"Would you just calm down?" Jace huffed and slammed his hands against the steering wheel.

"No! Why should I?" I shouted at him.

"Because you're overreacting!"

"You bring me out to some sleazy bar in poor town when there are plenty of better bars closer to home, one your family owns, might I add. If that wasn't bad enough, you didn't pay a cent of attention to me the whole time we were there. And to top it all off, I find out we went there so you could meet some slut, yeah?"

He sighs, "that's not true, babe."

"Maybe you're right, she's not the slut, you are."

"We didn't come to meet her, it was a coincidence!"

"Sure, it was." I roll my eyes, "just take me home, Jace."

"Whatever, Heather." He gives up, finally deciding to turn the car on and pull out of the parking space marked by faded white lines. The bar, Liquid Dream, was filled to the brim with motorcycle gangs and punk kids who looked like colorful vampires. We had to pay the bartender, a 40-year-old man with metal hanging out of every free piece of skin, $100 to serve us drinks because we're minors. The place was a joke.

I can see Jace continuously glance over at me from the corner of my eye, but I don't give him the satisfaction of acknowledgment. I hear him sigh before his hand moves to the radio and he presses play on a CD he has in.

Fucking Bryan Adams. If I have to hear this album one more time I'll implode.

I reach over and eject the disk.

"Okay, Heather, are you done yet?" He says in annoyance, but I don't respond. "How long are you going to be upset? You're jealous because of Rayanne? That's stupid. One day, we'll laugh about this."

"Rayanne...so that's her name?" I shrug. "Do you bring all your girlfriends to meet your pretty blue-haired friend? Or am I just special?"

"Yeah, yeah, Heather. Real special," he scoffs. "You're a pain in the ass, that's what you are."

"Oh, and what makes you so much better, huh? Please, I'm dying to know."

"I'm not the one being a bitch!" I gasped, my jaw dropping in shock. He let out a breath to calm himself down and ran one of his hands through his hair. "Heather...you know I didn't mean-"

"Pull over!" I shouted.

"Baby, don't be like this."

"Now, Jace! Or I swear I will-"

"Fine, God," he groaned and shifted to the side of the road, pulling up near a diner. As soon as the car came to a stop, I angrily fiddled with the lock before opening the door. "Where are you going, babe?"

"Away from you!" I slam his car door.

"Please get back in the car, it's not safe for you to be out here this late. Not in this part of the city." Oh, you didn't think of that when you took me to that gross bar.

"I don't need you, Jace. I never did." I smirk deviously. Though, this is probably the most reckless thing I'll do tonight.

"That hurts..." He looks as if he expects me to take it back.

"Good."

As much as I would like to get back in the car and be embraced by the heat. My pride carried me into the diner, instead.

I subtly glanced out the window until I saw his car pull off. Wow, he really left me here.

"Hey, honey, dine-in or takeout?" A nice blonde waitress greets me.

"Uh— I'm not eating," I say politely. "Can I just wait here, please?"

"Sure, sweetie, go right ahead. Take any table you'd like."

I nod in thanks and head over to an empty booth. My driver is off duty seeing as though it's almost eleven o'clock on a Sunday night, but I can always get my dad to call another.

I reach into my coat pocket for where I left my pager— and my heart stills when I don't find it. My hands worriedly begin scrounging through my bag for it, instead, but it's not there either.

"You have got to be kidding me," I whine to myself at the idea of it falling out in the car.

At this point, if I get mugged and murdered in poor town, God would have been doing me a favor.

"When are we going to start having fun? I've never been bored at your house, man. This is new and I don't like it," Ethan says jokingly, but I can tell he actually means it.

"Well, I didn't tell you to come over. It's Sunday night. Go home."

"No, my parents are totally fucking manic. They're arguing at one point and screwing the next. I'm getting whiplash."

"Ew," I chuckle. "Why are your parents getting more action than you? It's sad you come over here on the weekends instead of literally anywhere else. With a girl, perhaps."

"With what girl? Brooke and I stopped messing around months ago."

"Why, did her boyfriend finally catch you?" I smirk.

"No, I'm too good to be caught," Ethan says arrogantly.

"Or...Brooke's boyfriend is a dumb-ass."

Brooke Hampton, informally known as the "school slut." However, I don't believe in using such a crude term to describe a girl who just wants to utilize her assets...even when in a relationship.

Ethan, on the other hand, doesn't believe in relationships. But, I happen to know of a girl who desperately wants to change that.

"You know what? You want to have some fun? Let's play a game..." A mischievous idea comes to mind. "Truth or dare, how's that sound?"

