I narrow my eyes at the girl standing on the curb and holding her thumb out toward the road.

I pull over toward her and glare in shock.

"Hey!" Kat says in happy relief once she opens the passenger side door.

"You're hitchhiking in New York? What're you crazy?"

"Maybe...but I know you're more likely to be killed by the hitchhiker in these situations, so now who's crazy?"

"Still you, I wouldn't have picked up just anyone."

"No, but I'm special," she smiles at me.

I smirk and shake my head, "where do you want me to drop you off at?"

"The discount mart," Kat sighs.

"Who did you piss off enough to get the morning shift?"

"No one. I picked up an extra shift since my entire last paycheck went toward rent. I'm so broke right now."

"Well...you can call me if you need anything. A little change, a ride, some food...just make sure you call earlier than this, or we'll both be late."

"Aw, am I making the baby late to school?" She teases.

"You are, actually, but it's fine since I'm not picking up Leo."

"Where is he?"

"Laying in a king-sized bed with some rich man's daughter."

"Jealous?" She says slyly.

"Of the bed? Yes."

"You know what I mean."

"I'm not jealous," I say truthfully. "I prefer girls who know the difference between gunshots and fireworks."

"Oddly specific, but okay."

"I just can't make a connection with someone who doesn't understand me or how I grew up. You've got to live it, like you do...hitchhiking to make grocery money."

Kat laughs, "so, I'm your type."

"Shut up," I laugh with her. "I described almost every girl in each borough."

"But mainly me," she nods, "it's okay. I won't tell anyone that you have a crush."

I scoff, "you have a crush on me."

"What?" Kat pretends to be shocked as if it isn't obvious.

"I'm not dumb. I know when you're flirting with me or trying to seduce me."

She laughs, "if any of that were true, why would you still hang out with me?"

I let moments of silence pass without an answer.

"...shut up." She smirks in content before leaning forward to change the radio station, jumping back and forth between static, morning shows, and music. "Stop— you're not going to find any Joan Jett or Bikini Kill or...Whitney Houston or whatever the hell you listen-"

She stops on a station playing Biggie Smalls.

You just wanted to show me up.

I see her smiling out of the corner of my eye, and I sigh in preparation for her snide comments.

"It's hot that you're a riot girl," she says in amusement.

"You get on my nerves," I hold back my laugh.

"That girl thinks she's the queen of the neighborhood," Kat sings mockingly

"Okay, that's enough from you," I turn the music up to drown her out.

She laughs and reaches to turn it back down, but I block her hand.

"Danny, it's too loud!" She moves closer to me and holds down my arm, and the van swerves slightly as I adjust.

"Kat!" I argue, "does this seem safe to you?"

She laughs proudly, "Maybe if you'd pay attention to the-"

We both freeze up at the same time.

It's funny how we could feel the eyes burning into us. I should've been speeding...

"Shit..."

"Uh," Kat settled back in her seat, "Isn't that your girlfriend?"

"Mhm," I reply as I grudgingly pull over to where she's standing at a bus stop...so obviously pissed at me. Kat rolls down her window, and Val walks up to it. "Hey..." I say uneasily.

"Daniel."

"Do you want to get in?" I ask in the nicest voice I could muster up.

"No."

"Why not?"

She glares at Kat.

"Um..." Kat's voice cuts through the awkwardness. "I'm gonna go. I can walk from here."

"Are you sure? I can still drop you off-"

"I'll see you later, thanks," she says hurriedly in a rush to get away from us. I don't blame her.

"Come on," I say to Val, "it's cold."

She rolls her eyes but puts her purse on the seat before climbing in and slamming the door shut.

I didn't do anything wrong.

"Should I take you to school? What were you doing out here?" I question, but she doesn't answer. "Did you eat breakfast? Should I get you something?" Val continues to ignore. I take a deep breath, "You're being quiet now? What's up?"

"Why were you with her?"

"I saw her on the side of the street, she needed a ride."

"I'm sure she did," Val says suggestively.

"You expected me to just leave her there?"

"Why'd you have to be the one to save her?" She starts to shout.

"We're friends! Since when do you have a problem with that?"

"Since you tell me 'sorry, baby, I'm too busy to spend time with you' and 'sorry, baby, I can't talk. I need to sleep, so I can wake up early in the morning,' and then I find you all the way across town spending time with that girl."

"Fucking fine, Valentina! Next time a friend needs help, I'll leave them hangin' because you're too insecure for me to be a nice guy."

I push his hair out of his face and watch as he slowly wakes up from my touch.

"Good morning, baby," I say sweetly.

He smiles with his eyes still closed and turns his head to where the sun lights up his face. It doesn't make sense for someone to be so beautiful...

"Let's go back to sleep," he says before reaching his arms out for me.

"I'd love to, but..."

"School," he sighs, "I know."

"And..." I lean down to kiss him on the cheek, trailing the kisses over his jaw and down to his neck while speaking softly to him, "there are bagels and coffee in the kitchen."

"I don't drink coffee."

"We also have orange juice."

Leo nods, "I can do orange juice."

