was lunchtime. She could meet up with her girlfriends and find out what had happened. She really wished her parents would allow her a cell phone. Then she could be informed like every other kid in school!

Whatever the gossip was, it was definitely about her. Her friends had just spotted her entering the cafeteria and stopped talking. She proceeded to their table, "Speak."

Janet, the sporty one of the four girls, was the first to do so. "What is going on between you and David Miller?"

Rebecca felt herself turning red. Did they know about the kiss? Is that why everyone was looking at her this morning?

She decided not to say anything until she knew for sure. "What do you mean?" She asked as she pulled her lunch from her backpack bag.

Diana answered. "She means that there's this stupid rumor that he broke with Tracy..."

Rebecca cut her off. "He did break up with Tracy. He told me that this morning."

Diana flashed her palm at her. The perfect tips of her manicured nails showed beyond her fingers. "Let me finish. He broke up with Tracy because of you," she emphasized the last words. "Ha! What a laugh," she added shaking her red head in disbelief.

Rebecca ignored the slant her best friend had just given her. She was feeling a little excited. "Really? That's the rumor?"

"Yup," Diana said still shaking her head. She tapped one of her fingernails on her cell phone. "All right here."

Rohini finally piped in. "My brother told me the same thing yesterday. I know David's a bad boy, but it's so romantic," she proclaimed dreamily, rolling her big brown eyes heavenward.

Diana stared at her in disgust. "You are so silly!" She turned to Diana. "And you need to get a cell phone. You live in a cave. How can you not know about this?"

Sometimes Diana was the worst best friend ever! She knew Rebecca's parents were strict. She did not have to make her feel bad about it. She was not the only kid in school who did not have a phone, but she was one of the few.

"I agree with Rohini," Janet told Diana. To Rebecca, she pleaded, "So answer

the question!"

Rebecca looked down at her lunch, a sandwich and an orange, and back at her friends. She was lost. "What question?"

Janet leaned forward over the table almost knocking over her soft drink, "What is going on between you and David?"

"Nothing, we're just friends." What else could she say? David had not acted like they were anything more than friends this morning. So what if he broke up with Tracy? She would not allow herself to dream about an impossible relationship.

With an air of superiority, Diana said, "I spent the morning telling people that there was no way you and David had skipped school together on Friday to make out on the bus."

Oh, wow! So the guy from English did blab. Or David told Tracy. That was not believable; it had to have been the guy on the bus.

She had wanted to tell her friends about the kiss all weekend, but she had kept it to herself. Now that it was gossip, she did not want to talk about it. "We didn't skip. We had history class. We were done with our project so Mrs. Stein let us go. We went for a walk, that's all."

Diana turned to Rohini as she texted frantically. "You see. I told you. There's no way Rebecca and David would be making out on a bus."

Rebecca was not a monster. Angry, she almost shouted, "Is it really so hard to believe David Miller would kiss me?" Kids from nearby tables turned to look at her. She blushed in embarrassment again. More quietly, she added, "It was just one kiss."

Janet whooped in victory like she did when she scored at a soccer match. "I knew it!" She shouted at Diana. Kids from nearby table looked over again. Janet lowered her voice, "Didn't I say he was goo-goo over her? I told you that two weeks ago." Smiling excitedly, she asked, "What was it like, Becca? Did it blow your mind?"

Rebecca blushed for the third time. How embarrassing! Her gaze wandered across the cafeteria to David sitting with Ron Pearl, the student with the most piercings. She was tempted to go over and ask, "Did you break up with Tracy because we kissed?" That sounded so middle school.

She was annoyed that everyone knew about this gossip except her. She wished she would have spoken to David about it earlier. As embarrassing as that conversation might have been, at least she would know how to deal with this.

She sighed. "Why didn't any of you tell me about this over the weekend?"

"I thought you already knew when you came over yesterday," Rohini said.

"I only found out about it when I got back from my soccer tournament last night."

Rebecca turned to Diana who shrugged, "Sorry, but you need a cell."

"Some best friend you are!"

"I said sorry."

Rebecca rolled her eyes at the redhead and dropped the subject. It was time for them to move on to another topic. She was done talking about it.

After school, Rebecca waited for David by her locker as planned. She had spent the afternoon wondering how much truth there was to the rumor. Although she doubted it, she wished there was. She had a definite crush on David.

Feeling as nervous about seeing him now as she had this morning, she tapped her boot against her locker as she bit on her lower lip. She tried to focus on her surroundings to calm herself. She stared at the row of gray lockers across from hers. The hallway was emptying out. The din of the metal doors being shut was dying down.

One of the popular girls eyed her as she walked past. Agh! She wanted to scream. She wanted to go home. This was just too much for her.

She spotted David heading her way. She watched unreserved as he approached. He carried himself with so much self-assurance for a sixteen-year old. His T-shirt and jeans emphasized an athletic body. His messy hair stood on his head in places and lay flat in others.

He caught her watching him which made her feel like she had been doing something naughty. She flushed with embarrassment. Blushing seemed to become a new pastime for her.

Had he dumped Tracy for her? She wanted the rumor to be true. He was watching her as intently as she had been watching him. She knew the truth. She broke into a smile. He smiled back, took one last step toward her and kissed her.

This time it was more than just one nice kiss. It was a series of deep wet kisses.

She was enjoying the tingling sensation flowing through her body, when she heard a familiar voice call out, "It is true!" Then closer, "Hey buddy."

David abruptly pulled away from her.

Diana was poking his shoulder. "Tracy on Friday. Rebecca on Monday. What is going on here, huh?"

Diana was so meddlesome! Couldn't she have let Rebecca enjoy kissing David? Did she have to cause a scene all the time?

Taking charge, Janet grabbed her arm. "Mind your own business."

"Hey, watch my sweater!" Diana pulled away from Janet.

Ignoring her, Janet rushed her, "Grab your stuff, and let's go." She apologized to Rebecca and David. "Sorry, guys."

Once her girlfriends left, Rebecca needed to sort out some facts. "I didn't think the rumor was true." She said timidly.

David flushed. "Why not?"

She searched for words but none came.

"I broke up with Tracy on Friday at lunch. It was coming. I just didn't know if you were into me until now." He smiled.

Rebecca smiled pleased to learn that she was not the only one who had a crush.

"I guess you don't need to wonder anymore," she said shyly. "But my parents are kind of strict. I can't go out much. And I can't date. I just think that maybe you might want to be with someone who goes out to movies and parties and stuff. I can't. I'm sorry."

"Hey, we're barely together, and you're already breaking up with me?" he joked.

This was no joke to Rebecca. After the dance, there was no way her parents were going to let her date anyone. If they ever found out that she was breaking one of their rules... She was afraid to think of the consequences. "I'm just saying that you would be better off with someone whose parents aren't so strict."

"You are breaking up with me," he insisted.

"No." How to explain it to him without getting in to the details of her home life? Words failed her.

"I don't care. If I can only see you at school, so be it." He shrugged.

"Really?" Did he like her that much, or did he misunderstand what she was telling him? Maybe he did not realize what that would really mean.

"Really." He kissed her again to lay the matter to rest. "So do you want to practice for tomorrow's presentation?"

Jeez, the presentation! She had forgotten all about it. She wished he would ask her if she wanted to make out some more. David Miller was a really great kisser! She turned into her locker and smiled secretly at the thought. She grabbed her note cards, turned back to face him, and started her speech.
THE ENEMY

David sat on the bench across from the Sony store. He was watching the hockey game while he waited for Becca to finish her shift. He saw her at school and accompanied her to work and home afterward. It was enough for now.

She had been serious when she had warned him about her parents. She was not allowed to date or to go out much at all. That didn't really bother him because he had lots going on. He had to study and work. With the weather warming, he was also getting together with his buddies more often.

What did bother him was how Becca never talked about her home life except to say "My parents are strict" or "My parents won't let me." Judging from her father's behaviour at the dance, there had to be more going on than that.

The hockey game disappeared when ice-cold fingers covered his eyes. For a moment, he thought the fingers might belong to Rebecca.

"Guess who?" The raspy voice definitely did not.

Instinctively, David leaned forward to break away from the icicles. "Oh, it's you."

"Don't sound so enthusiastic." Diana came around the bench.

She sat so close to him that their legs were touching. He moved away a little. She made him uncomfortable.

Watching the game?" She indicated the TV screen in front of them.

"Yup," he answered. Diana was nice to look at but she was cold on the inside. He did not understand how a nice girl like Becca could be friends with someone so full of herself. She was supposed to be Becca's best friend, but so far, it seemed pretty one-sided.

"I was shopping. Want to see what I bought?" Without waiting for an answer, Diana propped a LaSenza bag on her knees and dug into the pink tissue paper until she pulled out a black G-string.

His mouth went dry. How could she do that to her best friend's boyfriend? And in the middle of the mall too?

"What do you think?" She moved the shopping bag aside, tossed her shoulder-length red hair over her shoulder, and placed the flimsy triangle against her crotch.

He regained control of his brain and asked, "Do you always show your underwear to your friends' boyfriends?"

She smiled slyly. "Oh, come on. It's not like you haven't seen girls' underwear before. Don't you have a sister?" she teased. "Anyway, the girls you date aren't exactly virgins, except for Rebecca."

It was hard to believe he was having this conversation with her. What was he supposed to tell Becca about it? He had no clue.

"What do you see in her?" Diana asked coolly.

He tried to decide whether he was confused and angry at the question. He had had enough. It was time to leave before he said something he would regret. He stood up. "If you have to ask me that, then you're not her best friend."

He left her sitting there with her underwear in her lap and went to meet his girlfriend.

He moved across the mall with his fists clenched at his sides. His anger overriding his confusion. What kind of friend was Diana? Their friendship was a bad joke on Becca. She spoke of Diana with so much admiration while Diana spent her time disrespecting her.

By the time he reached department store, the doors were closed. He waited a few minutes for Becca to show up.

Her broad smile made him smile back. "How are you?" she asked.

Should he tell her about Diana and her underwear? "Fine. How was work?"

"Okay." She took his hand. "I'm tired. Let's go home."

The bus was waiting when they got outside. They found seats at the back. David looked around to see if Diana was there too.

"Are you looking for someone?"

"I saw Diana while I was waiting for you. She takes this bus, right?"

"Maybe she had her dad's car."

"She could have given you a ride home."

"Maybe, but I'd rather take the bus with you."

That was sweet, but besides the point. "She'd gone shopping. She showed me what she bought."

"I doubt you were interested."

"It was underwear."

"Oh." Becca looked down at her backpack. "Did you like it," she whispered.

"I'd rather see yours."

Even from his angle, he saw her face turn red. He had not meant to embarrass her.

"Diana's too much," she giggled. "I can't believe some of the stuff she does."

He was confused again. "Aren't you angry?"

"No. What for? It's just Diana being Diana."

That was it then. Becca just forgave Diana because she was being herself, even if being herself was insulting to her supposedly best friend.

David was going crazy waiting for her to get back to school with the charity youth group that did volunteer work in the community once a month. He needed a distraction. He went out for a smoke.

He found his best friend Ron on his skateboard. He watched him for a few minutes. He was definitely a good skater. When Ron was done showing off, he came over to bump knuckles.

"Hey, Ronnie. New wheels?"

"Yup. Do you want to try them?"

David got on the board, executed a few moves, and returned it to Ron.

"Pretty awesome, right?" Ron beamed proudly.

"Sweet. Very sweet."

"David! There's Diana Rainville. You have to introduce me. She is hot! Like muy caliente!" Ron's lanky frame writhed as though an electric current was running through it.

David laughed at him. When he looked behind him, he groaned. Diana was definitely heading their way. He did not mind introducing them, but he did mind that she was coming over to hang out with him. Again.

He sighed. She was a pain. He reminded himself to be nice to her, because she was Becca's friend.

"Hi!" She was all smiles.

David didn't reply, but Ron did. "Hey!"

Her eyes flickered over him and returned to David. "All alone?" she said.

Bitch! "I'm hanging out with Ron. Do you know each other?"

All the metal poking through Ron's skin made him look unapproachable, but it was cute the way he bobbed his head and sheepishly said, "We have art class together."

She looked at him a little more than the first time as if she was trying to recognize him. It should not have been hard considering all the piercings. "Right," she finally said.

Ron worked hard to keep her attention. "You painted the Chinese dragon, right?"

"Yes."

"It's really great. I really like the way you blended the red and the orange on its belly. It looks just like fire. So amazing! That must have taken a long time."

"Yes, it did." Diana was not interested in this conversation. David noted. She kept looking back at him.

She was being a bitch to Ron, but he decided to try leaving her there with his friend. "See you guys later."

Ron might keep her away from him for a while. Maybe what she needed was to meet someone who was available and, equally as important, interested in her. Then she might leave him and Becca alone.

David tensed when he heard her footsteps behind him. His plan had not worked. He walked faster.

She sped up to keep up with him. Trying to lose her was like trying to lose a mosquito!

"Can I talk to you?"

What now? thought David. He looked back to see Ron shrug and get back on his skateboard. Ron deserved better than Diana Rainville. That was for sure.

He got to the school entrance. "I have to go."

She ignored him as she walked behind him into the building. "I heard you're good in math. I'm going to fail. Will you help me?"

This had to be some ploy. Even if it wasn't, she would have to find another tutor. "I'm sorry, but I'm really busy. I can't do it. Just ask your math teacher for a tutor. He'll find you someone. I have to go. I'll catch you later."

He marched into the one place she could not follow, the boys' locker room. Thank heaven he had PE next, 'cause he needed to work some of this frustration out. Man, what a pain!

Since Becca was coming back to school late during the lunch break, David was not in a rush after PE. He took a real shower, not just a hose-down. His sister Cindy complained so much about how smelly boys could be that David was careful about his personal hygiene.

He went by the cafeteria. Becca was not there yet. It was late enough during the break that there was no line for a school lunch. He opted for a sandwich and juice so he could enjoy the April day while he waited for Becca.

He had almost made it out of the cafeteria when Diana suddenly blocked his path.

"Hi! Where are you going?" She asked.

"Outside." He let his annoyance show. Why was it that the girl David wanted to be with was not around, and the one he would love to push over the edge of the earth pestered him constantly?

"I had to eat my lunch alone," she whined, twirling a strand of red hair around her finger.

"It looked to me like you were eating your lunch with those two guys over there." He indicated a small table near the windows.

He briefly wondered why she wasn't part of the charity youth group, since her closest friends were. Asking her would make him seem interested, and he was not.

"So you did notice me." She grinned in delight. "We were just sitting at the same table," she added, as if the boys weren't her friends.

He had seen them hangout before. "You were talking," he said, irritated.

She completely ignored his words. "If you noticed me, why didn't you come and sit with me?"

"I'm going outside to wait for Becca. I'll see you." He stepped around her.

"Wait. I'll come with you."

He wanted to say, "No way!"; but he restrained himself.

Once outside, he sat on the cool ground, leaned his back into the school fence and unwrapped his egg sandwich.

Diana sat right up against him again.

He scooted a few inches away from her like he had on the bench at the mall.

What else could he do? He was unsure. He wanted to tell her to stay away from him and Becca, but how would Becca handle that?

He discovered he was still too close to Diana when she started playing with his hair. This was so wrong. Was she serious or was she toying with him? He got the feeling that she just wanted to see if he would take the bait.

"Stop. I don't like that," he said pulling away.

He spotted the bus coming toward them. He said a silent prayer for it to be carrying Becca. He got up ignoring Diana. Once he saw his girlfriend through the window, he forgot all about her teasing friend.

Becca bounced off the bus with a smile. "Hi," she exhaled.

He wrapped his arms around her. "Hi." He breathed in her shampoo. His stomach grumbled at the sweet scent. They laughed. "Did you eat?"

She nodded, "On the bus."

He noticed Diana being swallowed up by the crowd getting off the bus. That was good. It meant he had Becca to himself.

"We have some time. Let's go to the soccer field." He took her hand and led the way. He noted how small and soft it was. It made her seem fragile. He wanted to protect her from the people like Diana.

"Why do hang out with Diana?" he spoke the question before he knew it.

Surprised, Becca turned to him. "She's my friend."

"Do you really think so?"

She smiled. "Of course. We're best friends. You know that. You don't like her, do you?" A worried look shadowed her pretty face.

"No, I don't!" Weeks of built-up frustration came through the words. Instantly, David regretted how harsh they sounded.

Becca's expression was sad and confused. "Why don't you like her?"

"Let's get a seat."

Other students, enjoying the spring day, were hanging out at the field. David scanned the bleachers for a spot away from everyone. He climbed to the top and wondered whose side would Becca take if he really told her what he thought of her best friend? After all, she had been friends with Diana much longer than she had known him. She might not see things his way.

Once they were seated he answered her truthfully. "I don't think she's as good a friend to you as you are to her."

"We like the same music. We like the same clothes. We like the same books. Okay, so we don't like the same TV shows, but still we're almost the same person. We even like the same guys."

"You are not the same person!" David exclaimed.

Her eyes grew wide at his mild outburst.

"And what do you mean you like the same guys?"

Her cheeks flushed pink. Hesitantly, she answered, "Like I'll say, 'I like him. He's cute,' or something like that, and Diana will like the guy too." She glanced at David.

"Is there anyone you like now?" The question revealed his insecurity. He hated having asked.

