Heated Rivals by Anastacia
Summary:

*Co-Written w/ Starry Eyes*

Senior year is supposed to be the golden year in a teenager's life, but not for these six particular teenagers. Strife, grief, pain, and a wedded union bring three unlikely teenagers together as siblings, while the other teenagers hover around the volcano about to errupt, because two of the children are thrown against each other as bitter rivals. Neither preparing to back down from the fight that might cost them a great deal more than their pride.

*Co-Written w/ Starry Eyes*



Categories: Fanfiction > Backstreet Boys Characters: Brian, Group, Howie
Genres: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Romance
Warnings: Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Graphic Violence, Sexual Content, Sexual Assault/Rape
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 46 Completed: No Word count: 246094 Read: 86658 Published: 06/01/04 Updated: 11/12/06

1. Girls Do It Too by Anastacia

2. More Than What She Seems by Anastacia

3. Misunderstood by Anastacia

4. Timid Nature by Anastacia

5. The Other Side by Anastacia

6. Foolhardy Assumptions by Anastacia

7. A Chance For Love by Anastacia

8. Oh So Close by Anastacia

9. Bittersweet Birthday Cake by Anastacia

10. A Birthday Kiss by Anastacia

11. Weaving Intentions by Anastacia

12. Self-Conscious Memories by Anastacia

13. Bitter Blackmail by Anastacia

14. Superman by Anastacia

15. Unyielding Love by Anastacia

16. Sly Workings by Anastacia

17. Very Un-Brady by Anastacia

18. Interruptions by Anastacia

19. Swallowing a Bitter Pill by Anastacia

20. A Speeding Relationship by Anastacia

21. Safety First by Anastacia

22. Dating Dilemmas by Anastacia

23. Friendly Advice by Anastacia

24. Brotherly Love by Anastacia

25. Knight in Shining Armor by Anastacia

26. Developing Relationships by Anastacia

27. Sorting Truth From Lies by Anastacia

28. Gluing the Broken Shards by Anastacia

29. Taking Sides by Anastacia

30. Spiteful Rewards by Anastacia

31. Taking A Stand by Anastacia

32. Not Just A Chance by Anastacia

33. The Last Dance by Anastacia

34. Sharing the Depths of His Heart by Anastacia

35. Forced Freedom by Anastacia

36. Vying for Attention by Anastacia

37. A Chance for Magic by Anastacia

38. Beachside Confessionals by Anastacia

39. The Drag of Hangovers by Anastacia

40. Knotting Loose Ends by Anastacia

41. A Step Closer by Anastacia

42. The Shiny Big Apple by Anastacia

43. Welcome Home by Anastacia

44. A Chance for Glory by Anastacia

45. The Start of a Memorable Evening by Anastacia

46. A Chance for Revenge by Anastacia

Girls Do It Too by Anastacia
Chapter 1 – Girls Do It Too

"Can't you be a normal girl for one time in your life, Riana?" Teagan groaned with distaste as she sat down on the nearby football bench, overlooking the freshly mown football field. The fresh scent of grass flittered through the Floridian air, mixing with the ocean spray from a beach nearby. She flicked a piece of her short brown locks away from her black-rimmed glasses that complimented her blue-gray eyes. She hated watching her best friend suite up for Tartan Senior High School Football Season. Teagan had hoped for the longest time that her best friend of sixteen years, Oriana Riley, would grow out of her desire to become one of the boys. Alas, her prayers were never answered and Teagan had to accept that they were stepping into the beginning of the Senior Year of high school and there was no turning back.

Oriana seemed less than pleased with her friend's outrageous comment as she stood in a ready position, charged for the game. She glared down from her stance before pulling on all the protective equipment she would need for her Offensive lineman position. "Define normal, Teagan," Oriana challenged.

"A girl who doesn't play football for starters!"

"I like football," Oriana groaned, reaching for the scrunchie Teagan had tried to steal away. Oriana quickly reached behind her head to gather her long layered honey blonde curls into a high ponytail to hide beneath her helmet. She didn't want the boys on the opposing team to realize she was female, because it would only start the chaos yet again. She turned her lithe frame for a moment to glance out on the field, realizing none of the other players had made it to the field yet. It was their opening game against their biggest rival school - William's Senior High School.

"It's okay to like football! But to play football with the Varsity team is another. Why can't you just be in choir and stuff without the helmets and pads and bashing into other guys? You're lucky that no one lately has found out you're a girl. Remember what happened when the Harding coach found that out?" Teagan replied with impatience. No matter how many times she talked to Oriana about giving up her role on the team, she would just shrug it off with 'I like football!'

"Teagan, get off your high horse, okay?" Oriana groaned as she attached her bite guard to her helmet. She loved Teagan more than life itself, but loathed how Teagan always expected Oriana to follow behind her. Oriana understood that since Teagan was gorgeous and wild she would always grasp the title of the most popular girl in the school, recognized as the prettiest, received all the looks from the boys, and excelled within the social stature. But Oriana was completely different from Teagan. Oriana was more subdued within the confines of the school because she was naturally shy amongst strangers. She was popular and floated around between clicks. Everyone knew that Oriana was the one to run to when they had troubles with assignments or needed to talk about a problem.

Oriana wasn't recognized as a school beauty because of her complete lack of style, though she was a diamond in the rough. She was naturally lean and physically toned from her constant participation in various sports, adding to the appeal of her curving and maturing body. Her lustrous honey curls were thick and hinting with natural strawberry highlights. She had beautiful blue-green eyes that seemed to burn with an intense heat of mystery. Yet, Oriana hid behind her jeans, sweatpants, and t-shirts. She hinted to her appealing figure only when she wore tank tops and shorts. She didn't care though. Oriana had always roughed around with the boys, she received no phone calls for dates because all the boys considered her one of their own. Sometimes she wished to trade places with Teagan, but when she was out on the field, she was her own person.

"Teag, I'm normal, okay?" Oriana tried for one final time.

"I know you're normal in a lot of ways, and I'm not on any horse! I just meant that football like this isn't meant for girls," Teagan groaned, pulling off her glasses and placing sunglasses in their place as the sun shone brightly, tanning the girls’ skin even more. She just wanted Oriana to be more like a girl and finally go on dates and eventually have a boyfriend. Even though Oriana objected to that all the time, saying she was just one of the guys to them, Teagan knew her best friend wouldn't mind getting attention from the opposite sex that didn't involve them saying 'Nice block!' and giving her a swat on the butt in congratulations. Teagan was glad in some sense, since they were both in choir and involved with the musicals at the school.

While they had that in common, Teagan was also the drum major for marching band and helped out with the color guards routines. While she was known as the popular girl, she didn't always dress like one. She did have her Abercrombie & Fitch days, but when she was in one of her moods, Teagan always dove for her Hot Topic clothes. It didn't seem to matter to anyone, and she liked it that way. She loved sports as much as Oriana, but was involved with basketball instead.

"In a perfect world, nothing is meant for girls," Oriana philosophized, leaning down to securely lace her cleats to prevent any mishaps. She focused her ocean blue-green eyes on her friend for a moment to see Teagan roll her eyes with annoyance. "C'mon, Teag. Football is great and I don't get hurt. I'm one of the best Offensives; I got MVP all three years. Plus, I do other stuff that's normal to you. I'm in the choir, I'm usually designs backgrounds for all the musicals and singing in the background, I take all types of dance during the week which you consider feminine, and I always make time to head down to the center to teach dance and basketball to the kids. Just lay off me, okay? I love football and I'm not going to stop, just like I'd never ask you to stop being the Drum Major and teaching the color guard because it's demeaning to wear those slinky outfits."

Teagan sighed heavily, knowing that Oriana was right. "Okay, okay. I won't bother you about football anymore. Just be careful, okay? This is the big game against William's, and the games with them are fierce as hell."

"I've played before---" Oriana stopped mid-sentence when Teagan glared toward her. Oriana quickly shrugged her shoulders with her impish smile. Teagan tried to suppress a smile to maintain her scowl, but it was hard. Oriana held a natural bright energy that heightened anyone's spirits. The best feature of Oriana's personality was her humor. Those who took the chance to know her better would find the deepest levels of a fiery personality. "I'll be careful. They say that the one dude, number twenty four, is hardcore. Name's Bryant...Brandon...no...um...Brian! There we go. I just know number twenty-four is going to be staring up at the sky for most of the game."

"Brian... that name sounds familiar... Hell, everyone over there has the same name. It's ridiculous. Take a name, spell it 5 different times and you have half of the school population," Teagan replied. "I guess this number twenty-four is going to be meeting his match today."

"The rival isn't getting passed me today. The boys might take away my nickname if that happens," Oriana laughed with agreement, watching members of the marching band and color guard start to filter in through the stands. She focused for a moment on a dark haired boy with a trumpet who hurried down the steps with a group of girls, laughing. Something deep inside her drawn her toward the boy with renewed energy that she couldn’t explain. She squinted her eyes for a moment, struggling to understand why. For the life of her, Oriana couldn't figure out the boy's name.

"Who are you looking at?" Teagan asked curiously, looking in the same direction as Oriana.

”No one really," Oriana blurted quickly, not wanting to be caught by Teagan’s frenzied nature. Teagan always had a way of squeezing emotional details from Oriana's usual docile state. Wanting to change the subject, she snapped her gaze back to the field, noticing some of the players arriving. She sighed with relief as they eagerly waved toward her, wanting her to join their warm up. She motioned for them to give her a minute. "Before I forget, what are you doing next weekend? You don't have a date or a shopping entourage, do you?"

"For once, I don't. I have a small marching band practice on Saturday morning, but other than that I'm free. Why?" she replied, glancing back to her friend with question.

"I can't believe you asked why," Oriana laughed. "Am I not your best friend of sixteen years?"

"Well of course you are, and I should know better to ask why. But tell me anyways!" Teagan laughed as well.

"That's just your way of making an excuse for not knowing," Oriana corrected, hiding her hurt. Teagan seemed completely clueless to the fact that Oriana would turn seventeen that Saturday. Oriana quickly decided not to blame Teagan for the obvious lacking in their friendship. Teagan was always busy with other friends, band practices, and boyfriends. Oriana knew her schedule was filled, just like her own, but refused to start a petty fight.

Teagan's eyes grew wide and she smacked her forehead. "Oh my GOD! Your birthday! Riana, I'm sorry! You know how bad I am remembering any birthdays!"

"Don't worry," Oriana immediately commented as a firm blush settled against her golden tanned cheeks. "Momma's planning on the regular pool party, music, pizza, chaos. Pretty much the entire school is invited to show. Definitely my boys on the team and you. But..."

"But what?"

"She's inviting her boyfriend and his two boys," Oriana murmured with distaste, kicking at the grass with her worn cleats. She was obviously disappointed with her mother's decision.

Teagan sighed softly, already knowing the annoyance building in her friend's heart. Oriana's biological father had left her mother before Oriana was barely a month old. He couldn't take the pressure of being a father and Oriana hadn't heard from him since. Teagan sometimes found Oriana referring to her real father as being dead.
Though most families would crumble under the pressure, Oriana's mother, Cassandra, remained strong. She continued her family practice as a physician and raised her daughter on her own. Though her husband had left, Cassandra did her best to assure that Oriana had a firm interaction with men so she didn't miss out on a piece of her childhood. Since then, Oriana always rough-housed with the neighborhood boys and never looked back. Someone could possibly blame Cassandra for Oriana's tomboyish behavior, but none did because Oriana was an intelligent girl with a bright future. The only sour seed of deception was that Oriana held a firm disliking for any type of male role model, assuming that once she allowed him to hold her heart that he would run away or physically hurt her.

"But that won't be so bad... he seems to be treating your mom really good, unlike some of the other boyfriends she's had," Teagan tried to reason with Oriana. She had met Mr. Richardson once and he was really nice. She hadn't seen his sons, nor knew their names, but heard they went to William's.

"I guess," Oriana sighed, exhaling deeply. She hated the idea of her mother being so attached to another man. All the men she ever dated just ended up hurting both of them. "She gets all funny about this dude. Says he's the best man in the world, runs around the house humming love songs. I've met him a couple times when he's at the house, but they're always running out to have fun. She acts like she's ready to marry him or something. She also insists that I'm going to love his boys and we're going to be best friends. They're older than me she says... I don't really care though, I'll be hanging around with my boys. They’re going to be a riot, because the baby is finally turning seventeen."

"Well, your mom was never like this with any of those other boyfriends. Maybe this one is different. You should at least give him and his sons a chance... even if they go to William's." Teagan didn't know what it was like to be in Oriana's place in that sense. Her mother, Marie, was a single mother before Teagan was even born. Working hard and getting a job at Cassandra's clinic, she raised her daughter the best she could and got her into everything that involved music. Getting a new boyfriend or husband was not on Marie's mind at all; just her job and Teagan.

"Give him a chance to run out on us you mean?" Oriana corrected with a disgusted glare.

"Riana, not everyone is like that."

"Yes, they---"

"ORI! GET YOUR CUTE ASS OVER HERE NOW! WE GOT TO WARM UP! WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT YOU ON THE INJURED LIST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON!" one of the players barked, refusing to wait any longer.

"Alright, Matt," Oriana sighed, tossing her helmet over toward the pack of boys. "Do a good job with the fans today, okay? Make them proud of their drum major, Teag."

"Yes ma'am!" Teagan saluted her with drumsticks in hand. "You kick some William's ass out there!"

"Wait, you're actually cheering me on?" Oriana gasped with a mock look of horror.

"I always cheer you on, dork!"

"Y="5"e just upset that the boys said I have a cute ass," Oriana teased, knowing that Teagan had pretty much dated all the football players and was moving into the basketball line up.

“Haha, funny. Just go and warm up!" Teagan gave a playful glare as she hopped off the bench and headed towards her band.

Teagan rolled her eyes yet again as she started up the bleachers, praying Oriana wouldn't hurt herself. Unable to fight her whims, she glanced back for a moment to see Oriana do a back-flip toward her fellow players before getting tackled into a large dog pile. Teagan knew it was typical Oriana behavior as she started to mentally prepare a list of what to get Oriana for her seventeenth birthday. She seemed completely preoccupied till a fellow band mate tapped her on her bare shoulder. Teagan glanced up quickly with a wry smile, expecting to be asked for her phone number. She immediately approved of the boy with the trumpet in his hands. He had smoldering brown eyes and unruly, short, dark curls that lay against his tanned forehead. His smile was absolutely amazing, complimenting his handsome face and chiseled body. Teagan immediately ran her fingers against her brunette, blue streaked locks, offering a flirty smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Oriana---"

"What about her?"

"Does she happen to go..." the boy faltered for a brief moment. "She going to lead our team to another State Championship over William's this year?"

Teagan smiled proudly, looking back at Oriana for a second. "Yep, just like the last three years. Why? You think she's cute?" she replied, teasing her band mate.

"No," the boy groaned, "I think she's an awesome player. One of the boys."

"Mm-hmm," she clicked her tongue with another smile. "What's your name?"

"Howie Dorough," he replied carefully, offering a bizarre look.

"Teagan Eavens," she replied, sticking out her hand. "I'm sure you know I'm the drum major. You're first trumpet, right?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't connected my name with anything," he laughed.

"OH! You're in choir, too! And you're always in the musicals with me," she blushed a little. "Sorry, my mind's a little off today."

"Yeah, not to mention I hang out in the same crowd as you and tend to be in all your classes," Howie joked lightheartedly.

"I may be brunette, but I swear I'm more blonde than anything," Teagan laughed. "Catch me on any other day and I would not have acted like the idiot I am at this moment. I'm so sorry about not remembering who you are, Howie. This game has really been putting me through a loop, since it's against William's. Everyone's counting on me to get the fans into everything."

"You've always done fine in that department. You're a natural leader," Howie enthused, waving to a set of girls as they passed, causing them to giggle. He rolled his eyes with a tender smile, glancing back to Teagan for a moment. "I'd like to call you on that blonde comment, but I can't. Oriana's a natural blonde and there's no way in Hell that I could compete with her grades. She's extremely intelligent and there's no way in Hell that I could survive those Enriched classes she takes. So, we'll let that slide."

"Well, thanks for the save there," Teagan replied with a smile as the whole band finally arrived. The bleachers will quickly filling up with students, family and fans. "Ah! We gotta start playing! Tell everyone we're starting out with the school song."

"Deal," Howie approved, starting to turn, but froze for a moment. He glanced back with an award-winning smile. "Tell Oriana I said congratulations...since we already know she's going to put a whooping on Williams."

"I will, Dorough. Now get your Latin butt up there!" Teagan replied with a grin as she rushed to get the band's attention.

*~*~*

"The guys were saying that the top Offensive Lineman at Tartan is number Seventeen. They say he has a small frame, but puts every ounce of energy into the tackle. You'll need to watch out for him," Alex Richardson warned his older brother, Brian Richardson. Alex noticed Brian wave off the information with a roll of his light blue eyes, tossing the rest of his football gear into the brand new Toyota Prius their father had bought them for their senior year of high school.

Unlike most teenagers, Brian was sour on the idea of driving a brand new vehicle, knowing it was simply their father's way of bribing them. They were being forced to attend their father's girlfriend's daughter's seventeenth birthday party. Their father continued to boast about how wonderful this girl was, but Brian had zoned out between weeks. He refused to pay attention to any details regarding the women that would ruin his life. He didn't even know the girl's name. He could only bet that she was a dorky teenage girl who barely had any friends so she needed her mother to push people into attending.

"Bri! Hey! Bri! Dude, if you're zoning again I'm so driving the car to the football field. Can't risk damaging my sax!"

"And if you drive, we won't only have to worry about damage to your sax. I'd be worrying about you killing us," Brian replied with another roll of his eyes as he started the engine and sped towards Tartan's football field, which was about fifteen minutes away. "So, what number am I supposed to 'watch out for'? Not that he'll be able to catch me anyway."

"Seventeen," Alex stressed, observing the crowds already growing in the stands of Tartan's cheering section. Rival games always made Alex's blood pulsate with renewed energy. He was just slightly disappointed that his father wouldn't be there to observe Brian in the game or him in the band. Instead, their father was spending the day with his new sweetheart, since it was her day off from her Family Medical Practice. "They say that he's really fierce. One of the best in the entire state. The one that's taken Tartan to State Championships for three years. We've been grounded by them every year and I'm starting to think it might be because our team has the same big-headed attitude as you!"

"Maybe it's because our fans can't get into it because of big-headed band geeks like you that think they can raise the school spirit," Brian shot back as he grabbed his duffel bag. "The team does not have a big-headed attitude and neither do I! Number Seventeen just better watch his back, because I'll be right there."

"Laying on the ground staring up at him," Alex muttered, reaching into the back for his saxophone case.

"Just go and join the bank geeks. I'll see you after the game!" Brian replied as he ran to the field where his team was gathering.

"Why? Because you can't hold a conversation with your younger brother?" Alex scowled, actually wanting to talk to his brother.

Making a point to talk to Brian after their team almost definitely got their butts kicked, Alex gripped the handle of his saxophone case tightly and headed to the William's bleachers. The band was there and almost ready to start playing. "About time you got here, Richardson! We almost started without you!" Devon, the drum major, called with a grin.

"Not my fault that I have a dumb jock for a brother who always insists on driving the car that Dad bought for both of us," Alex gritted, trying his best not to slam the case against the metal bleachers. He stretched his extremely lithe body for a moment, shielding his dark brown eyes to view the Tartan Marching Band. Sure enough, they were already motioning their growing crowds to roars of victory. The Floridian sun was already scorching the field, causing the traces of silver lining in the Tartan's marching outfits to spark with an expensive glitter. Alex suppressed another scowl as he turned to the field, searching Tartan's team for Seventeen. Sure enough, the star player was encircled with a group of his probable lackeys, joking around and tackling one another. Alex's eyebrows arched with confusion as he watched seventeen do a back-flip in all the required gear, causing the fans to roar. "Dev, he wouldn't even listen to me about seventeen."

"Then he'll learn his mistake the hard way," Devon shrugged his shoulders. "It's his problem, man. You just concentrate on helping me get everyone cheering for us, aight?"

"Cheering for us on Tartan turf?" Alex asked skeptically, freeing his sax from its velvet bed. He carefully adjusted the top of his bright red uniform, wanting to look his very best. He had always held an issue for looking perfect, only because he was always looking up to his brother. Brian was the perfect son - perfect grades, perfect looks, perfect friends, perfect life, and perfect everything. Not that Alex thought he was a horrid son; he just wasn't set to Brian's standards. Brian was captain of the football team with sandy blond curls, light blue eyes, strong body type, and overall handsome. It was hard for Alex to match for his overly skinny frame, dark raven spikes, and brown eyes. He had girlfriends and dates, but he wasn't a golden boy.

"OUR fans cheering for US. You know what I mean," Devon groaned, tugging on his dark curls as he looked over to see Tartan's drum major get their fans cheering again. "Tartan's drum major is a killer along with number Seventeen, I swear. No wonder we always lose this big game very year."

"Their drum major is gorgeous, Dev. It's easier to get lost in the music with her leading, compared to an overly sexed, eighteen year old---"

"Hey, watch it, Bone!"

"I'm just saying she's gorgeous," Alex laughed, holding his hands up in defense. "Isn't her name... Shit, never can keep the exotic names straight in that stupid school. Every chick is named after a jewel, stone, or…box of Wheaties… She hangs out at the one dance club with this blonde girl... Tanya? No…Tammy... No, Teagan!"

"Well, whatever her name is, she's a killer drum major and way better than I am--"

"No denying that," Alex snickered.

"You're funny. REAL funny. Just get ready and tell everyone we're about to start," Devon pushed on Alex's shoulder as they put plumes on their marching hats before pulling them on their heads. "Maybe this time we can actually be close to winning."

"Or fall on our asses trying."
More Than What She Seems by Anastacia
Chapter 2 – More Than What She Seems

"Guys, I understand that you want me to sub the Quarterback since he's out with injury and that I'm the captain of the team - BUT WOULD YOU FREAKING KEEP SEVENTEEN OFF MY ASS?! He's been riding me hard the whole game and I haven't scored fucking once! They're leading twenty-five to zero and this is our last chance! I refuse to let Seventeen cock-block us into a shut out game!" Brian roared from the bench, slopping the sweat away from his face and chucking the towel in the nearby container. He could hardly contain his anger as their band tried to rouse them into a fight song. It was a sad case, however, because everyone was cheering for Tartan. The drum major for Tartan had their band doing contemporary songs for the color guard to dance to. They almost seemed like professionals, but Brian could care less. Brian could only think about smashing Seventeen and breaking every bone in his body. Seventeen hardly let up at all that night. Every time Brian received a face full of dirt, Seventeen was the cause.

"We're trying, Richardson, but seventeen is like fucking lightning! It's not all our fault, you know! Give us a break!" one of the players defended the team. They all nodded in agreement. "Why don't you try thinking of a plan where seventeen WON'T knock you on your ass... then again, maybe you're starting to like it and that's why it keeps happening!"

"I'm not giving you a break because you fucking won't give me a break! If you would block better then you wouldn't have to worry about me liking it when I get knocked on my ass. Stop eyeballing the cheerleaders for Tartan and get your idiotic—always—thinking—with—your—dick brains and get in gear!" Brian snarled, refusing to let the team pin the whole loss on him. He already knew that Alex would have a field day when the game was over. Riding home would be Hell.

"We're not thinking—"

"Guys, this fighting isn't getting us anywhere! You three keep a better eye on Seventeen and everyone else just watch out in general! C'mon, let's get at least ONE touchdown!" another player interrupted.

"I'll just take the snap and run as hard as I can..." Brian commanded, knowing that no one on the team was faster than him.

"Alright, ready! BREAK!" The team broke the huddle and headed out to the field.

Brian grunted some kind of reply as the players ran for their positions. He took his position behind the snap, pushing the bite guard into his mouth. He rolled his neck in attempts to crack it, praying that Seventeen would just fall and break his leg. He took a deep breath, glancing around to make sure everyone was ready as he hollered for the go. In an instant, the ball was hurled back into his arms. He caught it quickly, bringing it into the cradle of his left arm, and throwing his right arm forward to push off any attempts to defeat him. He ran as hard as he possibly could, ignoring the feeling of his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. The end zone slowly began to approach and Brian whooped in victory.

But it was too late, he felt something hard hit him from behind with powerful energy. He was hurled forward and began to tumble against the grassy field. He groaned in pain as a heavy force crushed him deep into the ground. Brian could almost feel the imprint of his face against the soft grass as more players piled on top. The buzzer sounded and the game was over. Tartan had completely eliminated William's, proving once and for all that Seventeen was a top MVP.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Brian roared from beneath all the players as the whistle blew and the Tartan fans began to cheer and hoot wildly. He heard the band play a victory song as the William's fans groaned in disappointment, chucking their refreshments to the bleachers’ ground. Brian just wanted to catch Seventeen and break his neck for humiliating him in front of everyone.

Slowly, all the players emerged from the pile. Titans ran toward their benches, immediately tackling everyone with roars of celebration. The coach whooped several thanks, motioning toward Seventeen with exhilarating enthusiasm. Brian lay against the ground for several minutes, trying to make sense of his surroundings. His anger was unrelenting as he slammed his fists against the ground. "Need a hand?" an unfamiliar voice called.

"I don't a fucking hand, thank you VERY much!" He rolled over onto his back and looked up at the player who made his team lose. Seventeen. "You better run right now, motherfucker, before I break every bone in your damn body!"

"It was just a game," Seventeen answered simply.

"To YOU it may be a game, but not to me! So like I said, get the fuck away from me!" Brian scrambled to his feet.

"You William's boys really need to get a fucking grip. If you're not careful, your heads just might disappear all the way into your assholes," Seventeen growled with disapproval, not liking the unfamiliarity of unsportsmanlike conduct.

"Well, so sorry we're not perfect like you Tartan guys. Must be really hard to be MVP for three years AND take the team to the championships. If you expected me to be all 'Hey, great job! It was just a game anyways!', you're wrong. You may not have anyone at home to be disappointed in you, but I do, so back off!"

"You don’t know anything about me and I’m not a guy," Seventeen quickly commented.

"What do you mean, you're not a guy? Only guys play football."

“There’s been an exception at Tartan—”

“What? You’re a fucking monkey?”

“You really don't get it, do you?" Seventeen laughed, not even stumbling backward.

"All I get is you’re a cocky asshole who wants to rub this game in my face."

"Actually, I'm not cocky at all and, damn, am I going to enjoy crushing your itty bitty ego," Seventeen commented for the final time, pulling off her helmet. She tossed it toward the side; pulling free her long honey blonde curls from the tight ponytail. She then ripped off her jersey and pads to expose her womanly figure covered in her pants and a sweaty tank top. Her fellow players whooped with approval, knowing their best player was dealing out the usual ego crush of an arrogant player.

Brian didn't seem to focus on that however, because he continued to run his eyes along her curved lean body with shock. All the hard tackles rushed back into his mind. It felt as if a man had been pounding him beneath the dirt. Yet, there she stood in all her glory. Her blue-green eyes were sparking with approval at his disheveled state. Her nose and cheeks were streaked with black paint and dirt, but it was all too obvious. Brian was looking at a girl.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING GIRL!" Was all he could say.

"Wow! Bet you got an 'A' in Anatomy, Slick!" she feigned with a thick accent of sarcasm.

"Girls do not belong in football."

"Really? Well, then can you explain why a man who's supposed to play football was just creamed by a girl who shouldn't be playing football?"

"Because your a dyke?" Brian snapped angrily.

"Or maybe because your a pompous asshole who thinks he's a superior jock because he can carry a football a few yards, look like a God, and make everyone in your high school despise you?" the girl guessed with disgust, rolling her blue-green eyes. "People like you will never change. So, just remember the name Oriana when you tell your Daddy-Warbucks about how you got slammed in a game by a girl who shouldn't be playing football because she might break a designer nail."

"Fuck---"

"Don't date dogs, thanks!" the girl snapped, running back to her team to dog pile them, leaving Brian in a whirlwind of repulsion.

*~*~*

"Tea! We won! We won! We won! We won!" Oriana shrieked with delight, rushing her best friend as the fans slowly began to dissipate from the stands. Oriana had managed to squeeze away from her team's swats of approval, promising them for a grand party at her home. Now she was just concerned about seeing Teagan to wish her congratulations on the wonderful band time. Oriana grinned triumphantly as she noticed Teagan break away from two boys, waving toward her. Without hesitation, Oriana tackled Teagan to the grass, kissing her cheeks to smear black paint and dirt across Teagan's perfect face.

"Dirt and paint on my face! Ew! Riana, you dork!" Teagan laughed as she hugged her best friend tightly. "You guys kicked ass out there!"

"You forgot to mention the fact that your on the ground in your white drum major uniform that makes you oh-so-appealing to our class of men!" Oriana laughed, hugging Teagan fiercely. Whenever she won a game, Oriana became overrun with tremendous amounts of energy. Her blue-green eyes sparked with a wildness that only Teagan was familiar with. Oriana felt like she could conquer the world with this high.

"That's a good point! Dang it, girl, now I need to get this cleaned again!" Teagan groaned as Oriana rolled off her. They stood up and she tried to brush off the dirt, but knew it was no use. "You're paying for it, this time. Didier freaked before when he saw my uniform after you attacked me, I don't need him doing that again."

"I'm sorry," Oriana immediately countered with a frown. Her ego had always been fragile since the many runs with her mother's countless numbers of Prince Charmings. Many of which who turned into frogs whenever encountering Oriana.

"Riana, I was just teasing you."

"I'm still sorry---"

"Don't be sorry, it's okay. I saw you and twenty-four arguing out there. Did he freak when you took off the helmet?"

"More than freaked. He promises he's going to break every bone in my body," Oriana stated lightly, pulling her long curls away from her sweaty face. She couldn't wait to get home into the shower.

"Sounds about the same reaction as everyone else," Teagan bent down to pick up her hat, thankful her plume wasn't dirty. "Ready to go party at your place?"

"How'd you know?"

"We've been best friends for how long? I know."

"True... Not to mention the fact that we've already set up dresser drawers for each other at our homes so we never have to worry about the sudden crashing at someone's home..." Oriana trailed, picking up her duffle bag with all her equipment. She had quickly stripped off all the gear so she could breathe in the muggy weather. She crinkled her nose in confusion as she leaned to the side, observing the two boys Teagan had been speaking with. The one reminded her of the boy she was eyeing before the game. "Who were you talking with anyway?"

"Just a few band mates," Teagan shrugged her shoulders innocently. "I invited them to the party tonight, if that's okay."

"Just a few band mates?" Oriana countered, arching her honey eyebrows with question.

"Two or three?"

"You mean two or three dates," Oriana laughed, watching the two boys walk off talking excitedly to one another. She groaned silently, unable to remember their names.

"Two of them, maybe. But the Latino with curly hair seemed more interested in you," Teagan replied with a sly grin.

"More interested in scoring help with a big paper that's due or working on lines for upcoming musical or hanging out or talking to another girl who he needs to date for prom or many other numerous things that don't involve your kind of interest, Tea. So please stop trying, I'm one of the boys, remember?" Oriana groaned.

"I'm calling bullshit," she said in a singsong tone. "That is NOT why he was interested in you. I seriously think he likes you for who you are and wants to get to know you better."

"You can't call bullshit, remember? That's my card," Oriana teased, wanting to get off the subject. All the boys may have wanted to date Teagan, but all those same boys just wanted to befriend Oriana. It was the only way Oriana knew how to function and she liked it that way. She was happier with her friend status, because all the guys were great.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. C'mon, you stink and are filthy as a pig. Let's head to your house--"

"Awe, Tea, you're slumming!" a harsh voice cooed, interrupting the girls' tight hug. Teagan and Oriana immediately separated as a bold figure stepped toward them. Teagan immediately scowled with disgust at the sight of her ex-boyfriend, Xander. "Didn't think you'd be so heartbroken over me that you'd try out girls."

"Xander, girls would be a step up from you and I sure as Hell ain't heartbroken over us breaking up. What the fuck are you doing here anyway? I told you to leave me alone," Teagan crossed her arms over her chest. She despised her ex-boyfriend more than anything. He was a dropout and drug user who loved to cause trouble. It took her two years, but she finally broke up with him after getting beat up by him and his friends.

"I came to see you play, Baby," he cooed, running his hand against her cheek. Teagan pulled away in shock as Oriana immediately stepped forward. Xander snorted with laughter, holding his hands up in defense. "Little girlfriend to the rescue... What's that nickname that your boner buddies gave you after initiating you into the team with rough sex? Wild Cherry Bomb?"

"Just Cherry Bomb, thanks," Oriana growled, balling her hands into fists.

"Riana, he's not worth it," Teagan pulled her friend back. "Just leave, Xander, before I call the cops on your ass for trespassing."

"Just admit you miss me, Teagie."

"Don't call me Teagie. NO ONE calls me that."

"I called you that during our wild---"

"Leave now, Xander," Oriana ordered immediately, noticing the tears begin to build in Teagan's eyes. Oriana may have been the younger one, but she refused to see Teagan cry. She stepped forward and slammed her fist hard against his jaw, causing him to fall backward. "You're not wanted."

Xander gave a low chuckle, holding his jaw. "She still wants me, I know she does."

“Maybe you need to get your hearing checked, because I remember her telling you to leave her alone. Now get out of here before I kick your ass."

"Feisty, aren't you?" Xander asked, refusing to give up. "I'd really like both of you at the same time. Get in my truck, we'll go for a drive and have fun. Teagie and Wild Cherry - my fantasy."

"Well go download it on the Internet, because we're not interested," Oriana fired, watching Xander slowly stumble to his feet. He stepped toward them to throw a fist toward Oriana, but she quickly blocked it with her right forehead. Xander stepped back in surprise, shaking his head with disgust. "Care to try again? Because I can guarantee you don't want to mess with a girl who takes martial arts, football, and dance."

"I'll take care of you later, Teagie. When you don't have miss Wild Cherry protecting you," Xander growled towards Teagan, ignoring Oriana.

"Fuck you!" Teagan screamed as he walked off, lighting yet another cigarette. When she heard his truck revved from a few yards away, she collapsed on a nearby bench. She held her face in her hands, trying to regain her composure. He had his finger wrapped so tightly around her heart for so many years, causing her strong will to crush beneath his smoldering glare.

"You okay, Teag?" Oriana called, leaning down to pick up both of the girls' duffle bags.

Teagan took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine." She rubbed her face before standing up.

"He's all hot air, Teag. He just likes to get a rise out of you when he can," Oriana assured softly, running her hand against her friend's back. She hated seeing Teagan so distraught over a man who hurt her so. Oriana had been too hurt in the passed to see someone else suffer the same endeavors.

"I know, I know. He just has that look he always gave me before... you know. It still gets to me, no matter how much I tell myself not to," Teagan sighed heavily, running a hand through her messy locks. "I need a drink... alcohol or not, I need a drink."

"There's something I don't get, Teag," Oriana drawled, slinging her free arm against her friend's shoulders to bring closer.

"What's that?" Teagan asked, wrapping her arm around Oriana's waist.

"Why do you always date the assholes?" Oriana sighed dejectedly, trying to find a smile or laugh within her friend.

"I think I'm an asshole magnet," Teagan snickered a little.

"Do you catch a lot of shit then?" Oriana countered with her infamous innocent smile.

"Unfortunately," she crinkled her nose in distaste. "Maybe I should get into basketball like you do with football. Then I won't date the assholes."

"No, you'd just encounter tons of boys with inflated egos."

"Better than someone like Xander," Teagan scowled as they reached her car.

"Would you just get in the Hummer already! We're getting all upset when we just won the very first game of our last season with a shut out! I kicked tremendous ass, didn't let one person score out of all those prep Williams. You made everyone cheer and probably got a ton of phone numbers. We're the best, Teag. And we deserve it all!" Oriana announced proudly, throwing her arms up in victory before unlocking her expensive metallic blue Hummer.

"I'm getting in the Hummer!" Teagan finally laughed, crawling into the large car. Oriana revved the engine and sped out of the parking lot, honking at friends and fellow teammates while cheering. Everyone cheered and honked back, enjoying the victory over Tartan's rival.
Misunderstood by Anastacia
Chapter 3 – Misunderstood

"Damnit, Bri! Slow down the car before you crash!" Alex yelled in fright as Brian slammed on the gas while rounding a sharp corner. Alex could almost feel the car going onto two wheels as Brian continued to press his luck. Alex squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the deathly blow when Brian killed them. He scolded himself for not insisting on driving from the start. Brian's temper always got the best of him after loosing a game.

"Right now I don't give a flying rat's ass, J! You're not the one who just blew that game. Dad is going to rip me a new one when he finds out!" Brian snapped as he continued to speed back to their house.

"Dad's not going to do a damn thing!"

"You're in the band, so you don't even know what he would do! He doesn't count on you to win!"

"Maybe he shouldn't count on you to win either since you just got killed by a girl!" Alex roared with ill contempt, hating the way his brother acted after games. His brother didn't understand how lonely he felt inside when their father and Brian bonded over the trivial matters of games. Never did he get congradulated on a Marching Band Competition. "The only reason he would ride your ass about loosing is because of this attitude you always come home with, Brian! Slow the damn car down!"

"Fuck you, I can drive the way I want!"

"NOT IF YOU'RE GOING TO KILL BOTH OF US!"

Brian growled, slamming on the brakes as they pulled into their driveway. "THERE! I SLOWED DOWN!"

Alex flew forward in surprise. His upper body snapped against the seatbelt, throwing him back into the seat. Alex coughed heavily, pulling the seatbelt away from his throat. "What the Hell is your problem, Brian?!"

“None of your damn business!" Brian unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, slamming the door so hard the window almost broke.

“Why can't you tell me?! Because I'm your little brother who's so dorky that I just couldn't understand? That I couldn't possibly understand the woes of a High School God? What?! What is it, Brian? Is it the fact that you got slammed by a girl? Do you hate me? Do you not want me in your sight? What?! TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Alex burst, jumping out of the car. He absolutely refused to let Brian push him down again.

"IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT'S HER NAME FROM TARTAN!" Brian shouted.

"THEN WHAT THE HELL IS IT?!"

"I JUST DISAPPOINTED THE WHOLE SCHOOL BY LOSING THAT GAME! THE ONLY TIME I EVER GET ATTENTION FROM DAD IS WHEN I WIN!"

Alex froze in the open doorway, watching his brother slam a fist against the white wall. The rage boiling inside Brian's body had caused his cheeks to turn a vicious red as tears threatened to spill from his light eyes. "So that's it..." Alex replied calmly, "You're mad at Dad for getting a girlfriend and leaving us behind. You're mad at Dad because if he's not with his girlfriend, he's downstairs working on songs..."

"YES! THAT'S WHY!" Brian screamed one last time before going into the living room and falling onto the couch. He sniffled, trying not to cry. "So no, you're not the only one who wants real attention from him."

"He wants to be happy---"

"That means he can ignore us?!"

"You've never been ignored up until this point, Brian. You have no idea what it feels like. You're the golden boy. If you have an off day at home, you can go right to school and feel loved. Do you know what I get? Oh, hey, Richardson's brother! I want to be known for more than that, Brian. I get ignored whether I'm at home or at school. I don't have what you have."

"And you think it would be great being me? I have so much pressure to be perfect, you have no idea! Star football, section leader in choir, in all the musicals AND perfect grades! I have to do what everyone else in my group does, whether I want to or not. So don't think it's all good being me, because it's not."

"Then let something go to give yourself a breather!"

"I can't!"

"Then focus on something else," Alex decided, slumping down onto the nearby recliner. He braced his long arms behind his head, focusing on the latest family photograph. Alex looked like their father, compared to Brian's softer features of their late mother. Alex sighed softly, trying to remember when Brian and him were actually close. "Focus on how we're going to get out of the birthday party next week."

"Ugh, you had to remind me of that," Brian groaned, rubbing his face. "Dad really expects us to go?"

"Dad doesn't just expect, I think he plans on forcing us. He decided to set a date on when we should have the chick's present, which is by this Sunday."

"Not only do we have to GO we have to get her a PRESENT? You've got to be kidding me!"

"I say we settle it by buying a basket of cosmetics from Bath and Body or something. She's the daughter of a rich doctor, what else would she possibly enjoy more? I bet she'll be dressed in a plaid skirt with a white sweater around her shoulders, hair perfected. All her little boyfriend will be dancing around in khakis and polos," Alex snickered with amusement, finding it refreshing to bond with his brother over the stupidest things.

"And then she'll be like 'Oh my God! I need to go back to the salon, I like, broke my nail. Oh my God!' Typical valley girl over at Tartan," Brian replied, snickering as well. He had to admit he liked getting along with Alex rather than argue with him.

"Bet she's a tall blonde, plastic boobs, and a fake smile screwed onto her face. Not a hair out of place... Skipping around like freaking Snow White, loving everything, but dumb as a board. We'll have to spice up our blonde jokes."

"Definitely. And I'll bet her best friend is the exact same way, but with brown hair and is the daughter of a lawyer or something."

"Maybe her best friend will be hot..."

"No way are you going for the best friend. That's my job!"

"Then what the Hell am I going to do?"

"Umm... hope she has another best friend?"

"Oh joy."

"Hey," Alex threw a pillow at Brian's head. "It's Friday and we're sitting here doing nothing. I have a stash of booze down in the basement. How about we call some people over and get a party going?"

"When do you think Dad will be back?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Can't believe he's banging a doctor," Alex sighed.

"I don't even want that picture in my head, bro."

"You think she hits him up the asshole like the guy in Road Trip?" Alex laughed, tossing the nearby cordless phone to his brother.

"AH MAN! THAT'S GROSS!" Brian groaned, throwing more pillows at Alex before calling up some friends.

*~*~*

"Momma?! Momma! Oh my gosh! Momma the game was completely kick ass! Knocked them out so fast that their heads were spinning like a monkey trying to bite his own butt! And get this, number twenty---" Oriana immediately clamped her mouth shut tightly as she hurried into the kitchen to find her mother embraced with her recent catch, Kevin Richardson. Oriana dropped her helmet to the floor with surprise, causing them to jump apart from their heated embrace. Oriana immediately mustered a fake smile to hide her scowl as Teagan immediately greeted Kevin warmly. Oriana couldn't help but wonder what this boyfriend would do when her mother's back was turned. It was the usual three with each man - emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Although her mother never knew, because she bottled everything inside. "Hello, Kevin."

"Hey, Oriana. How was the game tonight?" Kevin replied with a warm smile, wishing the smile she was giving him was real instead of fake. He knew Oriana's mother, Cassandra, had some bad boyfriends in the past who had hurt them both. He wasn't like the others and wished she would see that.

"We won," she replied crisply, wanting to make the encounter as quick as possible. She would never give another man her mother dated the advantage. So many times she had hoped for the man to be the right man for her mother, but they all turned to monsters. She refused to let her heart lay against the line yet again for the torment she suffered.

"Oh! Well, congratulations. You and the team must have played very well again."

"We did," Oriana turned to her mother with a real smile. "Momma, the guys are coming over to celebrate our win. Is that okay?"

"I'm taking it you want us out of the house so you can get into trouble?" Cassandra laughed softly, tucking her blonde locks behind her ears. She loved her daughter so much. She just wished that she understood Oriana better. Never had she seen Oriana so callous to someone. Oriana had been so bright and bubbly before, but now it seemed as if the light had extinguished.

"My Mom is having her famous Margarita Night!" Teagan offered brightly.

"That'd be a yes, Cass," Kevin chuckled.

"C'mon, Momma, you've never said no before."
"And I'm not going to say no now," Cassandra replied with a smile, standing up and walking over to give Oriana a hug. "I'm proud of you for the great game tonight, Sweetie."

"She'll be MVP again, Ma," Teagan approved. "I just wish she'd get this adrenaline rush out of her system. Bungee jumping would be easier on her."
"Bungee jumping..." Oriana trailed with interest, hugging her mother tightly. She inhaled the soft scent of her mother's perfume, feeling calmer than before. Her mother didn't care that she was streaked with dirt and black paint. She only cared that Oriana was home.

"No, we're not bungee jumping tonight!" Teagan laughed.

"Next weekend for my Seventeenth? Oh my gosh, that would be so killer!"

"YOU can do it next weekend while I watch from the ground."

"Seriously?" Oriana asked hopefully.

"If you really want to."

"Freaking sweet. Momma, I'm so doing that."

"Maybe I'll come with you. Make a mother/daughter tradition," Cassandra chuckled, kissing her daughter's cheek where it was somewhat clean.

"Then you're so on your own!" Teagan called, running up the stairs.

"Hey! Teag! Wait! I gotta ask you a question!" Oriana called from the kitchen, stomping her foot.

"Can't I get into clean clothes first?" Teagan whined.

"No! Now!"

"But Riana--"

"C'mere!"

"Ugh! I'm coming!" Teagan trampled back down the stairs. "What?"

"I just have to know one thing," Oriana replied innocently, wiggling out of her mother's arms.

"And what is the one thing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Oriana kicked off her dirty cleats toward the door, placing her hands on her hips. Without warning, she allowed her beautifully powerful voice to radiate around the house, "Do you love me?! Do you love me? / Do you love me? Do you love me? / Do you love me! Now that I can dance. / Watch me now! Hey! / I said-a work it all baby! / Ah, you're drivin' me crazy! / With a little bit of soul now! / Mmm, now I can do the mash potata! / And I can do the twist! / I said now tell me baby, Mmm, now do you like it like this! / Whoa, tell me, tell me, tell me." Oriana smiled proudly as she completed the mash potato and the twist without any flaws, trying to hold her laughter as Teagan giggled wildly.

"You crazy, Riana! Absolutely crazy!" Teagan giggled, falling on the floor with tears in her eyes.

"Well, now that she's on the floor laughing, I have the chance to steal my tubby back before she gets into it! See you later, Momma!" Oriana burst, pressing a kiss to her mother's cheek. She jumped over Teagan's giggling form, rushing up the stairs as if football players were chasing her.

"HEY! THAT'S MY TUBBY!" Teagan screeched, getting up from the floor. With the slam of a door upstairs, she knew Oriana was in the bathroom. "Ma! She stole my tubby!"

"Use my private bathroom, Tea, or you can use the guest bathroom upstairs... Or the one downstairs..." Cassandra suggested with a smile, pressing a kiss to Teagan's forehead. She had known the child since she was a baby and absolutely adored her like a second daughter.

"Oooh, private bathroom! Thanks, Ma!" Teagan hugged Cassandra and rushed to the master bedroom.

"She still hates me," Kevin sighed dejectedly as Cassandra gathered her purse to leave. He absolutely hated the way Oriana's eyes burned against him. He had dreamed so many years of having a daughter. Now that the chance had arrived, she forcefully pushed him away.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I don't know why she's acting like this, and every time I ask, she won't tell me," Cassandra wrapped her arms around Kevin's neck. Leaning up on her tiptoes she kissed him softly. "Just give her time."

"Did you tell her the big news yet?" he asked hopefully, knowing Oriana would be the toughest critic. He released yet another sigh as he pulled Cassandra close, just praying for a miracle.

"No... She's been so wrapped up preparing for the big game that I haven't had a chance to tell her."

"When are you going to then?"

"Tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah right," he laughed, kissing the top of her forehead. He wrapped her in another long embrace, loving the soft scent of her favorite perfume. He didn't know what he would possibly do without this woman. He needed her mother than every breath consuming his body. He loved her deeply and just hoped his boys would approve, too. Alex and Brian seemed to get along well with Cassandra, but he worried that Oriana might clash. "You want to know the good news of the evening, though?"

"What?" Cassandra asked with a smile, resting her chin on his chest as she looked up at him with matching eyes like Oriana.

"At least your other daughter likes me," he teased.

"Indeed she does," she giggled, kissing his chest. "And Teag is a really good judge of character, so I knew you were good when she told me she approved of you."

"So, you really are going to marry me, huh?"

"Yes, I'm going to marry the man that I love!"
Timid Nature by Anastacia
Chapter 4 – Timid Nature

"Teagan," Oriana called loudly, running down the steps. She heard the doorbell chime several times as she hit the bottom stairs, but neither girl made a move for the door. Instead, Oriana caught Teagan's look of disbelief and immediately glanced down to her choice of clothing. She felt so idiotic every time Teagan gave her that harsh look over clothing. Compared to Teagan, she looked like a washed up street-rat.

Teagan was always dressed to perfection, whether she decided on the popular clothing styles or her Hot Topic Originals. Today she decided to punk out with her beauty. She had chosen a pair of tight black Capri’s and a form fitting tube top covered with strawberries from her Hot Topics collection. The jewelry in her eyebrow, nose, and ears glittered with precious stones as she allowed her shiny brunette hair to grace her shoulders.

Oriana sighed, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her pants. She had decided on a comfortable pair of baggy, black sweatpants and a somewhat tight light blue wife-beater. Her long honey blonde locks were still damp and drying in a firm ponytail at the base of her neck. She had removed all the jewelry her mother had bought her before the game and thought nothing of putting it back on. She just wanted to relax after the game, not pretend to be someone she wasn't. "Go ahead, bag on the clothes before I answer the door. I can see it in your eyes that you want to say something, Teag."

“Couldn't you just put on some jewelry? You look so cute with the earrings and necklace Ma bought you as an early birthday present!"

"Teagan, why do you always hate what I wear?" Oriana asked, knowing the kind of Hell Teagan would omit if Oriana didn't change. She just wished Teagan would understand. No matter how much she loved Teagan, Oriana was just nothing like her best friend. Dressing nice just didn't seem to play in Oriana's cards of life. She ran her hands along the wet curls of her ponytail, slowly walking toward the door that continued to chime. If she could open the door, then she would be free from Teagan's bantering.

"I don't hate it, I just want you to look nice! You're so beautiful, Riana--"

"I'm not beautiful. I'm not like you, Teag. Okay? If I would go upstairs and put on the tight flares, the necklace, and the earrings - the players would laugh me right out of my own house!"

"You are to beautiful and they would not laugh at you!"

"They would laugh at me," Oriana quickly objected, heading toward the door.

"They would not!"

"Bet me, then."

"How much?"

"Um..." Oriana bit down on her bottom lip. "What do you want to wager?"

"If I'm wrong... you can pick any guy who comes in here and I'll kiss them. If I'm right, then I have to pick one for you."

"One for me to kiss?" Oriana asked with disgust, imagining Teagan pick one of the teammates that acted more like a brother.

"Yep! Are you up for it?" Teagan replied with a laugh as the doorbell rang again.

"Deal," Oriana replied quickly, firmly shaking her best friend's hand. Teagan nodded with approval, crossing her hands firmly beneath her chest. Oriana rolled her eyes, opened the door, and spoke quickly without realizing who just was standing there, "Guys would you just not have a shit-fit if I came down to a victory party in a pair of tight jeans, earrings, and a necklace?"

"I wouldn't have a shit-fit at all," the Latino boy she was looking at earlier replied with a grin.

Oriana's jaw dropped open in surprise as she stared at two boys she hardly recognized. She stepped back just in time for all the players to run in. Each boy whooped congratulations and gave her a playful swat on the rear, rushing to the kitchen for the sodas, alcohol, and snacks. She still focused on the two boys, tilting her head in obvious confusion. The one boy was short with a skinny frame, bleach blonde hair, blue eyes, and an impish smile. The boy she had been admiring earlier was absolutely gorgeous in her eyes, but she knew better. She immediately turned on her heels and pointed accusingly at Teagan, "That doesn't count!"

"Why doesn't it?" Teagan laughed.

"Because that wasn't the guys! Holy shit, Teag! I don't even have a clue who they are!" Oriana burst.

"Then let me introduce you," Teagan walked over and wrapped an arm around Oriana's shoulders. "Howie, Nick, this is my best friend Oriana. Riana, this is Howie and Nick. They're trumpet players in marching band."

"It still doesn't count," Oriana murmured against her best friend's shoulder before offering her hand toward the two. She had a vague idea of who Howie was, but none of the other boy. She hardly paid attention to all the crowds circulating around Teagan and herself, unless they were truly in need of her help or care. She always made pleasant conversation and was sincerely sweet, but her mind had been so fuel these past days that she forgot many names. "I'm Oriana."

"We know," Howie answered for both the boys, immediately reaching to shake her hand first. He smiled genuinely as he hoped to strike up some kind of conversation with the fascinating girl. "We run in the same crowd. I had to remind Teagan earlier, so it's not that big of a deal if you don't remember—"

"I'm really sorry," Oriana immediately blurted with a firm blush rising to her tanned cheeks. Her mother's recent romance had occupied all of her deepest thoughts. She had only enough time to focus on the football game and her studies while watching for her mother. The nightmares had started again since the recent whirlwind lover.

"No, it's okay, don't worry about it. First couple months of school are always hectic. No big deal," Howie gave another dashing smile.

"Howie, right?" she countered, feeling Teagan's grip tighten on her shoulders.

"That's me."

"And Nick?" Oriana asked, glancing to the shy blonde.

"Yeah," he nodded, blushing a little.

"Well, I'll promise both of you that I'll never forget your names again. Deal?" Oriana proposed, not wanting to make the two boys upset. She hated the idea of not remembering someone's name.

"Deal," they both replied, shaking her hands.

Teagan smiled in approval as she watched Howie gaze at her best friend with intense interest.
Oriana was about to strike up another conversation when she heard a group of the football players call for their 'Cherry Bomb.' She turned to see them huddle around her master stereo system, holding up her favorite CD as one pushed play. Her blue-green eyes lit with extreme interest as she flipped back to the group at the doorway. "Guys, I'd love to talk more but they're going to play my victory song... Snacks, drinks, alcohol - all in the kitchen. Beware though, the person that takes the last Strawberry Daiquiri is in serious monkey-shit, because I'll pummel you. Other than that, have a great time! And Teag?"

"Yeah, Riana?"

"That didn't count!" Oriana chirped, pressing a kiss to her friend's cheek. With that said, she hurried down the steps into the living room. Without hesitation, she jumped into the pile of boys, who quickly hoisted her to their shoulders. She held her hands in the air as she started singing, "Well I remember every little thing as if it happened yesterday / Parking by the lake and there was not another car in sight. And I never had a girl looking better than you did / And all the kids at school were wishing they were me that night.... Cause we're glowing like the metal at the edge of the knife!"

"She lives up to her nickname," Howie chuckled as he, Nick and Teagan walked into the kitchen.

"Cherry Bomb?" Nick asked with confusion, sitting down at the table with the other two. He reached for a Pepsi, not really thinking to take a drink of alcohol till he had something settled in his stomach. He was still too shy to actually advance into the pack of wolves in the living room. He had just moved to Tartan Senior High School in the beginning of the year. He was still learning the ropes of the new school. Everything was so different compared to William's Senior High School.

"That's Riana. Wild and crazy and...a total sweetheart," Teagan replied as she grabbed a strawberry daiquiri. "She's a great friend to have; knows everybody and will help in anyway she can. But she's got a fierce side no one knows about unless they're asking for it."

"You mean the side she brings out in football?" Nick guessed.

"You got it. Did you see twenty-four at the game? Screaming about how Seventeen was on his ass the whole time?"

"Yeah—"

"Seventeen's Oriana," Howie informed.

"Well, I know that... Twenty-Four? Twenty-Four was giving Oriana Hell?" Nick blurted in surprise.

"Mm-hmm. He was really pissed off, screaming that she was a dyke and everything... it was bad. But Oriana took it and shoved it right up his ass," Teagan replied proudly.

"How'd she do that?"

"She made him know none of that affected her, which threw him off right away."

"I can't believe he said that—"

"Wait, you know twenty-four?"

"I went to William's last year. That was one of my best friends. His name is Brian."

"Does he always talk to people like that?"

"Not usually. He was always pretty laid back till this year. He's having some kind of huge family crisis and everything is coming down hard on him. Seems his Dad is blowing off him and his brother for some high maintenance chick," Nick explained, popping a few chips into his mouth.

"Well, that's got to suck. Doesn't give him an excuse to act the way he did," Teagan took a sip of her drink. "What's his last name?"

"William's and Tartan's don't mix. I doubt you'd know him," Nick laughed impishly.

"Good point," she agreed with a smile. "But I do know some names."

"Like Loser and Sleaze-Bag," Howie teased softly.

"Well, that only counts for ninety percent of William's boys. After all, Nick's here and he's not scum," Teagan retorted with a roll of her blue-gray eyes. She immediately tucked fallen pieces of hair behind her ears before removing her glasses to rub away the dirt. "So, now, you have to level with me, Howie."

"And level with you I shall. What needs leveling?"

"The looks you're giving Oriana."

"Me? Give looks?" he replied innocently.

“Yes, you, Latin Lover. Spill it."

"Honestly, there's nothing in the looks. She's funny, okay? I like talking to her because she makes me laugh. But, like I said earlier, there's nothing there! The girl is one of the guys. She obviously wants nothing more," Howie objected, fighting the blush creeping to his cheeks. Honestly, he really did admire Oriana on more than one level. He just didn't know how to go about expressing feelings to a girl who felt like she hardly knew him.

"There's nothing?" Teagan snorted, obviously not falling for the act.

"No, there's nothing."

"I shall be calling the bullshit card, Howie. We've been in all these classes since freshman year. I may have acted like the dummy I am and forgot today, but that's just because I have a lot on my mind. You really like Riana, don't you?"

"No---"

"Then take her this Daq," Teagan commanded, handing Howie the frosty drink. "The boys always like to see the new moves she picked up in dance class. She added a belly dancing class this summer if you can't tell by the Christina Aguilera playing in there. So give this to her, she'll be thirsty."

"In front of the entire football team?" he gulped.

“They’ll probably only hound you if you like her. But she's one of the guys and doesn't have anyone interested in her on that kind of level. So, you'll be safe."

"But--"

"Why are you objecting?" Teagan asked innocently.

"No reason. I'm going," Howie stood up and headed out to the living room.

"He likes her..." Nick confessed with a knowing smile. He had become fast friends with Howie. He had even invited Howie over to the Richardson's house for a few parties. The boys seemed to click well within their group.

Teagan smiled as well, drinking the rest of her daiquiri. "He does. And I know Riana's been watching him, too."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Nick asked automatically, watching Teagan's blue-gray eyes light up with interest as the music suddenly dropped in noise levels.

"Hell yeah."

"Let's go!" Nick burst, grabbing Teagan's hands.

They quickly rushed to the doorway leading into the living room. They carefully leaned against it to peer into the living room. Sure enough, Howie was cautiously approaching Oriana. The girl seemed oblivious to the set-up as she tried to teach three of the boys to belly dance. Teagan stifled a fit of laughter as she watched Oriana's sleek body move to the music compared to the lumbering jocks stumbling when only their hips were supposed to gyrate. Oriana was so gifted when it came to dancing, but the boys seemed to be made of left feet. She instantly poked Nick's side when she noticed Howie inches away from his target.

"Guys! The hips! You've got to move the hips instead of the feet. I don't know how you can call yourselves football players if you can't even move your hips!" Oriana teasingly scolded, still focused on the music as she rolled her hips to the beat.

"O-Oriana?" Howie called out timidly as he reached her.

Oriana was about to turn, but the boys became frustrated with the dance. One of the boys, Erik, immediately hoisted her limber body over his shoulder, securing his hands tightly against her hips. Oriana immediately grunted with surprise, trying to wiggle free. She felt her body slide down the length of Erik's back without her baggy sweatpants "Guys! Loosing the drawers here!"

"Maybe that's our goal!" Josh called out with a hoot.

"To see one of your brothers in their underwear? Damn, you guys are sick," Oriana commented, glancing up to see her bare legs becoming exposed as she continued to slide down Erik.

"Then stop moving if you don't want us to see your skimpies!"

"I don't care if you see my goods or not! Not like you haven't touched them during a tackle anyway!" Oriana grunted, freeing herself finally. She rushed toward the floor, doing some kind of roll to push herself up to her feet. She groaned as she glanced down to her flip-flop printed bikini briefs. She immediately snatched her black sweatpants back from Erik and pushed him onto the couch as the boys hooted with approval. "Sorry, Howie," she murmured, stepping into her pants.

"I-It's alright. I just came out here because I thought you could use a drink since you wanted at least one daq."

"You braved the thugs to get me a daq?" she asked impressively, noticing the intense blush set against his cheeks. She immediately tugged her pants to the lower portion of her hips, tying them securely once again. She then tucked a few stray curls that were brushing against her face behind her ears.

"I guess I did," he gave an impish smile as she took the drink.

"Well, thanks," she replied softly, taking a long sip of the alcohol. She had a terrific game, but the pressure was building against her shoulders about Kevin. She hated getting herself worked up over some sleazy boyfriend her mother thought she loved, but it was hard trying to block herself from pain. "You can stay out here if you want. You, Nick, and Teag don't have to hide out in the kitchen because it's all football players out here. We're pretty nice. You should know all the guys anyway."

"Well, Teag and I are trying to get Nick used to the Tartan scene. He transferred from William's for senior year."

Oriana winced slightly as she heard a round of hisses and boos from her teammates. She leaned back and punched Erik sharply on the arm. Erik raised his eyebrows in confusion, immediately clutching his throbbing arm. "Guys, back it off. Nick's a sweet guy. He's nothing like the Twenty-Four Asshole."

"You're sure about that?"

"Howie's friends with him, doesn't that say enough?"

"Yeah, but---"

"Have I ever been a poor judge of character? Teagan, too, for that matter?"

"Well, no, but--"

"That's all I need to hear."

"Cherry Bomb---"

"Do I have to take all of you outside and kick your asses one by one?" she defended, standing her ground. She learned long ago that she could never let the boys slam her into submission. She tried to remove the vile taste in her mouth from the lying about her being a famous judge of character. If that had been true, then she would have known about all the terrible lies her mother's boyfriends carried against their black hearts.

"No! We... we just wanted to say that this Nick is cool with us," Erik replied, knowing Oriana was right and had a great judge of character. The rest of the team nodded in agreement.

"Like I said. You guys can come out and chill with us. I was about to put on Texas Chainsaw Massacre, since we massacred Williams. If you don't want to come out that's chill with us, too. Whatever you guys want, alright?" Oriana concluded, feeling as if her soul was connecting against Howie's dark eyes.

"Horror movies? I'm there," Howie replied with a smile. "Let me get Teagan and Nick."

"You guys can even pick your primo spots," Oriana concluded with a small heartfelt smile, popping in her favorite DVD as Howie ushered Teagan and Nick into the room. Instantly, the boys chorused hellos to Nick, involving him in the latest chatter. Oriana turned to see Teagan and Howie still standing. "Pick your spots."

Teagan smirked, walking over and sitting at the second to last spot by Nick and Andre. "I got my spot!"

Oriana moved to the middle of the couches, sitting down between Kyle and Jeremy. She was completely unaware of the surroundings as she intently focused on the big screen TV to get the DVD started. She didn't notice Teagan mouth the words, 'You like her' to Howie. Nor did she notice Teagan motioning for Kyle to move down to make room for Howie beside Oriana. Finally, when the DVD tuned the menu, Oriana glanced up to see Howie still standing. "Legs froze, Howie?"

"Huh? No, they're not," he blushed, sitting down next to her.

"That's the primo spot?" she asked in surprise.

"Yep. Primo spot," he replied with a grin, being a little bold.

"Middle of the couch centered directly in front of the big screen is always my first pick, too," Oriana agreed, not really picking up on the hint.

"Best view."

"To see the gore," Oriana finished, still refusing to allow her brain to compute the pick-up lines.

"Yeah... the gore..." Howie trailed off as the movie started. He shot Teagan a look before going back to the movie.

"I'm going to have to do some serious damage control tonight," Teagan groaned quietly, leaning her head against Nick's shoulder. She just didn't understand her best friend's inner workings sometimes.

"She doesn't understand what Howie's saying?" Nick asked softly, placing an arm around her waist.

"She's hung around guys for all her life. You know how guys never pick up on subtle hints that girls always throw? Well, meet the only girl in the world that computes information like a guy," Teagan grunted in defeat, realizing she might just have to break every rule in the book and flat out explain to Oriana that Howie was interested.

"Never thought that could really happen," Nick replied, resting his head against hers. "So you're going to have to just explain it to her later?"

"Howie might kill me, but I think it's for the best."

"I think Oriana might kill us if we keep talking," Nick replied, looking up to see Oriana throw them another look.

"What can I tell you? The girl loves horror movies. Talking during one is like admitting God doesn't exist," Teagan teased, pouting toward her best friend. She smiled as Oriana rolled her eyes and offered the same smile. Teagan almost released a scream as Oriana grabbed a pillow and leaned against Jeremy instead of Howie.

"Poor D. He's just sitting there, liking that girl and she's leaning against her teammate and not him," Nick said quietly, feeling bad for his friend, who was sitting there next to Oriana almost rigidly.

Teagan waited until Oriana's thoughts got lost into the screen. Without hesitation, she tossed a crumpled ball against Jeremy. The boy jerked in surprise, connecting eyes with Teagan. She offered a stern look, motioning for him to get a drink. He shrugged his shoulders in confusion, whispering something to Oriana as he slipped over the back of the couch, giving her nothing to lean against.

"Damn," Oriana murmured quietly, almost falling into the open corner of the couch.

"You can lean against me until Jeremy gets back; if you like," Howie whispered.

"No, that's alright—"

"I don't bite, you know."

"I know, but—"

"But?"

"Are you sure you don't mind? I got a shower and everything so I'm not sweaty or anything, but still... I mean... You probably have a girl--no, forget it. Are you sure you don't mind?" she stammered, feeling more confused than ever.

"I don't mind at all and no, I don't have a girlfriend," he replied with a sweet smile.

"Too bad, you deserve one," she blurted without recognition, attentively leaning against him almost as if she were afraid.

"Thanks," he blushed a little, placing an arm around her. "You can lean more, you're not going to break me and I won't hurt you."

"Um...okay..." she hesitated, allowing herself to snuggle gently against his side. She almost felt her skin burn from his hand resting against her shoulders. She immediately focused her eyes to the movie, trying to stop her foolish thoughts. Every boy who ever tried the sweet routine was just looking for help with a sport, help with school, or help with getting a girlfriend besides her. She knew this would probably end in the same manner. So she refused to get carried away.

"Mission accomplished, Teag. Good job," Nick replied with a grin.

"Score," Teagan whispered with amusement, feeling Nick press a friendly kiss to her forehead. She tried to hide the frown however, because she knew by the distant look in Oriana's eyes that it was far from a 'mission accomplished.'
The Other Side by Anastacia
Chapter 5 – The Other Side

"Damn, guys, what took you so long? We've been hanging out here for freaking ever waiting for you assholes to get here! Most of the others bailed because of...shit... I used to remember... But, damn, get your asses downstairs!" Brian joked with a loud whistle as he threw open the front door to find Nick and Howie behind it. The two had finished the movie at Oriana's house before trekking over to Alex and Brian's party. Brian didn't seem to mind however as he wrapped his arms around the boys for a brotherly hug. He smelled faintly of the alcohol mixture within the basement, but didn’t seem to care. He had let go of a majority of his issues once the alcohol started flowing. Now he was just in a good mood.

"Sorry, we got hung up somewhere else for awhile," Howie replied as they walked into the house and to the kitchen. There were cans of beer and glasses of mixed drinks on the table.

"Yeah, likely story," Brian chuckled, motioning to the table. "Help yourselves. J and everyone who hasn't left are downstairs playing pool and darts."

"Do you think you're sober enough to be playing with sharp objects, Bri?" Nick asked with a wry smile, watching Brian swoop down for another beer.

"Hey, I'm not drunk or anything. I'm just in my relaxed mode," Brian answered, opening the can.

"You have a relaxed mode?" Nick snorted.

"You're funny, Carter. Haha."

"We'll grab some drinks and meet you down there. We're probably crashing here tonight if that's cool?" Nick asked, tossing Howie a cold beer. They had only had two strawberry daiquiris each at Oriana's home, so they weren't worried about going over the limit.

"You guys know where the guest rooms are; Dad will probably wake you up bright and early, but y'all are welcome," Brian agreed, taking his beer and heading down to the basement.

"He's going to need all the help he can get," Nick sighed, popping off the top of his can. He watched Howie trace his fingers around the top of the beer, seemingly in a daze. Nick could hardly contain his laughter as he dragged his hands against his bowl-cut blonde locks. "How was the movie, D?"

"Huh? Movie?" Howie looked up in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Guess you weren't really paying attention to Texas Chainsaw, were you?"

"Well, when you have a gorgeous girl like Oriana leaning against you... you kind of forget everything else."

"Gorgeous?" Nick asked in surprise, never expecting those words to surface.

"You heard me."

"You like her that much?"

"I guess I do. There's just something about her, man. I really like her."

"Never really thought of her as gorgeous..." Nick trailed, slowly walking down the stairs behind Howie. "I mean, every time I see her in school she's in a baggy t-shirt and shorts or a tank top and baggy pants. Hair is always in a ponytail. Then if she's coming from any type of practice, all her curls are wild and she has streaks of dirt across her face. I don't know how you get gorgeous out of that. If you look at Teagan - yeah, there's gorgeous—"

"Teagan's gorgeous in the most popular girl in school way. Oriana's got this attitude that she doesn't care what she wears or what anyone thinks about her. That's what makes her gorgeous to me."

"Bet she'd look killer in a prom dress..." Nick trailed after a few moments, obviously dressing Oriana's fit body into something suitable for his own needs.

"You'd have to wrestle her into a dress, I'll bet."

"You could always try if you'd get the balls to do it."

"Who's saying I don't have the balls to do it?"

"Teagan and me," Nick answered matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes. He immediately walked Howie toward Alex, who was leaning against the pool table waiting for Brian to take a shot. Most of the guests had left. Only a few remained aimlessly watching a movie in a drunken state. Nick reached to slap palms with Alex before giving him a brotherly hug. "J, tell him what's up. Tell him that if he's digging a girl that he needs to just go for it. This boy needed her best friend's help just to get her to lean against him!"

"Wait a second. You needed help from a girl to get attention from another girl? Howie, man, that's sad! Nick's right for once. You need to just go for it!" Alex replied, finishing his can of beer.

"You don't even know the whole story!" Howie burst, trying to defend himself. "This girl is just—"

"Start from the beginning if you think you're going to get sympathy," Alex laughed, tilting his head in confusion as Brian completely missed the cue ball and almost scratched the blue pool table.

"I think you're going to need to make Brian stop playing or he's going to damage the table," Howie tried to change the subject.

"Brian, sit your ass down, Howie, start talking," Alex ordered, leading his brother toward a soft couch before jumping to sit on the edge of the pool table. Brian didn’t seem to mind as he leaned against the back of his couch, pressing the cold beer against his forehead. Alex looked highly interested in Howie's new eye-candy, since he didn't come across many.

"Well, Nick doesn't think she's that gorgeous because she doesn't care how she dresses and plays football but I think she is--"

"Wait, she plays football? For Tartan?" Alex interrupted with raised eyebrows.

"Well, that's where we go---"

"Number Seventeen?" Alex laughed, figuring there weren’t many girls in football.

"Yeah, that's her. Oh, wait. She and Brian were fighting after the game..." Howie groaned with a laugh. "Oh, great."

"Hey! Brian! Ask Latin Lover about Seventeen!" Alex immediately blurted, knowing this would be the source of extreme hilarity. Alex had never seen Brian so worked up over one girl that caused such distress.

"Seventeen?" Brian asked, his eyes fluttering open with surprise. He felt his mouth dry at the mere mention of the number. The bitter taste resumed in his mouth as anger attacked the core of his heart. He pushed himself up from the couch, almost bowling over. "You know the dyke Seventeen that was up my ass since the first blow of the whistle?!"

"Whoa! Bri, she's not a dyke she just knows how to play football! That's the point of her position, you know!" Howie yelped.

"No, her point in that entire fucking game was to humiliate me? What the Hell is her problem? Does she have some penis envy or what? Just because she's an ugly whore that looks like a man doesn't mean she belongs in football!" Brian burst, refusing to back down from his thoughts. He was so utterly appalled with the girl.

"BRIAN! That's enough! She's not an ugly whore, I happen to hang out with her!"

"You? You hang out with that dyke?"

"She's not a fucking dyke, dude. That's not cool to call someone," Nick said with a bewildered look. He had never seen Brian act in such a manner. "I hang out with her, too."

"Bullshit---"

"We were late coming here because we were over at HER HOUSE watching a movie. She's not ugly, she's not a whore, and she’s not a dyke. You're acting like a dick and you know it, Brian."

"I can act like a dick if I want, because she's a fucking whore!" Brian grunted, pushing pass the two boys and stumbling upstairs. Alex winced as Brian slammed the door sharply as he muttered a string of foul curses about the female football player.

"Damn, Howie, I'm sorry..." Alex murmured apologetically.

"He really needs to get over your father dating what's her name. He's being an asshole... it's not your fault, man. You're not the one acting like that," Howie replied as he finished his beer.

"I know, but—"

"But?"

"He's just pissed about our Dad spending all his time with the girlfriend and her daughter. He feels like he's neglecting us. Just everything's piling on top of him. Don't get pissed at him. Seventeen was really digging into him," Alex tried to explain, defending his older brother

"But that's a part of football, AJ. He knows it and you know it. He's used to being the best and it kills him to know he's not. Lots of kids have parents like your dad. I feel bad he's neglecting you guys, but he needs to just chill out."

"You're just hacked because you have a crush on her," Alex teased, trying to lighten the mood. He hated thinking about his father's lover or the fact that his brother was crashing and burning faster than ever.

"Well, have you seen the girl? She's gorgeous."

"He's said that a million times tonight," Nick rolled his eyes.

"So it has to be true then?" Alex guessed, glancing to Nick for confirmation.

"I don't know. I'm into a girl who cares a little more about her appearance, but... yeah, she's pretty."

"I didn't think there were any girls at Tartan that didn't care about her appearance."