"Good," I move to where I'm straddling his waist. He smiles and rests his hands on my upper-thighs. "And as promised, there are clothes for you in the bathroom along with anything else you could possibly need."

"Thank you, butterfly."

"For making you stay?" I laugh.

"I wanted to." He rolls us over so that I'm on my back and he can easily get up. "But I think if I sleep over again, I'll never go back home."

"Promise?"

"I promise we'd probably be living together by now if we could get away with it," Leo says as he walks into my bathroom.

I laugh at the thought, "oh, yeah? And what would that consist of?"

"Never getting out of bed," he responds, "you waking me up with a kiss...and me not getting mad, because it's you."

"I'd make you a morning person."

"Or I'd keep you up all night," he challenged.

And I wouldn't mind that, because it's you.

I get up and start packing my school bag. I noticed Leo keeps most of his things in his locker— which explains why his homework is never done. I'm trying to snap him out of that.

I hear the water running in the bathroom and decide to make up the bed before we're in a hurry to leave. I can tell we'll mess around too much together to leave on time.

"Heather?"

"Yes?"

The bathroom door opens and Leo walks out in a towel holding the clothes I got for him.

"This is the uniform..."

"I know," I smile as he stands there undressed. "It's what you're supposed to wear to school."

"No," he shakes his head.

"You'd rather wear nothing?"

"I think so," he chuckles.

"Well, I won't complain," I say slyly.

Leo smirks and jokingly rolls his eyes at me.

I was tempted to grab his hands and bring him toward me, fall onto the bed and— as I said, we're not going to be on time today. But we heard knocking before I could get there.

"Heather, are you awake yet, darling?"

Leo starts to back away worriedly.

"It's okay," I whisper to him.

"He's going to strangle me," Leo whispers back.

"Heather?" My dad says again.

"I'm getting ready for school," I reply.

"Can I come in?"

Leo's eyes widen, and he shakes his head hoping I'd say no.

"Okay," I unlock the door.

"Your mother and I are leaving in a moment and-" he stops at the sight of Leo wearing only a towel and standing in my bedroom. "I wasn't aware you had company."

"Uh— good morning...Mr. Blakely," Leo scratches the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Yes..." my father scrutinized him. "I see you've made yourself at home."

"I-"

"You said you'd owe me if I played nice at the debutante ball, and this is what I want."

"Overnight visitors?" He looks at me in disbelief.

"Just Leo."

"You've made quite the impression now, haven't you?" He says to Leo.

"I'm sorry?"

My father sighs heavily, "I don't have time to discuss this now. We'll talk about it later, how about dinner?"

"I can't tonight," I shrug.

"Neither can I, and I meant all of us. Me, your mother, you, and Leo."

"...really?"

"You don't expect me to let just anyone spend this much time with my daughter, do you?"

"Okay..." I give in.

"Keep your availability open, young man. Not showing up would make a terrible reputation for yourself."

"No problem," Leo replies nervously.

"Very well, then. Get to school," he says before nodding goodbye and shutting my door back.

"Heather..." Leo looks over at me.

"I think you're growing on him."

I close my locker and am met with a bouquet of flowers being held over someone's face.

"Hi," Tony smiles after bringing them down,

"Not you again," I breathe out.

"I tried to call you yesterday, but no one answered."

"What do you want, Tony?"

"Well, you, would be nice."

I roll my eyes, "cute, but no. Goodbye, Anthony."

"Wait-" he chases me when I walk off. "You kissed me."

I gasp and angrily turn toward him, "Lower your voice."

"You kissed me," he whispers.

"So, what?"

"So, do you want to go out later? I know this place in Greenwich that makes the best frozen yogurt."

"...are you really asking me out right now?"

"Yeah...I know it's not a fancy date but-"

"Oh, my god. You've got to be kidding me," I sigh to myself.

"What?"

"Tony, we are not dating."

"But I thought-"

"I know what you were thinking...but you were wrong."

"Then why did you kiss me? Why would you do that?" He almost seems hurt...as if he didn't do this to himself.

"It was a means to an end, Tony."

"I'm okay with things just being between us."

"There are no things."

"I know I'm not Ethan-"

"I don't care about Ethan," I snap.

"And I know I'm not Trevor— whom you respect because he's basically in line to be king."

I scoff, "King of the playboy mansion, maybe."

"But don't you get lonely? You can say I'm a means to an end, but the end was having someone."

"Tony," I sigh in annoyance.

"You have me," he says in a small voice.

"I don't need you, okay?"

"I didn't say-"

"It was a peck on the lips, Milligan. We're not suddenly Anna and Vronsky. We're not going to run away together, I'm not interested. Don't you feel pathetic groveling at my feet?"

He swallows hard and steps back from me. Nodding as he moved away, "yeah, alright. I'm sorry for thinking someone like you could ever feel lonely."

"What the fuck is this?" Matt gestures toward my clothes.

"Here we go again," I jokingly roll my eyes. Danny spent the whole morning laughing at me, and I've never had so many people side-eye me. I think they might have really been confused about whether they were mistaking me for someone else...all because of a uniform?

"Heather bought it for him," Danny smiles in amusement.