"Just you. A lot. " She smiled nervously.

He let out the breath he had been holding.

They were getting off topic. None of that was important right now. "Diana tells you that she likes the same guy?"

"No, it's just that usually I'll end up seeing her with the guy. And he'll be into her." She shrugged as if it didn't matter.

"And she'll be into him too?"

"I guess. Why would she be with him otherwise? It never lasts, though. They won't really date. You know what I mean? They just hang out a few times. I guess once she gets to know them, she's not really that interested." Becca shrugged. She talked about Diana's behaviour like it did not bother her at all.

Well, it bothered him. "Does this happen with every guy you like?"

She stared past him as she thought about the question. "Yeah, I think so. Why are we talking about this? What does it matter?"

"That's not normal. Friends don't date their friend's crushes."

"I don't mind. It's not like I can date anyway." She sounded so sad.

"We're dating." He shot back.

She nodded smiling. The smile was pretty but all wrong. She was a smart girl. She should be able to see the truth about her best friend. She should be angry.

"I think some guys would mind all the sneaking around."

David was unsure if he wanted to shake the naivety out of her, or if he wanted to protect her from a girl who obviously enjoyed hurting her.

"Don't you think that's strange and mean? She's supposed to be your friend. Shouldn't she let you have try?"

"No, she's really hot. And she's not shy around guys the way I am. And her family lets her do whatever she wants. They really trust her, not like mine."

The way she compared herself to Diana bothered David. She was so special to him. He took her hand in his. "You're beautiful too. Don't compare yourself to anyone."

She smiled and blushed again.

"And you're not shy."

"Yes, I am. I don't really know how to act around guys. Diana has an older brother. She's more comfortable with boys."

"You're not shy with me."

"It's easy talking to you. I'm really comfortable around you."

He was glad to hear it, since he felt the same way.

She withdrew her hand from his like she realized she needed to protect herself from him. "Why are you asking me all these questions about Diana? What's going on?"

He felt awkward, but Rebecca needed to know the truth. "I don't think she's your friend."

Her back stiffened in reaction, and her face hardened. She breathed through her nose twice before she spoke in a cold, angry voice. "Did something happen between the two of you?"

Without hesitation, he answered "No." His anger surfaced too. How could she be suspicious of him? Then again, all she had to go on was past experience.

The next time she spoke, Becca sounded defeated and resigned. "I understand if something happened. It's okay. All the guys I like, Diana ends up getting. It's okay if ..." She choked.

"I didn't try anything! Nothing happened! Why would you say it's okay? It's not. That would be cheating. It doesn't matter what the reasons are. Stop thinking that Diana is so great, because she's not." He was getting louder with every word.

Some kids were looking in their direction. He didn't care. Let them look! The pathetic, loser expression Becca's wore disgusted him. This was not his Becca.

The whole thing was so infuriating. Why were they having this talk? Who would she chose—him or Diana? Why was she so accepting of Diana? Why was her self-confidence so low?

David regretted having started this conversation. He had not expected to have to deal with all this stuff. All these thoughts raced through his mind, and he exploded.

"Diana keeps coming onto me. I keep telling her to stay away from me but she just keeps on trying. She is not your friend. Why would a friend go after your boyfriend? I'm not just some guy you told her you liked. I'm your boyfriend, and she knows it."

His outburst made her back away a little like she felt threatened. "But she's ..."

He cut her off. "Stop defending her! She's a bitch. Can't you see that?"

She bent her head forward. Her brown, curly hair was like a curtain cutting her off from him. He saw a teardrop hit her jacket.

Guilt replaced his anger. He had not meant to scream at her. He had not meant to upset her. He had just wanted to protect her.

He apologized. "I'm sorry I screamed at you. I'm sorry about Diana. I'm sorry you're hurt."

Tentatively, he put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him. He took it as a sign of forgiveness. "I love you."

She wiped at her eyes with her hands. When she looked up, tears still clung to her long eyelashes. He could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. Finally, an expression of pleasure altered her face.

He let out the breath he'd been holding. "Do you love me too?" he whispered.

She nodded. "Yes, I love you too." She kissed him softly. She looked away as another thought crossed her mind. "Why do you love me?"

David wished he could just place her hand on his forehead and let her read his thoughts like in some sci-fi movie, because he did not know how to put it into words. "Because you make me feel like a good person. Because being with you feels good to me. You don't judge me. And I don't have to be a bad guy to impress you."

"David, you are a good person. You just need to let other people see it."

They heard the school bell ring in the distance. They fell in with the crowd returning to school.

"I always thought Diana was so much cooler than me."

"She's not. She's just mean."

They walked silently until they reached her locker.

"Did you believe me when I said nothing happened between me and Diana?"

"Yes."

She had chosen him over Diana. Relief flowed through him. "What are you going to do about Diana?"

"I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it." She sounded despondent.

Who wouldn't be sad to find out that their best friend was actually their worst enemy? Who wouldn't be sad to realize they had been duped for years?

If it were him, though, he would be looking for a fight, but it was not him. Becca would deal with Diana in her own way. He would be there if she needed him. In the end, all that mattered was that he still had her in his life.

***

Normally, Rebecca enjoyed her free period with Janet but not this morning. She was too distracted by everything David had said about Diana yesterday. She was already sitting at their usual table in the near empty cafeteria when Janet arrived.

"How's it going?" Janet asked. Dressed in a lavender T-shirt and purple track pants and being a natural blond, she projected a sweet, girl-next-door image.

Rebecca debated whether it was real or fake. Was Janet her friend?

Her eyes stung with exhaustion as she studied the other girl. She had barely slept last night. Memories had come back to her of occurrences that supported everything David had said. Diana was not her friend at all. Had she ever been? Rebecca was disappointed in herself for her poor judgment.

"Okay," she answered flatly.

"What are you working on?" Janet removed her messenger bag from her shoulder and sat down opposite Rebecca.

Rebecca looked down at her open book. She could not remember opening the book, and took a moment to decipher the subject. "Math," she finally realized. "What do you want to work on?"

"Actually, I finished math in English class. It was so boring. I couldn't stand listening to Mr. Conch anymore. He doesn't care anyway." She shrugged. "I don't feel like doing homework today. Let's look at magazines instead!" She pulled out three fashion magazines.

Any other day, Rebecca would have agreed, but today she had to stop and think about it. Did she have to worry about her friendship with Janet too? Was blowing off homework some sort of manipulation tactic Janet used?

Janet was always spontaneous. Rebecca would know if she weren't really her friend, wouldn't she? Agh! She was so confused.

"Don't tell me you want to study." Janet waved the magazines.

"I should do my math homework."

"And I should work on chemistry since I'm failing, but I'm going to look at all the spring trends instead."

Genuine and honest. Those were good words to describe Janet, Rebecca decided. She closed her text book pushing it aside and grabbed one of the magazines.

"I love these shoes." Janet pointed to a pair of open-toe colour block wedges.

"They're okay." Rebecca said uninterested. She was so tired, she could barely see. She rubbed her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong? You seem down. Do you have your period?" Janet's idea of privacy was different from most people.

Rebecca was used to her. She didn't even blink at the suggestion. She needed to talk to someone about Diana. She decided this was her opportunity. David was great, but he was angry at Diana. Besides, he barely knew her. "No, just something ..."

"Something going on with David?"

"Sort of. But ..." She started doubting herself. What if Janet sided with Diana? The two of them were disagreeing a lot lately but they were still friends.

Janet rubbed Rebecca's back to show her support. "You can tell me."

If things blew up between her and Diana, Janet and Rohini would find out anyway. If that happened, their foursome would be split. She might as well find out now what the outcome might be. "It's more about Diana and David."

Janet froze. Her body stiffened. "Did he cheat on you with her?" she asked in a loudly.

"No. What would make you say that?" Rebecca panicked.

Fear and doubt returned. She trusted David, but what if she shouldn't. What if she had misjudged him like she had misjudged her best friend? What if he was covering something up by telling her Diana was not her friend? She wanted to scream out in frustration.

"I've seen the way she acts around him. She flirts with him all the time. You've seen it." Janet spat out the words like they were poison.

Nausea hit Rebecca's stomach. "I haven't. But that's what David said."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

Everyone had noticed except her. How could she have been so blind?

"It sounds like it's been happening a lot. I just don't know what to do." Tears sprouted in her eyes. She held them back. She would not cry.

"What do you mean? What did he say? Does he seem interested in her?"

"No. Actually he says she's not my friend." There was a frog stuck in her throat when she said the word friend.

"I think he's right."

"Did you ever see him like the attention from Diana?" she asked timidly.

"No. Actually, I think you can trust him."

Was she the only one who had not seen the truth about Diana? "I've been friends with Diana since elementary school."

"I know, but every time you like a guy, she goes after him. Why haven't you ever done anything about it?" Janet was saying exactly the same things that David had said.

Rebecca wanted to throw up. She slumped in her chair. "I didn't realize that she did it on purpose. I thought we had the same taste in guys and ..." She put her head between her hands instead of finishing the sentence.

"And they liked her better," Janet finished for her.

Rebecca nodded. Janet rubbed her back. Her friend felt sorry for her. That's not what she wanted, but that's what she got for being a fool. The nausea sat in her stomach. She lay her head down on the table.

"What should I do? Should I confront her? She's part of our group. What about Rohini? I don't want to start a huge fight."

"But you don't want her to steal your boyfriend either."

"Do you really think she would?" Rebecca still couldn't believe how cruel Diana might be.

"Becca, she's been trying already. That's what David told you. That's what I'm telling you. You need to face the fact that she's a bitch. She wasn't always like that, but she is one now."

Rebecca felt so stupid. She had been gullible for so long. Why had everyone seen the real Diana except her?

"If it makes you feel any better, I know Rohini can't stand her cause Diana puts her down all the time. And I haven't been getting along with her either. So do what you have to and make things right. I'm on your side."

Rebecca sighed. There was no point in feeling sorry for herself. She would just have to face her best friend, former best friend.

After speaking with Janet, Rebecca felt she had only one option. She was not going to let Diana play her anymore. David was her boyfriend, and Rebecca had to make that clear. She had to set things right at the first opportunity.

Unfortunately, the first opportunity would probably come sooner than she wanted it to. Probably tonight.

She hated fighting. She usually backed away from any kind of confrontation. She had enough of that to deal with at home.

She dreaded the end of her shift at the store. She changed her mind about what to say to Diana at least a dozen times. All she knew for sure was that she would have to be assertive and make herself clear.

When she walked out of the department store and into the mall, David was waiting for her. His sandy hair was messy, she noted. That made her smile. "How's it going?"

"I missed you," he said in that self-assured way he had about him. Heat swelled in her chest. Serious. Committed. Intense. That's what he was. She was sure their relationship was real unlike her friendship with her best friend.

Her mouth forgot how to form words, so she kissed him hard in response.

A mall cop making his rounds ended the kiss all too soon. "Move it along, kids."

David grabbed her heavy backpack from her shoulder and placed it on his.

She looked around. "No Diana." Maybe she would not have to deal with her tonight after all.

"You look relieved." He said as they walked hand in hand toward the mall exit.

"In a way." She would have to deal with her best friend sooner or later.

"Hey, wait!"

Rebecca grunted. She turned to see Diana chasing them down. Her footstep echoed loudly through the empty mall as she walked briskly in her high-heeled spring boots.

David mumbled something under his breath. Whatever it was, it was bad. She cringed. "I'll talk to her, okay?"

Surprised, he asked, "What are you going to say?"

They had not talked about Diana since the day before, so she had not informed him of her decision. It was too late now since Diana had caught up to them.

She would give Diana one last chance. "Hi. How was work?"

Diana ignored her, and waved to David instead. "Hi David." She smiled broadly. "I like your new jacket."

Suddenly, Rebecca felt stupid. How could she not have seen the real Diana until yesterday? "Stop doing that!"

Annoyed, Diana finally looked at her "Stop doing what?"

"Ignoring me!"

"I just noticed David's new jacket," she smiled at him again.

"Stop it!" Rebecca said as she took a step between them.

Diana rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Hi!"

She was mocking her. Rebecca felt her body heat rise. Through clenched teeth, she added, "And stop flirting with my boyfriend."

Diana had not expected that. Opening and shutting and opening her mouth again, she struggled for words. "You know I'm just friendly."

"I know your kind of friendly. It's the kind that has you making out with every guy I've ever liked."

Part of her wanted to cry for having let herself be deceived for so long. Feeling sorry for herself was not going to make things right. She needed to stand up for herself.

"What do you care?" She asked like it did not matter. "You can't date anyway."

"I see how stupid I've been. I'm tired of you and your little games. You're not my friend. Stay away from David, or I'll tear your heart out. He's mine." She stared her down until she could see fear in the other girl's eyes.

Diana was quiet and seemed a little shaky. Rebecca was done. There was nothing left to say. Turning to David, she took his hand again and started walking.

"I'm better than you." Diana called out.

Rebecca turned around. Diana, red-haired and petite, looked pathetically alone. "I've been stupid for being your friend. But I'm a better person than you because I know how to be a friend."

"You're just a nun." Diana shot back.

"Better than a bitch." They were calling each other names which reminded her of her father and his bullying. That was enough for Rebecca. She walked away leaving Diana and David behind.

David followed her silently. Although she was aware of his presence, she was busy letting her body calm down. The adrenaline was wearing off, and she started to feel weak.

When they reached the bus shelter, she finally chanced a look at him.

"I'm proud of you," he said sincerely. "You really stood up for yourself."

There was nothing she could say to that. She broached the distance between them and let him wrap his arms around her.
THE DATE

David woke up when his alarm clock radio started playing. It was better to wake up to a song than the buzzer, but no easier. Groggily, he eyed the clock. The red digital numbers displayed six thirty. He threw the covers off. Time to get ready for the day and meet Becca.

Rain tapped against his window. They would meet at the coffee shop for breakfast. If it were not raining, they would be meeting at the soccer field for a make out session. He sighed when he thought about all the kissing they were going to miss out on.

While breakfast would not be as much fun, at least it resembled a date. He wished he could take her out like most girls. It really sucked to only see Rebecca at school or on the bus to work and back. He spent the bus ride thinking about all the things they could not do. By the time he got off, he was in a bad mood.

The coffee shop was almost empty. He left his backpack and jacket at the corner table by the window and went over to the counter.

"Hi, Sam." He greeted the stout, dark-haired owner.

"Alone today?" Sam asked, filling a metal tub with margarine.

"Becca will be here soon."

"So what do you want?"

"Two coffees, buttered toast, and a chocolate croissant please."

David watched Sam pour the coffees, make the toast and get the pastry.

When Becca arrived, he was already back at the corner table.

She flipped her hood off and greeted David with a peck on the cheek. "I don't like rainy mornings."

"Me neither," he mumbled.

She took her jacket off and plunked down in a chair. "We're stuck inside."

"Yup." He hated getting into one of these negative moods, but he could not think of anything except her unavailability.

"What's wrong?"

"At least it's almost a date." He replied sarcastically.

She gulped her coffee down hard. "What do you mean?"

"I mean meeting here is as close to a date as we have ever gotten." He said tightly.

She spoke quietly to her coffee mug. "You know I can't date."

Now, he felt bad. "I know."

Still staring at the coffee, she said, "I told you that in the beginning."

"I know." He tried to stay. She was not to blame.

She finally ventured to look at him. "Then why are you bringing it up?"

"Maybe because I'd like to do something with you this weekend."

"I'm sorry." She lowered her eyes again.

"Don't be sorry. Can't you lie to your parents?" He could not control himself. He wanted more than a smoke break or a twenty minute bus ride.

Her expression changed from sadness to worry. "Lie to them?"

"Yeah, you know, tell them you're going out with Janet or something and we could go on a date."

"I can't do that."

David pushed. "Why not?"

"Because they might check up on me."

"How?"

"My dad might show up at Janet's or something."

Frustration fuelled him. He raised his voice. "Why don't you tell your parents to take a hike?"

Tears welled in her eyes. He had not meant to hurt her. He was angry at her parents not at her. He placed his hand on hers. "Becca, I'm sorry. It would be nice to see you more often and do stuff like a normal couple."

He observed her as she turned her gaze to the window. He had gotten to touch those curls secured in a ponytail. He had gotten to kiss her, joke with her, share her iPod, tell her about himself.

With his mind focused on Becca the last few months, he had not been so angry at the world. Fights had become a thing of the past. He still had a bad reputation but inside he had changed. He was a better person. He liked the new him.

Finally, she looked at him. "I'll ask my parents if I can go on a date with you. I should be able to date. I am sixteen."

Her willingness to talk to them surprised him. "Yes, you should. Your parents can't hide you from the world forever." Then he recalled the scene at the dance. He grew worried. "What do you think they'll say?"

"I don't know."

"I mean how is your father going to react?" he ventured.

"We'll see," she replied tightly.

Maybe it was time to ask the questions he never asked. "Your father has a temper, right?"

"He worries a lot. That's all." She paused. "You don't believe all those rumours from the dance, do you?"

"No, I don't," because he knew the truth. He had been there, but he would not tell her that right now. He figured he had upset her enough already. "So you'll ask if we could go to the movies on Saturday night?

" No." She shook her head, "I'll just ask if we can go to the mall on Saturday afternoon. Would the afternoon be alright for a date?"

He would take what he could get. "Yeah, that would be great! But why?"