"Oriana is the only one."

"So she's one of a kind in that school?"

"She's one in a billion," Howie sighed.

"Well, in that case, you better give me her number, D. You know, just in case I need to compare notes with her or something," Alex declared, offering his hand toward Howie.

"I... don't have her number?"

"I thought you hang out with her all the time!"

"Doesn't mean I have her number!"

"If you're such good buddies with the girl, you should at least have her digits. Damn, do you suck at this puppy love stuff!"

"I give her all these lines and hints but she doesn't—"

"You mean stammering and stuttering the whole night?" Nick snorted.

"Shut up, Nick!" Howie groaned, slamming his fist hard into the younger boy's shoulder. Nick immediately stumbled away from the pool table, almost crashing to the floor. "I tried so hard, Alex. You don't understand."

"Oh, I understand alright. You're afraid the girl will give you a pile-driver so you refuse to admit that you can't ask her out because you're terrified."

"I'm not terrified of her!"

"Then what the Hell is the problem?!" Alex burst.

"She didn't seem interested in me! So what would be the point?"

"Do you know for sure?"

"Well, not really--"

"If it makes you feel confident, D, Tea said that she caught Oriana checking you out," Nick volunteered, not wanting his friend to give up. It was obvious that Howie was sincerely interested in the girl. If Howie committed to letting her know and Teagan offered some advice, Howie could win her heart.

"She said what? Oriana was checking me out?" Howie asked in surprise.

"Feel confident now?" Alex laughed.

"No, just more terrified!"

*~*~*

"Freaking killer party," Oriana concluded as she sauntered out of her bathroom in a pair of worn rubber ducky boxers and a tight white tank top. She piled her glossy curls on top of her head, watching Teagan pull down the covers of Oriana's king-sized bed. She was already exhausted, but unable to get Howie's dark eyes away from her mind. She took a deep breath as she tossed her hairbrush onto the nearby dresser before helping Teagan turn down the bed. "Agreeing with me tonight, Teag?"

"Uh-huh. It was a lot of fun. Just a little tipsy still, that's all. It doesn't help to not eat before drinking," Teagan laughed a little as she fell into the bed.

"True, not to mention the fact you turned a little green when Leatherface took off the kid's leg," Oriana teased, crawling into her jersey knit covers. She absolutely adored her bed. She snuggled deep beneath the covers, holding her body close to the pillows.

"Ew, why did you have to mention that?" Teagan moaned as she buried her face into her pillow.

"Because green looks good on you, Teag!"

"It does not! Blue is way better on me anyway," she turned around in bed, looking up at Oriana. "The only thing that makes me feel better about that scene in the movie is that Nick looked green, too."

"Ooh, is Teag getting a little crush on the new boy?" Oriana cooed, fluttering her eyelashes.

"I don't have a crush on anyone. And if I did, I would just admit it straight out instead of hiding it like another person in this bed," Teagan shot with a triumphant smile, knowing she had hit the core. "Nick's just a good friend to have. He's a sweetheart."

"I don't have a crush," Oriana murmured in surprise.

"You do too have a crush. Just admit it. I mean, damn, Howie's a sexy Latino, I wouldn't blame you for crushing on him."

"You're such an idiot, Teag," Oriana groaned, rolling over on to her other side to prevent the conversation from happening. She couldn't believe Teagan was at it again. It was like a horrid nightmare as Teagan continued to find Oriana a boyfriend. She just wished her best friend would accept the circumstances. She wasn't a gorgeous girl that attracted boys' lustful attentions. She was the kind of girl who joked around with them and became best friends. "He's a cute guy, Teag, but it doesn't mean a damn thing."

"He likes you too," Teagan insisted. She knew how Oriana had given up the fact of ever having a boyfriend. But she just wanted her best friend to see how beautiful she really was and that guys did look at her in more ways than the one she knew of.

"Teag, don't. Every time you start this conversation and I think that maybe something can happen, I get crushed. I still remember the one guy you insisted was wild about me. Do you know what he wanted to do during our 'date?' Damnit, Teag, he wanted me to write his essay for him. I'm tired of getting my hopes up. I like hanging with my boys. I just don't care anymore, okay?"

"But that's not what Howie's like—"

"Just don't," Oriana pleaded with a shaky voice, something Teagan had rarely heard.

Teagan sighed softly, wrapping her arms around Oriana. "I'm sorry. I just want you to be happy with someone, Riana. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"I'm fine. I'm just tired," Oriana tried.

"Tired of me trying to help?"

"No--"

"Then what are you tired of?" she asked quietly.

"I'm just tired," Oriana replied pathetically.

"Let's go to sleep, then," Teagan turned off the lights and lay back down next to Oriana. "Whether you want to believe me or not... there is someone out there who loves you for you and will never hurt you, Riana."

"Yeah, you, Teag," Oriana replied, her eyes adjusting to the immense darkness.

"Yeah, there's me," Teagan smiled, kissing Oriana's cheek. "But there's a guy out there who feels the same way."

"When you find him, give him the address to my house so I can kick his ass for not showing up sooner, alright?" Oriana murmured jokingly, feeling sour.

"Or maybe he already knows it."

"Then I'm still going to kick his ass for not showing up."

Teagan laughed, nudging Oriana gently. "Go to sleep, Cherry Bomb."

"I'm trying, but this little annoying voice keeps whispering in my ear--" Oriana yelped in surprise as Teagan nudged her in the ribs. She immediately turned to eye her friend in the dark. She smiled softly, "Don't let this get around, but I love you a lot."

"Love you more!" Teagan smiled back, smothering Oriana's cheeks with kisses.

"I told you not to let it get out!" Oriana groaned, accepting the kisses. She found her smile slowly fading when she realized Teagan had already slipped away to peaceful dreams. Oriana turned over to her other side, concentrating on the dark spot of her wall. After awhile, she found her eyes slowly fluttering closed, until she heard Kevin's voice and her door opening. On first instinct from past experiences, she leapt out of bed and held her hands up in defense, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Riana, sweetie, it's Momma and Kevin! It's okay!" Cassandra replied quickly as Teagan woke up and turned on the lights.

"Jezz! Don't do that!" Oriana moaned, rubbing her face vigorously to orient herself. She squinted at the brightness in her room, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment at her irrational reaction. She immediately folded her arms across her chest for protection, hating the bewildered look crossing Kevin's eyes. "Sorry, Momma."

"It's okay, Sweetheart," Cassandra repeated, walking over and enveloping her daughter in a hug. "Kevin and I were just making sure you and Teag were home."

"He's staying the night, isn't he?" Oriana murmured darkly with disgust.

"Yes, he is. Oriana, I really wish you would give Kevin a chance. He's not like the other guys I've met," Cassandra whispered as Kevin and Teagan talked a little about the game.

"They're all the same, Momma."

"No, they're not. You better start giving him more of a chance, because he's going to be around a lot more often."

Oriana pulled away from her mother with a dark look. She crossed her hands against her chest once again, stepping back from the happy couple. "Teag and I are in bed and we're fine. Sorry for screaming. Have a nice night. I won't be home tomorrow, I'm heading out surfing with Jere and Kyle."

"Oriana Ryan, there's no reason to be so cold--"

"I'm not cold, I'm just stating facts."

"That's why you gave me that look, okay," Cassandra replied, turning to Teagan. "Your mom told me to tell you she needs you home around noon tomorrow, something about shopping."

"Hot Topic Shopping!" Teagan squealed excitedly.

"I guess that's a good thing," Cassandra laughed, giving her a kiss in the forehead. "Goodnight, girls."

"Night, Ma," Teagan called as Oriana shut the door behind her mother and boyfriend. She then hurriedly locked the door and pressed her back tightly to the door. She leaned over to click off the lights, slinking all the way down to the floor to cry.

"Riana? Riana, are you okay?" Teagan asked worriedly, rushing to the floor where Oriana was crying.

"I'm f-f-fine," Oriana sniffled, covering her face with her hands. She could feel her heart ready to burst from its ribcage. She hated her mother's crisp voice. If she only knew the pain Oriana had suffered with each new man in her life. If only she could realize the anguish boiling inside.

"Bullshit. What's wrong? There's something you've been hiding for too long and you need to tell me right now."

"I do-don't have anything to tell you," Oriana hiccupped, struggling to maintain her emotions. Usually, she could hold the emotions tight against her heart without disturbances. But the jarring from her sleep had completely disoriented her and the stress of her mother being disappointed in her was inconceivable. She didn't want to tell Teagan the horror stories, because she promised to keep them secret. Somehow, she held the idea that the men would come back with vengeance if she told. So, she swallowed her hateful words and decided to strike out against the new men in her mother's life to protect herself.

"You're going to sit there, crying and hiccupping, and say you have nothing to tell me?" Teagan asked skeptically, raising her eyebrow. She knew something was wrong and that was the reason Oriana acted so cold with Kevin. But she couldn't figure out what happened to sour the young girl against him.

"Y-Y-Yes," she sniffled harder, covering her face with her hands.

"Why does it feel like you're lying to me?" Teagan whispered, taking Oriana's hands into her own.

"You've go-got to get to b-bed, Teag. Mom...Moms wants you back early to d-d-do your favorite s-shopping at Hot Topic," Oriana whispered with another set of hiccups, pulling away her hands. It was disgusting to even think about the disaster she called life.

"Right now, all I care about is you. Something's totally wrong and you're not telling me."

"Not now, Te--"

"Yes now."

"Can we just go back to talking about Howie?" Oriana asked woefully, feeling her sobs slowly settle as she heard the adults' footsteps dissipate into her mother's bedroom. Talking about Howie would be easier than explaining her faults.

"You mean how you like him and he likes you?" Teagan replied, knowing Oriana just wanted to shift the attention away from her personal problems. She made a mental not to sit Oriana down and have a serious talk.

"Okay...maybe this was the wrong conversation," Oriana sniffled, pushing herself away from the door.

"How about we just go to bed? You need to calm yourself down."

"I am calm."

"Well, sleep will make you calmer?"

"Something like that," Oriana mumbled, tumbling into her bed. Without a second thought, she curled against her pillows and pulled the covers over her head. She never heard Teagan mumble a good night as she tumbled into endless nightmares.
Foolhardy Assumptions by Anastacia
Chapter 6 – Foolhardy Assumptions

"D! Dude, it's your chance! The girls are heading to the Senior Parking Lot and I made sure you parked right next to Oriana's Hummer. Dude, just ask her out for some pizza or something. Say you need help with homework. Anything to score a date!" Nick pleaded for the millionth time as he stepped out of the large high school with Howie by his side. Nick was growing crazy with Howie's constant speeches about Oriana's loveliness. He just wanted the boy to get a grip and make the commitment. When it seemed Nick might go completely insane, there was a tiny ray of light. Oriana was open for a hit as she slowly walked toward the parking lot with Teagan.

"Yeah, ask for help with my homework. That will make me look REALLY good. Tons of guys have done that with her already, man. Look, if you go and talk to Teag, I'll go and talk to Oriana," Howie replied as they headed towards the parking lot.

"At least you'd get a chance at a date with her instead of pulling your lip over your head---"

"Shut up! There they are!" Howie hissed, punching Nick's shoulder.

Nick said nothing further as they hurried their pace to finally catch up with the girls. Howie seemed completely infatuated with Oriana's beauty as he followed like an animal in raging heat. The girls seemed oblivious to their stalkers as Oriana shifted her backpack onto both of her bare shoulders. She decided on a pair of baggy tan capris and a tight sky blue tank top. Still, she wore no makeup and her curls into a high ponytail. For a change, she wore a sapphire pendant against her slender neck and four sets of sapphire and emerald earrings, completed with a sapphire ring. She reached to dig out her keys from her back pocket as she spoke, "Momma tried to make up for the whole fiasco over the weekend. She bought me a birthday bikini to wear at the party. I love swimming in bikinis by myself or when I'm with you, but a bikini in front of the footballers? My ass is complete grass, I'm thinking it's a t-shirt all day kind of issue."

"Your ass wouldn't be grass. Your ass would be looking fine in that bikini!" Teagan enthused, pulling on her sunglasses.

"It's a freaking string bikini! One pull from one of the players to be an asshole then I'd be showing a real intimate portrait of my seventeen year old body!" Oriana exclaimed with a wry laugh.

"That would be a great picture in the yearbook--"

"Not to mention a Playboy!" Oriana interrupted with a snort of amusement. Many girls would scoff at Teagan’s vulgar attitude, but Oriana played off it with delight. "Do you think I could get money for offering a picture like that? Because I am looking at this prime surf board..."

"If Ma saw you in that magazine she would come right after me!" Teagan laughed. "Because she would know that even though it was your idea, it would be me to send it in. And I wanna live to see graduation!"

"You think Momma looks at Playboy? Because it might be a sweet photograph for Playboy. Me showing off my goddess body with light blue string bikini bottoms printed with wings and halos..." Oriana continued with a mock air of sophistication, finding it extremely humorous to actually see Playboy post a picture of her when she felt incomplete compared to the gorgeous beauties running around the school.

"Guys from school would be wanting your autograph. You would be a huge star!" Teagan giggled.

"Can't you just hear the tune of My Angel is the Centerfold playing in the background?" Nick snorted toward Howie, never lowering his voice.

"Dude, I love that song! Got it on my mix in the Hummer!" Oriana countered excitedly, turning on her heels. She didn't realize who was behind her, but still felt the need to comment on the song. But, she seemed to freeze when she noticed it was Howie and Nick behind her. She was almost too mortified to speak, realizing the boys had heard every portion of the girls' intimate conversation. She found her mouth drying as she spoke again, "I would definitely request that if I ever got a formal gig with Playboy..."

"It's a good song," Howie replied, blushing a little.

Nick groaned, realizing he would have to do the work yet again. He resisted the urge to smack Howie sharply across the head as he pushed in between the girls, making sure Howie followed on Oriana's side. "So, Ori, everyone's talking about the fact that your seventeenth birthday party is going to be kick-ass this weekend. And, damn, I didn't realize you were only sixteen!"

"I got pushed ahead when I was in kindergarten," Oriana explained quietly, realizing that she was definitely the baby of the entire Senior Class.

"That must mean you're one smart cookie!" Nick replied with a grin as he nudged Howie in the side.

"One smart cookie?" Teagan replied with a snort. "What decade are we in, Carter?"

"Um...does it matter?" Nick countered.

"To hang with us - yes!" Teagan insisted.

"Teag, don't even start," Oriana commanded, knowing Teagan could continue the banter well into the evening. She rolled her eyes as she adjusted her backpack yet again against her weary shoulders. All her Enriched classes made sure to assign bundles of books, adding an extreme amount of pressure to her back. "But, yeah, I'm hoping for the Valedictorian title this year. I've got the highest GPA so far. But that isn't the point."

"That’s not the point?"

"No, the point is you were trying to get yourself invited to the party, weren't you?" Oriana teased lightly.

"Well, damn! You caught onto my plan!"

"Like you said... I'm one smart cookie?" she quoted, crinkling up her nose at the sound.

"She's more than a smart cookie. She's a CUTE smart cookie who's going to show off her cuteness at the party this weekend with her new bikini," Teagan chirped with a grin.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Teag. You're the one who's showing off your cuteness at the party. I'm just wheeling and dealing in a baggy t-shirt with the new bikini beneath," Oriana countered with a playful scowl.

"Until I get that damn t-shirt off you!"

"Now that's just a little to kinky for my taste!" Oriana laughed, finally freeing her keys from her back pocket.

"Nothing wrong with being kinky!" Teagan grinned, grabbing Nick's hand. She already knew it was Howie’s opportunity to strike something with Oriana. Teagan had some sort of bizarre radar when it came to relationships. "Walk me to my car, boy."

"Your car is right next to mine!" Oriana groaned.

"I still need to walk to it!" Teagan kissed Oriana's cheek. "Call me later, okay?"

"So I can find out what you're buying me?" Oriana guessed playfully.

"You can guess, but you won't find out."

"Nothing pink. Nothing frilly. Nothing girly," Oriana commanded.

"Pink, frilly and girly. Got it!"

"Get the Hell out of here before I crush you with my Hummer," Oriana growled.

"Going!" Teagan yelped, dragging Nick with her. "But Nick and Howie are invited this weekend, right?"

"Yeah!" Oriana laughed, watching Nick stumble to maintain his balance as Teagan shoved him against her car so she could unlock her doors. She seemed none the wiser to the plans of the teenagers to get her alone with Howie. Instead, Oriana rolled her eyes as she reached to press the button to unlock her own doors, jumping slightly when she noticed Howie still standing there. "You're always really quiet, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I can be pretty quiet. Sorry," Howie rubbed the back of his neck. It was now or never. "Listen, I'm sure you get asked this all the time, but... I was wondering if you wanted to go out for pizza sometime. You seem really cool, you're really gorgeous and--"

"You can cut the bullshit," Oriana interrupted without hesitation, yanking her driver's side door open. She knew their friendship had been too good to be true. Without hesitation, she chucked her backpack into the passenger seat, never flinching as it hit the floor. She then turned to lean against her Hummer, folding her arms beneath her chest. She should have known better than to expect anything different from the boys at this school.

"Excuse me?" Howie gulped, not expecting that reaction.

"What the Hell do you want?" she asked bluntly.

"I was just trying to ask you out on a date. Am I not allowed to do that?"

"No, your not allowed to toy with my heart when it's something else that you want. So, just cut the bullshit, Howie. What do you need? A test coming up that you need help with? A paper that needs wrote? Is there a girl that you need me to talk to? Help with a sport? A ride somewhere with the Hummer to make you look like a real catch? Or did you just hear the rumors that I was an easy lay? What? Please just tell me so we can cut all this shit that I don't want to deal with. Honestly, why play a fake masquerade when you're going to end up hurting me in the end," Oriana continued; her blue-green eyes darkening with sadness.

Howie took a step back, eyes wide. "I don't know the kind of guys who asked you out before, but I'm not like that. I was trying to ask you out because I really do like you. Not for your brains or your car or anything. I like you. I'm sorry you got hurt by the other assholes in this school, but I'm not like that."

Oriana already felt tears prickling beneath her eyelids, but she swallowed hard to keep the tears back. She shook her head as she pulled the loose curls away from her face. She would not be swayed. She would not be fooled again. "Don't, Howie, Okay?"

"Don't what? I'm telling you the truth, Oriana. I like you. I want to go out with you. Hell, I want to be your boyfriend!"

"Are you coming to the party?" Oriana asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah, I'll come to the party. I would like that," Howie replied, groaning in frustration inside his head when he realized he would get nowhere.

"I'm sorry, Howie," she whispered, climbing up into her car.

"Me too," he whispered as well, closing the door for her.

"Friends?" she asked, lowering her window to thrust her hand out toward him. She hated the idea of hurting him, but she refused to be wounded again. She couldn't tell the difference between sincerity and mockery within the league of high school boys. She found it better not to get involved. Being a friend didn't get her hurt. Besides, she was nothing of a beauty that Howie was used to having.

Howie mustered a smile and shook her hand gently, so small yet perfect in his own. "Yeah, friends. I would definitely like that."

"Good, no worries then," she decided, pulling her hand away as a small set of sparks flickered through her nerves. "And, you'll still come to the party then, right?"

"I'll be there. See you later, Oriana," he replied, feeling the same sparks she did.

"Check you later..." she stated softly, withdrawing back into her vehicle. She reached to take the car into reverse, but felt such a horrid pain in her heart. She couldn't understand why she felt so guilty. Needing something cleared, she stopped halfway. "Dorough?"

He turned around at the sound of her voice, surprised she called to him. "Yeah?"

"No hard feelings right?" she trailed, feel slightly embarrassed. She fumbled to make sense of what she really wanted to say. She wanted to tell him the truth - that she was scared. But, her mind refused to process the needing. Instead, she converted into a state of humor to hide her feelings. "I mean, you're still hooking me up with a kick-ass present right?"

“No hard feelings, it's okay. And of course I'm still going to get you a kick ass present. I wouldn't go back on my promise," he replied, running a hand through his messy curls as the wind whipped through the school parking lot.

"Right..." she agreed, mustering an impish smile. "Well, I better get going. Can't be late to dance practice or the instructor fits you with a pink tutu."

"Can't have that," he smiled as well. "See you later."

Oriana said nothing more as she offered a small wave letting her window raise. She quickly reversed and pulled out of the parking lot; giving Nick and Teagan a clear view of Howie. They had only heard bits and pieces of the conversation over the soft roar of Oriana's powerful engine. The look on Howie's face seemed to explain everything to Teagan, but Nick was always slow to catch on. "So?" Nick asked eagerly.

"I asked her out. She said no. That enough detail for you?" Howie replied, kicking himself for even thinking Oriana would want to go on a date with him. Especially with the way other guys at the school had treated her.

"You got turned down?" Nick snorted with a large smirk. He leaned back against Teagan's car in disbelief. If he had learned anything from Tartan life, it was that no girl ever turned Howie down for a date. He was the king of Tartan’s social circle.

"You should know, since it's happened to you more than anyone else in the school." Howie scorned, frowning before turning to head to his own car.

"Damn..." Teagan hissed, trying to muffle a laugh at the hurt look on Nick's face, never realizing Howie was truly hurt.

"You're just upset because you got turned down by one of the easiest--"

"CARTER! Stop before you even start!" Teagan immediately hissed, smacking him upside the head.

"What the Hell?!" Nick yelped, immediately shrinking away.

"Stop reading the shit on the bathroom stalls, because they're not true," Teagan answered with a growl, already knowing where the new student had picked up the information. She made a face as she jumped out of her car, hurrying to catch Howie. "Hey! Howie!"

"Teagan, I just want to go home and try to forget any idea I had about having Oriana as my girlfriend," Howie replied before turning around. His heart was aching and he didn't know what to do.

"You're just giving up?" Teagan asked flatly, reaching to shut Howie's car door as he tried to open it. She frowned openly at the idea of Howie giving up because of one sour expression from Oriana. Truth be told, they had circled in the same social group since freshman year, but Howie had only opted to become a closer person in Oriana's circle since the start of senior year. Oriana didn't know Howie well enough yet, which gave her reason enough to turn down any offer.

"She doesn't want a relationship. What do you want me to do?"

"Maybe try again? She doesn't know you well enough, that's why she said no. Get to know her, let her know you. Then things will happen and you'll be together."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm her best friend. I know how she is. Don't give up on her, Howie. So many people have before because they didn't know what a great person she is."

"Their loss is my gain, then?" Howie decided with a small smile, rubbing his aching temples. Why did high school have to be so difficult? He had actually found a woman that stirred him in the most intimate ways, but she seemed so intangible. Could he really work to win her heart?

"Definitely. Take your time with her. It'll be worth it in the end, trust me."

"Before or after she moves away to college?"

"It won't take THAT long."

"Then what do you suggest?" Howie asked, leaning back against his car. He noted that Nick still lingered near Teagan's car, obviously waiting for the opportunity to apologize. Yet, Howie could care less. He was more or less focused on Oriana, wondering how he could achieve his desired outcome.

"You promised her a kick ass birthday present, right?"

"Right..."

"Well, I'm going to help you with that. Oriana loves music, especially Meatloaf and stuff the 80's. Besides playing football, she also surfs. And one thing she loves to read is poetry. Just make sure that nothing is frilly or pink. OH! And she loves horror movies, but you should know that already."

"Okay..." Howie trailed.

"So, go to the mall and buy stuff like that."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. Go! Shoo! Get going!"

"Are you telling me that we're shopping together?" Howie arched his eyebrows in confusion, waiting for Teagan to realize that she was leaning against his car door. He couldn't possibly do anything until she moved.

"Yes I am."

"Okay... but you need to do something for me."

"Oh? What's that?" Teagan asked, confused on why he wasn't getting in the car.

"It's hard to get in my car if you're leaning on the door."

Teagan glanced behind herself in confusion, finally realizing she was leaning on the door. She offered a sheepish smile toward Howie, pushing off the car. "Whoops?"

"You sure there's not blonde roots in that brunette head of yours?" Howie asked, rolling his eyes playfully before opening his door.

"I'd be careful about using those kind of phrases with Oriana's best friend, Howie. I can make or break your relationship with her," Teagan threatened playfully.

"Yeah, but you like me too much as a friend to do that," Howie chuckled, getting into the driver's seat. "Meet you at the mall?"

"Definitely, but I still think I'll give her some amusing rumors about you... Like the snoring with a wide open mouth on the buses to various competitions, you're a complete neat freak, talking in your sleep---"

"Eavans."

"Dorough."

"You won't do that, will you? Please?" Howie pouted, his chocolate eyes shining pitifully.

"Oh, and I absolutely love the one that you can't have ANYONE touch your hair and mess it up---"

"Just like you!" Howie reached up and ran his hands all over Teagan's perfect hairstyle.

Teagan shrieked in surprise, immediately jumping away from the car. She instantly brought her trembling hands up to her now-mussed hairstyle. She could almost feel the tears of anguish brimming against her sapphire eyes. "I can't believe...you...did that!"

"Teag, it's not the end of the world. Here," Howie pulled out a comb from his backpack and walked over to her.

"Don't touch my hair! You'll wreck it even more!" Teagan wailed, her eyes filled with tears.

"No, I won't. I can fix it, just hold still."

"You're such a jerk!" Teagan whimpered.

"I'm sorry, okay? I am," Howie gently ran his comb through her locks, styling it to the way it was. "It's just been a really hard day."

"Right," she sniffled, instantly reaching up to feel if Howie had perfected her style. She was quiet for several moments as Howie took a step back, giving her a chance to examine. She seemed fine with the results, but still offered a sour pout. "Now I'm telling her about how it takes hours for you to get ready, that you can't have anyone touching your hair, you snore, you talk in your sleep, AND that the team calls you Dorky Dwaine because you fell down the stairs going to practice when Oriana whizzed by."

"I deserve that," Howie complied.

"And that you cried when we all went to watch Titanic," Teagan decided with a small smile.

"Hey, it was a sad movie. You cried, too."

"Yeah, but you were the only guy who cried."

"Your point?"

"I made Oriana watch it when it came out on video and she laughed..."

"She laughed? How can you laugh at Titanic?"

"You know the 'I'll never let go' speech?" Teagan confided with an amused smile. "Oriana shouted at the screen, 'You better let go or both your asses are going under.' It's just the way she is..."

"She's not into the sappy romance stuff?" Howie guessed as Teagan nodded with approval at the hairstyle he made for her in the car window.

"She's not against it, but Titanic was just a bit too over-rated for her taste... She liked the romance in Center Stage and Pirates of the Caribbean, though... I don't know, she's really weird."

"Yeah, one of a kind," Howie agreed as Teagan looked up at him. "So? I'm forgiven?"

"After I spill all the dirt on you to Oriana... I suppose..."

"I really am sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset."

"You get really evil if a girl turns you down, don't you?"

"No, not evil. I don't want to lose Oriana. She stirs things inside me that no other girl has. Do you realize how rare it is to find someone like that in your life?"

"Haven't found one of those yet..." Teagan trailed, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Truth be told, she had only found trouble in the relationships department. The last relationship had almost cost her life, so Teagan had swore to take a break.

"Oh..." Howie trailed awkwardly, not really knowing what to say. Teagan was the most desired woman at Tartan. If she hadn't found true love, what kind of hope was there for the rest of humanity.

"Well, the mall's not going to be open all night... We better get going..." Teagan decided, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah... Um, yeah. Are you dropping Nick off or something? Or do you want me to?"

"I think he wants to apologize to you, so you can drop him off. I'll meet you at Hot Topic around... three o'clock. Alright?"

"Sounds like a plan," Howie agreed, motioning for Nick to come over.
A Chance For Love by Anastacia
Chapter 7 – A Chance For Love

"Damn, Howie, you really shelled out the bucks for her birthday," Teagan whistled in awe as she watched Howie finish conversing with the owner of the surf shop. Howie had purchased the surfboard that Oriana had been dying to own, but added his own flavor for extra brownie points. He had instructed for the surfboard to be coated in a light lavender paint with Oriana's name emblazed beneath an image of a fairy in dark purple. Teagan was overly amazed with Howie's purchase, knowing Oriana would absolutely fall in love with the gift.

"She deserves it," Howie shrugged as he was handed a slip to pick up the surfboard closer to Oriana's birthday.

“That board though---"

"You said she loves to surf and is great at it. I'm just giving her a board to show off while she's on the waves."

"Still," Teagan approved as the owner waved goodbye. They nodded with approval, stepping out into the mall's hallways. They had been shopping for several hours and Howie's last purchase had been the surfboard. "You didn't have to go all out with the detailing. She'll notice that extra effort. She's going to love it... She's going to love you..."

"I did it because I wanted to... I hope she does like it along with everything else."

"The Meatloaf shirt is completely kickass. She'll be air guitar'ing around her bedroom with it," Teagan promised, trying to encourage Howie.

"Really?" Howie asked hopefully as he situated the bags in his hand.

"Yeah," she answered confidently, shrugging her shoulder to bring her purse strap higher. "Want one suggestion, though?"

"Suggestions are always helpful."

"When you get the board, take a picture of it. Put that picture in a box and give her that at her birthday party. Then, when she opens it, tell her you two can come down to the mall and get it together. Make it kind of like a no-option kind of date," Teagan planned with a sly smile.

Howie smiled as well, nodding. "Good idea, Teag. Listen, I want to thank you for everything. You've helped me so much--"

"Don't worry about it," Teagan quickly objected, firmly shaking her head. She would have held her hands up to stop him, but they were weighted by several bags. "If anything, I did it for Oriana. You two deserve one another. It may have taken four years to get you two at a place where you could date one another, but that's all that matters. That you're both here... And I'd do anything to make sure it worked out."

"You're a great friend, you know that?"

"It's always nice to hear it once in awhile," Teagan smiled, noticing they reached the exit of the mall. "You better get going, I could hear your mom say dinner was at five-thirty."

"Yeah, Angie and Carol are coming home for dinner tonight. So, everyone has to be prompt,"

Howie laughed. "But thanks for all the help. I really hope she'll like all three gifts."

"Three?" Teagan blurted with interest, reaching to stop him. One personality trait that could never be ignored was Teagan's curiosity. She always needed to know the details about everything. Her mother scolded her constantly about such a trait, but she never seemed to be serious. "I only saw two... Wait, that's why you went into the one store alone."

"Mm-hmm," Howie replied with a smile.

"Well? What was it? Tell me, please!"

"It's a secret---"

"I'm the best friend! I have a right to know!"

"Teagan, it's a secret!"

"Dorky Dwaine!

"I'm still not telling you," Howie grumbled, reaching in his back pocket to retrieve the keys to his car.

"Why not?" Teagan whined.

"Because this is a gift that comes from my heart and I want it to go to Oriana's heart first."

"But..." she trailed off at the look on his face. "Alright, I give up."

"Really?" Howie laughed with surprise.

"Yeah, really," Teagan smiled a little. "If you mean that it's from your heart, then it's for Oriana to see first."

"I honestly mean that it's from my heart."

"Okay. That's all I need to know," Teagan leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You're going to be late for dinner."

"And I'm blaming it on you," Howie replied, offering the same kiss to her cheek. He smiled once more before finally pushing the exit door open. "I'll see you tomorrow and thanks again."

"See you tomorrow, but no need to thank me," Teagan called, watching Howie leave the mall. Gathering her bags again, Teagan resituated the bags in her hands once more and turned to head back and shop some more.

Teagan had just one more thing to pick up for Oriana's birthday before she could go home. She hurried down the mall in search of Victoria's Secret, knowing she could mortify Oriana in a way that no one else could. Her mind was filled with evil plans until her phone began to chirp within her purse. Immediately, she managed to shift the bags to one hand to give her the opportunity to retrieve the phone. She bent her head as she zipped open her purse, never expecting anyone to be in front of her. Without a thought in her head, she connected roughly with a force that sent her flying backwards and the contents of her purse spilling open. "Damnit!" she cursed.

"Holy shit! I'm sorry!" a male voice erupted.

"No, it's my fault. I was stupid and thought I could--
" Teagan seemed to lose her voice as she looked up into the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen.

"Are you okay?" the man instantly asked, noticing the shock relax Teagan's tense facial features. He gave a lopsided smile as he stood up to offer her a hand. He was a little taller than Teagan with a toned build mixed with just a hint of muscular definition. He wore a loose football jersey and pair of loose jeans against his tapering waist. His soft blue eyes twinkled with amusement as she just stared at his hand in disbelief. He was the most gorgeous creature she had ever seen.

"Um... what?" Teagan asked, a little dazed. His eyes are so bright! She thought, almost drowning in them.

"Are you okay?" he repeated, shaking his hand a little in effort to get her to take it.

"Oh! Yeah... I'm fine, I think," she finally realized he meant to help her up and she took his hand.

"You sure?" he commented with a smirk of laughter playing with his soft pink lips.

"No?" she laughed as well, looking down at all her things strewn on the floor. "I need to pay more attention to where I'm going."

"I think I'd have to agree with that," he answered, noticing her stoop to gather everything that fell from her purse. He smiled apologetically, immediately bending to help her.

"I'm really sorry about that. My phone was ringing, I was trying to juggle presents for my friend--"

"It's alright," he laughed, noticing her scoop piles of makeup into her purse. He arched his light blonde brows with question when they both reached for their cell phones, their hands briefly bumping against one another. Teagan jumped back as if she had been burned by the electricity that connected both of them. "I'm not going to hurt you. I was just trying to get your phone...”

Teagan shook her head, stopping herself from smacking her forehead for acting stupid. "Sorry, I got shocked... er, static electricity."

"No problem," he trailed, finally reaching down to pick up her pink flamed phone. "Here."

"Thanks," she reached out to grab it and their hands touched again.

"No problem..." he repeated, keeping his hand poised on her cell phone so they continued to connect. His warm blue eyes burned into Teagan's sapphire eyes with a heated attraction. It was almost as if they both anticipated what the other was thinking. "I'm Brian."

"I'm Teagan. It's nice to meet you," she replied, almost wincing at the lame response.

"Teagan, that's an interesting name."

"Thank you. It was my great-great grandmother's name... but that was stupid to say. I like your name, though. It's very... sexy," her eyes grew wide as the word blurted from her mouth.

Brian struggled not to laugh as she fumbled to cover her tracks. He found it adorable the way her cheeks continued to grow a deeper red as her tongue became more twisted within the words. On a whim, he reached out to grasp her shoulder. "Thanks for the compliment, Teagan."

"You're welcome, I think. Normally, I know what to say, but you're making it hard," Teagan managed to speak a full sentence, feeling warmth rush through her body with Brian's simple touch.

"Well, I apologize for that."

"No, it's okay," they both stood up. Teagan carefully rubbed her already aching knee.
Brian noticed her awkwardly reach to pull her purse onto her shoulder while continuing to rub her knee. He smiled faintly, reaching down to gather her bags. He offered them toward her before retrieving his own phone that had fallen to the floor into two pieces. "If it's an consolation, you're extremely beautiful."

If possible, Teagan blushed even more. "No, I'm not really--"

"Yes, you are. I haven't seen someone as beautiful as you before."

"Thank you?" she squeaked.

Brian winced slightly at the high chirp in her nervous voice, but offered the same heart-warming smile. "Well, Teagan No-Last-Name, would it be possible to get your phone number, so if I find the need to talk to the most beautiful woman in the world, I can do so?"

"It would definitely be possible, Brian No-Last-Name," Teagan teased with a relaxed smile. There was something about him that made her feel like her old self, before the last boyfriend.

"It's Brian Rich---"

"TEAGIE! WHAT A SURPRISE TO SEE YOU HERE!"

"Oh, no. It can't be..." Teagan moaned fearfully, turning around. It was her ex-boyfriend Xander, the one who beat her within an inch of her life.

"Sweetheart, I've been looking all over for you!" Xander boomed, sauntering toward the couple with a drunken stumble. His clothing was wrinkled and stained, yet he didn't seem to care as his wild eyes settled against Teagan. "C'mon, Teagie, my car's outside---"

"I don't know who you are, but I do know that Teagan does not want to talk to you," Brian interrupted, pulling Teagan closer to his side.

"And who the Hell do you think you are?" Xander challenged, sizing up Brian, who was smaller compared to Xander's booming nature.

"Someone Teagan WANTS to talk to, so step off me," Brian pushed Xander away from them.

"You son of a bit---"

"Is there anything wrong?" a security officer announced before Xander could lunge toward Brian. He had seen the entire incident from his post near the exit and finally decided to take some action. He looked non-too-happy with the situating, glaring coldly at Xander.

"This man is bothering us, could you please escort him from the mall?" Brian replied, feeling Teagan tremble next to him.

"I am NOT leaving without Teagie!" Xander lurched before the officer could stop him and grasped a chunk of Teagan's brown locks.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Teagan immediately screamed, slapping at Xander's hand with fright. Her mind flashed backward to the hospital after Xander's attack. Tubes coming out of her body as if she were a puppet on the string, gauze tainted with blood, her eyes practically swollen shut. She would not be placed in that position again. She screamed sharply and she continued to scratch at Xander's hands till the security officer managed to pin him with the aid of backup.

"YOU KNOW WE'RE MEANT TO BE, TEAGIE! YOU KNOW IT!" Xander grunted as he struggled against the officers. "IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU, NO ONE WILL! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE MINE!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Teagan screamed with a sharper note, clutching tightly to Brian's t-shirt. She listened to Xander throw hundreds of threats her way till he was forced outside. Suddenly, she was engulfed in a deathly silent word, causing her to gasp for air.

"Teagan?" Brian called.

"Bri...Brian... Is he... gone?" Teagan panted, her heart beating rapidly. Pain throbbed where Xander had grasped her hair.

"Um...yeah...they just pushed him into a squad car..." Brian trailed, not really knowing what to say. He was still covered in a cloud of confusion. He could only identify that he felt strongly protective over the woman clutching his shirt.

"Thank God... I'm sorry about all this... he could have hurt you," Teagan stumbled over to the wall and sat down, still shaking.

"It's not your fault," Brian objected, watching her slump to the ground. She seemed several shades lighter than before, obviously pale with fear. He sighed softly, not liking to see any woman in such distress. He gently leaned over her trembling form, placing a warm hand underneath her chin. "C'mon, let's go get you a cappuccino or something."

"Could we go to Caribou?" Teagan asked, looking up into Brian's light eyes. She felt protected and safe with him, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Anything you want, because I haven't scored your digits yet," he joked lightly, wrapping an arm around her waist after she collected her things. "Besides, I'm thinking you could help me. I have to buy this preppy chick a gift for her birthday party this weekend. I'm clueless in that department... All I know is that she's the daughter of some high-priced doctor and probably fifty-percent plastic."

"I can definitely help you with a birthday present for the girl," she replied, nestling herself against his side as they walked towards Caribou Coffee. "Most of the preppy, plastic girls like make-up and things that are pink. Best place for that is Abercrombie & Fitch, Claire's and American Eagle."

"Oh, joy," Brian grimaced.

"Don't worry, I'll go in and get them for you."

"Thank God," he laughed.

"Guys really don't like shopping, do they?" she teased with a smile, swinging her own large Hot Topic bag along with Oriana's presents in others.

"Not for something draped in pink," he agreed, leading her toward the coffee shop. He stopped for a moment though, holding her out at an arm's length. His soft pink lips curved into a genuine smile. "But I think I might have developed a love for it since I ran into a Goddess at the mall."

"I'm not a Goddess," she blushed, looking at her outfit. She had decided to be punk-ish and was wearing black and blue plaid Hot Topic pants with blue chains looping around and skulls stamped over the material. Her tanktop was blue and said 'Rebel' in a sparkly fire pattern. "I sure as Hell don't dress like one sometimes."

"Then they need to remake the definition, because you're a Goddess in my eyes."

"Well... thank you."

"You're very welcome. So, how about that cappuccino, then a little shopping, then a little digit exchanging, which hopefully will be followed by plans for a first real date?"

Teagan smiled at his eagerness and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "A thank you kiss for standing up for me, now some cappuccino, digit exchanging and it will definitely be followed by plans for a second date."

*~*~*


Oriana hurriedly slammed her fists repeatedly into the large punching bag as the lyrics of Evanescence flowed through her body. She tried to concentrate on the music, but her brain refused to quit. She was still having a hard time accepting the events that occurred that afternoon and evening. Howie's obvious attempt at a date had startled her greatly, because now she couldn't get his infectious smile out of her mind. Every time her brain merely thought of his name, she became enraptured in contentment, which scared her.

Then Kevin had tried to make some kind of peace with her, causing a fire of anger to burst through her soul. She quickly brushed him off with cruel words and traveled downstairs for peace and quiet. She just wanted to be left alone, but Teagan's heavy footsteps of excitement alerted that Oriana would have no such luxury.

"I JUST HAD THE BEST DAMN DAY OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!" Teagan shouted with an excited squeal, jumping off the last steps. She hurried into the basement and collapsed on her favorite chair facing Oriana's punching bag. A permanent smile plastered her glowing face as she clutched her phone.

"Did Victoria's Secret have a sale on panties?" Oriana grunted with sarcasm, continuing to pummel the bag. She loved Teagan dearly, but her friend's cheery attitude seemed to cause a harder wave of depression to attack.

"Well...yes...but that's not why it was the best damn day of my entire life!" Teagan giggled, picturing Brian's sweet face in her mind. She already knew she was in love. It was as if Cupid struck her hard with an arrow when she bounced into Brian accidentally.

"Then what was it?" Oriana asked, starting her various kicks upon the punching bag.

"I met a guy and he's the greatest guy on the PLANET!" Teagan sighed dreamily, giving a silly smile.

"I thought you went birthday shopping for me," Oriana stated incredulously.

"I did! But I was heading to one more store, my cell phone began to ring, I was digging for it and I ran into him. He had to shop for some girl's birthday, so I helped him pick things out. Riana, he's so beautiful. His eyes, his hair, his smile... just everything about him makes my heart beat fast."

"Honestly?"

"Honestly. And... well... Xander showed up, too. The guy DEFENDED me and we had just met. Most guys just leave, you know? But he protected me. That... that says something."

"Defended you from..." Oriana trailed, stopping her assault on the large sand bag. She brushed her chalky hands on her baggy shorts, staring at Teagan in disbelief. "Did you call the police?"

"The mall security came and forced him outside and into a squad car," Teagan whispered, looking down at her hands. A large scar ran down her palm where Xander had dragged a knife the night of the attack.

"Good."

"Everything flashed back, Riana. The tubes, bloody gauzes, the casts..." Teagan sighed, brushing back her hair. "There's no point in that damn restraining order if he keeps finding me."

"If you'd call the police when Xander shows up and violates the restraining order, then there'd actually be a point to it," Oriana replied with an open frown. As much as she hated Xander, some of his terrorizing was partly Teagan's blame. She was too afraid to stand up to the man, which gave him control over the entire situation. A few calls to the police and he would be locked away.

"Yeah, such a good idea. Then he breaks out and finishes what he started. That will work out GREAT."

"Breaks out of prison? You've been watching too much Lifetime."

"Who says it can't happen?"

"Me."

"Yeah, well, he found me that night... he could do it again..." Teagan shivered, pulling her legs up to her chest.

"Not if you took the..." Oriana let her words fall when she noticed Teagan curl into an upright fetal position. She sighed softly, relinquishing the thoughts as she turned to assault the bag with punches. Teagan would never be rid of Xander till she faced the deepest portions of her fears and Oriana couldn't do that for her. "So, tell me about this guy your madly, deeply, truly loving?"

"Well, he goes to Williams---"

"A Williams Wimp?" Oriana snorted.

"Nuh-uh! He's on the football team and he's not a wimp," Teagan laughed a little. "He's got these sandy blonde curls that are as soft as feathers, his eyes are this amazing color of blue, his body is toned just right... he's PERFECT."

"Sounds like you're talking about a Ken Doll."

"Yeah, but a Ken Doll doesn't have a dick. This guy does."

"You can be really crude sometimes," Oriana crinkled her nose.

"Learned it from our MVP."

"I don't think I go around talking about dicks..." Oriana trailed with an impish smirk as Teagan arched her dark eyebrows. Oriana raised her hands in defense. "Okay! So I had the football team measure for the biggest! One damn time!"

"All it takes is one time," Teagan snickered.

"Thank you for the information, Ms. Sex Ed," Oriana groaned, listening to Teagan's phone start to chirp. She was about to strike at the punching bag until Teagan shrieked openly with happiness, causing Oriana to miss and strike the wall. She cursed in surprise.

"It's him! It's him!" Teagan squealed, ignoring Oriana's cussing as she answered her phone.

"God, if I ever do that with a guy, strike me dead, okay?" Oriana prayed loudly, causing Teagan to throw a nearby pillow.
Oh So Close by Anastacia
Chapter 8 – Oh So Close

Oriana sighed softly as she criticized her reflection in the full-length mirror. It was the day of her birthday party and she feared the entire event would turn disastrous. Her mother had left a while ago to meet Kevin and his two boys, so Oriana was left alone till her guests arrived. She was having second thoughts about the new bikini as she twirled in the mirror with a sharply critical eye. It was the most flattering cut upon her sleekly toned body. The strings of the triangular cut bottom tied against her lower hips as the strings of the triangular cups of the top were tied around her back and neck. Her skin was a brilliant caramel color from the Floridian sun and reflected the beautiful honey coloring in her pigtail braids falling down her back.

Though many would see a true beauty, Oriana saw nothing more but pitiful wreck of useless flesh. She had hated her body since many of the boyfriends attacked her for her looks. Now she didn't know if she should wear such a revealing bikini. She bit down hard on her lip as the doorbell chimed. Without a second thought, she snatched a tank top from her closet. She hurriedly ran down the stairs as she shrugged it on, knowing she would protect herself in the long run. "Coming! Hold up for a second!"

"Hurry up, Riana! You're too slow!" Teagan's voice called from the other side of the door. She pulled tighter on her small ponytail as Nick and Howie stood next to her. Nick snickered as he heard Oriana curse at her from behind the door, obviously banging on something along the way.

"Why the Hell should I be opening up the door for you anyway?" Oriana defended as she swung the door open, not prepared to see Nick and Howie behind her best friend. She almost stumbled out the doorway. Her dazzling blue-green eyes grew wide with shock, not prepared to see Teagan with the first of the guests, especially Howie. She instantly tugged on the short tank top, hoping to hide the lower portion of her bikini bottoms. "You're the one that just comes into the house whenever you please, Teag."

"True, but I have guests with me, and that would be rude," Teagan grinned as they walked inside. She kissed Oriana's blushing cheek. "Happy birthday, chica!"

"Thanks," Oriana murmured, hugging her friend close to whisper in her ear, "Keep these guys busy, I'm going to grab a pair of shorts---"

"But Nick and I still need to wrap a few of your presents!" Teagan objected with a shriek of protest. She and Nick were determined to get their two friends alone for at least a moment before everyone else got to the party. "Ma has wrapping paper and stuff in her room, right?"

"Yeah, but--"

“Be right back!" Teagan kissed Oriana’s cheek again, took Nick's hand, and ran upstairs with their presents.

"She never gives me a chance to finish a damn sentence," Oriana grunted in defeat, wrapping her arms around the lower portion of her exposed stomach. She shifted to bear all her weight onto her right side awkwardly, obviously uncomfortable in Howie's presence. His eyes burned through her soul and set her body ablaze with enkindled heat. She brought her hands up to her bare shoulders to rub them for warmth as she fumbled to produce a smile. "I'm happy you came, Howie."

"I'm happy you invited me," Howie smiled softly as she led him to the kitchen, which was full of sandwiches, chips, drinks and desserts. "Wow, your mom really went all out for you today."

"More like for her dream-boat," Oriana murmured sarcastically, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"You really don't like the boyfriend, do you?" Howie asked curiously, taking a soda and sandwich before hopping up on the counter.

"Not liking is too soft a word to describe the feelings I express for that ogre," Oriana admitted honestly, feeling her stomach tighten at the mere mention of him.

"Is he an asshole or something?" he pried gently, attempting to really get to know Oriana better than other guys she had dated before.

"Well… Look, I gotta go upstairs and grab a pair of shorts. You can stay down in the kitchen if you like... Or come up?" Oriana suggested, quickly changing the subject. It was bad enough that the man and his sons would be tormenting her birthday. She didn't need to speak about him also.

"I'll come up with you, if that's alright." Howie mentally kicked himself for asking the wrong question.

"It's just a bedroom," she laughed, motioning for him to follow her up the spiraling staircase in the living room.

"I like seeing other people's bedrooms. They're all decorated to reflect their personalities."

"My personality is kind of...mismatched..." Oriana tried to describe, opening the door leading to her bedroom. Sure enough, the style was controversial within itself. Her lavender bedspread was decorated with various clouds, stars, and moons with the inscription - Little Dreamer - on the headboard. The walls were a creamy sky blue color decorated with various objects hinting to the many depths of her persona. The wall to the left side of her bed held her giant entertainment system with favorite lyrics scrawled on the wall with various colors of paint. The far wall was decorated with personal pictures and quotes from her favorite movies. It also connected her room to walk in closet and connected her private bathroom. An expensive keyboard set off to the side with various papers fluttering about the keys. The wall to the right side of her bed was set up as a shrine of awards.

Howie stood there for a moment, admiring the various awards for football, basketball, dancing, and highly praised academics. He was fascinated as he ran his fingers against the aging surfboard hanging on the wall. It was obvious that Oriana was serious about surfing, because the board with the logo of cherries and the name "Cherry Bomb" was faded and scratched with hard wear. Sure enough, her bedroom was not so tidy. Various objects thrown upon the floor and the bed unmade, but it matched Oriana's personality perfectly. She offered a sheepish smile as she reached for a pair of baggy mesh shorts hanging on the end piece of her footboard. "Told you it was mismatched..."

"No, I like it. I can definitely see your personality in here," Howie chuckled, walking over to her entertainment center. "You must have every CD known to man here. I thought I had a lot... damn, girl."

"I like music," Oriana answered simply, sliding the shorts along her long, tan legs to rest against her lower hips. The tiniest amount of the bikini bottoms showed above the waistband, giving Howie’s heart a small flutter of excitement. "Helps me disconnect from everything when I need to get away."

“I feel the same way about music. Kinda obvious when you see me in choir, band and the musicals," Howie looked around the room once more. "This is definitely a cool room. You did a good job decorating it."

“I didn't really decorate... It just kind of exploded..." Oriana laughed again, glancing around. She shook her head as she reached to fix the covers on the bed. She hesitated slightly, knowing it wasn't the real her. She rolled her eyes at being so foolish, immediately flinging the covers toward the bottom of the bed. "Definitely better..."

"You're not a neat freak, are you?" he chuckled.

"You don't think this is neat?" Oriana asked with a mock of mortification.

"You obviously haven't seen my room... it's so neat, I think you would run through and make it messy. Drives everyone I know nuts," Howie rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Guess I won't be sleeping there," Oriana blurted without thought.

"Excuse me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" she asked innocently, feeling her cheeks blush crimson.

"I think you'd like my room," he changed the subject a little. "It’s a Latin theme with deep colors... you seem to like those colors, too."

"I'll have to come visit you at your house then..." she trailed, feeling highly uncomfortable. Her heart slammed against her chest with the fever of love, but her brain refused to process the idea of Howie being sincere. Oriana felt like she might burst as she sat down on her bed, biting her bottom lip to keep from screaming. Life could be so difficult.

"Are you alright?" he cocked his head with concern, sitting down next to her. All he wanted was for her to see he was sincere about everything he felt about her, but knew it was hard.

"Absolutely peachy," she declared, falling back onto her bed. The soft mattress bounced her a little before allowing her to settle comfortably. She felt the lower portion of her tank top bunch to expose her bare stomach. She didn't seem to mind as she rested her hands against the cool skin. She stared at Howie for a moment, trying to search his dark eyes. "Howie, I'm really sorry about the other day."

Howie shook his head with a smile, leaning back on one arm. "You don't need to apologize. I should have been more tactful about asking you out."

"You really are a killer friend," she decided, mentally deleting the last statement in his request.

"Thanks. I've been told there's something about me that makes me easy to talk to," he made a face. "I'm sorry, that was bragging."

"It's not bragging if you're good at it," Oriana teased, allowing herself to cuddle against his side for a moment. She inhaled the soft scent of his cologne, feeling her skin prickle with pleasure.

"Well, you're a killer friend, too," Howie smiled, looking down at her. Her true beauty always blew him away whenever he saw her.

"Only when I don't cock and attitude..." Oriana laughed, rolling her eyes. She tensed a little as Howie gently tucked a stray curl behind her ear. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to calm her heart. "I think you'd be a great guy to spend an entire night with... I mean... Well, yeah, I guess that's what I mean, like you spending the night over and just chilling..."

"I think that would be a lot of fun, spending the night just chilling with you."

"If sex just happens to occur--"

"Sex would only occur if the girl consented to it."

Oriana cocked her head into confusion, trying to control her laughter at Howie’s mortified face. "I was just playing, Howie. Usually the football guys get all flustered when I say something stupid like that... Guess it doesn't work with you?"

"Not with me," he gave her a wink.

"Then maybe I just have to physically prompt the flustering?" she asked with a coy smile, gently pushing on his firm chest before trailing her fingers shyly upward.

Sure enough, Howie's face turned a slight red at the contact between him and Oriana. "It worked."

"You're a cute friend," Oriana laughed, rolling onto her back again to stare at her ceiling.

"Right back at you," Howie replied with a grin, lying down on his back as well. "Whatcha looking at?"

"A freaking hot picture of Vin Diesel in the shower that Teagan had blown up for me from a magazine..." Oriana answered with a delighted smile.

"Whoa, there he is... naked, even though you can't exactly tell," Howie made a face.

"The picture ends below his belly button, showing off the beginning of his pelvic narrowing... God bless America. Five minutes alone with that man and I would definitely give up the whole virginity angle."

"Wow, you're still a virgin?" Howie asked with surprise..

'Technically if we're going for the consented sex angle,' Oriana thought bitterly, frowning at the mere thought. She muffled a groan as she ran her hands against her face, blinking back the burning tears. "Yeah, virgin born and raised," she told Howie, keeping her face covered.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but why are you so shocked at the idea?"

"Because most girls I meet aren't. I mean, it's not a big deal if they're not... a virgin nowadays is kind of like a diamond in the rough. That's really cool, though. I admire that."

“And you? What are you stamped as?"

"One of the last few guys on Earth who is still stamped a virgin."

"I admire that a lot, Howie."

"Thanks."

"Um... Howie?"

"Yeah, Riana?"

"Do you want to spend the night tonight?"

Howie smiled, turning on his side to face her. He knew he was on his way to winning her heart. "I'd like that a lot."

"I figured. The bed is way comfortable--"

"Which bed?"

"Mine?"

"Oh. Making sure," he chuckled.

"You can sleep in the guest room if you want---"

"No, no, no. Your bed is definitely awesome, I'll sleep in here."

"I'm going to be sleeping right next to you..."

"Yes, you will be."

"Two virgins in a bed can't do much damage, right?" Oriana joked, trying to push past her sour thoughts.

"Not the last time I heard," Howie chuckled, pushing on her bare shoulder. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Howie," Oriana whispered, leaning up to place a kiss against his warm cheek. She pulled back slightly when she realized she kissed the corner of his mouth. She felt her heart slam against her ribcage as her brain seemed to numb away the pain of previous heartaches. She found herself slowly leaning into continue the kiss, but her door slammed open. She yelped in surprise as two of her teammates, Gabe and Lucas, rushed her. They yanked her off the bed and immediately pulled her tank top off to expose the upper portion of her bikini. "WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH YOU TWO?!"

"Holy shit! Teag wasn't lying!" Gabe whooped, kissing both of Oriana's cheeks before hoisting her against his shoulder and giving a sharp slap to her behind. "You're our birthday stripper, Cherry-Bomb!"

"But it's my birthday!" Oriana protested.

"Exactly! Gives new meaning to the word!"

"Well you better get me drunk first!"

"HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" Teagan asked as she rushed into Oriana's room.

"Oriana's getting dunked in the pool!" Gabe roared with laughter, smacking her behind yet again as Lucas ripped off her mesh shorts.

"Hey! This isn't the damn locker room!" Oriana objected.

"You're still getting dunked, because we have to christen the party before any of the other players arrive," Lucas explained, pushing past Teagan and Nick.

"I better at least get a twenty in my bikini bottoms for this!" Oriana threatened, her voice bouncing as Gabe ran down the steps. It was silent for a moment in Oriana's bedroom till they heard the screen door open and Oriana shout, "I'M GOING TO PUMMEL YOU!” There was a sharp splash of water and then a loud sputter before Oriana’s voice continued, “AFTER I GET DUNKED!"

"What the Hell happened?" Nick laughed as Lucas ran down to join in the fun.

"We got interrupted," Howie groaned softly, rubbing his face. "But I did get invited to spend the night tonight..."

"Holy shit, are you serious?! I didn't realize the girl was that fast!" Nick laughed, tackling Howie on the bed.

"AH! NICK COOTIES!"

"Nick, you did not just call my girl a slut," Teagan growled, finally putting the pieces together.
Nick climbed off Howie and looked at Teagan with shock. "NO! That's not what I called her!"

"Then what the Hell do you mean about her being fast? Damn, Nick, the girl is a straight 'V.' She's saving the good stuff for her wedding night! I can't believe you think that just because she invited Howie to spend the night means that she's planning on shacking up!" Teagan burst, feeling the need to defend her younger friend. Previous boyfriends had spread the same lies about Oriana when she refused to put out. Teagan had beaten the boys with everything she had.

"Whoa! Teag that is not what I meant!" Nick held his hands up in defense. He had never seen Teagan so angry before, and neither had Howie.

"Then what DID you mean?! Hmm?!"

"I meant that she's really warming up to him..." Nick faltered as Teagan's blue-gray eyes seemed to turn black. He tumbled off the side of Oriana's bed to put a physical barrier between him and her. "Damn, can I just buy you something like normal men do?"

"You think buying me off will make me forget what you just said? That's happened to her before, Nick, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let that go through school again."

"Huh?" Nick squeaked.

"Oriana. Has. Had. Guys. Spread. Shit. About. Her," Teagan explained slowly. She narrowed her eyes. "I found out who they were and kicked each of their asses."

"But I would never do that, Teag. She's a great girl. And damn fine in a bikini if I might add. So I retract that not gorgeous statement, Howie," Nick murmured.

"WHAT statement are you retracting?"

"Um... Howie and I were talking about Oriana and he kept saying that she was absolutely gorgeous. I said that she was pretty, but not gorgeous like you, because I like a girl who puts energy into her appearance, but then I saw that bikini and she looks absolutely fantastic and can I just buy you something really big so you won't pound the shit out of me?" he squeaked within a run-on sentence.

Teagan stood there for a moment, hands on her hips. "It's gonna cost you, Carter."

"Anything!" he breathed.

Teagan was about to make her demands when she heard a giant splash. She cocked her head in confusion as she traveled out onto the veranda that connected to Oriana's room. She hid a smile as she watched Oriana battle Gabe and throw him into the water. Teagan whooped until Lucas rushed Oriana from behind and jumped into the water. "HOWIE! I NEED BACKUP!" Oriana choked as she surfaced in the water only to have the two boys push her back down.

"You heard the woman! Go help her!" Teagan replied with a grin, pulling Howie up.

"Against Lucas and Gabe?" Howie squeaked, bracing his hands against the doorway to keep Teagan from pushing her out. "I have to get Oriana's presents out of the car! Carter, go help her!"

"She asked for you, man! I ain't doing your work!"

"But I have to get her gifts---"

"We'll go get them! At least go down and cheer her on, Howie. She can take those two with both her hands behind her back," Teagan confided, pointing down to the in ground pool. Sure enough, Oriana dove at Lucas from beneath the water to knock him off his feet.

"HOWIE! COME ON OUT!" Oriana called again.

"Your lover's calling!" Nick cackled.
Bittersweet Birthday Cake by Anastacia
Chapter 9 – Bittersweet Birthday Cake

"So, are we expecting a hook-up today with the lovebirds, Major T?" Nick asked excitedly, running down the length of the driveway to reach Howie's vehicle. His sprouting body offered a lanky stride that amused Teagan to no end. She did her best to muffle a wry laugh, fingering Howie's key chain to find the appropriate key to his vehicle. Nick and Teagan had practically pushed Howie to the backyard to rescue Oriana from Gabe and Luke before running to retrieve the rest of Oriana's gifts. They were determined to see sparks fly before the end of the night, for both Howie and Oriana’s sakes.

"As long as you and I keep pushing them together like we are, I can see a definite hook-up happening," Teagan agreed as they reached the car. She unlocked it and immediately jumped inside. "Oooh, I like this car! Howie made a nice choice by getting this one."

"Has a big backseat..." Nick commented with a mischievous smile, watching Teagan fumble to reach the bags. Unable to resist the urge, Nick leapt into the backseat, tackling Teagan under his crushing embrace. He pretended to lavish her with kisses, crying loudly, "OH, MAJOR T! YOU'RE THE ULTIMATE DRUM TO MY MAJOR!"

"You know I'm seeing someone! We can't do this, we might get caught!" Teagan laughed, squirming from beneath him.

"What's he got that I don't got?!" Nick huffed with hurt, pushing himself to hover above her.

"Actually, it's more like you have something he doesn't. And... well... he don't got cooties!" Teagan smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"Cooties?!" Nick screeched, jumping upward to rock the car as several football players passed. They eyed the car suspiciously before breaking into rounds of laughter at what they assumed was sexual activity. Another sly smile crossed Nick's usually cherubic face. "I'll cootie you!" he threatened, immediately rocking the car in a wild manner while protesting wild grunts of faked passion.

"EEK! CARTER!" Teagan shrieked, falling onto the backseat floor.

"GIVE IT TO ME, BABY, UH-HUH! UH-HUH!"

"OH, YEAH?! HERE YOU GO!" Teagan reached up and began tickling his sides.

"HEY!" Nick shrieked, jumping up to bang his head against the ceiling. He cursed openly, falling on the backseat.

"God don't like ugly, Sweetie. I thought I taught you that during practice," Teagan cooed, reaching up to kiss his cheek before grabbing the bags. She jumped out of the car gracefully, smoothing out her perfected outfit for her date with Brian later that evening.

"You're not my Major T anymore!" Nick groaned.

"You say that, but I know you think differently. Come on, Nicky. It's time to go."

"I'm sexually exhausted," he called loudly as several more partygoers passed.

"Which is more tired, you or your hand?" Teagan laughed, rushing into the house.

“YOU’RE IMPLYING THAT I MAST—”

"Teagan?"

Teagan was halfway up the driveway when the familiar voice called to her. The voice caused ripples of satisfaction to flood her system and her heart rate increased to a fluttering pace. A cool sweat broke upon the palms of her hands as shivers of delight taunted her. She coyly turned to see Brian standing with another boy while Cassandra and Kevin walked passed, lovingly kissing one another, speaking in soft undertones.

"Brian? What are you doing here?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Brian?!" Nick shrieked from inside the car, preparing to jump out. Yet, his forehead connected with the top of the door, causing him to fall backward again with a thick string of curses.

"I should be asking you the same thing!" he exclaimed in surprise as she walked back to the side walk. He seemed to completely ignore Nick's moans of complaint as the other boy stepped to retrieve Nick from the car. Brian eagerly enveloped her into his arms before offering a quick kiss to her cheek. "I'm supposed to be here!"

"You're supposed to be here? But I thought the birthday party was for a doctor's plastic daughter," she replied, still trying to figure everything out. It was all too weird that Brian was attending Oriana's party.

"Well, yeah... Hence why we're... Wait, why are you here?" Brian countered as his brother eagerly spoke with Nick.

"The girl who is having the party is my best--"

"ALEX! BRIAN! C'MON!" Kevin called loudly from the porch steps, letting Cassandra enter the home. Brian stiffened dramatically as he offered a scowl to his father. Kevin seemed to notice, folding his arms across his chest. "C'mon boys! I want you to meet someone special!"

"Coming, Dad!" Alex called, walking with Nick.

"BRIAN! C'MON!" Kevin repeated.

"Hold---"

"I'll bench you from William's Football Team myself, Brian. Let's go!" Kevin barked firmly.

"Kevin's your Dad?" Teagan asked flatly, obviously taken back with a large deal of shock. Every single piece of the mystery seemed to connect within her head. Remembering her and Oriana discussing the pride and joy of the William's team being a Brian. Her Brian played on the William's Football Team. And if he was who she thought he was, Oriana was in a for a rude awakening.

"Yeah. Unfortunately at times--"

"Brian Thomas Richardson!"

"Damnit, I'm coming!" Brian huffed, leaving Teagan behind.

Teagan turned with a numb feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. She noted that Brian was wearing his William's Football T-shirt. And sure enough, his last name and number were printed upon his back: RICHARDSON 24. He was the same player that had given Oriana so much heat during the game. Teagan's mouth went suddenly dry as a cool sweat broke upon her brow. "I'm in such deep shit," she murmured.

*~*~*


"Momma, I love you bunches and all that jazz, but I need to be out with the boys. We're getting ready to start football diving. It's going to be freaking sweet..." Oriana trailed with disapproval, her mother tugging her into the family living room. She had been engrossed in activities with her team when Cassandra pulled her away to meet Kevin's sons. A heavy weight already settled in the pit of her stomach, obviously regretting every inch of this encounter. She was practically pushed into the living room, stumbling to cover up her new bikini with her large towel. Her light blonde brows furled in confusion when she noticed Nick and Howie conversing with the only other teenager in the room. She could have sworn Kevin had two sons, but her friends conversing with the newcomer as if they had known him for ages further perplexed her.

"Your friends can wait. The party's going to continue the entire day, Sweetheart. Just do this for me. And, please, for the love of God, show them your sweet side," Cassandra begged quietly in her daughter's ear, watching Kevin motion for his youngest son to step forward. Cassandra beamed an eager smile, patting her daughter's bare shoulders before glancing to her lover.

Kevin cleared his throat to step forward with his son. He tried not to wince as Oriana immediately stepped backward into her mother's embrace. He quickly offered the brightest smile he could afford, trying not to trouble himself with Oriana's coldness. Instead he settled his large hands against Alex's shoulders. "My other son is running around here somewhere, I have to go find him. But no reason why I shouldn't introduce you two first, right?"

"Guess so?" Oriana trailed, eyeing the boy with a careful gaze. She tilted her head to the side in thought, absorbing his features. He was quite thin with just a bit of a muscular finish. His fashion sense was wildly unpredictable with the red tinted spikes, dark sunglasses, baggy blue and orange swimming trunks, and a brightly colored orange muscle tank to compliment the coloring of his shorts. He offered a toothy grin, letting his sunglasses droop for just a moment to expose the depths of his dark brown eyes.

"This is my youngest son, Alex. He's seventeen, but will be eighteen in January. He plays in the band," Kevin introduced.

"Hey," Oriana mumbled.

"Hey, nice to meet you," Alex offered his hand to Oriana. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," Oriana answered, offering a fresh smile.

"Would you at least tell him your name?" Cassandra groaned softly to her daughter, noticing Alex stiffen.

"Oh, sorry!" Oriana blurted with apologies. "My name's Oriana."

"Oriana... I like that name, it's different from all the other girls. I'm sure others call you Ori, Riana... things like that. I'll have to think of a nickname for you that's unique. What's your middle name?”

"Ryan..." she trailed off, a little confused.

"There we go! I shall call you Ry."

"Um...thanks," Oriana laughed, folding her arms across her chest to hold up the towel circling her body. The boy was definitely crazy.

"Tell him about yourself, Oriana," Cassandra pushed further.

"Oh... I play football for Tartan?" she tried, not really knowing what to say. The room immediately grew silent for several moments. Alex seemed to take in her entire form, immediately glancing back to Howie with wide-eyes. Oriana stiffened as the towel loosened, carefully unpeeling it from her sleek for to bundle back up. She already felt self-conscious enough with her friends eyeing her mature body, but Alex's eyes immediately sparked with interest as if he knew some deep secret.

"Holy shit, you're Howie's Riana!" Alex laughed openly.

"You know Howie?" Oriana questioned, glancing behind him to catch Howie's gaze.

"I've been friends with him since we were kids! Oh man, he was right, you are GORGEOUS--"

"Shut up, Alex!" Howie hissed with embarrassment.

"What?! I'm being serious!"

"Please!" Howie stressed, immediately rubbing the back of his neck. It was torture to watch Oriana's blue-green eyes light with a playful amusement. Things had turned so sour when he asked for a date. He was afraid Alex's comments might completely trash his hopes.

"What's your problem? If Nick knows that you think she's hot-stuff, then she has to know right?" Alex continued with a bemused smile, his eyes finally lighting with recognition, turning back to Oriana. "You're number Seventeen on Tartan!"

"Yeah... Ball-busting Number Seventeen," Oriana agreed, obviously puzzled.

"Dude, you played great at the game--"

"Which game?" Oriana interrupted.

"The one against William's--"

"You were there?"

"I'm in their marching band. My brother is number-"

"Here's my other son, Brian. He plays---"

"What the Hell are you doing here?!" Oriana growled defensively as she watched Kevin push in his eldest son. She instantly recalled the scowling face hidden beneath a football helmet as curses exploded from the mouth. Her whole body tensed with a flaming anger, remembering the boy who had given her such grief after the game. His pig-headed nature just sent her body into a state of complete frustrations and his empty threats seemed to always haunt her dreams.

"You?! This is your fucking birthday party?!" Brian blurted, his hands clenching into tight fists.

"Ding, ding, ding! Tell him what he's won, Johnny!" she retorted sarcastically, causing a flood of tension to cross over the room. She folded her arms roughly against her chest as the towel gave way and fluttered to the floor, exposing her precious flesh.

Brian's eyes popped out in surprise, immediately scowling with disgust. "Well, I guess I was right about one thing. Plastic bimbo from Tartan... Only, I forgot to add the word CHEAP."

"Funny, did you come here to insult me? Because I can sure as Hell do a repeat from the football game. You know, me tackling your ass and making you eat dirt?" Oriana fired.

"You only did that because you're a fucking dyke and can't do anything else--"

"Oh, really? I can do an even better beating of your ass anytime and place, shithead."

"BRIAN!" Kevin barked in shock.

Brian still continued, "Fuck you--"

"Don't date lower than my species, remember---“

"Ma! Let's just say they know each other!" Teagan breathed in shock, immediately intervening before Oriana and Brian could become physically engaged. She pushed on Oriana's shoulders, bringing her swiftly back into Cassandra's embrace. Her heart hammered with fear as she noticed the disgust flickering in Oriana's darkening eyes.

"You're best friends with that thing, Teagan?" Brian asked in surprise, his voice laced with disgust.

"Brian!" Kevin snapped harshly as Teagan recoiled in shock. He immediately reached out to clamp his hand tightly over his son's mouth. The tension grew thicker as Oriana tensed in her mother's embrace, completely submerged in silence. "You need to show some respect to your soon-to-be-stepsister!"

"WHAT?!" Brian exclaimed, wrenching away from his father. "MY WHAT?! You have to be fucking kidding me!"

"No, I'm not kidding you," Kevin scorned, moving to draw Cassandra into his arms. He affectionately kissed the woman's cheek as all the children turned to face him. "That's our big news... I love Cassandra very much and that's the reason we've brought you kids together. We wanted to tell you that we intend to be wed by the end of next month."

"Hell no! Dad, no way! I am not having that... that... no! I will not have her as my step-sister!" Brian shook his head vehemently. "I'm not going to the fucking wedding."

"You don't have much of a choice," Kevin snarled.

"Then disown me, because I'm not going!" Brian stormed out of the house, slamming the door as hard as possible.

The entire group jumped at the sharp slam sending deep vibrations down the length of their spinal cords. Howie, Nick, and Teagan exchanged nervous looks. Kevin sighed with disappointment, leaning to whisper something privately in Cassandra's ear. His soon-to-be-wife allowed her chin to fall, doing her best to maintain a strong composure. Kevin felt his anger flare. He never had been able to understand such the swift change in his son's demeanor. He had turned so hateful within a few short months.

"Um... Congratulations, Dad. Congratulations, Cassandra. Seems to be some pretty exciting news," Alex volunteered, clearing his throat.

"Thanks, son. At least someone can see how great this can be," Kevin replied, giving Alex a one armed hug.

"It will mean you boys moving into this house. You'll each have your own room. Your Dad even gets to have his recording studio upstairs. Actually, we're going to start moving you in next week. You'll be transferred to Tartan. I know it's a big shift, but Kevin reminded me that your friends go there... So, it'll be okay, right?" Cassandra fumbled, trying to find the silver lining.

"Yeah," Alex agreed, deciding it was best not to make a worst-case scenario out of the entire proceedings. He had seen this union coming sub-consciously. He could only follow through and think of the best situation. Like, he would be able to attend school with his best friend, Howie.

"That's my boy," Kevin gave a small smile, ruffling Alex's locks. "You've always been more positive--"

"Are we done, here?" Oriana interrupted, unable to take much more of the scene unfolding. She had fallen into almost a catatonic state, unable to believe the words flowing from her mother's lips. Marriage? Her heart began to throb with a raw pain, remembering her mother's other boyfriends. The repeated brutal tortures and countless nights of breaking into her room for unspeakable and lustful needs. Her stomach cramped in fear, realizing that Kevin would very likely turn into the very same beast. Now her mother was releasing the entire beast. She would be dead within a month of their blessed union.

Cassandra frowned at her daughter's tone. "Oriana, aren't you even happy for us? We're going to have a big family here now, just like you always wanted--"

"We've always had a big family. You, me, Moms, and my Gabby..." Oriana trailed, slowly starting to recede from the large family room. She could already feel the dangerous tears against her murky eyes. She was terrified. Her throat closed against itself as she struggled to speak, "But congratulations..."

"Oriana--"

"I've got to go," Oriana turned around and downstairs.