"You passed initiation?" Matt raises his eyebrows, "you're officially one of them now."

"Shut up," I sigh. "I stayed over her house. This is what happened."

"What else happened?" He smirked.

"Nothing, pervert," I chuckled. "Are we going to do this or what?"

He nods and turns to open the door.

Matt's brother called him for the first time since he's been locked up. He asked him to come visit alone, but Matt took that as to just not tell their parents. I think the truth is that he's too nervous to see Spence without backup.

So, Danny and I ditched school early and drove 2 hours to meet him here...moral support or whatever they call it.

"Hello, I'm here to see Spencer-"

The receptionist holds a phone to her ear and mouths for him to sign in. "Should I leave my wallet or something-" The lady waved him off toward the door of the security check.

Danny and I quickly scribbled down our names on the sheet before going in after Matt.

"Is it me or does this place seem kinda easy to break out of," Danny says lowly.

I stifled a chuckle, "if security is like that lady, Spencer can leave with us."

"Like hell, he can," Danny scoffs before taking his jacket off and his belt so that he could go through the scanner.

I took off my chain and let them pat me down for anything else.

"Clear," the officers stepped back and let us through to the visitation area.

"This looks like an elementary school cafeteria," Danny says and I laugh in agreement. "I bet the food's the same too."

Matt tunes us out and nervously sits at a table, repeatedly tapping his fingers against the surface to calm himself.

Maybe he's just anxious to see his brother. But he should know everything's all good, we're standing behind him like watchdogs for fuck's sake.

An officer leads Spence out in cuffs. It's nice to see that the orange jumpsuit is accented with a busted lip and a cut through his left eyebrow.

"Hey, Matty," he gives a half-smile.

"Hey, Spence."

"I see you brought your entourage."

"Good to see you, Spence," Danny waves.

Spencer nods and presses his lips into a thin line. I bet he's still pissed that Danny hit him.

"I'd love to catch up with you two, but I have to talk to little bro alone," Spence tries to dismiss us.

"What?" Matt furrows his eyebrows. "It's just them, you can say-"

"Alone, Matt. I told you."

"It's fine," I speak up, "we'll wait over here, okay?"

I point toward a table a few rows back.

"Yeah...okay," Matt complies reluctantly.

Let's just get this over with.

"What the fuck does he have to hide? He's in prison, he can't even take a piss in private," Danny complains.

"That guy is always into something," I shake my head as I watch him quietly talk to Matt with a stern expression. "He's going to get him mixed up in some more shit."

"I think that night in lock-up scared him off of anything else."

"No," I sigh, "he'd get locked up for real for his brothers."

Danny shakes his head, "it's a good thing my mom left before my dad could knock her up again. I'll never have to take the fall for a dumb ass brother or sister...and you're not stupid enough to go to jail."

"Nah, I am," I admit. "But I'd probably be taking the fall for somebody."

"I'd be there too then, huh?" Danny says in realization.

"I can see it," I nod, "And we're both gonna end up facing time for him, I bet."

Danny furrows his eyebrows in thought. "Matt, let's go," he calls out. "If you make us get stuck in traffic, you're walking the rest of the way back."

Matt looks over his shoulder at us, and Spence grabs his wrist to steal back his attention.

"What the hell?" I mutter. "Matt!"

He snatches his hand away while Spence is still talking. Spencer stands up, and the officers come back.

"You need to grow the fuck up," Spence shouts, but Matt was already too far gone.

He ran out ahead of us. If this place was more secure, they would've strip-searched him for looking suspicious.

"Hey," I stop him once we reach the parking lot, "You alright?"

"No, I'm fucking dead," he grumbled.

"What's this screw-up got on you, now?" Danny huffs.

"It's not Spence. It's the guys his connect in Jersey worked for. They think I'm a rat, and they lost money when Spence and his friend got arrested before they got their stuff."

"Why do they think it's your fault?" I ask.

"Because I'm not behind bars getting my ass kicked like Spence is. You don't just walk unless you ratted someone out."

"But his friend is the rat," Danny states.

"They know that...but they know I was there too...and I walked."

"This isn't the fucking mob. Who cares?" Danny scoffs.

"These Jersey jerkoffs who didn't get the car, I don't know. Spence said there's a target on my back now until they get back the money they lost. They think we set them up, I don't even know them. How am I supposed to look out?"

"Alright, relax. How much was the car worth?"

"Oh, you know, just 12K," Matt says facetiously.

"Jesus," Danny cringes. "You couldn't have stolen a fucking 5 thousand dollar Chrysler?"

"Sure, because we all have a spare 5 grand lying around," Matt responds.

"Look at him, he's sarcastic Susie all of a sudden," Danny says to me as I stare down at the ground. "Leo?"

"I've got some money saved. Only around 100 bucks, but it's yours..."

Danny sighs, "me too. I can give you 300, but you're still screwed."

Matt shrugs, "I'll work for the rest."

"Doing what?" I narrow my eyes at him.

"Whatever pays the most."

"You can't-" I start to reason with him, but Danny cuts me off.

"He doesn't have a choice."

_______