"Sounds like we're not in junior high and there's only two of us," he gives me a look of disbelief at my suggestion.

"Well, that doesn't matter because there's no truths and only one dare," I say quickly as I sit up on my bed. "I dare you to ask out Alison Sinclair."

"Alison...why?"

"Because Audrey told me she was into you." I smile, "really into you."

"You're joking..." He laughs. "All I did was flirt with the poor girl."

"Yeah, flirted her into falling in love with you."

"Oh, god," Ethan groans and lays back on my bed laughing. "What exactly did Audrey say to you?"

"Her exact words were," I clear my throat and do my best impression of a girl, "Not to be dramatic but...Alison would literally die for Ethan."

"I've got to stop doing this," he sighs and shakes his head. "I might've called her 'baby' a few too many times, given her too many compliments, and touched her a little too much." Ethan puts his hands up in surrender, "if that made her think I was into her, my bad."

"Don't stop now, you've got a dare to do." I stand up from off of my bed and walk over to my dresser. "Here's the deal, you ask Alison out on a date and get her to let you take some pretty pictures of her," I grab my Polaroid camera, "and I'll give you the keys to my Bentley."

"The platinum one?" His eyes widen.

"The platinum one." I hand him the camera.

"...it's a deal."

"Danny, the movie," Val whined as I kissed up her neck.

"Forget about it, I've already seen it." My hand creeps up her thigh while the blanket covers us.

"But Cherry is here." She stops me.

"She can watch..." I say slyly and Val giggles at my indifference.

"You two are disgusting," Cherry scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"You can always leave. That would make things a lot better for all three of us," I shrug and Val hits my chest.

"Don't leave, Cherry. This was supposed to be a girls night, I didn't know he was coming over."

"If you were going to ruin things, you could've at least brought Leo with you," Cherry continued to complain.

"You're still hot for him?" I furrow my eyebrows.

It's cute, she can't tell he doesn't care.

"That depends, is he hot for someone else?" She purses her lips.

"Not really, I mean, he's always had a crush on little Zach's older sister Peyton, but even he knows that'll never happen."

"He and I can happen," she sighs. "I want him so bad. I don't understand it." I give her a look of concern, and her eyes widen like she forgot I was in the room. "Don't tell him I said any of that, okay, Dan?"

"It's Danny, not Dan. Danny is already a nickname, you can't give me a nickname for my nickname." Fuck's sake, you're irritating.

"Promise me you won't say anything," Cherry pleads.

"I won't, I promise," I say with frustration coursing through my voice. "I don't care enough to deliver messages for you, Cherry, and I doubt he'd care enough to hear them."

"You don't have to be so mean to her, baby," Val says lowly and combs her fingers through my hair to soothe me. "She's just curious...he was with that Park Avenue girl last week."

"Heather Blakely?" I snicker. "He's got a better chance with Peyton than Heather."

"They seemed comfortable to me," Cherry adds.

"They were together for most of the party," Val agrees.

"That's because we were only there for like fifteen minutes and she's the reason we got in," I narrow my eyes at them.

"Doesn't matter, I don't like her and there's a chance he might," Cherry crosses her arms.

"There's no way he would even let that rich bitch blow him."

"Leonardo, what are you doing here?" My mom said in her stern maternal voice.

"I came to see you, obviously," I put my arms out and go in for a hug, but she pushes me back.

"You have school in the morning, Leo."

"What does that have to do with right now?" I smile and she playfully hits me.

"You saw me, now go back home."

"Maybe after some pie..." I raise my eyebrows.

She rolls her eyes but gives in to shut me up. "One slice, that's it."

"Anda cream soda, can't forget the soda."

"Don't push it, Leo."

I nod in response instead of saying anything because my focus was captured by something else. Before I got settled in at my table, I spotted a girl across the room.

Heather?

"What is she doing this far from home?"

"Do you know her? She's been here for a while..."

"Did she order anything?" I question. Pinkie's is good, but I doubt it's better than the food at the five-star restaurants she's used to.

"No, I brought her a complimentary water but she hasn't touched it," my mom sighs. "Maybe you should go talk to her, shemight be in some trouble."

"That's none of my business," I laugh to myself and finally take a seat at the table.

"Leo...that's not nice." My mom gives me a look of disappointment.

"What?It's nothing money can't solve and she has plenty of that." I don't look her in the eyes because I know I sound like an asshole

"Money isn't everything and you know that."

"I know nothing because I don't have money to pour down the drain like she and every other central does," I say defensively.

"Well, I'm sorry..."

"Mom, don't apologize. You know I don't blame you for that."