"Oh, Riana!" Teagan sighed softly with empathy, immediately moving to find her best friend. Brian would have to wait.

"Well, enjoy the party..." Cassandra trailed softly to the others, trying not to act hurt by the terribly doomed news that was supposed to created a happy family. She turned into Kevin's embrace, disappearing into yet another room.

"Damn..." Alex trailed in confusion, turning to gaze at Howie. "What the Hell just happened?"

"As it's been said by many kids... the shit has just hit the fan," Howie replied, feeling his heart ache for Oriana.

"Well, I kind of made that assumption... But, Oriana... I mean... She looked like a deer caught in headlights. Aren't you with her or something?" Alex immediately fumbled, more concerned about the mysterious girl than his brother. Brian was known to throw temper-tantrums. He always came around.

"No, we're just friends at the moment."

"But you want to get with her?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then go check on her, I'll show Alex around?" Nick volunteered.

"She's going to talk to Major T, not me--"

"Weren't you telling me about how she turned you down because she didn't know you real well... Her best friend was saying something about not trusting guys in whole or something?" Alex trailed, struggling to remember the late-night conversations with his friend. He could already tell that Howie cared very much for the fragile girl, so it was his duty to help.

"I did, but how is she going to let me console her if she doesn't trust guys?" Howie asked in confusion.

"You bought her those wicked ass presents, just go downstairs and tell her that you're here to talk as a friend... Then give her the gifts. Good way to weasels yourself in there after her friend's done... Give her more support or something?" Alex tried wisely.

"I guess that could work. I just don't want to screw things up more than what they are," Howie sighed heavily, running a hand through his wild curls.

"Can't hurt to try," Nick offered.

"True. Alright, I'll do it. Just give me a minute to get her gifts and stuff. She needs to talk to Teagan first anyway."

"Sounds like a plan," Alex replied with a smile, realizing his life as he knew it would be changing drastically.
A Birthday Kiss by Anastacia
Chapter 10 – A Birthday Kiss

Oriana felt utterly jumpy as she rushed down to her basement, struggling to swallow the swell of emotions surfacing from deep within her. She hurriedly pushed on her Evanescence CD, cranking the sound to vibrate off the thick basement walls. She then stepped toward the punch bag, rotating her wrists to loosen the muscles. She jumped for a few seconds to warm her body, immediately starting to pummel her frustrations against the thick sand bag. She just couldn't imagine her mother deciding to get married to a man they barely knew. They had only been dating a few weeks! Her mother’s marriage announcement just seemed like the ultimate death sentence to Oriana. Kevin would change just like the others once he held everyone’s affections deep within his sweaty palm. Then he would swallow her whole while keeping her mother under a veil of secrecy, the screams buried beneath threats of death. Not to mention that his hellish child would be forever fixed in her house, threatening every step she made.

Oriana grunted as she forced down the ball of sickness forming in the pit of her hollow stomach, focusing on the words of her powerful music. "Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies / So I don't know what's real and what's not / Always confusing the thoughts in my head / So I can't trust myself anymore / I'm dying again."

Teagan rushed down the stairs, already knowing that Oriana was working out her punching bag without even stepping into the room. Oriana had always been a creature of habit when it came to absorbing her emotions, so Teagan could always predict the reactions. And Teagan understood why her best friend would be upset about Brian, but couldn't comprehend why she was against Cassandra getting married. Kevin was the nicest boyfriend out of the many in the past, and thought he would make a great father.

"Duckie! Duckie, stop!" she tried to yell against the music.

'What the Hell was I thinking... I should have known she'd bring another leech... Just took a matter of time to find another sleeze-ball! Another notch in the belt... Another broken door... Another rape...'

Oriana let bitter tears fall down her cheeks as she slammed her right hand heavily into the punching bag, feeling something burn within her forearm. She didn't care, though as she continued to repeat the furious blows.

"Whoa! Duckie, stop!" Teagan shouted as she saw Oriana's arm turn red and swell. She ran over and stopped the music so they could finally hear themselves think. Teagan’s ears started to ring at the abrupt change in noise levels, but didn’t let it phase her.

Oriana prepared to throw yet another hearty punch with her right arm, but Teagan managed to catch it before she could cause further damage. Oriana grunted in surprise as Teagan pushed her backward, causing them to topple over the couch. Oriana tumbled from the couch to the carpet, shooting a surprised glare to Teagan. "What the Hell... Did you just call me Duckie?"

"It's the only nickname that would get your attention," Teagan shrugged, gently grasping Oriana's flaming arm. "You could have done a lot of damage if you kept punching the bag like that."

"Like I would give a royal shit," Oriana snorted, moving to push herself off the floor. But, the sharp twinge of pain raced up the length of her tender arm, causing her to shrink back.

"Mm-hmm, right. Now say that again and I'll believe you," Teagan retorted, standing up. "Just sit there, I'll get the ice pack."

"Some freaking birthday," Oriana grumbled pathetically, staring down at her tender arm. She pressed one finger into her skin, noticing the subtle swelling against the flamed red coloring. She winced at the pain, mustering to smile faintly as Teagan offered her the ice pack. She eagerly placed it against her arm, sighing with relief.

"I know the whole Brian thing was a huge blow... but honestly, Duckie. Kevin's a great guy, way better than any of the other assholes Ma has dated. Alex seems like he would be a cool step-brother. Just don't worry about Brian, I'll take care of him. Just because you're better than him at football doesn't mean he can degrade you like that," Teagan replied, frowning at the memory of his words towards Oriana.

"He's the Brian from William's that you like, isn't he?" Oriana questioned flatly, her blue-green eyes flicking upward to catch the depths of her best friend's rare blue-gray eyes. She wrinkled her blonde brows in confusion, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. But if he's going to treat you like that, I'm not going to see him anymore," Teagan replied, looking down to make sure the ice pack was on the most swollen portion of Oriana's arm.

"Do you love him?" Oriana countered again.

"Duckie, last time I thought I loved someone I was almost killed. I don't know if I love Brian--"

"You know if you love Brian," Oriana opposed, her blue-green eyes burning with truth. She knew her best friend far too well to believe that far-fetched story. Teagan made quick and accurate judgments about everyone within an hour of meeting them. She also always had a way of giving her heart utterly and completely within the first kiss. It was within a kiss that Teagan knew if it were meant to be or not. "So? Do you love him?"

Teagan sighed heavily, their eyes meeting again. "The truth? Yes, I do love him."

Oriana nodded with understanding, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. Yet again, she would have to compromise for one that she loved dearly. She would never be the one to stand in front of Teagan's happiness. If Teagan felt there was a chance of love between her and Brian, Oriana would step aside. Teagan deserved love and a man that would cherish her. "Then you need to be with him."

"But he was so cruel to you—"

"I'm not standing in between something that's obviously special to you. No way in Hell am I getting pinned for that psychiatrist bill! Just, go. I'm fine."

"You're more special to me than any guy out there. We've been best friends since we were babies!" Teagan objected.

"Oh please," Oriana snorted, waving off Teagan’s statement. "There is no way in Hell that you're going to want to live with me when we're old and gray. Sitting in our recliners, shitting in our diapers like the old days? No way. Just go and talk to your lover boy. I'm fine, okay?”

"Oriana Ryan--"

"Teagan Gabrielle. Just go. I'm fine, my arm's fine. Everything's fine."

"But---"

"We're always going to be best friends," Oriana stressed softly, reading the question in her older friend's eyes. She gingerly pushed herself up from the carpet, holding her good hand out to Teagan. "I love you to death, Gabb-a-rino. No way in Hell some stupid guy is going to come between us. I just want you to have every opportunity to find someone that you love. And, if you love him, then you need to be with him. I've got tons of football buddies to hang out with. I just want to gather my thoughts. Okay?"

"Okay," Teagan finally agreed, taking Oriana's hand into hers and they started the secret handshake they had made up so long ago. "We've still got it."

"And we always will," Oriana promised. "Just go get your lover boy before I have to kick his ass again."

"Alright, I'm going. We don't need any more injuries than we have," Teagan replied with a smile, kissing Oriana's cheek before heading upstairs.

*~*~*


"Is...uh...Oriana down there?" Howie fumbled when he caught Teagan at the top of the stairs. He shifted uncomfortably as he held the purple gift bag tightly to his side, moving to make sure he caught Teagan’s undivided attention. His eyes flickered with nervousness as his hands began to feel clammy. He shifted hold of the bag to wipe his hands against the back of his khaki cargo shorts. He was almost praying for Teagan to give him a reason not to go downstairs.

"Yeah, why?" Teagan laughed with amusement, already sensing Howie’s anxiety.

"I thought that since her birthday was going crappy that I... I was going to give her my gifts," Howie felt his tongue tumble over the words he had planned.

"Well, she could definitely use you, Howie," Teagan replied with a wry smile, moving her eyes up and down the length of the handsome boy. He wore a simple light blue muscle tank with a pair of khaki cargo shorts to accentuate the powerful muscles hiding beneath the folds of clothing. His short brown curls cropped just to the point where they could fall into his eyes for a messy, sexy look. He was known to be the most popular man within Tartan High School. All the girls ogled him daily; yet, he seemed to be more interested in Oriana.

"Really? She won't pile-drive me or anything?"

"Nah, she won't pile-drive boys that she thinks are cute," Teagan answered with her infamous giggle. "Besides, she could really use some cheering up. You should do the trick."

"Are you sure—"

"Just get your fine Latin booty down there!" Teagan gently pushed him down towards the basement.

Howie yelped softly as he stumbled part way down the stairs. He listened to Teagan giggle again with amusement before shutting the basement door, leaving him alone to his thoughts. Howie gulped, praying that Oriana hadn't heard the embarrassing commotion. He mustered some kind of cool exterior; continuing further down the stairs as the music grew louder. Oriana obviously considered herself to be alone again and was taking time to gather her thoughts. Howie was slightly thankful that no one could interrupt them again. The near-miss kiss had stayed permanently etched into his soul. He had been so close.

He reached the basement in record time, observing Oriana lying pensively on the couch, just staring up at her decorated ceiling filled with her favorite lyrics. She softly tapped the beat of her song against her exposed firm stomach. He couldn't deny the true beauty lying amongst the soft coloring of the navy blue couch. Her light blue, string bikini seemed to hug to all the right curves, accenting the creamy tan coloring of her sweet skin. Her damp honey blonde curls were fanned out around her head like a golden halo. He wanted her so much.

"Oriana?" Howie squeaked.

"Howie!" Oriana yelped at the nervous twitch in his voice. She launched herself off the couch, feeling her heart hammer quickly against her chest. Her hands began to tremble with nervousness as she folded them behind her back, trying so hard to act nonchalant.

"Hi. Listen, if this is a bad time, I can leave--"

"No, it's not a bad time... I just... I didn't expect you here..." she flustered.

"I thought that since things didn't go so well, that you would be kinda down... I promised you kick ass presents, and brought them down to give them to you," he replied, holding up the bag almost like a peace offering.

Oriana fell silent for several moments, just eyeing him with shock. She brought her tender hand up to wipe away the tears that were already starting to form. No guy had actually offered such a sweet gesture without wanting something in return. Yet, she knew that Howie would never push to advance without her say. He had the greatest reputation around Tartan for respecting women. It just meant so much to her, just to have him offer something to make her feel better. "Howie... Wow..."

"Surprised?"

"A little..." she admitted with a small, nervous laugh. She wrapped her arms around her bare waist, trying to stop the shivers racing down her body. Being in such close contact with him started to send her hormones into overload. She had no clue how to stop it or even if she wanted it to end. "Just, you didn't have to get me anything, Howie. I was just joking around. I mean, it's really nice, but you didn't have to... I didn't want that... You know, we're friends, you didn't have to..."

“Just stop rambling, open the presents, and say thank you," Howie replied with a chuckle, holding out the purple bag towards her.

"But, Howie—"

"No buts."

"Okay..." she drawled softly, motioning toward the couch. She walked over to plop down, folding her long, tan legs beneath her. She balanced her tender arm against her flexed thigh, noticing Howie still standing. "Are you going to sit down?"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry," he walked over and sat down next to her. "Happy birthday, even if it doesn't seem too happy."

"It's getting better," she answered coyly as Howie offered her the purple birthday bag. She brought it to sit between them for a minute. She then smiled sweetly as she gently pulled back the tissue paper, reaching for the first item.

"Good, I'm glad," he smiled.

Oriana carefully unfolded the soft t-shirt, holding it out for examination. Her unique blue-green eyes sparked with excitement when she realized it was a t-shirt from Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell Album - her favorite album. She gasped softly in surprise, immediately holding it to the length of her body. "Holy shit! I love Meatloaf so much!"

"So I've heard," Howie chuckled at her excitement. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it! Thank you!"

"Teag mentioned that you might be doing a little air guitar on your bed with it on?"

"Can we say, Hell yeah!" Oriana enthused, carefully pulling it over her lithe body. She stood up for a moment to pull the length of the shirt down to the curve of her hips. She did a little goofy spin. "How's it look?"

"Looks perfect," Howie approved with a smile. "But don't get too excited, there's more."

"More?" Oriana questioned, stopping for a moment.

"Yep, more."

"Howie, this is all I need—"

"Now, now, now. What did I say earlier? Stop rambling, open your presents."

Oriana swallowed another protest, settling back down onto the couch. She reached into the bag to withdraw the second gift, carefully peeling the coordinating lavender wrapping away from the square item. Her eyes grew wide yet again as she revealed a small book of love poems and love quotes. "Howie..."

"I know you like reading poetry, so... I thought this was the perfect gift. If you don't like it, I can—"

"No!" she objected quickly, horrified that he would so quickly decide to take something so lovely away. No one had taken the time to find her a book of poetry before. "It obviously means a great deal to you for me to have it. I couldn’t imagine parting with it. I want to keep it... I was just surprised, that's all."

"Oh," he felt his cheeks blush. "Alright, I just didn't want to go and get you a present you didn't like, that's all. But you do want to keep it?"

"Of course, did you take the time to make an inscription?" she teased lightly, preparing to open to the first blank pages of the precious book.

"I made sure to make one. But I want you to wait until later tonight to read it," he replied with a smile, taking the book out of her hands, knowing it would drive her crazy. Special things had been written within the book and Howie wanted her to wait until she had privacy. He wanted her to take time to absorb everything that took so long to write.

"Why later?" she immediately pouted.

"Because I said so?" he answered with his own pout. "You still have one more present."

"But I'm really interested in what you wrote," she complained, starting to reach over Howie's shoulder to retrieve the book. She softly inhaled the faint scent of his intoxicating cologne. She felt her body shiver.

"Ah, ah. Not now," he gently smacked her hand. "Your last present, please."

"One more?"

"One more."

"This is way too much," she groaned as he pushed the bag toward her.

"Nothing's too much for you."

Oriana was going to object again, but Howie raised his dark eyebrows with question. She sighed softly and swallowed her remark, simply pulling out the last box. She peeled back the layers of paper, revealing the perfect photograph inside the small box. She held it up for viewing, her eyes slowly realizing what was before her. The sleek light purple surfboard she had been dying to own. The one she had been slaving over at her mother's doctor's office. And, as beautiful as it was just by itself, Oriana couldn't help but notice the intricate detailing of a fairy and her full name blazing amongst the fairy's patch of roses. "Wait... This board is..."

"That board is yours, now. They're going to call me when it's ready, and maybe we could both pick it up then," Howie replied, knowing he really tugged on her heartstrings with the surfboard.

"You're serious?" she whispered in complete awe, her eyes transfixed upon the surfboard.

"Totally serious."

"For me? You did this for me? You had this detailing done for me?" she continued, still obviously shocked by the news. She had been so cruel to him that day in the senior parking lot, shattering his heart into the tiniest of pieces. Yet, he turned to offer her such thoughtful gifts that obviously took many days to think of. The prices didn't matter, because she knew he had spent many hours agonizing on something heartfelt.

"All of it for you and only you," he agreed, smiling. "Has your birthday gotten better now?"

"Are you kidding? This is so fantastic! Thank you so much, Howie! This means the world to me. I just... I can't believe after I... Just, thank you! Thank you so much!" Oriana breathed happily, finally reaching over to embrace Howie. She could feel his heart immediately pound its own message against her own, stirring a deep set of emotions.

"You're very welcome. Anything to see you smile and make you happy, I'll do it," Howie replied, holding her close to him. He didn't ever want to let go.

"I should probably hit you for spending so much... But, it's just so fantastic. I mean, I absolutely love the gifts. You're the greatest," she continued to enthuse, keeping her arms poised lightly around his neck.

"I try," he chuckled.

"It means a lot to me, Howie... This is probably the best birthday present I've ever gotten in like forever... And I'm not talking about the gifts, even though they're terrific... I'm talking about the way you made sure that I was okay... No one but Gabby has really done that before... Thank you," she praised, finally pulling away from his grasp. Her body seemed to light with a deep fire as she moved to place the picture of the surfboard back in its box. She could wait to show Teagan.

"You're welcome," he replied again, smiling.
Oriana let a silence overcome them, noticing the book still lingering behind Howie's back. She knew something special lay within its pages. So, she could hardly keep her curious mind away from it. With a mischievous nature, she scooted closer to Howie. "So, enjoying the party?"

"Yeah, it's been fun," he replied with a raised eyebrow. "But don't even think about it. I said you can't read the book until later tonight."

"Who said I was even looking to get the book? Maybe I just wanted to sit closer to you?" she drawled, arching her light brows in return.

"Maybe you wanted to, but I can see the look in your eyes. You're curious about what I wrote."

"What look?" she deadpanned with an innocent glimmer.

"That fake innocent look. I can see the curiosity in there, along with mischievousness."

"I think you've gotten me all wrong, Mr. Dorough. In fact, I was just hoping to kiss your cheek," she answered sweetly, shrugging her bare shoulders.

"Mm-hmm. Well, this cheek is free to kiss."

"I think the other cheek is more appropriate for a kiss," she persuaded, noticing that the book lay within his right hand.

"How so?"

"Because the left side is just so trivial. When you read the Bible, it always speaks of the right hand of God, the right angel's wing, or... well...yeah, maybe not the right angel's wing, but still the right hand of God! So, it's like a beautiful thing to give a thank you kiss on the right cheek," she struggled.

"Why does that sound like a lot of B.S. to me?" he asked.

"Please, Howie?"

"Alright, the right cheek it is."

Oriana grinned excitedly as she leaned over his right side to deliver the kiss. Yet, she made the mistake of offering it close to his jaw line, causing a sharp shiver to radiate down his body. She let her hand slip down the length of his arm, securing the book. She gently pulled it free in hopes to run, but Howie was too quick. He grabbed her quickly by the waist, pinning her to the couch with her body squirming beneath his grasp. "Howie!"

"I knew you were going to do that. Surprised?" Howie chuckled

"No fair!" Oriana pouted, pushing on his shoulder.

"You're just mad because I beat you."

"No..." she drawled softly, taking a sharp breath of air so her chest rose to brush against his own. A thick bolt of electricity traced through her entire body as she grew somber. She gently nibbled on her bottom lip, concentrating on the subtle outlines of Howie's sweet lips.

"No?" he asked curiously, watching her bite her soft lip.

"No..." she repeated faintly, her chest yet again brushing against his own with the faint inhale.

"No..." he agreed, leaning down to gently capture their lips in a kiss.

Oriana instantly raised her head to commence the heated kiss. She felt her entire body flame as her hands tangled within the mess of his dark unruly curls. Her heart hammered intensely against her ribcage, feeling dizzy with excitement. No thoughts seemed to cross through her mind, just accepting the fact that she was utterly involved and wanting that enthusiastic kiss.

The kiss continued to intensify in the deepest ways, until Oriana's mind cleared of the radiating hormones. She remembered the fear and humiliation she suffered with the other boys of Tartan. She instantly pulled away from the kiss, roughly squirming away from his grasp. She gasped with a pant, bringing a hand to stop her heart from bursting from its place in her chest. "What... What the Hell... What was that?"

"Um... a kiss?" Howie asked, biting his own lip. He was afraid that it was something she didn't want, and now their friendship was ruined.

Oriana pulled further away from his body, immediately launching herself into a standing position. She instantly started to tug on the portions of her bikini, assuring everything was still intact. Her breath seemed to be forever caught in the depths of her lungs. Her hands trembled with fury as shivers of delight raced down her spine. She absentmindedly placed her trembling fingertips against her burning lips. Her swirling blue-green eyes still haunted and shocked by their cross over the boundary of friendship. "I know what it was... I mean... Well, yeah, it was a kiss. A kiss between... between us... I mean... Well... Why?"

"Because it felt like the right thing to do?" Howie replied, his voice filled with question and worry. "I'm sorry if it was something you didn't want. I've just been wanting to do it for so long, I--"

"No!" she abruptly interrupted with horror, causing Howie to jump slightly. She felt almost like her brain had melted into a puddle of jelly just from the sweet taste of Howie's lips. Never in her life had she struggled to form such lousy sentences. "It's not that I didn't want it... I mean... I liked--no--ah---it felt nice---well... You wanted to do that for so long?"

"Since we met back in freshmen year," he agreed with a nod. He watched her cheeks flush a deep crimson, and took that as a good sign. "It felt nice?"

"No!" she groaned, instantly running her hands nervously through her thick, damp, golden locks. She noticed Howie stand with question, carefully stepping toward her. Her heart fluttered, so she took a step back. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean, well... No–ah–yes–maybe?"

"Now it's a maybe?" he asked, pouting.

"You're making me nervous," she answered with a hard swallow, refusing to give him any knowledge to her previous thoughts. Her stomach tightened, watching him step toward her yet again.

"Why am I making you nervous?"

"Because... You're just making me nervous," she repeated, finally backing into the nearby wall. She stifled a small whimper as he took a final step forward to corner her. It was the boldest move she had ever seen him initiate. She inhaled a sharp breath, causing her chest to rise against his.

"And you don't think you make me nervous?" he replied with a chuckle. He reached out and tucked a lose piece of curls behind her ear before cupping her blushing cheek.

"Somehow, I doubt that," she wheezed softly.

"Oh, really?" he took her hand and placed it over his chest, where his heart was beating rapidly.

"I don't want to touch that!" she scorned with a nervous yelp, immediately yanking her hand away a rush of fire licked through her body. Just being so close to him was driving her insane. To feel the heavy beat of his heart only seemed to thrill her more. To make her want him more.

"You make it sound like I'm forcing you to touch something gross," he answered, his eyes showing hurt and confusion.

"It's your sweaty...muscular...chest..." Oriana closed her eyes as she felt a deeper blush settle against her burning cheeks. "That's not what I meant---"

Her words were silenced with his lips softening against hers once more. He pushed her back into the wall, threading their fingers together.

Oriana immediately crumbled under the kiss, allowing Howie to take complete control. Her entire body quaked with excited shivers, enjoying the rushing heat overflowing her body like a crashing wave. She hurriedly untangled her one hand; slowly raising it to meet Howie's cheek, but a loud holler from upstairs caught her entire. She groaned openly into his mouth, immediately pushing him back. "We... We can't do this."

"We can't?" Howie whispered.

"No..." she retorted softly, noticing the hurt flashing within the depths of his beautiful brown eyes. She furiously shook her head, finally settling her hand against his cheek. "That's not what I mean... I just... I have guests... And this is so fast..."

"You want to just take this slow?"

"I think you just proved there's no way that we can take this slow..."

"I want to be with you, Oriana. I'll go as slow as you need to, if that means we can be together."

Oriana rubbed her throbbing temples as her team continued to yell for her. They were obviously raring to celebrate her birthday. Yet, she longed to be down in the basement with Howie. But, if she stayed down in the basement, she would have no control over her actions. Everything was just rushing too hard and too fast. She needed to think, to admire, to contemplate. "I have guests, Howie... I mean, can we talk about this later? Like, tonight?"

"You still want me to stay tonight?"

"If you don't want to--"

"I do! Believe me, I do. Just go up and meet up with the team. We'll talk later."

"You sure?" she hesitated, ducking away from his overpowering embrace.

"Positive."

"And we'll talk later?"

"We'll talk later. Scout's Honor."

"ORI! GET YOUR BIKINI ASS UP HERE!"

"HOLD YOUR HAIRY ASS UP, GABE!" Oriana taunted up the stairs, hesitating for just another moment. She offered a shy smile, tugging on a curled strand of her golden hair. "Thanks, Howie."

"You're welcome, Oriana. I'll see you later," Howie replied, giving her a handsome smile.

"Yeah...later..." she concluded, immediately rushing up the stairs. Howie waited a few moments, before gathering up her gifts to send them upstairs. A crooked smile planted on his face, noticing that she was talking aloud as she ascended. "I am about the biggest goofball on the face of this planet. I must have sounded like such a complete dope! We need to talk later Howie? I mean, holy shit, what was I thinking? Like, damn, that was the best freaking kiss... Wait... Why can I hear my voice? Am I...?"

"Talking out loud? Yes, you are," a voice said from her right.

"I am such a loser!" Oriana groaned again, rubbing her temples. She continued up the stairs for just a minute, speaking to herself yet again. "That kiss definitely got to me. Or maybe it was his eyes. God, they're so gorgeous. And his body... But that kiss... I mean, my heart just jumped to my chest. My stomach knotted... And I wanted to just stay there...for...ever..." Oriana's eyes grew wide as she turned toward the voice, "Damnit! I'm doing it again, aren't I?!"

"Yeah, you are. Already smitten for Howie?" the voice chuckled, and she saw it was Alex.

"If he heard that..." Oriana felt her throat swiftly close as Howie peeked his head up the stairs. Oriana's eyes went wide with pure mortification, immediately rushing up the stairs. "Oh freaking, fracking, fricking, son of a monkey's hairy ass caught with a flaming hemorrhoid!"

"Nice... I think. If I knew what the Hell that meant," Alex replied with confusion.
Weaving Intentions by Anastacia
Chapter 11 – Weaving Intentions

Teagan traveled all over the lavish home in search of her boyfriend, but couldn't find even the mere shadow of his form. In a last ditch effort, Teagan walked toward the front of the house. She opened up the door to find Brian sagging softly against the porch, cursing softly to himself with bitter venom laced throughout each word. Teagan frowned openly, her emotions mixed between anger and pity. He was obviously dealing with a lot of stress from his father’s proposal. But the marriage would be a happy union. Teagan sighed, gently laying a warm hand on his shoulder. "There's a great party going on in the back. You should be out there. All those guys are going to be your friends."

"Bullshit, I'm not going to a party for that...that...Bitch!" Brian seethed.

"Brian! That bitch is my best friend, and she's going to be your stepsister. Don't you dare make me choose between you two, because that's not fair and you know it!" Teagan scorned, sharply smacking his arm.

"She's not my sister, not my stepsister, not fucking anything to me!"

"Stop it! You're acting like a child who hasn't gotten his way!"

"Well, I didn't get my way!" he insisted, launching himself up from the porch. He stomped his foot angrily against the concrete, causing Teagan to arch her dark eyebrow.

"Life isn't always fair and you can't always get your way! Your dad is happy with Cassandra and he has every right to marry her. You're just going to have to swallow your pride and accept it—"

"But he's making me miserable!"

"I can't believe how selfish you are."

"Would you just try to see it from my perspective?!" he growled with frustration, tugging at his sandy blonde locks. Teagan almost thought he would create a bald spot in his luscious locks from the frustration he was exuding. He just wanted to break down the nearest wall or murder Oriana, whichever he could complete first.

"I did, and it's a selfish perspective! Yelling at me and hating the world is not going to stop that wedding, so get over it!" she snapped, standing up. Her eyes were dark gray and the color was swirling angrily.

"Why do you even---" Brian drew a sharp breath, swallowing the foul words about to spill. Usually he was able to keep control of his outbursts, but that acquired skill had soon fallen away. He felt a plague of guilt surface, noticing the darkness clouding Teagan's usually beautiful eyes. He slowly stepped forward, grasping her hand. "Sorry," he mumbled after a few moments, deciding not to prolong the torture. He could lose her along with his father.

"You should be," Teagan whispered, holding his hand. "But you can make it up to me later."

"Can I?" Brian whispered faintly, drawing her quickly into his arms. He already knew the inner workings of her body, quickly memorizing what she loved and desired. In the long run, knowing the little tricks would save him from many heated arguments. So, he affectionately kissed the side of her neck.

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled, shivering slightly. "But you have to promise you'll at least try to give this all a chance. If not for your dad, then for me. Please?"

"You mean the fact that I get to see you every day because we're going to the same school together?" Brian tried, continuing his kisses up her neck. He decided to just fall into the happier portion of the news for the time being. He would get back at Oriana later.

"W-Well, that's definitely a good thing," Teagan gasped as he nibbled on the spot just below her ear.

"Do you forgive me?”

“Of course I do."

"I love you," he cooed.

"I love you, too," she finally smiled, pulling him in for a kiss.

"Good, let's ditch this zoo."

"Where are we going?"

"We're leaving this Hell hole."

"Brian—"

"What?"

Teagan sighed heavily. "Nothing, let's go."

"Great!" Brian enthused, jumping down the steps. He eagerly pulled Teagan into his arms, hoisting her against his body. He sweetly kissed her lips. "I love you."

Teagan finally smiled, remembering that Oriana had wanted her to be happy, since she was in love with Brian. She was allowed to indulge in his antics, let the passion take her where she deemed fit. It was time for her to start enjoying herself. "I know. I love you, too. But where are we going?"

"Mall?"

"Shopping?"

"Anything you want!" Brian promised, kissing her neck as he carried her toward his father's car. He and Alex always had keys to their father's car, in case the other was using their car. "One good thing about having a father who's a music producer. I can spend his money."

"He won't get mad at you?" Teagan asked as he placed her in the front seat of Kevin's brand new Lexus.

"No, he just pays the credit cards, no questions asked."

"I think my mother would kill me if I did that."

"Yeah, that's why I'm offering to buy you the world," Brian promised, offering a smoldering kiss before closing her door.

"The world would cost a lot of money," Teagan replied, watching Brian climb into the driver's side.

"But you're worth every penny."

"I doubt that—"

"Ah, ah, ah," Brian frowned, reaching to brush his fingers beneath her chin before starting the engine. "You're gorgeous and the most perfect creature in the world. I would give you everything in my possession just to see you smile. Okay? Don't deny the truth."

"You're too much. How did I ever become so lucky to find you?" Teagan replied, changing the subject.

"Just one of those lucky shopping trips, I guess."

"Let's just hope this one won't have a run-in with Xander..."

"He's not going to hurt you."

"I know. I just get scared sometimes."

"Well, don't be scared anymore. Okay? I'll always be here to protect you," Brian promised, reaching to give her hand an affectionate squeeze. They had spent almost an entire night on the phone speaking about Xander. Truth be told, Brian was absolutely horrified that such a sweet girl could go through such a traumatic experience. He wanted to take away every morsel of fear still lodged in her heart, but knew it would take time and several kisses.

"Thank you, Brian. That means more to me than you'll ever know," Teagan leaned over and kissed his cheek as they headed to the mall.

*~*~*


"So, wait, D... I'm curious! What happened downstairs between you and Oriana? You've been talking about this girl since forever. So, since I'm your best friend since forever, I'm entitled to know what the Hell happened. And, because, from what I saw, the girl was definitely flipping head over feet," Alex continued to torment Howie, walking out into the back yard. It seemed like almost the entire student body of Williams had shown for Oriana's seventeenth birthday, but Howie's eyes only seemed to lock upon Oriana's form as they settled down amongst a row of lounge chairs with Nick. Alex found it amusing that Howie had yet to speak about anything that happened downstairs, but still kept a goofy smile on his face.

Frankly, Alex was just overly curious about the girl that would be his step-sister in a few short weeks. She seemed like a beautiful person, inside and outside. Something about her just sparked such a wild exuberance. He had to smile as his gaze traveled with Howie's, falling upon Oriana. She stood amongst a huddle of beefy teenage boys, speaking excitedly. They were obviously preparing their rousing pool game, but she seemed to hold all their gazes with a deep pride and honor. She reached to draw her long, blonde curls into a high ponytail, letting her eyes flick behind her to catch Howie's gaze. Her cheeks burst into a fiery red, immediately turning back to her friends.

Alex laughed, "Okay, now I really need to know, D!"

"You're way too nosy for your own damn good, J. You need to work on that," Howie teased, trying to change the subject as he watched Oriana and the team begin a game. She looked so lovely and he could watch her forever. The kiss lingered in his mind and on his lips, causing the silly smile to grow wider.

"Nah, you just don't want to give me the details!" Alex scorned, pushing on his friend's bare shoulder. He flicked his eyes back to the game for just a moment, watching Oriana pretend to slam a football into Luke's abdomen. He acted as if the force was too great and Oriana took off down the length of the yard. She eagerly jumped onto the diving board, launching herself high into the air as Luke snapped the football. She caught it with great ease before doing a perfect flip into the water, causing a round of applause.

"If I tell you details, everyone will know within thirty minutes— No, make that ten. You have a big mouth, man—"

"Dude, you cannot leave me hanging like this!"

"Why do you care so much?" Howie groaned, noticing Oriana surface from the water, eagerly tossing the football to Luke as he dove into the pool. She shrieked with a laugh as he scooped her up, only to toss her further into the water.

"Because I'm genuinely interested in this girl that's going to be my little sister?" Alex countered, noticing Oriana jump to tackle Luke as if she were a lion. He smiled faintly at her aggressive nature, finding it quite amusing. Just the fire flickering within her ocean colored blue-green eyes gave Alex hope. He needed a sibling to rely on. Not one that constantly pushed him away like Brian.

"Then you'll want to kill me because you'll get all overprotective like brothers get. I feel like living to Graduation," Howie replied, laughing out loud. Oriana was attacking Luke, Gabe and Kieran all at once, forcing them to fall into the deep end.

"So something juicy did happen down there!" Nick whistled wildly.

"Nick, you eavesdrop too much!"

"I'm sitting right here listening to you guys. That is not eavesdropping!" Nick protested, noticing Oriana hurriedly swimming for the ladder as Luke, Gabe, and Kieran gathered the majority of the team for a water fight. Oriana was smart enough to know when to pull back from the war.

"You still do it either way!"

"Guys, shut up. D, you realize you're arguing with Nick the Whiner, right? He'll whine your fricking ear off if you don't tell him what happened," Alex interrupted his two friends.

"Much like someone else we know," Howie shot.

"Well, I could always go tell Oriana about...hmm...what was her name...Christina?" Alex drawled, rising to his feet.

"Sit the Hell down, you will not talk about Christina! I'll tell you!" Howie hissed, pulling Alex back down into the lounge chair.

"Da---mn," Nick wheezed with surprise as Alex almost toppled backward from the sheer force Howie propelled. "I didn't even realize you were that serious with Christina..."

"I don't want Oriana knowing the whole story behind it. Would you tell the girl you like that you caught your last ex-girlfriend fucking some random guy when you had come to give her a promise ring? Hmm?" Howie glared at Nick.

"But I thought you always liked Oriana, what the Hell were you doing getting serious with Christina?" Nick countered.

"I never thought I would be able to get with Oriana, so... I just kind of settled for Christina..."

"So that's why you were so interested in dating a girl from William's. Wanted to keep the dirty secret away from Oriana? Damn, that's sick."

"So you're saying you wouldn't? Fuck you, Nick, you don't understand anyway," Howie replied defensively.

Nick grumbled incoherently, standing up from the group. He crossed passed a large group of teenagers, locating some friends from the band. Alex's eyes flicked between the two teenagers for a moment, before noticing Howie's eyes transfixed once again. Alex glanced to see Oriana finally emerging from the pool, promising to be back. She immediately reached for a fluffy white towel, patting down the length of her glistening body. Alex knew why Howie was so attracted, she was a beautiful girl.

"So, you going to let me understand? I mean, I know the whole Christina story and I know the parts of the Oriana story..." Alex cleared his throat, trying to stall. He still needed to go speak to Oriana and give her his birthday gift.

"As long as you don't act like Nick just did, I'll tell you some things you want to know," Howie replied, still watching Oriana.

"Okay," Alex consented simply, leaning back on his lounge chair.

"I went downstairs to where she was and gave her some birthday presents—"

"The t-shirt, board, and book?"

"Who told you?"

"You?" Alex countered in confusion, wondering why the small conversation about Christina had flustered Howie so much. It was a simple relationship and Howie hadn't been legally tied to Oriana. If anything, Oriana barely knew he existed beyond the realm of friendship.

Howie's cheeks turned red, feeling idiotic. "Oh, yeah... I did... anyway, I gave them to her and she loved it all. Before I knew it, we were wrestling on the couch and... I kissed her."

"Kissed her?"

"Yeah."

"And she...?"

"Kissed back."

"Well, that's a good thing," Alex laughed, gently punching Howie's shoulder. He didn't know why Howie was so worried in the first place. "So, is it like flying high? Like a hook-up?"

"I don't know. She says it's going too fast and that we need to talk," Howie shrugged helplessly.

"Well... Talking is the next step to dating," Alex tried to encourage, gently shaking his friend's shoulders. He noticed Oriana speaking quickly with a few boys before walking off to grab a soda. He knew his chance was finally coming to pull her away and connect on a brotherly basis. "Howie, it's obvious she likes you. Man, didn't you hear her walking up the steps?"

"She was talking while going upstairs?" Howie asked curiously. He had been too far into thinking about what was going on between him and Oriana to hear anything else.

"Just about how much she was dying from the kiss..." Alex trailed, arching his dark brows with confusion. Howie had been standing right at the end of the steps.

"I was in deep thought about the kiss, I didn't hear her talking," Howie explained, seeing the look on Alex's face.

"Well, she was thinking aloud. So, what were you thinking in your head?"

"That it had been the most amazing kiss in my life... Alex, I felt so many things I hadn't with any other girl. I felt alive, and that hasn't happened since I don't know when."

"And this junk about Christina?"

"It was stupid junk that I want to take back."

"Huh?"

"Everything with Christina was a mistake."

"And you don't want Oriana to know?"

"Not right now, no. I don't want to screw it all up."

"But, you weren't looking to do anything with Oriana when you were with Christina. I mean, a girl can't expect you to be celibate while waiting for her. It's okay for you to have an ex-girlfriend. I mean, she should have tons of ex-boyfriends judging by how she looks---"

"I don't want her to know yet. Christina was a slut, end of story. But first of all, Oriana doesn't have tons of ex-boyfriend's and don't assume anything about her by the way she looks. You're going to hear a lot of bad shit around Tartan when you start, but none of it's true. I don't think she's even had a boyfriend before," Howie interrupted.

"You really cared for Christina though, right? I mean, a promise ring is serious business. I don't think that you should hide it. It'll come back to bite you in the ass," Alex trailed, noticing Oriana was finally alone.

"I'm not hiding it. I just want to tell her when we're alone, that's all."

"And what are you going to tell her?"

"I haven't decided yet..." Howie trailed softly, still slightly confused. He hadn't truly cared for Christina. Every time he was with her, he could only imagine what Oriana was doing. Yet, he had fooled himself into thinking it was something tangible. She had broke his heart in an instant.

"Oh, well, think about that... I want to go talk to Oriana for a minute while she's alone. Need any best friend hype-up to converse between me and the girl about to be my little sister?" Alex asked, trying to cheer up his friend.

"Nah, I'm alright. You better hurry and talk to Oriana before she's pulled away again," Howie replied, mustering a smile.

"You sure?" Alex questioned, feeling like he might be asked to intervene between Oriana and Howie on a regular basis.

"Yeah, I'm sure. She's going to be your sister, man. Get to know her," Howie urged, pushing Alex away.

"Yeah, but I think you're more concerned about her being your girlfriend."

"I'm spending the night, I've got my own opportunities to make it happen."

"Dad said we're crashing here the night, too. Have to get ready to move in next week. They're doing everything super-fast with this wedding. So, maybe I'll just be the thorn in your master plan," Alex joked, picking up his gift for Oriana.

"Maybe the 'thorn of my master plan' will find himself visiting the bottom of the pool and then locked out of the house if he tries to interfere," Howie replied with a smirk.

"Hmm...filed and noted..." Alex concluded after a few moments, reaching over to slap Howie's hand.
"And knowing you, soon to be deleted. So, just be careful with what you do tonight," Howie answered as he watched Alex walk over to Oriana.
Self-Conscious Memories by Anastacia
Chapter 12 – Self-Conscious Memories

Oriana groaned softly as she reaching into an icy cooler to retrieve a Pepsi. She had managed to slip away from the water fights within the pool, aching to simply catch her breath. Usually, she was eager to keep up with the activities, but Howie was continuing to plague her mind. She could hardly keep her eyes from constantly glancing around to locate him within the sea of people. Yet, as much as she concentrated on Howie’s handsome form, she couldn’t help but notice that Teagan and Brian had disappeared. She didn't know whether to be grateful for Brian's leaving or disappointed for Teagan's leaving. Stumped, Oriana popped the top of her soda to hear a loud clearing of a throat. Oriana turned to face an eager Alex. She offered a small smirk to see him bouncing on the heels of his feet, "Thirsty or need a bathroom?"

"Neither at the moment. I was just waiting until I had a chance to talk to you without a group of gigantic footballers hovering nearby," Alex replied, fixing the black leather cowboy hat perched on his head. "And I wanted to apologize for what my brother said. He's an asshole, just ignore him—"

"It's not your fault."

"Well, he's related to me, and I normally have to make amends with the people he insulted. You seem like an awesome girl; definitely sister material."

"Well, let's just say that you’re amend-free with me, because there's no way I can base you on what your brother acts like. You're two different people, so that's how I'll treat you," Oriana confided, motioning to the empty picnic table. Alex hesitated, so Oriana shrugged her shoulders and hopped upon the table to rest. "And as for seeming like an awesome girl, thank you. I'm assuming you have references to back up that statement, but I can't say I know much about you."

"Being best friends with some Tartan kids always helps when it comes to information," Alex replied as he finally sat across from her. "I'm guessing you don't have any friends over at William's?"

"Can't say I've ever really crossed that side of the road... I think if I went over there, millions of hate post-it notes would be plastered on my Hummer for whooping their asses in the game," Oriana laughed, her blue-green eyes sparking with amusement.

"Damn, that's your huge ass car out there?!"

"That's my Baby."

"It suits your personality," Alex agreed with a smile. "Since it's not too good for you to ever go to William's, what do you want to know about me?"

"What do I want to know about you... Anything you're willing to part with, I suppose. And information that just happens to pop up about your relationship with Howie... Then so be it," she mused with an impish glitter hinting in her eyes to compliment her mischievous smile.

"Ahhh... I see where you're going," he smirked, chuckling a little. "My full name is Alexander James Richardson, I was born on January 9th, I love to play the saxophone, I was in the marching band at William's. Most guys call me a flirt, but it's just that ladies love my charm—"

"Woah, wait! Why am I smelling a little bit of bullshit?" Oriana interrupted with a smirk.

"Hey, you can ask anyone. Howie, especially. I try to teach him to be more forward with girls he likes, but he needs some work on it."

"Don't tell me you're the one that gave him the idea that it was romantic to push a girl up against the wall to corner her into a kiss," Oriana scorned without much thought, immediately blushing at her outrageous comment.

"Ooooh! So he has gotten more forward with you! About damn time, he's liked you for I don't know how long!"

"Excuse me?" she drawled in surprise.

"You mean you didn't know? Dude, that guy has liked you since freshmen year."

"It's not like I've been around him a lot... You know?" Oriana trailed, biting down on her bottom lip with thought. "I mean, we've talked here and there. You know, parties, football games, with Teagan around. First time we actually talked was at a football game against William’s. Mud everywhere, ended up throwing him face first into the dirt. That's when we started talking more... Just friendly type blurbs, smiles in the hallway, normal stuff..."

"Doesn't take a hard-core friendship to see the true potential in a girlfriend..." Alex tried, still flabbergasted. "You really didn't know he liked you?"

"Not really until that kiss..."

"Man. Both of you are pretty shy in that section, I guess. Well, believe me when I say he likes you a lot. There's something about you that he's crazy for."

"Since when did he like me a lot?" she continued with interest, waving away two of her football members as they prepared to rush her.

"He was talking about some play y'all worked on together... umm... West Side Story? I can't really remember what happened, but something made him fall for you hard."

"That was freshman year," she remembered with a spark of recognition. She couldn't remember having initial interactions with Howie during those weeks, but she definitely remembered West Side Story. She had choreographed most of the dance sequences and did background work. Oriana was still shy when it came to performing within the school. Her years of dancing and beautiful voice remained behind a cloak of secrecy. Besides, Teagan had a wonderful stage presence and had starred in West Side Story with Howie, she remembered that much.

"He said that during then. He would catch you singing during rehearsal while painting backgrounds and stuff. Everything about you, he liked and fell harder and harder for you."

"That's bullshit..."

"Why is it bullshit?"

"Because he couldn't have liked me since freshman year..." she drawled, gulping the last of her soda. She remembered sophomore year was when the words were flying crazily amongst Tartan about Howie keeping a girlfriend at Williams. Everyone around the school had known Howie meant to keep it secret, but not for what reason. Oriana still remembered Teagan agonizing over the fact, deciding that he would be better off with a Tartan girl any day.

"Just because he had that girlfriend doesn't mean a damn thing, Oriana. He was with that slut at my school because he didn't think he would ever have a chance with you," Alex blurted before he stop the words.

"Somehow... I don't think I could have possibly even mentioned that fact... Does that come up a lot with you and Howie or what?" Oriana trailed in surprise, sitting back.

"Shit, I have a big mouth. Look, I'm sorry. I just want my best friend to be happy and I know he'll be happy with you," Alex sighed, taking off his hat to run a hand through his spikes.

"Did he tell you not to tell?"

"He wanted to be the one to tell you, when the subject came up about past stuff... look, don't let him know I told and don't judge him based on that. Please."

"Would you be in deep shit?" she countered curiously.

"Considerably deep."

"Guess we'll just consider that a sister-brother blackmail for future obligations when I need your help," Oriana decided with a wry smile, obviously agreeing that she wouldn't say anything to Howie. Though, she was a little perplexed with the whole ordeal, wondering why Howie would choose to keep that hidden. What had happened between him and that girl

"So for now, you won't tell him?" Alex questioned.

"I can't say it won't get brought up when we talk tonight... But I can keep the identifying markers away from you. Besides, Teagan was the first to alert me to that little factor back in sophomore year. Not you."

"Yeah, that's true. Will you promise me you won't judge him based on the mistakes he made by having the girl from William's as a girlfriend?"

"Why would I judge him for a past girlfriend? I mean... What happened between them that everyone's making such a big deal about?"

"He'll tell you what happened between them. That part I definitely think it's not my business to tell."

"I just think it's a little scary when you keep insisting for me not to judge him based on that girlfriend. Like something horrendous happened between them that is going to alter my thoughts toward him. If anything, it was a passed girlfriend and there's nothing I can do to change that. I haven't even really consented to dating him anyway, that's what we're talking about tonight... And, frankly, the only thing that could possibly hinder anything would be when you say he liked me since freshman year but decided to take up what I'm assuming is a serious relationship in sophomore year... Can't you understand that much?" Oriana tried to explained, feeling knots form in the pit of her stomach as she noticed Howie speaking with some girls from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, I understand that. But it's not--"

"A big deal?" she finished, arching her light brows.

"Yeah, I guess. Listen... I'll level with you. Howie was serious with this chick because he didn't think he could ever have you, so he just settled with her. Once she knew this, she made sure he caught her fucking another guy in her room. It made him the laughingstock of William's just up until junior year. Howie doesn't like to talk about what happened; it embarrasses him." Alex explained in one breath.
Oriana fell silent for several moments, hearing Luke crank MatchBox 20's 'Disease' in the CD player, obviously wanting to draw her attention back to dancing. Luke and Oriana had just finished a beautiful concert at their dance studio just a few weeks ago and he obviously wanted to show off. Yet, Oriana could only seem to focus on Alex's words. A flush of pity swept over her for Howie, realizing how traumatizing that must have been. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from asking, "How serious is serious?"

"The night he caught her in bed, he had come over to give her a ring. Like I had said, he thought that this was going to be it, you know? She got out of bed, took the box and opened it. Oriana, she laughed and threw the box at his face, hitting him in the eye."

"Oh..." she whispered, paling dramatically.

"That's why I don't want you to judge Howie. He made a mistake and he certainly paid for it. He likes you, and only you, and just wants you to give him a chance," Alex replied, setting a box on the table. "Do you understand a little more now?"

"I'm not going to judge him..." she promised.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," he reached over and patted her hand. "Everyone has a past. It's just that some of them are more painful."

"I could write an entire book on a painful past," she murmured without thought, her shoulders sagging forward.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," she quickly countered, rubbing her hands against her cheeks to snap herself out of the daze. She could hear MatchBox 20 starting to throb louder from the huge stereo system. It would be a few minutes before Luke would completely yank her away. "But, guess I can say now that you're going to be pretty good brother material yourself."

"Really? You think so?"

"Of course I think so. I'm not in a habit of telling lies to soon-to-be family members," Oriana teased, reaching out to offer his hand an affectionate squeeze. Her eyes quickly traveled down to the package sitting between them. Her blonde eyes arched with impishness again. "And you'll be even better brother material if that gift's for me..."

"How'd you guess?" he laughed, feeling relieved about their previous conversation. He believed that Howie would make his first final attempt at happiness and actually succeed. Everything had been centered on Oriana and now Howie finally had that chance.

"Well, my name bold markered on the package would be a huge indication."

"Wow, you Tartan girls are smart!" he teased, pushing the gift towards her. "Happy Birthday, Ry."

"Yeah, just wait till you see my wall of accomplishments. Makes even Einstein look like a jackass," she teased with a haughty tone, accepting the gift. "But thank you, you didn't have to."

"You're very welcome. I just hope that I picked the right gift."

"As long as it's not pink and frilly, we'll be set," she answered, carefully tearing into the package. Her eyes immediately danced as she freed the latest copy of the Resident Evil game for Playstation 2. "Are you freaking serious?!"

"I'm guessing that's a good thing," he laughed at her excitement. "I've heard you love video games, the gorier, the better."

"You don't understand! I have an obsession for Resident Evil. We're talking all the video games, the movie... Just everything!" she breathed, leaning over the table to affectionately hug the older boy. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome! As long as I get some lessons from you on how to play it," he smiled, kissing her cheek.

"I think Momma said something about you guys staying the night to pick out your new rooms, right?" she countered, noticing Luke come streaking over from the group around the stereo.,

"Yeah, that's what I've heard--"

"Cherry-Bomb! C'mon, I've been playing this for a reason. And you know why, you little imp! You just sit there trying to drive me nuts! Well it worked, so get'cher ass over there!" Luke bellowed with a threatening tone, reaching the picnic table.

Oriana offered a simple smile, obviously not shaken by his anger. She stood up just as Luke grasped her waist to seize her into his arms. "Take the room right across from mine and then we'll totally play tonight, okay?"

"Alright, sounds good. See you later, Ry! Don't get into too much trouble!" Alex called.

"Okay! Bye, Alex!" Oriana called eagerly as Luke carried her away, immediately whispering harshly into her ear. Oriana beamed another smile, kissing his cheek as he pushed her away from his arms. "I know what you want! Jezz!" she called, immediately doing several back flips before stepping into a salsa motion used for their dance. She beckoned him closer, causing the football players to whoop.

"It's about damn time I got what I want!" Luke replied with a grin, swaying his hips in the same motion and danced towards her.

"All you do is piss and moan!" she countered as he grasped her hips, immediately pulling her body to his to continue their dance.

"Now I know why you like her so much," Alex murmured, feeling Howie's presence behind him. His eyes were still fixed on his soon-to-be little sister, deciding she had a great gift for dance.

"Oh?" Howie asked, wondering what had come about within the conversation.

"Yeah, she's something else."

"What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing..."

"What do you mean 'nothing'?"

"Nothing, just a little about me. Figured that we'd be pretty good siblings. We're hooking up with the Resident Evil game I bought her for her birthday. Then she asked about you..." Alex drawled, deciding to give Howie an ego boost.

"Me? She asked about me?" Howie asked, feeling his chest puff out a little with pride.

"Yeah, she asked about you. Told me to just tell me about myself and if I so happened to mention my relationship with you and whatnot, then so be it."

"And what did you tell her about me?"

"That you're a fine piece of ass?" Alex snickered, keeping an eye on his sister dance provocatively with the football player.

"I'm a fine piece of what?!" Howie exclaimed, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks with embarrassment.

"You're a fine piece of ass and she can't wait to jump on it?" Alex repeated, his eyes quickly flicking back to his best friend.

"She really said that?"

"No, but you wish, huh?"

"Dude, you suck!" Howie groaned, throwing the hackey-sack he was playing with at Alex's head.

"Hey!" Alex squeaked, immediately holding his throbbing neck from the striking of the hackey-sack. He glared up at his friend with a deep-set frown. "Man, you do need to get laid!"

"Oh, it was a hackey-sack, not a rock. You're such a whiner," Howie groaned with a roll of his eyes. "And it's none of your business to state if I need to get laid or not."

"It may be none of my business, but as a friend, I would just like to interject my opinion on the subject... And, my opinion, get laid!"

"Will you please stop saying that? Getting laid sounds so cheap and meaningless. You may be for it, but I'm not."

"Oh, I forgot... Wanting to be in love... Making love with the one you love..." Alex drawled with a grimace, patting Howie's shoulder. "Sorry, I'll respect your views."

"Thanks for remembering," Howie grumbled, watching Oriana dance with Luke. She seemed to be in her own world, moving along with the music like an angel.

"How can you watch her do that with that dude?" Alex asked frankly.

"He's her teammate, what's the big deal?" Howie replied with a shrug of his shoulder.

"Her team-mate? She does that with her team-mates?" Alex scoffed with protectiveness.

"Well, I think she dances with him, too... Teagan, her best friend, mentioned that she takes like all these dances with a local company... I think her team-mate goes there a lot, too. It's not... What's so wrong with it?"

"Because if you strip off their clothes, we have a hard core porno that could be served in the best of the triple X theatres," Alex mused with a grimace, noticing Oriana dip with a salsa like roll of her hips beyond the boy's body. His jumped up from his seat, wondering if it would be too forward to jump in and yank his soon-to-be sister away from the beefy brawn.

"Sit your ass down, Alex. It's just dancing, and nothing more," Howie pulled Alex back down to his seat by the back of his shirt.

"And you're okay with it?"

"I've known the whole football team just as long as Oriana. I'm okay with it."

"Okay..." AJ breathed, immediately turning away from the sight. It was almost like watching Oriana become a piece of meat within the team. It disgusted him to no extent, though he didn't seem to realize the truth behind it. He focused his eyes on Howie. "So, are you excited about tonight?"

"Tonight?"

"Spending the night here with Oriana?"

"She told you about it?"

"She said that you two were going to talk tonight, because you guys really didn't decide what happened from that kiss against the wall..."

"Wow, you guys really did talk about me."

"Told you," Alex laughed. "So, are you excited?"

"I am, because now I'll really be able to get to know Oriana the way I've always wanted," Howie replied, his heart quickening at the thought of spending the night with the girl he had liked for so long.

"Then you better hope she can tear herself away from Resident Evil long enough to get that talk in," Alex joked.

"You got her Resident Evil for PS2? Man, I'll never be able to talk to her!" Howie groaned with a laugh. "Teagan told me how much she loves video games."

"Whoops?"

"Yeah, whoops. You really do suck."

"Told you I'd be the thorn to your plans!"

"And I shall extract my revenge at the perfect time! There will be no stopping me!"

"Um... Did we just flip back to like the fifteenth century?"

"Maybe. Dost thou seem a little lost from the words that fall from thine lips?" Howie replied with a smirk.

"I think I need to find a beer..." Alex groaned, scurrying away from Howie's mind-numbing antics.
Bitter Blackmail by Anastacia
Chapter 13 – Bitter Blackmail

"Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it! No! Wrong! So wrong!" Oriana shouted with frustration as she hurriedly tapped on the various buttons to her Playstation 2 Controller. Her blue-green eyes were fixed heavily upon the big screen TV in the downstairs lounge area, struggling to attack that various monsters popping up through her video game. She fidgeted between Howie and Alex as if she were physically fighting the anomalies herself. Howie and Alex exchanged bemused expressions, watching her fight to move her character through the hordes of bloody masses that struck detrimental blows to her life force.

Her birthday party had ended about an hour ago, everyone filtering out but Howie, Nick, and Alex. Brian and Teagan had returned just a few short minutes ago and were perched on the opposite couch, kissing comfortably. They didn’t really seem to notice anyone else within the room. Yet, Oriana didn't seem to care as she kept her gaze upon the TV, noticing a large beast covered in leeches attack her player with several excited slurps. The player immediately fell to the ground, the T-Virus speeding through the player's system. Oriana screeched in disbelief, launching herself from the couch, "Damnit! No!” She hurriedly punched the buttons to make her player rise, but the player only slowly crawled upon the floor, bleeding excessively. Oriana seemed overly outraged as the leech-man attacked her again. She started to holler at her player’s dying form, “Go bitch! Go! C'mon! Go bitch! Go!"

"No one was kidding when they said you loved video games," Alex ducked away from Oriana's arm as she tried to get her player back up and away from the leech monster.

"STEP BACK UP OFF ME OR I'LL HIT YOU SO HARD THAT YOUR LITTLE LEECHES WILL GO FLYING IN THE AIR, SPLATTER ON THE WALL, AND THEIR BABIES WILL WAKE UP WITH HEADACHES!" Oriana threatened, knowing she was within the loosing end of the battle. She moaned pitifully, struggling to get her player to her feet.

"Oh, Lord," Nick laughed, Oriana's features were purely hysterical. Her small button nose was wrinkled with concentration as she bit down on her bottom lip from the adrenaline. She kept a hunched position, tapping furiously upon the buttons. She then bounced up and down on her heels, knowing she was dying.

"Damnit!" Oriana whimpered as the screen flashed with 'You Died,' terminating her game. She looked absolutely pitiful as she collapsed back onto the couch between Howie and Alex, slumping down upon the cushions. "Damn freaking blood sucking leech jerk-off."

“Ry, it's just a video game," Alex laughed, patting Oriana's shoulder. "You'll beat the leech thing sooner or later."

“Damn freaking blood sucking leech jerk-off,” she repeated.

“Ry—”

"I need a bath with my duckie," she sulked with a firm pout.

"Your duckie?" Nick asked in confusion.

"My rubber duckie..." Oriana trailed, knitting her blonde brows in confusion. She stood up to smooth her baggy sweatpants against her lean hips. As if her rubber duck needed an explanation. "Gabby and Moms bought it for me when I was born and I’ve kept it ever since. Never take a tubby without it."

"That's why my nickname for her is Duckie," Teagan spoke up with a grin. "My little Duckie!"

"She hasn't called me that in ages," Oriana countered, glancing back to her best friend. She resisted the urge to frown at her cozy position with Brian, immediately feeling prickles race up her own spine from Brian's nasty glare. She swallowed hard before offering Alex the controller. "Knock yourself out."

"What do I do when the leech thing comes out?" Alex asked, taking the controller.

"Run like Hell?"

Alex studied her for a moment, and then nodded. "Sounds like a good plan."

"Deal," Oriana answered, reaching to yank away the hair tie from her damp curls. They immediately fell in long ringlets down her bare back, glistening within the lighting. She then moved to get past Howie, accidentally catching her foot against his leg. She yelped in shock, almost falling in his lap.

"Watch your step, don't need you getting hurt," Howie replied gently, helping her stay on her feet.

"Yeah, I think the team would kick my ass," Oriana breathed softly as Howie caught her hips to steady her. She felt tiny brushes of fire burn down her system as her breath caught. She quickly tucked her loose curls behind her ears. "Sorry."

"It's alright," he gave a smile. "Have a good bath."

"I'm kind of ditching you... aren't I?" she drawled with a faint blush, noting that Howie kept his hands firmly placed upon her hips. She realized they still had to talk about what happened downstairs. She was almost too caught up with her mother’s wedding plans to realize the she might be developing a relationship of her own.

"Nah, you're not. We've got all night, no worries."

"Give me an hour for my tubby and meet me in my room?" she guessed with a soft smile.

"Deal," he replied, smiling back.

"Don't need a map to the room, right?"

"Nope, I remember. It's all up here," he tapped the side of his head.

"Good," she decided, pulling herself away from his grasp on her hips. She hesitated for yet another moment, shyly leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Thanks for my presents, again."

"You're very welcome and happy birthday again."

"Thanks..." she replied shyly, causing another firm blush to set to her cheeks. She coyly withdrew, noticing a firm smirk settled on her brother's face. She bit down on her bottom lip, gathering her bearings. She then pulled away to slip passed Teagan and Brian, causing Teagan to jump with remembrance.

"I want to get a shower, too!" Teagan demanded with a smirk, pressing a kiss to Brian's neck as he hatefully stuck out his foot. Oriana lurched forward from the sharp stumble, but Teagan didn't seem to pay attention. She was too much in love with Brian. "What room are you in?"

"First one in the hallway on the left..." Brian trailed, trying not to smirk as Oriana rubbed her sore shin from his hateful act. He focused back on his girlfriend, offering her a steaming kiss. "Why? You joining me in my bed so I have a guardian angel sleeping next to me?"

"Maybe... you'll just have to go up to your room and wait," Teagan wiggled her eyebrows with a smile, kissing him once more. "See you soon, Baby."

"Love you," he cooed.

"Love you too," she blushed before heading upstairs.

Brian waited till he heard the girls debating about which would use what shower before getting up. He moved to sit on the couch beside Howie, noticing the wistful glaze in his eyes. Brian frowned, settling down to see his brother finally die through the game. Brian’s mood shifted dramatically and without cause, feeling the need to quickly set things straight with Howie about concerns with Oriana. No friend of his would be caught dead with such a low-life wench. He could also see the glitter in Oriana's eyes when she gazed upon Howie, so he had to pop that little bubble to torture her further. Paybacks were a bitch in his mind. "So, how's it going, D?"

"It's fine..." Howie trailed off with a raised eyebrow. Brian had gotten really bitter since his father began to date Oriana's mother and had become even more unpredictable than before with his temper.

"Good times with Oriana?"

"Yeah—"

"No thanks to you," Alex grumbled, tossing the controller aside. He had watched his brother trip Oriana before she managed to climb up the stairs.

"What was that, bro?" Brian turned to Alex.

"I said you gave Howie a real advantage to getting Oriana's heart with your asshole appearance. Went down to check on her to make sure she was okay and basically slid into home plate. You're such a good friend," Alex quipped sarcastically.

"Me? Let Howie get into that dirty wench's heart?" Brian scoffed at his younger brother. "Far from it, Alex! I need to make sure my friend stays away from her. If they end up fooling around, he'll get all the diseases she contracted from fucking all the guys at Tartan."

“Uh...oh..." Nick trailed, noticing the heat starting to flicker through Brian's eyes as Howie clenched his fists. Nick immediately tensed, slipping off the couch. No way would he enter this battle.

"J, go get drinks with Nick," Howie quickly ordered.

"Wait—"

"Now," Brian agreed with a dark glare.

"But—"

"Go," Howie repeated, obviously leaving no room for discussion. So, Alex left the room, dragging Nick along with him. Howie waited until they were gone to round on Brian. "Dude, what the fuck is your problem?! You don't even know Oriana and you have no right to judge her!"

"I know Oriana more than you fucking know Oriana," Brian spat, leaning back against the couch. "So, what's the fucking deal with her, D? Why are you so fucking interested in the first place? If you need a good screw, we'll take you down to the strip to find a girl considerably better with less chance of disease."

"You need to shut your fucking mouth right now, Richardson. You don't even go to our fucking school, there's no way in Hell you know more about her than I do and those rumors you idiotic William's Wimps hear aren't true!"

"We obviously were good enough for you back in sophomore year when you picked up Christina," Brian declared, clicking his tongue. "Is that what you're looking for? Another Christina? I thought you would have learned by now, Dumbass. If you want another Christina, just go back to her. She's more than willing. Because, I guarantee that's what this little whore will do to you. Seduce you, then turn around to bang another man. Why else would she be on the football team? Goes at a huge orgy with them just to stay on the team. And she'll give you a bigger scar than the one above your eye, too, D."

"Christina is a part of my past that is dead. It's not mine or Oriana's fault that your dad doesn't give to your every whim anymore. Obviously he's found someone to love and doesn't need to hear your pathetic whining all the time. Now if you don't shut up and stop saying shit about Oriana, I'll fucking make you!"

"I'll say anything I want about the damn bitch. And who are you to fucking tell me differently?" Brian scowled, immediately reaching out to snatch the front of Howie's shirt. He jerked the older boy forward with great strength, hissing wildly, "And I'm going to make this pure and simple. Stay the fuck away from the wench, okay? She's not worth your breath and she's going to get what's coming to her. She's a pathetic little whore that prays on boys for her own sexual pleasures. And you're not going to have anything to do with her or I'll make your life a living Hell, do you hear me?"

"Get the fuck off of me!" Howie pushed against Brian. "What I do is none of your damn business and you can't tell me who I date!"

"No, but I can tell her who the fuck to date. And it sure as Hell isn't going to be you," Brian growled, keeping his clenched tightly against Howie's shirt. "So, don't fucking tempt me, Howie. Do you hear me? I will make your life living Hell right along with hers! I have no problem beating the shit out of her to get the point across. I swear to God you two will never be together. I'll scare the shit out of her to the point where she'll never even look at you again. So, just fucking part ways, and call it even, okay?"

"YOU CAN'T TELL US WHAT TO DO! NOW LET ME GO!" Howie fetched a kick to Brian's gut.

Brian wheezed as he fell backward, immediately bringing a hand to his stomach. Howie struggled to climb off the couch, but Brian's hate was far to thick. He launched himself against Howie, slamming the boys' weight hard against the corner of the couch, crunching Howie's back with a terrible agony. "Don't fucking tempt me, Howie! Do you hear me? I'll kill her and make it look like an accident! Just back the fuck off! I swear!"

"You're not going to fucking touch her! I'll call the cops so fast that you won't know what fucking hit her, you fucking psycho!" Howie shouted, his back flaring with pain. "I'll tell Teagan everything you said and then where would you be?! Back to using good old Right Hand before you know it!"

"Teagan wouldn't fucking believe you if the sky fell down," Brian laughed with amusement, slamming Howie's back against the corner yet again. "The sun rises and sets in my eyes to her. She loves me and won't believe a fucking thing you say. So, don't even try it. Just, back the fuck off, tell the Monster she's white trash, and go back to your little Christina!"

"FUCK YOU!" Howie growled, spitting in Brian's face.

Brian coughed in sheer disgust. He reached to pummel his fist deep into Howie's face, but heard the opening off the door. He glared hard upon the older boy, slamming his back once more against the arm of the couch, causing him to flip backward. Brian then sat on the couch, wiping the spit away from his face as he spoke in a harsh growl, "Fucking bastard. I'll kill her, I swear to God. Don't fucking mess with me, Howie."

"You're not going to fucking touch her, Richardson. You'll pay so much you won't know what hit you," Howie threatened right back, trying not to wheeze from the pain.

"Who will I pay from? You? I freaking loser who can't even tell when a girl's fucking him behind his back?"

"At least I'm not a dickless bastard who needs to feel like a man by threatening a woman," Howie hissed, trying to get to his feet.

"Get the fuck away from me before you end up seeing the slut of your life in a little black coffin," Brian threatened, hearing the two boys come pounding down the stairs, obviously making more noise than usual.

"Just remember, fucknuts. If she has one misplaced bruise anywhere, I'm getting the cops on your sick ass," Howie snarled as he struggled to stand.

"Oh please, she's getting tackled by dozens of men each day. Like you're going to be able to tell where I put a bruise and where one just happens to fall in place from another cock-bang," Brian laughed, infuriating Howie's pain further.

*~*~*


"What the Hell are you doing rooting through my gifts, Goofball?" Oriana teased as she slipped out of her bathroom, only to find her best friend almost swimming within a sea of her birthday gifts. Oriana rolled her eyes as Teagan glanced up with an innocent pout, before diving deeper. She seemed to be on a search for something particular, so Oriana didn't bother her. Instead, she crossed the bedroom to pull off the towel from her glistening curls, immediately rubbing them to free the excess water. She then stood up to pull on her tight wife-beater and baggy boxer shorts, hoping they were appropriate enough for Howie to see when he came to visit.

"Aha! Found it!" Teagan cried out in triumph before clamping a hand over her mouth.

“Found what?" Oriana asked with interest, flipping on her Meatloaf CD before hopping onto her bed. She peered over the side to see what Teagan was so anxious to retrieve.

"Nothing!" Teagan yelped, falling off the edge of the bed with the item in hand.

"HEY!" Oriana groaned, trying to catch Teagan, but it was too late. Teagan toppled heavily into a pile of clothing that Cassandra and Marie had purchased for her.

"Missed me!" Teagan cried out, scrambling to her feet. She grinned and ran for the door.

"What are you doing? And what the Hell is in your hands?!" Oriana grunted, scrambling off the bed.

"Nothing!" Teagan repeated, running down the hallway.

"Bullshit!" Oriana groaned, rushing forward to hop out her room. She noticed Teagan lagging as she struggled to kick off her pink fuzzy slippers, showing her downside. Oriana rushed toward her older friend and tackled her with a tight bear hug. Teagan squealed as Oriana picked her up and carried her back into the room with great ease. She plopped her friend down on the bed and shut her bedroom door. "What's in your hands, Teagan Gabrielle?"

"Umm... Makeup?" Teagan tried, hiding what she had behind her back with an innocent smile.

"I don't have makeup and no one in their right mind would buy me makeup for my birthday. Now, what the Hell is behind your back? You better tell me or face the tickle torture."

"I don't have anything!"

"Teagan!" Oriana groaned yet again, tackling her friend to seize the object behind her back.

"Yikes!"

"Teagan, what the Hell are you doing with this?"

"I was curious?" Teagan replied with a simple shrug as Oriana took the book from her hands.

"You were stealing, you little rat-fink," Oriana snarled playfully, pushing on her friend's forehead to knock her back onto the bed. Then, Oriana carefully cradled the book against her chest like a precious artifact. She then curled herself amongst the pillows layering the head of her bed, just staring at the beautiful hardback, leather binding. Inside laid such a precious gift and Oriana didn't know whether she dared to ruin it.

"How can I not be curious about it? That book's from Howie, I wanted to know what his inscription was!" Teagan defended herself, sitting up on the bed. She touched her hair and sighed happily to know it wasn't messed up.

"And you were going to read it by yourself before I even had a chance to read it? That's low, Gabby. Really, really low..." Oriana scorned.

"Hey now, don't go too low. I'm not scum or something," Teagan replied with a frown.

"I just gave it two really's," Oriana answered with a soft smile, proving that she wasn't too upset.

"Good, then let me read it to you and kill two birds with one stone!" Teagan chirped with acceptance, reaching over to pluck the book from Oriana's hands.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"Who said you could read it? Maybe I want to read it silently and give you the play-by-play?"

"But why can't I read it?"

"Because---"

"Too late!" Teagan giggled, immediately flipping over to the first page. Oriana went to snatch it away, but halted when Teagan immediately started cooing. She settled back amongst the pillows, letting Teagan read the inscription aloud. "Dearest Oriana, I hope that you enjoyed getting this book for your birthday. And, I know you're dying to read this inscription and I know I was going to tell you to wait until later. So, you're waiting for some deep, proverbial thoughts to flow upon these pages and I hope I can deliver. I wish you the warmest happy birthday dreams. And, you are the sweetest girl to ever grace Tartan High School. I guess it's easy to see where my thoughts are going since I did buy you a book of love poems, but I need you it in my own words. I love you, Oriana. And I've always loved and cared for you. Ever since I saw you the first day of freshman year in the first period of choir. You were the one... And, I can tell you the rest in person. But, I hope you enjoy this book with all your heart. I've made scribble my thoughts throughout the book. So, happy birthday, Oriana. The sweetest birthday girl to ever live."

"Oh..." Oriana was at a loss for words, just staring at Teagan with her mouth agape.

Teagan was silent for a moment until a grin crossed her face. "I KNEW HE LIKED YOU! I SO CALLED IT!"

"What was your first clue?" Oriana quipped sarcastically. A firm blush settled against her blazing cheeks as she struggled to grasp a cool pillow to her face.

"Ooh, yeah! Ooh, yeah! I was right once again! Ooh, yeah!" Teagan stood on the bed and began to dance. "Dorky Dwaine and Duckie sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby--"

"Teagan!" Oriana groaned, tossing a pillow.

"Oh! More personal love thoughts from Howie!" Teagan squealed, ducking from the flying pillow to flip through. She launched herself into an upright position. She held the small book out in front of her like a scholar, offering a deep base to her voice as she spoke, "Love me without fear / Trust me without questioning / Need me without demanding / Want me without restrictions / Accept me without change / Desire me without inhibitions / For a love so free... / Will never fly away!"

"Dick Sutphen..." Oriana trailed with a faint smile, hugging another pillow tight to her chest. She felt her heart start pick up a quicker pace against her ribcage. Her blue-green eyes brightened dramatically as she spoke, "What'd he write?"

"This is one of my favorite poems, because it speaks the words coming from my heart. Love is a scary thing, but as long as you give in and have trust, it can be the most beautiful thing in the world."

"Of course he made sure to put something by that one..." Oriana drawled with a soft frown, immediately remembering Alex's words about Christina. It was almost a fail-safe.

"What do you mean?" Teagan asked, looking into Oriana's eyes. She knew right away that her friend was thinking about Howie's ex. "Stop thinking that. He wrote it because it's the truth, not to cover his bases."

"But---"

"Stop."