"If I ask for Saturday night," she explained, "they'll think it's a really serious date. And the movies? Well, they'll just think we're going to make out for two hours. We can go to the movies though as long as it's at the mall. In case, they check up on us."

David gulped. Now he had to worry about her parents showing up while they were on a date. It was not easy to be her boyfriend.

"We can still make out during the movie though." He joked.

Rebecca laughed.

David was happy to hear the sound again. He had been such a jerk earlier. "I'm sorry I got angry with you."

"Never mind. I'll talk to my parents before Friday, okay?"

"Why not tonight?"

"I need to think about how to ask. And I need to wait for the right moment." She took a sip of her coffee.

"I don't know what your parents are worried about you. I just tell my parents I'm leaving. They don't ask questions," he said in his tough bad boy voice. He didn't like the way it sounded.

The sad truth was that his parents just didn't care. They were always too busy building their careers.

"But you're a boy."

"That's pretty sexist. My parents treat Cindy the same way. They just don't know what else to do except accept it."

"It sounds like they're not cool with it." She looked uncomfortable as she added, "It sounds like they're scared of you or something."

"They just don't know what else to do." He shrugged.

"Maybe they trust you."

"No, they don't, but I think they trust Cindy. They expect the worst from me cause I'm always getting into some fights at school."

How the hell had they on to this subject? He was getting depressed by all this parent talk.

A bus stopped in front of the coffee shop. A bunch of students got off. "Finish your croissant, we have to go."

"I'm sure your parents love you, and they worry about you just like mine do." Becca claimed before throwing the last bit of croissant into her mouth and quickly draining her coffee.

He had a hard time believing that her parents were worried about her. It was more like her father worried about losing his control over her. He worked hard to keep the aggression out of his voice, but he viewed her dad as her greatest enemy. "Is that what you really think your parents do? Is that why you're so obedient all the time?"

"I think that my parents have my best interests at heart. They don't want me to get into trouble and ruin my life." She shrugged on her black jacket.

They had to go so he let the matter drop. "Maybe you're right."

***

Rebecca pretended she was fine. She smiled and talked with David until they separated for first period.

Ever since they started dating, her life had gotten more complicated. She was always tense fearing her parents would see her with him at the mall or on the bus. Or Diana would tell them about David in retaliation.

That was another complication. She had lost her best friend.

And now, she was going to ask her parents if she could date. Asking her parents would not be that hard, but she wished David had approached her differently. His mood this morning reminded her so much of her father. He had blamed her for her parents' overprotective rules. And he had been angry with her for obeying them.

He claimed he wanted to spend more time with her and do the things other couples did. But she was already spending as much time with him as she could.

Part of her feared the coming argument with her parents. She always caved. Another part of her welcomed it. He was right when he said she should tell them to take a hike. She would never do that, but she needed to start standing up for herself.

Maybe she should have stood up to David instead and refused to change things. Why hadn't she? She had been afraid of losing him. She had been afraid he would have broken up with her.

She felt cornered by him and her parents. She felt so alone without Diana to talk to. She wanted to cry.

Rebecca was almost out of time. It was Thursday night and she still needed to talk to her parents.

In their cheerful yellow kitchen, Rebecca and her parents sat at the table having supper. Her father was relaxed and her mother was in a good mood. A better opportunity would not present itself.

She was afraid to ask. If her parents were against the date, they would watch her like hawks. She was suffocating already from all their boundaries. She did not need any more parental supervision.

"When do you think I can start dating?" she ventured as she dug into her mashed potatoes.

Her father's head shot up like a dog who heard unfamiliar footsteps. "Why?" he almost barked. "You're too young!"

One question and he was already upset. Not a good sign. She hated the way his mood changed so drastically from one minute to the next.

She shoved her fear down with the mashed potatoes. "I am sixteen."

Barely looking up from her plate, her mother piped in, "Your father said you're too young."

Rebecca smiled like the conversation did not really matter. "You started dating Dad when you were sixteen."

Her mother shut her down quickly. "It was a different time. Boys didn't have such high expectations."

Her father rested his fork and knife against the dinner plate and focused solely on Rebecca. She had seen this move so many times before. She knew it was almost past the point of no return then the arguing would begin.

It all seemed out of place in the cheerfully decorated kitchen.

Rebecca made up her mind not to let him intimidate her. Her parents needed to give her a little space all her own. She lost her appetite, but she continued to pretend that the outcome of this conversation meant little to her and proceeded to cut the roast beef on her plate.

"Did someone ask you out?" her father asked in a low tone inviting her to open up.

She was familiar with it. It was a game he played. His voice implied that she could trust him, but if she did, he would unleash his vicious fury against her.

She ignored him and replied to her mother's comment first. "Mom, I don't think things have changed that much. Besides I'm sixteen, why can't I have a little fun?"

"Fun!" her father thundered.

She had chosen the wrong word.

"You little slut. Fun! Your daughter's a whore, just like you, Martha!"

He rose from his chair deliberately, scraping the legs against the floor. "I can't believe this. Fun! Who have you been having fun with? I'll kill him! Give me his name right now!" He slammed a hand against the kitchen table so hard, everything on it rattled.

Rebecca's heart jumped into a fast rhythm. She struggled to keep her voice steady. "I didn't mean that kind of fun, Dad. I just meant that I would like to go out on a date with a boy. I think it would be fun to go to a movie or something."

"A movie?" her mother snorted. "What did you expect to be doing at this movie? You are a slut!"

Rebecca's jaw dropped. She stopped pretending to be interested in her food. Her mother always took her father's side. She was not a slut.

The accusation made her angry. She drew strength from it. "I expect to be doing the same thing with a boy that I would be doing with my friends, which is watching the movie. The difference would be the company and maybe the boy would pay for the movie."

"Boys don't pay for movies anymore. It's not like it used to be. You would probably have to pay for him," her mother said condescendingly.

Her father clung to this. "You would pay to be his whore, wouldn't you? You are an animal!"

No, she was not an animal! Why would he say that about her? She was his daughter.

Hot tears filled her eyes. Unlike the night she faced Diana, she felt defeated. She did not have the courage to go on.

That did not stop her parents. She was nothing but an out of control animal they needed to keep caged. She let them say it.

What was the point in trying to convince them otherwise? They had their minds made up already. Anything she said would be twisted and turned against her.

The only thing she could do was keep David a secret. How much longer would he want to be her secret boyfriend? A pang of pain ran through her. The last thing she needed right now was to think about a breakup.

What a disaster! The ranting went on but it was no longer aimed at her. Her parents were attacking each other now. She was still the topic of their conversation, but no one paid attention to her anymore as she cleared her dish away.

With her back to them, she stood at the kitchen sink wiping her eyes with a tea towel and wondered how she would explain this to David tomorrow. How could he understand her family when his own did not seem to care about him?

Rebecca could still hear her parents fighting when she shut her bedroom door. They even invaded the little space she considered her own. Dwelling on that would get her nowhere. She needed to talk to someone who could help her find a solution.

She scanned the room for her cordless phone, but could not see it. Frantically, she searched on her dresser, in her bed and through the pile of clothes on her chair. Where is it? Tears of frustration clouded her vision.

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to calm down. When she opened them, she saw the phone on her desk in plain sight. She sighed, shoved her clothes to the floor and sat down at the desk. With a sense of urgency, she punched Janet's cell number.

It went straight to voicemail.

She nervously dialed Janet's house. It took five rings before her father answered. "Janet, please."

"Who's this?"

"It's Rebecca."

"How are you? We haven't seen you around in a while."

"Just let me talk to Janet," she wanted to scream. "I'm fine. Busy," she said instead.

"You need to drop by sometime."

She did not have time for idle chitchat! "Is Janet there?"

"No, she's playing soccer tonight."

Dread hit her stomach. "Sorry to bother you. I'll talk to her tomorrow. Good night."

"Don't be a stranger Rebecca. Bye."

Emotional and confused, it was hard for her to think what to do next. Her parents were still tearing each other apart downstairs.

She quickly dialed David's cell number.

He answered on the first ring. "Hi. This is a nice surprise." He had caller display.

"I can't talk. I just wanted to let you know that I can't meet you tomorrow morning."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just have more homework than usual. I'll be up late," she lied.

"That's too bad." Disappointment clear in his voice.

She suddenly felt guilty. "Sorry."

The shouting stopped.

"Are you alright? You sound funny." He asked concerned.

There was no way she was going to tell him she had been crying because her parents freaked out on her when she asked her parents if she could date. Anyway, she needed to get off the phone. "I think I have allergies. I have to go. Bye."

"Okay. Bye."

Without knocking, her mother entered her bedroom. "Who are you talking to?"

She forced herself to be casual. "No one."

"I heard you talking," her mother said sternly.

"I called Janet. I needed to ask her about some homework, but she wasn't there." Rebecca shrugged like she was disappointed.

Her mother humphed and left the room leaving the door open. Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief grateful her mother accepted the lie.

The call to David had not solved anything, but it had bought her some time until she could talk to Janet. She hoped Janet would help her.

Rebecca had promised to talk to her parents and she had. David was expecting an answer today. Until she talked to Janet, she avoided him. She did not know what to tell him yet.

Telling him about last night's argument never seemed like an option. She wanted to, but wouldn't she seem like a loser when he discovered what her family was really like? All David and her friends knew was that her parents were overprotective, and that's all she wanted anyone to know.

When she had seen him this morning before first period, she had hurried away, claiming to need to use the washroom. It was their first break and she felt like she had no choice but to face him. She let out a sigh and headed outside, where she knew she would find him.

She had failed in speaking with Janet. What was she going to tell David?

He smiled broadly when he spotted her. "Hey."

"Hello." Despite everything, a smile formed on her lips. He was like her sun she realized. And wow, was he ever attractive wearing a black, long-sleeved T-shirt and cargo pants.

He looked relaxed leaning against the fence. "Did you finish all your homework last night?"

I took her a moment to understand he was talking about her excuse for cancelling this morning."Yes."

"You seem edgy today."

She was. "I don't know. I'm just a little anxious, that's all. Must be lack of sleep." She waved a hand through the air dismissively.

It was time to tell him. She took a deep breath. "I can't go out Saturday afternoon. I forgot that I had to help my mom with the housework. I'm sorry. Why don't you go to the movies with your friends?" The lie had formed as she spoke it.

"No." David took her hand in his, forcing her to focus on him. "I want to go with you. We'll go on Sunday afternoon then, okay?"

"I'll have to check." She lied again. There was no way she would have another conversation about movies and boys with her parents.

"Your parents said yes, right?"

She dodged the question. "I have to go. I have to borrow a book from Janet for my next class. I forgot mine at home." Lie number three.

It was bad enough that she felt desperate and sad. Now she felt dirty too.

"But you didn't even have a cigarette."

"That's okay. I've heard those things will kill you," she said, half-joking. "I'll see you later, okay? I'm going to be pretty busy today. I'm sorry." Another lie.

She unwound her fingers from his and left him standing confused. How could she explain to David that her parents would never let her go out with anyone?

They should break up. He would not have to deal with this stuff, and she would not have to lie to anyone. But she loved him. She wanted to keep him. What was she going to do?

To erase the lie about borrowing a book from Janet, Rebecca headed toward her friend's locker. On her way, she promised herself that all this lying to David would stop. Lying to her parents seemed better, since it was their fault that she found herself in this position.

She made up her mind to give David the date he so badly wanted.

She found Janet rummaging through her locker. The blonde's upper body was immersed in the small space; all that was visible was her lower half, clad in black and yellow track pants and black athletic shoes. It was a normal sight to see.

"Hey Janet, can I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it?" Janet never looked to see who was speaking to her.

"Can we go out Sunday afternoon? To the movies?" Her reason rushed out anxiously. "David wants to go out on a date but my parents won't let me. So, if we go together it won't seem like such a lie."

Flooded by last night's humiliation again, she suddenly wanted to cry.

Her torso still in the locker, Janet said, "Yeah, no problem." Her voice muffled by the locker sounded unnatural. "Josh Turner asked me out yesterday. A double date on Sunday afternoon would work out fine."

Josh Turner was the captain of the boys' soccer team. He was considered a great catch. Rebecca should have been thrilled for Janet, but all she felt was relief for herself. "Thanks, Janet."

Rebecca exhaled a cleansing breath. Sometimes things could be easy. "By the way, can I borrow a book from you? Physics?"

"Sure." Janet passed her the book with her left hand while her head and free hand continued their search through the mess of papers and athletic clothes.

Rebecca wondered how she ever found anything in there. "Janet, I could help you organize that."

Janet straightened for the first time. "Then I'd never be able to find anything!" she claimed horrified.

Rebecca held her laugher. If Janet thought her messy locker was efficient, who was she to argue?

As she headed for her own locker, she was grateful for Janet's friendship. She had helped her sort through her problems with Diana and had just saved her and David from a break up.

Rebecca and Janet found seats in the crowded movie theater while David and Josh bought popcorn and drinks.

"Every girl in our class is going to be jealous of you for going out on a date with Josh."

Janet nodded, smiling devilishly. "I like him. Maybe we can all get a bite to eat or something after the movie."

"Don't hang out with Janet after the movie and get your father upset. Be home for supper," Mom had warned her earlier.

Rebecca looked at her watch anxiously. "I might have to go home. It depends what time the movie ends."

Janet understood. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. Your parents won't find out you were on a date."

Rebecca slumped in her seat. She felt like such a loser. "Thanks again, Janet."

"No problem."

Janet sounded as confident as always, but she looked different in a flower-print blouse and dark blue jeans. She had also traded her regular footwear for a pair of turquoise blue ballerina slippers. She had gone from athletic to sexy.

Rebecca admired her. Janet really seemed to be in control of her life unlike herself.

Frowning, Janet asked Rebecca, "What are you and David going to do when school's out? How are you going to see each other?"

Rebecca had avoided thinking about that. This was only one date. David would want to go out again. She did not know how she would manage the next time without Janet's help, let alone the summer. "I don't know." She shrugged."

"Have you asked your parents if you could date?"

She did not want to tell Janet the whole story. It was too embarrassing. She gave her less than a summary. "Yes, and they said no."

"But David wants to go out with you."

Rebecca nodded.

"Does he know your parents won't let you?"

"He's known from the beginning. Then we had an argument about it. So I asked my parents if I could date. They said no, but I lied to David and told him they had agreed. Janet, I didn't want us to break up." She confessed.

"We'll figure something out, okay?" Janet reassured. "We can hang out together." She suggested.

"Thanks, Janet."

Janet was being helpful but how many dates would it take for David to get fed up with Janet being around? She would have to tell him the truth eventually.

Throughout the movie, David held Rebecca's hand. Their knees touched. The darkness was so intimate. She was so aware of him—his body, his smell, his heat. She tried to focus on the movie, but her senses were distracted by his presence.

Her conscience also interfered. She thought of all the lying she had done to be here with him. And she had gotten Janet involved too.

She resolved to tell him the truth after movie. She needed to maintain some honesty in her life.

The credits rolled on the screen. The foursome sat, waiting for the theatre to clear. Josh got up first. "Hey guys, how about some real food?"

"That sounds good!" David agreed immediately.

"I can't." Rebecca told David.

"Why not?" He asked confused.

Speaking to Janet, Rebecca said, "Why don't you and Josh got ahead?"

"Are you sure?" Her friend replied.

"I have to talk to David."

"Okay. Bye."

Rebecca watched them go as she sat, thinking of the words she was about to speak. She felt the tension in David while he waited for her.

When she was done studying the back of the red seat in front of her, she looked at him. "I lied to you. My parents refused to let me go on a date. Janet was willing to cover, in case my parents checked up on me. But I have to go home now. I'm sorry."

She saw anger cross his handsome features. She watched him, wondering what he was thinking. She looked at her watch and back to him, "I can't stay much longer. I'm sorry."

His mask was in place. Since they had started hanging out together in January, he had always been open and relaxed around her. Her stomach knotted painfully. She knew it was not the popcorn causing the ache.

"Why didn't you tell me that on Friday?" David finally asked through clenched teeth, his fists so tight the knuckles were white.

She was certain he wanted to yell at her. Her father certainly would have and he would have called her every name he could think of.

It's over, she thought. We won't break up because of my parents, we're going to break up because I lied.

If he were her father, she would have clammed up, but this was David, and, even upset, he had always listened to her. "I didn't want you to break up with me because my parents are crazy strict. You wanted to go out on a date so badly that I didn't want to let you down."

He lowered his head to his hands. "You did let me down. You lied to me."

Facing his anger was easier than his disappointment with her. "I'm sorry I'm not like your other girlfriends." Her voice was weak and thin.

His eyes flew to hers. "I'm not. I never loved any of them."

The words felt like a slap. It was her turn to look away. She had not realized how much she could hurt him.

And she had not realized what a broken heart felt like. She really did feel broken inside, like a tear deep within her. Unconsciously, she laid a hand on her chest as if to check if it were still whole.

He leaned toward her, his eyes pleading. "You need to trust me."

She nodded and forced the words out with the little bit of breath that the pain in her chest allowed her to use. "I do."

He jerked forward. "Liar! If you did, you would have told me the truth."

Tears stung her eyes. She deserved whatever he said to her.

"From the beginning, you told me your parents were strict. It hasn't been easy for me. Not just cause I can't see you or call you when I want to, but also because I worry that you'll get caught.