"Sure, Leo...do what you feel is right, I'll get your pie." She walked away, clearly saddened by my lack of care for Heather.

I try really hard not to give her any problems because she takes care of me on her own.But, regardless of that, I'm a selfish individual. Maybe it's because I'm an only child, I've never had to sacrifice for anyone else so "setting my pride aside" has never been on my to-do list. Therefore, what do you mean by "Do what you feel is right?" I'm not familiar with the phrase, but if you want me to do what you think is right...I might to make you proud.

I huff before moving toward where Heather is sitting alone. I pass my mom as I walk by and she couldn't hide the smile on her face. I just shook my head and continued walking.

"You are aware that this is the lower east side, right?" Heather looks away from the window and allows our eyes to meet.

I must be getting drowsy because she almost seems relieved to see me.

"Yeah, I know," she sighed.

"Are you waiting for someone...or?"

"No, you can sit, if you want," Heather offers and I oblige against my better judgment.

If we weren't in my parts of town she wouldn't want to be caught dead with me.

"Why are you here, Heather?" I finally ask.

"...Well, because-" she hesitates like she's embarrassed to tell me, "Jace and I got into a fight and I made him pull over and let me out of the car. I know that sounds stupid considering where we are right now but— it's just that he took me to this gross bar so he could meet some tramp named Rayanne when we planned weeks ago to go on a date tonight."

"Rayanne?" My eyebrows furrow at the familiar name.

"Some cheap girl with a bad dye-job and skimpy clothes." She scowls, "Is she one of yours?"

What's that supposed to mean?

"If you're asking if she lives out here then yeah, she's close," I scowl back at her.

Forgive me for thinking Heather was one of the tolerable centrals, I was wrong.

"Anyway, I left my stuff in his car, and now I don't have any way to let anyone know I'm here. I'm stranded," she says sadly. "I was going to wait until the sun came up and then walk until I found a taxi, you know, if Jace doesn't come back. It's too dangerous at night."

"You've got that right, but your plan is stupid. Why didn't you just ask to use the phone here?"

"I didn't think they had one..." Heather says lowly.

"Wow," I laugh in disbelief. "You people really believe the lower class live like cavemen."

"Leo...I didn't mean to offend you, I just assumed that-"

"You assumed wrong," I cut her off, "the phone's toward the back, near the restrooms." I direct her and she gives me a small smile before heading for it.

When she disappeared behind everything, my mom eagerly came rushing toward me.

"So...how is everything?"

"Fine, she just needed a phone," I shrug. "But, where's my pie?"

"Leo, I didn't want to bring the pie and interrupt things if it was a serious situation."

"What? The pie is more important than her," I scoff.

"How about I bring a slice for both of you? It seems like it's been a rough night," my mom suggests.

"No, she's leaving. Just bring me both slices."

"I will not, I want you to go to sleep, not into a sugar-induced coma."

"I'll be out either way-" I stop speaking when Heather comes back to the table.

"Jace is coming back to get me."

"You really called him again?" This girl is unbelievable.

"Yeah?" She shrugged, "he said he didn't go far, he wanted to be near in case I called him, and I did," She tries to defend her still stupid actions.

"He shouldn't have left you in the first place," I argue.

"Leo, let her call whoever she wants. In the end, she's still getting home safely," my mom intervenes.

"Yeah, sure," I say in annoyance. "Mom, this is Heather Blakely. Heather, this is my mom."

"Blakely? As in...Blakely Designs?"

"Yes," Heather smiles, "it's nice to meet you Ms. Rylin."

"You can call me Isabel, darling," she smiles back. "I'm a big fan of your mother's work, I see her clothes in all of the magazines," she fawns and I roll my eyes.

"Aw, she'd be flattered to hear that, thank you," Heather says with gratitude.

"You're very welcome, beautiful," She compliments. "I should be getting back to work, now. You have a nice rest of the night, Heather."

"You too, Isabel." Heather waves as my mom walks off into the kitchen. "She's so sweet."

"The sweetest." I say sarcastically, "I need to go home soon. When's your boyfriend getting here?"

"I don't know...but you don't have to wait with me. You can leave."

"I know I can, but I'm not going to until he comes for you."

"Why?"

Why? Such a simple question yet I don't want to answer it. I feel like it comes with too many lines you can read between. Truthfully, I wouldn't dare walk out of this diner while she's sitting here alone. When I saw her here, the way she was...sad and obviously scared, I knew I was going to stay longer than intended. When I walked up to her and she visibly relaxed at the sight of me, there was no way I was going to take that away from her.

Sure, we're not friends, but..."I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight knowing I left you by yourself."