"It's just..." Oriana groaned with frustration at herself, running her fingers through her damp curls. "It's stupid. I can't judge him for something that happened in the past. It's not fair to him. A girlfriend's a girlfriend right? There's nothing he can do about it now... I just get irked when he says that he fell in love with me in Freshman year then instead of telling me, goes off and..."

"I'm going to ask you something, Duckie. If Howie had walked up to you and said that he liked you... would you have believed him?" Teagan asked, raising an eyebrow. She understood that Howie was afraid to tell Oriana his feeling because of his fear with rejection and that she wouldn't believe him.

"Yeah—no..." Oriana concluded honestly, leaning back against her pillows. She stared at her ceiling for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "It's just that all those jerks... I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to be sorry. I wanted you to see Howie's side, and why he hadn't told you. His ex-girlfriend was a mistake, but he learned from it and realized that you were the one for him. That's all."

"It's not that he hadn't told me about it. We weren't that good of friends, Gabby. I don't need to know about his past. I just don't think I want to hear that he fell for me in Freshman year when he was with her in sophomore year, you know?"

"He really didn't think he would ever have a chance with you... and he hates to be alone. Duckie, like I said, he made a mistake and he wants to get over that. But he's afraid you won't like him if you know the whole story—"

"Wait, you know the whole story?"

"No, just bits and pieces. But from what I heard, it was pretty gruesome."

"This is unbelievable. I feel like I'm out of the loop on so many things and this is my actual chance for a relationship," Oriana groaned in disbelief, falling back against the pillows.

“You just were so involved in other things that gossip wasn't important," Teagan replied, running a hand through Oriana's damp locks.

"Correction, I hated the gossip wheel," Oriana answered, glancing up at her friend. "Because, I happen to remember quite a few going around the school and still circling around the school about me."

Teagan winced openly. "Sorry... I didn't want to bring that up."

"Oh, no, Gabby. I find it quite amusing," Oriana lied, offering a chipper smile. "Let's see, first I was blowing the whole football team to get on the team. Second, I'm anorexic because I'm so thin and lean, not because I play football or dance almost every day of the week. Third, I'm the whore of Tartan that bangs any man within a two-foot radius... Hmm... The list goes on."

"Duckie, don't—"

"Do you really think Howie loves me?" Oriana questioned, deciding not to dwell on the painful factors. She let the thoughts of his ex-girlfriend slip from her mind, realizing the rumor mill had created just enough gossip about her to ruin her reputation for Howie. And if he could side-step those accusations, then she could offer him her whole heart, if that's what he wanted.

"I really do. I could tell from the minute you two met back in choir freshmen year, just like he said in the book."

"I didn't even say hi to him..."

“Doesn't have to take words to fall in love."

"Thanks, Oprah," Oriana groaned with a playful smile, causing Teagan to tickle her exposed sides. Oriana shrieked in surprise, trying to squirm away as the book fell between them. She glanced down at it with a sly smile. "Read me one more? Because you know you want to."

“One more..." Teagan clicked her tongue, thumbing through pages. She glanced down each poem, searching for the perfect image to leave Oriana with. Her eyes immediately danced with delight, reading aloud. "The red rose whispers of passion, / And the white rose breathes of love; / O, the red rose is a falcon, / And the white rose is a dove. / But I send you a cream-white rosebud / With a flush on its petal tips; / For the love that is purest and sweetest / Has a kiss of desire on the lips..."

"J. B. O'Reilly," Oriana finished with a warm smile. "And what did he write?"

"You are my cream-white rosebud with a red flush upon its tips. Because, you are the building of a firecracker in my heart, ready to burst with the deepest passion. Yet, as ready as I am to burst, you hold such a pure sweetness around you like the white rose. As if just to touch you would taint your innocence. But, I long to mix the passion of a red rose with the sweetest love of a white rose. And, Lord knows, I desire a kiss from your sweet lips."

"He didn't write that!" Oriana immediately exclaimed, leaning over to peer at the book with disbelief.

"Did too! See?" Teagan held the book close to Oriana's face.

"What the Hell am I going to do when he comes in here to talk? I'm going to be all nervous and... Did I tell you he kissed me?" Oriana blurted with a fury of nervousness. She immediately closed the book to hold it tightly against her chest, just staring at her best friend with disbelief. "Gabby! He kissed me downstairs! Downstairs he kissed me! Then I read this... And... Oh, man, I feel like such an idiot when he's around me!"

"That means you looooooove him!" Teagan crooned with a smile.

"No!" Oriana groaned with disgust, pushing on her friend's shoulder. "It just means that I'm hysterically infatuated to the point where my cognitive functions are impaired!"

"In simple words: LOVE!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"You're so full of shit!"

"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt!"

"Obviously, because it's running from your lips---" Oriana's thoughts were immediately side tracked when there was a light rapping against her door. She jerked in surprise, thinking it was Howie. Her whole body erupted with a nervous shiver as her heart hammered loudly against her ribcage. Her eyes grew wide with shock as she started to fidget. "What am I going to do? I can't talk to him. I get all flustered and then the kiss... I mean..." Oriana yelped in surprise she hit the floor, her legs poking up from the bed. "Damnit!"

"Is...Ry in here?" Alex called hesitantly, peeking into the room only to see Teagan laughing hysterically on the bed as a pair of feet poked up from beside her.

"Here," Oriana yelped meekly, wiggling her foot.

"She fell down and went 'Damnit!'. But I think she's okay... not too much damage can be done anymore," Teagan snickered, grabbing Oriana's foot.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Oriana seethed, obviously stuck in her position with her backside propped against the side of her bed. The blood already started to pool toward her face, flushing her cheeks even more as Alex launched himself on the bed for a better view.

"Nothing," Teagan said in a singsong tone.

"Do you know the hardcore stuff that he wrote in here?" Oriana squeaked with a gurgled voice from the odd position of her body, holding the book up for Alex's view.

"No, I didn't read anything... what kind of stuff did he write?" Alex replied, taking the book into his hands.

"Hardcore stuff!" Oriana squeaked again, struggling to move away from the uncomfortable position. But, the effort proved useless as Teagan kept hold of her feet, keeping her from flipping over.

"Hardcore shit..." he trailed off, flipping through the book. He stumbled onto the one Teagan read last. "WHOA!"

"Yeah! That's what I said!" Oriana replied, trying to yank her feet away from Teagan's grasp. Finally, she managed to pull with enough force from her graceful legs, causing her to tuck into a roll before collapsing onto the carpeted floor. She panted heavily. "What do you think, Alex?"

"He's really into you, Ry. It obviously took him a long time to get all his feelings out on the pages," Alex replied, flipping to other poems.

"You think so?" she asked softly, sitting up. She nervously nibbled on the bottom of her lip. Never had she felt so excited and nervous around one boy before. All her emotions seemed to heighten whenever he was near. And, for once, the feelings were mutual and true. There were no sour deeds behind the pure feelings. She needed that and longed for that for so long.

"I think so."

"And you think..." Oriana's eyes grew wide with surprise. She sharply slapped her forehead, wincing immediately at the impression it left upon her blazing forehead. "Alex, this is Teagan, my best friend. Teagan, this is Alex, I guess my soon to be step-brother."

"Hello! Nice to meet you," Teagan smiled, shaking Alex's hand. "You were in William's marching band, right?"

"Yeah, saxophone and a damn good one at that," Alex replied with a wry smile, reciprocating the hearty shake. "I already know that your the Drum Major for the Tartan's right? Because, damn, you're famous at William's for all the great routines and stuff in the marching band."

"That's me and thank you very much. I try," Teagan felt herself blush a little. "You'll be joining my band, right?"

"Most definitely. It'd be nice to be part of some kind of winning team."

"You'll be a great addition," Teagan praised. "New blood is always needed."

"And she really does mean new blood. They put it into this ceremonial golden cup and mix it with wine, then drink in their new victims..." Oriana enthused, finally moving to prop her upper half on the bed, staring directly at the two occupants of her bed. Alex's face suddenly paled as Teagan stared at Oriana with horror. Oriana shrugged her shoulders, tapping on their knees. "Okay! Now that I have your attention! Let's please shift the attention back to me! Me! Who has to face this guy who wrote all this hardcore shit in like fifteen minutes!"

"What's there to worry about? Just be yourself and tell him how you feel!" Teagan replied.

"But I don't know how I feel..." Oriana whimpered, growing contemplative for a moment. "And... I seriously forget who myself is..."

"Duckie," Teagan groaned, falling back onto the bed.

"I'm serious!" Oriana whimpered.

"Alex, help her out. You're best friends with Howie."

"How the Hell am I supposed to help her out?" Alex laughed, hearing the distant taunting of his brother's voice. He muffled a groan as Teagan sat up with excitement. Brian was calling for her. "I think my brother's bellowing for his lovely girlfriend."

"Yep! You know how to help her out, she's gonna be your step-sister! It was nice meeting you," Teagan kissed Alex's cheek before scrambling off the bed. She went over to Oriana, bending down to kiss her cheek as well. "Just speak from your heart, and nothing will go wrong. Okay?"

"Where's my heart again?" Oriana called out meekly.

"Right here," Teagan placed a hand on top of her best friend's rapidly beating heart. "Just calm down, okay? We don't need you fainting or puking--"

"TEAGS!" Brian abruptly called.

"Guess you better go..." Oriana trailed softly, breaking her gaze with Teagan. She had hoped her best friend might stay till Howie arrived, but knew better. Teagan always dove head first into her new relationships, pushing Oriana to the side.
You'll be fine. I have faith in you," Teagan replied gently, tugging on one of Oriana's curls. She got up and headed to the door. "Love you, Duckie."

"Love!" Oriana called, watching Teagan disappear. She immediately collapsed back onto her bed, groaning with frustration. She was still highly nervous about her talk with Howie. She couldn't even think of any words that might accompany what she felt inside her aching heart.

"Hey!" Alex laughed, drawling Oriana's attention back to him. He leaned down to grasp her cheeks, pulling her up into a sitting position. He made sure their contrasting eyes locked. "It's going to be okay. I took the bedroom right next to yours. If you need anything, that's where I'll be, planning out the whole decor..."

"What if it's not alright, though? What if I'm not what he originally thought me to be?" Oriana murmured pathetically.

"You are, Ry. Trust me on this, I've been his best friend for years. You're the exact type of girl he wants."

"But--"

"Trust me."

"Did someone forget to tell you that I have issues with trust?" Oriana murmured, causing Alex to roll his eyes with amusement. She sighed softly as he kept his hands cupped against her cheeks. "I just... Did he talk about me a lot?"

"Yeah, to the point where I felt I knew you just from how he talked about you."

"And it was good? Nothing bad? Nothing to make me worry? It was all true, good, pure intentions?"

"It was nothing but good."

"You swear on a stack of Playboys?"

"I swear on all the Playboys in the world-- hey, how did you know I read those?"

"Read?"

"They've got good articles!"

"You just looked like the type of dude that tends to...enjoy the articles of Playboy..." Oriana replied with her infamous impish smirk. Her frazzled nerves slowly started to calm as she spoke frankly with the new person about to be added to her family. "Do you have an idea for how you want to decorate your room? We could go all out Playboy Mansion..."

"As tempting as that is..." Alex tapped his chin with thought. His warm brown eyes sparkled as he thought of an idea. "Leopard print!"

"Leopard print...?"

"Yeah! Leopard print!"

"You're serious?"

"Totally serious."

"How about we complete the tacky leopard print with a bright green rug to complete that full 70's-tacky-sexified-swinger's-pad?"

"Dude! That would be sweet!"

Oriana muffled a groan, hiding her eyes with her hands. She took a few moments to swallow the fit of giggles burning within her chest. Alex was definitely an odd character, but she was positive she would only come to love him more. "How about tomorrow we go out and get the tacky green carpet and leopard print stuff for your room?"

Really?" Alex asked excitedly.

"Of course. Whenever you want to go tomorrow, we'll go and get it."

"Eight in the morning?"

"Okay, how about whenever I want? Let's say, one in the afternoon and I'll consider letting you test drive my Hummer."

"The Monster? I could drive it?"

"Yeah, it's not like you can really dent the damn thing."

"True... I could do some damage--"

"Okay, forget it, we'll leave at one and I'll drive," Oriana blurted, not liking the idea of Alex intentionally ruining her Hummer. That had been a gift for her outstanding academic performances added with her sixteenth birthday present. She would never part with it.

"Damn! I was this close to causing----"

"Worldwide chaos? No, that's my job, thanks."

Alex frowned for a moment, "Can we be the Gruesome Twosome and cause chaos together?"

"Sure, if you get the Hell out of my room so I can properly freak out in private before Howie gets in here."
Superman by Anastacia
Chapter 14 – Superman

Alex talked only a few more minutes with Oriana before venturing back into his own room for the evening. Oriana had rushed to her bathroom for some emergency, though Alex thought it might have been to fix her curls, even if she didn't want to admit it. A placid smile spread across his handsome face as he slipped passed her door, deciding it was good to gain a sister such as her. She was one of the most intriguing people on this planet, not too emotional, but quite sweet, and very humorous. He decided that she would be the best friend that Brian had never been and hoped that Oriana would feel the same about him.
But, his thoughts were side tracked when he noticed Howie lingering outside in the hallway. He first thought nothing of it till he noticed Howie was hunched over on the wall, breathing awkwardly. Alex hesitantly stepped forward, laying a hand on his friend's back. Naturally, the younger teenager assumed that Howie was overly anxious about meeting with Oriana. "Hey, D, don't get too panicked. The girl's in there already flipping about you. Man, great junk you wrote in the book. You have her eating out of the palm of your hand. She's so excited—"

"Don't touch my back!" Howie suddenly snapped, pushing away Alex's hand. He immediately cried out in pain as it flared once again.

"What's wrong with you?" Alex yelped in fright, jumping away from his friend.

"Your brother insulted me, insulted Oriana, threatened to hurt me, kill her, and then he almost broke my back!" Howie wheezed in one breath, still hunched over.

"Huh...?" Alex murmured, utterly shocked by the vile words spewing from his friend's mouth. He reached over again in some lame attempts to comfort him, but Howie pushed his hands away with a still violent strength. "I don't understand... D... Are you nervous or something? Like, I know Brian hates Oriana...but... Are you sure you're not just trying to distance yourself from her now that you exposed your emotions? Because you'll break her heart, man..."

"He said all of that! I'm not making it up!"

"But—"

"He wants to keep me and Oriana apart and I'm not going to let that happen! Dude, he threatened to kill her!"

Alex's eyes grew wide at the mere mention of murdering Oriana. It seemed almost too fictional for belief. He swallowed hard, moving to at least stand in front of Howie's crippled state. He gently placed his hands against Howie's shoulders, trying to help him stand in an up-right position. Howie was in such an irrational state of mind at that moment and just hunched further before Alex caught him again. It seemed hazardous to let him anywhere near Oriana. "Why don't you crash in my room tonight?"

"No way, I'm staying with her like we planned," Howie shook his head, grimacing as he finally stood up straight.

"It was a great plan and all, but, D... You're a freaking wreck... And she's just... She's so intent on talking to you in hopes to start a relationship and... I don't think it'll be good for you to go in there like that. You'll scare her to death and completely ruin any shot you have with her—"

"I need to protect her!"

"You go in talking like a maniac and you're going to loose her forever. You'll blow any chance you even had with her to start off with. I've talked you up and talked you up, but there's only so much I can do! And it's going to hurt worse than Christina leaving that scar over your eye," Alex hissed, obviously not choosing the appropriate words.

"That's exactly what your fucking brother said! Never bring Christina up!" Howie growled, pushing Alex away.

"Damnit!" Alex grunted in surprise, stumbling from the force Howie used. He bumped sharply against the wall, causing his shoulder blade to burn with pain. He had never expected Howie to act so brutally, he was always such a pacifist. "As much as I hate to say it, Christina's not going to go away for this night! Damnit, D, you still have to face that music with Oriana!"

"It doesn't mean you have to bring her up!"
"Heaven fucking forbid that I might actually care about you!"

Howie took a deep breath, falling to the floor. He rested his head in his hands, trying to calm down and ignore the throbbing of his back. "I'm sorry, man..."

"What the Hell is up with you?" Alex wheezed. Never had he seen his friend in such an emotional uproar, until that night with Christina. Though, Alex started to believe that it wasn't the fact that Christina had been with another guy, but the fact that it made Howie realize that he never could have the one he truly wanted.

"J, he threatened to kill her... the one girl I truly love. Do you realize how hard that was to hear?" Howie whispered, blinking back tears of pain. "Especially from someone you considered to be one of your best friends?"

“Probably felt like a ton of bricks were dropped on your heart," Alex spoke after a few moments of silence, flabbergasted at his brother's cruel words. "But, D, Ry's one strong pup. Brian was probably just blowing some jackass steam. He's not going to hurt her—"

"You didn't see his eyes, man. They were almost black, and every word he said... he meant it."
"He's just a dickhead. He's not going to hurt anyone."

"I hope you're right—"

"I know I'm right," Alex quickly persuaded, listening to the faint hum of Oriana's sweet voice alluding from her room. He offered a shaky smile toward his friend before offering his hand. "C'mon, man. Go crash in my room. You're way too... Dude, you're shit basically. I'll just go tell Ry you want to talk to her tomorrow or something. That way you can calm yourself."

Howie shook his head in disagreement. "It'll seem like I'm blowing her off, though. I don't want to do that—"

"D, she'll blow you off if you go in like this—"

"Her and I need to talk."

“Dude, she likes you and you like her. There's nothing to talk about, except what time you're picking her up for the first date. You guys can settle that some other time---"

"No. Now."

Alex groaned as Howie pushed him against the wall to steady himself. Alex watched Howie straight his back into a rigid posture, slowly stumbling toward Oriana's closed door. Alex rolled his eyes with disbelief, slamming his head on the back wall. "Or you can go in there, look like an ass, and say something you regret because you're so caught up on Brian's dumbass words... But, forget it; no one ever listens to the smart one."

*~*~*


"How was the shower, Teags?" Brian warmly asked as Teagan sauntered into his new bedroom. Brian felt so out of place sitting in the sunny yellow bed that seemed to reflect the brilliant sun when it rested in the noon sky. He couldn't wait to tear the place apart and break Cassandra heart of ruining the room with his own designs, but his thoughts broke to pieces as Teagan tempted him. His heart immediately hammered quickly against his chest as she slid onto his hips, offering kisses down the length of his neck. He shivered with delight, securing his hands against her hips.

"Nice and warm... steamy... kind of lonely, though. You'll definitely have to join me sometime," Teagan replied, kissing and nibbling his throat.

"Didn't we just get together two weeks ago?" Brian swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I say things before thinking," Teagan apologized, stopping her kisses. She looked up into Brian's light blue eyes with her gray ones.

"But you meant it?"

"Of course I meant it. I just said it at the wrong time, like I normally do--"

"No, no, no," Brian groaned with a laugh, raising his arms to cup her face within his hands. He gently pulled her downward to offer a kiss to her forehead. "You should be able to say anything you want to say. It wasn't at the wrong time. Just surprised me is all. I mean, I'm not used to having an overly verbal girlfriend who I love very much. You can tell me whatever you're thinking and feeling, alright?"

"Are you sure?" Teagan whispered, biting her bottom lip. She always remembered getting smacked for doing what Brian asked when she was with Xander.

"I'm positive. I believe in an open relationship. You say what you want to say, when you want to say it. And, we'll work on whatever you need from there, okay?" Brian consented with a genuine smile, any horrid thoughts about the previous hours seemingly starting to dissipate. He could only think of Teagan and her gorgeous figure.

Teagan nodded, knowing he was being honest and sincere. "Okay. I love you, Brian."

"And I love you, too. Endlessly and hopelessly."

"Good, because I don't think I could ever let a hot football player like you go!" she smiled, leaning down to give him a searing kiss.

"Too bad you're not a cheerleader," he grunted with pleasure against her lips, shifting their weight. Teagan shrieked with delight as he covered her body with his own, gently pinning her arms to savor the sweet taste of her kisses.

"I like being a drum major. I get to wear a pretty cape!" her giggles turned into quiet moans as he began to kiss her neck.

"My Superwoman," he breathed.

"I know you want me baby/ I think I want you too/ I think I love you baby/ I think I love you too. I'm here to save you girl/ Come be in Teagan's world/ I wanna grow together/ Let's let our love unfurl/ You know you want me baby/ You know I want you too/ They call me Superwoman/ I'm here to rescue you/ I wanna save you boy/ Come be in Teagan's world..." she rapped Eminem's song Superman with her own changes.

Brian recoiled with an amused expression fixed on his handsome face. He shook his head with disbelief, clicking his tongue. "Do you not remember that the end goes: Bitch, you make me hurl?"

"Mm-hmm. But you're not a bitch and you don't make me hurl," Teagan replied with an innocent shrug.

"I'm more partial to the: sit your drunk ass on that runway, ho," Brian laughed, leaning down to run his fingers through Teagan's short locks.

"'Cuz I can be your superwoman/ Can be your superwoman/ Can be your superwoman/ Can be your superwoman/ I can be your superwoman/ Can be your superwoman/ Can be your superwoman/ Your superwoman, your superwoman..." Teagan sang softly with a smirk.

"You've got a pretty voice," Brian suddenly commented, moving to lay on the other side of the bed. Teagan was about to shriek in protest, but Brian quickly covered by yanking her into the length of his body. He smiled as he kissed the back of her head, deciding she was the perfect fit.

"Thanks," Teagan blushed, cuddling closer to him. "Do you sing at all?"

"I think my father would disown me if I didn't," Brian answered after a few moments, just tracing his hand along the length of her bare arm. "Our whole family's musical... I play a little bit of the guitar and actually sing a lot. Just for choir and plays and stuff though."

"Music's good for the soul, anyway. I love singing and I really want to learn the guitar," Teagan smiled, wiggling in his arms so they were facing each other. "Do you think you could teach me what you know?"

“Sure, I can teach you a few chords," he consented.

"Thank you," she leaned in and kissed him.

"You're very welcome," he approved, brushing his hand down her cheek to sweeten the kiss. He didn't know where he would be without Teagan by his side. He felt so lost when she wasn't near.

"I have a stupid question," she confessed after they broke from kissing for a moment. Her face was flushed and her eyes were sparkling, making Brian fall even more for her.

"No question you ask could be stupid."

"It's just something that is an obvious answer with you, but I'm still curious. Are... are you a virgin?"

"Virgin?" Brian withdrew for a moment, obviously surprised by the question. He bit down hard on his bottom lip, wondering if it were a trick question. He remembered all those jokes about marriage and the wives tricking their husbands to kick them to the couch. Brian sighed softly, "No, I'm not a virgin... But I only had sex with one other person, my girlfriend in junior year."

"Just last year? Wow," Teagan replied with approval. Most boys she knew had lost their virginities way back in middle school. She had a even higher respect for Brian after hearing that.

"What about you?"

"I lost mine right after finishing 8th grade... not something I wanted to happen, but yeah. There's nothing I can do about it. I was just a stupid kid and suffered the consequence." Teagan saddened a little at the memory of her then boyfriend Jonathan, who was going to be a sophomore at Tartan, forcing her into having sex so it showed that she loved him. A week later she had caught him with a girl his age. He claimed that it happened because she wasn't good enough in bed and was too immature.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart," Brian whispered, realizing it hadn't been a wonderful experience.

"So am I. But, it taught me better in some ways. There's always a silver lining in the worst situation," Teagan feigned a smile.

"Was that your only time, then?"

"No..." Teagan trailed, frowning at the mere thought. The first few times with Xander had been consensual, but after a few months, most of the sexual encounters were forced.

"Were any pleasurable?" he asked gently.

"No. I had to act like it was, but no." Teagan remembered one time she didn't react as much as Xander wanted and he beat her throughout the night mixed with forced sex.

"Well... Teags, if we were to make a commitment to each other on that level... I swear that you would come first through it all. It will be all about you, so you know how it feels to be loved, okay?" Brian promised softly, kissing her neck.

"That would be nice, to know how being loved feels," Teagan whispered, finally smiling a little. "You're amazing. You know that, right?"

"Not as amazing as you," he vowed.

"Nope, you're more amazing," she argued, pushing him onto his back and she straddled his hips. She placed her hands on her own and looked stern, but was smiling.

"Okay," he wheezed, causing her to laugh.

"Good boy!" she kissed him. "I'm not that heavy, you know."

"Baby, it's not that you're heavy..." Brian answered, actually blushing faintly. "You're sitting on me. On my hips, I might add. Where certain parts exist... And frankly, your beauty is just driving me insane with lust."

"Ohhh! I get it! My Bri-Bri's getting a little antsy," Teagan cooed with a smile. She ran her fingers through his sandy blonde locks, while discreetly and gently grinding her hips against his.

"Teagan!"

“What?!"

"I'll do it right back to you and twice as bad," he threatened, knowing she knew exactly what was happening.

"Oh, really?" she laughed, overly confident. "I'd like to see that, Mr. Richardson."

"Mmm-hmm, okay," he decided, seizing her by the waist. He picked her up with great ease, immediately tossing her back onto the bed. Teagan squealed with surprise as he lifted the lower portion of her shirt to deliver the softest kisses to her bare skin.

"Somehow I knew this would happen," she groaned quietly, arching her back at the touch of his lips.

"I warned you," Brian laughed, continuing his agonizing torture as she moaned with delight.
Unyielding Love by Anastacia
Chapter 15 – Unyielding Love

Oriana seemed to calm down into a slighter degree of panic when Alex left to venture into his bedroom. She had calmed her frazzled nerves by putting on her Paula Abdul CD. Now, she just paced along the length of her bedroom, flipping through the book Howie had given her while moving her hips to the beat. Every word she read seemed to cause the cloud her heart was resting on to float higher into the Heavens. A sweet smile spread across her beautiful face until she heard the faint tapping on her door. She tossed the book to her bed with a soft screech of nervousness. She quickly went to retrieve the door, shocked by Howie's painful appearance. She recoiled with confusion as he lingered in the doorway. "Are you okay... Howie?"

"Alex says I should wait until I'm not in pain and pissed off at his brother to talk to you... but I didn't want you to think I'm blowing you off, because I really want to talk to you. Is it alright is I lay down on your bed while we talk?" Howie asked, grimacing as he tried to keep his back straight.

Oriana's light blonde brows knitted together in confusion in Howie's rushed sentences. Nothing seemed to make sense at that moment. And, the initial rush she felt whenever Howie showed was now just a numbness in the core of her stomach. She knew whatever that would be spoken probably wouldn't end on the best of terms. She gently rushed to Howie's side when he stumbled in agony, helping him loop his arms around her neck to steady himself. "You know, we don't have to talk. You're not blowing me off... And if you're in pain... I mean, we can do this any time, right?"

"I just didn't want to hurt your feelings or make you think I didn't want to persue anything with you," Howie clenched his teeth as Oriana led him to her bed. He carefully laid down on his stomach with her help.

"It's not a big deal. Seriously, we can do this another time... I mean, I don't know what's wrong or what happened... But you seem to be in agony..." Oriana sighed, reaching to tuck her pillows underneath his head for comfort.

"I know, but I..." Howie sighed heavily, his thoughts jumbled. "Could you do me a favor and take a look at my back?"

"What's wrong with your back?" Oriana asked, carefully sliding onto the edge of her bed.

"Brian and I got into a fight that turned a little violent. He rammed my back into the corner of the couch about three times," Howie's back seemed to throb more just at the memory of it.

"Were you trying to score Teagan's number?" Oriana joked softly, just wanting Howie to laugh. Yet, she got no such response and simply relented to checked his back. She gently eased herself onto his lower legs, lifting the hem of his baggy t-shirt up. She winced with remorse as he buried a howl of pain into her pillows.

But the sight before her was absolutely wicked, causing her to gasp in shock. Dark black bruises raced down the length of Howie's spine, radiating with a furious red coloring from inflammatory processes. A few breaks in his skin were oozing with a serous blood, but the bruises were awful.

"Holy shit... Howie... I mean..." Oriana was at a loss for words as she gently ran her hands down the sides of his back in hopes to comfort him. She could already see a few forming welts from the sharper pieces of the couch.

"H-How bad is it?" Howie stammered, turning his face from the pillow. Tears were in his eyes from pain at the simple act of pulling up his t-shirt.

"Howie, it's freaking awful," she breathed softly, gently massaging his sides in hopes to calm him. She could hear his throat catching with a painful sob. She shook her head in disbelief, deciding she might have to throw Brian into the couch a few times to give him the same lowly treatment. "You've got a lot of bruises, some scratches, and then two welts from jagged pieces of the couch I'm assuming..."

"It hurts," he whimpered softly, burying his face back into the pillows.

"Guess my hands aren't helping are they?" she sighed, carefully easing off of the bed. She walked toward the small fridge she kept within her room, pulling out two large ice packs. She then retrieved the softest towel she had and brought it back.

"Where did you go?" he asked, looking back up again. The held back teard had fallen, streaking his cheeks.

"Just to get you some ice packs to decrease the swelling and tenderness," she explained softly. She leaned over the bed to gently lay the blanket against Howie's tender back, then ever so carefully eased the ice packs onto the most furious portions of the bruising.

"Thank you," he whispered, biting on his bottom lip as the cold seeped into the flaming muscles.

"Give it a few minutes to work," she pleaded, noticing the tight grimace appearing across his usually flaccid features. She sighed with empathy, moving to sit at the head of her bed. She gently leaned down to brush away the fallen tears from Howie's beautiful eyes, not really knowing what else to do. Everything seemed so awkward.

"Oriana, I'm really sorry--"

"About what?" she interrupted, already not liking where the conversation was going. She could only guess what Brian had threatened. She should have known better than to hope for Howie's affections, since he was a close friend of Brian.

"I made things worse by confronting Brian. He... he really wants to hurt you. I'm not going to let that happen, and nothing can stop me from wanting to be with you. I'm just sorry that I'm thrusting this all on you when you don't even deserve this unfair hatred from Brian.”

Oriana sat back with the heavy words causing a sharp burn inside her tender heart. She could only focus on the end portion of Howie's statement: wanting to be with her, not simply being with her. She withdrew her hands from his teary cheeks, suddenly feeling disgusted with herself. The protective wall around her heart continued to build higher as she moved off of the bed, refusing to let Howie see the hurt in her eyes. "Wanting to be with and actually being with are two very different things."

"Excuse me?" Howie gulped.

"Just don't do me any favors, okay?" Oriana grunted softly, retrieving the Meatloaf shirt, the poetry book, and the picture of the surfboard from her pile of gifts. She had to stop this before it got too deep. The pain in her heart was already sickening, causing bitter tears to form within the corners of her eyes. "Don't lay there and hide behind Brian threatening to hurt me. I've dealt with enough arrogant assholes in my lifetime. I can defend myself. And... Look, if you want an easy way out, then go. Don't string me along like some little puppet. I don't need that. I have plans, good plans. Plans to leave this Hellhole and go to Duke. Don't mess me up by saying you might want to be with me or might not want to be with me. Just... Just take your stuff and just go.”

"Oriana, that was not what I said! I didn't kiss you the way I did with that attitude. I love you! Okay? I know you're scared of a relationship, that's why I said I wanted to be with you. I didn't want to make you nervous or anything! Why do you have to automatically think that I'm those other assholes you've dated when you know I'm not? God, I don't want a way out when the only thing I want is you!" Howie defended himself, sitting up on the bed without thinking. He immediately regretted it but still sat there.

"Just like you wanted me in Sophomore year? Is that how it goes? Because, judging from that little parade, I guarantee you're just like the assholes I've dated," she fired back, just wanting him to hurt as much as she did. Usually, she would never stoop to such petty instances, but Howie made her crazy. The very thought of Oriana loosing her heart to another self-proclaimed 'god' of her high school made her virtually sick. She didn't want the drama. She didn't want the chaos. She just wanted to be free.

“That was cold, Oriana. That was really cold," Howie whispered, his eyes full of hurt and anger. "I'm guessing Alex told you what happened. Maybe you weren't listening then, but if I was the asshole, why did I get the pleasure of walking in to see her fucking my neighbor?! If I'm the asshole, why did I get this scar from her throwing that box at me?" He pointed to the somewhat large scar above his eye. "Are you saying I deserved it when all I was doing was trying to convince myself that I would never be able to get the one person I wanted? Is that it?!"

“Alex didn't tell me jack-shit about anything. Your little love-nest was flung all around Tartan like a bad odor. It was hard not to turn a corner without seeing girls bawling their eyes out because our most 'eligible bachelor' was so deep in love. I mean, it's just really funny, right? To say you're in love with another girl, but to completely turn around to take another into your life with the hopes of marrying her. That's what the promise ring was for, right? Did you not even stop to think that it might get back to the girl that you allegedly wanted? Or was that what you were hoping for?" she quipped sarcastically, refusing to acknowledge the pain of his bitter relationship.

"I can't believe the foul words coming from your mouth," he seethed, stumbling to his feet. "You don't understand and with your bullheadedness, you never will. So why try anymore, right? That's what you want to hear, I know it. You got what you wished for, Oriana Riley. I give up."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I wished for. To have my heart torn out again. Fucking beautiful," she replied crisply, bringing a hand up to her mouth to muffle a sob. She refused to let him see the agony hiding behind her troubled eyes. So, she shielded herself from the pain, pushing her birthday gifts back into his arms.

"Like you didn't rip out mine," he spat back, putting her gifts on the bed before heading towards her door. "Those are yours."

"I don't want them. Brian might kill me if he finds those in my room," she retorted, her words dripping with an icy sarcasm.

“Don’t come crying to me if he hurts you, then. Because I warned you," Howie kept walking towards the door and was about to leave when he heard a thump. "What the fuck...?" he opened the door and two bodies fell into the room.

"Look! It's not what it looks like!" Nick blurted, jumping up from his position on the floor. He wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans, bouncing on his feet. He really didn't want to fully meet the wrath Howie was lashing at Oriana.

"Bullshit it's not what it looks like. Howie sit your ass down. I'm here because this is fucking ridiculous," Alex seethed, immediately moving to grasp Oriana's face in his hands. His dark brown eyes were furious with disbelief as he gently shook her. "What the HELL are you doing?"

"Why the Hell do you even care?" she countered, struggling to get away from his grasp. She didn't need the whole entire world listening in on her non-existant love life. Alex and Teagan were wrong about Howie. Enough said.

"Because you're going to be my sister and you're screwing everything up with a potential relationship! You're not even listening to what he's saying and yes Brian did say all those nasty things. You may not know Howie as well as you think, but I do. He doesn't lie. And I know my brother. He's been really vile ever since our dad started dating and I can see him now saying those bad things. So stop acting like an idiot and listen to the truth Howie's telling you!"

"You don't even know me," Oriana countered as Alex pushed her firmly into the couch on the far wall of her room. It was her natural defenses to build a wall around her heart. It was how she protected herself from her mother's boyfriends and those boys at school. If she build a strong enough wall, she wouldn't have to care about what happened, then she wouldn't get hurt.

"Don't even pull the Jerry Springer line. Whether you care about me or not, I care about you. Obviously, you don't know anything about Brian, or you would be a little concerned with the threats he's made against you," Alex replied, making sure she stayed sitting. "Damnit, Ry, just stop building that defense to make sure you won't get hurt. You'll end up alone and will regret pushing Howie away. He loves you, and you threw it back in his face."

"Bu---"

"No, just shut up and let Howie talk. Okay? Just, for the love of God, Ry, listen to what he has to say. Listen to everything he has to say. Please?" Alex softly demanded, motioning for Howie to sit down next to Oriana. He then carefully turned the younger girl so she looked into Howie's painful eyes. Alex kept his hand firmly placed on Oriana's mouth, noticing her relinquish the power. "Howie, start by explaining about Christina first."

"Oriana..." Howie sighed heavily, brushing back the curls that had fallen into his face. His chocolate eyes were murky and unreadable. "I can explain Christina in five words. Biggest mistake of my life. I know I should have tried harder to get your attention, but I was beginning to think you would never notice me. And even if you did, you wouldn't want to be with me. So, I did an idiotic thing and started dating Christina. Right away I knew it was all wrong, but I pushed those thoughts away because my heart was telling me that this was the best I could get since I couldn't get you. I didn't love her, Oriana. I don't even think I liked her. I was lying to myself and making myself look like a moron in the process. The promise ring... besides just dating that slut, buying the ring was the biggest mistake. But I kept feeding my brain and heart lies, until the night I headed over to her house. She lived right down the street from me, and I always just walked in. I tried to find her, and finally went up to her room. I heard some noises. Ones that just made all my suspicions and fears come true as I opened the door. There she was, on top of my neighbor and fucking him without thought. They finally noticed I was there and they stopped. I stammered out my words and she just laughed in my face. I had dropped the box that held the ring onto the floor and she bent down to pick it up. I watched her open it in slow motion... and she laughed. Said that I was an ugly troll that no one will ever love and that the reason she cheated on me was because I never could quite please her the way she wanted. My neighbor, who I've known since kindergarten, seemed to have done the trick. So she closed the box and threw it at me. Hit me right above my eye here," he pointed to the scar once more. "After that, I became the joke of William's and most of Tartan."

Oriana swallowed hard at the bubble of guilt exploding from the depths of her stomach. She felt so awful about the bitter words exchanged between her and Howie. He had been betrayed and burned in the worst of ways, all because Oriana wouldn't give him the time of day. And it wasn't his fault that she held a low moral for her own personal beauty. She tried to speak, but Alex's hand was still perched tightly against her mouth. She muffled something, but it became incoherent. Finally, she reached her hands up to forcefully yank away Alex's hands. "I should be able to say something in return," she voiced without emotion.

"Did you listen to what he said?"

"Yes..." she drawled.

"Did you really listen?"

"For the love of God, Alex, I'm going to kick your ass out of my room in two seconds," Oriana groaned, pushing Alex's shoulder to cause him to fall back onto the carpet. Oriana shifted uncomfortably, moving to rub away the stray tears. She glanced up to the ceiling for a few moments, trying to gather her thoughts. "I'm sorry that happened to you. And she was wrong."

Howie wiped away his own tears. It still hurt to talk about Christina, even if he didn't feel for her. "Thank you... but it was my own fault--"

"No, it was my fault," Oriana countered softly, ever so gently leaning over closer to him. "If I would have given you the time of day, you wouldn't have gotten into this mess. But... It was wrong of you to assume that you couldn't do any better. Hell, you could have done miles better than me..." She hesitated for a moment before reaching out to gently run her fingers against the faded scar above his right eye. "But, it was her loss... Because you aren't some ugly troll. You're the most handsome guy I've ever seen and you deserve the world..."

"You really think so?" Howie whispered, taking the hand that was touching his scar into his own. "All I've ever wanted is you, Oriana."

"I know so..." Oriana swallowed, feeling Howie trace his fingers delicately against the lines of her palm. But, she couldn't help but feel the small cloud hovering over their heads. She noticed Howie's awkward sitting position, obviously in a great deal of physical pain. It only seemed to remind Oriana over their greatest obstacle - Brian. Could they even work a relationship with Howie fearing Brian's every move? "Howie, I'm... I'm sorry for what I said, okay? I didn't mean to be such a hateful bitch. And I didn't mean what I said. I just... I feel like I need to distance myself from others for protection... Just, a lot has happened with me and that's how I handle it... But it was wrong and I hope you can at least forgive me. Because, under normal circumstances, I would have never brought such a painful subject up..."

"I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't forgive you," Howie replied, squeezing her hand gently. "It's a natural defense mechanism with a lot of people. It's okay. I'm not letting Brian get in the way of us, alright? We'll figure something out, because I'm not letting you go."

"There isn't even an us to get in the way of..."

"But there can be."

"As much as I want that and have dreamed for that, I think it's a wistful notion," she sighed softly, pulling her hand away. She immediately reached up to rub her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. "Numbnut is your friend, from what I understand, one of your best friends. You've known him a helluva lot longer than you've known me... Friends before romance, that's something Teagan taught me early on... So, I just don't see how you can honestly think a relationship would work with us. You'll always be afraid of him seeing us or doing something. And that's not a relationship. That's torture." Oriana swallowed hard before reaching for the gifts Howie had given her. "So, let's just say we're sorry and be friends... Because..."

"No, don't do this to me. Don't. This is exactly what I was afraid of before Christina. Please..." Howie begged.

"Of us just being friends?" she countered in confusion, forcing his hands to grip the materials.

"No, of you rejecting even thinking of something more than friends with me," he let go of the presents.

"Howie, it's not---" Oriana's words were silenced as Howie leaned over to physically communicate his feelings. He pressed his lips against her own, drawing his hands into her still damp curls. The intense passion of before flowed through Oriana's throbbing heart as her lips parted to accept the sweet caresses of their tongues mixing between nibbles of excitement. But it mixed with such a deep longing and needing. Howie was begging her and pleading with her heart. He needed her as much as she needed him. Oriana wrenched away with shock, feeling her almost burst from her chest. "Howie, please! What the Hell are you doing?"

"Making you see what we have is special! When we kiss, I feel things I never have before. And I know it's the same for you," Howie replied, cupping her cheek gently. "Don't ignore them."

"Look... Howie, It's not that I want to reject the idea of us being a couple or ignoring the fact that it feels absolutely heavenly when you kiss me..." Oriana trailed, struggling to orient herself back to her original thoughts. She groaned softly, boosting herself off the couch to give herself distance from Howie's surprise attacks. She immediately started to pace like she normally did when brainstorming for a paper to write within her Enriched classes. "Just, I'm not rejecting you, okay? It's just our only option."

"It doesn't have to be your only option! I've got an idea!" Nick spoke up before Howie could say something.

"Excuse me?" Oriana deadpanned.

"Nick? Has an idea?" Howie and Alex looked at each other in shock.

"Do you want the help or not?" Nick growled.

"Spill it already!"

"We're doing Grease this year for the school musical... Howie could score the role of Danny and Oriana could score the role of Sandy. That way you guys could always be at rehearsals together and working on the musical and Brian couldn't say a damn thing. It'd be perfect---"

"No," Oriana quickly blurted without a second's notice. She shook her head vehemently at the entire idea.

"What? Why not?"

"I don't do leads in musicals. No way, that's not my field."

"Bullshit, Oriana. You've got a great voice. I heard you singing when you were doing backgrounds and stuff. You're absolutely fantastic. The whole school would freaking drop dead. You'd make the perfect Sandy---"

"Horseshit on top of your bullshit, okay? I don't sing. And that's Teagan's role. Teagan always takes the leads. She has a beautiful voice. A gorgeous voice. And I'm not taking that away from her, okay? So, it's a hopeless cause, okay?" Oriana grunted, falling back onto her bed with disbelief.

"Well, fine... I do have another idea," Nick replied, not giving up.

"Two in a row? Damn, Nick, that has to be a record!"

"Shut up, Alex!"

"This is ridiculous," Oriana groaned softly, staring at her ceiling with an intense concentration. Why did her life have to be so bitter? If God would let men triple her age sneak into her room in the depths of night to please themselves, why could He also give her the chance at love? Couldn't He see what Howie meant to her?

"Dude! Act like y'all hate each other when Brian's around. You were doing good earlier, it shouldn't be that hard. Once he sees that, he'll leave you alone."

"You mean lie? Lie about what we feel about each other? Walk around like we're on some stage? Tell everyone in school that we're not together? Go out on dates with other people when we're secretly in love with one another. I don't want to live my life like that. I got more secrets in my life than I know what to deal with, I mean, that's just ridiculous," Oriana scorned, finally propping herself up with her elbows. She glanced to Howie, waiting for his say.

"But Nick's right. Look at it non-objectively. Brian sees we hate each other; he leaves us alone--"

"You'd lie? You'd go out with other girls? Are you serious?"

"No, no, no. Cut out the dating other people. We don't have to do that."

"I don't like it. I don't want to do that"

"Don't you want me?" Howie whispered.

"Howie, of course I do," Oriana retorted softly. "I just don't want to have to lie for our relationship. And what happens if he finds out? Do you just stop dating me? Do we call it quits because you don't want to put yourself in danger or your friendship with Brian in danger? What?"

"I'm going to be frank. And no offense to Alex or Nick, but I could give a fuck if Brian and I stay friends. He's so different now that I don't even know him. All I know is that a friend does not injure another friend the way he did to me tonight. If he finds out, he finds out. That is in no way going to stop be from being with you."

"But---"

"Wait, can you at least lie for one day? One tiny day?" Alex immediately intervened, jumping on Oriana's bed. She yelped in surprise as Alex immediately pulled her up from her depressive state. "Just lie for one day. Pretend that you're completely and oh-so-totally disgusted with Howie. Okay? Play aloof with Teagan. Make her think something is wrong tomorrow. We'll create the illusion that nothing happened, which will..."

"Piss Teagan off to no extent?" Oriana drawled.

"And if I would so happen to drop a hint that your unsuccessful attempt at a relationship might be because you're afraid of damaging Howie's friendship with my brother..."

"Then Teagan would immediately go to Brian force him to make-nice with Howie to push the relationship along..." Oriana finished softly.

"I knew my idea would work!" Nick boasted, his ego already getting bigger. "Never lose faith in Nick Carter's ideas!"

"Will you do it, Ry? Just one day of pretending. One day of acting like a complete snob about Howie. That's all. You know that you and Howie would be back together in Teagan's eyes by Sunday afternoon. C'mon, Sweetheart. Trust me as your soon-to-be-brother. This will work," Alex continued to enthuse.

"But what about tonight?" Oriana drawled after a few moments. "He couldn't stay..."

"You are right about that. He couldn't stay here tonight," Alex frowned, knowing it would disappoint the couple. "He'd have to stay in my room, but he wouldn't have to come over until way later."

"Yeah..." Oriana trailed, glancing down at her hands.

"Once we get Teagan involved, Howie can stay every night, Ry. We just have to get through this until then."

"Why can't I just kick his ass out early in the morning?" Oriana whimpered with her tempting pout.

"Could you get him out early enough? I know you like to sleep in."

"I didn't say I was waking up... I said he was waking up..." Oriana answered, offering Howie a soft smile. She didn't even know if Howie really wanted to spend the night. It was up to him in every way, shape, and form.

"You mean I won't get a nice 'Good morning now get your ass in Alex's room' greeting? That's no fun," Howie replied with his own pout.

"I could mumble it in a haze..." Oriana offered.

"Are you spending the night in her room or not?" Alex asked impatiently.

"Do you really not know the answer to that question?" Nick snorted, pecking a light kiss to Oriana's cheek before sauntering out of the room.

“Like you knew right away!" Alex called back with a frown. He kissed Oriana's forehead and stood up. "Just go along with the plan and everything will go smoothly."

"Act like a frigid bitch? Sure!" Oriana quipped.

"D, do you think you can act like an asshole?"

"What do you think?"

"Only making sure. Good luck, you two."

"Thanks, Alex," Oriana called, watching him slowly disappear out the doorway. She sighed softly with a smile, placing her hands in her lap as she adjusted her gaze to Howie. She felt a flitter of nervous energy zip through her soul. "I think I might like having him as an older brother."

"He's a great best friend, and I know he'll be a great older brother for you," Howie agreed with a smile.

"And us? What about us?" she finally asked shyly.

"You know how I feel about you. I want us to be a couple. But I want to know what you want--"

"Can you come over here and I'll tell you?" she asked shyly, moving to retrieve the ice packs and towel from her bed. "That way I can keep taking care of your back."

"Yeah, just give me about twenty years to get over there," he joked with a smile, slowly standing up. He went to close the door and lock it before heading to her bed.

“I'm really sorry he did that to you. I think I might have to kick his ass," Oriana confirmed, helping Howie ease down into the center of the bed. She then carefully eased his t-shirt over his back again, applying the ice packs to the angriest of the wounds. She then moved her hands to the sides of his back, gently massaging to calm him. "How's that?"

"Mmm... much better. Don't worry about Brian. Sooner or later it'll bite him in the ass anyway," Howie replied, feeling his muscles around the injury relax.

"It'll probably be from me setting a rabid dog on his ass, though," Oriana decided, easing herself over to rest on the lower portion of his body. She found it easier to access the sides of his lower back from that position, hoping he wouldn't mind. She found herself swallowing hard at the sleek form of his muscular body, waves of satisfaction rolling across her body with each feeling of his warm skin beneath her hands.

"Can't say I would say no to that happening," Howie chuckled, a moan escaping his throat. "You're a great massager."

"That's what the team says," Oriana joked. He tensed slightly with that statement, obviously debating if she just gave the massage as a friendly passing or if it could be something more. She started wondering if he was waiting for her to consent to forming a relationship and answering his question about what she wanted.

"Oriana?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you sing me a song?"

"Say huh?" she murmured in confusion, withdrawing her hands away from Howie's back. She removed herself from his hips to sit on the edge of the bed in a perplexed state.

"Would you sing me a song?" he repeated, locking her eyes with his.

"Why?"

"Because you have a beautiful voice and it would help me to relax even more?"

"You've never heard me sing," she scorned softly, standing up from the bed. She stretched her tired body, padding over to her light-switch.

"Have to. Don't you remember during West Side Story? You were doing the backgrounds and singing the play's songs to yourself. I heard you."

"Then you were spying on me, Mr. Dorough," Oriana chided, flicking off the lights. Immediately, her room was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight. She held an impish smile on her face, almost as if she loved basking in the pale moon's light. She seemed almost like a vision of a true goddess walking back over to the bed.

"When you hear an Angel's voice floating through the air, one can't help but listen," Howie replied with a smile.

“You are so full of shit," Oriana laughed, brushing off the comment. She seemed more perplexed as she gently eased into the bed, making sure to keep their body contact to a mere minimum. She shifted to nestle her head into her favorite pillow, finding her eyes connecting with Howie's eyes as she pulled her blankets around them. "What?"

"Sing for me? Please?"

"Am I singing for my boyfriend?" she asked after a long pause.

"I would love to be sung to by my girlfriend," he replied, feeling elated at the word 'boyfriend' that had just fallen from her lips.

"Your girlfriend?" she repeated, just making sure she had heard correctly. She couldn't even recall the last time a man used that word with her and actually meant it with a sweet sincerity of adoration. She felt her heart catch against her throat, praying he meant those words. She needed him more than he would ever realize.

"My girlfriend," he verified, reaching out to pull her closer to him. Everything about her made him fall harder every second, especially since she was now his.

"I like the sound of that..." she whispered with an excited shriek of surprise, causing Howie to laugh. She immediately entangled her fingers through his silky curls, pressing a warm kiss to his forehead. "Okay, okay, you need relaxing?"

“It would be nice," he gave a cute pout.

"Okay..." she trailed, clicking her tongue with thought. Her blue-green eyes sparked within the faint light of the room as she shifted to lay on her back, carefully motioning for Howie to rest his head upon her chest. "A little boy that I take care of all the time, Corey, he gets upset a lot. The easiest way to get him to calm down is to hold him and let him listen to my heartbeat as I sang to him... Figure all guys are the same, right?"

"Just about. When I was growing up, my Mama always did that for me when I was upset about something. Now she says I'm too old... but I have missed that," Howie admitted.

"Figure it'd be a little different coming from your girlfriend instead of your mother though, right?" she answered, wrinkling her nose at the idea.

"I love it a lot more coming from my beautiful girlfriend."

"Well, c'mere then," she initiated, holding out her arms. She figured it would be the best way for him to sleep that night anyway. He wouldn't have a chance of rolling onto his inflamed back if he was nestled into her embrace, laying on her chest.

"I'm coming," he replied, smiling as he gently scooted over until he was inside her warm arms. Resting his head on her chest, he felt all the tension leave his body while listening to her soft heartbeat.

Oriana carefully draped her hands downward to reposition the chilly icepacks along his spine, making sure they would stay there throughout the night. Once they were secured, Oriana draped her one arm around his shoulders and used the other hand to gently comb her fingers through his silky locks. "How's that, Howie?" she asked him within the soft night, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"This is what I call Heaven. Just laying here in my Riana's arms... well, it would be nice not to have an aching back, but that's beside the point. This is definitely my favorite place."

"I'm sorry for your back, but I'll take care of it as long as you need me, too, okay?"

"Okay," Howie yawned a little.

"Yeah, you better get to sleep. Your ass is getting booted out of here early in the morning. And, don't worry, the alarm's set for you," Oriana reminded, resting her chin against the top of his head to settle herself into a comfortable position. The idea of holding Howie during his troubles made everything surreal. She had dreamed of this for so long.

"Will I get a good morning kiss before I gimp over to Alex's room?" Howie asked, cuddling deeper into her. After all those years, he was finally in her arms and she was finally his. The one wish he always made was granted.

"Just shake my shoulders and I'll pucker my lips."
"You don't like mornings, do you?" he laughed, closing his eyes.

"I positively hate the mornings. It's cruel and unusual punishment to make someone wake up in the morning," she explained, running her fingers along his shoulder-blades.

"What are you going to do once you're done with college and become a doctor? They have to get up in the mornings."

"No, no, no, we're talking night rounds!"

"Should have known," he gently kissed her throat.

"Don't do that," she giggled as she shied away from Howie's kiss, surprising Howie greatly. The soft giggles almost sounded like a sweet chime from the angels.

"Does that tickle?" he asked with a smirk, already learning a weakness.

"A little..." she replied with a pout, trying to act tough.

"Hmm," he thought for a moment before resuming his kisses.

“Okay! Okay! Okay! A lot! It tickles a lot!" she shrieked with her beautiful giggles, struggling to cover Howie's mouth to prevent the kisses. Each soft kiss sent an electrical shock pulsating throughout her tender body. His kisses already drove her insane.

Howie reached up and took her hands into his to get better access to her neck and throat. "Good!"

"Howie!" Oriana moaned pathetically, arching her back against him in the deepest delight as he hit the most tender areas. The gentle suckles complimenting the kisses caused an series of shivers to her body. "Oh..."

"That's my Riana... you taste so sweet, Baby," Howie whispered in between kisses and nibbles.

"You're driving me nuts," she breathed with delight, entrapping her fingers within his silk curls. She couldn't even imagine telling him to stop the passionate emotions exchanging between them. She had never felt such an explosion of heat perfusing throughout her body. Her heart rate continued to escalate as she offered a series of soft moans and sighs.

"But you love it," he replied quietly, wrapping his arms around her.

"I've never done this before though..." she softly panted, trying to pull away to give herself a chance to breathe.

"You love the feeling you're getting, just like me," he stopped for a moment. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I am..." she drawled, biting down on her bottom lip for a moment. The only sexual encounters she could really refer to happened with her pinned to the bed, fighting every ounce of the way. Horrible nightmares to consume her every waking thought and every sweet dream. She swallowed hard, knowing she couldn't tell Howie. He wouldn't care about her any longer. "I just... I've never done this, Howie. So, I get a little nervous... But I like it a lot... And I like you a lot... I don't want you to stop, I just don't want to get carried away... I mean, I don't know what you've done or..."

"I'm a virgin, too. Don't worry, we'll only go as far as you want. If you say stop, we'll stop. Okay?" he made her look into his eyes.

"I trust you," she promised, still chewing on her bottom lip. "But, how far did you go with...with her?"

"That's the thing... it was all the way, but I regret it so much that I still consider myself a virgin. I tried to make it special and she made it into a random sex act. That's what I meant when I said I was a virgin," he looked away, a little ashamed. He wasn't proud for sleeping with someone like Christina.

"Oh..." Oriana trailed, not really knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry. I'll bet it disappoints you--"

"No, it's your life..."

"I wish my first time would have been with you..."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"Why?”

"Because, I know it's early in our relationship, being a few hours in as an offical couple and all... But I love you... And I wish I could have given you that special gift, you know?"

"I know, but I'm waiting for marriage..." she whispered faintly, feeling so guilty at that moment. Most of her moral dilemma's centered around the reality of her being a virgin for her wedding day or not. Technically, she had committed intercourse, but it was rape. So, how could she classify herself?

"I totally respect that, but you understand what I'm saying, right? I would love to be the man you marry and have that special wedding night."

"You're something else, you know that?" she declared after a few moments, finally offering the smallest of a smile. She suddenly envied Christina for being able to share such an intimate moment with Howie. She would always be known as his first and if the relationship did survive, Oriana would always be known as his second.

"I try," Howie gave an innocent smile. "I know what you're thinking and she's not considered my first. You would be."

"Say huh?"

"She's not my first. And if we make love... you would be my first."

"Oh..."

"Riana?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you disappointed in me?"

"No... Why?"

"Because since I told you about that, you've been really quiet."

"It's not that I'm disappointed, Howie. I mean, it's your life, right? And you had a serious relationship with the girl... It's perfectly natural in this day and age to have an intimate relationship with her. Especially if you were going to be offering her a promise ring which I can only imagine to be as pre-engagement... It's just sexual relations is always a weird subject for me. I can joke about it for days, but the serious conversations tend to scare me... But I'm not disappointed in you. I think I'm disappointed in myself, because you obviously regretted having sex with her... And if I had just... I might have saved you that agony, I guess..."

"Oriana, look at me," Howie demanded lightly, cupping her chin. "I made that choice on my own. I could have easily said I wanted to wait, but I gave into the pressure everyone else was laying on me. Don't blame yourself, please."

"O-Okay," she whispered, blinking back the unshed tears. She reached out to gently run her fingers along the side of his face. She prayed he couldn't see deeper into her eyes. To the true source of her agony.

"I know you're not ready to say this yet... but I love you, Oriana Ryan Riley. I always have and I always will. Nothing could ever change that; no matter what," he pulled her down for a soft and loving kiss.

"I like you a lot?" she responded softly against his lips, knowing it didn't have the full effect of an 'I love you.'

"Just knowing you like me a lot makes my heart skip a beat," he replied honestly.
Sly Workings by Anastacia
Chapter 16 – Sly Workings

Oriana muffled a sharp groan against her pillow when she heard the shrill sound of her annoying alarm clock greet the blazing morning sun. She lazily freed her arm from the warm covers, reaching to push the silencer. She slammed her fingers against several hard objects before silence finally invaded the room. She sighed with sheer contentment, and then reached over to locate Howie to rouse him. Yet, she found no such occupant in her bed. She lay still for a few moments, hearing the distant sounds of her shower running. Satisfied that he was up, Oriana rolled into the middle of her bed, burrowing beneath the mountain of covers, and dozed back to sleep.

Within a few moments time from her alarm; Howie came out of the shower and dried off. His mop of curls glistened in the morning sun as he pulled on boxers and baggy jean shorts. Grabbing his favorite black tank top, he opened the bathroom door and looked out to see a huge mass in the middle of her bed. Knowing who it was, he chuckled and sat down, poking Oriana. "Good morning, Sunshine!"

Oriana grumbled an incoherent and unconscious reply, shuffling amongst the blankets to get away from the annoying pressure Howie was providing against her skin. Everyone always had quite a lot of trouble pulling Oriana from her bed. She could be as nasty as a bear during hibernation if awoken wrong. So, she snuggled deeper into her favorite pillow and pulled the blankets in a tight cocoon around her body.

"Hey, I'm supposed to get a good morning kiss," Howie pouted, grasping the top of the covers and pulled hard.

"Ehh!" she grunted in protest, holding furiously tight to the blankets encasing her in a dark setting.

"Ehh!" he mocked with a laugh, continuing to pull.

"No, Momma, no," she whimpered pathetically, still fighting to stay asleep. She struggled within her unconscious state to grasp the blankets, but found herself loosing. She continued to whimper and protest within her drowsy state until the shrill ring tone of Moulin Rouge caught her attention. Her beautiful blue-green eyes immediately popped open with an attentive nature, rolling over to grasp her cell phone, but only to fall off the bed in a massive collection of blankets.

"See, you should have woken up when I told you," Howie laughed over Oriana's curses and the ring tone.

"Bite me," she retorted, struggling to hit the 'send' button to receive the call. She squinted at the tiny scream, fumbling with a sleep-clogged mind as she placed the phone to her ear. "Where the Hell do you get off at calling me at sixty-five in the morning... Say huh? ... Oh... Yeah, six-oh-five..."

Howie rolled his eyes as he sat down on the bed, waiting for her conversation to be finished.

"Yes, I fell out of bed grabbing for the phone. When don't I fall out of bed grabbing the phone? ... Right... So, the point of the conversation, Luke? ... Beach football and a side of volley in an hour, usual spot? ... Well, Hell yeah I'm going. Since when did the Cherry-Bomb turn down football and volleyball? ... Hell yeah... Wine coolers and Pepsi sound fine to me... Start making the bets so I have a few extra bits of cash... Yeah, the string, cherry-print bikini bet works all the time... I'll have to be back by like noon ... Yeah... Mmm... Semi-conscious at the moment... No date for me thanks, Mac's too into the female anatomy at Duke for my liking... Yeah... Alright, I'll grab you in about an hour... Check you later, Luke..."

"Who's Mac?" Howie asked curiously as Oriana pressed the end button and crawled back into her bed.

"James Mackenzie," Oriana answered, reaching down to grasp some of the fallen blankets. She started to weave them around her body again before flopping down into a comfortable position. She stifled a yawn, "He was a senior last year at Tartan and made varsity... He's actually Pre-Med at Duke now."

"And Luke wanted you to go on a date with this Mac?"

"I did say no thanks--"

"I know, and I'm glad. But why did he even ask in the first place? Did Mac like you at one point or something?"

"No one knows that we're dating, Howie. And, the whole team asks me to go out with Mac when he comes back from Duke to visit. Ace is determined that if I took away MVP from Mac, that I at least should date him in return. I don't know if he likes me or whatever. He calls a lot to talk to me... Took me to the Homecoming Dance last year... You know, normal, goofy stuff, why?"

"No reason, just curious. And yes, it's just curiosity," Howie replied, hoping she believed him.

"Yeah, for how long?" Oriana challenged. "You're jealous deep down, I can tell."

"Well... can you blame me?"

"Mac doesn't like me. He just jokes around about it. He has hundreds of freshman college chicks to entertain his time. I doubt he would be overly concerned about one little senior high school chick," Oriana tried to console with a playful role of her blue-green eyes. She scurried from beneath the covers to jump off her bed, moving to the dresser drawer filled with various bikinis.

"So you get out of bed for Luke and the team but not me?" Howie pouted as he watched her find the bikini Luke had requested.

"You didn't invite me to make money off the goofballs on the football team with some Domino's pizza, wine coolers, and Pepsi for breakfast," Oriana entertained, holding up the skimpy bikini in front of her body.

"But just seeing me should be enough to wake you up!" Howie protested with another pout.

"Dare to dream," she laughed, moving behind her folding screen that was filled with various pictures of her childhood. Most were of her and Teagan growing, but Howie seemed less concerned with that as he watched the faint silhouette of her sleek figure strip off her clothing to pull on her bikini. He felt his mouth grow dry as she appeared in her string bikini top and a pair of boxer shorts. She leaned over him to capture his lips in a fiery kiss. "Better?"

"Yeah, but--"

"How's your back feeling?" she asked, finally noticing he didn't have a shirt on.

"It burns to have a shirt rubbing up against it constantly..." he explained, his cheeks faintly stirring with a blush as she admired his sleek upper body. “I guess I just want to say it hurts like Hell."

"Well..." Oriana trailed, leaning over him to examine his back for a brief moment. She placed a small kiss against the nape of his neck. "Take my ice packs home and keep using them. Okay? And take Tylenol to reduce the pain."

"Alright. Do you have a story I could use on my family to explain my back? I don't want to get into the whole thing with them," Howie replied, shivering at her simple kiss.

Oriana thought for a moment before reaching to take Howie's black tank top into her hands. She stared at for a moment before pulling it over her bikini top. She then moved to grab a brush to plait two braids into her long curls. "Best one I used would be when I told Momma I was goofing around the pool, someone accidentally pushed me in, and then I ended up scraping my back along the edge."

"Accidentally being pushed into the pool... That could definitely work."

"Worked for me," she agreed, muffling a small yawn against her bare shoulder. She peered into her mirror for only a moment to part her curls on either side. She then took a seat beside Howie on her bed, quickly braiding.

"So, what all are you doing today before noon? And what's going on at noon?" Howie asked curiously as he watched her.

"Some of the guys want to get together at the beach to play football and volleyball. Mac came back from North Carolina and he's looking to hook up with the team. So, we'll probably spend the time till noon goofing around, playing some games, dunking each other in the water, ocean chicken... Then at noon I promised to take Alex out to get stuff for his room. He wants some goofy leopard print theme..."

"Leopard?" Howie scrunched his nose in distaste. "That sounds like Alex, alright."

"With the tacky bright, neon green carpet to add that seventies pimp flavor," she agreed, securing the first braid before moving to the other. She tilted her head for a moment to admire Howie's nude upper half, finding a small smile spreading across her warm face. "So, what are you doing this weekend?"

"I don't know yet. Besides my parent's anniversary tonight, there's nothing else planned at the moment," Howie replied, feeling Oriana's eyes on him and smirked.

"I'm sure you'll have fun tonight," she encouraged, shifting her eyes when she noted the sensual smirk crossing Howie's face. She blushed as she focused on her hair instead.

"It's the one time besides Christmas and Thanksgiving when Mama goes all out and cooks not only Puerto Rican food, but Irish as well. We pig out, give them our presents and then they go out for the night to celebrate however they want to," Howie replied, getting hungry for the feast already.

"That's really sweet," Oriana decided after a few moments, finally finishing the second braid. She quickly tossed them behind her lean shoulders, falling back onto her bed for a few moments. She found it charming that Howie's family was so close.

"You'll have to come and have dinner with us sometime. Mama will make you anything you wanted, and it'll be the best you've ever had," Howie replied, laying down next to her.

"Don't hurt your back," she warned, propping herself up with her elbows to make sure he was okay.

"I got it," he replied, showing her that his elbows kept his back from barely touching the bed.

"You drive me nuts, you know that?" she sighed with relief, hating to actually see the man in pain.

"Yes, but you still really like me anyway," he gave an innocent smile.

"Yeah..." she trailed with her own innocent smile. The idea of a relationship with Howie was still far too unique in Oriana's mind. It seemed almost too surreal at times.

"I've got to get going. My sister Pollyanna left a message on my phone to remind me about the shopping today," Howie frowned at the mention of shopping. With his brother John it was fine. But with Pollyanna, John and his two other sisters, Angie and Caroline, it was chaos.

"Okay," Oriana consented, helping Howie stand from the bed. She quickly pulled off his shirt from her body and gently eased it onto his bare upper half. She made sure not to connect with any of the angry bruises, smiling gently as she kissed his cheek. She then moved to retrieve one of her baggy Duke t-shirts. She threw it onto her sleek body and knotted it just above her belly button. "Have fun shopping. Guess I better get going anyway... I'll end up having to stretch out the boys or something during practice if I'm late..."

"Shopping with my sisters and brother has to be considered the Ninth Ring of Hell..." Howie frowned for a moment. He shrugged and leaned down to brush his lips against the softness of Oriana's. "Text me later on tonight?"

"I don't have your--"

"Yes you do. I put it in there last night."

"Did you get mine?" she asked quizzically, bringing her fingertips to her lips with thought.

"Someone put it in my phone... I think it was Teagan."

"You've got friends in high places, don't you?" she teased softly, clip her cell phone to the waist of her shorts. "But, yeah, I'll try to text you tonight..."

"Can I call you tonight after the 'rents leave?" he asked as they walked to her door.

"I thought we were texting."

"Well, the texting to see where each other are and then I could call?"

"Um... Yeah, okay," she laughed at a few minutes of contemplation. She leaned against the frame of her front door after she opened it, handing Howie the ice packs. "Calling me tonight shouldn't be a problem, tomorrow however, would be complete and pure chaos."

"Why?" he blanked for a moment. "Ohh! We have to... yeah, kind of forgot."

"Well, yeah, I guess that would be one reason. Though, I'm guessing Teagan will be out with the Numbnuts... But, I guess we're moving the boys and Kevin in tomorrow, but then I have another activity and along with dance, which usually occupies most of my Saturday night... But, yeah, something like that..." she trailed with another faint blush creeping to her cheeks. It was almost too bittersweet to say goodbye. Truth be told, she didn't want to say goodbye.

"I don't want to say good-bye," he whispered, as if reading her thoughts.

"Me either..." she admitted with a sad smile.

"One more kiss before I leave, Love?"

"You going to miss me that much?" she teased wryly, shying away as he slowly stepped forward. Though, she knew the truth to that answer. Her weekend schedule was filled with complete chaos and panic, giving her no room to breathe. It would have to be Howie calling her, because she feared she might even forget to breathe if she had an extra few minutes.

"I'll miss you more than the sun misses shining down on the world," he smiled, gently pinning her against the wall.

"You've lasted weekends without seeing me before," she contemplated with a still soft smile, pressing her back tightly against the wall.

"Yes, but before you weren't truly mine. Now that you are, I'm going to miss you more than ever."

"Well, I'm not even truly yours yet. You've gotta wait for Teagan to give Numbnuts the third degree, if and when she decides to do that," Oriana challenged, wrapping her arms around Howie's neck as if it were perfectly natural. She stepped to him, offering a soft kiss to his lips.

"I may not know her in the same ways you do, but I have a feeling she'll react right away when Alex explains it all. Then you'll be all mine," Howie replied with a smile, placing his hands on her hips. He connected their lips with another kiss.

"Mmmm," she mumbled softly when he pulled away, but she needed more. She moved her hands to the sides of his face, pulling him back for yet another kiss, though it stirred a hotter passion than any other.

Howie moaned quietly in his throat as their kiss deepened and his head began to spin with pleasure he had never felt before. He pulled Oriana close to him, feeling her heart beat rapidly against his.

Oriana's sweet lips curved into a soft smile as she pulled away just for a moment. She heard Howie gasp for a breath as she connected yet again, almost seeming to melt into his form. She gently parted his lips with her own, enticing him further with a soft nibble against his lower lip. Her heart seemed to detach from the mortal coil of her body, lifting up into the dreamiest of Heavens.

"Wow..." Howie wheezed as they finally broke for the last time.

"Yeah?" she panted, leaning back against the wall.

"Yeah," he kissed her forehead. "You take my breath away."

"Likewise," she agreed.

"Are you two done yet, because you're going to ruin the entire plan. Here you two are, downstairs, sucking face. D, I'm appalled. Truly appalled. What happened to respecting the love and all that shit?" Alex teased, making his descent down the stairs. He had seen the whole romantic embrace.

"You're the pervert who was watching us," Howie teased right back with a laugh, feeling his cheeks blush.

"Well, I don't think the Jaws of Life could have pried you two apart," Alex snorted, stretching his lean form with a loud yawn. "What happened to you getting your ass into my room anyway?"

"Um... I kind of forgot?"

"Yeah, and I can see why," Alex drawled, gazing to his sister.

"What did I do? I'm the innocent one, remember?" Oriana replied with her famous innocent smile.

"Somehow I doubt that when it comes to having Howie to spend the night, Ry..."

"Look, Jamie. Nothing happened, everything's okay. Let's just get Howie out of here before Numbnuts wakes up."

Alex didn't seem to catch his newly formed nickname as he reaching to tug Howie away from Oriana. He gently guided his friend to the door, pretending to kick him out. "And don't come back, ya bastard!"

"Bye, Howie," Oriana called with a soft laugh, peering over Alex's shoulder.

"Bye, Riana," Howie ducked around Alex and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. "I'll be thinking of you."

"Hopefully I'll see you Monday," she agreed with a blush.

"You will--"

"Get'cher ass outta here, Dorough!" Alex laughed, pushing Howie out the door.

"You promise to text me?" Howie called, finally starting to walk down the stairs.

"When I have a free moment, sure..." Oriana promised, squeezing from behind Alex. She eagerly hurried down the stairs, needing just one last kiss. Alex had to laugh as Oriana pretended to jump into Howie's arms, offering yet another warming kiss. "Sorry, I had to."

“No need to apologize for that," Howie smiled, hugging her tightly.

"Gotta make it last, right?" Oriana countered, leaning up one last time for a stirring kiss. "Okay, okay, okay. I'm done. I'll text you tonight, I promise. Have a good time shopping and have a great time with your parents tonight."

"Thanks, you enjoy your time with your brother and with Ma...the boys..."

"You mean Mac?" she countered, immediately reading the jealous note in his eyes. She found it somewhat amusing. Finally, someone was jealous of her relationships. As much as other girls would hate the jealousy, Oriana enjoyed just the sentimental fact that Howie cared enough to worry.

"But---"

"Mac means nothing. Even if he took me to Homecoming. Okay? Now you should really get going. Don't want to be late for your sisters and brother, right?"

"But--"

"No more kisses if you don't get going!"

"But---"

"Howie, go," she ordered.

"But--"

"I'm going to count to three. If you're not in your car by then, you're grounded from my kisses. One..."

"Riana!"

"Two..."

"Ria!"

"What?!" Oriana groaned.

Howie leaned in and kissed her once more. "Remember me when you're out with all those boys."

"And what about you should I remember," she laughed, guiding him to the car.

"How much you like me, the way you feel after I kiss you, also how incredibly SEXY I am—"

"If you don't get in that car right now, I think I might have to tackle Mac with just a bikini on," she threatened in the middle of his exaggerated points, knowing her brother's patience was running thin.

"You better not!" Howie replied with a scowl as he climbed into his car.

"And what would you possibly do if I did?"

"I don't know at the moment, but I'll think of something!"

"Go!" she ordered.

"I'll miss you?" he tried, starting up the engine.

"I'll miss you, too," she promised finally with a soft smile.

"Bye, angel of mine," he replied, blowing her a kiss while pulling out of the driveway. He waved once more before speeding down the street.

*~*~*


Oriana seemed to be in a daze as she floated back into the house, sauntering into the kitchen. She kept a soft hand against her lips as she pulled out a bottle of Pepsi and then a banana from the fruit basket. She moved to hop onto the kitchen table, just staring out the window, never noticing Alex approach her. She had never been so overly attracted to a boy before. Everything about him drove her crazy with adoration. She needed him more than he would ever realize.