"Then what would we do? What are your parents going to do to you? Would they start driving you to school every morning and pick you up every afternoon like you're too stupid to take the bus? Would they make you quit your job? I worry about stupid shit like that all the time because all I want to do is be with you."

She stood. She was the angry one now. "How can you say all that? You're the one who told me to lie to my parents in the first place!"

He stood up to face her. "I did. I'm sorry. I've been a jerk."

Rebecca was so confused. It had been such an emotional week. Fight after fight. It did not seem to end. David sounded so sincere.

Regardless of their argument earlier in the week, his speech was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. Still, she could not let it go.

"You have been a jerk. If you love me that much, than you should be satisfied with spending time with me any way you can. I won't let you bully me. I get enough of that at home."

"I know."

He did not know anything! And she had said too much, but at this point she did not care. She headed for the stairs.

"Rebecca, wait."

With tears streaming down her cheeks, she turned toward him. "I can't date. If you want to see me, then it will have to be at school and at the mall. And from time to time, we could hang out with Janet. That's it. Is that enough for you?"

"Yes."

She sighed in relief and wiped the moisture off her face. He came to stand beside her.

"I'm sorry I lied to you," she said.

"It's my fault. If I hadn't pushed you for a date, you wouldn't have. I'm sorry."

A theatre employee holding a garbage bag interrupted them. "Hey, guys. Movie's over."

David laced his fingers through her wet ones. "Let's get you home."

They silently sat side by side on the bus. Rebecca forced herself to calm down. She was sure her face was a mess, and she needed to look normal when she got home or her parents would notice.

She pushed the button for the bus to stop. David squeezed the hand he had been holding since they had left the movie theater. "Thanks for taking the risk." He kissed softly.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," she whispered against him.

"Okay. Have a good night."
THE FIGHT

Sunday became their date day. Although David could have done without Janet and Josh. Unfortunately, Janet was Becca's alibi, so there was no way around the double dates.

They had been to the movies again, the park and a diner. The best dates were when they hung out at Janet's house like today.

"I'm dreading the math exam on Tuesday." Becca said sitting cross-legged on the floor. She was dressed in a new pair of black jeans and a black blouse that was almost see-through, but not quite.

David knew because he had spent the last few minutes trying to determine the outline of her bra. Her long hair was loose, and the brown curls ended at her elbow. David grabbed a tendril and let its silkiness glide through his fingers.

"You'll be fine. You worry too much."

He let his hand run from the top of her head down the length of her hair, releasing the floral scent of her shampoo. He drew closer to inhale her intoxicating smell. He kissed her, gently at first, then more demandingly. Becca responded eagerly to the attention.

The creaking bed from Janet's room interrupted them. Janet and Josh were just so obvious that it was embarrassing to sit downstairs and listen to them having sex.

Still, it was David's favorite time, because he got to be all alone with Becca.

She dropped her head against his shoulder and giggled. "I always thought that stuff like this only happened in the movies."

Upstairs the bed squeaked away. It was too weird to start making out again and even weirder to sit, silently listening. They could have gone to the backyard, but it was raining. The only way to ease the awkwardness was conversation.

David thought back to what Rebecca had said about the math exam. She worried constantly. Mainly, she worried about what her parents would think. Her self-confidence was too low.

"You'll do great on all your exams," he encouraged.

She snorted, "Yeah, right!"

"You need to have more faith in yourself. We're graduating soon. Don't worry so much about what your parents will think."

She pulled away from him. "My self-confidence isn't related to my parents." Her tone indicated she was offended.

"As long you accept everything they impose on you, you'll have self-confidence issues." David knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he kept going. "You're great, and they want more and more from you all the time. And you think if you do a little more, then you'll get their approval, but you won't.

"They don't want you to grow up. They think because you're their kid that they own you. That's just so wrong."

"At least my parents care about me," she said angrily.

He felt heat rise to neck. It collared him like a hot pack left too long in the microwave. He hated talking about his parents as much as she did about hers. "Control isn't caring!"

"You're trying to change my attitude toward my parents to suit you. Isn't that control too? I lie to them every time I see you. Isn't that enough for you?" she almost screamed.

She was good at telling lies. It had ruined their first date. He had been so angry at her for lying to him. But it had been his fault. Sort of. He refused to take all the blame. Her parents were partially responsible too.

"What did your parents say when you told them you wanted to date?" He had been holding back that question for too long.

Surprised, it took her moment to respond. "They said no."

"Did your dad get angry?" he ventured.

"Dad is Dad," she shrugged.

She did not trust him. That hurt. She held back the most significant part of her life. He was sure her family life was horrible, but she never said a word about it. She hid it from him like it did not exist. It was like she did not believe he could be there for her.

He let it go and tried to turn things around. "Becca, I don't want to fight with you. I don't think you realize how amazing you are. Even if they don't approve of you, you're great."

"I know they're super-strict, and you can do anything. Is that what's bugging you?"

Had she heard a word he had said? He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing is bugging me except the way you try so hard to please them and can't."

Her lack of freedom was such a huge concern for her that, no matter how much he told her he accepted her terms, she brought it up frequently, like she was checking to see if he had changed his mind.

Once again, he found himself having to reassure her. "If you want to keep us a secret, you know I'm okay with it. I don't like it. I definitely want to see you a lot more than I do, but that's okay. I'll take what I can get."

He watched for a sign that meant he had convinced her. "I love you," he added.

Becca exhaled loudly and reached for him. He put his arm around her shoulders. He felt her tension ease. "Don't be angry with me," he whispered into her hair.

***

"I'm not anymore. I love you too," she whispered back. And she did. Rebecca felt it in her heart and through her body. Some of it might be teenage hormones, but it did not matter. Right now, Rebecca just wanted to touch him.

She looked up. He was so handsome with his thick, light-colored hair and his eyes fringed with long lashes.

She kissed his neck, which was hotter than normal; nibbled on his earlobe, which made him shiver a little, and slid her tongue between his lips. He had let her take the lead for a bit, but with a groan of pleasure, he tried to take control.

She would not let him. She broke the contact, enjoying the desire that lurked in his eyes. Taking his hand, she rose. He looked disoriented. "Follow me," she commanded and pulled him up to his feet.

The bed above was still squeaking; Janet and Josh would be busy for a while.

Weeks ago, Janet and Rebecca had talked about sex, especially about Rebecca's virginity. Janet had reduced the dilemma of having sex to three questions: Did Rebecca want to have sex with David? Did she trust him? And did she know for sure that he respected her?

She was done thinking. The answer to all three questions was yes. What swayed her were all the arguments they had had. Even after upsetting each other, they were still friends. They still wanted to be together.

Janet had advised Rebecca that, if ever she and David needed more privacy than the living room, they should use the spare bedroom in the basement. Just in case, the girls had taped condoms to the back of the headboard, hidden from parental eyes.

Rebecca had made up her mind, but she had not planned a seduction. This was definitely spontaneous. She led the way downstairs, feeling her knees wobble a little with each step.

The spare bedroom was painted a light gray, not exactly the color of love. The white bedspread featured a mustard yellow and gray bamboo design. The curtains covering the small basement window matched the pattern. It was all too coordinated, but inviting too. The double bed, piled with gray, mustard, and white decorative pillows, was welcoming.

"Close the door," she instructed.

David pushed the door into its frame; his gaze never left hers. His curiosity was apparent. They had never been here before.

Rebecca decided that action would be better than words at this moment and proceeded to unbutton her shirt.

"What are you doing?" a nervous David asked.

"Exploring my sexuality." Oh my goodness! Had she said that so brazenly?

Rebecca ignored the heat in her cheeks, let her shirt drop to the floor, took a step closer to David, and tugged his black T-shirt over his head. He didn't protest, thank goodness! Although she had not expected him to, she felt relieved to get past this point.

Lying down on the bamboo pattern, they kissed for a while, tentatively, passionately, softly, wetly—every which way that felt good.

The feel of his warm chest against hers was better than she had ever imagined. They had gone further before, but never naked. Her bra was gone, she noticed. When had that happened?

His hands seemed to be everywhere. She focused on her body and its sensations, avoiding the embarrassment brought on by shyness. She wanted more. Her pants undone, Rebecca slipped them off.

David stopped her. "Becca, I don't have any condoms. Besides are you sure about this?"

David must really love her. A lot of boys would have never asked that. If she had had any doubts about David, she certainly did not now.

Wordlessly, she slipped a hand between the headboard and the wall, located the taped package, and carefully ripped it off. She handed it to David.

David eyed the package. "You planned this?" He was stunned.

Rebecca took a deep breath. "I thought we might have sex some time. We might as well be prepared. Safe."

They had never had a serious sex talk. She had never imagined they would be having their first one while she wore only her pink panties. She was feeling so self-conscious right now.

She inhaled deeply and in one breath said, "I know we love each other and care about each other so I want to make love with you. You do want to, right?"

"Definitely." He grinned.

Although she had known the answer would be yes, she exhaled in relief.

"Come here." He motioned her back to the bed.

A warm June breeze caressed Rebecca's skin as she descended from the bus. Final exams were behind them, while two months of school-free summer days loomed ahead. The skate park was teeming with kids—some skating, some riding BMX bikes, and some hanging out.

Rebecca recognized the boy wearing the West 49 shirt and board shorts as David. He stood at the edge of the bowl, ready to drop in.

She froze mid stride. A skateboard was coming at David. The rider seemed to have lost control. In the next nanosecond, both board and skater swerved away.

Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief. The move had been well calculated. The fakie ollie had been perfectly executed to look like the skateboard would smash into David. There was no doubt it had been done on purpose.

"Did you see that?" Janet gasped.

"He's angry. There's going to be a fight." Rebecca predicted.

She was right. David launched himself into the bowl after the boy. She was close enough now to hear the boys exchange words.

"Hey, dog breath come here!" David shouted at the kid as he pursued him.

"Screw you!" The black-haired boy replied over his shoulder as he tried to get away.

There was nowhere for him to go. The park was too crowded. They were on the opposite side of the park from where Rebecca and Janet stood.

Rebecca did not recognize the black-haired kid, who was dressed like any of the other skaters around. He looked about their age. He must have been from another school.

She noticed the piercings before she recognized the face. Ron Pearl stood a few feet away from her. She went over to him. "Ron, what's going on?"

"That guy's just rude. He keeps getting in everybody's way. He thinks he owns the park. Dave'll put him in his place."

Rebecca flinched when she heard that.

Ron walked across the bowl. She followed, with Janet in tow. There was no one skating or riding now. Everyone wanted to watch the fight. Ron took his place next to David.

The boys called each other names until David took a swing and missed. The boy tried to hit back. A small crowd encouraged them, shouting out whose side they were on, which was mostly David's.

Although she was not interested in the fight, she was drawn to it. She had to see. The kids surrounding David and the black-haired skater were obstructing her view. She elbowed herself into a front-row spot.

She watched as the two went at it. She wanted to shout "Stop!"; but she could not find her voice. She felt rooted to the spot. And although it was a warm day, she felt cold, like the blood in her body had stopped circulating. The thud of fists colliding with their target was disturbing.

David had a reputation for violence. She had known about all the fights he had gotten into, but she had never thought of him as a violent person. Even when they argued, she had never been afraid of him.

She was so tired all of a sudden. She needed to sit down. She needed to walk away from this. The crowd behind her crushed her into her spot but she was rapidly losing the energy to maintain her position in the inner circle. Afraid the force behind her would send her on her knees, she hung on Janet's arm for support.

***

David grunted as the jerk head-butted him in the ribs and sent them both tumbling into the bowl. David landed on top. Time to end this, he thought. He pounded the other kid until he gave up trying to rise. It was done.

Despite his scraped knees and aching back from the fall, his swollen left eye, and the taste of blood on his tongue, a sense of satisfaction flowed through him. He felt energized.

He heard some cheers of victory from the surrounding crowd. He spotted Becca in a pink t-shirt, but she was turning away from him. From the edge of the bowl, Ron extended a hand to help him out.

He looked back at Becca, but she had disappeared from her spot. He scanned the crowd. Where was she? He turned to Ron, "Where's Becca, man?"

"I don't know." The metal protruding from the various holes on Ron's face glinted in the sun as he shook his head.

"I've got to find her," David said, mostly to himself.

"Yeah. Cool. Good show! Catch you later." Ron slapped David's back in support.

David winced. He was aching all over.

Kids kept coming at him. Some slaps on the back and pats on the head were bestowed upon him. But he was not feeling victorious. Where was his girlfriend?

Once the crowd dispersed, he finally noticed the pink top in the distance. She was standing at the bus stop with Janet. What was she doing there?

The bus was coming. Why was she leaving without talking to him? With the remainder of his strength, he sprinted to the stop. Janet was already climbing in when he reached the girls.

"Where are you going?" he panted.

Rebecca stared down at the ground. "I'm not doing this," she shook her head at the sidewalk.

"Doing what?"

She finally looked him in the eye. "I don't like violence." She made a move toward the bus.

Violence. He just fought for respect and she called him violent! David grabbed her arm.

"Let go. Now." She was serious.

The bus driver interrupted, "Either get on or get off. I have a schedule to maintain."

David searched Becca's face, looking for something that would ease the ball of confusion in his mind. Part of him knew he had done the right thing, but it had changed the way Becca looked at him. For the first time, she saw him as bad.

He wanted the sinking feeling in his stomach go away. He had only seen Rebecca so sure of herself once before: the night she put Diana in her place. Was she really ending their relationship like this?

One thing was for sure, she did not want to be around him right now. "Let go!" She repeated and jerked her arm out of his grip.

He followed her through the bus with his eyes for as long as he could. The bus left him standing on the sidewalk all alone.

His skateboard was still in the park, he had to get it before someone made off with it.

He stalked back to the skate park. Becca was so angry with him that it made him angry with her. He did not know what to say or do to fix things. His helplessness added to his anger too. He needed to think, but first, he needed to soak in the bathtub with some ice packs.

After cleaning himself up, David rode the bus to Janet's house. She lived on a residential street, where ranch-style bungalows sat on large lots. He passed the four-car driveway and strode up the path leading to the house.

The front door opened to reveal Sharon, Janet's sister, leaving for work. She had the same blond hair as her younger sister, but had a curvier build. Her white and blue flight attendant uniform showed off her figure, which she maintained with regular workouts. David knew because she was a member of the gym he worked at.

"Yikes, that must hurt," she commented about his bruised eye.

He thought of Becca leaving him at the park. "I'm not sure it was worth it." He had not called Janet to say he was coming over. "Is Rebecca here?"

The young woman shook her head. "No, but Janet and Josh are in the pool."

"Thanks." He walked into the house, closed the door, slipped off his shoes, and headed to the backyard.

Janet and Josh were floating in the pool on bubble chairs.

"Hey guys," he called from the wooden deck off the kitchen.

"Hey, man." Josh slid off the chair, splashing Janet with his sudden movement. He got out of the pool and walked over to David to shake his hand. "I'm sorry I missed the fight, but it's on You Tube. It was great!"

"Nah, it was just a fight." Technology sucks! He thought. He was annoyed with all this attention. He had already gotten two calls and six text messages about it. He wanted to turn off his cell phone, but he hoped that Becca would call.

He had come to Janet's to find out what in the world his girlfriend was thinking. He knew that, had it been Tracy or another of his ex-girlfriends, he would not be chasing after any of them right now. He would be home resting his body, sipping on his father's whiskey bottle, and thinking about the benefits of being single again.

Who knew that falling in love meant not giving up?

Four steps from the deck to the concrete around the pool brought him to Janet, who met him at the edge. "Hey Jan, where's Becca?"

Janet climbed out of the pool. "She went home." The disappointment in her voice was clear as she towelled off.

He was disappointed too, because home meant out of reach. He was anxious to resolve this, although he believed there might not be a resolution. "So why is she so pissed at me?"

"I don t know. She wouldn't talk to me about it. She just wanted to leave. She was teary-eyed, but she wouldn't say anything. I thought she might need a friend, but she barely spoke to me on the bus. It was really strange. She just said she didn't like violence. That's it. She shut down." Janet shrugged her slim, white shoulders and laid the towel over one of the four lime green, lounge chairs.

David took in the information slowly. "So she's home?"

"That's where she said she was going. She said she wanted to be alone." Janet looked concerned. "She's never told me anything but does she talk to you about her father's temper?"

Everyone knew about it but Becca insisted on keeping it a secret. He forced a blank expression on his face; he refused to admit to anyone that his girlfriend did not trust him. He resented finding himself in this position.

"Can you call her for me? I can't ask for her if her parents pick up." He handed her his cell.

"Sure. Okay." Janet dialed with both thumbs and put the slim, black phone to her ear. "Hi, Mrs. Jacobs, it's Janet. How are you?" She paused for the answer.

"Hey, are you okay?" She was talking to Becca now. "Well, I have someone here who wants to talk to you. Would that be okay?" Another pause. "Okay, well how about later?" Janet looked nervous.

David was about to crack. Even Josh was edgy as he swayed from one foot to the other in the small pool of water created by his dripping shorts.

"Can you hang on just for a sec?" Finally to David, she repeated Becca's words: "She says, 'It will never be okay.'"

His fists tightened at his sides. "Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I was defending myself."

Janet repeated everything and came back with, "She says, 'It doesn't matter what your reasons are.'"