"You really like him," Alex commented, stirring Oriana from her thoughts. He sat next to her on the table.

"No, I just always have this goofy look on my face," she quipped with a playful sarcasm, reaching to peel the banana.

"Nah, the face you have no is goofier," he replied, smirking as he grabbed an apple from the bowl behind them and took a big bite.

Oriana feigned a look of anger, but it was hard to conceive since her cheeks were puffed out with the banana. Alex seemed pleased with the response, chewing heavily on the juicy bits of the apple. Oriana fell silent until the she heard the chirp of Moulin Rouge. She swallowed hard, mashing the rest of the banana into Alex's face before picking up the phone. "Oh... Hey, Mac! ... No girlfriend at Duke, yet? Damn, that bites... Can't hit'em fast enough or what? ... Yeah, I'm on my way... Yeah, halfway out the door... Yeah... I promise! Adios!"

"Who the Hell is Mac?" Alex mumbled through a mouthful of apple and smashed banana. He looked thoroughly displeased as he wiped away the mushy mess from his face.

"A friend," she answered simple, finishing the two liter of Pepsi. She tossed the plastic bottle into the recycling can before grabbing her keys. "I'll be back at noon to take you to Home Depot and all that jazz."

"Where are you going?" Alex questioned with a scowl, getting up to grab a paper towel.

"The guys want to play some volleyball and football down at the beach. Why?" Oriana countered, noticing the fixed scowl.

"Why was Mac calling you?"

"He wanted to make sure I was coming, that's all. Jamie, what's wrong?"

"I don't like the sound of Mac."

"You don't even know him!" she burst with a laugh. "He's not a bad guy."

"Why would he tell you that he hasn't had any girlfriends at Duke?" Alex objectified, continuing the wipe the gooey mess off of his face. "That's perfect guy-lingo, Ry. He's freaking telling you he's available. You've gotta learn to pick up on that stuff, Ry. You're a beautiful girl--"

"Mac is a friend, that's it. Everyone on the team always gives me a head's up about their dating life. It's... natural..."

"Natural... I doubt it... Mac is giving you a big hint, Ry. Be careful."

"Mmm-hmm, I haven't even kissed..." Oriana trailed at that thought, biting down on her bottom lip. Mac had cornered her at the last Homecoming Dance, forcing himself upon her. Yet, she said nothing. It didn't seem like her place. She sighed, shaking the thoughts free. "Can I go?"

"Promise me you'll be careful and then you can go," Alex replied, noticing the uneasiness in Oriana's eyes.

"Mmm-hmm, I haven't even kissed..." Oriana trailed at that thought, biting down on her bottom lip. Mac had cornered her at the last Homecoming Dance, forcing himself upon her. Yet, she said nothing. It didn't seem like her place. She sighed, shaking the thoughts free. "Can I go?"

"Promise me you'll be careful and then you can go," Alex replied, noticing the uneasiness in Oriana's eyes.

"Careful with what?" Oriana blanked, hearing the faint rustling of footsteps upon the stairs leading into the living room.

"Do you always question everything?"

Oriana thought for a moment, "Yes..."

"I should have known," Alex groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Just go to the beach--"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Oriana interrupted, grasping the twenty-four ounce of Pepsi before retrieving her keys. She moved to hurry out the front door, but bumped quickly into Teagan's stumbling form. Oriana staggered back in a few awkward steps, immediately forcing a frown on her face, just as Alex had indicated.

"Mornin' to you too," Teagan mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Sorry, I just have to go," Oriana quickly murmured, trying to slip past her friend.

"Where are you going so early?"

"Mac's back in town--"

"MAC? What the Hell are you seeing Mac for?"

"Why do you care?" Oriana countered, yelping slightly as Teagan embedded her fingernails into the tender flesh of Oriana's wrist. She had never seen Teagan so out of sorts.

Teagan looked at Oriana in shock at her statement. Why wouldn't she care about her best friend? The question seemed so ridiculous. "What does that mean? Of course I care! Mac's an asshole and you know how he can get--"

"He doesn't get like anything," Oriana quickly interrupted, realizing Alex was indeed eavesdropping on the conversation. She already knew that the bond between Alex and Howie was quite tight, so anything revealed to Alex would always find a way back to Howie.

"Bullshit--"

"Teagan, let me go. You're not my mother and if you did care like you claimed..." Oriana sighed heavily. She just hoped Teagan would fall for the plan like Alex said. "Forget it. I'm going."

"Oriana Ryan!" Teagan exclaimed as the younger girl pushed her roughly and walked out of the house.

"You okay, Teagan?" Alex called, popping his head into the living room when he heard the sharp slam of the front door. He noticed Teagan standing at the threshold of the door, looking quite bewildered by Oriana's cool brushing. He hadn't liked the ending conversation about Mac, but could only assume it was perfectly executed by Oriana. Now he just needed to plant the correct thoughts into Teagan's head to give his brother a taste of the evil medicine.

"No... what just happened? She's never like that to me. Did I do something wrong?" Teagan asked with confusion, looking over at Alex. There were bags under her gloomy eyes. Oriana's attitude always had an affect on her own.

"She said something about wanting to correct her shitty birthday by hanging out with Mac and some of the guys for this morning," Alex answered with a shrug of his thin shoulders, trying to act nonchalant.

"Shitty birthday? But I thought everything was going good with her and Howie," she replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Howie left last night..." Alex drawled, collapsing on the living room couch.

"What?! He left?! Why? It doesn't make any sense!" Teagan exclaimed once again, rushing towards Alex. "What happened?"

"Shit hit the fan last night when he went to talk to her. Something was said between him and my brother last night. Brian obviously hates Oriana with a passion for wiping his face in the mud at the game... But Howie and my brother have been best friends since we were little. So, Howie completely severed any chance he had with Oriana..."

"You have to be kidding me! Brian and Howie... no! Howie and Oriana are meant to be together! Damn him, he always feels threatened if someone if better than him. Especially if it's a girl. Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Teagan cursed in disbelief. "I can't let this happen. No way."

"Howie told her that he couldn't have anything to do with her. Friendships before trivial girlfriends... Broke off everything and anything they ever had. Even their solid friendship. He promised to disappear out of her life forever," Alex continued, placing the final coats of the story together.

"Not if I can help it," Teagan steamed, rushing up the stairs. "BRIAN THOMAS RICHARDSON! YOUR ASS IS GRASS!"

"Damn," Alex wheezed, stifling a laugh. He hadn't expected that to smooth over so quickly.
Very Un-Brady by Anastacia
Chapter 17 – Very Un-Brady


"Ain't no sunshine when she's gone / It's not warm when she's away..." Oriana sang softly to herself as she rushed up the stairs behind Alex, carrying yet another large box revealing the marker scratching bearing Alex's name. She blew a damp blonde curl from her cheek, gathering another deep breath to complete the heavy trek up the many stairs. She was exhausted. They had taken the entire day to move the three men into the Riley household after Oriana and Alex had perfected his bedroom. Oriana tried to act as if she weren't affected by the transition, but Brian's stares had turned murderous and Kevin's needing of approval made her sick to her stomach. She hated the worry flopping through her aching heart and she hated being so alert to disasters. So, instead, she focused on forming a relationship with Alex. If she were to be involved within this Hell, she wanted someone that would offer even the slightest tinge of comfort.

"Okay, someone's got to say it," Oriana finally heaved bluntly, stumbling into her room with the box. They had decided to unload Alex's things in her room to let the paint finish drying in his and giving him more ease of unpacking. "You have a ton of shit!"

"It's not shit! These are my prized possessions!" Alex objected, setting down the box he was holding onto the floor. He ran a hand through his sweaty locks, drying them slightly.

Oriana rolled her eyes with annoyance before speak, "I highly doubt that your huge box of Playboys is considered a prize possession."

"Playboys are in the black trunk," Alex blurted without thought, leaning down to the box Oriana had carried. He quickly opened it to reveal several hundred pairs of sunglasses and a variety of hats. He then opened the other boxes to reveal piles of expensive clothes.

Oriana withdrew in surprise, biting down on her bottom lip to keep from laughing. "Did we forget to discuss your sexual orientation before engaging in this sibling-hood?"

Alex looked up at her with raised eyebrows. A pair of sleek, silver sunglasses rested on his nose, slightly falling down the bridge with the chance of his facial expression. "What do you mean? I just like to be different."

"You have more clothes than Teagan..." Oriana drawled, shaking her head in disbelief. Oriana had always teased Teagan for having such a bountiful supply of clothing, enough to burst from the two large walk-in closets in girl’s room. It was just amusing to see a boy having more clothing than Teagan.

"I like to shop," Alex shrugged as he shuffled through the box and pulled out a black and blue leopard print cowboy hat. He walked over and placed it on Oriana's head. "Perfect!"

"What am I wearing?" Oriana asked in confusion as Alex pulled out a red Yankees baseball hat and pulled it on.

"Well, those in our species usually identify that item of apparel as a 'hat'..." Alex drawled, arching his dark brows again in confusion.

"Okay, why the Hell am I wearing it then?" she rephrased, moving to glance into the floor-length mirror that her mother deemed appropriate for each girl to have. She bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from laughing at the leopard print, finally deciding it was her step-brother's signature pattern. Though, as she turned to the side, Oriana had to admit she had a certain flare to pull off the odd hat.

"Because you look good in it," Alex approved, fishing through the box again to find a pair of sunglasses to go with the cowboy hat.

"Why are you doing this, though?" she questioned again, jumping back in shock as Alex pushed a pair of silver-rimmed glasses onto the bridge of her nose. She rolled her eyes, knowing they were masked by the dark tint, and then turned to look in the mirror. She was wearing a pair of tight, worn flares with a baggy gray t-shirt knotted at her waist. Alex had a knack for accessorizing.

"Do I need to have a reason for doing it?" he questioned back with a snort. "You look good, so stop complaining."

"It's not that I'm complaining," Oriana replied with surprise at Alex's sharp snort. "It's just that this is your stuff..."

“We're going to be siblings. What's mine is yours. For instance, the hat and glasses I put on you are now yours. I could never make them look as awesome as you do," Alex gave a smile and placed his hands on Oriana's shoulders.

"I look like an idiot," she blushed, fingering the rim of the cowboy hat. She hadn't expected for Alex to be so warm and inviting when she had first met him. They had only truly known each other for at least two days. But, he offered everything willingly, making Oriana wonder if Howie had enforced something with his best friend.

"No, you don't. You look like a natural cowgirl in that hat. The sunglasses give it a finishing touch along with your clothes. Did you ever live in the South or anything?" Alex wondered.

"My... I guess it'd be our grandparents... They live in North Carolina. Momma grew up there with Moms... But they moved to Florida to get a fresh start... Haven’t really seen my Grandparents much since I was little. Momma doesn’t get along too well with them… But I am allowed to visit their horse ranch during the summers... Why?"

"You look like a Southern girl, that's all. I think that's why you look so good in that hat," Alex looked at Oriana in confusion. "What do you mean, to get a fresh start here in Florida?"

"Moms had Gabby right out of high school, but Gabby's dad got scared or something and ran away. Then, Momma met a guy and foolishly decided she loved him and got involved with him while she was in high school. She ended up pregnant with little old me... Gramma disowned her for the first couple of months, because Momma couldn't hold onto the guy Gramma thought she was going to marry. Then Pappy helped her transfer to Florida State while she was pregnant with me... So, Momma and Moms moved to Florida into their own apartment, Momma went to medical school while Moms worked on her R.N. degree taking care of Teagan and then me..." Oriana explained, her eyes transfixed on the mirror. She could never forgive her 'father' for abandoning her. Her 'father' had been the source of all her torment.

"Oh..." Alex was quiet for a moment, taking in the somewhat sad and bittersweet story of Oriana's life as a child. "I'm sorry your grandparents reacted that way. And I'm sorry your dad left your mom. But... look at it this way. If he hadn't left, you wouldn't have me as a kick ass older step-brother?"

"I'm not sorry," Oriana countered with a fake smile. "My grandparents love me. Gramma couldn't be more proud of my dancing. Pappy loves that I can handle a horse better than anyone on the ranch. And... I was raised by two beautiful women and spent my entire life with my best friend. Besides, he's not my 'dad.' He's a grateful sperm donor."

"Huh?" Alex deadpanned.

"Nothing," she sighed, withdrawing the cowboy hat and sunglasses. "Here."

"Didn't I say they were for you?"

"And didn't I say they're yours?"

"But now what was once mine is now yours, so you have to keep them."

"Why can't I just steal your comfy t-shirts?" she groaned with a playful whine, thankful for the shift in conversation. She hated talking about the past, because it offered such a deep depression and too many questions that were left unanswered.

"You can borrow those, but I want you to have these," he whined back with a laugh.

"Never in my life would I go out of the house with these on!"

"What's wrong with them?!"

"Nothing for you, but have you looked at my wardrobe?"

"Yeah, I've seen it. And...?"

"Forget it," she laughed after several moments, realizing Alex would never understand. She should just accept the gift as is. Alex was trying to be sweet. So, with a shy smile, she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he smiled. Reaching to cup his cheek, he began to shriek like a crazed fan. "Like, oh my God! Oriana kissed my cheek! I'm like, never washing this like, ever again! Oh my God!"

Oriana immediately shrank back in horror, covering her delicate ears at the ear-piercing shrieks. She had never expected such a bizarre squeal to erupt from Alex’s low voice. "What the Hell was that?!"

“Teenybopper moment," Alex shrugged with a laugh, kissing Oriana's cheek before heading out the door to get more stuff.

"Why a teenybopper moment?" she called after him.

"Because that's what it was!"

"You're so full of—" Oriana's words were halted as she was thrown sharply into the nearby wall as Alex disappeared out the front door. All the air snapped out of her lungs, dissipating into the cool home. She wheezed in shock at the sharp pain radiating down her back as she met a pair of fiercely blue eyes. Growling with displeasure, Oriana pushed Brian and the large box he was carrying away from her body. "Dickhead!"

"Not my fault your dyke ass doesn't look where you're going!" Brian snapped back.

"No, it's your fault that your head is stuck so far up your ass that you can't see straight!" she snarled, slamming him back against the wall with the same force he had used.

"Don't fucking touch me, you freak!" he hissed, regaining his balance. He was about to raise a hand at her when footsteps rushed up and heard Cassandra's voice.

"Oriana! Sweetheart, you're going to be late if you don't get going."

"Late..." Oriana drawled for a moment, glancing down to the delicate watch perched on her wrist. Her brain zapped with remembrance, causing her to jump. She pushed Brian's hand away from her face to scramble into her room. "Thanks, Momma!"

"That's what Momma's are for," Cassandra chuckled, looking at Brian. "Do you need any help with stuff in your room, Brian?"

"No..." Brian murmured, throwing his box sharply into his room. He watched as Oriana tumbled out of her bedroom, hopping as she pulled on her sneakers. An excited smile spread across her face as she scooped up her boom box, hurrying down the steps to retrieve some other articles. Brian immediately pushed passed Cassandra, running down the stairs to see Oriana accidentally bump into Kevin as she struggled to balance a basketball and boom box.

"Sorry!" Oriana immediately blurted, stepping back as if she expected a heavy punch to be thrown into her body.

"It's alright, Oriana! No harm done," Kevin replied with a smile as he bent down to grab the basketball she dropped. "Do you need any help?"

"No!" Oriana recoiled in horror, reaching to snatch the ball. She could recall the 'help' offered by her mother's previous boyfriends. That type of help left her bruised, pained, and filthy. She wanted no such help.

"Okay, sorry. Just thought I would ask if you needed..." Kevin’s voice trailed as Oriana ran towards the front door. His heart immediately sank to his feet with disappointment "…help..."

"Where are you going?!" Alex blurted in surprise, catching Oriana's arm as she tried to squeeze past him through the door. Her lithe form almost made a quick escape, but Alex dropped the box of clothing in his hands to catch her. There was an unfamiliar glint of horror mixed in her blue-green orbs, alerting Alex to trouble. "What's wrong?"

"I'm late, okay?" she breathed as the basketball fell from her hands. She tried to travel after it, but Alex kept a tight grip on her upper arm. She grunted, kicking the ball toward her Hummer. She breathed with slight relief when it against her tire.

"Late for what? Where are you going?"

"I volun—"

"Nuh-uh, there's no way in Hell that's she's skipping out on the moving in. That's unfair! I had to push back my date with Teagan because you said I had to help!" Brian objected as he stormed down the stairs, overhearing the entire conversation.

"She was given permission already," Cassandra answered simply, grabbing her purse from the nearby table. She immediately thumbed through a few bills, pushing them into her daughter's hand. "Make sure you stop and actually eat something, how 'bout it? You’re skinny enough, Oriana Ryan."

"Yes, Momma," Oriana answered, avoiding Brian's blistering gaze. She tucked the bills into her back pocket, finally managing to pull away from Alex's grasp. She gave him a knowing look. "Is Howie calling you tonight?"

"We tend to talk on the phone every day..." Alex drawled in confusion, still not understanding why Oriana was in such a hurry. He glanced sideways to see Brian drawing into a furious debate with Kevin over Oriana's dismissal, leaving Alex to speak freely. "Why? Need me to start apologizing for whatever you're doing? You're not going to see that Mac guy, are you? Because I heard he was bad news---"

"Will you tell him that I'm sorry, but I can't call him tonight because I'll be super-late getting home?"

"But what are you--"

"I'm not seeing Mac. Just tell Howie I'm sorry and I'll call him tomorrow. Okay? I'll see you later!" Oriana ran out the door and to her Hummer.

"Why the fuck are you letting her go anywhere?! What? Did she tell you she's doing some important research? Because, I guarantee the only research she's laying down is blowjobs at the football field!" Brian finally burst with a cold hiss, drawing Alex's attention back to the hellish flames burning within the house.

"I have had enough with your nasty comments about Oriana! She has previous commitments that she talked to her mother about. You judged Oriana the minute she beat you in football and because of that you insist on talking bad about her. I'm sick of this attitude, Brian Thomas! One more word from you and you can't go out with Teagan tonight. And don't think I can't stop you. I will. You're my son, you're under eighteen and you live under my rules," Kevin replied, narrowing his eyes at the oldest son.

"Well, I'm fucking sick---"

"Brian, please, don't fight with your father," Cassandra interrupted with a soft airy tone, stepping between the furious father and son. She glanced between them with a soft sigh, wondering why Brian would be so hateful to a girl the world seemed to cherish with open arms. "I gave Oriana permission to leave, because she's going to The Center? Have you heard of it? It's like this oasis for children who have terrible home lives. They go to The Center for refuge away from the pain. Oriana participates actively with the children, teaching them dance, basketball, and just plain fooling around. She would never lie about going anywhere but there, because she loves it so much. She'd live there if she could. And, she even has a lot of the kids come over and spend the night for a giant slumber party. And at The Center they have Oriana's name and picture plastered everywhere. She's like the Guardian Angel of that place..."

"Bullshit--"

"You swear at me or Cassandra one more time, and you're not going out tonight."

"Hmmm... Fuck you!" Brian spat, walking out the door.

"Brian Thomas!" Kevin started after him.

"Don't," Cassandra whispered, watching Brian stalk off toward the car Kevin had purchased for both his sons. She reached out to grip her fiancée’s upper arm. This battle wasn't worth the war.

"He needs to stop acting like this, Cassie. He's been so vile towards you and Oriana," Kevin sighed, stopping at the doorway.

"He just needs time..." Cassandra trailed, not really knowing what else to say. She had expected the cold shoulder from Brian, but the spiteful venom brewing in Brian's heart for Oriana shocked the crumbling family.

"What he needs is to grow up," Kevin disagreed as Brian sped out of the driveway.

"C'mon, I'll make you your favorite dinner... You know that fancy feast where I just push some buttons upon a connection unit and it magically appears in a warm box in about thirty minutes?" Cassandra teased, affectionately wrapping her arms around Kevin's broad waist.

"Fried chicken?" Kevin asked hopefully with a smile, wrapping his arms around her. The belief that men were controlled through their stomachs always seemed to ring true with the Richardson men. Kevin’s mind was drawn away from his son’s disobedience with the promise of food. He leaned down and kissed her softly.

"I'll call for delivery and make you two some sundaes while we wait," she promised, running her fingers through his dark locks. Her heart caught with excitement as she offered her own kiss. She couldn't recall a time she had ever felt more loved by a man.

"I love you so much, Cassie. More than you'll ever know," he whispered into her ear.

"As long as you promise to love my daughter half as much," she countered.

"I promise to love her as much. Oriana, Alex, you and Brian... you're all my life."

"That's all I needed to hear," Cassandra enthused with a sweet smile, leaning up to capture his lips in a sweet kiss.

"Okay! Yeah, time for that fried chicken Mom keeps talking about!" Alex declared loudly, pushing in between the parents. He stifled a look of disgust, deciding it was semi-sweet his father was so crazy in love. Still, he found it quite sickening to see the exchange of sentiments.

"Mom?" Cassandra drawled.

"Well, you and Dad are getting married. So yeah, Mom!"

"That's about the sweetest thing I've heard all day," Cassandra proudly declared with a smile, affectionately kissing her soon-to-be-stepson's cheek. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leading him into the kitchen. "I think I might have to make you an extra large sundae, but if we only have one jar of cherries... I'm going to have to hold them... Oriana has a thing about her cherries and a very odd sense of eating habits..."

"I've seen some of those eating habits and I'll have to agree with you, Mom. Could I just have extra whip cream instead of cherries to go along with my extra large sundae?" Alex asked with a grin.

"Sure," Cassandra agreed, immediately moving to retrieve the necessary items from the freezer and fridge. Alex looked more than pleased as he plopped down at the table with his father.

"What are the bizarre eating habits?" Kevin drawled finally after placing the call for delivery. He had started such a rocky relationship with Oriana. She always backed away from him like he would attack her at any given moment. She was so skittish, but her words were a lethal as the most potent venom. He didn't know what to make of the situation, but decided getting to know her better than any other past boyfriend might be wise.

"Ketchup goes on almost anything... And cold meatloaf sandwiches are a very beautiful thing..." Cassandra laughed, glancing at an old photograph of Oriana and Teagan on the fridge before gathering the supplies on the counter. "But the best would be during any important event in her life, because each calls for a strict code. Like any time there's a big football game - she eats carbo-everything. We're talking mounds of pasta, bread, cereal, anything she can get her hands on. Dancing recitals call for a strict limitation of veggies and fruit. Finals are her pig-out sessions - McDonalds, Taco Bell, ice cream, candy, pizza... Oh Lord she can devour a pizza like there's no tomorrow... Such a tiny little frame and she can cram it all it. Drives Teagan up a wall."
"Sounds like she could give me a run when it comes to eating," Alex whistled in approval. He had what his father called an iron stomach and could eat pounds of food.

"No one could give you a run when it comes to eating," Kevin murmured dryly, ruffling his son's locks.

"She only piles away the food during big events. Hardly eats at all as the days pass. She's so busy nowadays... Between that god-awful football, all her dancing classes, The Center, her high academics, and then all the extra-curricular activities at school... That's why I was hoping you boys would be the ones to take her under your wings. Kind of guide my little girl and help her realize that she doesn't have to carry the entire world on her shoulders," Cassandra sighed, scooping large chunks of ice cream from the container. Teagan could only do so much to control Oriana.

"Senior year is known to be busy, Mom. Won't she calm down after graduation and stuff?" Alex asked, watching Cassandra pour on the chocolate syrup, sprinkles, strawberries and whip cream. "I mean, I can try to calm her down."

"Calm down?" Cassandra laughed wryly, turning for just a moment. "Oriana can easily be defined as a never ending tornado. She's constantly moving, even when she was a baby. Do you know that she didn't even walk first? She was dancing before she even learned to walk. Talked faster than the rest... Did everything faster than the rest... And the day she learned to dance and walk, all Hell broke loose. She doesn't know how to calm down. She just picks everything up and keeps on going. I mean, it's a beautiful trait to have in some ways, because just watching her impish energy is so amusing and brings joy to my heart, but I worry about her. And after graduation, she'll be picking up a lot more with applying to Duke for Pre-Med and Medical School."

"Oh. Well, I'll think of something," Alex replied sheepishly as Cassandra set two large sundaes in front of him and Kevin. "Sweet! Mine's actually bigger than Dad's!"

"That's because Cassie's my real treat," Kevin growled with a seductive manner, pulling Cassandra into his lap.

"Ew! I don't need to hear this!" Alex groaned, covering his ears.

"Then take your sundae into another room," Kevin laughed, playfully delivering kisses to Cassandra's neck.

"You can't kick him out!" Cassandra scorned.

"Yeah, what Mom said!" Alex agreed, now covering his eyes.

"But---"

"Eat your ice cream," Cassandra commanded, gently shoving a spoonful of ice cream into her fiancée’s mouth. Kevin's emerald eyes widened in shock as he quickly swallowed, pulling the spoon from his mouth. Cassandra turned to wink at Alex as Kevin dove deeper into the sundae. Alex in turn smiled, realizing he would love having a mother and little sister.
Interruptions by Anastacia
Chapter 18 – Interruptions

"I love just holding you, Teags," Brian sighed softly as he brought Teagan close into his embrace. He had parked the car over the edge of the hill, allowing him and Teagan to overlook the beautiful sun sinking into the vast ocean waves. Teagan had designated this to be her favorite spot in the world and Brian agreed wholly that it was beautiful. Though, Brian still admitted he'd rather just admire her beautiful form. He reached to run his fingers through her silky brown locks, thoughtfully kissing her neck. He had left the chaos of unpacking to the unworthy, whisking Teagan away for a sweet dinner. Everything had a way of feeling so remarkable in her arms. She caused all the anger to simply melt from his heart, stirring him into a frenzy of passion and love. Without her, Brian decided, life would be pointless.

"Well, I love you holding me," Teagan replied with a smile, enjoying being in Brian's arms. She shuddered a little at his gentle kisses on her neck. Everything about Brian made her spin in a tizzy with the love she felt for him. It was something she never had with the other boyfriends, and she cherished every moment with him.

"I can tell," he laughed, delighting in the small shivers quaking from her body. He spent many hours thinking of her form wrapped within his own. He couldn't wait to demonstrate his love for her, thought, he knew

"It would be so nice if we could just stay like this forever... Just watching the sunset in each other's arms. Sounds like my perfect Heaven," she sighed happily, resting her head on his chest. The sun sank beneath the horizon and soon the stars began to come out. Winter was not too far ahead.

“Well... We have all night... Then we can sleep in Sunday..." Brian offered.

"You're ready to take that step?" Teagan asked, looking up into his light blue eyes.

"Huh?" Brian deadpanned for a moment, smiling down at her pure innocence. "I just meant sleeping next to one another... You know, watch the sunset from the car, drive back home, and cuddle up next to each other. You know, strictly a PG type of day..."

"Ohhh... sorry," Teagan felt the heat blaze on her cheeks as she blushed.

"Hey, it's okay," he chuckled, leaning down to brush his lips against the bridge of her nose. "Obviously it's on your mind, huh?"

She nodded shyly. "Well, yeah. I don't want to rush things, but I have been thinking about it. You know, the right mood, the candles, soft music playing. The things I've never had in the past..."

"We will do all of those things," Brian promised, tracing his fingers down the length of her jaw line. "Wait... No... I'll do all those things. You let me plan everything, okay? You just give me the go ahead. We'll make sure we're all alone and have the best time of our lives, okay?"

"Okay," Teagan whispered, biting her bottom lip. "I love you, Brian."

"I love you, too," he quickly responded, lifting up her chin to offer a sweltering kiss. He felt her collapse against the sweetness of his kiss, her heart hammering sharply against the soft warmth of his shirt. Ever so softly, he withdrew from the kiss, noticing Teagan continuing to chew on her bottom lip. He stifled not to frown, realizing she picked up that habit from Oriana. "Are you okay, Sweetheart?"

"I need to ask you something. It's really important," Teagan trailed off, knowing it was the prime time to talk to him about Oriana and Howie.

"Ask me what?"

"Why did you make Howie break off all his ties with Oriana?"

"Huh?" Brian deadpanned, tensing underneath Teagan's embrace.

"Nick and I have been working for weeks to get Howie and Oriana together. And now I hear that because you said some things to Howie, he broke the friendship and potential relationship he had with her. Why did you do that?" Teagan asked critically, raising her eyebrow.

"I didn't do a damn thing," Brian immediately defended, doing his best to keep cool. He kept his arms encircled sweetly around her waist, deciding he might have to slaughter Howie along with Oriana. He needed to do some quick weaving to maintain the perfection of the night. "Sweetheart, I don't like Oriana, but I'd never tell someone they couldn't date someone else. It's none of my business. Howie probably didn't want to answer to your wrath. He obviously isn't interested in her."

"But he is interested! Don't you dare lie to me, Brian Thomas. Just because you don't like Oriana doesn't mean you have to interfere in her life, even if it does involve one of your friends. You haven't even given her a chance and she's my best friend. Why can't you try being nice to her?"

"Like she's been nice to me," Brian scoffed like a child, moving his gaze to the opposite window. He furled his light brows in annoyance. "Freaking slammed me against a wall today, Teags."

"And you didn't do anything to aggravate her? She only reacts when she feels the need to defend herself," Teagan disagreed with a frown. "And stop acting like a child. All I'm asking is for you to be nice to Oriana and let her be with Howie."

"And how would I possibly aggravate her? Besides, I didn't do anything not to let her be with Howie! Whatever he did or said to her was purely on his own thoughts. He said whatever he wanted to say to her. Hell, maybe he changed his mind about her. Maybe he saw her without halos and angel wings. And I never said 'don't date Oriana.' Frankly, I told him whatever made him happy!" Brian growled with frustration before mumbling under his breath, "Even if it is with a prostitute."

"Don't you growl at me and get all pissed off! You're going to be nice and I don't want to hear you insult her all the time under your breath. Yeah, I can hear you at times and it hurts! She's my best friend and you're putting me in the middle because I love you. Damnit, Brian!"

"She's putting you in the middle, not me!"

"She is not!"

"She--"

Brian was interrupted with the sound of shattering glass and Teagan screaming. Brian was stunned as Xander's voice filtered into his ears, hollering above Teagan's sharp screams of protest. He watched Xander's cumbersome hands coat with blood as he struggled to pull Teagan out of the window. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS DICK, TEAGIE?! I WARNED YOU! I FUCKING WARNED YOU! GET IN MY CAR NOW! WE'RE GOING TO GET WILD-CHERRY! HOW ABOUT THAT?! LET'S GO!"

"LET ME GO! OW! I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU!" Teagan shrieked, clawing at Xander's hands. Glass dug into the back of her neck, causing her to scream even more. "BRIAN, HELP ME!"

Brian finally managed to pull away from his startled form, forcing his body to move. He hadn’t realized that Xander was such a dangerous threat in Teagan’s life. He assumed that Xander was just having a disgruntled day at the mall, but this insanity made Brian quake with fear. He hurriedly jumped forward, slamming repeatedly upon Xander's thick hands. Yet, he proved fruitless in attempts to free Teagan's neck. So, he hurriedly climbed into the driver's seat, hurriedly revving the engine. He grasped Teagan's hands as he quickly reversed to pull Xander away. "Hold on, Baby! Hold on!"

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING MY TEAGIE AWAY FROM ME! SHE'S MINE!" Xander shouted, his hands still holding onto Teagan. Brian hit the accelerator to the floor and sped off. Xander's hands lost his grip on Teagan's neck and he fell, causing a large piece of glass to embed in her skin. She screamed in pain and shied away from the window.

"BRIAN, DRIVE!"

"I'm driving!" Brian hollered back, hurriedly throwing the car into drive. He peeled away from the horrifying scene, speeding toward home. He forced his eyes upon the dark road, trembling with raw fear as Teagan fell silent. Brian became utterly nervous, "Teagan, talk to me!"

"M-My neck... glass in my n-neck," Teagan stuttered, reaching back to touch the injured area. She felt shards poking out and immediately curled up into a ball.

"What am I supposed to do? Teagan, what am I supposed to do?!" Brian blurted with nervousness, glancing between the road and Teagan's fetal-like state.

"Duckie! Take me to D-Duckie. I need my Duckie."

"Who the Hell is Duckie?!"

"My Duckie!" Teagan wailed like a pitiful child.

"Teagan! Damnit! Talk to me!" Brian burst, hurriedly pulling into the Riley driveway. He was thankful to see his father's car gone, alerting that the parents had drifted off somewhere that night. Brian hurriedly threw off the engine, pulling Teagan's quivering form into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Teagan. Just... God, who is your Duckie?"

"Oriana! I need her, she knows what to do!" Teagan replied, wiping away her tears.

"Oriana?" he spat in disbelief, glancing upward to see Oriana's light on in the second floor of the home.

"She's going to be a doctor and I need her!" she pushed herself away from him and got out of the car.

"Teagan!"

"Brian, I have glass in my neck! She can get it out!"

"Just..." Brian groaned in disbelief, slamming his hands against the steering wheel. He couldn't believe his misfortune. He wanted to spend an evening alone with Teagan, now he had to deal with Xander and Oriana. "Fuck it all to Hell... Damnit, Teagan! Wait for me!"

*~*~*


Oriana hurriedly tapped her fingers rapidly across her laptop, her mind fueling with flurries of brilliance for her Enriched Literature class. Her soft lips curved into a smile as she continued to rotate her hips to the beat of her music while she sat primly at her desk. She was notorious for her multi-tasking, finding it easier to work under the pressure and with music flowing. She had just gotten home not ten minutes ago from The Center and decided it was easier to start her work now. She seemed to fall into a perfect rhythm until her phone chirped with a familiar ring tone, alerting her to a text message. She never heard the slam of the front door as she focused on locating her cell phone, knowing it was a message from Howie.

She finally found her phone and opened up the message.

Alex told me you wouldn't be able to call me tonight, so I thought I would text you. I miss you bunches and I hope to hear from you tomorrow. I love you. -Howie-

Oriana wilted onto her large bed with a contented sigh, just staring at the message flashing upon the screen of her phone. She felt her stomach tighten and flutter with anticipation just reading his words aloud. She quickly flicked her gaze to the clock, noticing it was a little after midnight. She could at least text him back. She hurriedly clicked in the correct words, immune to the pounding of footsteps on the stairs. She bit down on her bottom lip, eyeing the message before sending.

So sorry. Busy all night between Alex and others. Sweet of you to text me, even at midnight. Nice little break from the hardcore English paper. And I'm not the only one to work a phone, so maybe I'll hear from you. Sweet dreams. *Ori*

"DUCKIE! DUCKIE, ARE YOU HERE?!" Teagan's voice finally interrupted Oriana's thoughts.

Oriana jumped in surprise at the sharp opening of her door, tossing her cell phone onto the bed. She immediately pushed herself into a standing position, noticing that Teagan's trembling hands were covered with splotches of blood. Oriana swallowed hard to maintain a cool exterior, wiping her sweaty hands down her boxers. "What happened?" she questioned calmly, walking into the bathroom to retrieve her first aid kit. She was used to Teagan running to her with every little bump, bruise, and scrape. Not to mention the times she came home from a bloody battle with Xander, wanting Oriana to hide the mess.

"Brian and I were on the hill above the city watching the sunset..." Teagan wrung her hands, smearing the blood. "Xander came out of nowhere, broke the window open, and tried to pull me out."

"Did you call the police?" Oriana questioned, seating Teagan at her desk. She swallowed the anger building in her chest, already knowing the answer to the question. She immediately covered the older girl's hands with a warm washcloth, tracing the source of blood to Teagan's neck. She pulled away the damp tendrils of chocolate locks, noting several pieces of glass embedded into her neck. Thankfully, they weren't deep.

"I just wanted to get away from him--"

"In other words, you mean no? Damnit, Gabby, you're lucky these cuts aren't deep! He could have severed a nerve, an artery... You need to call the police on him. He's gone too far."

"He said he'd come after you!" Teagan wailed, furiously rubbing her hands to wipe away the blood. Her entire body trembled with fear as she swallowed the hot sobs posing at her throat.

"Then let him come after me. I'd rather see that so I could call the police myself," Oriana murmured, grasping tweezers, antibiotic ointment, gauze pads, and medical tape from her kit.

"Then it would be my fault for him hurting you and I can't let that happen!"

"I can take care of myself--"

"No! You can't!" Teagan snapped, growing fierce for a moment. She became tired of Oriana’s ‘Superman’ stance to life. "You can't even get Mac's hands off you when he was fucking pawing you at Homecoming! If I hadn't of pulled you from his car that night, you wouldn't be saving any special gifts for your husband!"

Oriana recoiled in shock, finding herself speechless from Teagan's haunting cruelty. She glanced away for just a moment, blinking back the stray tears. She refused to cry, doing her best to maintain a stiff posture as she plucked the last of the glass from Teagan's tender flesh. She pushed the bloody pieces into a square of gauze before smearing antibiotic ointment. Then she hurriedly secured the wounds with gauze and tape. "All... All fixed up," she squeaked with a strained voice.

"Thank you," Teagan mumbled, getting to her feet. She gingerly touched the back of her neck, surveying Oriana’s patch-up. Then, her eyes traveled back to Oriana’s submissive state, instantly feeling guilty for taking her frustrations out on the younger girl. "Duckie, you're not invincible. I just don't want him coming after you!"

"You made that very clear," Oriana whispered faintly, quickly moving to clean up the mess so she didn't have to look into Teagan's eyes.

"Duckie..." she sighed heavily. “I didn't mean to bring up the past. I only wanted you to understand—"

"Teags!" Brian's voice burst, jumping into the room. He offered a cold glare to Oriana before wrapping his arms tightly around Teagan's waist. His need to comfort Teagan suddenly mixed with the satisfaction of showing Oriana affection that she dare not have. He pressed several kisses along her jaw line. "Are you okay, Sweetheart? Do you need anything? God, Baby, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm okay, Brian. I'm okay. Duckie fixed my neck and everything's fine," Teagan reassured Brian, wrapping her arms around him. "Come on, I was being rude and interrupted her homework time. Let's leave her so she can finish."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to interrupt the little one from her ever-growing homework," Brian called with a sinister smile.

"Actually, it's homework due next month, but thanks for the consideration," Oriana answered, wrapping her arms around her chest for warmth.

"Thank you, Duckie. Sleep tight," Teagan looked back at Oriana and winced at the coldness radiating from her best friend's eyes. She was the cause of it.

"You're welcome, Teagan," Oriana answered, unable to form the nickname 'Gabby' upon her numb lips. She swallowed hard again as Brian heaved Teagan into his embrace, smothering her with kisses as he carried her out of the room, letting the door sharply slam closed.

Oriana stifled a sob, shakily walking back to her bed to hear the familiar chirping. It hurt too much to realize the disasters occurring within her life. Trying to make the best of her situation, she grasped the phone, hoping Howie's words might cheer her up.

Are you still awake or working hard on the paper? I thought that maybe you could take another break and I would call you. I thought you might like this lyric: "Don't tell me it's not worth trying for. Don't tell me it's not worth dying for. You know it's true. Everything I do, I do it for you...” Hope you liked it. -Howie-

Oriana stifled yet another sob, realizing how much she really needed Howie at that moment. If she was loosing her best friend, then why couldn't she rely on her boyfriend for support? She bit down hard on her bottom lip, grasping her phone as she hurriedly moved to lock her door. She fumbled to communicate the words within her phone, hurriedly sending it to Howie. I'm neither awake nor working hard at the moment, but in a funky mix.

Just call me, please? I need you as stupid as it sounds.

She got a quick response.

It's not stupid. I'm calling you right now, Baby.

Oriana pressed a cool hand to her forehead, trying to calm her frazzled nerves. It felt like Hell when Oriana was out of sorts with Teagan. She held such a tight bond with the older girl and found her heart physically aching from the severing of her connection. She did her best to gather several deep breaths when she heard the sharp ring of her personal line. She furious shook her trembling hands before grasping the cordless phone. "Hello?"

"Riana? It's Howie," his soft voice replied on the other end. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she lied, finally allowing the tears to fall down her heated cheeks. She concentrated her gaze upon the photograph of her and Teagan on her nightstand. "I just wanted to talk to you..."

"Oh, okay. I was hoping I could hear your voice tonight anyway. I missed you today."

"What'd you do today?" she sniffled, struggling to control the mess of emotions clogging her heavy heart.

"Went shopping with my sisters and brother and did the whole huge dinner with Mama and Papa before they left for the night. Not a whole lot besides that. How was the move-in day?" he asked, knowing something was off in Oriana's attitude.

"Not too bad... All in all..." she trailed, deciding not to mention her brief physical encounter with Brian. "Alex gave me this hideous black and blue leopard cowboy hat with these silver sunglasses... I think he's trying to pawn off his rejects on me."

"Not the black and blue one! Man, he has some weird sense of fashion," he groaned with a laugh. "Which pair of sunglasses did he give you?"

"Silver rimmed with kind of an oval shape to them?" Oriana tried to describe, just loving the fact that she had Howie laughing. His voice was doing wonders.

"Ugh, those are the nasty ones! Sneak into his room and get different ones. He has about a million of them, and some aren't too bad. He has these black ones, normal shaped lenses but with a silver tint to it. I think you would like those."

"I didn't want them to begin with, but he insisted for some reason..." Oriana drawled, finally folding over the frame so she couldn't look at Teagan. She drew a thick set of covers upon her body, staring up at her ceiling. "Besides, I saw some nice Adidas shirts and sweatpants... He says he wants style and all, so I might confiscate them just for his well-being in the fashion world."

"Alex is weird like that. He's a great friend, I'm just glad he's not going to be my step-brother," Howie chuckled.

"Thanks for the support!"

"Would it make you feel better if I said he'd be a great brother-in-law?"

"Would it make you feel better if I said you were pushing that a little far?" she trailed, rubbing her burning eyes.

"Not really, but I can take a hint..."

"Good call," Oriana sighed softly, closing her eyes to relieve the headache building within her temples. She hated lying to Howie about what was really wrong. She wanted to open up, but how did she explain that her friendship was diminishing over a guy.

"Sweetheart, are you sure you're alright?"

"What do you mean?" she wavered.

"You sound like you've been crying. Something's wrong."

"I'm fi--okay, so I'm not fine..." Oriana finally admitted, slapping a hand against her forehead. She immediately winced with a pitiful whine, feeling her temples throb further from the unshed tears. "I'm sorry that I made you call me... I just needed to talk to someone, you know? And, I needed you..."

"I'm not sorry that you made me call you, I wanted to call. Just tell me what's wrong. Please?"

“I think I'm loosing my best friend?" she whimpered meekly.

“Teagan? But how could you be losing her? That--" he realized the reason why. "Because of Brian?"

"Yeah..." Oriana whispered, finally starting to cry softly. She held a hand across her eyes in hopes to calm herself, but it hurt. It hurt so bad.

"Oh, Honey... Shh... Don't cry. You're not going to lose Teagan because of a guy. You two have known each other since you were babies. I know you don't want to lose her, and she doesn't want that either," Howie soothed gently.

"It's so stupid..."

"It's not stupid."

"I shouldn't be bothering you at midnight about it though..." Oriana drawled, quickly swallowing her emotions.

"Stop talking like that. You're not bothering me, especially if you're upset," Howie scorned.

"I'm not upset... I'm just... I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated that I gave her the go-ahead to date that snake because I know she loves him... And I know somewhere in his black heart that he loves her... But, then I start thinking that if I'm not doing well with Teagan, then I loose my relationship with Teagan... And I loose you..."

"Hey, hey, hey! You're not losing either of us. Alright? She loves you and I love you. Nothing will take me away from you."

"Not even my crazy rambling?" Oriana sniffled, feeling absolutely foolish.

"Not even your crazy rambling," Howie agreed.

"I think I feel better..." she breathed after a few moments.

"What can I do to make sure you do feel better?"

"You don't have to do anything..."

"I know, but I want to."

"I don't need anything---"

"I know what I can do. Just lie back in bed and close your eyes."

"Howie, phone sex---"

"No, not phone sex," he groaned with a laugh. "Close your eyes and relax."

"Hold on..." she sighed, crawling out of her bed. She hurriedly saved the progress of her works, clicking off the computer. She then quickly clicked off the lights in her room, checking to make sure her door was locked. Crawling back underneath her bundles of covers, Oriana finally closed her eyes. "Okay."

"Alright," Howie was silent for a moment and then he began to sing.
Swallowing a Bitter Pill by Anastacia
Chapter 19 – Swallowing a Bitter Pill

"Teags, why are we here?" Brian groaned with protest as Teagan eased her car up to the Dorough household. Brian would have been driving and quickly swerved away from the driveway, but his car was being prepared from Xander's violent attack. It was late Sunday afternoon and Teagan had insisted they go for a drive. Brian felt his blood boil when he looked upon the loving Dorough home. He wasn't ready to swallow his words just for the benefit of Teagan's fury. He knew Howie had planned this all along. Just another attempt to infuriate Brian further, but there would be Hell to pay. Brian was certain of that. "Damnit, Teags, we can do this another day. You should be resting your neck and calming down. Last night was scary as Hell."

"I'm plenty calm, Brian. You're the one swearing up a storm when you know this is the right thing to do. Howie's one of your best friends and you need to make amends. Let him know that he can date Oriana, because I know you said something to make him think otherwise and don't argue with me. It's for the best," Teagan replied, placing her car in park. "Come on."

"I swear to God I didn't say a thing to Howie!" Brian groaned, slumping down into his seat. He was refusing to get out of his seat as Teagan opened her car door.

"It's the only explanation, and you're the only one who doesn't like Oriana. So it would make perfect sense you told Howie to not date her. I'm not going to tell you again to get out of the car."

"Who are you, my mother?" he snorted with a whine.

"You're acting like a little kid, so yeah. I guess I am your mother," she snipped back, getting out of the car. She walked over to his side and opened the door. "Come on."

Brian stumbled slightly as the door he was leaning on was pulled open. He muttered something low beneath his breath, finally climbing out of the car. He brushed off his baggy jeans before shoving his hands deep into the front pockets of his pants. He fixed his scowl with a pout, "Don't be mad at me, Teags."

"I'm not mad," Teagan sighed heavily, kissing his cheek. "You just frustrate me at times."

"I love you?" he continued to pout as she tugged on the sleeveless t-shirt he was wearing, pulling him to the front door.

"I love you, too. But that pout isn't going to make me change my mind."

"Damn," Brian whined with a loud squeal. His legs felt like heavy weights as they climbed the steps to the front door. His heart burned with a jealous anger, deciding that Oriana would face his wrath when he returned home. He slammed his hand against the large wooden door, hearing the faint twanging of an acoustic guitar. Brian knew it was Howie playing the guitar and he would be in a deep state of concentration. Too deep to answer a door. Brian beamed a smile, "Oh well!"

"Brian Thomas," Teagan groaned with a roll of her eyes. She rang the doorbell a couple of times and the guitar playing stopped.

"Damnit," he muttered.

There was a faint sound of footsteps lazily moving toward the door. Brian's body immediately drew upward in a stiff manner as the clicking of locks could be heard. Finally, the door was yanked open and Howie appeared in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy gray t-shirt. Teagan's eyes widened; he looked quite dishelved compared to the perfection he presented in school every day.

"What are you two doing here?" Howie greeted with surprise, leaning on the doorway.

"Can we come in?" Brian yelped as Teagan pinched him hard.

"Yeah, sure," Howie led them inside the large house. Teagan thought it looked beautiful and she felt welcome right away. "You want anything to drink?"

"Has O--" Brian yelped in pain again as Teagan pinched the flesh of his back arm harder. He jumped slightly, narrowing his eyes at his girlfriend for a moment. "A soda would be great. What about you, Babe?"

"Just some water. Thanks, Howie," she replied with a smile as Howie went to the kitchen.

"Teag, this is so retarded, if he wanted to date Oriana, nothing would stop him!" Brian breathed in attempts to stop this fiasco before it would begin.

"Will you just stop complaining and let him know you won't get in the way of them dating? For my sake, please!" Teagan slightly begged, her blue-gray eyes locking with his own.

"Why do you care?"

"Because Oriana's my best friend, Howie's my good friend and I want them to be happy?"

"Is she giving you shit?" Brian accused, listening to Howie shuffle through glasses and then the fridge. He narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend for a moment, searching through her soul. If Oriana had been giving Teagan trouble, the wrath would sharply increase.

"No! She would never give me shit. What is wrong with you? Why are you so hostile towards her?" Teagan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not!"

"Bullshit!"

"Tea--"

"Hey, got your drinks..." Howie trailed, interrupting the heated discussion. He arched his dark brows in confusion as he saw the smoldering reactions covering the couple's faces. He did his best not to smile, realizing Teagan was giving Brian the well-deserved torment. Howie shifted carefully in attempts not to infuriate his back, handing over the glasses. "So, you want to sit?"

"Sure!" Teagan invited, pushing Brian toward the couches. "I heard a guitar... Were you playing?"

"Yeah, I was just playing around with this song I've been writing for awhile," Howie replied, carefully sitting down where he had been writing.

"You write songs?" Teagan perked with interest, leaning in hopes to catch glance at the lyrics.

"Here and there, ever since my brother John taught me how to play."

"That's really sweet, what are you writing now?"

"It's nothing big, just popped into my head and I'm still working out the kinks."

“What's it about?" Teagan persisted, waiting for Brian to take control.

"It's about this guy telling the girl that he loves no matter what she does, she'll always be beautiful. He loves everything about her and would never want to change her," Howie explained.

"For Christina?" Brian blurted without thought.

Howie looked at Brian with a disgusted look on his face. "What the Hell kind of question is that?"

"Brian!" Teagan scolded, smacking him upside the head.

"What?" Brian howled with pain, immediately reaching to rub the sore spot on the backside of his head. He hissed with the sharp pain, bending forward for just a moment. "It was just a question! I thought maybe he still had feelings for her or something!"

“Why would I have feelings for a girl who was fucking my neighbor when I came to see her?" Howie asked with a raised eyebrow. He felt his blood boil at Brian's stupid words.

"Then who the Hell else would you be writing about?"

"Does it matter who I'm writing about?"

"Maybe?"

"Maybe not."

"Why are you so defensive about it?"

"Because it's my business and I can determine who I want to share it with," Howie crossed his arms, trying not to wince from the pain in his back. "Is there a reason y'all are here? I mean, I love having you over, Teagan. But I don't need Brian badgering me."

"No, no, no!" Teagan immediately blurted, glaring at Brian yet again. She didn't know what possessed Brian to form such an evil streak inside his usually golden heart. It hurt her to see him so bitter and self-seeking. "Brian wanted to tell you something... We were just really interested in your song and I guess I was hoping it was about someone that I've known for a really long time..."

"You mean Oriana?"

"Yeah..."

"Well..." Howie glanced downward, blushing faintly.

"Damnit, this is so boring," Brian breathed quietly, scooting forward on the couch. He clasped his hands in front of his lap, offering a burning gaze toward Howie. He was giving Howie a sharp note to keep their exchanged words from Oriana's birthday private. "Look, do you have any feelings for Oriana?"

"Yes, of course I do. Why else would I write a song about her?" Howie replied, looking right back at Brian.

"I really don't know, but did I say anything that gave you the wrong impression about dating Oriana?" Brian continued with a voice void of any emotion. He swallowed hard against the bile forming at the back of his throat, hating even suggesting this heinous act. "Did I say anything that made you turn Oriana down on her birthday?"

"It was the way you were acting about it all--"

"How was he acting?" Teagan questioned, obviously needing to interrupt. She found it pertinent to her bickering with Brian.

"Honestly, like a jerk. He would just give me these looks and glare at Oriana the whole time."

Teagan immediately glared toward Brian with a look of disgust, causing Brian to shrink back with anger. He crossed his arms tightly against his chest, swallowing his pride. He hated the smug glint crossing in Howie's dark eyes. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," he breathed softly.

"Say what? I couldn't hear you," Howie replied, looking innocent as he leaned forward.

"I said I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," Brian countered, looking quite sweet as he bowed his head in mock-shame. If Howie could play the game, then so could Brian. "I feel like such a block-head. Even if I have a petty disagreement with Oriana, I should be open to your feelings. You're my best friend, dude. I gotta have your back, even if I'm fighting with the girl you like, right?"

"Right. I appreciate you respecting me like this, man. It would be silly to throw away our friendship just because we disagree," Howie replied, reaching over to offer his hand. "Friends?"

"Friends," Brian bit back his venomous words and he shook Howie's hand.

"Does that mean you'll take everything you said to Oriana back? She's been so miserable without you..." Teagan blurted excitedly, wrapping her arms around Brian's neck. She kissed his cheek affectionately, realizing it was hard for him to come to terms with his misbehavior.

"I definitely will, but do you think she'll accept my apology?" Howie asked, feeling his body sing with victory. He knew it was a temporary fix, but it at least meant he could be with Oriana.

"Oh my gosh! Of course she will!" Teagan squealed excitedly, bouncing from her spot. Her heart soared at Howie's words, knowing her best friend could finally have a boyfriend. It had been so long since Oriana knew the comforts of a man genuinely interested in her. She needed that kind of love. "She'll be upset at first, but Howie, she loves you so much. I can see it in her eyes!"

"Really? She does?" Howie replied, blushing as a smile crept onto his face.

"Yes," Teagan enthused further, hugging tighter to Brian, who seemed soberly silent. "She won't rush saying the words, because she's shy... But, Howie, all you have to do is look into her eyes. They turn this light green with a mixture of different blues... They glow like the ocean whenever I mention your name. Trust me, she's crazy about you... She loves you."

"You're nuts," Howie laughed.

"No, I'm not! I promise!" Teagan laughed as well, gently pushing on Howie's shoulder. "So, when will you talk with her?"

"Where is she today?"

"She's in dance class right now, then she heads to football practice."

"So, she's really busy today," Howie lamented with a soft sigh, not really knowing if he should bother her. She had been so upset last night about Teagan, so he assumed she would bury herself into loads of work. Having dance practice and football practice gave her an excuse to disappear into a different world. Howie wasn't sure if he should disturb that.

"Not too busy to see you!" Teagan objected. "You should go and see her dance, Howie. It's like an angel, I swear."

"She wouldn't be upset?" Howie trailed, still not sure.

"No way!"

"I don't know..."

"Howie!" Teagan groaned softly, grasping a piece of paper from the coffee table and a pen Howie had been using. She hurriedly scribbled the address of the dance studio upon the paper, thrusting it toward Howie. "Please, go see her. Monday is too long a wait to talk to her! You'll love seeing her dance. She's so amazing. I think today is modern or ballet... Either or... She's just gorgeous. Please?"

"But what if she--"

"Dorky Dwaine, come on! Please? You won't regret it, I promise."

"And if I do regret it and Oriana won't accept my apologies?"

"It won't happen."

"So, you want me to leave right now and go violate her means of escape?"

"Yes!"

"Teag---"

"Howie, please?"

"Why do you care so much?" he laughed softly.

"Because I want you two happy, and that means you're together."

"Thanks, Teag," Howie stated after a few moments, pushing himself off the couch. He made note not to wince at the pain in his back as he leaned over to affectionately kiss her cheek. He then glanced down at his shabby appearance. "Think she'd mind?"

"Change into jeans and you'll be good," Teagan approved, running her hands through Howie's hair until it looked right. "But hurry up, because her class is almost done."

*~*~*


Oriana felt a faint film of perspiration break out against her skin as the music from her modern dance class throbbed against her heart. All the frustrations were leaking through her body as she perfected each move. She had been practicing non-stop with the other dancers and they had one more routine with 'Just Dance' by Jamiroquai to perfect before leaving. Oriana kept herself glued in the middle like Maggie, their instructor, had indicated. All the girls kept one eye upon the mirrors lining the wall and another upon Oriana to base their movements. She was the most experienced performer and by far the best, though she never acted upon it.

An impish smile spread across her face as Maggie shouted several praises to her. The last of the song was fixing to play and the hardest part of the routine ensued. Most girls backed out and formed a circle just to watch Oriana. She looked absolutely gorgeous as she sharply moved into each dance step, gyrating her hips with each step to add more flavor. Everyone found it beautiful that Oriana's skills with her fluid movements added a grace to their performances while her extra unique textures to the movements provided a style. Though, Oriana never concentrated on that. She just let her body move to the music, though she had an odd feeling an extra person was watching.

"Wow... Teagan wasn't kidding, she dances beautifully!" Howie whispered to himself as he stood in the doorway of the studio. Oriana's fluid movements along with the music were something he had never seen before.

He stood in awe as she moved with a sensual flavor, gyrating her hips with a sweet, sultry smile fixed upon her lips. Howie felt his body burn with anticipation as she dipped with the swiveling of her hips to the end of the song before striking the pose Maggie desired. The music quickly shut off and was replaced by squeals and shrieks of approval from Oriana's beautiful dancing. Howie chuckled as the teacher even whistled loudly. Oriana blushed furiously as she wiped back her sweaty blonde curls, trying to act as if it were nothing.

"GREAT JOB, GIRLS! FANTASTIC! YOU'RE COMING ALONG BEAUTIFULLY! JODIE, MAKE SURE TO SEE ORIANA SOMETIME TO WORK ON THAT ENDING! SUSIE, PERFECT FLIP! ORIANA! BEAUTIFUL, DARLING! SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL! I'LL SEE YOU GIRLS NEXT SUNDAY!"

"And you'll see me Monday for Pointe, Tuesday for belly dancing, Wednesday for jazz, Thursday for more ballet and modern, Friday for... Damn, I take too many classes," Oriana breathed with a teasing smile, affectionately receiving more compliments and a hug from Maggie.

"We love having you here, Oriana. You're one of the most talented girls I've seen in my day," Maggie chided with a smile, blowing a piece of chocolate brown hair out of her face.

"You only keep me because I pay some mad-ass tuition to take all my dancing classes," Oriana teased, getting smack gently with Maggie's towel.

"Yeah, you can just hush up and get out of my studio before I ban you from dancing."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Darn... you're right, I wouldn't," Maggie laughed as she turned her attention to another dancer with a question.

Oriana continued to laugh with amusement as she jogged over to her large dancing bag. She searched quickly for a towel to wipe off the sweat, eagerly retrieving her favorite dancing towel. She began to pad the perspiration away from her bare skin before tossing the towel against her neck. She then moved to look for another towel, but one was offered to her. "Thanks!" she eagerly responded, standing up, but froze halfway with shock.

"You're welcome," Howie replied, smiling.

"What are you doing here?" she deadpanned, immediately holding the offered towel to her sweaty body. She felt almost naked standing in front of Howie in her dance uniform. It was decent, consisting of a light lavender sports bra and a pair of tight dancing Capri pants fixed at her hips. Yet, she couldn't help but feel self-conscious after the life she led with her mother's boyfriends. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea or allow him to hate her body.

"For one, I wanted to see you. Two, I had a visit from Teagan and Brian today. Our plan worked!" Howie replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Did it?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep! Teagan made Brian apologize and now he won't be in our way."

"He must have looked like he was swallowing venom," she answered with a wry smile, keeping the towel fixed against her body. She bent down to her bag, searching for a t-shirt to wear.

"Just about, it was something I won't forget. Now we don't have to hide or anything," he enthused, wrapping his arms around her once she pulled on a Duke t-shirt.

"You're that excited, huh?" Oriana squealed in surprise, noticing the other dancers stopping their business to gaze at her with curiosity. No one knew that Oriana was looking to become attached to a boyfriend. As far as the girls knew, Oriana was considered just another boy not an item of sexual interest.

"You know it," Howie growled with a smile, running a hand over her curls. He knew the other girls were watching, but he didn't care. "You're an amazing dancer, Babe."

"Nah," she whispered with a blush, hearing the other girls release giggles of amusement. She gently wiggled away from Howie's grasp, tugging on her t-shirt. "I'm all sweaty..."

"Yeah, and?" he chuckled.

"You look so good..." she fumbled to explain, reaching down to grasp her duffle bag. She glanced back up to the clock, knowing she still had a bit of time before football practice. It was informal anyway. The guys just gathered in their uniforms to goof around. "I just don't want you to ruin your outfit with my sweat, you know?"

"You mean my gray t-shirt and jeans?" he asked with a crooked smile as she blushed again. "I'm just teasing--"

"It's okay..." she flustered, heaving the duffle bag further onto her shoulder. She continued to blush furiously as she tucked some damp curls behind her ears. Howie had a way of making her so utterly nervous. Her heart pounded heavily against her ribcage as her body burned just from his gentle touches.

"You're going to football next, right?" he asked, admiring his girlfriend's natural beauty and grace.

"Yeah, we just have this little game. We go over new plays and try everything out. Then we end up playing a little scrimmage. Just a whole bunch of goofy chaos," she answered, waving at the girls before disappearing quickly out the door in hopes to escape.

"Oriana! Oriana, wait a minute!" Maggie called, rushing out to catch up with the couple. "Where do you think you're going? You haven't introduced me to this handsome boy."

Oriana groaned inwardly, turning to see her instructor approach her with amused smile. Her cheeks grew redder than before as she stared at her scuffed dancing shoes. "Sorry, Mags... This is Howie Dorough... Howie, this is Maggie, my dance instructor."

"Nice to meet you, Howie," the older woman replied, shaking Howie's hand.

"Likewise, Maggie," he answered with a smile.

"I have to ask. Have you ever taken dance classes before?"

"No..." he trailed in confusion. "Why?"

"No reason. You just have the body of a dancer and I was curious."

"Ain't that the truth," Oriana breathed without thought, glancing up and down Howie's body. She loved the soft contours of his sleek and muscular form. His clothing always seemed to hug his muscles in the most alluring ways. It drove Oriana crazy at points.

"What was that, Riana?" Howie asked, feeling his own cheeks blush at the comments from Maggie and Oriana. He took pride in working out and keeping his body in shape. Weightlifting and freelance dancing, mostly.

"Just saying that you definitely have the body of a dancer. You should join us if you ever feel like it. Luke's in modern dance with me. It'd be nice to see you in a pair of dance pants..." Oriana answered, not really paying attention to her last sentence as she wished Maggie goodbye.

"What kind of dance pants?" Howie questioned, waving goodbye to Maggie as well.

"Like the tight pants the guys in ballet wear," she answered freely, trying to busy herself as she hurried to her Hummer.

"Oh, really? Hmm... maybe I should think about joining..." Howie contemplated, catching up with her.

"You don't have to... Mags just loves pairing girls up with guys during her numbers," Oriana continued, fumbling to open the trunk of her car. "I think she fell in love when Luke joined. We're always paired together... We even did this Moulin Rouge number---"

"Whoa, Moulin Rouge? The famous one I kept hearing the football players talk about?" Howie interrupted.

"They talk about it?" she groaned, finally managing to free the trunk. She hurriedly pushed it open, searching to grasp her football duffle bag.

"Well, that movie was hot, who wouldn't?" he chuckled.

"Wait, they talk about the movie, not our dance?" Oriana trailed for just a moment, hurriedly pulling out her jersey. Frankly, the Moulin Rouge dance was the raciest dance Maggie had created, but Oriana had loved every moment of it.

"Both."

"And what did you hear?"

"That it was really sexy and racy and hot."

Oriana blushed furiously, pulling off her Duke t-shirt in hopes to hide her face. She fixed her curls into a swift ponytail while glancing at Howie's delectable form. The outline of his muscles beneath the crisp clothing drove her crazy. She could hardly contain her burning desires as she reached to grasp her jersey, yet she stopped halfway. She was tired of being so edgy around him. She just needed to do what she wanted and call it even.

"Forgive me," she whispered faintly before forcefully pushing Howie against the trunk of her Hummer, seating him just above the bumper. She then heatedly pressed her sweet lips against his, pouring her emotions forth.

Howie eagerly gave into the kiss, pulling her body close to his as they continued. His heart thumped loudly in his chest and stars swam in front of his eyes, but he refused to stop. This is what love is. Feeling all lightheaded from a kiss, he thought to himself.

Oriana grinned faintly as she felt Howie's hands slip down to her bare hips. With a raw animal aggression, Howie pulled her by the hips in between his legs to deepen the kiss. She affectionately ran her fingers through his soft curls as her jersey fell to the ground, exposing her beautiful body within the exposed dancing outfit.

Yet, she could only concentrate on the sweetness of Howie's formed lips. She loved the way her lips pressed just right against his and her hands fit perfectly within his soft curls before running down to rest upon his neck. She continued to crane her neck to accommodate Howie's seated position, offering her favorite nibbles to his bottom lip.
Howie brought a hand to the small of Oriana's bare back, preparing to pull her in closer if at all possible. The occasional meeting of their tongues with her affectionate nips to his bottom lip caused a blazing heat to set about his entire body. Yet, he finally felt the passion dying as Oriana's hands loosened from his curls. He felt lost when her hands slid down his neck and withdrew. And he almost jumped from his seat to continue the kiss when Oriana finally pulled away with a shy smile.

"Glad to get that out of my system," Oriana breathed, lightly scratching her bare stomach to hind her shaking hands.

"Wow. That was... wow," those seemed to be the only words that could come out of Howie as he panted slightly.

"You okay?" she drawled with a small giggle, preparing to bend down to grasp her jersey, yet Howie beat her to it.

"Definitely more than okay," he replied with a wink, handing her the jersey.

"And here I thought you were going to keep my jersey just to admire my rock-hard abs," she joked, doing her best to puff out her thin stomach into a pouch, though she only succeeded in puffing out her cheeks.

"Hmm... in that case..." he trailed off, yanking the fabric out of her hands.

"Hey!" she yelped in surprise, releasing the air from her cheeks. "What the Hell was that for?!"

"You weren't paying attention, and you hide your beautiful body too much," he replied with a smile.

"It's not beautiful, I look like a bloated whale," she scorned, trying to reach for the jersey. She yelped again with frustration as Howie leaned into the truck, keeping his hands far out of reach behind his back.

"You do not," he scorned. "Stop putting yourself down or you won't get the jersey back in time for practice.”

"And what would you have me do? Walk onto the field in my sports bra and pants?" she asked incredulously, trying to extend her arm to reach behind him. She pressed her chest against his with futile efforts.

"Just stop insulting yourself and you'll get back the jersey," he sang.

"You would be so jealous if I walked onto that field in just my sport's bra," she sang back, still struggling to reach the jersey.

"That's not the point right now."

"It's definitely my point of the moment, so give me my jersey!"

"You've got to promise me you won't put yourself down anymore."

"But look at this pudge!" she protested, pinching at some skin upon her abdomen. She frowned at the sharp sting, watching it quickly recede just as she had pinched, proving there was barely any fat deposits beneath the skin and upon the muscles. "Okay... So, I've got a flat stomach, but it's not chisled... Not like yours."

"Mine's chiseled?" he teased, lifting his shirt for a moment and looked down.

"Well, duh, I happen to see six packs there," she teased, drawing her finger down the indentations of Howie's firm abdominal muscles formed into a six-pack.

"W-Well so there is," Howie stammered slightly at the gentle touch of her finger on his skin.

"You okay?" she laughed, leaning over to place the gentlest kisses against his neck, noticing his hand lower with the jersey.

"Couldn't be better. Why?" he asked, his body shivering at her kisses.

"Because I got my jersey back!" she laughed, jumping up against him. She grabbed the jersey and ran to the driver's side.

"Oriana!" Howie grunted in shock, preparing to run around to catch the door. Yet, he stopped when he heard the slam of her door and the hooting of triumph. A sly smile curved to his lips as he carefully crawled through the large open trunk space. He felt like a cat sneaking upon its prey as he watched Oriana try to pull on the jersey. With quick reflexes, Howie snatched the jersey back and scared Oriana by tickling the sides of her stomach.

"Hey!" she squeaked in horror, fighting his grasp with a squeal of protest.

"Gotcha!" Howie cackled with a grin as he continued to tickle her.

"Howie!" she lamented with agony, laughing fiercely at the feathery touches against her delicate skin. Her heart rate increased into a pounding fever as heat flushed her body, begging her to forward the sexual aggression raging between them. She found herself poorly equipped, not even really wanting to fight him off.

"Say uncle! I got you good, now say uncle!" he demanded, his hands tickling her sides and stomach. The heat between them continued to rise, and Howie wanted to give in. But he knew she wasn't ready and didn't push it.

"Bite me!" she wheezed.

"Okay!"

"Not literally!"

"But you said---"

"You're going to make me late for practice, you vampire!" she screeched as he playfully nipped her ear.

"What's stopping you from leaving?"

"You!"

"How?!"

"Before or after the fact that your pinning me in a car where most guys would go for a little one on one action?" she drawled, deciding to embarrass him to get free.

"Oh..." he trailed off, blushing.

"So, is that what you planned, Howie? Scare a girl by stalking her to her dance class, exclaiming she has a beautiful body, then tackle her in the front seat of her car for a little..." Oriana affectionately wiggled her eyebrows.

"I'm not that big of a horn dog!"

"So what kind of horn dog are you?" she prompted.

"The nice one that stops when a girl asks?"

"Stop," she laughed.

"Stop?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Alright. What time is your practice at?"

"Four o'clock. Why?"

"It's ten to four."

"Oh, shit," she breathed, struggling to pull herself up in the driver's seat. She squeaked at the struggle, finding Howie shifting into an awkward position. Finally, Oriana flung her door open to slide out of the car. She panted heavily, adjusting her sport's bra. "I've got to get there!"

"Well, get your stuff on and let's go!" Howie replied with a laugh.

"Nah, I think I'm driving over in my sport's bra," she taunted, watching Howie fumble for his keys. She arched her light brows in confusion. "You heading back home?"

"No, I was wondering if I could just follow you to Tartan and watch you practice."

"Why?" she deadpanned after a few moments, staring at Howie as if he were a complicated calculus equation. Even in her brief dating sequences, none of the boys remotely even cared that she participated in football. They completely ignored that portion of her life.

"Because I'd like to. I mean, is that alright?"

"Well, yeah, of course... I just... I didn't think you'd be signing up for the full position as supportive boyfriend..." she drawled.

"I would be a horrible boyfriend if I didn't."

"So, you're applying for the full-time position as a boyfriend?" she replied, a soft smile finally curving to her sweet-pink lips.

"Yeah, and I hope I get approved," he smiled as well.

"Well... We would need a proper interview and some sort of application..."

"I'll gladly do that, but now you're really going to be late."

"Ace is always a half hour late anyway, he likes to take time to settle the score with the head cheerleader behind the bleachers," Oriana grimaced, grasping the right keys. "Just follow me over?"

"Will do," Howie replied, hopping out of the car. He delivered one last steamy kiss before running to his car.
A Speeding Relationship by Anastacia
Chapter 20 – A Speeding Relationship

"Speed much?" Howie yelped as he stumbled from his car as he hurriedly parked it beside Oriana's massive Hummer. He couldn’t believe the speeds that Oriana traveled just to reach a football practice. She had been quick down the streets, hurrying to reach practice in time. Yet, Howie was surprised to see her taking her time to climb out of her car. She had been in such a rush to get to the field, now she seemed to be completely uninterested in joining the group.

"I always speed," she answered with an impish grin, reaching into her trunk to pull out her duffle bag. She stuffed her jersey into the pocket, heaving it into her shoulders, deciding she could gear up with the team. No one else ever dressed before arriving. "I just don't get caught."

"One of these days, it'll bite you in the ass," Howie shook his head, laughing as they headed to the field.

"No, you miss the finer points of my speeding tactics... I just flash my boobs to the officer, pucker my bottom lip, and drive away ticket-free... And if he's cute, maybe a number to reach him," she teased, affectionately stepping into Howie's side, hoping he would take the hint to wrap his arm around her. "Nothing like a man in uniform."

"What about a band uniform?" he asked with a grin, placing an arm around her thin waist.

"With those goofy feathers?" she mocked, wrinkling her nose with distaste. "Nah, I'm talking about a man in uniform. Like a dark button shirt, semi-tight dress pants, powerful tools around his waist... including handcuffs... Mmm!"

"Thanks for the idea, Baby. I'll definitely have to remember that one..." he trailed off.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she drawled with a curious nature, noticing the group of football players standing with question at the unknown figure.

"Nothing--"

"Cherry Bomb! That doesn't look like Mac to me!" Ace, the captain and quarterback, hollered from his position amongst the cheerleaders and football players. He looked none too pleased as he folded his arms briskly across his puffed chest, offering a critical glare toward Howie with his steely blue eyes.

"Mac's at Duke, Dumbass," Oriana groaned, feeling Howie immediately pull away from her side. "Besides, I found someone a hell'uva a lot better."

"A hell'uva lot better? This dude's a fucking band geek!" Ace exclaimed with a roll of his eyes. "How can that be better than a football player like Mac?"

"Because he doesn't have sticky hands in the backseat of a car after a Homecoming Dance," Oriana defended, stepping toward Ace as the others recoiled. She seemed quite bold as she tightly gripped the face of Ace's helmet, yanking him down to her level. "So, stop acting like an asshole and be nice. Alright? I like him, a lot."

"But he's a--"

"Ace, I fucking mean it."

"Cherry--"

"Why are you not taking me seriously? Do I look like I'm fucking joking around?" she stated bluntly, causing Ace's eyes to flick downward to scale her body. She rolled her eyes. "They're boobs, Ace, and have nothing to do with this conversation. So, be nice and greet Howie like you would greet Mac or I'll let William’s tear your ass down next time we're on the field."

"Alright, alright. Just let go of my helmet," he grunted, pulling away from her.

"Be nice," she commanded yet again, releasing his helmet. Ace stumbled backward from her powerful grip, causing the others to chuckle, but they soon lost their smiles when Ace glared. They nervously cleared their throats as Ace stumbled off to speak with his girlfriend. Most knew that Oriana would obey Ace’s every words. That’s why for a long time Oriana was declared off limits because of Ace asserting Mac’s territory. But, now that she had actually spoken out again Ace for a sly moment, the boys seemed preoccupied with the slightest worry, glancing toward Howie, wondering if he was the cause of Oriana’s assertiveness.

Oriana didn't seem to mind as she grabbed Luke by the hands, tugging them toward Howie. "Guys, not really sure if you've met, but I'm intro'ing anyway... Howie this is my best friend, Lucas. Luke, this is my...well...my potential boyfriend, Howie."

"Potential boyfriend, huh? That has to be a first. She must really like you, Howie. But it is nice to meet you," Luke quickly added, shaking Howie's hand with a sincere smile.

"Has to be a first for using the words a potential boyfriend or just having a boyfriend in general?" Howie pondered, slightly hurt that Oriana hadn't just announced him as her 'boyfriend.' He didn't know what she meant by 'potential.'

"Boyfriend in general. Not many guys can keep up with her like we can, but we all think of her as one of the guys, so it wouldn't work right. Man, I hope that makes sense..." Luke trailed off, looking confused for a moment.

"You think of her as a little sister?" Howie tried, noticing Oriana scowl playfully.

"Little sister, little brother--"

"Yeah, that's enough, Lukie," Oriana cooed sourly, clamping her hand against the man's mouth. Luke muttered something incoherent before licking her hand. Oriana groaned, immediately moving to wipe it down his shirt.

"Can't really see her as a little sister or little brother when Luke's the one running his hands all over her body during dance... Says it helps improve his football, but I think he's just trying to score a little Cherry Pop," another boy teased, stepping forward. He eagerly offered his hand from raking a mess of blond curls behind his ears. "Name's Gabe."

"Howie. Nice to meet you," Howie replied with a smile as Luke and Oriana attacked Gabe for a moment.

"It's the truth! It's the truth! Must I bring up Moulin Rouge?! Hands all over her ass and tits! Dude, you guys were a thong and bra away from doing the horizontal mambo!" Gabe squealed as Luke and Oriana tackled him down to the floor for torture.

"Man, I really need to see what happened on that dance..." Howie shook his head, laughing as a couple more guys walked up to him.

"Name's Lou. This is Grady, John, and Angel. Not that you'll really remember. We'll all be a blur on Monday. But it's really nice to meet you. Can't believe you're the one that actually tamed our Cherry-Bomb. What's your secret?" Lou asked with interest, watching Oriana take the upper hand to attack Gabe as he continued to shout obscenities about Moulin Rouge.

"I don't really have a secret," Howie shrugged helplessly. "I'm only being myself, and I like her a lot, so--"

"Like her a lot? Oh, please," Ace snarled from behind the group of boys, obviously not paying attention to whatever the head cheerleader was rattling about.

"Excuse me?" Howie asked, looking over at Ace.

"Are we back in sixth grade?" Ace countered without fault, glancing to see Luke and Oriana continuing to wrestle around with Gabe on the field. Knowing Oriana wouldn't strike, he quickly stepped toward Howie. The other boys naturally stepped back, keeping their space from the captain. "C'mon, this shit is ridiculous. What would a football player want with a geeky band member? Is it about the sex? The word around the block? Because, dude, she wouldn't be caught dead humping your ass. And, please. Dude, Mac's got his eyes set on Oriana. So, just back off and let a college man handle the Cherry-Bomb."

"Last time I checked, it was Oriana's choice of who she wants to date. Not you or anyone else. And what does it matter if I'm in band? You know, you're the only person I've heard to insult people who are not in sports at school. But Oriana's best friend Teagan is in band. Does that make her a geeky band member? Just lay off and let Oriana choose. It's her business," Howie replied, making distance between him and Ace. He would be damned if someone as domineering and arrogant as Ace would ruin his chances with the girl he has loved for so long.

"You son of a bitch---"

"Let's just start practice, how 'bout it?!" Lou interrupted, immediately moving to step between Ace's stocky nature and Howie's aggressive state. He hurriedly pushed Ace back into a group of boys, hurriedly whistling sharply to Oriana, Gabe, and Luke. They paused from their antics, breaking into peace resolutions, and slowly climbed from the field. Lou glanced back to Howie. "You staying for the practice, man?"

"Yeah, that's the plan..." Howie looked over at Ace, who was ranting to other members and ordering them around. "What the Hell is that guy's problem?"

"Ace? Ah, he's just got a stick up his ass the majority of the time," Lou answered with a shrug as Oriana approached. He affectionately wrapped his arms around Oriana's form, affectionately kissing her cheek. "Why don't you go get your lover boy settled in the girlfriend waiting area and get some clothes on that body of yours!"

Oriana yelped as he affectionately swatted her behind before moving to calm Ace. Oriana smiled as Luke swiftly kissed her cheek and moved to do the same. Oriana then smiled to Howie before overhearing Ace's foul mouth. She cringed. "He didn't say anything pompous, did he?"

"You mean what comes out of his mouth isn't always pompous?"

"Um..." Oriana shifted with an innocent shrug of her shoulders. "I'd say his bark is worse than his bite, but that's completely ass-backwards. He's like a rattlesnake... You just try not to get the full bite of his venom."

"Why aren't you the captain anyway? You'd treat everyone a Hell of a lot better than he does," Howie replied, frowning openly as Oriana led him to the bleachers. "He also seems determined that you're going to be with Mac and not a band geek like me."

"Because somehow I think it was hard enough just weaseling myself into the team..." she trailed. She never really thought about becoming the Captain, but Howie's last statement caught her off guard. She stopped halfway to the bleachers, causing him to turn. "What do you mean determined about Mac? I don't even like Mac..."

"Ace seems to think different. Says you wouldn't be caught dead being with me and you deserve a college man," Howie bit his lip, subconsciously worrying if that was what she really wanted.

"Ace only thinks different because he's best friends with Mac... And Mac is possessive..." Oriana furiously shook her head as she hurriedly pulled her curls into a ponytail. She glanced down to see the boys stretching, knowing she had time since she was limber from dance. "It's not a big deal---"

"It's not a big deal that Ace thinks you deserve a college guy? Or it's not a big deal that Mac's possessive? Or---"

"Howie, what's the matter?" Oriana interrupted in shock, immediately reaching out to grasp Howie's warm cheeks. She hurriedly searched his cold brown eyes for some hint, but he was so furious.

"This is a big deal, Oriana! I love you, and I know you know that. But you don't seem to think it's nothing important if Ace thinks like he does and that Mac is possessive. I mean, look at it from my perspective. My girlfriend plays football with a guy who thinks I'm not good enough for her and she has a huge college football player out there who is possessive over her and she's not taking it seriously."

"Do you watch Dawson's Creek regularly?" Oriana asked with a blank look, causing Howie to release a deep growl. She jumped slightly, offering a small pout. "I'm sorry, Howie. But, it doesn't matter what Ace thinks of you. Howie, I like you. It's not Ace's choice. Okay? And I think you're good enough for me. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Yes... but why did you introduce me as potential boyfriend?" Howie muttered, looking down at his feet.

"Huh?" Oriana trailed with thought, her eyes suddenly lighting with remembrance. "What's wrong with that?"

"I didn't know I was just a potential boyfriend."

"I didn't know why I said it, Howie. It just kind of...popped out," Oriana tried to explain, shrugging her bare shoulders. She almost thought that she was taking over the boyfriend role rather than the girlfriend role. She offered a small smile, leaning to place an affectionate kiss on his cheek. "Sweetheart, you didn't even ask me to be your girlfriend after Teagan gave you permission to date me. And then we were talking about you putting in an application for the boyfriend title with full benefits... And we haven't even been on a first date yet... And, why aren't you smiling?"

"Ace had no damn right to act like he had control over you--"

"He's just a jackass, Howie. Please, don't worry about it."

”But--"

"I like you a lot?" Oriana replied with a innocent chime to her voice. She playfully batted her lashes, letting her blue-green eyes shimmer with approval.

"Really?"

"Really," she leaned in and gently kissed his lips.

"Mmmm," Howie murmured softly against her lips, gently bringing his hands to cup her cheeks.

"Yeah..." she laughed, quickly pulling away before all the boys could hoot and holler. She laced her fingers with his, tugging him back to the bleachers. "So, let's go get you seated with the cheerleaders!"

"Baby, they're all ditzy and they'll drive me nuts!" Howie objected.

"Ella's nice..." Oriana answered with the click of her tongue, searching the bleachers. She smiled with amusement when she noted two girls sitting at the top of the bleachers. "Okay, I have another section that'll be perfect for you. But, once they find out you're looking to fill out the boyfriend application, you'll get a pink girlfriend support t-shirt."

"PINK? Why does it have to be pink?" Howie whined as they reached the bottom of the bleachers.

"Because it's cheerleaders. I mean, hello, do you honestly think I want my name anywhere NEAR that color?" Oriana shivered, yanking Howie up the stairs.

"So either way, I'll be stuck with pink?"

"You'll basically get two t-shirts, yeah."

"Two shirts?"

"One from the pink freaks and another from Ella and Dee in the color you want."

"Ella and Dee?"

"Yeah, Ella and Dee," Oriana answered with a short laugh, motioning to the girls waving to two boys on the field. They instinctively looked up and stood to give Oriana huge squeezes for hugs. Oriana affectionately kissed their cheeks, motioning toward the tall brunette and the fiery redhead. "The beautiful brunette is Ella. She's Jace's girlfriend and a member of the cheerleading team. The redhead is Dee and she belongs to Luke. Guys, this is Howie and looking to fill out the boyfriend application in the Cherry-Bomb department."

"Wait, did I hear right? Someone is applying for that department and you're letting them? I think I've seen it all!" Ella gasped, placing a hand to her heart.

"I said I'd consider the application with an interview. He just needs to set up the dates," Oriana laughed, gently pushing on the fair girl's shoulder. She really enjoyed her time with Ella and Dee.

"You're Howie Dorough, right? First trumpet in Concert Band," Dee replied with a knowing smile. "I saw you perform at Solo and Ensemble just last week. You did the best rendition of 'Oye Como Va' that I've ever heard."

"Well, thanks. I thought I was a little off..." Howie trailed, blushing faintly. He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Just the idea of having Oriana's friends observing him for approval gave him palpitations.

"No way, you were on key the whole time," Dee shook her head, patting Howie's arm. "Obviously the judge's didn't think you were--"

"You know the results already?"

"My dad was the judge on the left," she chuckled at the look on his face.

"What'd he say?" Howie asked, wide-eyed.

"He was really impressed. Most trumpeters couldn't hit all the notes like you did, especially that high F. They all agreed that you deserve... are you sure you want to know?"

"Look, I know we just met... But, please?!"
Dee had to laugh, a soft smile on her face. "They gave you a Superior."

"Is that like an MVP?" Oriana asked blankly, not really knowing where the conversation was headed. She felt out of place, because she really didn't play anything within the bands in school. She dabbled on the piano and a little acoustic guitar at home, but she found most of her passion singing at home.

"Basically, yeah. It's the highest rank you can get at Solo and Ensemble. There's Fair, Good, Excellent and Superior," Dee exclaimed as Howie whooped in delight, wrapping his arms around Oriana and spinning in a tight circle. "Only the best of the best get what Howie did."

"Congrats, Howie!" Oriana enthused, laughing in surprise as Howie continued to spin her in a tight circle. She felt a little dizzy as he finally allowed the tips of her feet to grace the bleachers. She affectionately reached up to give him a congratulations kiss. "I'm glad you did so well. You must be really proud!"

"I've been working so hard!" Howie agreed, kissing her again.

"Well, it definitely shows since you got that Superior. I'm proud of you," she laughed, loving how his eyes twinkled with a smoldering amusement of joy. He had a right to be proud of his accomplishments. "Your parents are going to hit the roof. They'll probably take you out for dinner and everything tonight!"

"Either that or Mama will do the whole big dinner of Irish and Puerto Rican food again. Oooh, I hope she'll do that," he enthused, feeling his stomach grumble. He was about to continue when the guys began yelling for Oriana. "I think it's time for your practice, Baby."

Oriana glanced back at the hordes of boys, begging for her to join. It was obvious they wanted her to step in as Quarterback for their scrimmage. She noticed Luke hurriedly talking amongst the players of his team before signaling that she had to hurry. Oriana grinned with delight, knowing that Luke loved trying out her outrageous plays. She glanced back to Howie. "You don't have to worry about staying for practice or anything. You should get home to tell your family the great news. And I'll catch you Tuesday or something."

"No, we want to get to know Howie better!" Ella and Dee objected.

"I want to stay and watch you anyway," Howie replied with a smile.

"Besides..." Ella clicked her tongue as she offered a roguish smile. "I think Howie was just about to ask you out on a date for tonight. Figure you two part ways after practice, go home, clean up, and he takes you out for that sneaky little interview which just so happens to be Cherry's way of saying 'date.' Besides, he should be celebrating his fantastic accomplishment with his girlfriend, right, Howie?"

"Right. You read my mind, Ella," he replied, shooting her a look of sincere thanks. "How about it, Ori?"

"A date?" she questioned.

"A date."

"Us? Where are we going to go?" she asked blankly, slightly amused by the idea. Most of the guys that asked her out on dates just wanted to get her into the backseats of her car or head to their homes to fumble around computers, phones, or whatever their bidding was. But, she knew Howie was different. He was sincere.

"What if I told you that was a surprise?"

"I'd say it better be a good surprise if I'm actually consenting on going on a date."

"It'll be a good surprise, I promise. You'll love it."

"Alright, pick me up around an hour and a half after practice?" Oriana offered, holding her hand out to strike the deal.

"I'll be there," Howie agreed, taking her hand and pulling her into his arms for a kiss. "I like making deals with you this way."

"Well you can't be making deals with me like that till you ask me to be your girlfriend," she chided with an impish smile, wagging her finger at him.

"Yes, yes, I know. I'm waiting for the perfect moment to ask," he replied, blushing.

"Then don't kiss me, Mr. Dorough. That's just a blatant disregard of my human rights," she quoted, acting like a true philosopher.

"I thought you liked my kisses."

"I do, but a boyfriend can only give a girlfriend kisses... But a girl however, especially a female football player, well, she can offer kisses freely," she teased, stepping into his embrace for a heated kiss.

"Mmmm..." he moaned for what seemed like the thousandth time since he met up with her at the dance studio.

"ORIANA! WE'RE GOING TO MAKE YOU WEAR ACE'S JOCK-STRAP IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!" the boys finally threatened.

With Oriana's perfect moment ruined, she withdrew from Howie embrace. She offered a sweet smile before leaning down to whisper into the girls' ears. They exchanged giggles as she gazed back to Howie. "There's no way in Hell I'm wearing that filthy thing, so I'll check you later, Dorough."

"See you later," Howie replied, waving as Oriana ran down to the field.

"She bought her own jock-strap once... Wore it outside of her uniform with an athletic cup and declared herself football man at one of the practices... She's such a riot," Ella laughed as Oriana pitched herself gracefully over the bleachers before hopping onto Luke's back to hear the plays.

"Definitely one in a million," Howie agreed. The team began to form a line of scrimmage, Oriana making Luke take her over to the Quarterback position.

"And she likes you a lot," Dee commented after a few moments, laughing softly as Oriana pretended to smack Luke's behind like a whip. He jumped playfully, pretending to pout as she shouted out the proper codes for the play. Dee loved Luke so much and understood the unique bond he formed with Oriana. And if Dee would reject Oriana, then she would be rejecting a portion of Luke.

"I'm really glad. I don't know what I would do if she didn't like me," Howie admitted, shaking his head in awe as the ball was snapped and Oriana threw a perfect spiral to Gabe, who ran and got a first down.

"Date another Christina Hackerly probably," Ella responded softly, enraptured in the game as Oriana hurriedly called another play, assembling her team. Dee immediately smacked Ella sharply on the arm, causing Ella to jump. She offered a pure look of embarrassment to Howie. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean that..."

"It's alright, Ella. It's a mistake I made... but now I'm with Oriana, and that's all that matters. The past is the past," Howie replied, giving Ella a smile of reassurance.

"You're just on the waiting list, remember," Dee teased, nudging Howie's shoulder. "You get that big interview tonight."

"Yeah, but I think I'm a shoo-in. She really likes me," Howie bragged playfully with a laugh.

"Yeah, all you have to do is wear that pink shirt those vultures down there are going to make you for ALL the games and she'll love you forever," Dee laughed.

"Uh-uh, no way am I wearing pink!" Howie shook his head vehemently. "Oriana said she doesn't want her name near that color."

"Regardless, they're going to make it for you. And we're not talking light pink. We're talking NEON pink, Howie. Little hearts all over the place with little arrows. All the dots are turned into hearts, roses all over the place, it's a real...fashion statement," Ella giggled.

"Oh God, you can't be serious. Neon pink with hearts and everything?" Howie groaned, feeling his body shudder at the thought.

"Oh, yes," Dee replied, pulling out her own shirt to demonstrate the quality. Howie immediately hunched over and grew pale at the very sight. Dee smiled, "But for the small fee of telling us where you're taking Oriana for this interview, El and I could craft you a beautiful t-shirt in your chosen color."

"Any color I want?"

"Yes, sir. You just have to tell us where the interview is taking place."

"Any color I want?"

"Yes," Ella laughed.

"Any color--"

"Howie!" both the girls laughed.
Safety First by Anastacia
Chapter 21 – Safety First

"It's hard to see those two girls ever being this little, Cassie!" Kevin marveled in awe as he poured through the old family albums Marie and Cassandra had collected over the years, taking a break from all the wedding plans. Each picture centered on Teagan and Oriana growing into beautiful women. He awed at how the two imps that Cassandra and Marie constantly teased about could turn into such perfect rosebuds that were on the verge of being beautiful roses. Kevin had taken a strong interest in getting to know his two new step-daughters, hoping that somewhere along the process Oriana would come to him.

Still, Kevin felt he had several puzzles to unravel when it came to the soon-to-be-youngest of the Riley-Richardson clan. She was highly forbidding in developing a personal relationship with him. Any step he took toward her, Oriana made sure to run backward at least a mile if not completely dive off the largest cliff. The fact tore the at the most inner lining of Kevin’s heart, because he had always wanted a daughter. When he first discovered that Cassandra had a daughter, he had been overjoyed at the prospect. Everything was different with little girls, but he feared that he wouldn’t have the chance to find out. Oriana loathed the very sight of him.

Trying to block the hurt, he glanced back to the photo album. He found himself deeply troubled when he stumbled upon the next picture. His stomach immediately clenched with worry, knowing something was horribly unsettling within the photograph that involved his soon-to-be stepdaughter. Oriana couldn't have been more thirteen as she flashed the most numbing smile Kevin had seen as Teagan affectionately kissed her cheek. They were pictured by the ocean behind a grand sand castle. One could have overlooked the numbed smile on Oriana’s face, mistaking it for happiness. Yet, what surprised him most was the cast wrapped around her right arm, encasing her arm nearly to her shoulder with peculiar dark bruises against her throat, almost looking like bite marks.

Cassandra immediately noted Kevin's worried expression and leaned over her fiancée. She quickly clicked her tongue in remembrance, rubbing his shoulders to reassure him. Everyone always questioned the various accidents that Oriana always seemed to tumble into, but it was just Oriana’s daring nature. "Oriana was always a trouble maker, hurting herself constantly. She was at the beach with Charles, a man I was seeing, and he said she fell off her surfboard. Bruises all over the place... My poor baby came close to having surgery that day..."

"That must have been one nasty fall..." Kevin mumbled in agreement, finding it too odd that she would get bruises around her neck from a surfing accident.

"Yeah, but Oriana bounced back. It’s just a part of her personality," Marie replied, turning the page for Kevin. She started to laugh at the picture of Oriana and Teagan once more.

"Why is it part of her personality though?" Kevin questioned softly, glancing down at the picture Marie quickly pointed out. It was a Halloween photograph and the girls had decided to go as dead zombie children. Of course, Oriana had completely drenched herself in blood with the most disgusting outfit she could possibly find. Teagan, on the other hand, placed used tiny droplets of blood and fixed herself in a beautiful prom dress costume.

"She's always playing rough with all the boys, and dance can be really hard on the body. Not only that, she's accident prone. So, it's part of her personality," Marie explained with a simple shrug, taking another photo album and flipping through until she landed on a particular photo. "Look, it's your fiancée in all her glory!" Of course, it was of Cassandra during labor, sweaty and haggard looking.

"Marie Gabrielle!" Cassandra groaned, immediately reaching to cover the photograph. She looked like a complete mess when Marie insisted on taking that photograph. It had been around the thirty-hour mark of her labor with Oriana and Oriana's heartbeat had started to decrease. They thought that she would loose Oriana, but somehow, she managed to pull through with the greatest triumph. Cassandra quickly eyed the rest of the photographs, motioning to a photograph on the other side. It was when Oriana was delivered. Cassandra was glowing with pride as the baby was placed upon her warm abdomen. The sweat and exhaustion didn't seem to matter in that picture, because it was Oriana's entrance into life. Cassandra smiled softly, noticing the familiar yawn fixed on her daughter's beautiful face. "That's a much better picture."

"She was a beautiful baby," Kevin whispered, smiling at the instant bond between mother and daughter.

"Most gorgeous baby on the unit," Cassandra agreed, remembering how all the nurses in the nursery had fawned over Oriana for hours. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect child. She hadn't been splotched, but a pure peaches-and-cream complexion with just a tuft of honey blonde curls matted against her perfectly round head. Her tiny hands pressed against her mother's chest as she slowly observed the world, drinking in the unfamiliar noises with a calm wonder. Not once had she bawled for attention, merely in hunger, and even then it would turn into just a small whimper.

"We almost didn't have that beautiful baby," Marie whispered with remembrance as Cassandra squeezed her hand.

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked, looking at the two women. He became even more concerned when he saw the tears in their eyes.

"I was in labor for over thirty hours. Oriana's heartbeat began to slow down and the doctors thought we were going to lose her. But she came out and greeted the world with a tiny little yawn. No shrieking or crying. She was so sweet and innocent, looking at all of us," Cassandra replied quietly.

"Thirty hours?" Kevin breathed in horror.

"She just didn't want to come out for some reason. And, no one understood why it was such a difficult labor. Oriana barely weighed five pounds upon delivery and was premature... Still... She was the only baby to yawn when she came into the world after such a struggle... No one could believe it," Marie explained softly, rubbing Cassandra's hand. It was still gave Cassandra nightmares, even after seventeen years, because Oriana had been through so much before she even had a chance to greet the world.

”My little miracle baby," Cassandra whispered, gently running her finger over the picture.

"I can't believe it..." Kevin paused, reflecting on the story.

"They still can't figure out why it was so complicated... but she's alive and with us. That's all that matters," Marie replied, squeezing her best friend's hand once more before turning the page.

"And then we're back to the beautiful girls that gave us such joy in our lives," Cassandra breathed as Marie traced the photograph with her index finger. It was a photograph of the girls lounging by the pool, clad in their skimpy bikinis. Their honey tanned bodies glistened beneath the warming rays of sunshine. They offered a Marilyn Monroe pouts as they let the glasses slip from the bridges of noses for a seductive quality. Yet, it seemed too goofy for the mothers.

"Wait, what's that?" Kevin pondered, pointing to Oriana's bare upper thigh. He noted the darkened handprint of a bruise that Oriana did her best to hide.

"What?" Marie blanked.

"That bruise."

"What bruise?"

"The bruise on her thigh. Can't you see it?"

Cassandra leaned in close, glancing at her daughter's creamy upper thigh. She suddenly frowned, noting the faint outlines of a handprint. Jake, a former boyfriend of Cassandra, had taken that picture, but she had never noticed the particular bruise. "She must have been fooling around playing football again."

"But it looks like a hand--"

"Why would a handprint be on Oriana's thigh?" Marie interrupted.

"I don't know, but that's what it looks like. Can't you see the outline of it?" Kevin defended himself, pointing to the spot on Oriana's thigh.

Marie was about to retort when Teagan came hurrying into the house. She seemed to be aglow with love as she hummed to herself. She gazed upon the parents and squealed at the albums, immediately hurrying over. She kissed Cassandra's cheek before throwing her arms around Marie's neck, leaning over to admire the photograph. She offered a small smile at the photograph, immediately tensing when she remembered Jake taking it. His eyes glaring at Oriana like a lustful puppy-dog offered Teagan a sour note. She struggled to push that aside as her mother pointed to the bruise. "What's that look like, Teagan?"

"It looks like..." Teagan turned her head to the side and looked at it closely. "Some sort of bruise."

"Look at the outline," Kevin stressed.

"Kind of looks like fingers or something. Must have gotten smacked in football or something," Teagan said with a shrug.

Kevin grunted softly, not understanding why all the women were choosing to ignore the obvious. He knew something was wrong with that picture and Oriana's skittish behavior around him seemed to relate. Yet, no one seemed to care. Kevin sighed and stood up from the table, shaking his head in disappointment. He offered a soft kiss to Cassandra's cheek. "I'm going to go work on some stuff in my studio, okay, Sweetheart? Get these wedding plans done."

"Alright, Kevy. I'll send you up some dinner, so you don't need to tear yourself away from your work," Cassandra replied with a smile.

"You're too good to me," he sighed with a flutter of his eyelashes, causing the women to giggle. He would just have to figure out what's going on himself, but at the moment he focused on other things.

"I know," Cassandra answered with a sweet smile, beckoning him down for one more kiss. "I love you."

"Love you more," Kevin replied as he walked to hug Marie and kiss the top of Teagan's head before heading towards his studio.

"He's so perfect, Ma!" Teagan sighed dreamily, propping her head up her hands, pressing her elbows amongst the bridal magazines, photographs, catering services, and other jumbled needs. She batted her dark eyelashes with another perfect sigh. "Just like Brian..."

"Oh, no, it's that look again," Cassandra teased, ruffling Teagan's short, dark locks. The bruise in the picture seemed to evaporate with Kevin's disappearance as they concentrated on the wedding and Teagan.

"You only see it when she comes over. I see it all the time at home," Marie groaned with a laugh. She was happy her daughter found someone like Brian to treat her right.

"Ma, Mom, he so absolutely perfect. He makes my entire body tingle!" Teagan burst with a rosy blush printed across her cheeks. It almost looked as if she had been sipping on a glass of champagne and the bubbles were attacking her system. She offered the funny little smile again, leaning back in her seat, yelping when it tipped.

"Uh-oh..." Cassandra chuckled.

"I'm okay!" Teagan called out, steadying the chair.

"Are you sure there's not blonde in that head of yours?" Marie asked, leaning over to examine Teagan's roots.

"I'm in love, Mom!" Teagan protested, batting her hands away.

"Love. The four letter word," Cassandra clicked her tongue and laughed. "Marie, it sounds like The Talk will have to happen soon."

"Oh, please, I've had that talk and can at least double the fun into it! And let me just tell you that it's mad-weak and LOTS need to be added!" Teagan breathed with a funny giggle.

"Do I have two free appointments next week?" Cassandra suddenly asked.

"Excuse me?" Teagan blanked, abruptly stopping her giggles.

"Mare-Bear, do I have two appointments free next week?" Cassandra repeated.

"Last time I checked, you do. On Wednesday afternoon," Marie agreed.

"Ma, what are you talking about? An appointment for who?" Teagan asked, thoroughly confused.

"Put Teagan and Oriana down for that one," Cassandra commanded, watching Marie withdraw their date book. She hurriedly scratched in the girls' names under the appointment slots.

"Ma! Will you please tell me why I'm going into the clinic next Wednesday?"

"We're getting you set up on Birth Control," Cassandra answered, starting to thumb through a bridal magazine. She acted completely nonchalant about the issue, knowing that times had shifted. She wanted both of her daughters to be safe if need be.

"Birth what?"

"Birth Control, Honey. You know, the Pill?" Marie replied with an amused chuckle as she grabbed another magazine.

"But---"

"We both want you to be safe, and you seem pretty serious with Brian. It's for your own good. Oriana, too."

"But---"

"Just come to the office right after school on Wednesday and bring Oriana with you. I'll tell her later about the birth control... If anything, it'll regulate your periods, too. So, we're just making sure you girls are safe and protected and regulated for college. Makes sense, right?" Cassandra laughed, loving the dumbfounded look on Teagan's face. "We're not at all agreeing that you should have sex. But, you can make your own decisions and we want you to have all the available necessities."

"But--"

"Teagan," Marie chided in a warning tone. "You know Ma and I are doing the right thing."

"But--"

"One more 'but' and you're grounded from Brian."

"B-B-B-Bridal Magazines?" Teagan fumbled.

"Nice save," Marie laughed, handing a magazine to her daughter.

"I thought so," Teagan replied with a devilish grin, immediately opening to the pages that Cassandra had marked. Truth be told, she was excited about getting placed on birth control that week. She admired that her mothers were so down to earth about the entire ordeal, of course, that had to do with their pasts. They didn't want their daughters' lives being cut short because of pregnancy. Another funny smile curved onto her lips; Brian would be quite the happy camper.

"Thinking about Brian again?" Cassandra asked, looking over at Teagan before going back to her magazine.

"Actually... Wondering about your wedding," Teagan covered. "Like what flowers, colors, bride's dress, maid of honor... What we're wearing... You know, all the good stuff!"

"The flowers are going to be red and white roses, baby's breath and yellow chrysanthemums. So, the colors would be among those lines. My dress looks like this," Cassandra handed Teagan a different magazine.

"Oh... Ma," Teagan breathed in awe, immediately focusing on the chosen dress. Her blue-gray eyes widened with appreciation as she cooed over the lovely picture. It was a creamy white color with a tight bodice with off the shoulder straps decorated in shimmering beads outlining the look of roses, Cassandra's favorite flower. The skirt flared into the shape of a bell with a beautiful train of accented beadwork.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? Ma, this is the perfect dress for you! I love it," Teagan gushed happily.

"I'm glad. Because the maid of honor’s opinion always helps with weddings," Cassandra replied with a wink towards Marie.

"Wait... Maid of Honor? Me? Maid of Honor?!" Teagan shrieked in delight.

"I'm guessing you're saying yes?"

"Of course! Ma, this is brilliant!" Teagan squeaked, rushing over to hug Cassandra tightly.

"You want to see what you'll be wearing?" Cassandra laughed, almost tipping from Teagan's overpowering hug. She gently rubbed the girl's back, eagerly kissing her cheeks. She didn't know what she would do without Teagan as a constant presence in her life or Oriana's life.

"Yeah! I wanna see!" Teagan giggled with excitement as she pulled away and watched Cassandra grab another magazine and flipped to the right page. "Oh my goodness! Ma, it's a beautiful dress!"

"You and Oriana are going to be my Maid's of Honor and the dresses are going to be a deep, passionate pink to match the roses," Cassandra explained, motioning to the dresses. They indeed were quite gorgeous with tight bodices lacing with sheer ribbons threaded with dazzling beads. The skirts would settle along the girls' hips with a close fit before flaring out into a wild mermaid skirt.

"They're perfect. Absolutely perfect," Teagan paled for a moment, thinking. "Ma, how are you going to get Duckie in a dress? Let alone a PINK dress?"

"Well... I was thinking---"

Cassandra's words were interrupted as Oriana came rushing into the house. She seemed completely caught up in her own world as she tossed her duffle bags to the side with a thick clatter. She was covered in thick grass stains and dirt, showing that the scrimmage had been quite heated. Knowing her mother wouldn't be pleased, she kicked off her cleats before pulling off her filthy jersey and dance pants, revealing her light blue sport's bra and a pair of tight warm-up shorts. She hurriedly stuffed the soiled contents into the laundry shoot while singing to herself, "Why does the color of my coffee match your eyes / Why do I see you when a stranger passes by / I swear I hear you in the whisper of the wind / I feel you when the sun is dancing on my skin / And when it's raining / You won't find me complaining / Cause, when I think about rain / I think about singing / When I think about singing / It's a heavenly tune / When I think about Heaven / I think about angels / When I think about angels / I think about you."

"She's thinking about Howie," Teagan sang with a roll of her eyes.

"Who's Howie?" Marie questioned with wonder as Oriana danced to the fridge, pulling out a small carton of apple juice. Oriana still remained in her own world as she gulped down the juice before singing again. She had to smile as Oriana rotated her hips, her gorgeous voice almost vibrating the house with beauty.

"This guy at school. He's liked her since freshmen year and they both finally got together. It was about damn time," Teagan replied with a smile as she watched her best friend. "I thought I was going to have to do it all myself, but they managed to get out of their shells and tell each other they liked one another."

"I haven't heard anything about this so-called guy," Cassandra frowned.

Oriana didn't seem interested until she turned, finally catching a glimpse of the piles of pink magazines. The beautiful words stopped flowing from her mouth as she stood stiffly, looking like a doe caught in headlights. Her jaw slowly dropped as she gazed at all the plans. "Um... This isn't what I think it is... Is it? Because, if so... I must remind you of my severe allergic reaction to estrogen..."

"You're a woman and you have estrogen in your body. You can't get away from it," Teagan laughed.

"Very tiny amounts of estrogen fluttering about the system... I'm thinking about having testosterone injections..." Oriana trailed, trying to sneak away to the stairs for means of an escape.

"Oh no, you don't! You're going to tell me about this Howie. Why haven't you told me about him?" Cassandra scorned lightly, grabbing the hem of Oriana's shorts.

"Howie?" Oriana paused for a moment, glancing up to the clock. She groaned inwardly after glancing downward. She was covered head to toe with smudges of dirt and he was due to arrive at any moment. She blushed furiously, struggling to wiggle out of the shorts, finally just exposing her duck-printed bikini underwear. "Momma!"

"Oriana!" she mocked her daughter. "Who is Howie?"

"I'm half naked standing here and you're asking me about a guy?!"

"Yes!"

"Momma!" Oriana whimpered pathetically, trying to turn to run up the stairs. She yelped in surprise as Cassandra caught her ankle, causing her to fall against the stairs into a sitting position. "Momma! He's going to be here any minute and I have to look semi-decent because I'm going out on a date! I need to get a shower and get all this dirt off my body or he's never going to ask me to be his girlfriend!"

"A date? Ask you to be his girlfriend? When were you going to tell me this?!" Cassandra blurted as she let go of Oriana's ankle.

"Half past a monkey's ass and quarter to his balls!" Oriana blurted, causing Marie and Teagan to burst into giggles. Though, Oriana quickly realized she was free and dashed up the stairs in search of a warm shower.

"Oriana Ryan! You're going to have to tell me before you leave!" Cassandra called after her.

"Here, Ma," Teagan snickered, reaching into her purse to retrieve her wallet. She thumbed through several senior photographs before locating Howie's picture. She smiled softly as she handed over the picture of the handsome Hispanic boy that had captured Oriana's heart. He looked completely dreamy enveloped in a cream colored sweater with baggy jeans, standing barefoot on the beach. His smile was alluring as gentle dark curls fell against his forehead, telling everyone he had a special secret. "That's the infamous Howie."

"Oh my... he's quite handsome!" Cassandra approved, looking at the picture for a moment. Howie definitely looked like the kind of boy Oriana needed in her life, and she could tell just by the picture. She smiled, handing it to Marie, who whistled.

"Always knew our little fiery Ori would fall for a Latin Honey!" Marie laughed. "She needs that salsa!"

"Mom! That was... Mom!" Teagan groaned, covering her eyes.

"Isn't it the truth?" Marie countered innocently. "I mean, honestly, could you see Oriana settling down with some plain old Joe? She needs that fire and mystery... That... Mmm, if I was a few years younger!"

"MOM!"

"What?!"

"Go for guys your age... for my sake, please!"

"Why? I think I could give Oriana a run for her money," Marie laughed as there was a soft knock on the kitchen door.

"No, no, no! That would be so wrong!" Teagan objected as Cassandra got up to answer the door. "He'd be my dad AND brother, ew!"

"How could he be both?" Marie asked in confusion.

"Because... because I said so!"

"Teagan---"

"Howie?" Cassandra called loudly as she opened the door, immediately recognizing the boy standing in the doorway. She smiled with a genuine approval, admiring his sleek style and shy nature. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze however, retrieving a single red rose from the bouquet he had bought for Oriana. He offered the rose toward Cassandra with a shy smile. "Well, thank you so much! Please, come in! We were just talking about you."

"You were?" Howie asked as he walked into the house. Teagan looked up and started to coo as she saw the bouquet of flowers.

"Aww, Howie! She's going to love those!"

"Thanks," he answered with a soft blush.

"Oriana's never gotten roses before," Marie commented with the click of her tongue, winking at Teagan. The daughter released a loud groan, immediately sinking into her seat. Marie smiled, offering her hand toward Howie. "And, yes, we were talking about you. My name's Marie, I'm Teagan's mother, but Oriana's my other daughter."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Howie, but you already seem to know that," he replied with a handsome smile, shaking Marie's hand.

"And I'm Oriana's mother, Cassandra. But please, call me Cassie, alright?" Cassandra replied.

"I wouldn't feel right..."

"Howie, please, you've obviously stolen my daughter's heart. I find it quite appropriate for the only man who's gotten my daughter so smitten to call me Cassie," she chided, placing her rose in a small vase.

"So, where are you taking her tonight, Dorky Dwaine? Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Teagan spoke up with an impish smile.

"It's a private thing, Teagan!" Marie scorned.

"But I want to know!"

"Teagan---"

"Momma! This underwear completely kick ass! How cute are these fairies? I'm definitely hooking up with some more pairs of these! I mean, look!" Oriana's voice rang out as she hurried down the stairs, pulling up her jeans. She hurriedly jumped a little before showing Cassandra her underwear, completely oblivious to Howie's appearance. "Aren't they cute?!"

"Oriana," Cassandra laughed.

"What? I'm not allowed to get excited about underwear? I mean, hello, they're even that string bikini style that Gabby's dying to get me to wear..." Oriana turned to see Howie standing there. She blanked for a long moment, immediately swallowing hard as she hurriedly pulled up her jeans and yanked down her sweatshirt. "And you guys so didn't tell me he was standing right there!"

"Nope, it's more fun for us to wait and see the look on your face," Teagan snickered.

"Thanks, Gabby," Oriana reprimanded sarcastically, already feeling a sharp blush rise to her wan cheeks. She stuffed her hands into the kangaroo pocket of her cherry-printed sweatshirt, completely embarrassed. "Sorry for giving you that peep show, Howie... I was just trying to get ready..."

"No, no, it's okay. Don't worry about it," Howie replied, walking over to her with the flowers. "I thought you might like these."

"Oh... Howie..." she whispered in awe, noting that the roses were a creamy white color with splashes of red, just like in the poem.

"Is that a yes?"

"It's definitely a yes," she kissed his smooth cheek. "Thank you so much. They're beautiful."

"Never thought the Cherry-Bomb would be awed by roses," Teagan teased, loving to torture Oriana.

"I can be romantic when I want," Oriana scorned with a fiery blush, gently inhaling the soft scent of the roses. She smiled with approval before moving to obtain a vase for the gorgeous flowers. She immediately glanced back to Howie with a warming smile, unable to believe how gorgeously sweet he was.

Howie was about to speak when Teagan scolded her mother. "Mom! Stop drooling over Howie!"

"Moms?" Oriana countered.

"What? I wasn't doing anything!" Marie objected, blushing.

"Yeah, if you count staring at Howie's butt as he walked in nothing," Teagan replied.

"He's got a cute butt, what can I say?" Marie laughed with an amused smile, causing Howie to blush furiously. She sighed softly, standing up to gently hug the boy. "I'm just saying that you're quite handsome and if I were a few years younger, Oriana wouldn’t be the one stealing your heart."

"Oh, thanks, Moms," Oriana scoffed with a pout.

"But I still love you," Marie cooed, kissing Oriana's cheek before sitting back down at the table.

"Can we go now?" Oriana pouted again.

"I'd actually like to talk more with Howie," Cassandra voiced.

"Yeah, that'd be a big 'ol ready to go sign," Oriana breathed, walking back to Howie. Her blue-green eyes swirled with hope, praying he would agree.

"Um--"

"Howie, I do need to talk to you. Just the normal safety stuff. It won't take long," Cassandra replied.

"Normal safety stuff?" Howie drawled in confusion.

"Like where you're going, what time you'll be back. Things like that."

"Momma, it's a surprise..." Oriana groaned softly, noticing Howie struggle. He obviously didn't want to ruin what he had planned. She gently placed a hand on his arm, arching her eyebrows toward her mother. "Will it just suffice to say that we'll be extremely careful and I'll be home by midnight?"

"Well..." Cassandra sighed, looking at the couple. "Alright. But be careful, there are lots of weirdo's out there."

"But there's one less because Gabby's here!" Oriana quipped with a grin.

"I make one crack about you not being romantic and you pull out the weirdo card?" Teagan scoffed.

"You know I love you," Oriana breathed, pressing a kiss to Teagan's cheek. Her friend grumbled, just waving her away. Oriana laughed with amusement, moving back to thread her arm through Howie's.

"Ready for your interview?"

"Ready. Let's go!"

"Great," Oriana laughed, walking past her mother. She offered a quick kiss as Howie opened the kitchen door to let her out. She smiled softly as she concentrated on Howie's form, never prepared for her mother's sudden announcement.

"Oriana Ryan! Wait! You have to go to the clinic to get your birth control this Wednesday! Don't you dare forget! And don't dare do anything tonight without it!" Cassandra blurted without warning.

"What the Hell?" Oriana yelped in shock, completely side-tracked by her mother’s statement. Unable to process any information but her mother’s embarrassing nature, she banged her head against the door as she walked straight into it. She stumbled back several steps, immediately gripping her throbbing forehead. "What?!"

"You have to go to the clinic to get your birth control this Wednesday, don't you dare forget, and don't dare do anything tonight without it," Cassandra repeated.

"Momma, you had to tell me that now?!"

"I just remembered!"

"Yeah, well, I think I just forgot half my childhood from that head bang!" Oriana groaned in agony, bending forward in hopes to just knock herself out.

"You should pay more attention to where you're going!" Cassandra objected, walking to grab an ice pack out of the freezer. She handed it to Howie. "Make sure she puts this on her forehead until the throbbing fades."

"Um...okay..." Howie stumbled.

"Before or after my head falls off?" Oriana continued.

"Just get going before you run into another door."

"I didn't run into it, I bounced off it," Oriana sulked, struggling to maintain her balance as she reached for Howie. The stinging pain invading her eyes was almost blinding. "Can you just...direct me to the car?"

"Yeah," Howie replied, taking one hand and placing the ice pack in her other. "May as well put that on your forehead."

"Yeah..." she trailed, struggling to actually locate her forehead.

"Let me help you," Howie answered, leading her out of the house. He grasped the hand with the ice pack and placed it where she hit her forehead.

"Thank you so much," she breathed, leaning into his form.

"You're very welcome," he kissed her cheek as he led them to the car. "Are you ready for the surprise? Once you can see again, of course."

"Well, I'm thinking it's going to be a hell'uva a surprise and one memorable date!"

"Why's that?" he laughed softly, hoping she hadn't figured out the surprise.

"Because I can see three of you."
Dating Dilemmas by Anastacia
Chapter 22 – Dating Dilemmas

Teagan hummed excitedly to herself as she ran up the stairs to Brian's room, unable to pause for even a moment to wish Alex a neither short hello nor goodbye on the stairs. Oriana had just left with Howie, giving Teagan the opportunity to cuddle with Brian for awhile before she returned with details. Though, she was more excited to tell Brian about the birth control. For so many nights she had dreamed of making love with him. The insanity of her lustful desires seemed to take control with every waking moment. She felt like a crazed teenager driving on the initial rushes of changing hormones. But she convinced herself that it was because of love. So, supplied with birth control, Teagan could finally give into the romantic impulse. She grinned with a dreamy smile as she slipped into Brian's room, watching him read over a sport's magazine at his desk. She sneaked behind him, threw her arms around his neck, and started to place erotic kisses along the length of his throat.

"Mmm... Teags?" Brian murmured with delight, leaning back in the chair to give her full access to his body.

"That's me," Teagan whispered against his throat, nipping softly at the soft skin. The delectable scent of Brian's Nautica cologne filled her senses and sent tingles throughout her body. She loved everything about him.

"How are you?" he moaned softly.

"Fan-freaking-tastic. Ma and Mom told me some news you might like to know," she replied, running her fingers through his sandy locks as she continued to kiss his neck and throat.

"And what would that be?" he breathed with delight, swiveling his chair. Teagan yelped in surprise as he firmly grabbed her by the hips, hoisting her to straddle his lap. He eagerly brought his hands up the sides of her bare skin, pressing a gentle kiss into the exposed flesh of her chest.

"Mmmm..." she moaned, losing her thoughts as she pulled his body close to hers. She found herself falling into the utmost delight, but then remembered what she was going to say. "Oh! I'm going on birth control starting Wednesday."

"Huh?" he laughed against her skin, withdrawing ever so slightly. His light eyebrows arched in confusion at her quickly blurted confession.

"Mom, Ma and I were downstairs looking at wedding stuff. I was talking about how perfect you are and how happy you make me feel... all of a sudden, Mom is signing me up to get birth control from the clinic on Wednesday," she explained with a sheepish smile.

"Oh? Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

"And what does that mean, exactly, Miss Eavans?"

"Well, Mr. Richardson..." she leaned down and began kissing his jaw line. “It means that we'll be able to make love and not have to worry about... you know."

"Mmmm, does that mean I can start planning our special romantic night?" Brian breathed, allowing her to take control of the situation. Most men desired to have the entire situation resting neatly in their dominatingly aggressive hands, but Brian was different. He loved releasing the power to Teagan, allowing her to manipulate his body with delight.

"That's definitely what it means," Teagan agreed, nibbling on his earlobe. "You and me, all alone with no interruptions. That's what I call Heaven."

"You're telling me," he grunted with pleasure.

"So, do I get any hint as to when this special night is happening?" she asked, smiling at his response.

"No, I'm going..." Brian gasped in surprise as she nipped at his throat with a sharper bite. "I'm... I'm going to let it be a surprise."

"No hints at all?" Teagan whined softly, ever so carefully grinding her hips against his.

"Not when you're doing this to torture me!" Brian yelped, almost falling backward off the chair.

"Tell me! Please?" Teagan begged, laughing as she held onto him tightly so they didn’t both fall and alert the parents in the household.

"That's the whole idea of a surprise! You don't know where or when it's coming, you just know that it's coming!" he answered, bucking his hips so she stood up. He then quickly tackled her onto his bed, covering her with his body as he pushed himself between her legs. He lifted the hem of her form-fitting tank top, offering gentle kisses to the bare skin.

"Not fair, you know my weaknesses!" Teagan whined, which turned into a moan as she gently arched her back against Brian's kisses.

"And you think you don't know mine?" he chuckled against her skin, trailing his tongue around her belly button before starting his kisses.

"No," she whimpered.

"Mmm-hmm, right," he laughed, trailing the kisses up the length of her stomach, stopping just beneath the start of her ribcage. He then pulled down her shirt, moving up to capture her lips in a heated kiss.

"Brian," she moaned softly into his mouth, entangling her fingers through his sandy locks.

"I love you, too," he enticed, feeling her shiver beneath his hands. He smiled as he gently pulled away, causing her to immediately sit up to chase his mouth. He grinned with a devilish smile, bringing his lips back to her own for a searing kiss, stroking her tongue with his own.

"I love you so, so, so much," she sighed as they finally broke apart, panting slightly.

"Yeah, I know," he replied wit a mock of an arrogant smile, causing her to laugh. He leaned over her again, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll always love you."

"Good, because I wouldn't be able to live without you."

"Me either."

"Here," Teagan unhooked her Trinity knot necklace and placed it around Brian's neck. "Now I'll always be with you, no matter what."

"Hey, you don't have to give me this," he breathed in awe.

"I want to give it to you."

"But it's your trinity..." he answered, fingering the silver charm around his neck. He felt truly honored that she had given it to him, knowing it was such a prized treasure in the family of Eavan's and Riley's.

"The women in my family give that necklace to our soul-mate so that our love is always with them. My great-great-great-grandma started the tradition, and it's passed through my family and Oriana's. Mom gave it to me on my 13th birthday and told me to give it to the man I see myself marrying," she explained, tracing his face with her soft fingertip.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Mm-hmm. And I know that the man I see myself marrying is you..."

"Well... Thank you," he answered, leaning down to offer her a soft kiss. As much as he wanted to tell her he longed to marry her, he didn't want to jinx the relationship. Everything was still new and exciting. He wanted it to remain that way for awhile longer. Marriage terrified him in some sense, because his real mother was so quick to dash away.

"You're welcome," she whispered, looking into his light blue eyes. "I didn't scare you with the marriage talk, did I? If I did, I'm sorry--"

"No, I just said thank you because I mean it," he laughed, kissing her again. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Always."

"And forever," he finished, enveloping her into more sweet kisses as the sun set from his window, covering them with the cooling rays of dusk.

*~*~*


"Howie... I know the world is spinning, but why exactly are you carrying me?" Oriana yelped in surprise as Howie scooped her up from the car. She hadn't expected such a gallant move and tried to open her eyes to gather her bearings. But Howie shushed her, making sure she kept her eyes covered with the icy pack. She understood that he wanted to keep the location a secret till the perfect moment, but carrying her? She immediately laced her arms around his neck as she felt him walk onto a shifting ground, causing her to slightly dip. Though, she wasn’t fearful in his arms. She just wanted to balance them evenly on the unsteady ground. But, her thoughts soon jumbled with her head injury. Grimacing, she buried her face against his neck to stop the aching throb of her forehead and to assure herself she wouldn't fall. "You really don't have to carry me... People with concussions can walk."

"I know, but this is part of my surprise," Howie replied, kissing her cheek. "Just hold on, we're almost there."

"You're killing me," she moaned pathetically.

"No, I'm not," he moaned back, reaching their spot. "I'm going to set you down now."

"Okay..." she replied, laughing as Howie gently eased her down onto the ground. She shivered as she felt his hands run up the length of her body, but made sure to keep her mind focused on her whereabouts. So, she concentrated. Her feet immediately sunk into the cooling sand. She could hear the distant rumble of the ocean waves toiling in their nightly games as the salty breeze licked at her skin. She felt goose-bumps prickle against the length of her skin as Howie kept his hands fixed on her eyes. "Can I look now?"

"Look right... now."

Oriana felt Howie's hands slide from her blurry eyes, allowing her to catch a glimpse of his romantic evening. She gasped softly as she stepped back into him, immediately bringing a hand to her painful forehead as to not ruin the moment. She felt awed as she brought her other hand to her mouth to keep from grasping too loudly. Howie had created the perfect little outing to compliment Oriana's loves in life. It was obvious that he had a long conversation with not only Teagan, but Ella and Dee as well. The first key to her delight was actually placing the date upon the beach. Oriana had instantly fallen in love with the ocean ever since she was a child. Not a day went by that she wasn’t frolicking by the sea. And, complimenting the ocean view, Howie had placed out a soft wool blanket lined with soft flickering candles. There were cans of Pepsi chilled in a bucket of ice with two jars of cherries for her to snack upon. "Howie!"

"You like the surprise?" Howie chuckled, kissing her cheek.

"Well, yeah, of course. But you didn't have to do this. We could have just gone to a movie or something to celebrate your award-thing. You didn't have to throw all this together for me. We were supposed to be celebrating you..." she fumbled, still completely awed by the sight in front of her. No man had gone to that kind of trouble to make her smile.

"I did this because I wanted to. Going to a movie is so... boring. I'd rather do something creative and romantic for you."

"But we were supposed to be doing this for you," she countered softly, sticking her hands into the kangaroo pocket of her sweatshirt.

"This is for me, because I get to spend time with you."

"You're way too sweet, you know that?" she laughed, immediately bringing a hand up to her throbbing forehead. She pressed on the bulge forming on her temple from the hit, wincing immediately. "But, can I sit down before I fall down?"

"Well, that's what I brought the blanket for..." Howie chuckled, offering his hand so she could slip off her flip flops. She wobbled just a bit before stepping onto the blanket. He watched her instantly wilt down to the large blanket, curling into a ball. He frowned gently, noticing her instantly start to rub her temples. He almost thought about sitting down, but waited. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Once the world stops spinning," she joked while reaching to press a cold can of Pepsi to the goose-egg. She briefly glanced upward to see Howie staring awkwardly at her. She smiled softly, motioning for him to at least join her. "It doesn't mean I can't enjoy the romance. C'mon, I need a pillow."

"Alright," he replied, sitting down next to her. She gently scooted over and rested her head in his lap. She sighed, closing her eyes as he began rubbing her temples for her.

"I think this is better than Tylenol," she murmured, her lips curving into a tired smile. She braced her arms against Howie's knees, lounging comfortably against his body. She found herself affectionately tracing shapes along his kneecap, just listening to the soft crashing of the ocean's waves. "But, I'm really proud of you for that award. Did you tell your family?"

"Thanks. Yeah, I told them, and there was this big celebration planning for tomorrow night with Mama's famous dinner," he replied, smiling as well. Just the simple affections they were giving to one another were more than satisfying for him.

"Two of those less than a week apart, you're a very lucky boy," she laughed softly.

"And I'll be a very fat boy," he added.

"Nothing wrong with a little pudge," she replied sweetly, poking at his firm stomach.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, actually giggling a little. He was quite ticklish.

"What?" she cooed with surprise, falling forward as he jerked in surprise. Her lips curved into a devilish smile, noticing Howie immediately grab his well-defined stomach. She moved into a sitting position, finding the headache slowly dimming as she concentrating on Howie's sleek form. "

"N-Nothing."

"You're ticklish!"

"Am not!"

"Oh, really?" she tempted, gently easing him backward on the wool blanket. She decided to let her impish side peak through her usually shy exterior around Howie. Her personality seemed to change almost as frequently as the shifting currents beneath the ocean’s peaking waves. So, she made sure he was comfortable with his back to the ground and straddled his legs. She lifted the hem of his t-shirt to expose the length of his rippling abdominal muscles. She casually bit down on her bottom lip, gently easing her hands along the sides of his stomach, causing him to squirm. She arched her light brows with interest, "Going to retract that statement or do I have to experiment?"

"I'm not ticklish," he determined, slightly arching his back to relieve the pressure for a moment. The bruises weren't hurting, but the heated tingles drawing throughout his body from Oriana's body sent him into a delirium of excitement. He struggled not to grasp her body and throw her to the sand, letting his lustful thoughts explode into splendor. So many nights had he dreamt of her. Even when he was with Christina; he always envisioned Oriana.

"Lips make the best lie detector, did you know that?" she purred, running her hands up his muscular chest, along the length of his arms, and then encircled his wrists for a tight pin. She bowed her head, ever so gently press kisses along the length of his firm stomach. Thousands of nerve impulses fired from her lips, sending a lapsing beauty throughout her body, making her yearn for more.

"Da-amn," he hissed with pleasure, arching his back even more. Her lips on his fiery skin spun him into a world of passion and love. It drove him wild, but he wanted more.

"What was that?" she laughed, her dark blue-green eyes rising to meet his gaze.

"N-Nothing," he stammered, his face instantly started to flush.

"You look like you're about to pass out..."

"No, I'm fine."

"So," she drawled with an impish grin. She decided not to read too much into the flustered state, just enjoying the sweetness of his skin against her lips. She had never been given control over a sexual-stimulating experience. Giving her the choice was almost like the sweetest Christmas present she could ever ask for. "Are you ticklish or do I have to continue the experiment?"

"I still say I'm not ticklish," he replied, trying to keep his composure.

"And I seem to think that you're lying behind that Puerto Rican Machismo," Oriana continued to torment between kisses, allowing her soft breath to blow over the heating areas of his skin. She glanced up casually to see Howie arch his dark brows in confusion. She laughed as she continued to trail her kisses up to his sternum. "Learned that in Sociology. Seems the Latino-American Men demonstrate Machismo, having to be strong and controlling over their women..."

"Now, if I had that Macho-whatever, do you think I would be letting you do this to me?" Howie asked with a soft chuckle, his eyebrows still raised in obvious question.

"Machismo," she repeated, raising her gaze again. "And you do have some type of it, because you won't admit that I have an affect over you."

"But I–"

"Just admit that I have an affect. I can see by the way your body's reacting to everything, and the dilation in your eyes," Oriana interrupted, being blunt for a moment.

"Dilation of my eyes?" he laughed, finding it quite amusing that she could be so scientific even in the romantic lighting of their conversation.

"Yes," she groaned, gently pushing on his shoulder. "Science always holds the truth. Common sense of Anatomy and Physiology. Makes it impossible to trick me."

"You're scientific in the heat of the moment... so cute," he laughed again.

"Say huh?" she deadpanned, not really understanding the humor of the situation. The facts of Anatomy and Physiology had always appealed to her on so many levels, actually offering chances of survival most of the time. Though, her air of silliness was just enough for Howie to seize the upper hand. Deciding to act with her term of 'machismo,' he quickly took her by the waist and threw her to the ground. He then straddled her hips and tightly pinned her arms above her head.

"Now, what?" he challenged with a growl of dominance.

Usually it would be considered amusing, but Oriana's demeanor quickly changed with the tone of Howie’s voice. The dominating growl triggered previous haunting experiences, causing her fight-or-flight response to activate for survival. Her mood changed dramatically from one of flirtatious fancy to that of cold horror. She instantly tightened and struggled beneath him, only able to recall past terrifying experiences. She could only remember the horrifying nights pinned beneath various men her mother termed ‘good’ that wreaked of alcohol and lust, taking advantage of her innocence. She cringed openly at the painful thoughts, feeling as if her body had been layered in several thick coats of greasy grime.

"We're done," she quickly announced with the hopes of escape, not realizing that Howie considered it to be just a game.

"What?" he asked in utter confusion. He had never seen someone go from flirty and sexual to cold and almost scared. "I thought that we were playing–"

"I'm not playing. Get off," she retorted, struggling further beneath his strong pin. She wasn't going to give Howie the benefit of the doubt, even if she had initiated the trouble. He may have proven to be sweet on several occasions, but men always had a way of turning poisonous once she was alone with them. She wouldn't even let Howie have that opportunity to break her already shattered trust. And if her legs hadn't been pinned, she probably would have struck him in the groin.

"Oriana–"

"GET THE HELL OFF ME, DAMNIT!" she screamed, breaking an arm free. With quick reflexes, she raised her hand and smacked Howie across the face as hard as she could. She learned quickly to be as brutal as possible for just the smallest chance at fleeing the scene. It didn’t matter if they came back later; it was just surviving that initial encounter.

"Shit!" he cursed and rolled off her quickly, holding his flaming cheek. But he cursed again when he hit an unknown sore spot on his still bruised back.

"Thank you!" she breathed with relief, immediately scrambling off the blanket. Her entire body shivered with apprehension, stumbling to maintain afoot on the sinking sand. Hot tears were already starting to cross her cheeks as she struggled to locate her cell phone, realizing she hadn't brought it along. She couldn't believe she had been so foolish to leave the house without any way of returning without Howie’s presence. Her hands trembled with fear as she stumbled on the road, deciding she would have to walk home.

"ORIANA! DAMNIT, WAIT!" he stumbled to his feet and walked after her. Only, his walk turned into a heavy trot, because her pace increased dramatically. He was absolutely baffled. The girl could be in one mood and something could change her instantly. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what he did wrong. "Why the Hell did you do that?! I was just playing with that 'Machismo' stuff you were telling me and all of a sudden you're freaking out! Why?!"

"Forget it!" she hollered back, increasing the pace of her long strides. She immediately hugged her chest for comfort, feeling so cold. She didn't want him anywhere near her at the moment. The interaction had been too close for comfort, instantly reminding Oriana of why she shouldn't be initiating anything romantic with the male population. She just wanted to be friends and would damned if she was taken advantage of again.

"No, I'm not! Damnit, I did all this because I really like you and you freaking slap me across the face? Don't walk away from me!" Howie ran up to grasp her arm and stop them. "I finally get you in my life like I've wanted for so long and this is what you do to me. Why? Tell me why!"

"I'll walk away if I want to walk away! You don't fucking own me!" she instantly snapped, jerking back from his grasp. It felt like his hands were made of fire.

"What the fuck did I do wrong?! I deserve that much!"

"I want to go home," she answered instead. Her blue-green eyes were pooling with fresh tears that deserved to fall, but instead were held back. She shivered as she stepped back again, leaving Howie in a pool of dark confusion. But, she wouldn’t speak to her private affairs. Not even Teagan knew.

"Tell me what I did wrong. You're being unfair," he replied, feeling his heart break at her cold attitude towards him. Howie had grown far too attached to Oriana in their short amount of time together, because he had started loving her from affair. And if she pushed him away and he lost her, there would be no point in living anymore.

"Unfair is part of life's lessons. It'd be easier to learn that now," she retorted vaguely, realizing he wouldn't be taking her home. She turned back to walking again, praying her mother wouldn't kill her for leaving the date without any sort of protection.

"Oriana, just get into my car. I'll take you home," he sighed heavily, feeling his own eyes tear at the sight of his love walking away.

She turned back to him, actually hesitant for a moment. Could she trust him in the car? He didn’t’ seem like he would be that overbearing during the car ride home. Oriana bit down on her bottom lip. "Straight home?"

"Straight home. No where else and I won't talk to you on the way back. I swear on my life."

"I can just walk–"

"It's dangerous out there in the dark. Please, just let me drive you home. I'll sign a contract with my blood promising I will take you home if that would make you happy."

Oriana stared at Howie for a moment, wrapping her arms tighter around herself for protection. She just wanted to get home and crawl into bed. She wanted to forget this day had ever happened. Hopefully Howie would be as antsy and drive faster. "Fine..." she relented.

"Good. Come on," Howie turned around and walked towards his car, not waiting for her. The last thing he needed was a knee to the groin to go along with the slapped cheek, which was throbbing and he knew it would be bruised the next day. His perfect evening with Oriana had been shattered just like his heart, and he knew there was no way to fix either one.
Friendly Advice by Anastacia
Chapter 23 – Friendly Advice

"So, you planning on telling me what the Hell happened on your romantic evening with Oriana last week? Or are you two going to completely diss me and ignore me? Because, you really can't hide on this issue, because that handprint on your cheek speaks volumes!" Alex drawled, picking up his tray from the long line of teenagers hurriedly passing through the feeding frenzy known as their lunch period. He halted halfway through the massive crowds of teenagers hurrying to various tables. He started to crane his neck in search of Teagan or Oriana. Frankly, Alex's first week of school had been less than appealing.

The majority of people had been extremely kind and Oriana had traveled him through the circles of people he should know, but Howie and Oriana's issue was agonizing. They refused to speak to one another, but Howie managed to drag him into the middle while Oriana completely pushed anyone and everyone away. Alex had hardly seen her at home and when he did, it was her backside locking herself in her room.

"How many times do I have to say I don't want to talk about it?" Howie groaned as a freshman pushed past him, almost spilling his tray of slop the school called food. He got death glares by every football player since the minute he stepped into the building that morning, especially Luke.

The only ones who seemed happy with the rumors were Brian and Ace. They always made sure to be talking about how nasty his cheek looked with Oriana's handprint almost branded on when he walked by. Although whenever Teagan was around, Brian would pretend to be upset and comforting his girlfriend on the bad status between Howie and Oriana.

"Only as many times as you need so you can start believe that giant load of bullshit," Alex commented with a sweet smile, causing Howie to immediately wince. Alex softened for a moment, moving when he caught sight of Teagan in the far corner of the cafeteria. "Look, Man, Ry won't even give me a heads up... So there's no way I can do damage control without you giving me some pieces. Isn't that what best friends are for?"

"Can't do much damage control if she hates my guts," Howie muttered, running a hand through his messy curls. Not seeing any reason to look decent, he had just rolled out of bed that morning. It had been a rough one, for all of the football players gave Howie death glares and cold stares as he walked through the hallways to class. The only ones who seemed to be celebrating were Ace and Brian. That is, Brian was celebrating when Teagan wasn't around, who was upset about the weekend and was also being shut out by Oriana like Alex. "All I know is that my whole plan blew up in my face, I've lost the one girl I've wanted for so long and... well, being dead sounds a lot better at the moment than being lonely."

"Dead? Dude, check the tiara at the door because I don't deal with that kind of drama," Alex groaned, stopping Howie from walking any further into the cafeteria. He sized up his muscular friend, deciding if given the opportunity, he could tackle him without cause.

"I didn't say you had to deal with it. It's a lost cause. I'm just going to leave her alone. Why don't you give me that same respect and leave me alone?" Howie snapped, walking away from Alex.

"Because I can't exactly leave your ass alone when you're talking about death! Do you have any idea how your sisters would murder me? Because pink nail polish and lipstick come to mind along with massive nail clippers not meant for my nails!" Alex countered, following Howie closely. He was about to continue, but immediately reached out to grab Howie's collar. The older boy stumbled back with a frosty glare and Alex returned to look. "I just figured that you wouldn't want to get caught with her at the table since you're leaving her alone!" Alex screeched, motioning to the far corner where Oriana had entered the cafeteria.

"Does it look like I was going to eat there? There are other tables ALL OVER this room. Give it a rest, man. Maybe she and I just weren't meant to be, no matter what I believed. Just leave me alone before I have to make you," Howie ripped himself out of Alex's grip.

"You're a real asshole, you know that? Maybe she should take Mac's offer up for when he comes back for Homecoming!" Alex growled, unable to let anything die.

"I'm the asshole? You don't know anything about how Mac really is, do you? I've heard rumors about him, and they're not pretty. So be careful what you say. I'll be after your ass if anything happens to her," Howie hissed, poking Alex hard in the chest to accent his last four words.

"What rumors? And why would it be my ass? And why the Hell do you care in the first place? Thought you were just going to let everything die," Alex fired without warning, immediately rubbing his sore chest. Howie's wrath was not to be tampered with, yet Alex faced the flames.

"What Mac wants Mac gets. No matter what the girl says. It will be your ass because you would have been the one ton convince her to see Mac and something bad will happen. I care because no one deserves to be pushed into something they don't want. And if you don't back off right now, I'll kick your fucking ass and I don't care if you're my best friend," Howie seethed, balling his hands into fists.

"I would push her into seeing any guy. In fact, she seemed pretty interested when he called her last night. She was all about hanging out with him and forgetting you. He seemed like a pretty good guy, cheering her up, making her laugh. How about that?" Alex continued, not really able to stop his mouth from blabbing. Frankly, he had eavesdropped on her phone conversation last night because he couldn't stand not speaking to her. Mac gave him the creeps, but if he could just tempt Howie into confronting Oriana, something might happen.

"Shut your fucking mouth, Alex. I'm warning you," Howie growled, throwing his tray and Alex's on an empty table. He pushed the younger man into the wall by all the vending machines, hidden from all teachers. "And you're lying about Mac being a great guy. He freaks everyone out, so don't give me that bullshit!"

"What the Hell is your problem? Damnit, Howie! I'm just trying to help you!" Alex yelped in shock, stumbling back into the wall. He hadn't been prepared for that flare.

"Help me? Help me? You think this is helping me?! I warned you to just leave all this alone, but no! You had to keep talking about shit you know will piss me off!"

"Well, how else am I going to get you to confront Oriana? Truth be told, no, I don't want her going out with Mac. But, damnit, they were planning shit on the phone about Homecoming. He promised to take her and finish things or whatever, she got kind of quiet. I don't know what the Hell that was about, but damnit, Howie. You can't let her just go!"

"She won't talk to me, look at me-- Hell, she's not even talking to you or Teagan! How can I do anything?!"

"She's talking to Teagan right now," Alex flinched.

"What?" Howie craned to look over at the table Oriana was at and sure enough, she was talking to Teagan. "I still don't see how I can do anything."

"At least go over there when she's done and talk to Teagan... Maybe she'll have some news for you."

"Yeah, that Oriana wants me to go to Hell and get all my skin burnt off."

"Nah... She just likes leaving handprints..."

"Thanks for rubbing that in," Howie winced, raising a hand to his cheek.

"Sorry..."

"Look, Alex. I didn't mean to be such a jerk. This weekend has just been so shitty and--"

"I can imagine..." Alex interrupted, shrugging his slender shoulders. He moved passed Howie, noticing Oriana was now sitting on the table, speaking excitedly with Teagan about something. He paused, turning back to the fumbling Howie. "You going to sit with us?"

"No, I'm not hungry anymore. I'm just going to head up to band and practice on my solo for Homecoming," Howie replied, not wanting to scare off Oriana. "I'll see Teagan next hour anyway, so I can talk to her then."

"Howie, stop being a pussy," Alex groaned, tugging on his friend's arm. "We'll just wait for her to go sit with the team before we sit down."

"I'm not being a pussy, I'm not hungry and I need to practice," Howie objected, yelping at the strength Alex had to pull him.

"This coming from the asshole that got a Superior and practices every night for two hours. Trust me, you'll be prepped enough," Alex persuaded, obviously not taking 'no' for an answer.

*~*~*


Oriana seemed quite entertained as she hurriedly rushed into the cafeteria, searching for Teagan's usual spot nestled amongst popular tables, just adjacent to the team's table. Her sapphire-emerald eyes sparked with appreciation when she located Teagan, immediately diving passed people to reach her target. She seemed to forget all her wooes about Howie as she jumped onto the table, rushing with a slur of vocabulary, "Gabby! I just got the best news from Mrs. Coach! I mean... Mrs. Hanson!"

"Mrs. What? Who? What news?" Teagan asked, completely confused.

"Mrs. Coach!" Oriana groaned with an amused laugh, tossing her light purple Jansport to the side. She didn't seem to notice Alex and Howie carefully watching her every move as she perched on the top of the table. She smiled impishly, waiting for Teagan to recognize the name. Yet, Teagan blanked, causing Oriana to groan. "Mrs. Hanson... Coach Hanson's wife? Drama Teacher and Choir Director in charge of all our Musicals and Plays?"

"Ohhh! Why didn't you say so?" Teagan replied with a laugh. "What did Mrs. Hanson tell you?"

"I've always called her Mrs. Coach---"

"No one else does, you dork. Just tell me the news!"

"Well, it was my own little name for her since I spend so much time with Coach and..." Oriana paused for a moment, finding herself side-tracking. She groaned softly, digging into her backpack for her usual apple and Pepsi. She then turned to her friend again. "Anyway! Guess who got the inside scoop on our new Musical for Senior year?"

"Dude, she told you?" Teagan squealed excitedly, clapping her hands. She pushed her lunch of a peanut butter, banana and jam sandwich, apple and Mountain Dew away and started to bounce in her seat. "Tell me, what is it? Tell me!"

"Dude, please, I so got that woman wrapped around my little finger!" Oriana joked, twirling her index finger with amusement. She offered her infamous impish grin, her eyes still excitedly twinkling. "Well, she approached me after Anatomy and Physiology. She told me that I need to get my dancing shoes ready and my talented artistic nature... I just kind of looked at her... She said she wants me to direct choreography and direct making all the scenery for our new musical! How kick-ass is that?!"

"That's kick-ass! But I have one teeny-weeny problem with that."

"What?"

"You didn't tell what the new musical is!"

"Oh!" Oriana grinned sheepishly, running her fingers through her tussled blonde curls. "Looks like you're going to be starring as Sandy in our Grease Production."

"Wait, what? Did you just say we're going to do GREASE this year?!" Teagan screeched.

"Well, that's the only musical I know with the lead role as a girl named Sandy..." Oriana drawled with thought, causing Teagan to burst into a round of excited giggles. Oriana arched her light brows in question with a playful roll of her eyes. "But, please, you're forgetting the most important part! Like the fact that I get to smooth out the beat to the ultimate nerd dance!"

"You're going to make this the greatest production of Grease in the history of producing Grease!" Teagan cheered, giggling still. It had been her dream for so long to be in Grease and to play Sandy.

"Yeah, and the drama department is already looking for the perfect blonde wig to match you for Sandy."

"No! Are they, really?"

"Gabby, for the three years that we've already spent in this institution, who has always had the female leads in all our musicals and school plays?"

"Me?"

"And who do you think will get the lead?"

"Me," Teagan declared with a funny grin.

"Yeah, you," Oriana groaned, rolling her eyes yet again. Teagan was what everyone would call Miss Popular. She had an angelic voice that the crowd seemed to fall in love with each year and her charisma on stage was unbeatable. Oriana had always been proud of Teagan for that, knowing it took too much courage to stand upon the stage and offer your vulnerable side.

"I can't believe we're finally doing Grease! This is fantastic! Did Mrs. Hanson say when try-outs were going to start?" Teagan asked, picking up her sandwich and eagerly choking it down.

"Um... October-ish? Right after Homecoming..."

"Whoo-hoo! I gotta start practicing my song now!"

"Yeah, I figured," Oriana murmured, finally noticing Brian approaching out of the corner of her eye. She turned slightly to hop off the table, then noting that Howie and Alex were approaching from her other side. She tensed immediately, deciding she would be damned if she were to get caught in those flames. She hurriedly pushed her apple in her mouth to keep from speaking as the three boys sat down, all staring at her.

"CHERRY-BOMB! GET'CHER ASS OVER HERE! TEAM TABLE MEANS THE WHOLE DAMN TABLE'S FILLED WITH THE TEAM! BESIDES, I NEED THE DETAILS ON THE LITTLE FLAME YOUR BUILDING WITH MAC-ATTACK, LET'S GO!" Ace hollered, breaking the silence at the table.

"That's my bellow," Oriana trailed toward Teagan, shrugging her shoulders.

"Better go before Ace loses the few brain cells he has left," Teagan frowned a little, shrugging as well. "See you later."

"'Dios, Gabberino," Oriana called, offering her hand to do their familiar handshake. She could feel Howie's eyes blaze through her entire being, but ignored the feeling as she turned. She was about to jump in between Jace and Luke, but remembered the vital information Coach Hanson had delivered. She groaned openly, dumping her backpack and apple on the table. She grabbed her Pepsi and crossed back to the table. "Brian?"