"Does she think it's okay to be mistreated?" David asked, loud enough for the phone to pick up his voice.

Janet repeated, "Stop trying to justify."

This was ridiculous. David grabbed his phone from Janet. "Violence is wrong, but sometimes it is necessary. We have a duty to protect ourselves. It's not okay to let yourself be abused. I'm sorry about your father, but I'm not like him. Don't do this." He had started out angry, but his voice rose in distress by the last words. It had all come rushing out uncontrollably.

"All you know about my father are rumors," she replied in a low, steady voice.

His bluster dissipated, replaced by empathy. "I was in the hallway the night of the dance, Becca."

"You don't know anything!" she shouted into his ear. Abruptly, he pulled the phone away.

She was so furious with him that he expected her to hang up. When "CALL ENDED" did not appear on the screen, he lowered the volume and put the cell back to his ear. "Can we get together?" he asked.

Silence.

It tore at him. "Please?"

"Not today. Maybe tomorrow, Janet." Becca emphasized her friend's name.

She and David had spoken on the phone often enough for him to understand that her parents were close by.

As he handed the phone over to Janet, David briefed her. "She's willing to meet tomorrow. Can you cover?"

Janet nodded to him then spoke into the phone, "Tomorrow's no problem. At what time?"

"At one?" Janet checked with David, who nodded his agreement eagerly. "That sounds good." Janet hung up, smiling proudly.

She had helped them once again. "You are a lifesaver. Thank you, Janet." David said as he took his cell back.

"No problem." She reached past him and grabbed Josh's hand to lead him inside. David knew what that meant and left.

He wished he could be lighthearted as the couple in the house, but his life had never been that simple. The people he loved were oddballs, just like him. Ron, king of self-mutilation, was his closest friend. Cindy, his sister and his senior by only three years, was the closest he had to a mother. His own mother would ignore his battle marks this evening when she saw him, but Cindy would insist on getting the whole story and maybe taking him to the doctor.

Then there was Rebecca, secretive and deceptive, caring and vulnerable. How could all those traits describe just one person?

The next day, David showed up at Janet's early. He waited anxiously in the living room, pacing the beige carpet in his bare feet, while Janet watched a reality show on Much Music.

He wondered whether Becca would change her mind and not meet him. He sighed wishing he had not come so early. But stewing at home or here did not really matter.

The hour finally beeped on his digital wristwatch. The doorbell rang. He sunk in to a cold, leather armchair while Janet went to answer the door. He heard her cheerfully greet Becca. "Hi."

Becca's reply was a flat "Hello," followed by whispers David could not make out. Then Becca entered the living room alone. Her face was taught from stress, he observed.

Shit! He did not want to lose her over some stupid jerk at the park, he thought for the hundredth time.

Since March, his life had become more peaceful. He found himself being much more tolerant of people and situations. She had softened him. He had to get her back. She was more than his girlfriend—she was proof that he could care for someone. He had to convince her that he was not an abuser.

From the expression on her face, he figured his chances were slim.

He got up to go to her; he wanted to touch her, but then thought better of it and attempted to bridge the distance between them with words. "How are you?"

"Okay." She looked him over.

He could not hide the black eye, the scab on his lower lip, or the broken skin over his knuckles. He wished he could, though, because they were very visible reminders of the reasons for breaking up.

"You?" she finally asked.

"Okay." He needed some air. "Can we talk outside?" He gestured to patio door.

"Sure." She trailed him to the backyard.

The four lime green loungers were still lined up by the pool. He chose one and sat on the edge. He was so nervous his legs shook. "I'm sorry," he said before she even sat down.

She stood, mesmerized by the pool. Had she heard him? He wished she would say something. Even the heat of her anger would be better than this cold front. Desperation crept through him.

"Look the guy was an idiot. He's fine. I went to the park on my way here. I found out where he lives, and went to see him. He was a total jerk to me, but he's fine; about the same shape I'm in."

Her head snapped up. "You went to see him?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah." He squinted as the sunlight bounced off the pool. He wished she would sit down.

"Why?"

"'Cause I felt bad. Not about beating him up, he deserved it, Becca. But so I could tell you that he was all right." Boy, she had softened. He was becoming a real chump when it came to her.

She was surprised, but was she pleased? Did this change her mind about him?

"Becca, do you still love me?" He needed to know. There was no point in trying to get her back if she had shut him out of her heart. Could she stop loving him just like that?

The sun was beating down on him, making him uncomfortable and jittery as he nervously waited for her answer.

She finally took the seat next to him. She bowed her head and nodded. "Yes. But ..."

He cut her off before she could reason her affection away, "I can't change what I've done. I can't go back."

"You have a reputation, David." She said, her voice cold and steady.

There it was. She had said it. She saw him the way his parents, his teachers, and everyone else saw him. He was bad, a troublemaker.

"You know me better than that," he pleaded.

"Maybe I wasn't seeing you the right way."

His jaw tightened. He wanted to take one of the chairs and fling it across the yard.

"I can't promise that I won't ever get into a fight again. All I did was defend myself. But I'm not like your father. I'm not some guy who deliberately pounces on people who are weaker than me." He was done holding back.

Becca stiffened. Her tone charged with anger. "Why do you keep bringing him up?"

"Because he's the problem! Not me."

"What?"

"If it weren't for him, we could date. If it weren't for him, you would have a real social life with your friends. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be a liar. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be looking at me like I disgust you. Everything you do is because you're afraid of him."

"You don't know what you're saying."

"I saw him pick you up at the dance. He was screaming like you were nobody. You walked to his car, hunched over. Humiliated. You weren't even talking back. You took it like some beaten-down slave.

"Didn't you want to jump him? Didn't you want to shut him up? 'Cause I did." He pounded his thigh with his fist.

***

The world swayed before her. She blinked. It did not help. She wanted to speak, but was having difficulty forming words. Her breathing was hard and painful. She struggled to get it under control, but it was getting louder.

David was right. Her father was the source of all her problems, but no one needed to know that. It was her secret.

David touched her hand. "Becca."

Her heart thumped in her chest. It's rhythm too fast.

"Becca?" He lightly stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers.

She noted how warm they felt against her cold skin.

"Hey, Becca?" He took her hands into his.

Her eyes focused slowly on his face. The ugly, purple ring around his left eye stood out against his lightly tanned skin.

"I shouldn't have brought it up," he said apologetically.

That was not good enough. She drew away. "You wanted to hurt me. That's why you brought it up."

He threw up his hands. "No! But every time you mention your parents, I can't help but remember the dance. I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. Please believe me."

"Then why did you? Why didn't you tell me before that you were there?"

"I figured eventually you would trust me enough to tell me the truth!"

Did she trust him? She had never told anyone about her father. Defeated, she said, "Dad's not violent. He just screams."

"That's abuse, Becca."

Why did he have to call it that?

"He gets loud. It's just because he worries so much." She wanted to convince David, but even she did not believe herself.

Silence hung. David looked disappointed.

She tried again. "I don't know why he's like that. He just is. He's like that with Mom too. I used to be so embarrassed when it happened in public, but now I just ... it's just part of my life."

He looked away.

"Do you feel sorry for me?"

"No. I just want to make that part of your life go away."

"Me too. I used to want to run away all the time. When I was a little girl, I wished he wasn't my father. I would fantasize that my real father would show up and take my mother and me away. Sometimes I wish he were dead." How could she have spoken those words aloud? "I'm a terrible person."

"No, you're not," he contested. "You just want something better than what you have."

She had to think about that. She had spent so many years feeling guilty for her thoughts. It could not be that simple to forgive herself. "Maybe," was the best she could do.

The heaviness she had been feeling since yesterday lifted a little. She did not feel so alone anymore. She had trusted him in a way that she had never trusted anyone before, not even Diana.

He placed his hands on her shoulders forcing her to look at him. "Becca, let's not let some stupid jerk break us up."

David was right. He had defended himself against some nasty kid who had provoked him. She had seen it. David was nothing like her father. "Maybe I overreacted."

"No, I get it. You just don't want to have another maniac in your life."

She smiled a little at his description of her father.

"Are you alright?" David looked so concerned.

"Yes." She nodded for emphasis.

"Are we alright?" He asked tentatively.

"Yes."

He leaned forward to kiss her. She stopped him. There was one more thing to say. She wanted to end all the arguments about her parents. "I don't know if I'll ever stand up to my parents. I'm scared about what would happen."

"Me too," he said sincerely.
THE FALL DANCE

The summer passed too quickly. Between working at the department store and sneaking around with David, Rebecca had been busy but happy.

She found herself sharing more and more about her home life with David and Janet. She discovered it brought her closer to them. And with their support, she felt stronger.

However, her parents held on to her as tightly as ever.

At the end of the September, another school dance was being held. She was determined to go. Her father, along with her mother's support of course, had forbidden her to attend another one after the January dance. She had to change that.

Armed with nothing but determination, she left the sanctuary of her messy bedroom prepared for a confrontation with her mother. As usual on Saturday mornings, her father golfed with their next-door neighbor. It was the perfect time to convince her mother.

Her mother was cooking in their yellow kitchen. Her curly brown hair, similar to her daughter's, was pulled back at her neck in a loose ponytail. A white apron covered her beige T-shirt and brown yoga pants. She looked relaxed, chopping vegetables at the kitchen counter.

Rebecca took a deep breath. "Hi, Mom, what are you making?"

Her mother smiled. "Chicken and vegetable soup. Your favorite."

"Hmm." Rebecca patted her stomach.

The rhythm of the knife against the chopping board continued steadily. She surveyed her mother's work. Each vegetable had been perfectly cubed, because her father would comment about sloppy workmanship. He claimed that, as an engineer, he had an eye for precision, but truth be told, he was a control freak.

"There's a Fall Dance on Friday. Can I go?" She tried to appear calm, but she fidgeted with her watch.

Clack! Clack! Clack! was the only sound in the room. Finished, Martha Jacobs set the knife down and sighed, "Who is going to be there?"

"The kids from school," Rebecca answered quietly.

Her mother eyed her suspiciously. "Boys?"

"Yes, Mom, boys do go to my school," Rebecca responded sarcastically. Why did her mother insist on torturing her with stupid questions?

Her mother's face tensed. "Change your tone!"

"Sorry."

"Is it after school?"

Rebecca refrained from rolling her eyes at another stupid question. "It's at seven."

"So it's at night!" her mother exclaimed. There was a victorious note in her voice like she had uncovered something she was searching for.

"It's in the evening, and it ends at ten."

"Ten! You cannot stay out until ten. That's ridiculous. You are only sixteen."

When would she ever be old enough to do anything? David was right about her parents not wanting her to grow up. "I get home from work at that hour. Besides other sixteen-year-olds can stay out later than that."

Her mother was outraged at the suggestion that Rebecca was like other teenage girls. "Other sixteen-year-olds are sluts whose parents don't care about them. You are headed toward a bad end if you keep thinking like that."

"The teachers and school staff will be at the dance to chaperone." Rebecca was certain that she sounded like she was begging. She wanted to talk to her mother on equal footing.

"Can you leave when you want to?"

Rebecca assumed her mother was warming to the idea. Maybe she would allow her to go to the dance but expect her to leave early. That would be alright. "Yes, I don't have to stay until ten."

"So you would only be supervised in the gymnasium. You can go where you please and with whom you please." The note of victory was back in her voice.

Her hope deflated. Rebecca knew where this line of reasoning was going. She hated the smirk on her mother's lips.

"You don't understand boys, Rebecca."

Her parents would lock her up in a convent if they knew how much she had learned about boys in recent months. "I don't have to do anything with boys. I just want to go to the dance and be with Janet and Rohini," she lied.

"Rohini is going?" According to Mrs. Jacobs, Rohini was the only friend whose parents were suitably strict. But even Rohini had more freedom than Rebecca.

"Yes, her parents always let her go."

"Does her brother go too?" Her mother pulled the stock pot out of a cupboard by the white stove.

"Yes." Did Rebecca dare to hope again?

"So someone is watching out for her," Rebecca's mother concluded.

This was so frustrating! At every opportunity, her mother crushed her. She hated this so much. She just wanted to tell her mother to forget it, but she stuck with the conversation because she wanted to go to the dance so badly. "Mom, they don't hang out together."

"He is there to protect her from boys."

"Raj is there because ..." She was about to say, "he wants to chase girls," but stopped herself right before the words left her mouth. "He wants to hang out with his friends. That's what kids do at dances. Didn't you ever go to school dances?"

"Times were different then. A girl knew when to say no." Pouring oil into the pot, Mrs. Jacobs heated it to brown the vegetables.

"So you don't trust me to say no?" Rebecca questioned accusingly. It hurt to know that her parents had so little faith in her.

On one hand, they were right not to trust her. She did have a boyfriend. She was sneaking around with him. She was having sex with him. She was doing everything that her parents were trying to keep her from doing. On the other hand, they were too strict! She was old enough to date and make decisions about her relationships.

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's the other kids. Who knows what kind of trouble a girl would get herself into these days?"

Derision infected Rebecca's words. "So you won't let me go to the dance because maybe some girl who isn't your daughter and that neither you, nor Dad, nor I care about is going to maybe do something with some guy?"

Her mother threw the vegetables into the oil. "Your father told me what he saw when he picked you up last time."

At the mention of that night, Rebecca lost her self-control. "What did he say? That he saw me talking to my friends. That he saw me dancing along with fifty other kids while the teachers watched us. Did he say that he saw me get some bottled water? What did he say, Mom? Did he mention that he couldn't find me because there were so many kids there and that he had to have me paged? So he never saw me do anything good or bad.

"Did he tell you that he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me around? Did he tell you that he called me a slut and a whore in the hallway in front of other kids? Did he tell you that, as I walked to the car, he shouted at me in the parking lot? Did he also tell you that he screamed at the top of his lungs in the car with the windows rolled up? He gave me some speech that you were irresponsible for letting me go to the dance. He told me that we were both sluts and that you wanted me to get pregnant." Her voice finally cracked; she blinked away tears of rage.

Her mother was shocked. She stood frozen, gaping at her daughter. It took her some time to recover.

Rebecca wondered what would happen now. Had she taken it too far?

When her mother recovered, she levelled her with a cold look. "Your father was just upset. He couldn't find you. God knows where you were and with whom."

Why did she always pretend like her father's behavior was normal? It wasn't! He was an abuser. Her friends' fathers did not call their daughters and their wives sluts. They did not humiliate them in front of other people.

"There were about two hundred kids at that dance. It was crowded. If he would have looked around, he would have found me. But I'm sure he saw a crowd and just lost his temper because I wasn't right there in front of him."

Once again, her mother disappointed her by justifying her father's behavior. "He said kids were kissing in the parking lot."

Rebecca shrieked. "I was in the gym just like I told you I would be."

"Don't talk to me like that! I'm your mother! You're the one who brought this on yourself. Why do you need to go to a dance?" the woman screamed back.

How had she brought this on herself? All she had wanted to do last January was go to a school dance for the first time in her teenage life. "Because I want to have fun with my friends."

Mrs. Jacobs added the chicken to the vegetables. She spoke to the pot instead of her daughter. "You have fun with your friends at school. You go to their homes and to the mall. What more do you want? You have a family, you know?"

Sarcasm swam out of Rebecca's mouth. "You mean I can spend this Friday night reading alone in my bedroom while you and Dad watch a 1980s Cold War movie."

"Those are great movies. They're about history."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "They're boring."

"You just want to watch dumb movies about teenagers getting into trouble and ignoring their parents."

That was it! She had had enough. Her mother was playing her. She would talk until she wore Rebecca down and she had. She was done. "Ah, forget it!" She said throwing up her arms in defeat.

"Why do you want this so badly? What's going on?" For the first time in ages, her mother sounded concerned.

Rebecca wanted so desperately to tell Mom the truth. She wanted to tell her about David. It hurt to keep him a secret. She wanted her mom to be happy for her.

Experience told her she could not trust her. If she told her parents about her relationship, they would force her to end it. So she lied, "Nothing is going on. I just want to spend some time with my friends. I will be going to college soon, where the supervision is limited to classroom."

"You will be home straight after school!" The woman's voice rose by half an octave. "Don't think that because you're going to college that you can come and go as you please. This isn't some whorehouse."

Her mother was so dramatic!

Another, more important dance, came to mind. "Are you going to let me go to my own prom?" Rebecca asked frantically.

"Of course, you can go to your prom, but you will be home by ten."

Geez! What could she say to that?

Her mother added water to the stock pot and turned up the heat. "Don't you need a date for the prom?" her mother asked curiously.

"No, but it is customary."

"Is that why you want to go to this dance? You want to find a date for the prom?"

"Mom, prom is in June of next year. That's almost ten months away. I don't think I'm that ugly that I need to start looking for a date now."

Her mother eyed her critically. "You aren't ugly, but you could use some work. You don't try very hard."

That hurt. Whatever! "I'm happy with the way I look."

Her mother shrugged indicating she did not really care for Rebecca's appearance.

Her parents already thought she was slutty in a plain pair of jeans and a hoodie. What would they say if she wore make up and skirts to school? She was baffled.

"If it's a boy you want, there is Arthur."

"Arthur? Dad's intern?"

"He's a nice boy. And he's interested in you. Your father can ask him to take you out?"

If her mother was suggesting that Arthur take her to the dance, how was she going to back out when she had made such a stink in the first place? "To the dance you mean?"