"What?" Brian asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Coach Hanson said you were interested in joining the team. Practice is today at 2:30 sharp. He says not to be late if you're looking for an try-out," Oriana explained, maintaining a cool exterior. She popped the top from her Pepsi, taking a long swallow to get a rush of caffeine. "Oh, and don't expect anyone to take it easy on you. We're rough-and-ready during practices and always play to win."

"I don't expect to get anything the easy way. I work for what I want, thank you very much," Brian replied, not snapping at Oriana in front of his girlfriend. "I'll be there this afternoon."

"We look forward to testing your skills," Oriana countered with a sickly sweet smile.

"I'll be looking forward to showing you," Brian replied, smiling as well. But to Alex and Howie, it looked more like he was baring his teeth towards Oriana.

"I know, but the best part is I'll show you how to properly deflect anything you throw my way," she answered with a simple shrug of her shoulders, hearing Ace demanding her presence at the table.

"Sounds great. But it sounds like your boys are calling you. Too bad you have to leave now."

"Yeah, such a damn shame. We never get to talk enough, Bri-Bear," Oriana sighed dramatically, leaning down to offer Brian a hug. She decided to play his game, quickly whispering into his ear, "But please, remember, they're my boys and my team. You don't have a chance."

"That's what you think. Just watch your back this afternoon," he whispered back before they broke away. "See you later, Oriana!"

"Check you later, Bri-Bear," she cooed, taking particular delight when he flinched. She smiled sweetly, finally motioning toward Alex. "Hey, Jamie, c'mere. I want to introduce you to someone."

"Introduce me to who?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow, standing up and following Oriana.

"Jace from the team. Dude's looking to start a band, needs some heavy base in there, told him you dabbled in it and kicked out a mean tune on the Sax. Figured you might give it a go at least... Unless you want to apply for the position of a Go-Go Dancer, I hear the skimpy thong bikini accents only the best."

"No, I think I'll take on the music part. I just don't look good in a thong bikini," Alex immediately objected. "Which one's Jace?"

"The dude smiling like a devil at me because he's picturing me in that thong," she laughed.

"Umm... half the team is grinning like that."

"Okay, the brunette with blonde tips. You see him?" she replied with a groan.

"Gotcha, the one by Luke?"

"Yeah, the one by Luke."

"Hell yeah your brother better know my name!" Luke chortled, immediately bringing the two into the team's lunch table. Alex was immediately welcomed with a roar of laughter, conversations immediately flying around the table about Oriana and Mac.

"Has a funny way of showing she's upset, huh?" Teagan drawled softly when she noticed Howie's eyes intensely fixed upon the football table. She felt a pain of guilt flood her system as Brian kissed her cheek, moving to get some lunch. She felt horrible for the way Howie was getting treated by Oriana, but it was just Oriana's way of coping.

"Funny doesn't even describe it. She's actually upset?" Howie asked as more commented floated their way about Oriana meeting up with Mac at Homecoming and other things he didn't want to hear. He knew that Mac was trouble.

"You can't just look at her body language, Howie. You've got to look into those eyes of hers... They tell you everything and anything you'll ever want to know. She's really upset about what happened between you... She just doesn't know how to fix it," Teagan tried to explain, frowning when she heard the mention of Oriana and Mac linked at Homecoming. "Lord, I don't want to have to pull her from his car again..."

"Teagan, what exactly happened last year at Homecoming? All I hear is that one sentence and someone always interrupts," Howie asked, curious on how Mac was and how he would have to get him away from Oriana.

"Say huh?" Teagan deadpanned for a moment, coining Oriana's favorite phrase.

"All I ever hear you say about the whole Mac and Oriana thing is 'Lord, I don't want to have to pull her from his car again'... what happened?"

"Nothing, just some stupid football prank," Teagan tried to cover, not really wanting to let Oriana's secrets loose. She didn't need that rumor getting spread all over the school, not that it hadn't made its rounds last year.

"Teagan... did he try to force her into... you know. Because if he did, he won't get near her this time nor any other time. I will not let her get hurt," Howie replied.

Teagan quickly glanced around, noticing Brian still waiting in the line for food. She hurriedly slid closer to Howie, bending down so she only held his attention. She spoke softly, "Look, Mac has always been aggressive, that's why Coach Hanson made him Captain last year... But, Oriana was getting MVP every year and taking that away from him. Mac could have any girl he wanted at this school...but Riana. And we both know she has that... I don't even know what to call it, but guys fall for it every single time... So, Mac invited her to Homecoming. She thought it was alright, figuring he was a team member and Luke was dating Dee at the time. He ended up saying he was going to drive her home, only he parked off at the beach and locked the doors... He's got to be on steroids or something, because he pinned her like a freaking beast... She was so close to... It was just a miracle that I found the damn car at that exact moment or God knows what Oriana would be dealing with right now... It was hard enough explaining the bruises..."

"Bruises? He hurt her that badly?" Howie whispered, shocked that any man would treat a woman the way Mac did to Oriana.

"Yeah, bruises all over the place. It could have been worse... I mean, he was on top of her, her clothes were shred... He pinned her like she was some kind of animal, arms above her head, him straddling her hips... She could have been raped..." Teagan explained, glancing down at the table top.

"Oh my God. And I'm guessing that Oriana never went to the police?"

"I tried to get her to go, but she refused. Said something like she had brought it on herself... which is a damn lie, Mac just can't be rejected and he thought she wanted him when she didn't. No one on the team trusts him except for Ace, and that's because they're both conceited assholes," Teagan replied. She had never liked neither Mac or Ace, and knew they were both trouble.

"But---"

"It's just how Oriana is..." Teagan fumbled to explain, shrugging her lean, bare shoulders. "She keeps secrets, because she doesn't want to hurt anyone. Can't afford to break anyone's heart. She's too damn innocent sometimes. Too innocent for her own good."

"Isn't there anything anyone can do?"

"Well, I was hoping it'd be you," Teagan confided with a sad smile, glancing behind her for just a moment to catch Oriana's form. On the outside, everyone saw the happy-go-lucky girl cracking jokes with an impish smile always forming. She had a way of making anyone feel better, even under the worst circumstances. Yet, she was hurting so much herself. Teagan sighed, turning back to eat her sandwich.

"You're her best friend, T. Is there something you could tell me that can help me with all this?" Howie asked, close to pulling out his hair. "Honest, I didn't think I did anything wrong on our date. She was being flirty and we were just fooling around with innocent kisses and stuff. She was saying how I have this Machismo thing and I was playing along with it when she just freaked on me. I tried to apologize, but she wouldn't listen. How can I make her listen?" He wanted to be with Oriana so badly, but didn't know how to make her see that he wasn't like the others.

"Usually I just lock us in her room till she talks... But I don't think that'd work with you guys," Teagan answered, drumming her fingers on the table top. She glanced up to see Brian finally paying for his items in the line of students. She could hardly comprehend Oriana's emotions against Howie. Frankly, Teagan thought Oriana felt for Howie what Teagan felt for Brian. And she couldn't possibly last a day without Brian. "I just think that you need to keep being there for her. Don't push her away because she's an airhead and completely idiotic when it comes to relationships..."

"She acts like such a guy, can I just say that?" Howie groaned openly, pressing his forehead to the table with aggravation. High School had been nothing but full of drama since he caught Oriana's gaze. Why had he fallen for her in the first place?

"Look at who she hangs out with," Teagan drawled with a small smile, motioning behind her. Oriana was perched amongst a huddle of men, hurriedly throwing bets in for an arm wrestle. She chomped down on Luke's piece of pizza before hurriedly locking arms with another brute, the others counting down. "It's just her nature, Howie."

"Yeah..."

"Don't you love her and miss her?"

"Yeah..."

"Then do something about it! I've done all I can in the best friend section," Teagan replied, gently grasping Howie's chin so their contrasting eyes locked. "She needs you and you need her."

"But---"

"Stop being bullheaded like her and get her back in your life."

Howie was about to speak again, but a sharp contrasting giggle alerted him to a possible situation. He cringed openly as Brian quickly seated himself as the Cheerleading Captain and her posse of androids followed behind her. She offered an airy smile, alerting everyone to the typical dimwitted stereotype that always hung above the girls' heads. Yet, she didn't care as she flicked away a soft strand of bleach blonde hair, offering Howie a fiery pink shirt. "This is for you for the next game!"

"Um... thanks," Howie mumbled, taking the shirt from the lead girl.

"Don't forget to wear it, Cutie! See you there!" she blew Howie a kiss and walked away, the girls following her.

"You'll make quite the fashion statement," Teagan pondered with amusement, taking the shirt from Howie's grasp. She held it up for view, immediately smothering a snicker of amusement. It was a fiery pink shirt decorated with glittery kisses and various shades of pink hearts. The back was scripted with a flowery writing: RI-RI'S #1 FAN AND CUTIE PIE! Which compared to the front with the same writing: #17'S LOVEY DOVEY HUBBY.

"I am burning this the minute I get home. Dee and Ella are making me one in a color I want anyway," Howie replied, taking back the shirt and stuffing it deep into his red Nike backpack.

"Not if you don't get back with Riana."

"Either way I'm not keeping this pink one and you know I'm going to get back with her. I have to--"

"Good thing, because you'd definitely look like an ass wearing that to the next game when you weren't even attached to her," Teagan snorted, stumbling away to grab a snack from the vending machine.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Howie muttered, reaching over to grab his tray of food. His mother always seemed to know if he didn't eat.

"Obviously, you only need a slap to get the message," Brian mumbled, smirking with a devilish smile. He couldn't have asked for a better gift. He had already been planning to ruin the relationship, but damn, Howie had created the disaster himself.

"Was I talking to you? Hmm... no. I've heard enough of the shit you and Ace have been spreading around the school. So just shut your mouth now before you start," Howie snapped, shooting Brian a cold glare.

"Honestly, I heard you didn't pay her enough for the sex... Damn, who knew a twenty-five cent whore would really be interested in raising the price to five bucks..." Brian continued, knowing the exact buttons to press.

"Brian, you don't know anything about Oriana or what happened. Shut the fuck up," Howie gritted his teeth.

"I also know she gave it to Mac for free. That's got to hurt the pride, huh, D? Having to pay for sex when Christina gave it to you for free... Of course, you never could satisfy Christina... So, figures you wouldn't be able to hold onto that loose wench."

"I'm fucking warning you!" Howie reached over and grasped Brian's shirt collar, yanking him to his feet.

"You're dangerously close to getting kicked out of school. I'd watch that smartass mouth of yours..." Brian taunted further, noticing everyone's gazes were slowly drawing to the two boys in the far corner of the cafeteria. "She's nothing but a whore, Howie. A diseased little whore who only needs a little dick to make her squeal. Cum Catcher Queen is what they're calling her. You can do better, A LOT better. Like I said before, if you need a good screw, take Christina, she's a lot cleaner."

Howie was prepared to attack, swallowing the lump of anger growing in his throat. He noticed his lunch sitting close to the edge of the table as Brian grinned like a maniac. Howie burned, kicking his leg against the back of Brian's knee, causing him to launch forward. Brian yelped as the lunch tray kicked up and sloshed over his favorite shirt. Howie grinned sweetly, "Thanks for lunch, Asshole."

"You son of a---"

"Brian! Howie! What happened?" Teagan asked as she came back to the table.

"Poor Brian tripped and my lunch fell onto his shirt," Howie replied innocently, grabbing his backpack. He leaned over and kissed Teagan's cheek. "Thanks for the advice, Major T. I'll see you next hour."

"You're welcome..." Teagan trailed, watching Howie practically skip out of the cafeteria. She shook her head with bewilderment as she hurriedly grabbed a fistful of napkins. She blotted at the mess, but it seemed impossible. "How the Hell did you trip?"

"Must have been some milk on the floor," Brian muttered with a sour distaste, noticing Oriana's amused expression from over Teagan's shoulder. He burned with embarrassment at the flood of chuckles. Oriana would pay for Howie's foolish mistake at practice.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it here at school. Mom knows how to get all those stains out, she can wash it for you," Teagan replied, cleaning his shirt the best she could. "You have anything else to wear in your gym locker?"

"My muscle tank underneath," Brian grumbled, easing the mess away from his body.

"Baby, it's not the end of the world. Just calm down, okay?" Teagan tried to soothe as she took Brian's shirt, rolled it up and placed it in an empty pocket of her backpack.

"Whatever, I have a class," Brian growled with distaste, yanking his backpack up from the floor. He flung it over his shoulder with a burning anger, pushing his tray of food away. He hated this school and he hated the people in it. He drew a ragged breath, leaning over Teagan to rest his head against her shoulder. "Will you wait for me after practice?"

"Of course. I'll be rooting for you," Teagan whispered, kissing his forehead. "I know you'll make the team."

"I'm gonna kick their asses."

"Yeah..." she bit her bottom lip. The last thing Brian needed while adjusting to Tartan was making the team and having all the boys hate him.

"What?"

"Nothing," she leaned down and kissed him. "Want me to walk with you to class?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Alright, let's go," they got up from the table and headed towards the exit. Remembering Oriana, Teagan turned around and their eyes connected. She smiled and raised her hand to wave good-bye.
Brotherly Love by Anastacia
Chapter 24 – Brotherly Love

Teagan groaned inwardly as she dashed across the senior parking lot, knowing she had only a few moments to spare. She hurriedly fished through her purse in search of her keys, unable to believe that the keys were lying in the bottom of a never-ending pit. Ever since Brian had taken her heart, Teagan felt as if she had lost her brain. Traditions seemed to die hard as her relationship deepened. She couldn't believe she had actually forgotten to grab money out of her car to get Sport's drinks for Oriana after practice. Now, she would be late for practice, again. "Freaking figures! Drum major late to practice when fresh blood is joining to learn all the ropes!"

She was halfway to the field and still looking in her purse as a truck slowly pulled in front of her. Not paying attention, Teagan was quickly stopped when she ran into the parked vehicle. "Damnit! Who the Hell parks like this?"

"Your best man," a voice snarled from within the truck. Teagan wrenched in utter surprise as a hand snapped forward from the open window, instantly clamping around her neck without any warning. He then applied enough pressure for utter discomfort, but not to bruise. Within their short abusive relationship, he had learned the tricks of the trade to conceal his demonic behavior. And his dark eyes glittered with appreciation as Teagan shifted uncomfortably, scratching at his hands. "What's the matter, Teagie?"

"Don't call me Teagie and let me go! You know you're not allowed on school property. Just get out of here Xander, before I scream and the security comes to haul your ass out of here like at the mall!" Teagan tried to get away, but he held a good grip on her neck.

"See, that's the thing, Teagie. What if I'm not here to see you?" Xander prompted, his eyes darting several yards away. Teagan's gaze flicked to see Oriana hurriedly running down the steps to the large football field, speaking excitedly with one of the football players. Her eyes immediately locked back on Xander's cold face with disgust. "No one ever said I couldn't have fun with Wild-Cherry..."

"You're not going near her, you sick bastard," Teagan hissed, digging her long nails as hard as she could into the soft spot between his knuckles.

"You bitch!" Xander howled, releasing his grasp from her neck. Teagan dropped, preparing to scramble away, but Xander flew out of the truck. He grabbed a fistful of her dark locks, painfully yanking her backward. "You know, I should have fucking cut your tongue out when I had the chance! Nothing but a smart-mouthed little bitch! I should punish you..."

"You almost fucking killed me! That wasn't enough punishment?" Teagan spat, trying to pull away from his grasp. She yelped in pain as her hair started to come out of the roots and stopped moving.

"No, because I didn't rip out your heart... But I think I finally figured out how to do that..." Xander snarled with a sinister smile as if he were planning something quite grand. “Unless you give me something I need.”

"What are you ranting about?"

"I'm bitching about some damn funds," Xander demanded, pushing Teagan sharply back against the truck. "Give me what I need and I'll leave you alone. Give me a little more and I promise to keep away from Wild-Cherry."

"H-How much?" Teagan stammered, feeling her back throb from the push into the truck.

"For leaving you alone? Or are we adding to the funds not to raping and killing Oriana while she sleeps then sending everything to you in a video?"
Teagan knew he was serious about his plans, causing her to swallow a hard whimper. "All of it together. Just don't hurt Oriana!"

"Why not, Teagie?" Xander cooed with enjoyment.

"Because she has nothing to do with us. Tell me how much you need, damnit!"

"Awe, us... Has such a beautiful ring to it, huh?" Xander dreamily replied with a sneer, leaning over to suckle on her neck.

"Don't touch me!" Teagan snapped, pushing him away from her neck. She felt violated and disgusting, his saliva still on her skin. "How much?"

"Two hundred for a cheap whore like you and... let's say, five hundred to keep Oriana's virginity and blood away from my hands."

Biting her words against the insults to her, she quickly pulled out her checkbook. "So you want seven hundred?"

"Make it an even thousand and I'll even think about disappearing from your life and not hassling Oriana at her little dance place... Maggie's House of Whores?"

"If I give you a thousand, you'll leave my life? You won't bother Oriana?" she clarified.

"Yeah, sounds like an even deal to me."

"Fine," she opened up to a clean check and quickly scribbled out everything. She tore it out and held it towards Xander.

"You're so generous, Teagie. I'm sure Wild-Cherry would be quite proud of you, saving her cunt from a good cock and all–"

"Get the Hell out of here. I gave you the damn money."

"You're quite frigid, Teagie–"

"Stop calling me Teagie and get out of here!"
Xander looked as if he were about to comment again, but finally released Teagan's locks. She groaned softly with appreciation, immediately slamming Xander sharply against the truck. He looked as if about to strike, so Teagan stepped back. Xander laughed, tucking the check into his pocket. "Just for that, consider the little added bonus of not harassing Wild-Cherry deleted."

"You fucking gave me your word!"

"You shouldn't have gotten rough. Now you're going to have to apologize to your little Wild-Cherry when I get her in my backseat. Shame, huh? Think you'll be able to look into her eyes when she says she hates you?" Xander gleefully replied, hopping back into his massive truck.

"You bastard!" Teagan wrenched the door open and dove at Xander, punching him squarely in the jaw. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TOUCH HER!"

Xander fell back against the seat with surprising strength, immediately reaching to grab his aching jaw. He prepared to launch himself upward, but Teagan caught the door against his groin, causing him to fall back in agony yet again. "DAMNIT TEAGAN!"

"Aww, did your teeny dick get hit by the door? GOOD! Stay away from me and Oriana, you sick fuck! I'll call the cops on you if I even see the color of your truck anywhere near us!"

Xander screamed like an animal with rage as Teagan crossed the parking lot. She picked up her pace when she heard him loudly fire the engine, not wanting to get caught beneath the tires. She felt proud for finally standing up to him, but regretted her actions when she heard him yell, "PAYBACK IS SUCH THE BITCH, TEAGIE! JUST WAIT!"

*~*~*


"Oh, please, Luke! You think you're limber? Sweetheart, you can't even come close to limber till you can..." Oriana paused, drawing her long graceful leg far above her head. She grinned wryly as she rested it against Luke's tall shoulder, stretching every muscle within that leg for practice. The other boys on the team grimaced while others admired Oriana's limber body for other acts, never realizing that Howie was delivering them all death stares from above the bleachers.

"Please don't do that! It looks so painful!" Gabe groaned, feeling his leg ache just at the sight.
"But it doesn't hurt..." Oriana replied with a pout, placing her right leg to the ground. She then extended her left leg to rest on Luke's high shoulder, feeling all the muscles pull with exertion. It was a delighted burn to stretch out before practice. She wanted to be at the peak of her condition, knowing Brian was planning on making her look like a fool.

"But it hurts us!" half the team chorused with a grimace.

"Why?" she drawled with an impish grin, withdrawing her stretched leg. She stretched her back, actually bending backwards to tickle the grass with her palms.

"Because it does!" they objected before Coach Hansen blew his whistle to get their attention.
Everyone jumped, knowing it was their five minute warning. The equipment managers went rushing to the back of Coach Hanson's pick-up to lug over the various equipment while the team members started to strap on the bare minimum for a scrimmage play. Oriana followed beside Luke and Gabe, noticing Brian standing off to the side just to watch. She then glanced upward to see if Teagan was starting practice, frowning when she wasn't there. Oriana yelped at the sharp slap against her backside as she yanked up the padding for her lower waist, immediately glaring to Gabe.

"Just wanted to tell you that your husband is going to be one lucky son of a bitch," Gabe chuckled, offering her the shoulder pads from her duffle bag.

"Why?" Oriana drawled, sighing with relief as Teagan hurried down the steps to gather the entire band. She started to whistle, but could notice the frazzled look on Teagan's face even at a distance. It took Oriana only a moment to realize something terribly wrong had happened.

"Because you're limber as Hell and that'll be a nice change in the bedroom..."

"Thanks, Gabe..." Oriana groaned, pushing on his shoulder and extending her foot to make him fall.

"Thought it would be good to know!" Gabe yelped from the ground.

"For a hundred bucks, I'll make sure my husband makes a tape of our romantic acrobatics and sends you a copy," she offered with a roll of her eyes, still trained on Teagan's distress.

"Really?!"

"You're such a horny bastard sometimes," Oriana groaned, pushing down on Gabe's chest with her foot before walking away.

"WHO COULD BLAME ME WHEN YOU GOT A BODY LIKE---"

"Horny Bastard, go get your gear on," Luke groaned, kicking Gabe in the behind to get him started toward the bleachers.

Oriana mouthed a 'thank you' as she headed toward the boundaries of the football field, apprehensively folding her arms behind her back. She didn't know why exactly she felt the need to approach Brian, but realized it was for Teagan's sake. If she could possibly make some kind of peace in Teagan's life by swallowing her pride, then so be it. "Brian?"

"What? Warning me again that these are your boys and your team, so I don't have a chance? I think you told me that already," Brian scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Actually," Oriana stalled for a moment, finally swallowing the largest lump of sarcasm pooling in her throat. "I wanted to offer you some of my football gear in case you didn't bring yours—"

"I don't want any of your stuff. I always have my football stuff in my car, so nice try. What do you want, Riley?"

"I was hoping you'd pull your head out of your ass long enough to have a civil conversation..." Oriana groaned inwardly, realizing how bitter she sounded. She glanced down at the grass for a moment, drawing another sharp breath. "Look, can we come to some kind of peace? I mean, it's stupid to be fighting like this. I can't hurt Teagan anymore and I want someone to watch out for her when I can't be there—"

"Are you trying to say that I'm not protecting her? She's my girlfriend, I protect her just fine!" Brian snapped, feeling Oriana deliver a blow to his ego. He always made sure Teagan was safe from harm.

"Why the Hell are you on the 'D' all of a sudden? Damnit, Brian, I'm just saying—"

"I don't need your damn advice, so stay out of my business!"

"This involves my best friend and sister, so it does make it my business! I just want you to protect her!"

"Fuck you," Brian spat, reaching out to grasp Oriana's upper arm. She yelped softly in surprise as he drew her close. It looked to others as if they were sharing a private moment, but Brian's voice was icy cold. "You're nothing but a damn whore looking to interfere in my life. Get the fuck out of my face, because I don't want your nasty diseases to spread to me. You got me? Teags' is mine now! And the first thing I’m going to do is to tear you two apart, how about that shit? Because, frankly, that's protecting her!"

"Get the fuck off my arm!" Oriana yelped, yanking away from his grasp. She felt a sharp burn in her upper arm, but refused to give him the satisfaction. She glared sharply to Brian. "All I did was try to help you."

"I don't need help from a whore like you. Now get away from me before I catch something," Brian hissed.

Oriana really didn't know how to reply to his cold statements, figuring it was better to walk away. She quickly turned, walking back to the team. Luke seemed to tune into Oriana's emotions, meeting her halfway. She offered half of her usual smile. "I tried, Luke."

"That's the only thing you can do with an asshole like him," Luke replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Ready to kick his ass in front of everyone again?"

"You mean crush his testosterone-filled ego?" Oriana quipped excitedly, leaning into Luke's embrace. She squeezed him with a one-armed hug, barely listening to Coach Hanson spill out various directions. She already knew the basics and he would eventually divide the team and call captains for scrimmage, offering Brian a chance to see what he was made of.

"That's my Cherry-Bomb!" Luke laughed, kissing her cheek.

Though, Oriana seemed phased in her own world till Luke started to shake her roughly by the arm. She lurched in surprise as the team quickly divided in half. A portion quickly moved to the opposite side of the field with Ace and Brian, while another part lingered near her. She blinked for a moment as a ball was thrown into her chest. She arched her light brows in surprise. "Who's our Cap?"

"That'd be you, Cherry-Bomb!" Gabe laughed.

"Me?" Oriana breathed in shock, glancing back to Coach Hanson, who seemed to have a proud smile on his face

"Hurry and get your team together, Riley! Show us what you're made of as captain!" Coach Hanson called with a chuckle.

"You mean being better than you?" Oriana drawled with a smile, causing Coach Hanson to burst into a fit of laughter. Oriana grinned wryly, turning back to her team. She seemed to explode with excitement, knowing that Coach Hanson had a tremendous amount of faith in her. He had always stepped up to defend her and seemed to be the closest father-figure she could ever have. Though, she shifted her thoughts, glancing around her team. "Alright... I'm Captain... I'm QB, can we say freaking Hell yeah?"

"Hell yeah!" the boys hooted, smacking Oriana's backside. They were always excited when Oriana was captain. She had the best plays and they always dominated the other team at practice.

"Hell yeah," she concluded, glancing up for a moment. She seized up the other portion of the team, already knowing how each of them worked within the field. She offered a sweet smile to Ace, realizing he was quite determined to smash her into the ground to maintain his rank. She shrugged her padded shoulders, leaning down to the group. "Okay, we want to kick ass... So, we throw them things they'll never expect. Like, Luke's my right-hand man and the fastest on the team. So, Luke, dart straight up the field like you're looking for my pass. Then Jace swing right near the boundaries. I'll fake a pass to Luke down the end of the field, and then toss to you. Run like Hell and the rest block the way. Got it?"

"Got it!" Luke and Jace grinned. It was always a sweet victory when they could beat their actual captain with Oriana, who was by far better.

"We'll test the waters with that play and move from there..." Oriana decided, noticing the other team lining up. She grinned faintly when she realized Brian was dead in the center, already planning on tackling her before she could launch the ball. She playfully rolled her eyes, barking for the boys to take their positions.

Oriana inhaled a soft breath before rattling off the proper names to her coded messages, waiting for the snap of the football. She shifted her weight between her feet, popping up on the balls of her feet for energy. The ball was hiked backward and Oriana caught it with ease. She watched Luke immediately dart down the middle, taking half the opposite team with him. She then noticed Jace take his position just to the side of her as Brian charged forward. She waited for a moment to pitch the ball, letting Brian spring forward. She quickly stepped to the side as she pitched the ball, causing Brian to tumble into the dirt as Jace darted several yards down the field before getting tackled.

"Freaking sweet! Great job everyone!" Oriana hooted as the teams split into their own huddles for another play.

"Did I get enough yards?" Jace panted, reaching the group with a ragged breath. He had done his best to weave like Oriana had taught him, but sometimes he lost his footing.

"Perfect," Oriana enthused, knocking on Jace's helmet. She crouched down again, realizing Brian was glaring at her. She could hardly hide her smile as she glanced amongst her team. "Straight up the middle or another side play, boys?"

"Let's change it up. Shit like that always throws Ace off and from the looks of it, the new guy, too. Straight up will piss them off to no end," Logan enthused with a grin. A few others of the boys agreed, laughing as they looked at Brian all muddy before turning back to Oriana.

"Let's do a good old plow, then," Oriana mused, glancing amongst her boys. "John, Gabe, and Ty, you're the biggest pushers. Just take yourself like a plow right up the field on the snap. Luke, wait back and let them start, then I'll snap you the ball. You can weave through anything they leave in their wake, then the rest of you come in at the sides to break any chances they have of getting through. Good?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Then let's do it!"

Oriana exchanged a confident look with Luke as the codes were called. She waited with approval as the ball was quickly snapped back. She watched John, Gabe, and Ty immediately plow through the biggest portions of the other team as Brian rushed forward. Oriana waited for a moment, leaping over Brian as if he were a dancer. He stumbled forward as she landed and arched the ball to Luke. Her best friend caught it with great ease. Luke did his fancy footwork down the length of the field while the others plowed at the side, making several advances before finally being tackled.

"YES! COUPLE YARDS TO A TOUCH!"

"SCORE!" Luke cried from beneath a bundle of his fellow team-mates, hurrying back to Oriana with excitement. He picked her up into his arms and whirled her in a circle, causing her to chuckle. She laughed as he carried her back to their team. "Damnit, let's go all the way! We want a touchdown!"

"Hell yeah," Oriana enthused, feeling the pulsating excitement of crushing Brian. He deserved as much with all the cruelness he projected her way. She offered a devilish grin. "Let's go old-school. Rough and ready, simple play. Tackle what you see and get an open route for Lou. If we don't make it, we always got another down. Right?"

"Right!" they all agreed, knowing what each one had to do. "You better just run fast, Lou-Bird."

"You keep it open, I'll be going!" Lou replied with a laugh, stretching his legs real quick before Oriana broke the huddle and both teams went to the scrimmage line. "Let's get that touchdown!"

Oriana loosened her shoulders, already feeling the tension mount within her body. She knew Coach Hanson was counting on her to soar above Ace's expectations. She had always strived above and beyond the normal. And she had the talent to do wonders with the team if given the chance. Coach Hanson liked that Oriana pushed the limits and she loved getting the chance to do so. She wanted to make Coach Hanson proud.

She grinned with amusement as the ball was snapped and Brian took off with lightening, fiercely determined to tackle Oriana. She waited perfectly still for a moment, letting him think he had the opportunity. But it wasn't the case, Oriana bent down just as he reached her, launching him off her back with a powerful sweep. Brian screamed with frustration as she offered a long snap to Lou, grinning with triumph when he caught the ball. She watched Lou hurry down the field, dodging what he could as others quickly tackled. She knew they were in the open until Ace roughly caught Lou by the ankles, flipping the ball into the air.

"SHIT!" Oriana cursed as she watched the football bounce to the ground. She hurriedly launched herself into the top speeds that her body could handle, racing down the length of the field. Her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, but the ball was within her grasp. She dove quickly onto the ball to save her team from loosing their chance at scoring a touchdown.

Yet, she didn't anticipate for Brian to follow her down the field. He was filled with a burning rage as he charged, preparing to hurt her permanently for all the trouble she caused. He watched her dive for the ball as her right forearm pad snapped off. He grinned with delight as he noticed the weakness, diving cleats forward directly onto her arm. Without any cares, he made sure to push his full weight into the hit, causing them both to crash hard against the grass, pinning her beneath him. He heard the brittle crunch of bones slamming together as the cleats dug into the length of her flesh. Then all the other boys jumped into the large pile, forcing Brian's cleats harder into her already broken arm. He laughed hysterically as Oriana's screams were muffled by the beefy bodies.

And she only heard Brian call above the hysteria, "So much for your fourth MVP, Cherry Bomb!"
Knight in Shining Armor by Anastacia
Chapter 25 - Knight in Shining Armor

Teagan shivered violently as she did her best to control the massive chatter swirling amongst the band. Xander's threat had been far too close to home. Far too close to her Oriana. She swallowed her fears, trying to remember she had paid him off. He was gone. He had promised. The money would keep him away. Teagan furiously shook her head, finally growing quite perturbed with the scene in front of her. She withdrew a large book from her backpack, throwing it toward a nearby music stand. It clattered with a large slap, drawing everyone's attentions to her. "Can we practice now?" she snapped.

"Major T, is something wrong?" a sophomore flute player, Kelly, asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No!" Teagan growled, flipping through the pages of her music to locate the songs they needed to prepare for the upcoming football game. She tugged on her short locks, offering a sharp pain to her scalp. She winced, focusing on the notes. "You guys freaking know the routine, right? Come to the bleachers, get your stuff, focus, play, get the Hell out of here. Right? We have so much to work on between this game and the upcoming Homecoming. Damnit, we don't have time to doddle!"

"Then us what damn song we're doing so we stop 'doddling'! Jeez, it's not our fault you’re PMSing!" a voice said near the back by the trombones.

"Who said that?!" Teagan looked up into the crowd, her eyes scanning for the comment maker. "Speak up now or I'll ban you from performing Homecoming night!"

"Woah, damn, does she always run like this?" Alex breathed to Howie in shock. He had just been watching the entire start of practice with apprehension. He had never seen Teagan so roughed up before. She looked as if she would spit venom.

"No, something must have happened before she got here. I just hope it wasn't Xander. I’ve seen his truck around here before while we practice…" Howie whispered back as Teagan continued to yell at the band.

"Who said that? Stand up and take responsibility!"

"It was me, okay? I did it! Just lay off, Major T! Don't take it out on us, we didn't do anything wrong!" A saxophone player named Mike shouted, standing up.

"Dude, she's like Satan in a thong," Alex murmured in disbelief.

"Don't let her hear you, or else she'll ream you like she's reaming Mike."

"Well, I hope she'd at least use a condom with the monster dick she's slinging between her legs."

"Alex! Gross!"

"What?" Alex snickered with amusement.

"Man that was disturbing!"

"It's the truth though, right---"

"ALEX!" Teagan finally screeched after dismissing Mike from the entire practice. He would be given demerits and sided for the next performance.

"Sorry!" Alex yelped, sitting up straight.

"It's your first week in this group; don't start off on the wrong foot! You think you're above the law because you happen to be my boyfriend's little brother?"

"More like I thought I was above the law because I was your best friend's soon to be brother," Alex quipped, not really understanding the big deal.

"Either way, you're not. So shut up and pay attention or you'll get the same punishment as Mike. ¿Comprende?" Teagan snapped, hands on her hips.

"Maybe I'll take the punishment because I don't want to be part of some frigid---" Alex's voice was quickly interrupted with a sharp howl. The surprising howl caused him to stumble forward with shock, realizing something had to be dying. He immediately cringed as the animal cry of agony and hysteria continued to a sharp squeal of pain, almost shattering his heart. He turned to the source of the subject, noticing the football players huddled in a tight circle.

"Cheerleader broke a nail!" someone snickered.

"COACH! COACH! CHERRY-BOMB'S HURT, SHE NEEDS A DOCTOR!" One of the players shouted towards Coach Hanson. He was about to speak when the howl of pain interrupted him, causing Teagan to chill right down to the core. Duckie. Duckie's hurt! she thought, her heart beating fast.

"Damnit," Alex cursed in shock, immediately pushing through the crowd of band members. He grunted in surprise as most just froze in their places, unable to comprehend the shrill howls erupting from the still corpse in the middle of the field. Alex's blood began to chill from the screams. He needed to get to her as soon as possible. Fear turning to rage, Alex slammed heavily into the last few people to move them from the bleachers. "DAMNIT! LET ME GET DOWN TO MY SISTER!"

"ORIANA! EVERYONE, MOVE!" Teagan thundered, pushing people away so Alex and her could get through. "ALEX, GO!"

"Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!" Alex cursed openly, immediately rushing down the bleachers. He felt as if a fire had been lit beneath his chilled body, urging him forward. Oriana's animalistic cries seemed to shatter everyone. Alex just prayed it wasn't too serious.

"Oriana! Oriana, hold on, we're coming!" Teagan called, not too far behind Alex. The pain coming from her best friend's cries were enough to make Teagan want to cry, but she kept on running.
Numbness had washed over the band as they turned to Howie for advice. No one could figure the words to voice amongst the screams from below within the field. No one had ever seen Oriana in such a shabby state of affairs. She had always been quite strong and loving in school. To hear the chilling screams was almost like watching a murder. They noticed the coach of the football team rushing into his truck, rolling up to the school. The football players screamed toward one another, not knowing what to do to get Oriana help.

"Um... Howie?" one of the trumpet's voice shakily.

"What?" Howie turned around and saw the whole band looking at him, lost. He realized that without Teagan there, he was like a second in command when it came to orders. "Oh. You're all dismissed for the rest of practice."

"Is she okay..." Dee drawled shakily.

"I honestly don't know. I'm going to see right now," Howie replied, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. He turned towards the band once more. "Come on, y'all. Go on home, there's nothing you can do to help Oriana. She needs to go to the hospital for that."

*~*~*


"For the love of God, don't touch me!" Oriana grunted in pure agony, curling herself tightly into the fetal position. She instantly brought her wounded arm into her chest to shield it from anyone's hands. She could feel the blood oozing from the throbbing arm. There was no doubt in her mind that Brian had shattered it. The pain was horribly intense, almost to the point that it made her nauseous. Her eyes were blurry as unshed tears thickly gathered. Her crushed arm felt as if it were pounded by thick hammers and pierced with the sharpest of kitchen knives. She wanted to die at that moment.

"Oriana, tell us what to do! We don't know what to do!" Chris exclaimed, feeling helpless as they watched Oriana writhe and cry in pain.

"Just let me curl into a hole and die!"

"Hey, don't talk like that!" Luke blurted, kneeling down next to her. "Ori, it'll be okay. Coach is getting Nurse Sanderson now, and she'll tell us what we should do."

"Then amputate the damn thing!" she howled, immediately wrenching away from Luke's warm hand. She curled into a tighter ball, pushing her head down into the darkness. She started to choke on the thick sobs as she pressed the arm closer to her body. A warm heat flooded from the throbbing arm, making her release the sobs with a yelp of pure torture.

"What happened, anyway? One minute she was fine and the next, her arm's all fucked up," One of the younger players, Shane, muttered to John.

"I don't fucking know," John grunted back, folding his arms across his chest. "I see that Richardson kid dive toward Cherry-Bomb, next thing I know, there's fucking blood on the ground... There goes our whole damn season!"

"You think that he would--"

"Everyone saw how he reacted towards her at the birthday party. I wouldn't put it past that fucker for a damn second. That bastard! We're not going to have our perfect record this year!"

"Would you two stop bitching and go grab the fucking first aid kit?!" Gabe growled at the younger students, slamming his hands roughly into their chests.

"Damn! We're fucking going!" John snapped, holding a hand to his chest as he and Shane ran to get the kit.

The others recoiled as Oriana released another sharp scream, struggling to deal with the overbearing pain. Ace cringed in disgust, pushing forward from the rest of the guys. He glared sharply at Brian before bending down to Oriana. Ace tried to rouse her attention, finally, just grabbing onto the tender right arm to yank her up. "Damnit, Oriana! What's wrong?! You act like you got shot or something!"

"Get the fuck off my arm!" Oriana screamed shrilly, immediately slamming her leg into Ace's stomach. The large man fell backward as Oriana immediately curled into a sitting position. She brought her broken arm into her lap, just rocking back and forth. Sharper sobs burst from her lungs as she struggled to breathe, feeling like she might pass out from the pain.

Luke shifted carefully, finally able to get a good view of the problem. He winced as John and Shane stumbled back with the first aid kit. Several puncture marks were located along Oriana's badly mangled forearm. It was already swelling at a rapid pace and a distinct black and purple coloration.

"Damnit, Oriana," Luke breathed with dismay.

"It fucking hurts," she sobbed to herself.

"I know it does. I know. You've gotta hang in there until we get you to a doctor, alright? You'll be fine, I promise," Luke replied, kissing her forehead as he took the kit from Shane. "Can you let me clean those puncture marks on your arm, Ori? They're bleeding pretty badly."

"No," Oriana objected, pulling back when Luke reached for her arm. She couldn't even bear to think about anyone touching it. "I'll die if you touch it!"

"You won't die. You need to calm down, or you will pass out. You're in medicine, you know I need to clean those wounds. Either way they're going to get cleaned. Wouldn't you rather have me do it gently then some smart-assed doctor do it carelessly?"

"I'd rather take a smart-assed doctor that amputates," Oriana moaned, leaning forward to huddle into a ball. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing that Luke was going to move to clean her arm. She felt the tears start to streak down her paling cheeks as Luke gently grasped hold of her arm. She immediately arched in pain, biting down so hard on her bottom lip that she thought it might bleed.

"Shhh. Take a deep breath, concentrate on something that makes you calm," Luke whispered, taking the alcohol pad and placing it on the first wound.

"Nothing is going to make me calm," she whispered, whimpering harder as the first wound was drenched with alcohol.

"Deep breaths, that's good," Luke replied, changing the subject as he cleaned away the blood. "First one is done already. You're doing very good, Ori."

"It's fucking shattered... I'm going to be damn lucky if I don't need surgery..." Oriana whispered softly as hot tears continued to fall against her filthy uniform. She immediately yanked her arm away when Luke pressed too hard with the alcohol wipe, sending a sharp pain radiating up her arm. She immediately moved to get off the ground. "Damnit, we're done!"

"Whoa, where do you think you're going, Riley? Sit back down, Nurse Sanderson needs to look at your arm," Coach Hanson stopped Oriana from getting to her feet.

"Coach, it's broken! Okay? Can I just get in my car, drive to the hospital, and see whether or not I need to be sliced and diced?" Oriana fumbled, struggling not to cry in front of her coach. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, rubbing her wet face with her left hand. She kept her right arm securely against her chest for a moment before holding it with her left. "I can drive."

"The Hell you can. I'm not letting you drive yourself to the hospital with a broken arm, so enough of that. Nurse Sanderson, how bad is it?" Coach Hanson asked, keeping a hand on Oriana's left shoulder so she wouldn't get up.

"Well, I'm no doctor... And I'm no X-Ray Tech... But that's a broken arm," Nurse Sanderson sighed, clicking her tongue. She gently eased Oriana's right arm into her hands, inspecting it. She sighed heavily, motioning to the most swollen portion. "See that bump? That'd be her bone. It looks to be dislocated... She might need surgery... Sweetheart, how did you get these puncture wounds?"

"I was at the bottom of the pile, cleats are sharp," Oriana replied softly, gazing down at the grass. She tried to ignore the agony the nurse was inflicting.

"She definitely needs to go to the hospital. I've never seen a break this bad come from a simple football practice," Nurse Sanderson clicked her tongue again, feeling bad for Oriana. "I'll go call an ambulance--"

"No! No ambulance!" Oriana immediately yelped, struggling against the coach's hold. An ambulance ride meant a call to her mother. There was no way that Cassandra would react calmly to this accident. Oriana would be banned from any social activity in the history of her life. Tears of anguish flooded her eyes as she started to shake violently from the pain. "Please? Can't I just drive? It's not a big deal! One broken arm---"

"I told you once and I'll tell you again. You're not driving!" Coach Hanson interrupted in a stern tone. "Someone will have to drive you, if you insist on not getting an ambulance."

"Coach, it's not a big deal," Oriana fumbled.

"Riley, enough. You're getting a ride to the hospital. You're not driving. Understood?"

"You better call the ambulance then, because no one's going to offer that blood bath."

"I'll take her," a voice spoke up from behind the huddle.

Oriana arched her light brows with a painful surprise, hugging her right arm closer to her chest. She still sat on the cold ground, unable to see who was pushing through the crowd. She felt self-conscious, knowing she'd owe whoever it was her life. She almost prayed it was...

"I'll take her, Coach Hanson. My car is right by the field," the voice replied. Looking up, she saw that it was who she was close to praying for - Howie.

"And you are?" Coach Hanson drawled protectively.

"My friend! I'm Alexander Richardson... I'm Ry's... I mean, I'm Oriana's stepbrother... Or soon to be stepbrother," Alex interrupted, finally pushing through behind Howie. He immediately bent down to Oriana's side, pushing back her sweaty curls. "How you doing, Ry?"

"Fine," she whispered, bowing her head with shame.

"Mr. Hanson, we can take care of it," Alex announced.

"Alright," Coach Hanson nodded, leaning down to pat Oriana's back. "You did good, kid. Hang in there, okay?"

Oriana merely nodded as the team was ushered away by Nurse Sanderson and Coach Hanson.

*~*~*


"Damn, Ry, how are you doing?" Alex breathed in disbelief, continuing to push the damp curls away from her crimson face. Howie had yet to say anymore more, leaving Alex tot take care of Oriana's frazzled state. Tears still continued to pour from her eyes, alerting Alex that she was in terribly pain. He felt his heart wrench at the clouded irises of her usually beautiful sapphire-emerald eyes. He briefly glanced down at her arm, deciding it was far too grotesque for words. He swallowed hard, making her eyes lock with his.

"I can't breathe and I think my arm's going to literally fall off. I'm fucking peachy," she sniffled, struggling to pull the padding away from her heaving chest without startling her arm.

"Here, let me help," Alex placed her unharmed arm down and carefully took off all her padding so she was down to her jersey and pants.

"Thanks," she wheezed, shifting uncomfortably as she noticed Howie's eyes were locked on her form. She bowed her head again, allowing the tears to fall into her lap. It hurt so much and she didn't have much fight left in her. And she didn't want to appear weak in front of Luke, Howie, Teagan, and Alex. Then Brian's gleeful watch just made her sick.

"That's what brothers are for," Alex kissed the top of Oriana's sweaty head. He felt so bad about the pain she was going through and wished he could make it all go away. "Come on, let's get you to the hospital. The sooner you get there, the sooner you can leave. Alright?"

"I just want to go home..." Oriana sniffled harder, not taking Alex's outstretched hand. She was afraid if she stood up that she might pass out from the pain. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to aggravate the pain into a worsened extreme.

"I know you do. But you can't go home until your arm is fixed, you know that."

"I take it you won't let me use the duct tape in the Hummer for a repair job?" she tried to joke, only blinking back more tears.

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea," he chuckled, keeping his hand held out to her. "If you go get your arm fixed now, I'll make your favorite sundae when we get home. How about that?"

"I just want a jar of cherries," she compromised, still refusing to take his arm. She knew she would pass out from the agony if she stood.

"Alright, I'll get you a big jar of cherries," he agreed, still confused on why she wouldn't stand up. He looked over at Howie and came up with a plan. "D, if you carry her towards your car, I could start it up and we would leave right away. Give me your keys."

"I'll get up," she blurted, moving to scramble to her feet. She struggled more than anticipated, unable to use either of her hands to balance, because the left held the injured right. More tears started to trickle as she fell back, jarring her arm. "Damnit!"

Howie threw the keys to Alex and nodded for him to start the car. "Oriana, I'm not going to hurt you. Just let me carry you to my car, you can't walk."

"I'm not afraid that you're going to hurt me. I'm already hurting," she mumbled meekly, turning away as more tears started to flood from her foolish idea. She didn't know which hurt worse - her arm or her heart.

"I know," he whispered, leaning down to her. "Just wrap your good arm around my neck and I'll pick you up."

"Howie---"

"What the Hell's the problem?! Get her to the fucking hospital, Dorough!" Gabe shouted, coming back to the couple. "Her arm is fucking broken!"

Teagan looked like she might charge to attack Gabe, but Howie remained quite calm. He stood up from Oriana's broken form, just offering a stern look toward Gabe. "She's a little nervous about getting up. Her arm's really hurting her. So, give her some time to build her courage up. We're getting to the hospital when she gets ready to get to the hospital," Howie spoke, turning to Oriana. "She just has to trust me."

"I... I trust you," she whispered faintly.

"You do?"

"Yes," she nodded, biting her bottom lip.

"Alright. I'll try not to bump your arm," Howie leaned back down and carefully lifted Oriana into his arms.

"Okay..." she whispered, gently easing her left arm around his neck as he looped an arm around her back and underneath her legs. He lifted her almost like an infant with a gentle ease as Oriana instantly brought her right arm tightly to her chest. Once Howie was standing, she buried her face into his chest, inhaling the scent of Drakkar Noir. It only took a moment before fresh sobs burst from her chest again.

"Shh. It's okay, it's okay," Howie whispered, kissing her forehead repeatedly as he began to walk towards his car. Alex had already started it and was waiting for them.

"I'm so sorry, Howie. I'm really, really, really sorry," she continued to sob, hating the agony surfacing. She wrapped her left arm tighter around his neck for comfort. "It hurts so bad. So bad."

"You don't need to be sorry and I know it hurts. If I could take the pain for you, I would without even thinking of the consequences," he replied, gently rubbing her back.

"You won't leave me at the hospital, will you? Even though I got you mad at me? Even though I left a handprint on your face? Don't you hate me?" she mumbled against his chest, her attitude shifting with the intensity of pain.

"I don't hate you. I could never, ever hate you. I thought you hated me, that's why I gave you so much space after this weekend. And I won't leave you at the hospital. I will stay right there with you the whole way," he promised, holding her as tight as he could without causing more pain.

"Okay..." she drawled meekly, obviously exhausted.

"How are you going to get her in the car?" Alex asked as they finally reached the car.

"She'll have to stay in my arms--"

"Stay in your arms?" Luke drawled with apprehension, reaching for the backseat door. He had moved to join Alex in the car, refusing to leave Oriana alone in such a state of distress. He arched his blonde brows in confusion. "That's not safe with driving... Just slide her in the car. We'll get her a wheelchair at the hospital."

"I really don't think she'll let go, that's the problem..." Howie trailed off, looking down at Oriana. Her grip on him was almost impossible to remove.

"She doesn't have much of a choice in this situation," Luke sighed, opening the backseat door. He gently rubbed Oriana's shoulder, causing her to jerk with pain. He smiled apologetically. "C'mon, Sweetheart. We've got to slide you into the back."

"Um... Okay..." Oriana trailed as Luke shifted her into his arms. She yelped in surprise as he pried her hand away from Howie's neck, much to Howie's disagreement. Luke didn't seem to pay attention as he swiftly scooted Oriana into the backseat. She instantly curled into a tight ball, starting to sob softly again from the pain.

Luke sighed, leaning out of the car for a minute. He wanted to keep distance between Oriana and Howie for the time being. He had heard about the beach incident, though not really sure how to exactly calculate it. "Hop up front, Howie. I'll stay in back with her."

"No, I'm sitting back with her. I know you heard about this past weekend, and you heard it all wrong. She doesn't want me to leave her and I'm not going to," Howie replied stubbornly.

"Damnit, Howie--"

"What?!"

"You're in the fucking front seat. You're not leaving her. I just don't want you having her all cuddled in your lap then Alex gets into an accident and she goes flying through the windshield. Just for the love of God, get up front, please," Luke appeased with a low growl, not wanting to make waves.

"Just let Howie back here," Oriana finally called through her tears.

"I'm coming," Howie replied, giving a glare to Luke before climbing into the backseat.

"Luke, you coming or what? We gotta go!" Alex replied, sitting in the driver's seat.

"Fine," Luke grumbled with displeasure, moving to seat himself in the front seat. He quickly secured his seat belt, briefing glancing to the backseat. Luke had been quite easygoing with any potential boyfriend Oriana obtained, but Howie seemed like a threat, because he had the chance of taking Oriana away. It was already starting to happen.

"Howie... I just w-wanted to tell you that I..." Oriana's voice dropped off for a moment as a large plague of pain washed over her body. She felt the agony racing towards her already damaged heart. She cringed openly, knowing she'd probably ruined whatever chances she had with him. "I know it's stupid, can I just lean against you?" she whispered softly as Alex turned on the music to give her some peace to sob without embarrassment. She felt foolish for asking someone she had so viciously slapped a week ago, but when she was in his arms, the pain lessened.

"It's not stupid," Howie caressed her cheek for a moment, smiling softly. "You can lean against me... you didn't even have to ask."

"Thank you," she croaked softly, slowly sliding across the seat. She hesitantly moved, keeping her swelling right arm across her chest. She nestled her head against his shoulder, doing her best to blink back the painful tears.

"You're welcome," he whispered, placing his arm around her waist away from the broken bone. Wanting to comfort her more, he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, humming softly.

"What are you humming?" she asked quietly, keeping her eyes closed as if to ignore the pain. She pressed closer to his body, keeping her arm pinned tightly to her chest with the other. The soft vibration of his humming catching against her forehead for a soothing sensation against the pain.

"A song I've been working on," he replied, stopping the humming for a moment.

"It sounds really beautiful. What's it called?"

"It doesn't have a title at the moment... but thank you. Do you want me to keep humming?"

"Please?"

"As you wish," he kissed her forehead once more before continuing to hum his song.

The song he was writing for her.
Developing Relationships by Anastacia
Chapter 26 – Developing Relationships

"She just... She left me?" Teagan fumbled in complete shock, watching Howie's car peel out of the parking lot. She found herself at a loss of words to overcome the grief burning in her heart. Usually Oriana would scream for Teagan. She remembered when they were little, Oriana would never call her mother for a scraped knee, it would always be Teagan. Yet, when Oriana would have needed Teagan the most, she had asked for Howie. A bitter jealousy presented in Teagan's aching heart as she stared, completely dumbfounded. "She didn't even call for me..."

"Baby? Are you alright?" Brian asked, walking up to his girlfriend. He was proud of the damage he made to Oriana, and this was the perfect time to cause a bigger rift in the girl's life-long friendship.

"No, I'm not," Teagan responded flatly with hurt, just watching the car weave away from the school. "Oriana should have asked for me! She needed me! She's always asked for me."

"Guess her boys are more important than her girl?" Brian countered, wiping the smile from his face. He continued to remind himself of Oriana's sharp screams, bringing chills of delight through his body. It had been so perfect.

"It never used to be like that. Even if she hurt herself playing with the neighborhood boys, she always came to me. I just... I don't understand! She should have asked for me, Brian!"

"Looked like she was more interested in calling for Howie, Sweetheart," Brian tempted, clicking his tongue softly.

"I guess she doesn't need me anymore. Good thing I found out about this now before I made an ass of myself later..." Teagan bit her bottom lip, holding back tears as she walked back to the now empty bleachers. It didn't seem real to her. They had always promised to never let a guy get in the middle of their friendship, but Oriana allowed it to happen with Howie.

"Well, payback is a bitch, Teags. Just ignore her and give her a taste of her own medicine," Brian countered, jogging to follow his girlfriend. He gently grabbed her by the elbow, turning her into his embrace. He gently rubbed his hands down her cheeks, kissing the tip of her nose. "All we need is each other, Baby."

"You won't ever leave me?" Teagan whispered, not able to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

"Never in a million years. I love you too much," he promised, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. He was suddenly excited to get Teagan home when Oriana returned from the hospital. Oriana's Hell would continue double-time.

"I love you, too. God, I must look horrid crying like this," Teagan sniffled, about to turn away from him to wipe away any tear streaks.

"Nah, you're always beautiful," Brian chided, refusing to let her turn. He started to gently run his fingers against her cheeks to wipe away the tears before kissing her cheeks. "Here, let me do this for you, Sweetheart."

"Okay," Teagan replied, feeling warmth rush through her body with every touch Brian made.

"Why don't we go home and make some extra big sundaes?"

"With extra hot fudge and caramel?"

"And cherries on top."

"It sounds good to me. But you know what would make that even better?" Teagan asked, wanting to forget the whole Oriana thing while she was with Brian. It hurt too much to think about it.

"Hmm?" he countered with a lopsided smile.
She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "If I could make my sundae on that hard, ripped, oh so delicious body of yours."

Brian swallowed hard with surprise, immediately pulling away from his girlfriend. His light blue eyes glittered with lust and passion as a devilish smile curved to his lips. "You're freaking kinky, woman!"

"Yes I am, and I know you love it," Teagan replied with a sly smile, turning to walk towards her car. She could feel Brian's eyes watching her move and her smile grew.

*~*~*


"Like he really needed an X-Ray to see if it was broken or not," Oriana sighed fitfully, shifting uncomfortably on the examining table. The Emergency Department had immediately rushed her for an X-Ray while Alex made a phone call to his father, since no one could get hold of Cassandra. Now, Oriana was waiting in an examination room with Howie. She would have concentrated on him more, but the pain was excruciating and the pain medication already administered only seemed to take small edge of the agony away. She found herself shivering as she glanced about the room, hating that they had packed her swelling arm in piles of ice. She trying to shift again to bring comfort, but whimpered softly at the fresh bout of pain.

"Yeah, I know. But they're always on the 'better be safe than sorry' kind of route," Howie replied apologetically, running a hand through her curls. Looking for something to keep her warm, he found his coat right behind Oriana. He grabbed it and placed it around her shoulders, making sure it didn't hit the right arm. "Feel warmer?"

"Because yeah, seeing my bone pop up beneath the skin really isn't a good indicator," she murmured sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She felt Howie's jacket slowly ease around her shoulders as she shivered again. She stopped her ranting, glancing upward in surprise. Howie's warm brown eyes were twinkling with hope for a pleasant response. She was awed by his sweetness. She had been so cruel to him in the past week, yet there he stood, taking time out of his day to make sure she was okay at the hospital. "Yeah... That's a lot better... Thank you..."

"You're welcome," Howie offered a sweet smile before changing the subject. "So... what do you want to do until the doctor comes in?"

"Shiver?" she guessed, glancing down at the hospital's floor. She really wanted to talk to him about what happened between them and what they were considered. Yet, she couldn't find the words to express her feelings. She sighed softly, rotating her ankles in a circle since she couldn't bounce her leg without jarring the examining table.

Both were silent for awhile before Howie finally spoke. "Oriana... I just want to tell you I'm really sorry about what happened at the beach. I should have seen you weren't comfortable, but I--"

"I shouldn't have flipped out on you in the first place. I should have trusted you enough to know that you were just messing around. I was acting like a psycho and it was completely inappropriate. And I feel so horrible for smacking you like I did. I never slap guys... I mean, I am so sorry," she whispered quickly, interrupting his speech. He shouldn't of had to apologize for her stupid behavior. "It was just completely retarded of me and I hope we can at least still be friends."

"You don't need to be sorry--"

"Yes, I do. I acted like an idiot--"

"I still want you to be my girlfriend, Oriana."

"Say what?" she blurted, looking at him with shock. With all that she did to him, he still wanted her as a girlfriend? He deserved someone who wouldn't freak out like she did.

"You heard me," he answered softly, not thinking he really needed to explain what he wanted. He thought she would have understood from the beginning. With the book of love poems and all the words spoken freely from his heart, how could he possibly give her up?

"But, Howie..." Oriana drawled with shock, immediately breaking the connection between their eyes. She only seemed to focus on the nasty bruise she had inflicted to his cheek. She felt so guilty for hurting him. In essence, she was no better than her mother's flings that had hurt her. She sniffled softly, trying to control her emotions. "Howie, I was so awful. You deserve someone so special... I'm just some hypocritical psycho with too many problems..."

"But don't you see? You are so special to me, that's why I want you in my life. There's something about you that I love and never want to let go. I want you, Oriana, and no one else," Howie whispered, cupping her cheek and gently turned her head so their eyes locked once more. "You know that song I was humming earlier? I finished in my head on the way here, would you like to hear it?"

"I was so cruel---"

"Oriana? Do you want to hear the song?" Howie stressed, not understanding why Oriana was putting herself through such torture. He wanted to be with her and forget what happened.

"It's not that I don't want to hear it. It just seems like you're trying to forget what I did. But I really hurt you," Oriana tried to explain, feeling too guilty for words. She wanted to hear that he forgave her and it was okay. She wanted to hear him say he loved her again.

"Okay, I'll admit that it did hurt. But it's okay, because this is new for both of us. I love you and I definitely forgive you. It's okay. The only thing I want is to be with you," Howie replied honestly.

"You don't hate me?" she repeated softly, almost like a scolded child. She looked purely innocent at that moment, just staring up at Howie with her teary blue-green eyes. Her body continued to shiver slightly from the bitter coldness of the ice packed against her painful arm. Her cheeks were smudged with dirt from the rough football game as her braided pigtails frayed with stray pieces of hair. Howie couldn't have imagined a lovelier picture.

"I could never, never, never, never, ever hate you. Nothing could make me hate you, and that's a promise. My love for you will never change," he answered, speaking directly from his heart.

"I'm so sorry for putting that bruise on your face. I've never done anything like that before, Howie. I was just so suffocated... Well, there's no excuse for what I did. But I'm nothing like Christina, I would never hurt you on purpose---"

Deciding she was rambling a bit, Howie took a chance and leaned in to silence her with a gentle kiss.

Oriana was shocked at first, starting to pull away. Yet, Howie leaned further into the kiss, determined not to break. A warm heat flushed over Oriana's trembling form, causing a blush to creep to her pale cheeks. She smiled as they exchanged the tiniest kisses from his first gentle kiss, allowing her left hand to rest perfectly on his cheek. She would have brought her right one to run through his curls, but it was pinned. All the pain seemed to wash away as Howie finally pulled back. Howie had expected to keep Oriana silenced, but she just looked at him for a moment and began again, "But like I was saying, I'm so sorry, Howie. I never meant to hurt you..."

"I know. And like I said before, I forgive you."

"But--"

"Shhh," he gave another soft kiss.

"Mmm," she mumbled against his lips with a coy smile, resting her forehead against his for just a minute to savor the time. She silently admitted to herself that this was probably the best doctor's visit ever, even if her arm was broken into pieces. "I was so miserable without you, Howie."

"So was I. Well, I mean miserable without you... I missed you, Oriana."

"I thought you were way too pissed to give a second thought about me..."

"I was more depressed and alone than pissed. I thought about you every second. And then I saw you at school, laughing and hanging out with the football team. I thought it was you who had been too pissed to give a second thought about me."

"I thought about you every second and every moment between every second," Oriana admitted, finally sitting back to relax the tensing muscles in her right arm. She gazed down at her pants for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "That happy-go-lucky shit is such an act half the time. It's just people depend on me to be happy-go-lucky and help them. I can't let them down and have an off day. They act like if I'm upset then the whole world's going to come crashing down. So, yeah, I acted like a jackass with the guys, did what I had to do at practices, but I stayed in my room and cried when I went home."

"You did?"

"Yeah... I know it hurt you to see me act like that. But I had to."

"You cried?" he repeated in shock. In the four years of seeing her at school, Oriana had been completely independent and completely strong. The first real tears he had seen were at the beach, but they were frustrated tears. Then the first animal howl had been at the football field. And the true sobs of pain and loss were in the car. It gave Howie a slight twinge of hope, praying he could be the one to comfort her when she needed it most.

"Yeah, I cried..." she admitted with a faint blush. "It just hurt too much to know that I hurt you. I regretted everything that happened that day. It just kept playing back in my mind, over and over... But I can't punk-out at school. The dudes would kick my ass... And the others all expect me to be there for them when they need it. I can't fall apart around anyone, not even at home. Moms, Gabby, and Momma would fall apart."

"Then who do you open up to when you need to open up? I mean, you've got to be able to talk to someone about everything that's bothering you, right? You can't be a rock all the time. Someone's got to be your rock too, Sweetheart," Howie stressed softly, almost afraid to touch her. He finally was starting to realize how fragile she could be on the inside. She was almost like his most delicate rose, one that needed him more than the sunlight.

"I was hoping it could be you... That was until the other night..." she explained softly, running her fingers against the dirt on her pant leg. She grimaced for a moment as she tried to shift her arm in the bucket, feeling the numbing spikes start to shoot down her arm along with pain.

"Why can't it still be me? Oriana, I want it to be me."

"Then ask me the question you were supposed to ask me that night," she whispered softly, gazing downward. She knew it wouldn't be as romantic as it would have been on the beach, but the feelings were just as powerful. She needed to be told that she was his and only his. That he would love and protect her. That he wanted to spend every waking minute with her. That he needed her just as much as she needed him.

"You mean you still want me to ask?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have said anything, Howie..."

"O-Oriana," he stumbled, clearing his throat. "Oriana, for so long I've loved you and wanted you to be mine. I thought about you all the time, no matter where I was ot what I was doing. I still do it. I love you so much, and I will always protect you, because I need you just to breathe. You're my life. I just wanted to know... will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course," she replied with a shy nod.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really," she laughed, reaching to grasp his t-shirt. She carefully pulled him towards her, offering him a searing kiss that she had been suppressing for so long. She affectionately nibbled his lip when they pulled away. "As long as you're willing to be my one and only boyfriend."

"I'm ready, willing and able," he panted slightly.

"Position comes with full-time benefits," she encouraged with a laugh, noticing the blush creep to his tan cheeks. She offered her impish smile yet again, not even able to feel the pain.

"Full-time, eh?"

"Anytime you need anything, day or night, you can come to me. This business will provide for your every need. Whether it be a backrub, a kiss, a hug, or just someone to hold you and tell you everything is okay... Like I said, full-time benefits."

"Then the same benefits are for you from me," Howie decided with a knowing smile, resting his forehead against hers.

"I haven't needed a benefit any day in my life," she boasted, cowering slightly when Howie arched his dark brow. She immediately bowed her head with guilt. "Until today. I really needed you today. It was just freaking awful."

"I know... my heart stopped when I heard you scream. I was so scared, Oriana," he whispered, cupping her chin and lifting her head up. "But you're okay now, and that's what matters."

"Yeah, because Brian got what he wanted," she murmured without thought.

"What about Brian?"

"He's just damn lucky," Oriana covered, breaking her gaze into Howie's eyes yet again. She shrugged off his coat, trying not to look so weak and dominated. "Just figures that I'd be under the wrong end of a dog pile the day he tries out for the team. Coach already said he has my spot."

"But I was watching him, he did horrible! How can he get your spot so fast–"

"Because who else is going to fill in for my position? I heard Coach tell him that he had my spot," Oriana whispered with shame, not really looking forward to returning home. She couldn't believe someone could be so ruthless at achieving perfection. She still remembered his words as he dug his heavy cleats into her arm, taunting her MVP placement. “Guess I won't be MVP this year..."

"Honey, I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened, you earn that MVP every year because of your talent at football," Howie sighed heavily, kissing her clammy forehead. "If it helps... you'll always be my MVP."

"I better be your Most Valued Player or I'm dumping your ass," Oriana tried to joke, wishing she could really tell him what happened. That she was a dope when it came to the football field. Ever since playing, not once had she hurt herself. She was always careful, almost too careful at times. But Brian had been ruthless. He had gone after her with vengeance. He wanted to ruin her status in the school, to ruin her, to hurt her.

"Always and forever," Howie promised as someone knocked on the door.

Oriana was about to tell whoever it was to come in, hoping it was the doctor. Yet, she was surprised as Kevin burst through the door, never giving her the chance to respond. He immediately jumped to her side, quickly grasping her face into his hands. He gave her a once over with a panicked hysteria, his eyes finally resting on her buried arm. He frowned and started to speak quickly, "God, Sweetheart, are you okay? All I get is this phone call from Alex. He's panicking like there's no tomorrow. I hear you're at the hospital. I tried to get your mother, but she was busy at the clinic and couldn't take a phone call. So, I got here as fast as I possibly could. I am so sorry, are you okay? Do you need anything? Does it hurt? Are–"

"I'm fine, Kevin," she answered coolly, arching her light blonde brows in bewilderment. She had never seen Kevin in such a state of chaos. His entire outfit was rumpled as if he had feverishly dashed to throw it on. His dark locks were wild, looking as if he had run his fingers through them dozens of times. His emerald eyes weary with an emotion that shocked Oriana - worry.

"Are you sure? You didn't hit your head or anything? No concussion? Does anything else—"

"Kevin, I'm fine. Really. Just a broken arm from being stupid at practice," Oriana interrupted, still shocked that he was worried about her well being.

"Are you sure–"

"Just a broken arm and some cleat marks, I swear. Why don't you sit down before you fall down," she interrupted yet again, motioning toward the chair Howie had been occupying when they were first escorted into the room. "Howie's been taking good care of me and the pain killers are starting to kick in. I'm just waiting for an X-Ray, you didn't have to come down here."

"It was my first instinct to come down and make sure you were alright. I think I cheated death a dozens times driving down here," Kevin replied, sitting down like Oriana told him to. "I was so worried."

"Brian wasn't hurt and Alex wasn't hurt. Why should you be worried?"

"I was worried because you were hurt."

"It doesn't hurt," she lied, still apprehensive. She couldn't tell if it was a game. Was he just trying to be sincere in order to score further brownie points with Cassandra? Or was he trying to gain her trust in order to smash it further down the road?

"You must have a high pain tolerance, then. When I was the quarterback in high school, I broke my leg and it kind of looked like that. Most painful experience I ever had," Kevin reminisced, feeling his leg ache at the mere memory.

"Wait, you were QB?" Oriana stopped for a moment, eyeing Kevin with skepticism. True, he was tall and muscular, but she somehow couldn't picture him as a football player. He wasn't aggressive, but more quiet and subdued. It didn't seem to fit his personality. "Were you any good?"

"I hope I was good, considering I was MVP all years until my leg injury," he replied with a chuckle. "I get quite fierce when it comes to playing football. You just see the non-athletic side of me."

"No, shit? MVP?" Oriana laughed in surprise, immediately wincing when she shifted her right arm. "I've been MVP all my years, too... Well, till this thing."

"Yep, MVP. I know how disappointing it is to get an injury like that and not be able to play... but my dad always told me, unexpected things happen and you just have to roll with it."

"Then get pummeled by another pair of cleats," Oriana groaned, causing Kevin to chuckle with amusement. Her blue-green eyes lit with an impish glimmer for just a moment, causing Kevin's heart to skip. For so long he had wanted her to accept him as a father, yet, she kept pushing away. He really was at a loss when it came to her. "Oh, sorry, you know Howie, right?"

"I think I remember this little Latino boy that would run over to ask if he would play with Alex and Brian when he was six. Cute as a button with his two front teeth missing," Kevin teased with a laugh, reaching over to shake Howie's hand.

"I hope you have more recent memories than that one," Howie blushed, shaking Kevin's hand with a smile. Kevin had always treated him like a third son since he ran around with the boys constantly. Frankly, Howie had started to think of Kevin as his second father.

"What do you think of him, Kevin? Is he a dateable type? You know, just in case my girlfriends from the squad need a date for Homecoming?" Oriana drawled with a teasing smile, trying to entertain herself and forget the pain.

"He's definitely the datable type. His father and I always taught him to treat girls like the queens they are, which I can see he still does. I think you would have a hard time getting him to go on a date that wasn't with you, though," Kevin replied.

"Why's that?" she countered with an impish grin.

"Because Howie's into having a monogamous relationship. He likes being with the one person he loves."

"What makes you think we're together?"

"Because I can tell?"

"How?" she pressed, somewhat fascinated.

"There's this certain look on your face and his. It's the same that I have when I'm with your mother and vice versa."

"Guess the gig is up," Oriana sighed dramatically. "We're been trying to hide it, but we can't fool the master. We were planning on sneaking down to Las Vegas after I get this cast and elope. Damn you, Kevin, for ruining it all."

"You just can't put anything past old Train. No one can," Kevin shook his head, trying not to laugh.

"Like it's not that obvious when he's sitting on the examining table holding my left hand," Oriana replied with a roll of her eyes, looking to glance over at Howie. He had drawn into a quiet state since Kevin had approached. "You okay, Howie?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine," Howie replied.

"Liar."

"What?"

"Are you nervous or what?" Oriana questioned quietly, noticing Kevin thumbing through some of the magazines off the side to keep himself occupied. She hurriedly searched through Howie's brown eyes with a caring smile. "What's wrong?"

"I guess I am a little nervous. I mean, Kevin's like my second father, and he's going to be your step-father... I don't know, I feel like I should have asked his permission before asking you to be my girlfriend--"

"He doesn't have a say in who I date," she interrupted softly, watching Howie wince. She sighed softly, realizing that it was important to him. "Then why don't you ask now if you feel it's that big a deal?"

"Would it bother you if I asked?"

"No, if you think it's the right thing to do, then go ahead. I don't want you feeling embarrassed or whatever because you didn't do something. You've got a golden heart, what can I say?"

"It's just the way I am," Howie shrugged with a sweet smile, kissing her cheek. "I'll be right back."

Kevin tried not to overhear the conversation as Howie walked to stand in front of him. He felt a teasing streak immediately overcome his usual antics, looking upon the nervous boy. He lazily flicked his eyes from the paper, offering a soft grunt. "What's up, Howie?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to know-- well, what I wanted to ask you was--" Howie stumbled, feeling his tongue twist around the words.

"You alright, Howie?"

"No. I mean, yeah! I mean," he took a deep breath. "I was raised to be pretty traditional when it came to dating and... I was wondering if I had your blessing and permission to date Oriana. You're the closest father she has--"

"You think you can handle her?" Kevin grunted, glancing back to see Oriana occupied with sizing up her damaged arm. He tried not to smile when flicking his eyes back to Howie. "I've heard some pretty nasty stories about her, son. She can be down-right vicious... Are you sure that's a risk you're willing to take?"

"It's not a risk to me, because I really care about her and nothing could make me not want to be with her," Howie replied, trying to sound strong and decisive. "I can handle her because I want her and love her."

"And why is that?" Kevin mused, leaning back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. Truth be told, he thought Howie was a wonderful boy. And he would continue to grow into a wonderful man. Cassandra had already approached Kevin with the same questions Oriana posed in jest and Kevin's answers hadn't changed. Howie was good for Oriana and hopefully Oriana would do the same for Howie. He had seen the pain Howie went through with Christina.

"Why? There are so many reasons why. She's sweet, caring, compassionate, smart, funny... not to mention absolutely beautiful. She's the kind of person that would not let anyone down when they needed her, which is so much like me. It seems like we connect in so many ways, and everything about her amazes me," Howie said, pouring his feelings out. "She makes me the happiest I've ever been in my entire life and all I want to do is be with her and know that she will always be mine."

"Sounds like you're perfect for her," Kevin chuckled softly, offering a friendly hand to Howie. "She's a good girl and you deserve someone like her. You've had too much heartache in that department and she just needs someone to love her. You actually get her to open up, which is something no one else can do. And, frankly, Howie, I admire you for that."

"Well... thanks, Kevin. I really appreciate your approval," Howie answered, feelings his cheeks blush as he shook the older man's hand.

"Yeah, but if you hurt her, I'm going to have to tear you apart, send you home in an itty-bitty box, and tell your father you got lost. And trust me, with your father being a Police Officer, he'll understand."

"Y-Yes, sir," Howie gulped, knowing Kevin wouldn't hesitate if that ever happened.

"Good boy," Kevin approved, "Go back and comfort your girlfriend."