Her mother chuckled. "No, he doesn't need to take you to the dance. He can take you out for dinner or a movie."

Rebecca was startled by this news. "The movies? But isn't that where boys and girls act like animals?"

"Not proper boys and girls. You'll have to go to the movies with a boy sometime." Her mother turned on the tap and began to wash the dirty dishes in the sink.

Rebecca was becoming so confused. One minute she could not date because she was too young, the next her mother was setting her up with a university student. "Arthur is not a boy. He's a man. He's twenty-one or twenty-two."

"He's very nice. And your father says he asks about you all the time. He is so polite when I drop by Dad's office. I like him. I think he would be good for you. He would make a good son-in-law."

"Son-in-law! I'm sixteen. I'm not ready to get married," Rebecca almost yelled.

She grabbed the dish towel and began drying the clean chopping board her mother had just placed in the drying rack. She needed to do something normal to maintain her sanity while having this ridiculous conversation.

"Of course you're not. After you finish school and establish your career. You will still be young enough. A boy like Arthur only comes your way once in a lifetime. Give him children right away so that he's stuck in the marriage," her mother advised.

Lord, help me. "Mom, I don't want to date Arthur. He's ugly."

"He is very handsome, with his aquiline nose and his black hair."

"He's so thin that he looks like a gravedigger."

"You don't know what you're saying. You've never seen a gravedigger in your life."

Leave it to the queen of illogical arguments to suddenly point out facts! "I don't have to. I've seen them in movies. He's creepy. He moves his body like a snake when he talks."

"He's Italian. They use a lot of body language."

Rebecca put the chopping board in its place. "He writhes when he speaks, Mom!"

"You're exaggerating!"

Rebecca grabbed the colander from the drying rack and wiped it vigorously, as if she intended to polish the stainless steel instead of mopping up the beads of water clinging to it. This conversation had taken too much of a turn.

"I don't know what you're worried about. You don't want me to date anyway. You don't want me to have a social life if it isn't between eight and five. Besides I'm going to school for the next few years. I won't have time to get married or have children."

"I'll tell your father to arrange the date," her mother declared.

Rebecca's heart started thumping. No! No! No! She had not agreed to a date with Arthur. Had her mom heard a word of what she had said? She had to turn it around. Right now!

"What happened to letting the boy ask the girl out? It sounds like Dad's going to arrange a marriage."

"You never know what it might turn into."

"I don't want to go on a date with Arthur!" The thought of going out with him repelled her. The thought of telling David frightened her.

The steam rose from the stockpot as the water bubbled. Her mother moved over to the stove, turned down the heat, and covered the pot. "You need to. It will give you an idea of what goes on during a proper date."

The soup was cooking and the dishes were done. With a satisfied look, Martha Jacobs sat down at the table and opened the Saturday paper.

Rebecca put away the clean chopping knife. There was only one word that came to mind. "No," she proclaimed. "No, I won't go out with Arthur."

"If you don't go out with Arthur, your father will be humiliated."

Rebecca froze. "How could he be humiliated? He hasn't asked him yet, has he?"

The brown-haired woman glanced up from the newspaper. "If he asks him and you refuse to go, he will be."

"But he hasn't asked him yet, right? Is this already arranged?"

"No. It's just that he will ask. So when he does, you'll have to go."

There was no rhyme or reason to this woman. She lived in a different world.

Rebecca hung the dish towel against the tiled backsplash. "Actually, I don't have to."

"Dad will be very upset."

Indeed he would, but she could deal with that. "Then Dad shouldn't ask."

"Your father is concerned about your welfare!"

"He doesn't need to be concerned. I make good grades."

"You need a social life."

"I have Janet and Rohini."

"Going to the movies to watch vampires and werewolves argue over a girl isn't a social life. Dating Arthur would be."

"I'll go out with Arthur if you let me go to the dance with my friends on Friday."

"Fine," her mother agreed.

What? Rebecca blinked to check if that was really her mother sitting at the table. "Really?"

"You'll be home by six."

Here we go again! "The dance doesn't start until seven."

"Eight, then."

Rebecca wanted to growl. "It ends at ten. I'll be home by ten thirty."

"You can't take the bus that late. I won't allow it." Her mother flipped a page.

"Mom, I take the bus that late when I come home from work."

Her mother looked at her like she had lost her mind. "Don't be silly! One of us always picks you up."

Her parents had not picked her up from work since last year, but Rebecca was not going to remind her mother of that. She did not want to lose her time with David. "Fine then, pick me up at ten at school."

Eight thirty," her mother continued to negotiate.

Her mother was the most irrational person on the planet, but Rebecca decided to change tactics. A new strategy might work. She hoped. "When do you expect me to go out with Arthur?"

"Saturday."

"At what time?"

"He's a man. He'll expect to take you out for dinner."

"What time will I be allowed to get home then?"

Her mother thought about the question for a moment. "He is a responsible adult. He will see to it that you get home safely at an appropriate time."

"Which means what? Midnight?" Rebecca exaggerated on purpose.

"No. Eleven thirty, I think. I'll check with your father."

Rebecca's brain exploded. Her parents would allow her to stay out with a twenty-one-year-old man until eleven thirty.

Rebecca regained control of herself. It became imperative that she stay at the dance as long as possible. If she was going to sacrifice herself to Arthur, she had every intention of enjoying herself with David first.

"If I can go out unsupervised with a man until eleven thirty, I can stay out at a school dance with my friends under the eyes of my teachers from seven to ten."

"Fine. Your father will pick you up at ten. Don't make him wait. You know how he gets."

Rebecca did not need any reminders of her father's temper. She was all too aware of it. She refused to think about it right now. She left the kitchen smiling.

Alone in her bedroom, she thought about her accomplishment. Mom? Satan? She had made a deal with one of them. She didn't mind the sacrifice, but what would David think? Should she even tell him about it?

Suddenly, the trade off did not seem like much of an accomplishment at all, just another complication. She needed to think. So far, David had accepted her family life more easily than she had ever expected him to. Would he accept that she go on a date with some else? A man her parents approved of?

Janet cancelled their regular Sunday double date because of her grandmother's seventieth birthday. Rebecca had briefly spoken with David on the phone last night, but she had wanted to tell him her news in person.

David was already waiting for her at the bus stop. His black fall jacket lay open over a long-sleeved, white tee, his straight-leg jeans made his legs look even longer than they already were, and his thick, sandy hair lay in all directions.

He was so handsome that sometimes she just wanted to admire him like a work of art in a museum. It was silly, but it made her happy to just look. It also made her horny. She blushed at the thought.

He met her as she stepped down to the sidewalk, draped an arm over her shoulders, and whispered into her ear, "I think you're objectifying me."

The heat in her cheeks doubled. "I can go to the dance," she blurted.

"What? How?" His eyes twinkled excitedly.

"I had to make a deal with my mom, but she said I could go."

David hugged her.

She waited for him to ask about the deal. When he did not, she decided not to volunteer any details. She moved. "My dad is picking me up at ten sharp. I'll just head to the parking lot around nine forty-five so that he doesn't wait. I don't want to upset him. I don't want another scene."

David squeezed her hand. "There won't be one. Everything's going to be fine."

"Do you even dance?" Rebecca asked half-jokingly.

"Yes."

"Really? Big tough guy like you?" she teased.

He awkwardly twirled her around once and brought her crashing against his chest. "Of course, how else is a guy going to impress the girls?"

"You mean impress me," she pointed at herself.

"Yeah, you." He kissed her.

Rebecca examined herself in the closet mirror. Her skin was smooth. Thanks to the change in season, her summer acne was gone. Her makeup made her eyes pop. Her hair was tied loosely at her nape, the curls cascading down her back.

She wore a flirty red dress that made her feel sexier than anything else she had ever owned. It had taken her three days to find it. It was conservative enough for her parents to accept, but cool enough to wear at a high school dance.

She smiled to herself in the mirror. She was ready.

As she walked by her parents in the living room, she half expected them to call her over for an inspection. They both eyed her from the couch.

Her mother said, "Don't let any boys talk you into anything."

Her father added, "I'll be there at ten. Don't make me go inside again."

As if she would ever allow that to happen again. One scene of humiliation was plenty for her. She would be ready and waiting outside the school at nine forty-five, exactly as she had told David.

The cool fall air caused Rebecca to pause on the threshold of the front door. She was so used to wearing pants that she had not anticipated her legs would be cold. She looked down at her feet, shoed in pointy black high heels, and wondered whether she should switch them for her knee-high leather boots.

"Becca," Rohini called out from half a block away. Raj was with her.

Rebecca waved and pulled the door closed. She walked briskly to meet up with the twins, feeling a little self-conscious in her pumps. "Hi."

They responded in unison, "Hi."

On the bus, Rebecca opened her jacket and revealed her dress to Rohini. "Oh, Rebecca, you look so beautiful."

"Thanks." Rebecca smiled broadly.

"She looks like a lobster," Raj interjected jokingly.

"She does not!" Rohini lightly whacked him in the chest with the back of her hand.

"Ouch!" Raj feigned pain.

Rebecca laughed. She was already having fun. This was going to be a wonderful evening. "What about you? Let me see what you're wearing?" she asked Rohini.

Rohini was dressed simply in a black tunic shirt and skinny blue jeans, but her brightly colored jewelry made her look like she was dressed for a gala. She wore three rings on each hand—including both thumbs, a stack of bangles on her right arm, a long, gold necklace heavy with fake coins and stones, and a pair of chandelier earrings. The jewels were just baubles, but Rohini knew how to pick the best ones and match them in the coolest ways.

The girls continued to talk and giggle while Raj rolled his eyes and made fun of them. With every stop, more teenagers joined them, increasing the noise level and adding to the crush of regular passengers trying to get home with grocery bags during Friday night rush hour.

Rebecca excitedly descended the bus behind the black-haired siblings. When the other kids cleared the sidewalk, she saw David standing by the coffee shop. He wore head-to-toe black, making him look older and menacingly attractive.

He walked over and acknowledged Rohini and Raj with a "Hey."

As soon as the twins turned their backs on them, David threw an arm around Rebecca, taking her by surprise, and kissed her hard. "Hello. How's my lipstick?" she asked happily.

David bent at the knees to get at eye level with her lips. "No smears." He frowned. "I guess I didn't kiss you hard enough."

He kissed her again, surprising her once more.

After pulling away, he examined her lips again. "Geez, it hasn't moved. Do you have to take that off with turpentine or something?"

Rebecca laughed. "I'm glad you're glad to see me."

"I'm glad you're here!" He crushed her to him so brusquely, she almost fell over.

After she took off her coat at her locker, David looked her up and down and blurted, "Wow, you look hot!"

She blushed. He laughed at her.

The dance was made up of the usual dramas. There were breakups and hook-ups. A couple of guys clogged up the boys toilets. A girl passed out from the heat in the gym or maybe, according to one rumour, too much of what was in the flask she carried in her purse. The DJ played the latest hits, which kept the student body moving. The teachers ignored a lot, but reprimanded the worst offences. Overall, the dance was quite successful.

Rebecca savored every moment, from walking into the gym holding David's hand to dancing with Janet and Rohini. She had a great time.

"I'll have to go soon," she shouted at David to be heard over the pounding beat of the song they were dancing to.

David took her hand and led her to a near empty corner of the gym. "I had a great time," he said.

"Me too."

"I'm glad you convinced your parents to let you come."

"Me too."

"Any chance we might catch a movie some night?"

A pang of guilt filled her. She had not told him about her date with Arthur yet. He had never asked. "I don't think so, but the next time there's a dance, I'll be able to come."

"So, how did you do it? How did you convince your parents?"

Her mouth went dry. Why was he asking her now? He had not shown any curiosity throughout the whole week. She stared at the buttons on his black shirt as she tried to find a way to explain her date with Arthur.

This was the wrong place and time. The music was too loud to have this conversation. The gym too crowded. It would ruin their evening.

"My mom needs help with something this weekend. So I said I would help her if she let me come to the dance." The lie just jumped out of her mouth. What was wrong with her? She was supposed to tell David the truth.

"What is it?" he asked earnestly.

Be truthful, she willed herself. "Just some yard work. Nothing major. I guess she was going to let me come in any case."

"Cool."

Instead of feeling relieved, she wished he had not believed her.

The music suddenly stopped. They heard shouting coming from across the gym. Both curious, they tried to peer over the crowd. Like everyone else, they started to make their way toward the commotion.

"Mr. Jacobs. Please calm down," they heard Principle Clark implore.

Dad? Not again, please.

David gently gripped her arm. Too late. She was already in her situation-management mode. "Let me take care of this. I was going to leave anyway. I love you." She pulled out of his hand and left him.

She moved rapidly through the crowd. The music started thumping, but only a few kids started dancing again.

As Rebecca's father and Principal Clark came into view, she could see they were having a heated debate. She elbowed her way through the last of the students.

Mr. Clark was trying to reason with her father. "Mr. Jacobs, I must ask you to leave immediately. You will not come into my school and disrupt the dance because you lack patience to wait for your daughter outside."

"My wife told me that my daughter would be waiting outside for me at ten. And she isn't there!" her father shouted at the principal.

The gray-haired man glanced at his watch. "It is nine forty-six. I know who your daughter is, and I have seen her dancing with her friends and her boyfriend all evening."

"Her boyfriend!" Rebecca's father turned a shade of red so dark, it was maroon.

Principal Clark calmly changed the subject. "Your daughter is an excellent student and a fine young lady. You have nothing to worry about."

Her father spotted her. "You slut! You have a boyfriend. Who is he? Where is he? What have you been doing? I will kill you!" He made a move toward her.

Rebecca wanted to melt into the floor. She wanted to bolt, but instead, she forced herself to stand tall. Familiar hands shoved her aside. And David stepped into the spot she had occupied as if he could take her place and fight this battle for her.

Almost simultaneously, Principal Clark blocked her father from her too. "Call the police," he asked Mrs. Stein, who had been standing nearby during the proceedings.

Her father tried to shove the principal out of his way, but Mr. Clark was tall and solid. He remained him, in control of the situation. "You will calm down before you deal with Rebecca."

"You're going to get the police involved. They won't stop me from raising my own child!" Her dad shouted.

This was getting out of control. Panicking, Rebecca tried to get around the two men blocking her from her father, but David grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Let me go! He's my dad! It will be worse if you interfere."

Mr. Clark turned slightly to see what was going on behind him.

"Let go, David." Rebecca shook her arm out of David's grasp. She appreciated his concern, but she was the one who would have to go home with her father. "I'll be all right," she reassured him, although she was not convinced herself.

She tried to reach her father, but Mr. Clark put an open hand on her shoulder. "No."

All these years, no one had gotten involved. Tonight the world seemed to stand between Rebecca and her father's rage. The crazy part was that she was actually trying to get closer to him instead of taking the refuge that was being offered.

"Mr. Clark, I'll be fine."

"I don't believe that. You are not leaving until the police get here," he informed her.

He seemed so much bigger than usual, like the suit and tie he wore could not really contain his strength. He seemed like a glass wall that kept her apart from her dad. She could see her father, but could not get close to him.

Despite the principal's presence, her father hurled insults at her. "You whore! This trash is what you're whoring with." He pointed to David.

She looked back to David. They were all lucky that Mr. Clark was blocking the two. It was obvious that David was wound up and ready to spring.

"David isn't trash. It was just a dance, Dad. Nothing else. We just stayed in the gym and danced." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"You had your mother fooled!" He shouted. "She thought you would marry Arthur. That boy is good. I arranged a date. You told your mother you would go out with him tomorrow night."

Rebecca looked behind her. David had heard every word. Her heart sunk. His eyes grew wide with pain and confusion, before he slipped on his I-don't-care-about-anything mask. She hated that cold expression.

Her chest hurt. They had worked through so much together since March, but this time there would be no forgiveness, she realized. It was too late to take back her last lie.

"You will never be trusted again. Do you hear me? What kind of daughter are you to lie to your own parents? You look like an angel. You act like an angel, but all you are is evil. You disgust me." He spat at a spot right in front of her pointy shoes.

So many thoughts ran through Rebecca's head. She could not believe this was happening to her again. How humiliating! At least the first time, only a handful of kids had been present in the hallway.

Tonight, the principal, the teachers, everyone at the dance including the DJ were witnessing the scene. And the police were on the way! She exhaled a shallow breath. What an awful night!

Worst of all was the fact that David was right there. He had heard every word. She feared turning and finding the cold, distant look on his face again, and yet she should at least apologize to him.

She took as deep a breath as the pain in her chest allowed and faced him. "I'm sorry," she managed.

The police entered the gym and drew everyone's attention including hers. She never saw if David's hard mask had given a little.

Immediately, Principal Clark addressed the two officers. From his manner, it obviously was not the first time he had had to deal with the police at his school.

The male police officer, a heavy set man, proceeded to handcuff Rebecca's father. Her dad tried to pull away, but the officer held him more firmly.

Rebecca wanted to say, "Don't hurt him," but the words were frozen in her mind. She was enthralled by the sight of her father being rendered powerless.

"Cooperate, and this will go much smoother for you," suggested the officer in the blue uniform.

"I haven't done anything wrong. I'm here to pick up my daughter from the dance," her father protested.

The officer didn't care. His job was to arrest her dad, who was testing the strength of the handcuffs as he claimed, "You can't stop me from dealing with my daughter as I see fit!"

"Yes, I can. You can deal with her once you've calmed down," the officer replied flatly.

"This is what you do to your father," he accused Rebecca viciously as the policeman guided him toward the double doors.

"Miss," a blond, female officer addressed her, "you'll be coming with us too."

"Why?" David asked so aggressively that the principal, the officer, and Rebecca all turned to look at him.

She quickly searched his face. The mask was down. He was worried. Maybe he did not hate her. "It's okay," she assured him.

The officer placed a light hand on her shoulder. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"We need to get you to the station and have you talk to someone from social services."

"I don't need a social worker. My dad is just worried about me," she pleaded with the officer who looked at her in disbelief. "He's a little loud but he means well."

The woman's blank stare held.

"I lied. I didn't tell him I had a boyfriend so he's angry," she rung her hands as she pleaded her case. "He was supposed to pick me up at ten; I should have been outside before then. I know he doesn't like to wait. You can't take him away, he's my dad." By the time she had finished her confession, tears clouded her vision.

"Actually we can, because he's under arrest for disruptive behavior. Miss, you need help dealing with him. This isn't normal behavior for a father. I know you understand that. You need to stop making excuses for him. You are the kid, he is the adult. He should know better."

Dread formed in the pit of Rebecca's stomach. As restrictive as her parents could be, they were still her family. They took care of her.

Heavy, hot tears of frustration spilled down her cheeks. She blamed herself for letting the situation get out of control. She should never have asked to go to this stupid dance. She had lied to her parents and to David. And what would her mother say when she found out her dad was in jail because of her?

***

Although he had met abusive, even sadistic, parents before, he had never dealt with a father quite like Mr. Jacobs. Most parents knew to keep this kind of aggressive behavior behind closed doors.

It was actually good for Rebecca that her father was so openly tyrannical. Mr. Clark preferred to deal with this himself rather than let a child try to remedy the situation. They should not have to live under this kind of cruelty.

Knowing the teenage mind and how it can turn even the smallest matter into a life-and-death situation, Principal Clark felt he needed to do some damage control where David Miller was concerned.

He led the young man to his office and indicated one of two visitors' chairs. Instead of sitting behind his desk, he sat beside the boy. "David, don't let all of this discourage you. It will all sort itself out. That girl has a lot to deal with."

With a hard look in his eye, David nodded slowly in acknowledgment.

Mr. Clark calmly continued, "Give her some time to deal with this. Then some time to explain things to you."

Springing halfway out of his seat, David asked angrily, "Why do you care?"

Mr. Clark ran a hand over his face. He was tired of fighting stupid people like Mr. Jacobs.

"You both deserve better than you've got. It is not your fault that we bring children into this world without knowing how to raise them properly. But you have turned yourself around since the beginning of this year. Don't let tonight affect you."

The boy's expression did not change. Mr. Clark had said all he was going to say. He hoped that in a few days, the kid would see things differently.

They left his office just after ten. The hallways were crowded. David disappeared into the chaos, while the principal urged students to gather their belongings and leave quickly. He was looking forward to getting home and pouring himself a double Jack.
THE FALLOUT

"How was your first group meeting?"

"Awful," Rebecca answered pouting. She took off her jean jacket and threw herself on the couch next to Aunt Lucy, her guardian until social services allowed her to go home.

"What happened?" Her mother's plump younger sister asked.

"Auntie, almost all the girls were physically or sexually abused. I don't belong there!" She had felt like a fraud as she listened to some of the girls share their story. Worse, she kept thinking, I'm so glad that wasn't me.

"You are all there because you are victims." Her aunt replied.

"But I'm not the same as them."

Her aunt turned off the TV. "Despite what you think, you are. You've been abused by people you should have been able to trust."

"Auntie, they're my parents. They just want to protect me. Dad freaked out because he found out I had a boyfriend."

"Your dad freaked out because that's what he does!" Aunt Lucy had never liked him and she had never hesitated to show it.

"You don't understand." Rebecca whined. She wanted to go back to the Saturday she asked for Mom's permission to go to the dance. She wanted to go back and wake up all over again and decide to not ask because it was not worth it.

"I understand just fine. He should have gone to anger management classes before he ever married my sister. That poor woman. She married the first man who came her way. She could have done so much better." Her aunt shook her head to show her disapproval.

Rebecca wanted to cry again. How many more tears could she shed? She had already been crying for almost a week. As odd and sometimes crazy as her parents seemed to other people, she knew how to deal with them. To her, they were normal.

"Sorry, Honey. I know he's your father, but the truth is the truth."

Rebecca pulled a tissue from the box on the coffee table. She was pitiful and pathetic.

"Rebecca," her aunt placed a hand on her shoulder, "everything's going to be fine. You'll see."

The goal set by social services was to get her and her parents back together as a family, but would any of the coaching and therapy they had prescribed help? "When? How?" Rebecca blurted angrily.

"I don't know when, but as long as you all do what social services asks, you'll succeed. Your father needs to learn how to control his temper. And your mother needs a more positive self-image. As for you," Aunt Lucy paused and stroked her cheek, "you need to learn that you deserve better."

She deserved less compassion from her aunt. She felt dirty. "I'm to blame for all this."

"No, you're not. Stop arguing with me about it. You are not to blame."

"Mom and Dad are still angry with me."

"They'll calm down. Give them time."

She doubted all the time in the world would help. According to her parents, it was her fault that they were in this mess. Her father conveniently forgot that Mr. Clark was the one who had gotten the police involved. Her mother ignored the fact that if her father had not lost his temper in front of the entire student body and the school staff, social services would not have been involved either.

No matter who did what, she knew they were right. She was the one to blame most of all. Whatever her parents' flaws, had she not disobeyed them and lied to them, they would just be a dysfunctional family instead of a case.

Her dad had only been detained the night of the dance. Once he had calmed down, he had been released. However, social services were not as lenient as the law. Rebecca was removed from her parents' home and sent to live with Aunt Lucy and Uncle Peter.

Social services had the Jacobses involved in all sorts of therapy. Her parents were both going to teen-parenting classes. Her dad also had to join an anger management group and would be seeing a psychologist. Beside group meetings, Rebecca had to speak to the school counselor once a week.

Agh, school! The gossip terrified her. So far, she had avoided going back. "Auntie, I'm not ready to go back to school yet. Can I start back next week?"

"No."

"Please Auntie," she pleaded on the edge of the couch. "By Monday, everyone will have forgotten about it. It will be so much easier."

"There are only two ways anyone is going to forget about it. Either you never go back or you go back and show them you're a survivor."

"I don't think I can."

"Yes, you can!" Her aunt replied firmly.

"It will be easier on Monday. A fresh start."

"No. You've missed four days of school already. You'll go tomorrow and deal with all the whispers and looks. On Monday, everyone will have heard that you're back and just fine. They won't talk about you anymore."

Rebecca stopped arguing. Some of what her aunt said made sense, but it did not ease her fear.

She went to bed early. Preoccupied with her return to school tomorrow, she expected to have a hard time falling asleep, but she was wrong. She barely gave school any thought instead her mind was on David.

She silently cried for him again as she lay on the inflatable mattress on the floor in her twelve-year-old cousin's preadolescent frilly bedroom. They had not spoken since the dance. She was certain that he was still angry about Arthur. She wanted to explain things to him but he would never understand. He would never forgive her.

She felt like the world was ending. She felt so alone. No one had her back anymore. There was no one to rely on or turn to while her life fell apart.

It was better for him this way. She had been holding him back all these months. He had all the freedom in the world. Yet he had been stuck in her world of ridiculous curfews, of deception and of fear. He was definitely better off without her. She was sure of it.

In the morning, she dressed in her regular jeans and hoodie. She left her hair loose. She had fewer chances of being recognized if she hid her face behind her hair, she reasoned.

She timed her arrival at school to coincide with the busiest moment before first class. Most students would be too occupied getting books from their lockers and heading to class to notice her. Her heart thumped as she pulled the door open. Keeping her head down, she avoided looking at anyone as she went about her own morning routine.

She had made it to her first class unnoticed. The moment she dreaded most had arrived. There would be no hiding in the crowd once she entered the classroom. She took a deep breath.

Arms suddenly trapped her. "You're back!" Janet exclaimed.

She closed her eyes for a moment and allowed the familiar touch and scent of her friend to envelop her. It was comforting. "Hi," she finally said.

"Hey, how are you?" Janet asked concerned.

"I'm okay," Rebecca forced a smile.

"You sure?"

"Yes," Rebecca said more convincingly this time.

"Come on." Janet led the way.

Rebecca hesitated.

Janet noticed. "Stay close."

At that moment, Rebecca realized she had more than David in her life. She had Janet and Rohini. Boys might come and go, but good friends were a constant. She found some courage and strength in the knowledge.

She followed Janet. She kept her gaze focused on the blond ponytail bobbing in front of her. It took a few seconds before anyone realized it was her. The loud talking changed to hushed chatter. Her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to run, but forced herself to stay. Aunt Lucy was right. She needed to do this to move on with her life.

Janet picked two seats at the back of the class. She left the one by the wall for Rebecca. It was perfect. She would be almost completely hidden from view. She was lucky enough that the next two classes were also with Janet. The girls repeated the same thing in every class.

When the school bell ended third period, Rebecca was relieved to have made it through the morning.

"I'm starving! Let's get some lunch." Janet suggested.

Rebecca lost the little appetite she had at the thought of sitting in the cafeteria. It would be impossible to hide there. "No. Thanks. I'm not hungry."

"So come and sit with me and Rohini. I'm sure she's dying to see you." Janet insisted.

Rebecca was forced to voice her fear. "Janet, I don't want to be in the cafeteria with all those people."

"Oh, right. I understand."

Relief spread through Rebecca.

"I have to buy a lunch, do you?"

She had packed a lunch this morning just to avoid the cafeteria. "No."

"Well, let's meet at the benches outside the library and eat there. I'll bring Rohini too."

Rebecca smiled, nodding her agreement.

For the first time since this morning, Rebecca found herself alone. The halls were pretty empty. Carrying her lunch bag, she climbed the stairs to the second floor. She walked slowly to the library passing rows of lockers and classrooms. Nothing had changed here in the past week. Only her life had become a shambles.

When she saw Diana leaving the library, she knew that the somewhat easy day would become difficult. What was she supposed to do? Should she ignore her, go to the bench and sit or should she turn around and leave?

"I heard you were back," Diana said as she came toward her.

At her words, Rebecca's body refused to move anymore. She was paralyzed with fear. Diana knew enough about her to truly hurt her.

The petite red-head stopped in front of her. "Aren't you embarrassed?"

Of course, she was embarrassed. Did she really have to do this to her?

"If I were you, I would have changed schools," Diana added.

Rebecca dropped her head using her hair to shield her from view. That was the only movement she was capable of making. It was a weak barrier against her former best friend.

Diana stepped closer staring beyond Rebecca's hair in to her eyes. "Cat got your tongue?" She said maliciously.

"Shut up!" She hated the way her voice trembled.

"Are you going to cry little baby?" She mocked. She brought up her phone to take a picture.

Angry and hurt, Rebecca slapped the phone out of her hand. The cell scattered into three pieces. She ignored the back and the battery and located for the body. With all her weight channelled in to her right foot, she lunged for the phone and crushed it. She stomped on it a second time and inspected it. A few buttons had popped, the body was bent and the screen was cracked.

Satisfied, she turned to Diana who gaped in disbelief. "Bitch!" She said and walked away. When she turned to sit on the bench, Diana had disappeared.

Janet and Rohini finally arrived. Rohini threw her arms around her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She tried to sound calm, but the confrontation with Diana had left her shaky.

"You don't look fine. You're pale," Janet said.

"I just saw Diana and killed her phone." Rebecca replied tonelessly.

"What?" Rohini asked.

Rebecca told the girls about the recent occurrence. They both agreed that Diana deserved whatever she got.

"Do you want the gossip?" Rohini asked somewhat enthusiastically.

"No." Rebecca answered flatly.

All she wanted was to get through her last year of high school in the same manner that she had gotten through before: unremarkably. But first she had to get through today. She hoped the worst was over.

Aunt Lucy had been right. When Rebecca returned to school on Monday, the gossip about her had died down. Rebecca told Janet and Rohini very little about her new home life. Embarrassment held her from talking about it.

In the following months, she did her best to present the world with the happy front she had always maintained. She wore a mask of open friendliness. There was one thing she was happy about: her new found freedom. Her aunt and uncle expected her to respect their rules, but they also trusted her to use her own judgement. It took her a little while to get accustomed to it, but she enjoyed it very much.

Aside from the self-esteem classes and the meetings with her school counselor, Rebecca had to meet with a social worker every few weeks for a progress report. She was on her way to the last appointment before the holidays.

While she had some Christmas plans with her aunt and uncle, her parents were not involved. She wanted so desperately to see them. She still feared their anger, but she missed them too.

She disliked coming to the nondescript government building. It looked soulless and made her feel that way too. Mr. Nguyen's cubicle was one of many located in a huge room filled with other social workers. The three burgundy fabric walls that separated him from his peers drained Rebecca of energy every time she saw them.

"How are you?" Mr. Nguyen started each meeting with that question. His manner was always calm, and his voice infused with concern. On his desk lay the written documents from the self-esteem group coach and from her counsellor.

Usually, she took the question as a signal that the assessment was beginning and would force herself to perk up. Not today. She spoke to the jolly, rose-cheeked Santa Claus on the desk in front of her. "I'm fine. How are you, Mr. Nguyen?"

"Good. Very good actually. I have some good news for you. Your progress has been steady, and both your coach and your counselor consider that your self-image has improved a great deal. Do you feel that way too?"

That got her attention. She searched the eyes behind the glasses. What did this mean? "Yes." She nodded to emphasize her response.

"You no longer need to see your school counselor unless you want to. As for the self-esteem classes, I think you should continue until the coach judges that you don't need them anymore. She tells me that it's a matter of weeks."

"Okay." Rebecca nodded more vigorously. This was all good news.

"Would you like some news about your parents?" He sounded tentative.

Rebecca almost jumped out of the brown chair when she answered, "Yes, of course!"

"They have attended all the classes, meetings, and sessions that were required of them. It is my feeling that your father just needed to learn to express his anger better. After a lifetime of that kind of behavior, your father cannot be expected to be reformed quickly. So he will be required to continue to meet with a counselor for a while."

What did this mean? Was Rebecca going to get her Christmas wish? She grew hot under her turtleneck sweater. "Okay."

"I'm told by your school counselor that you've expressed a desire to see your parents many times."

There was hope, Rebecca felt it. "Yes, I have."

"Do you still feel that way?" Mr. Nguyen inquired.

"Yes, I do, especially for Christmas." She leaned toward the social worker. "Can I see them? Can we spend Christmas Day together?"

Mr. Nguyen's expression was blank. "And do you want to move back in with your parents?"

"Yes, I do. I miss them a lot."

"Good." He smiled a little.

The smile momentarily distracted her. She had never seen it before. He had straight white teeth like everyone else. She fleetingly wondered what she expected instead.

The man continued, "I'm glad to hear it, because you are getting your wish."

This information slowly sunk in. She was not just spending Christmas with them, she could go home! Rebecca smiled so broadly she was sure that her molars were showing. Her eyes welled up with tears. "This is the best Christmas present ever!" She leaned across Mr. Nguyen's desk and hugged him.

He stiffened in reaction. "Policy does not allow for physical contact. Miss Jacobs, please stop. This is inappropriate behavior."

Rebecca backed off, a little embarrassed. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I understand you are happy. I'm glad that things are working out for you and your family."

She wiped at the tears of joy and relief all the while smiling like the Cheshire Cat. "When can I see them?"

"Whenever you want."

She leaned over the desk again to make sure she understood. "Like now?"

"Like now." Mr. Nguyen repeated.

Rebecca grabbed her winter jacket. "Are we done?"

"Yes."

For once, Rebecca left Mr. Nguyen's office full of happy emotions instead empty sadness. She rode the bus to her aunt's, packed up her things, thanked Aunt Lucy for her kindness, and went home.
THE BECCA SITUATION

David sat in Principal Clark's all too familiar office waiting to be suspended or expelled. With only two weeks to go, senior year was almost over. He had spent most of this school year avoiding and ignoring almost everyone.

However, Thomas Wayne, the black-haired skater from the park, liked negative attention. Thomas had turned up on the first day of school as a new student. David had managed to stay away from the guy for nine months although they were stuck in the same gym class. They had had to play on the same team many times. And every time, the tension between them increased.

It finally exploded today. Thomas attacked David in the locker room. David had almost enjoyed the fight. It felt good to hurt on the outside more than on the inside for a change. The pain David had been feeling all these months seemed to unravel as he pounded Tom until two gym teachers had restrained him.

Principal Clark, in a gray suit and silver tie, entered his office. David watched the big man pace behind his paper-strewn desk for at least five minutes. He did not want to hear the lecture that Clark was surely composing in his head right now. He just wanted to know if he would be suspended or expelled. He was still so angry, he did not care which one it was.

"What were you thinking?" Mr. Clark finally roared. "Are you trying to get expelled just before your final exams? Are you trying to get expelled just before graduation?"

Leaning forward, David shouted back, "What do you care?" He leaned back again thinking he certainly did not.

The gray-haired principal struggled with his composure. "For one, I have no intention of spending my summer babysitting you while you attend summer school. I want you out of here at the end of the month. Three years of you has been enough!"

Oh, yeah. Let's see what I can do about that, thought David. "Go to hell!"

"Sometimes I wish I could slug you little bastards," the principal snarled. Taking a deep breath, he added more calmly, "Mr. Miller, I will suspend you for the rest of the week. I hope that Thomas' parents do not insist on having you expelled. If I were you, I would pray to whatever heathen god you believe in that they don't. If they do, I will try to convince them otherwise."

David was confused. He had sworn at Mr. Clark and the man had ignored it. Now he was saying that he would protect him. "I would have hospitalized that jerk."

"It was stupid of you."

"I just told you to go to hell."

"I heard you, and I have chosen to ignore it."

"You want me out of here that badly."

Palms on his desk, Mr. Clark leaned over. "I want to give you one last chance."

David was surprised. Mr. Clark had seemed like his enemy for so long. "Why?"

"Because I believe you're a good kid. You were a real troublemaker until you got together with Rebecca Jacobs. You were teetering on that fine line between good and bad. She got you over to the good side. I was hoping that you would stay there."

At the mention of Becca's name, David straightened in his chair. He still had mixed emotions. Some days he still missed her, other days he wanted to hurt her as much as she hurt him. "What the hell are you talking about? What—are you spying on me now? That's creepy."

"It's not creepy for a parent or a teacher or a principal to be concerned about the welfare of their charges. You are not a bad kid, but you are a little on the aggressive side. High school is almost over for you. You need to think about what kind of man you want to become. Do you want to be like Rebecca's father?"

"Stop talking about her. She was dating some other guy." David said angrily.

"It sounded to me like she was trying to please her parents so she could spend some time with you," Principal Clark replied soothingly.

David knew that, but she had lied again. He tried to hide his vulnerability behind a cocky attitude. "Are you some sort of pervert or something? You get off on the high-school-romance thing?"

Mr. Clark sighed, "Mr. Miller, I am going to suspend you for the rest of the week and inform your parents. I suggest you give the girl a chance. She was good for you. She probably misses you as much as you miss her. Now go."

What did he know? thought David as he stomped out of the principal's office. Shit! He headed for his locker to collect his books and leave.

He had tried to forget Becca, but he still loved her. He had heard the gossip about her. She had gone to live with her aunt. Then in January, social services allowed her to move back in with her parents. David thought that her father should have stayed in jail for treating her like dirt, but he was certain she did not see it that way.

At the dance, after hearing her father mention another guy, David had become instantly angry. It took him a few hours to calm down and understand that the date with a guy her parents approved of was the tradeoff Rebecca had had to make.

That's why she had been so vague about the deal she had made with her mother. She had lied. Again. She should have trusted him.

He had felt like a fool. He should have guessed that to come to the dance, her parents would have asked her to do something ridiculous. He had learned that they were that kind of people. It had been a great night, but the price-tag had been too high.

David dumped his messenger bag in the passenger seat of his car. He had bought the little, used blue Ford Focus in November. He did not like driving as much as he had expected to.

He spent most of the time behind the wheel thinking about Becca. The passenger seat just seemed so empty, and no one ever looked right in it. He always thought of the passenger seat as hers, although he had not owned the car when they were dating.

Principal Clark had made him feel like a jerk. Why didn't he kick him out? He did it on purpose. Clark had known that suspending him would make him remorseful! He remembered another time when he had felt remorse for a fight. Becca had been so upset with him at the skate park.

Did she think about him every day like he thought of her? Did she still love him? Did she wish she knew what words to say to end the silence and the pain? He wanted her back.

He drove home. No one there, as usual. His parents were always too busy to cook supper, too busy to clean, too busy to do the laundry, and too busy to be there for their kids. He hated home!

He grabbed a bottle of CC. No one there would miss it. First, he got in the tub and soaked and drank the fight away. Then he toweled off and disinfected his cuts.

He would have to do something about Becca. He could not go on like this. It had been nine months since they had broken up, and it had not gotten any easier. He was so tired of thinking. The alcohol depressed him. He lied down on his bed and fell asleep.

In the morning, no one was home. The only indication that someone had been there was a dirty bowl of cereal and two coffee mugs left in the sink.

David missed his sister. Cindy was so much fun. Now she was trekking through Europe with her backpacking friends. She e-mailed and sent pictures every few days, but he still wanted her home.

Principal Clark had advised his parents of his suspension, yet neither one had spoken to him last night when he had risen from his nap. His dad had waved at him while on his Blackberry negotiating a business deal.

His mother was on the treadmill, which was stationed in the kitchen in place of a table. She had reasoned that she could save time if she did not have to go downstairs to the basement, where there was a perfect spot for the treadmill and more.

As a multi-tasker, she was walking, listening to her iPod, and reading at the same time. She completely ignored David when he entered the kitchen, made himself a sandwich, ate it standing by the sink, cleaned up, and left. The whirring sound from the exercise machine had been her only contribution to his supper.

By Thursday, he had made up his mind on how to deal with "The Becca Situation," as he had labeled his unresolved feelings for her. He shaved, showered, and put on some respectable clothes: a shirt and slacks. He considered a tie but decided he would look like he was going to propose or something.

He went over some words in his mind. He was too nervous to eat, so around supper time, he headed over to Becca's house. He hoped she would not be there. He did not want to deal with her and her parents at the same time.

He knew the street, but not the house number. He had only seen Mr. Jacobs's car once, in January of last year, at the dance. He had noted that it was a Volvo. He searched for the automobile and found it parked in a two-car driveway beside a Lexus. He parked his own car by the sidewalk and rang the doorbell.

Mrs. Jacobs, wearing an apron over her T-shirt and jeans, answered the door. She raised her eyebrows at him in question.

"Hello, Mrs. Jacobs, I'm David Miller." He held out his hand, and she shook it hesitantly. He looked for signs that she recognized the name. She did not seem to. "Is Becca," he caught himself, "Rebecca home?"

"No, she's working."

Good. He would not have to confront her yet. "Is your husband home?" He knew he was, but it only seemed right to ask.

"Yes, he is." She had a look that implied she suspected trouble.

David quickly tried to put her mind at ease. "I go to school with Rebecca. I was hoping to speak with you and Mr. Jacobs."

Motherly concern overtook the woman. "Is she okay? Did something happen?"

David had not meant worry her. "No, nothing, Ma'am. I just wanted to let you know that I'm a fellow student, a friend of hers, actually. Can I speak to you and your husband?"

Mrs. Jacobs regarded him curiously and then nodded, "Just stay here, and I'll get him." She closed the door in David's face and locked it.

He wondered whether she had locked it out of habit or whether she did not plan on opening it again.

Feeling a little foolish, David waited on the stoop. He studied the pine tree in the front yard for what seemed like an eternity. He needed to resolve this. If Mrs. Jacobs did not come back with her husband soon, he would have to ring the doorbell again.

He was leaning against the railing when he heard the door unlock. He straightened himself out. Mr. Jacobs stepped out. David waited to see if the man would recognize him. He seemed to.

"Mr. Jacobs." David held out his hand. "I'm David Miller."

"Hello. Do I know you?"

"We've never met before, sir, but we did see each other once at school. It was at the Fall Dance last September. I go to school with Rebecca."

Mr. Jacobs raised his dark bushy eyebrows and swallowed hard. Obviously, it was not something he wanted to be reminded of. Still, he did not quite place David.

David summoned his courage. "I was Rebecca's date."

The older man stiffened. Now he remembered. "I see."

Nervous, David continued, "I don't know what's going on with Rebecca right now. I haven't spoken to her since the night of the dance. Everything just got out of control that night."

Mr. Jacobs looked uncomfortable.

David launched into his semi-prepared speech, unsure that the man would not slam the door in his face. "I know you and your wife are strict. I know you worry about Rebecca very much." He used the words Becca liked to use to describe the maniacal overprotective attitude of her parents. "But I never meant her any harm. I certainly never meant for her to suffer the way she must have once the police and social services got involved. I'm sure it was awful for her to go through that and for you too."

Mrs. Jacobs sniffed as she stood in the doorway. Her husband put his arm around her shoulders. The gesture was tender and protective. Suddenly, they seemed so human to David.

It encouraged him. "I just came to say that I really care for Rebecca. I don't know if she still feels the same about me, but it's been nine months since I've spoken to her, and every day I wish I could. I wish I could spend some time with her. I wish she were back in my life. So, do you think it would be okay if we dated?" David surprised himself. He had never gushed about his feelings like that.

"You were her boyfriend at school?" her father asked.

He swallowed, "Yes."

"The principal said you were a nice boy."

David did not quite know how to respond to that. He was discovering that Principal Clark seemed to think very highly of him.

Mr. Jacobs turned to his wife. "What do you think, Martha?"

She nodded, misty-eyed.

Becca's dad turned back to David. "Okay, you can date her."

Relief and a sense of peace eased through David. "Thank you, Sir."

"There are rules. Treat her well. Pick her up here. Drop her off here and on time. No drinking. No drugs. No sex!"

David blinked. "Yes, sir."

His plan had worked! Becca's parents had agreed to let them date. He felt happy and suddenly energetic. He wanted to jump or run. He suppressed the desire in case her parents were watching him and leisurely walked back to his car.

As quickly as the energy came, it vanished. It was replaced with relief. He sat in his car enjoying it and wiped the tears that accompanied it, not caring if anyone saw him this time. He felt lighter than he had in months.

He finally turned the ignition and drove to the mall. He grinned the whole way there. He was proud of himself and congratulated himself on finally taking action.

He parked his car crookedly. He was too excited to straighten it. He wanted to run in, find Becca, and shout, "We can date!" He was an idiot. That was no longer the issue, was it?

He found Becca in the toy section of the department store. She was alone and focused on reorganizing some board games.

He took advantage of her concentration to look at her. He had not really looked at her since September. Every time he had seen her at school, he had turned away, like he could shield himself from the pain in his chest at the sight of her.

Her curls were tied in a bun. She wore the uniform blouse and slacks that made her look older, but still better than the other employees. He watched until his mouth let out a noise that sounded like, "Hi."

Becca jumped. Her focus had been completely on the board games. Her eyes grew round when she recognized him. "Hi." She patted her hair nervously.

"Do you think we can talk after you finish work?"

She shook her head. "I have to go home."

"I can drive you," he offered.

She thought about it.

"It will be fine," he reassured her.

"I'll meet you by the side door at nine thirty."

He wanted to touch her, but instead, he cleared his throat. "See you then."

Back home, he discovered that his mother had bought a roasted chicken at the grocery store, but his father had only left the bones. There was nothing left but to eat peanut butter on crackers, because while his mother had gone to the grocery, she had not bothered to buy any groceries.

David was fed up with this situation. What was the point of having a family if no one cared about anyone. Once Cindy came back from Europe, he would ask her to get an apartment with him. Between the two of them, maybe they could create a normal home.

He returned to the mall early. He did not want to be late. His nerves caused his stomach to twist. He was pacing when Rebecca appeared, lugging her backpack. He took it from her like he had done so many times last year and opened the car door for her. He set the school bag in the trunk.

David's heart turned a somersault when he slid behind the steering wheel. Finally, the passenger seat was filled by the right person. That's exactly where she belongs, he thought.

"Nice car." She said tensely as she sat primly in her seat.

He wished she would relax a little. He started the car and weaved it around the parking lot to the exit. He drove slowly. He wanted as much time with her as he could get. "How have you been?"

Rebecca stared out the windshield as she spoke. "Okay. You?"

"All right." David swallowed. He kept his eyes on the road, but he was not really seeing it—a familiar occurrence. "You know about the fight on Monday." He glanced at her to check her reaction. She had to have heard about it.

She shifted in her seat, but continued to stare ahead. She seemed to be listening.

"He attacked me, but I would have kept pounding him if the teachers hadn't separated us."

Her stare shifted to her lap. She started playing with her watch. "Why are you telling me this?" Rebecca asked quietly.

"I'm telling you because I want you to know the truth about me. We can be honest with each other even if it's scary, even if it's bad stuff."

Trust was their biggest obstacle. She had to stop fearing his reaction to her. He loved her despite the secrets she kept and the lies she told.

She spoke to her watch. "You're better off without me."

"No. That's not true. You're good for me. Even Principal Clark says so."

She finally looked at him.

"He told me so," he nodded to emphasize the point. "He only suspended me, you know?"

"I heard. Everyone was sure you would get expelled and have to go to summer school," she said concerned.

"He cut me a break," David said. He added, "I think he's dying to get rid of me." He smiled.

She snorted a laugh.

David wished it was daylight so he could see her smile more clearly. "I heard that your dad was ordered to take anger management classes."

***

At the mention of her father, Rebecca stiffened. "He finished. He's a lot better now."

"I know. I talked to him. He was really calm. I was thinking that maybe I could do an anger management class too, you know? I should learn how to deal with my anger in a positive way."

She nodded to indicate she had heard him, but she was speechless. Her brain tried to grasp what he had sad. What did he mean by "I talked to him"? She was too afraid to ask.

They drove on for a couple of blocks until they arrived at a stoplight. She finally built up her nerve. "When did you speak to my dad?"

"Today. I went over to your house. I spoke to your mom too," he answered casually, but he glanced at her to check her reaction.

She was not angry or upset, just stunned and a little worried. "What did you speak about? Were they angry?" She was getting agitated, her voice rising with every question. "Did Dad recognize you from the dance? Why did you go over there?"

"If you give me a chance, I'll answer your questions."

"Sorry." She shifted to face him. She wanted to hear and see him better while he explained himself.

Her new position she noted that his sandy blond hair was half-messy and half-brushed. A bruise at the end of his right eye spread to his cheekbone. It looked painful. What had her parents thought of his appearance? She banished the thought. There were other questions that needed to be answered.

"I wanted to ask permission to date you."

"You what?" Her voice sounded shrill in her own ears.

He answered in a calm even tone. "I told your parents who I was. Your dad sort of recognized me. I asked if we could date. They agreed." The traffic light turned green just as David finished.

Rebecca was shocked. Her parents had eased off quite a bit, but this seemed like a huge step. "They agreed?"

Looking at the road, David nodded. "Yes."

"They agreed," she whispered to herself.

She sat back in her seat. She was a little awed at how much her parents had changed. The freedom she had acquired at Aunt Lucy's had carried on when she returned home. While they had all struggled for a while to make the adjustments, they had finally found a balance.

Obviously, David still wanted her to be his girlfriend, or he would not have gone through the trouble of talking to her parents. He still loved her. That made her happy.

David made a right turn into her neighborhood. "Becca? I guess you had to agree to go out with some guy your parents picked out so that we could go to the dance together, huh?"

"Yes," she replied feeling the guilt and shame she had carried for the past nine months rise up.

They came to a stop sign. David checked the rearview mirror. There was no one behind them. He put the car in park in the middle of the street.

"I wish you would have told me. We wouldn't have gone. It doesn't matter anymore, but you have to tell me the truth. You have to trust me," he pleaded.

She was glad for this opportunity to give him a proper apology. "I'm sorry I lied. It was easier than telling you about the deal I made with Mom. I'm sorry." She hung her head.

"I should have stuck by you. I got stupid. I'm sure it wasn't easy for you, being taken away from your parents, the kids at school talking about you, and us just ending like that. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

She was speechless again. Tears built up in the corner of her eyes. David tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Attracted by its familiarity, she moved her cheek into his palm. She closed her eyes for a moment to restrain the tears.

Abruptly, she pulled back from him. There was still a lot to be said. "I was actually relieved. I didn't want you to stick by me. I was holding you back with all of my parents' bullshit. You were free to be with someone who could be with you."

"But all I want is to be with you."

"You've had three girlfriends since we broke up." Rebecca heard the jealousy in her own voice. She was all too aware of the girls he had dated since their breakup.

The streetlight illuminated the car interior enough for her to see David redden with embarrassment. "I was just angry that you would be willing to date someone else while we were together. I'm sorry. I was trying to move on. I couldn't do it. None of them lasted more than two weeks."

Rebecca burst into tears. "I missed you so much."

He wrapped his arms around her, "I missed you too."

They held each other until a car behind them honked. They weren't alone anymore. David released her and continued to drive her home. Once there, he walked her to the door. "Will you go out with me on Saturday night?"

"Yes."

"I'll call you tomorrow." He kissed her cheek and handed her the backpack.

"Good night."

"Good night."

Rebecca slipped the key into the lock and opened the front door. She watched her boyfriend drive away in his car. The backpack dug into her shoulder, reminding her that she had some studying to do.

She called a "Hello, I'm home" to her parents as she walked by the living room, where they were watching TV. It was good to be a regular teenage girl.
About the Author

Patricia Caviglia has been writing since her teens. She finally decided to make her dream of being a published author a reality. She is currently working on an offshoot of Masks: A Novella, featuring Diana as the main character. She is a graduate of McGill University. She lives in Mississauga, Ontario.

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Diana Rainville wants a mother. Diana's father, Matthieu, wants to control his children and the world around him. Her brother, Hercules, wants his freedom. Diana's mother, Arianne, wants peace. And Ron, the man who forces her out of isolation, wants Diana. You don't always get what you want, but you might get what you need.

Secrets is about accepting the past and changing the present to shape the future.