"Yes, sir," Howie repeated, walking back to Oriana. "Is your arm still hurting, Sweetheart?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" she quipped with a sarcastic smile, which looked to be more painful than anything. She shifted uncomfortably on the examining table again, feeling her entire body tingle with a painful numbness. She just wanted to get a cast and be on her way. She had so much to do.

"Sorry," he winced at his stupidity, reaching out to run his hands through her dirty locks. "Is there anything I could do?"

"Show me that awful pink shirt that the girls gave you at lunch," Oriana trailed after a few moments, wrapping her one leg around the back of Howie's legs to pull him closer.

"You really want to see that... pink... thing?" Howie made a face, remembering how cheesy and gaudy it looked.

"Please, Howie?"

"I thought you couldn't stand to see your name on anything pink?"

"Oh, trust me, it's worth it," Oriana laughed softly, running her foot up the length of Howie's leg. She seemed to completely ignore the fact that Kevin was in the room, just amused with Howie's shocked expression.

Howie shivered slightly at the feeling of her foot rubbing his leg. "But it's pink--"

"I want to see the shirt. It will make me forget the pain in my arm," Oriana interrupted, offering a little pout and a flutter of her eyelashes.

"Oriana," Howie groaned softly, finally moving from her embrace. He shuffled carefully, almost timidly, while he moved to his backpack. He shuffled through the length, slowly withdrawing the pink mess. He cringed openly as he held it up for public display. His cheeks turned crimson as Kevin burst into a muffled laughter.

"Holy shit, that's a disaster!" Oriana snickered with a small giggle of approval. "You're going to look like such an ass wearing that..."

"Nuh-uh, I ain't wearing this one! Dee and Ella are making me one in a color that doesn't make me want to vomit," Howie shook his head vehemently, his cheeks still red. "Can I put the shirt away now?"

"Dee and Ella nixed the t-shirt," Oriana contradicted.

"What? They did not!"

"After they heard that everything was pretty shitty between us, they canceled the t-shirt. You won't have it in time for the game this weekend. You have to wear the pink one."

"You have to be kidding me! Please say you're kidding me!" Howie begged.

"No, you have to wear the pink t-shirt. Otherwise the whole group will consider you a disgrace and basically push you away. It's a whole tradition with the group. Sorry, Sweetheart."

"But I don't like pink," Howie whined, pouting as he looked down at the t-shirt. "I seriously doubt all those big football players would think better of me if I wear this thing--"

"Oh, they'll love you, Howie. Takes man very secure in his masculinity to wear...that..." Kevin laughed heartily, already able to read Oriana's expression. She was hiding something.

"More like I'll be the butt of everyone's jokes if I wear this," Howie scowled.

"Which is different from..." Oriana teased further.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"This isn't fair. I don't want to wear this thing and..." Howie looked into her eyes and saw the impish glint in them. "And you're lying! I don't have to wear this, do I?"

"Nah..." she laughed, nodding over toward her backpack. Howie quickly retrieved it and pulled out the silk-screen shirt, smiling with approval. It was a light blue color and on the front right was a small inscription: Tartan's #1 Cherry Bomb Fan. Then the back of the t-shirt was decorated wild cherries to signal Oriana's nickname with the words: PROUD BOYFRIEND OF #17. "Dee and Ella insisted I keep the shirt they made because they were determined that we would make up. But I saw the pink shirt and... Damn, I just had to play that..."

"That was not funny at all. I nearly had a heart attack thinking I was supposed to wear this... this thing to the game!" Howie exclaimed with a relieved laugh, pointing to the pink shirt.

"Oh, trust me, it was funny," Oriana replied with a carefree smile, tossing the blue shirt toward him. "Hopefully you like that one better. The girls do kick-ass jobs with t-shirts."

"It's an awesome shirt, I love it," Howie leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'll be wearing it proudly."

"Thanks, feels good to have a cheering section that thinks I'm cute."

"Nah, you're not cute."

"I'm not?"

"Nope. You're beautiful."

"Howie..." she groaned softly, immediately letting her chin drop with a firm blush. She wasn't used to having attention lavished upon her for her looks.

"I'm sorry, but it's all true," he replied with a soft laugh, lifting her chin up so he could look into her emerald-blue eyes.

"But–"

"No buts. You're beautiful, end of story."

"You're way too sweet..."

"It's just how I am," he shrugged with a simple smile.

"Yeah–"

Oriana's thought was immediately cut short as the door was abruptly open. She jerked in surprise, immediately wincing at the sharp pain flowing through her nerves. The doctor didn't seem to care too much as he hurriedly snapped up the X-rays. She arched her light blonde brows in surprise as she immediately noticed the jagged lines and edges of her bones. "Oriana Riley?" the doctor called.

"That's me with the bucket of ice," she replied.

"Yeah, well, you did a doosey. Where does a girl get off playing football in the first place?" the doctor trailed, immediately looking to the X-rays. He hurriedly circled the large breaks in her arm in both of the bones, clicking his tongue.

"Actually, I was MVP all three years of playing. So, I get off pretty well..." Oriana trailed.

"Girls don't belong in such a violent sport... basketball, maybe. Football... these are the kind of breaks you see in boys..." the doctor ignored her as he muttered to himself, frowning a little.

"You son of–"

"Miss Riley," the doctor interrupted, motioning toward the X-rays. "You've done a real wallop with that arm. You broke your radius in three places and your ulna in two. These breaks are compound, which means the bones are uneven, but didn't break through the skin. You're damn lucky you don't need surgery. I think I can heal these by setting the bone and casting it. You're going to need to slow down and let it heal. Go back to knitting or something... And, I've got to treat those puncture wounds. How did you get those anyway?"

"Cleats..." Oriana mumbled, glancing down at her arm.

"Now wait a damn minute," Kevin interrupted the 'lecture', getting to his feet. "Where do you get off lecturing my step-daughter this way? She has an amazing talent for football, and I will not allow you to insult her like you have. Treat the wounds and cast her arm, but don't you dare criticize what she likes to do."

"Kevin, just sit down," Oriana groaned, not wanting to make quite a big deal of the entire scenario. Not many really cared for what she did. Sometimes, Oriana didn't even know if her mother approved. "Can we just go get these bones set and go home?"

"Oriana, he has no right--"

"You're right. But all I want to do is go home."

"Oriana–"

"I'll have the nurse come in with a wheelchair to take you to the treatment room. We'll set the bones in there, wrap the cast, then we'll have to take another X-Ray to make sure the bones are set," the doctor quickly averted, slipping out the door before Kevin could launch into further complaints.

"Snap the bones in place, take an X-ray, run home, sleep. Let's go, Nursie," Oriana murmured.

"Snap bones in place?" Howie asked, feeling his stomach churn at the thought.

"What do you think setting the bones means?" Oriana questioned, trying to ignore the doctor's hateful words. She instead focused on the procedure at hand. "My bones are laying over top of one another. It's a compound fracture. In order to make them line back up, they have to stretch my arm and basically snap the bones back into place."

"Oh... sorry, I don't know a lot of medical stuff," Howie gulped at the detail she gave him. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"It's worse than breaking the bone in the first place," Oriana sighed, staring down at the tiles on the floor. She be given a small portion of pain killers to take the edge off the pain, but she still found herself flinching. It would hurt worse than anything she had dealt with before.

"They won't give you more painkillers so it doesn't hurt?" Howie asked, shocked that doctors would let a patient go through such pain when it came to all the breaks Oriana had.

"They'll give me a prescription for when I leave, but they snap'em so fast that they really don't care to use anything to numb. Worst part is keeping it still to cast it, then I have to keep coming back for X-rays to make sure it didn't shift. And if it did shift, then I have to have them repositioned again," Oriana explained, watching Howie's face pale. "Maybe you shouldn't come back with me..."

"No, I promised I would be there–"

"I don't want you back there if you're going to pass out. It's not a big deal, I can do this by myself. I've done it before and this probably won't be the last time I do it," she tried to encourage.

"Oriana–"

"Howie, listen to me," Oriana interrupted fiercely, causing Howie to fall back with surprise. "You have no idea what it's like back there. You can actually hear the bones shift and crack. And I scream, and I mean scream hard. I don't want you back there, okay? Just go out with Alex and Luke."

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to..." Howie sighed heavily, biting his bottom lip. "Never mind, I'm sorry..."

"I understand you want to be there for me. Please don't be upset with me."

"I'm not upset with you. I thought you were upset with me."

"No, it's really sweet that you want to go back with me. But, Babe, you're no good to me when you're lying on the floor. Right?"

"Yeah, that's true. But you shouldn't go by yourself. I mean, it would be nice to have someone there with you, wouldn't it?"

"I was going to ask Kevin–"

"You were?" Kevin interrupted, accidentally overhearing.

"Well, yeah, if you wouldn't mind... Don't read too much into it or anything. I just need someone back there that's not going to pass out... Someone to hold the stick in my mouth when I start screaming, you know? If you don't want to, that's fine... Just figured I'd ask since you're here and all," she fumbled, highly embarrassed that she actually needed him.

"No, no, I want to come back there with you. I had to go through my bone settings alone back in the day, and I know how much I wanted someone there with me. As long as you want me there, I'll be there," Kevin replied, thankful that it was at least a little step towards something.

"It's not that I'm a pussy or anything---"

"I never said you were. I've seen guys with that kind of break and they were bawling the whole entire time, from the breaking to the setting to the casting. I know that having someone there with you always helps."

"So, you'll go back?"

"Yes."

Oriana nodded as there was a soft knock on the door, giving her a chance to mask her feelings of relief. Oriana offered a tight smile as the nurse slipped through the door with a wheelchair. She seemed quite young and very beautiful, so naturally, Oriana again shifted with discomfort. But, the nurse just offered a smile of approval, "So this is the infamous female football player?"

"One and only probably in this state," Oriana agreed.

"Well, it's about damn time!" the nurse enthused with a gentle smile, carefully pulling away the heavy ice packs from Oriana's arm. She apologized quietly as Oriana immediately whimpered with fresh pain. Trying to get her mind off the situation, the nurse glanced between the two men in the room, her eyes naturally lingering on Howie. "So, who's this cute dish?"

"That's my boyfriend, Howie," Oriana replied. "My cute Irish and Puerto Rican dish."

"Lucky girl, you get to be tackled by cute football players then come home to that handsome slice? Mmm, I'm jealous," the nurse teased, gently bumping Oriana's left shoulder.

"Yeah, an Irish and Puerto Rican combination really makes a handsome man, huh?"

"Mm-hmm, most definitely. But I didn't know the mix made them so quiet," the nurse teased, clicking her tongue.

"Yeah, usually they should be really hot-headed and arrogant," Oriana replied, hoping to jump-start Howie.

"Me? Hot-headed and arrogant? No way!" Howie defended himself.

"Then what are you?" Oriana tempted as the nurse started to ease her into the wheelchair. Oriana wanted to bring her arm to immediately rest against her chest, but the nurse prevented her from doing so with an immobilizer. Oriana yelped softly with pain as her arm was stationed on a special platform over the arm of the wheelchair.

"Um... a sweet, fun loving guy who will do anything to make his girlfriend happy?" Howie tried, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah, guess that describes him better," Oriana told the nurse, trying not to sob again. She shifted again to comfort herself, swallowing hard. "Just get out to the waiting room."

"I know, it wouldn't do you any good to have me passed out on the floor," Howie tried to joke, leaning down to kiss her softly. "I'll be there when you're done."

"One more kiss?" she murmured softly, blinking back her tears.

"Of course," he whispered, delivering a more passionate one.

"Thanks," she whispered softly, a tinge of blush starting to creep to her cheeks. She reached her left hand out for a moment to caress the side of his face. "Will you come home for dinner with me?"

"I could never say no to those pretty eyes. I'd be honored to have dinner with you, Ria. I'll bring you a nice fresh jar of cherries for dessert, alright?" he replied with a smile.

"Ria?"

"I thought it could be your nickname from me, since everyone else has their own. Do you like it?"

"I like it a lot," she admitted softly.

"Good, because I think it's perfect for you," he smiled again, kissing her once more before the nurse interrupted them.

"Look, I find this adorable and all, but I really need to get you back to the treatment room, Sweetheart. One more kiss and we're hitting the road. Is Dad coming with you?"

"Um… Dad?" Oriana blanked for a moment, glancing back to Kevin. "Yeah, he is."

"Alright, so one more kiss and then we're rollin' outta here."

"Just think, Howie, I won't even be screaming for you..."

"Yeah... but you know it'll all be over before you know it. Then we'll be eating dinner and having cherries for dessert."

"Yeah, I know," Oriana agreed as the nurse wheeled her out into the hallway.

"Coming, Dad?" the nurse called.

"Dad?" Kevin drawled again in surprise.

"Yeah, Dad," Oriana quipped with a sarcastic laugh.

"Come on, the train's leaving!"

"You better get going. I just hope it hasn't been too long since you've seen a broken bone being set and you pass out," Howie teased as Kevin walked to the door.

"Does she mean the Dad thing?" Kevin paused for a moment.

"I think so."

"Oh..." Kevin paused, not really understanding how things could jump so fast. He stood still for a moment till the nurse called for him again. He furiously shook his head, immediately patting Howie's shoulder. "Go tell the boys what's happening, okay?"

"I will. Good luck, Kevin."
Sorting Truth From Lies by Anastacia
Chapter 27 – Sorting Truth From Lies

"You know, this sundae isn't as happy as I thought it was going to be..." Teagan drawled with an unpleasant sigh. She couldn't understand Oriana ditching her and as much as she tried to forget, she couldn't. Without her Oriana, her heart didn't seem complete. She pushed her melting ice cream about the bowl, tapping on the edge of the china. Brian cringed at her depressed state, leaning forward to notice all the cherries were sitting in the bowl. He arched his blonde brows in confusion, causing Teagan to jump. "Riana always eats all my cherries..."

"Honey, I know that it hurts for her to ignore you like that. There's nothing you can do if that's what she decides," Brian replied, taking her hand into his. "You can't get all depressed about it."

"You don't understand," Teagan sulked, pulling her hand from Brian's grasp. "She's my life, Brian. I've had her in my life since she was born. It was always her and me. Always her and me. I can't just let her go!"

"Well, what do you want to do about it, then?"
"Get her back!"

"How?!"

Teagan was about to reply when she heard the opening of the front door, followed by a familiar tap. Teagan immediately launched from her seat in the kitchen, knowing that was Oriana's own personal opening of the door. She would always bounce it against her hip before shutting it, causing the extra small tap. Her heart immediately leapt to her throat as she pushed away the ice cream. "She's home! She's home! She's home!"

"Great..." Brian muttered as Teagan jumped to her feet.

"Duckie! Duckie! Duckie-Doo!" Teagan shrieked with delight, pitching herself into the living room. She ran at full speed through the various hallways, leaping up to the threshold of the doorway to grapple her Oriana.

"Ow! Damn, Gabby!" Oriana yelped in agony, getting thrown against the wall. She felt her heavy purple cast immediately smack backward to offer a hot throb of pain. She bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying. "Woah, that's a little rough, Gabby."

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy! You're home! You're okay! I was so worried when I saw you on the field and heard you screaming," Teagan kissed her cheeks repeatedly.

"Well...thanks..." Oriana fumbled, unable to get away from Teagan's overbearing pressure. "I'm fine, Gabby. Honestly, I'm perfectly fine... Can I breathe now?"

"Oh! Sorry," Teagan blushed, pulling away. "Duckie... you don't hate me or anything, do you?"

"Why would I hate you?"

"I don't know. It's just that you always call for me when you hurt yourself. But today, you just called for Howie and--"

"Gabby," Oriana sighed, adjusting the strap to her arm sling. She sighed softly, running her left hand through her blonde curls. "I don't even know what I was thinking. I was so upset about hurting Howie and then I was in a hell'uva a lot of pain. I am so sorry..."

"You mean you don't hate me?"

"No! I never could hate my Gabby. Never, ever and I'm so sorry."

"But---"

"Gabby, c'mon, Sweetheart. You're my right hand... Well, now you're really going to have to be my right hand," Oriana tempted to joke, motioning toward her purple cast covering the length of her arm almost to her elbow.

"What happened?" Teagan breathed.

"Broke it in five places? Mad close to have surgery," Oriana answered softly with a lean shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh my God... who went back with you when they set the bones in place?"

"Nobody important."

"You mean it wasn't Howie?"

"He would have fainted."

"Then who went with--"

"Oriana! C'mon! Let's get these pain killers into you! I got you a liter of Pepsi, you're favorite soda, right? I'll grab you a bag of ice and you can just lounge on the couch for awhile. Then we'll talk to your mother when she gets home. Alex and Howie went to pick up your car..."

"Kevin, you can breathe, it's just a broken arm," Oriana groaned as Kevin hurriedly pushed her into the living room. She yelped in surprise as she was forced onto the couch and several pillows thrown under her arm.

"I'm guessing it was Kevin who went to the back room with you," Teagan replied with a raised eyebrow as she watched Kevin hurry about Oriana. "Yo! Kevin! Stop!"

"What?" the older man asked, stopping in his tracks and looking over at Teagan.

"Take a deep breath and calm down. Oriana's broken bones before and you're acting like she's made of glass. Rest is always needed, but she can do things herself without disturbing the set bones."

"How many times?"

"Enough to know that human's are very dangerous creatures," Oriana groaned softly.

"Honestly, I think we've lost count. But you know what would make Mom less freaked out when she comes home to see Oriana in a cast?"

"No... what?"

"To have her favorite dinner and drink waiting for her. Why don't you go and start making it?"

"Teagan---"

"You haven't seen Mom freaked out and you don't want to. Now go and make her dinner!"

"Fine..." Kevin trailed in surprise, finally relinquishing his care over Oriana. He withdrew from her side, offering her pain medication and soda. Then, he moved backward into the kitchen.

"Thank you, Kevin!" Teagan called before turning back to Oriana. "He's never seen Ma’s reaction to something like this, I thought it would be best for him to butter her up."

"Think she'll murder me this time?"

"I don't know... this is the worst break. But I'm here and I won't let anything happen."

"Yeah, I think I'm just going to run for safety. I can live in my room for over a month..."

"Maybe we can hide it?"

"Hide this humongous thing?" Oriana asked with a raised eyebrow, pointing to her cast.

"I was trying to be optimistic?"

"Well, don't, it doesn't suit you."

"Yeah, but--"

"Where's your lover boy?" Oriana interrupted, shifting carefully so she could lay on the couch. Her arm was throbbing from the recent setting of her arm. She hated it.

"He's in the kitchen finishing his sundae. I left all the cherries in mine for you," Teagan replied, making sure Oriana's arm nestled into the pillows.

"How'd you know I was going to be back in time to eat your cherries?" Oriana questioned with a faint smile, gently pushing Teagan back with her foot. Teagan had always been so maternal with their relationship whenever their mothers were too busy. And, from the time they were little, Oriana would always steal Teagan's cherries from their sundaes while Teagan munched on the ice cream. It had been tradition, even now.

"Just had a feeling," Teagan shrugged her shoulders with a smile as well, sitting on the edge of the heavy oak coffee table.

"You'll be in college having sundaes and you'll still save your cherries. I think it's an obsessive compulsive disorder now. Just like I'll always save my ice cream for you..." Oriana decided, staring up into her friend's smoldering dark blue-gray eyes. She had been so worried about their friendship as the days passed. So worried that she had cried herself to sleep after talking to Howie that night. Yet, what could she say now? Was everything healed? Or did Brian just postpone the inevitable with the breaking of Oriana's arm?

"We're always going to be friends... right, Duckie?" Teagan broke the silence between them. "I hope so, because I don't know what I would do without you."

"We won't always be friends if you keep calling me Duckie," Oriana joked.

"Duckie! Duckie! Duckie! Duuuuuckie!" Teagan taunted with a cackle.

"Oh get the Hell away from me, I need a shower," Oriana groaned, struggling to rise from the couch. She reeked of sweat and mud.

"Do you want me to get the Duckie out of your room?"

"Why would you get my Duckie out of my room?" Oriana drawled with horror, hoping that Teagan wasn't thinking of stealing it. The rubber duck always sat perched upon the edge of her Jacuzzi tub within her private bathroom, waiting for the next bath.

"Because I had borrowed it when I took a bath today and left it in your room?" Teagan asked, immediately diving behind the other couch for protection.

"Duckie is not used to having tubbies in other bathrooms! What were you thinking?!"

"Um... I wasn't thinking?" Teagan squeaked, peeking her head up.

"We need to get you your own damn Duckie," Oriana scorned with a frown, finally managing to scoot toward the edge of the couch. She gingerly adjusted the sling around her neck, making sure it comfortably held her cast. She moved to stand when Howie and Alex hurriedly entered the home, searching for Oriana. "This would be my means of escape before they hound me to death, too."

"You better hurry before they catch you, then!" Teagan still stayed behind the couch.

"That's what I was thinking," Oriana agreed, moving from the couch when Alex and Howie caught sight of her. She immediately jumped back as they rushed forward. "I'm fine! Okay? I'm fine!"

"But your arm--"

"Kevin just gave me a dose of heavy pain-killers. It'll take about thirty minutes to kick in fully. So, please, just give me that long until you start hounding me. I've already been smothered. I'd just like to get a shower and clean up before Momma gets home, because she's going to freak," Oriana tried to explain, backing up again as they stepped forward, causing Teagan to snort with laughter.

"Boys, let Oriana go upstairs and take her shower. She's just fine," Kevin went to stop the boys from following her.

"Dad, how's she going to get---"

"Oriana! Oriana, are you home?!" Cassandra's panicked voice echoed through the house.

"Oh, shit," Oriana groaned inwardly, stopping just at the threshold of stairs. She watched her mother burst into the living room with a cloud of deep worry. Cassandra paused for a long moment, just staring at her daughter's disheveled form. Mud was smeared against Oriana's grimy cheeks and streaked from her incessant tears. Her curls were wild and thick with dirt. Bruising could be noted on her shoulder and opposite arm from Brian's hard tackle. It was painful to see her daughter in such a venerable state. Cassandra's worry immediately turned to rage as she stalked over and grabbed Oriana roughly by her arms, yanking her forward. "Damn, Momma!"

"I warned you about football! Damnit, Oriana, I warned you! It's nothing but a dangerous, barbaric sport that only leads to people getting hurt! Why did I ever let you play football? Look at you now! Your arm is broken!" Cassandra ranted, gripping Oriana's arms tightly.

"Momma... You're hurting me," Oriana whimpered as Cassandra flung her backward with a great force, causing Oriana to stumble. Yet, Cassandra quickly snapped her back with the same force, causing Oriana's brain to jumble. The pain intensified within her arm as Cassandra embedded her fingernails within both arms, obviously offering fresh bruises. Hot tears gathered in the depths of Oriana's murky blue-green eyes, remembering all the previous tortures from the old boyfriends, wondering if her mother had learned from them or told them to do it. "Momma, please---"

"You're grounded! I don't want you anywhere but school and home! I can't believe how irresponsible you were, Oriana! Now you've got a broken arm! Why? Because girls are not meant to play football!"

"Momma! You're hurting me!" Oriana howled in shock as her mother forcefully brought a hand to her cheek. She stumbled backward yet again, but Cassandra caught her right arm again, yanking her forward into a kneel position. Oriana winced and immediately bowed, almost ready for her mother to place a foot alongside her jaw, it wouldn't be the first time that occurred, though it would be a different person. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears started to flood her face.

"The Hell I'm hurting you!" Cassandra laughed bitterly , shaking her daughter forcefully from side to side. "You should be thankful that I'm the only parent here! Oriana Ryan! What in God's name were you thinking?! What the Hell were you doing?! Did you need to impress another boy? Like before? And did you think I wouldn't find out?! Do you know how embarrassed I was? Having one of my colleagues pull me out of the hospital when I stopped to drop off some files! I looked like an incompetent mother! But no more! Damnit, no more---"

"MOM, STOP! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Teagan blurted, pushing Cassandra away from Oriana. "You have no right to treat your daughter like that!"

"You have no right to tell me what to do, Teagan Gabrielle. Sit the Hell down! This is between me and my daughter! Do you understand?!" Cassandra screamed, startling Teagan.

"You're hurting her! Damnit, she's got a broken arm and you're squeezing it!" she yelled back, taking a step back from her second mother.

"SIT DOWN, TEAGAN!"

"LEAVE ORIANA ALONE!"

"IF YOU DON'T SIT DOWN NOW, TEAGAN, I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET IT!"

"YOU WOULD NOT--"

"SIT DOWN!" Cassandra's scream pierced the room, causing Howie and Alex to step back from the room in horror. Teagan stumbled backwards into the couch, searching the room for some sign of help. Pleased with her actions, Cassandra immediately bent down to grasp Oriana's injured arm, causing the girl to cry out in pain. "Get your ass up the stairs right now, Oriana Ryan! You're in for the beating---"

"Cassandra, what the Hell are you doing?!" Kevin exclaimed as he rushed down the stairs. The last screaming finally overpowered the studio walls and came to see what was going on. "She's got a broken arm, you're going to disrupt the set bones!"

"Get up the stairs right now, Oriana! I'm not playing games like you do! I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget, so help me God! You'll be lucky if you can walk!" Cassandra screeched, completely oblivious to Kevin's presence. She shoved her daughter roughly, causing Oriana to fall against the stairs. Oriana started to scramble up the steps, but Cassandra latched onto the tender arm again, causing Oriana to howl.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kevin finally roared, his voice echoing throughout the house. He wrenched Cassandra's hand off Oriana's arm and separated the two. "CASSANDRA, STOP IT! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Cassandra jerked backward in shock as the children cowered further. She started to step forward, but Kevin encircled his arms tightly around her waist.

Oriana saw the chance to recover and quickly scrambled into a jittery standing position. Her face was flushed with agony as she glared down at her mother. Her voice choked with intense emotions rattling from her very core, "YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER! NEVER! AND IT WASN'T MY FAULT! ASK YOUR FUCKING STEP-SON WHO'S FAULT IT WAS! BECAUSE I QUIT!"

"Oriana--"

"I FUCKING QUIT!" Oriana turned around and ran upstairs, slamming the door to her room and locking it.

"Kids, go," Kevin barked.

Teagan slowly got to her feet and headed towards the staircase. She stopped by Cassandra and gave her the coldest glare she had ever given anyone. "I can't believe you would do that to your own daughter. You were going to fucking beat Oriana for breaking her arm at practice. Some mother you are," without waiting for a response, she headed up to 'her room' and slammed the door.

"Howie, Alex, go," Kevin breathed forcefully, feeling Cassandra slump within his arms.

"Going," they both mumbled, quickly going up to try and get Oriana to let them in her room.

"Brian, go!" Kevin forced yet again, knowing his eldest was lurking just beyond the kitchen.

"Jeez, okay, I'm going," Brian muttered, going the same way all the other kids did.

Kevin waited till he heard the final shut of a door before easing his fiancée onto the couch. He stood above her quivering form, just staring down at her in shock. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Cassandra had been so close to throttling her daughter an inch from her life. That wasn't the fiancée he knew. His mind immediately drew the photographs of Oriana's bruises, willing himself not to believe Cassandra had done the damage.

"What the Hell were you thinking?" Kevin finally questioned after a long period of silence.

"I-I don't know..."

"Do you have any idea what you just did? Or would you like me to give you a mental image of what I saw?" Kevin murmured softly, keeping his distance.

"Everything's such a blur. I remember coming into the house and then..." Cassandra trailed off, shrugging helplessly.

"Dear God, Cassandra! You almost seriously hurt your own daughter! You were gripping her injured arm! I think I might have to take her back to the hospital just to see if the damn bones have shifted! What was going on in your head? I mean, damnit, Cassandra!" Kevin vented, his muscles twitching with a heated anger. "Have... Have you ever done that to her before? Have you ever hurt Oriana before?"

"Hurt Oriana before? I used to swat her butt once in awhile when she was little, but not... no! I don't beat my child!" Cassandra shook her head viciously.

"Swear to God, Cassandra? I need to know now... All those bruises in those pictures... Then I see you acting like a madwoman for something Oriana couldn't even control... Just, dear God, tell me you didn't purposely hurt Oriana. That you never laid your hand on her in anything but love..."

"I would never hurt my little girl like that! Never! And those bruises were from sports and just being her klutzy self like I told you!"

"Then what the Hell was I witnessing not five minutes ago, Cass?"

"I don't know, okay?!"

"You looked like you were about to kill---"

"I would never hurt my little girl!" Cassandra screamed fitfully, falling back into the couch. She immediately covered her wan face, bursting into hot sobs. She had never meant to take her rage that far, but seeing her daughter hurt again was far too much. She could only remember the blank stares from her colleagues as they assessed yet another bruise upon her daughter's body. More rumors circulating. It wasn't as if Cassandra hadn't questioned her daughter's so-called klutziness...

"Okay, okay. Shh, calm down, Cass. I just wanted to make sure..." Kevin trailed off, sitting down next to Cassandra and gently pulled her into his arms. "I have never seen you like that before.

"You don't understand. I've just been so stressed. I go to work all day, come home, see Oriana maybe five minutes before she goes off to whatever practice, maybe five minutes before she slips to bed, and then I have to plan our wedding... Seeing her hurt again, it just reminded me of so many things..." Cassandra sobbed openly.

"What do you mean? What kind of things?" Kevin whispered, running his fingers through her hair as he kissed her forehead.

"When she was younger... She'd always have fresh bruises, scrapes, tears, or whatever else when I got home from work. My ex-boyfriends would always say she fell or got caught up playing with the little boys again... Then I'd have to go to work where they had taken care of her... Those who didn't know me... They'd give me the most awful stares... I don't know... I'm just so preoccupied, I didn't mean to hurt her... Not my Miracle Baby..."

"I know you didn't mean to hurt her... but Cass, you did. I don't know what else happened, but there was serious damage tonight and you need to fix it."

"Oriana won't be mad tomorrow..." Cassandra drawled hopefully, relying heavily upon her daughter's loving nature. "She understands..."

"I don't know Oriana too well yet, but I somewhat doubt that everything will be fixed just by her nature of forgiveness."

"But she..." Cassandra started to sob again. "She's the only baby girl I have..."

"Honey, I know. But just hoping that she'll forgive you without you talking to her isn't realistic. You need to go up there and apologize," Kevin slowly rocked his fiancée back and forth.

"She won't talk to me tonight..."

"Then do it tomorrow."

"She's going to hate me forever, isn't she?"

"No, she's not."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Hate me."

"No," Kevin groaned against her forehead, offering yet another soft kiss. "All in all, Sweetheart, you scared the daylights out of me. That just wasn't the Cassandra I know and love... I just wish you would have told me sooner that you were under so much stress. We could have done something about it..."

"But--"

"Sweetheart, why don't you go take a bath or something?" Kevin interrupted, needing to unwind himself.

"A bath?"

"Yeah, it'll calm you down with all those aroma thingies you have. Besides, you stink," he tried to tease.

"Don't even try to be cute. Not after what happened," Cassandra groaned, pulling away from her fiancé’s grasp. She felt so utterly guilty at that very moment. Her heart ached openly for hurting her daughter. She just wanted to sleep.

"Noted. Sorry, Baby," Kevin winced, running a hand through his raven locks. "Just go on up and relax."

"Come with me," Cassandra enticed after a long moment of silence, holding a hand to her fiancé. She just wanted to be held. She could remember so many nights curling up between the girls after a bad shift at work. Oriana and Teagan would immediately curl beside her to bring warmth and she would fall asleep to the soft rhythms of their breathing.

"Are you sure? You don't want to be alone?"

"That's the last thing I want right now..." Cassandra bit her bottom lip, trying to hold back more tears.

"Sweetheart---"

"Just, come on. Come get a bath with me, please?"

"I can never say no to your beautiful face," Kevin relented, taking her hand and standing up.

"I'm sorry for everything, Kevin."

"I know you are, Cassie. Everything will be alright... I promise."

*~*~*


Brian gingerly stepped down the hallway, watching Alex and Howie pry open Oriana's door with some kind of object. He smiled ruefully at their troubles, walking to the next room that Teagan occupied. The scene downstairs was amusing. Cassandra had come so close to murdering Oriana. Brian couldn't have asked for a better scenario, until Oriana screamed for Cassandra to question him about the break. No one would forget that little piece of speech, so Brian had to bury it quickly. He swallowed his smile, gently tapping upon Teagan's door. "Teags? Baby?"

"Go away!" Teagan's voice called from the other side. After being screamed at by Cassandra, she didn't feel too much like having company and decided to throw things around her room instead.

"Baby, it's Brian. Let me in."

"I said GO AWAY!" Teagan snapped once more, yelling in anger as she pounded her fist into the wall.

"Don't you want to talk?"

"What part of 'Go away' don't you comprehend?"

"The part that has to do with you telling your loving boyfriend to go away?"

"Brian, things are flying around here and I'm punching the walls. Do you really want to come in here now?"

"I think I'll risk it?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Teagan replied, unlocking the door before going back to punch the wall as hard as she could. It always seemed to make the anger go away.

"I'll agree that I've been fully warned," Brian replied, pushing the door open. He immediately winced when he glanced about the room.

Everything Teagan kept inside the room had been thrown about and messily lay upon the floor. He yelped in surprise as Teagan went to slam her fist into the wall again. He rushed forward to catch her hand, causing them to spin onto the bed. "What the Hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Punching the wall. What does it look like?" Teagan retorted, pulling her hand away from his grasp.

"Then your friend isn't going to be the only one with a broken arm!" Brian screeched, catching her again before she could attack another wall.

"Does it look like I care?! Let me go, this is how I vent my anger!" Teagan grunted, squirming in his arms.

"Well, you better figure out another way to vent, because I'm not letting you near that damn wall!" Brian grunted back, keeping his arms tightly encircled around her waist.

"Fucking Hell, Brian! Stop it!" Teagan hissed, hitting him with her left hand until she forgot the pain in her right and used both. "OW! Damnit! See what you made me do?"

"Yeah, what I made you do, right," Brian scoffed, pulling her up. He carried her to a chair, forcing her down into it. He pinned her to the chair, grasping both of her hands. She squirmed further, but Brian held tight. "Figure out another way to vent, because I'm not letting you go."

"Let go of my right hand, it hurts," Teagan snapped, trying to pull it away from his hold. All she wanted to do was get rid of the anger building inside her and Brian was preventing that. It was either throwing things around and punching walls or smoking. Everyone got upset when they found out the deadly habit and she quit, going to what she had been doing. But her boyfriend was making it quite difficult.

"Just yell at me!"

"I don't want to yell at you and let go of my fucking hand!"

"Fine," Brian relented, releasing her aching right hand. Yet, he kept his leg upon her lap, preventing her from standing.

"Jeez," she mumbled, cradling her hand. It was red and starting to swell as the pain increased. "About damn time. Now get your leg off me."

"Um, no, I'm not going to let you hurt yourself. I don't know what this god-awful family's been letting you do to yourself, but I actually care about you. So, no, I'm not getting my leg off you."

"They don't know I punch the walls, and this is not a god-awful family except for that devil woman down there who tried to beat her own daughter!" Teagan growled, trying to keep her chin from trembling with the held back tears. Never before had Cassandra treated Oriana the way she had, nor had she ever screamed and threatened Teagan.

"They don't know you punch the walls? How could they not know?" Brian questioned skeptically.

"Because I either run to my house or I wait until no one's home, that's why."

"Then we'll buy you one of those inflatable buddies to punch when you get upset, okay?"

"Brian..." she tried to groan, but ended up bursting in tears.

"That's better," Brian sighed with relief, gently wrapping his arms around her quivering form.

"M-Ma's never acted like that b-before! N-Never!"

"Okay..."

"She screamed at m-me! All I was d-doing was p-p-p-protecting my D-Duckie!"

"I know," Brian sighed, not really knowing what exactly to say. He hadn't known Cassandra for long, so he didn't know her tendencies. But her reaction to Oriana's broken arm was intense.

"She scared me..." Teagan whimpered between sobs.

"Well, I'm here now, Teags. I'll make you feel better, I promise. I'll always be there to kiss away all your tears," Brian promised softly, kissing the side of mer face repeatedly.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Teagan whispered after she calmed down a little. She bit her bottom lip and pouted at the same time.

"I'm used to it," Brian chuckled, kissing her forehead.

"You still love me?"

"Always and forever."

"Good, because I need someone to stop me from hitting the walls..."

"Well, let's go, we'll buy you an inflatable sock'em bopper buddy. Want a clown to kick the shit out of?"

"Is there anything else besides clowns? They kinda freak me out."

"Eh, we'll find something."

"Okay," Teagan nodded, leaning forward to kiss Brian's chest through his shirt. "Can we grab an ice pack for my hand before leaving?"

"Yeah, let's go slugger," Brian teased, helping her off the chair.

"You're funny," Teagan rolled her eyes with a small laugh. "Just for that you have to buy me ice cream and Lindor truffles."

"Okay, Sweetheart."

"You're too good to me," Teagan commented as they walked down to the kitchen.

"Nah, you deserve whatever you want," Brian shrugged it off.

"Maybe... Brian, can I ask you something?" Teagan said as he handed her an ice pack for her hand.

"Sure," he replied, retrieving a towel to wrap around the pack to lessen the severity of the cold against her skin.

"What did Oriana mean when she said to ask you how her arm got broken?"

Brian froze for the longest moment, just staring at his girlfriend blankly. His mind immediately started to crunch possibilities to save himself from Teagan's wrath. He finally managed to offer a sad smile, busying himself with tending to her hand. "I was in the pile when it happened. Maybe she thought I would have saw something? But, that's kind of impossible. There was so many of us. Just a stupid slip-up, I guess... Or... Lord... I don't think I want to even imagine the other idea..."

"Other idea? What do you mean?" Teagan asked with a curious raise of her eyebrows.

Brian offered the most pitiful look he could think to offer, down casting his eyes. "I just don't want to think it's possible, because she's your best friend and all... But maybe she's just looking for someone to blame? I mean, who else would she actually think to blame except me? She hates me... Now that I have her position, she'll be looking for a way to kick me off... And, then, she's jealous of our relationship. So, if you believed I did it, you would dump me..."

Teagan was silent for a moment, biting her lip in thought. Brian hadn't said a cruel thing about Oriana, nor had he given her any nasty looks. She didn't want to think Oriana would react like that, blaming someone else when they had no part in the accident. But the younger girl always took the blame if she knew it had been her own fault for getting hurt. But then, she had reacted to badly to the marriage of her mother and Brian's father, it could be a possibility. "It could be that reason... I just can't bear to think that she would do that when she knows how much I love you--"

"She wants us apart though, she's told me!"

"When has she told you that?"

"The other night..."

"The other night?" Teagan thought for a moment. "I don't remember her ever being alone with you long enough to tell you--"

"Look, don't even worry about it," Brian replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It's not important, right?"

"But you claimed she--"

"It's not a big deal."

"Brian--"

"Let's go get your bopper," Brian continued, knowing he had implanted the idea within her head. She would dwell upon the notion until it finally burst.

"You like to interrupt people." Teagan frowned a little as Brian stood up.

"I just don't want to cause trouble between you and Oriana."

"Brian---"

"Please, Teags," Brian whimpered, stepping back against her for a hug. He buried his face within the crook of her neck, pretending to be overwhelmed by the concept of Oriana hating him. "Just don't say anything to her."

"Okay, I won't," Teagan sighed heavily, not wanting to upset her boyfriend as she wrapped her arms around him. "I promise. I'll make you a deal, though."

"What deal?"

"If you can give me that heart-melting smile I love so much... once we get back from buying me a bopper, I'll give you a massage."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mm-hmm. And if you can really make me melt with that smile, I'll even try to find my edible oils to go with it."

Brian quickly did as he was told.
Gluing the Broken Shards by Anastacia
Chapter 28 – Gluing the Broken Shards

Oriana trembled as she crawled into the back of her walk-in closet for protection, huddling amongst the wrinkled dance outfits. She cuddled a worn teddy bear to her chest, just rocking back and forth as the tears fell. Usually, she would retreat to this special place of safety after the torment ceased from one of her mother's various boyfriends. Never had Oriana imagined that she would retreat for safety from her mother's brutality. Her mother had been highly stressed lately, but never had she laid a hand upon her. Oriana swiftly sucked in a sob as she remembered her mother's words, ’You'll be lucky if you can walk again.’ It only seemed to remind her of Cassandra's final boyfriend before Kevin, Jake. He had taken full advantage of Oriana with a raw passion of lust and insanity. Oriana always dreaded returning home when Jake was present. Not even a locked door could keep him away. Though, Jake had only forced his physical abuse on Cassandra once by roughly backhanding her, and then Cassandra had booted him out the door. She had congratulated herself for taking a stand against the pain that many of her own patients suffered. Yet, Cassandra had never known that Jake's abuse started with Oriana. She trembled again as she choked on a sob, picturing her mother's face blending with that of Jake's face.

"Ry? Ry, it's me and Howie. Come on, let us in. We want to make sure you're alright," Alex's voice came from behind her bedroom door as he gently knocked. "Please? I know you're scared, we were all scared down there. Open the door, Sweetie."

Oriana furiously shook her head from within the confines of the closet, not really understanding that Alex couldn't see her decline. She didn't care, however, only able to replay her mother's hateful crimes within her brain. Oriana furiously tugged at her cast, pulling it tightly across her chest. It ached with a raw burning that no one could possibly understand. Oriana feared that the bones had been shifted, requiring another setting. She repeatedly trembled with a frightened quiver, paling dramatically at the thought. It always took several hours for Oriana to regain any conscious state of mind after a battering. It took years of abuse to learn to control herself, but after the moment of heat, she was wrecked.

"Ry! Don't scare us like this, please open the door. No one's going to hurt you, I promise. We want to make sure you're okay!" Alex knocked on the door again.

"Just leave me alone," she whispered.

There was a shift at the door and Howie's voice filtered through. "Ria, Baby, it's Howie. Please, let us in. I know your mom scared you and hurt you… That's why I want to see you. I'm worried about you."

"No..." Oriana refused quietly, continuing to rock herself in a frightened manner. She couldn't imagine why God would let her go through such a heated terror. Her mind continued to compare her mother to the last boyfriend. Her mother had wrenched her arm just as Jake did, making sure to use the bruised portion to inflict greater pain. He would use his strength against her, overpowering her at the weakest moments. Had her mother taken notes? And the words... Oriana could still hear Jake's voice ringing along with her mother's words.

"Damnit, this is getting us nowhere," Alex cursed, jiggling the doorknob. "There has to be some way we can get in there!"

"What are you doing?" Howie questioned in confusion, noticing Alex reach to withdraw a credit card from his wallet.

"You can take a credit card and jimmy the lock open on a door. Devon showed me how when we saran wrapped all the instruments in Tartan's band room sophomore year."

"You did that?!"

"Um... Yeah? Anyway, it's something that can come in handy," Alex shrugged, turning to place the credit card between the door and door frame.

"I think I'd kick your ass if I wasn't so worried about Oriana. I mean, damn, Alex, do you have any idea how bad we got chewed out that day? Teagan actually made us run laps because she was so pissed!"

"Yeah, well, she's the devil woman anyway. It's all a part of Homecoming and it's not like you didn't prank us at all," Alex rolled his eyes, jiggling around the credit card.

"Filling all the horn instruments with baked beans... And using super-glue on all your keys and buttons..."

"Yeah, so cry me a freaking river about some damn laps. I haven't been able to even look at baked beans since then."

"Liar," Howie retorted as Alex fell forward into the room as the lock gave.

"Shut up," Alex hissed, looking around the room. Oriana was nowhere in sight. "Ry? Where are you?"

Howie glanced around the room - nothing had been disturbed from the usual disaster of her room. It was obvious that Oriana was far more distressed than they had anticipated. If she had been angered, the disaster probably would have been worse compared to a level five tornado. Howie felt his heart beat quicken, knowing that he had to find her before she did anything drastic. He quickly scanned the room, almost thinking about checking her bay window for signs of jumping, but heard a loud sniffle from the closet.

"Did you hear that?" Howie whispered to Alex, who was looking at the closet as well.

"Yeah... you think she's in there?"

"Only one way to find out," Howie walked over to the large closet and carefully opened the door.
Sure enough, Oriana was pressed against the far wall of the vast closet. She was still shivering violently, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent the agony of the burning tears. Her gritty curls were matted against her soaked cheeks as more fell into her blurry eyes. She hugged her aching arm to her chest, praying for the pain to cease. She didn't see to notice the boys, too caught within her agony.

"Jesus," Alex murmured without thought, immediately crossing the threshold to reach his soon-to-be-stepsister. He fell to his knees, starting to reach out for her.

"Don't touch me!" Oriana whimpered frantically, noticing Alex's hands reach out to her grasp her. Instantly, her brain flashed to that of Jake, causing a terror to seize her body. She snapped upward to glance at Alex and Howie with horror, struggling to realize how they had entered.

"Ry, it's us! Howie and Alex. We're not going to hurt you... we just want to make sure you're okay. Well, we know you're hurting, but—"

"What Alex means is that we were worried," Howie interrupted, kneeling down to Oriana.

"I'm fine, okay? I'm fine," Oriana whispered, struggling to press her body further against the wall. She didn't want them to see her pain. She didn't want the pity. She had learned earlier on that nobody cared about her pain. It was either fight through the pain or drown violently within the back drafts of life.

"I somehow doubt that you're fine," Howie sighed heavily, his heart heavy with worry and pain for Oriana.

"No, really, I always sit in my closet with a teddy bear from when I was born..."

"Ria, don't. We're not trying to pity you, we just care about you. Is that so bad?"

"I just don't want you to see me like this, okay?" she whispered after a long moment, casting her eyes down to her dirty pants. She believed she didn't want or need help, even though her heart was crying otherwise.

"See you like what? Why won't you let us help you?" Howie reached out and ran a hand through her dirty locks.

"Because I'm not supposed to need help, just leave me alone, alright?"

"No, I'm not going to leave you alone. Baby, you don't need to be the rock all the time. It's not healthy and I'll be damned if I don't help the girlfriend I love and care about."

"Howie–"

"Let me help you. Let Alex help you."

Oriana finally willed her flooded eyes to glance upwards, immediately locking onto Howie's compassionate, dark eyes. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, shifting carefully to avoid Alex's gaze on the bruises already forming on her upper arms. She blinked rapidly and choked on another sob, immediately opening her arms up to Howie's embrace. She just wanted to be held, caressed, and consoled. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Howie," she murmured pathetically, burying her face into his chest.

"Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about anything," he whispered, holding her tightly without injuring her arm any further. He gently rocked them back and forth, running a hand through her locks continuously as he placed soft kisses on her forehead.

"She's never acted like that before. Never in... Don't hate her, okay? Just don't hate her... She just gets so worried... Brian didn't know that would happen, either... Just, please, don't hate her okay... Don't hate me..." Oriana mumbled against his chest, curling her fist into his t-shirt for comfort.

"I would never hate you. Never in my life," Howie consoled, curious as to why she had brought up Brian. "From what I know about your mom, she just cracked from all the pressure and took it out on you. But she didn't mean it, because you've told me how much she loves and cares about you."

"She learned it from Jake..."

"What? Who's Jake?"

Oriana blanked for a moment, unable to understand why Jake's name had formed in her mouth. She was causing more trouble than it would be worth in the long-run. He had disappeared from Orlando after her mother. She swallowed a hot sob of pain and immediately glanced downward, staring at length of her purple cast. "Nothing... I'm just tired, I don't even know what I'm talking about..."

"Ria, are you sure--"

"I'm just... I'm..." Oriana felt flustered as she stared down at her cast again. She furiously shook her head, trying to clear the clouded pain. Alex had grown considerably quiet, but Oriana focused again on Howie. His trusting eyes just begging for her to talk. Oriana felt another sob burst from her throat. "Just... Just promise me something..."

"Anything," Howie agreed, still holding her close.

"Don't let me push you away, okay?" she whispered softly, feeling hot tears soak into his shirt. She felt so awful for drowning her problems into his life. It was far too complicated to get him involved...

"I would never let you push me away. I need you in my life, and I plan on keeping you there," he whispered back, knowing he would keep that promise until the end of the world and beyond.

"Okay, I think I'm going to start crying again..." she drawled quite bluntly, causing Alex to smile faintly.

"Cry all you want. I'll be right here to hold you and wipe away your tears," Howie promised. "But can I carry you out of the closet and into the bathroom? I think your bath and rubber duckie are calling you."

"You saying I really need a shower because I'm crusting over with mud?" Oriana sniffled, trying to regain some kind of composure.

"No, because... well, partly that. You also need to relax, and I know a hot shower always helps me."

"I can walk..." Oriana drawled, trying not to imagine Howie beneath the stream of a steamy shower.

"You're already in my arms. Let me carry you," Howie objected with a shake of his head, causing some curls to fall down onto his forehead.

"My legs aren't broken," she contradicted.

"Doesn't mean you don't deserve to be carried."

"Jamie, would you just tell him I can walk?" Oriana countered, struggling to pull away from Howie's grasp. She didn't want to seem too fragile.

"I can tell him all I want, he won't listen. Howie's one of those Clark Gable characters in Gone With The Wind."

"That's true..." Oriana drawled after several moments of silence, knowing Howie would continue to push until he achieved what he wanted. He held such a stubborn will when it came to helping her and it was still early in the relationship. She sighed softly, pulling herself closer to Howie's embrace. "Fine, maybe I'll even let you undress me, too."

"Uh-uh, no way!" Alex objected, shaking his head.

"You just stay in my bedroom," Oriana warned with a faint impish smile, still obviously distressed over her mother's betrayal. Yet, like always, she tried to put on a bold front for the boys.

"You're not going to undress my little sister, man!" Alex turned to Howie with a protective glare.

"I'm not your sister yet—"

"I can still object to this!"

"Jamie," Oriana groaned as Alex started to mutter incoherently. She reached out and tugged hard on his jeans, causing them to droop a little to show his red boxers. "Do you honestly think I'm going to let him undress me when I still fight him about carrying me into the bathroom?"

"No, but I just wanted to make sure Howie knew--"

"Oh, deflate your ego and knock it off," Oriana quipped with a roll of her eyes, still grasping Alex's jeans. "If you don't, I can always pants you."

"Pants me?"

"You don't know what that is?"

"No..."

"Oh," Oriana bit her lip for a moment, knowing this was a perfect time to get the attention off her. "I'll show you!" with that, she pulled on his jeans and they fell around his ankles.

"ORIANA RYAN!" Alex screeched in horror, immediately fumbling to reach his ankles. He hurriedly grasped at the belt of his pants, jumping to pull them up to his thin hips. Yet, she had loosened the belt enough to cause them to slip each time. Alex yelped in sheer frustration, hurriedly stumbling out of the walk-in closet to save his dignity.

Oriana grinned with triumph, noticing Howie's eyes immediately fall toward Alex's movements. Knowing the attention had finally been diverted from her issues, she softly moved to climb from Howie's arms. Yet, he was too quick, immediately grasping her hips to pull her down again. "I'm trying to get a shower like you told me to," she objected, still sniffling.

"I know, and I said I was going to carry you," Howie replied, pulling out his lucky bandana from his back pocket and wiped the tear streaks and mud from her cheeks. "Alright?"

"Fine," she relented, the exhaustion of the pain finally catching up to her tense body.

"Good," he smiled softly, kissing her forehead before standing up and walking out towards her bathroom.

"Don't shut the door or Jamie will have a heart attack," Oriana commented as Howie walked into her large bathroom, purposely making sure the door closed. She rolled her eyes as he carried her to the small vanity station that Teagan used more than her, perching her upon the soft stool. Oriana sagged forward for a moment, collecting her thoughts.

"Shower or bath?" Howie asked, looking at the large Jacuzzi tub and the same sized standing shower.

"Whichever..." she trailed, not really caring at the moment. Her cast was water-proof, so it could withstand either. She released a soft sigh, bending down to pull off her grimy shoes and socks. She shifted uncomfortably as the muscles contracted in her upper arms with a twinge of pain. She glanced back to the vanity mirror with a sigh. Her mother's grip had already turned into several dark bruises. She'd have to cover yet again.

"Okay," he replied, walking over to turn on the Jacuzzi tub. Looking around, he found some lavender bubble bath and poured some into the water as the jets churned and hissed with heat.

"You don't have to do that," Oriana objected when she noticed Howie taking great care to perfect her bath. She immediately stood from the vanity stool, walking over to stop him. "Please, don't, okay? I can do it myself."

"I just wanted to–"

"I know, but I see you doing this and all I can think of is that I'm making you my slave or something..." Oriana fumbled to explain, easing her weary body onto the edge of her large Jacuzzi tub.

"I'm doing this because I want to. Not because you're making me," Howie replied, turning off the water. Lavender filled the bathroom, relaxing them both a little.

"Okay..." she trailed, shifting to feel the temperature of the water. She smiled softly at the heat, knowing her body would already welcome the warmth. She felt so cold after her mother's attack. But, her eyes quickly shifted to catch Howie's gaze, noticing him just watching her intently. Her mind drifted back to him speaking about a hot shower, causing her cheeks to tinge with a faint blush. She prayed he assumed it was from the warm water. "Thanks, Howie."

"You're welcome," he replied, shaking himself out of a daze from watching her and leaned down to kiss her gently. "I'll be in Alex's room until you're done."

"You guys can wait in my room," she objected, shifting to grasp the hem of her dirty wife beater.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, of course. I have movies, CD's and a
Playstation in there. Go and knock yourselves out."

"Okay, sounds good..." Howie answered, noticing Oriana fumble to lift the tank from her body. He smiled softly, realizing how difficult it was to pull off upper body clothing when her arm was in pain. "Do... you need help?"

"Do you think Jamie would kill you if I said yes," she breathed with dismay.

"I can see it hurts you... so no, I don't think he would kill me. Even if he tried, it wouldn't work. Do you need me to help you?" Howie repeated.

"Please?" she whimpered pathetically, finally releasing the hem of her wife beater. She took a deep breath to resist another bout of tears overcoming her stressful emotions. She glanced up to Howie with hope. "I just have a sport's bra underneath... The guys have seen it all the time..."

"I'm fine with it as long as you are."

"I am."

"Alright. If I hurt you, let me know, okay?"

"Can't hurt me any worse than I was," she answered as Howie knelt down to her level. He gently grasped the hem of her tank top, slowly pulling it away from her tender flesh. Oriana felt goose-bumps prickle her skin as his fingertips gently brushed against her skin before completely removing the article of clothing. She shivered slightly, hoping he didn't feel the electricity zip between them. "Thanks, Howie..."

"You're welcome," Howie licked his dry lips, trying to stop his hands from shaking. Just the simple skin contact sent chills throughout his body.

"I mean for everything... Not just pulling off my shirt..." she whispered, finally rising from the edge of her bath. She gently eased her arms around his neck, making sure to rest her cast. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, breathing softly. "For making sure I was okay... For trusting me... For promising never to let me pull away... I just need you so much..."

"I need you too, Sweetheart," he whispered, immediately returning her gesture by wrapping his arms around her. His heart rate started to accelerate just by the feeling of her bare skin against his hands. He had so many dreams that portrayed like this, except for the absence of her broken arm. He always awoke with a damp sweat, aching to see her. Now, she was right here.

"Thank you," she repeated, feeling another bout of tears prickle against her eyes. She didn't think she could ever get over her mother's anger. She swallowed hard, "I think I might have to hide in your arms for awhile."

"My arms are always open for you. No matter what time it is or where we are," he replied softly, running his hands up and down her back.

"I know," she agreed, sniffling once more as she pulled away. She immediately brought a hand up to her eyes to wipe away the dripping tears, trying to collect herself yet again. "Okay, I'm done... I'm done being a girl...."

"Alright," he chuckled, caressing her cheek for a moment. "We'll be right out there if you need us."

*~*~*


Alex grumbled softly as he hurriedly yanked his belt through the necessary loops of his jeans, making sure the article of clothing held tight to his lean form. He couldn't believe that Oriana could do something so immature... Alex quickly corrected himself, he should have known Oriana would do something sneaky. Alex stifled a laugh as he heard the bathroom door open and close. He quickly glanced up to see Howie fall onto Oriana's bed with a soft sigh. Alex arched his dark brows, finally removing his sunglasses from his worried brown eyes. "How is she doing, D?"

"She's doing a little better now that I drew her a nice bubble bath," Howie sighed, closing his eyes to remember the closeness he and Oriana just had.

"I can't believe Mom even..." Alex found himself at a loss for words, simply sitting himself on the edge of Oriana's bed. The entire situation downstairs had shocked him into disbelief. Then, Oriana's disheveled state offered a horrifying conclusion. He sighed, running his hands through his messy locks. "Damn, D, her arms are all bruised up..."

"I know, man. Maybe Teagan can cover them up with make-up or something... regardless, I'm sure she's going to be wearing t-shirts and sweatshirts to cover them up," Howie opened his eyes and looked over at his best friend. "What do you think she meant by her mom asking Brian what happened at practice?"

"Huh?" Alex blanked for a moment, arching his dark brows with question. He paused, closing his eyes to recount the scenario. He still recalled Brian's sinister smile as Howie led Oriana to the car. "You don't think that Brian would..."

"I wish I could say I didn't have suspicions about it—"

"It would make sense though, wouldn't it?" Alex interrupted with a guilty groan, falling back onto the bed in disbelief. "He took her spot on the team and with the shit he's been spouting to you... Dear God, what the Hell is wrong with him?"

"No offense, but he's your brother. Isn't there some reason you've seen that would make him act like that?" Howie asked.

"Like what? I know he's pissed off about Dad marrying Mom... Or maybe he's pissed that Dad is too caught up in getting to know Ry instead of paying attention to him... Or maybe he's jacked that Ry kicked his ass at the last game?" Alex drawled, shrugging his shoulders. "But not even all those reasons give him the right to act like a complete asshole and physically abuse someone. I mean, damn, our Dad taught us better than that."

"I don't know what it is... but something really changed him for the worse..."

"Are you going to ask Ry if Brian did that?" Alex questioned as Howie's voice dropped away from his sentence. It was definitely a subject to approach with the utmost delicacy. Oriana was so fickle with her private life.

"I want to ask her, but I can almost predict that she won't admit to anything," Howie frowned, imagining the scene already.

"What if we kept pushing?"

"It could backfire drastically."

"Then what do we do?"

"I don't know yet."

"Oh..." Alex sighed, running a hand over his face. He felt physically weary from all the emotional drama rising within the Riley-Richardson Household. It was almost like Brian was setting up for a deadly war against Oriana and he wouldn't stop till she was defeated or dead. As every day passed, the stakes grew higher and deadlier. Alex hadn't a clue what to really do to solve the situation and had relied on Howie for that information. His older best friend always seemed to have a plan for something.

"There's nothing we can do right—" Howie was interrupted by the shrill ring of Oriana's private phone.

Alex watched Howie tense dramatically from the interruption in his conversation, but said nothing. Alex propped himself up with his elbows, listening to the faint sound of running water, Oriana was switching to her shower. Yet, the phone continued to ring. Alex shrugged his shoulders, motioning toward the purple cordless phone. "Grab it man."

"Me?" Howie fumbled.

"Dude, she's your girlfriend. She won't care if you grab the phone. Besides, you should be screening her calls anyway," Alex joked, pushing on Howie's shoulder. He noticed Howie's frown and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Howie. Just grab her phone, alright? Your girlfriend won't mind."

"Okay, okay," Howie groaned, reaching over to answer the phone. "Hello?"

There was a short pause on the other line, causing Howie to shift uncomfortably. He was about to hang up when a gritty voice erupted from the other side, "Is this Oriana Riley's number?"

"Yes, this is. She's in the shower at the moment. Can I ask who's calling?"

"Mac, is this her brother, Alex? Dude, what the Hell are you doing answering the chick's private line? Going on a panty-raid or something? The chick's got some nice skimpies, I'll give you that much. I could see even a step-brother getting a hard-on with her," Mac laughed suggestively, causing Howie's insides to freeze with disgust.

"Um... sorry, this is her boyfriend Howie. What gives you the right to talk about her like that?"
Mac fell silent for a long moment before breaking into a hysterical laughter. "Boyfriend? Woah, that's funny son. C'mon, get my Wild-Cherry-Bomb on the phone."

"One, I'm not son. Two, I am her boyfriend and she's in the shower. Can I take a message?" Howie asked, trying to keep his temper.

"No messages, sorry, I think I'll wait for my Cherry-Bomb to get out of the shower. That way I can settle this shit fair and square. Honestly, Ori getting a boyfriend that's not me?" Mac started to laugh again. "Priceless, did Ace put you up to this shit? How much is he paying you? Because, damn, I've had my handprint on that chick since her Freshman year."

"Excuse me? Do I need to spell it out for your stupid jock strap ass? Oriana does not belong to you, because she's not a damn piece of property. She can choose whoever she wants to have as a boyfriend and she chose me. So get over yourself, MAC."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Mac suddenly questioned with a frustrated growl.

"Do I have to say it again? ORIANA'S BOYFRIEND," Howie replied, happy he was causing Mac problems.

"Bullshit. I would fucking know if Ori had a boyfriend. I know every fucking detail about that girl's life, down to that scar just along the front of her fucking hip. You're going to start some deep shit if you keep this act up."

"Who the Hell do you think you are talking about Oriana like that–"

"I can talk about that bitch in any way I deem fit, you fucking reject," Mac snarled on the other end. "Get her fucking brother on the phone now before I see fit to come home and kick your Duke-Rejected Ass."

"You fucking asshole—"

"Right back at you, Jackass. You're lucky I don't know your full-fucking name—"

"Howie Dorough. Come and get me, I dare you!"

"Dorough?" Mac lamented for a moment, finally bursting into a thick laughter. "The dorky band-geek Ace's been bitching about? Oh, yeah, I remember your ass. I believe I'm the one that smothered your gym clothes in mud and covered them with used condoms... Oh, please, Ace said you had some kind of little hard-on for Ori, but you're no threat. Just some dumbass that couldn't even score high enough on the SATs to pay your way into Duke. So, stop wasting my fucking time, get Alex or Ori on the phone, and leave her the Hell alone. She's not going to dick around with some dumb little senior when she can feel the power of a College Man."

"Power of a College Man? One that can't even get her interested unless he forces it—"

"Okay, round one over!" Alex burst, knowing the familiar heat swirling within Howie's dark orbs. He reached over the bed and hurriedly snatched the phone away from Howie's strong grip.

"Now who the fuck is on the phone?" Mac growled.

"Alex—"

"Get your fucking sister on the phone right now."
"She's in the shower, like her boyfriend said," Alex repeated calmly, willing himself not to become overly frustrated. Howie's fevered anger was enough within the room. "Why don't you just call back later?"

"Come on, she can't have a boyfriend--"

"She does, Mac. Just call later, okay?"

"The Hell I'm fucking calling later! Do you know what it costs on a cell phone to call Florida from North Carolina?! Damnit, she'll be pissed as Hell if she doesn't get this call, Asshole. So, just PUT HER ON THE DAMN PHONE NOW!"

"I told you, she's taking a shower, so stop yelling at me!" Alex defended himself, holding the phone away. "Jesus—"

"YOU'RE BOTH FUCKING DEAD, DO YOU HEAR ME?! GET HER RIGHT NOW!" Mac screamed wildly into the phone.

"Holy shit," Alex cursed, looking at Howie with a frightened look on his face. "What do I do?"

"Hang up on him," Howie barked.

"But—"

"You guys okay?" Oriana's voice announced, flooding the silence in the room. She arched her light brows in question as Alex held the phone away from his body, trembling. She smelled faintly of her Dove soap and Herbal Essence shampoo, looking quite refreshed from her bath and shower.

"Yeah, just some random person calling—"

"GOD DAMNIT, GET HER ON THE FUCKING PHONE BEFORE I FUCKING KILL YOU?!" Mac's voice interrupted Howie.

"Why didn't you tell me he was on the phone?" Oriana groaned, immediately crossing the threshold of the room. She was used to Mac's belligerent temper tantrums. Usually nothing came about from his threats, but Oriana tried not to press his buttons. Whatever made it easier on herself while fighting the mild sexism racing through her football team, she did. Oriana frowned when Alex held the phone away from her.

"You're friends with this fucking psycho?" He hissed in disbelief.

"His name's Mac, he's a dude from the team. Just, give me the phone," Oriana objected, reaching for the phone as she listened to Mac's thick ranting.

"But he—"

"Jamie, please. I'll set him right with everything."

"Ry!" Alex blurted in disbelief as Oriana finally grasped the phone. She offered him a short glare, causing his words to shrivel just at the tip of his tongue. Both he and Howie fell dramatically silent, listening to Oriana's end of the conversation.

"Hey, Mac-Attack! ... Yeah, sorry. Dude, I was in the shower! What did you want me to do? ... Damn, yeah... Yeah, Howie's my boyfriend... Well, I couldn't wait forever for your ass to come back to town, right? ... Oh, please, Mac, you've got tons of girls to keep you occupied, you won't be missing anything by me dating another guy... Yeah... No... Yeah, bottom of the pile... Yes, damnit, Mac, I know that this week's an important game! It's not like I told someone to purposely stomp on my fucking arm—" Oriana was silenced by a short muffled growl from Mac. "Yeah, I understand... Yes, I'm going to keep dating—Adios, Mac."

"What did you mean that you would keep dating?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow as Oriana placed her phone on the cradle.

"What do you think I meant?" Oriana countered, noticing both boys were occupying her bed. She sighed softly, using her good arm to rub the back of her neck as she collapsed onto her nearby couch. There would be Hell at the game when Ace found out the damage Howie and Alex had caused. No one upset Mac, not with Ace in charge.

"I don't know. That's why I was asking?"
Oriana arched her light blonde brows with question as she allowed her thick curls to tumble free from the damp towel. She tilted her head, immediately reading Alex's worried brown eyes. "You think I meant that I'd keep dating Mac, didn't you?"

"With the things he said about you and something about freshman year—"

"I've never dated him. I never will date him. I was telling him that I was going to continue to see Howie and he hung the phone up on me. Okay? It's not a big deal," Oriana interrupted, not even wanting to pry deeper into that situation. She sighed softly, drawing her favorite blanket around her body from the back of her couch. She had enough stress for one night.

"I think this is a signal for me to shut up for the night and go to my room," Alex frowned, standing up.

"Jamie, I didn't mean it like that–"

"I took what you said the wrong way, and you set me right. It's okay," Alex shook his head. "Besides, I don't want to be the third wheel or anything—"

"Jamie," Oriana scorned with a groan. "You're not the third wheel. You're never going to be the third wheel. You're Howie's best friend and you're going to be my big brother. That'll never make you any kind of wheel. Alright? We want you to stay, right, Howie?"

"Huh?" Howie looked up, his eyes still dark with anger at Mac's words. "Oh! Yeah, man. You don't have to go."

"Are you–"

"Jamie, why don't you go get ready for bed and come back in here. This couch pulls out into a bed. It's just been a long night. Crash in here, okay?" Oriana continued, not liking Howie's facial expressions.

"You're sure?"

"For the last time, yes. Go and get ready for bed, we'll be here."

"You staying the night, D?" Alex questioned hesitantly.

"Yeah," Howie agreed.

"Okay, I'll be right back," Alex relented, quickly slipping out the door.

"Thank God," Oriana breathed with relief, thankful Alex's emotions had been settled. Though, she was still unsure of Howie's perspective. No one really cared for Mac, but Howie's distaste was all too apparent. Trying to hide her frown, Oriana stood up from the couch and gently eased her aching body into her bed, reaching for her pile of covers.

"Oriana?" Howie called from the couch.

"Yeah, Howie?"

"You don't mind if I stay the night, do you?" he asked, unsure of how to really explain the other emotions wheeling about his mind. He wanted to confront her on the callous words Mac had thrown. Then he wanted to confront her with Brian's possible attack. Yet, he knew her state was far too fragile for that pressure. He should be more concerned about her welfare. After all, she had just pulled away from an extremely terrible attack from her mother.

"Yeah, of course. You're always welcomed to stay any time you like," Oriana replied with a fading smile. She gently shifted so she could pull the covers up with her good arm, nestling her cast arm across her chest. "C'mon, the bed's waiting for my teddy bear, right?"

"Right," Howie agreed, stripping down to his wife beater and black boxers before gently climbing into Oriana's bed.

"You okay?" she asked as silence settled around them like a scratchy blanket. She carefully shifted, not liking the large distance that had settled between their bodies. He was lying perfectly still on the left side, stiff as a board.

"Yeah... why wouldn't I be?" Howie replied, knowing if he looked into her eyes that she would be able to see he was lying.

"Because you're..." Oriana found herself at a loss for words, trying to delicately describe the situation. She didn't know what Mac had said, but she was assured it would have been crude and callous. She frowned, gently easing herself up into a somewhat sitting position. "You're not touching me, you're almost falling off the side of the bed, and you're really quiet..."

"I just thought that since you had a long day and you were aching that–"

"Bullshit, Howie. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing, okay?"

"Nothing?" Oriana countered skeptically, reaching over to cup her hand beneath his chin. She gently moved his head so their eyes would match. "You can honestly look me in the eyes and tell me nothing's wrong? Because you promised to never lie... But if you say there's nothing wrong, then I'll drop it. Okay? Just, tell me."

"Ria—"

"Tell me."

"It's just..." Howie sighed heavily, still looking in her eyes. "Do you really want to be with a geeky senior like me who wouldn't be able to get into a school like Duke?"

Oriana relaxed for a moment with a sad smile, gently running her hand along his cheek. "You're still worried about whether or not I want to be with you?"

"Well, Mac said—"

"Mac has nothing to do with us," Oriana quietly interrupted, refusing to let Howie think otherwise. She shifted yet again to a sitting position, gently running her good fingers through Howie's mussed curls. "Sweetheart, I like you and that's all that matters. And I need you to keep me sane. I've been falling apart for awhile now, but I feel better than I ever have when you're by my side. I don't care if Mac's at Duke and thinks he's a bad-ass because he made varsity. That doesn't count in my heart, only you do."

"Really?" Howie whispered, grasping her hand that was going through his curls and threading his fingers through hers.

"Honest to God," she answered, finally offering a true smile. "I know I can't tell you that I love you yet or say any of those words to comfort you. But you have to understand that my sun rises and sets in your eyes. And then every night when I sleep, I can feel you in the moonlight. Trust me, you're the only one that's ever going to have my heart for keeps. Okay? I don't care if you drop out of school and become a roadside bum, I just need you."

"I need you, too. More than you'll ever know," he smiled, kissing her hand. "I dreamed for so long that you would be in my life and now that it's finally happened... I just sometimes worry that I'm still dreaming. "

"Well, let me prove to you that you're not dreaming," she whispered sweetly, bending down to brush her lips against his own. She pulled away for just a moment, finally bending down to capture his lips again in a stirring heat. "See, you're awake."

"I think I need another reminder that I'm awake," he replied with a smirk.

"I think you better just sign my cast to prove you’re awake," she tempted, causing him to pout. She affectionately rolled her eyes, leaning down to clasp his lips to her own for another sweet kiss. She finally was acting as if nothing happened previously. It was just her life continuing normally.

"Now that I know I'm awake, I'll sign your cast," Howie propped himself up on his elbow and dug a permanent marker out of her nightstand.

"Nothing perverted, the kids at the Center will be signing it," Oriana teased as Howie gently took her cast into his lap, uncapping the pen. She raised her eyes to the door as Alex snuck in to jump on the bed, obviously eager to get his name on the cast.

"Nothing perverted, I promise," Howie chuckled.

"You can put the perverted stuff on my ass," Oriana snickered.

"I don't want to hear that!" Alex screeched.

"Do you realize how fun this is going to be? Alex being your best friend and my big brother?" Oriana whispered in Howie's ear, causing Alex's body to tense.

"I know, it's going to be great," Howie whispered back with a grin.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! None of that!" Alex warned with a growl, causing Oriana to laugh. He noticed Howie finish signing his name with a heart, causing Alex to become weary with the words on the cast. "Why don't you read what you wrote aloud so I can deem it appropriate?"

"Of course it's appropriate, little kids are going to be signing–"

"Read," Alex barked with a protective growl.

"Just read it so he doesn't lose any brain cells," Oriana replied, rolling her eyes towards Alex.

"You're lucky you have a broken arm, Ry–"

"Dr. Mambo, shut up," Oriana laughed, clamping her hand across Alex's mouth to prevent him speaking. Alex mumbled incoherently, immediately glaring to Howie.

"Fine, okay? I wrote... My Ria, sorry that you hurt your arm, but you're always going to be my MVP. And, I promise that I'll always be there to take care of you, cast or no cast. Love, Howie. See, nothing pornographic about it."

"But, Howie, you forgot this other part... We'll stop using the whips and chains till the cast gets removed..." Oriana trailed, pretending she was reading off the cast.

"Whips and chains?!" Alex exclaimed behind Oriana's hand.

"Oh! I forgot the nipple clips, too," Oriana chirped.

"NIPPLE CLIPS?!"

"They even have electrodes, Jamie--"

"Nuh-uh, no way! Not my little sister and best friend!"

"Never heard of Sadomachoism?" Oriana mused, trying not to laugh at the priceless look crossing Alex's flustered face.

"I always thought he did know what it was with the way his room was decorated," Howie teased, clicking his tongue.

"A—" Alex couldn't even form the words in his mouth. His brown eyes grew larger by the moment as his heart rate seemed to increase. He struggled to breathe, grasping at his chest.

"Woah, Dr. Mambo, calm down," Oriana laughed, gently tapping on her cast. "He didn't write anything like that, okay? Besides, could you really see Howie getting off on that kind of shit?"

"No, but—"

"Just, sign my cast, kiss me goodnight, and jump onto the couch," Oriana soothed softly, kissing Alex's forehead.

"Alright, I'm signing," Alex replied, taking the marker from Howie.

"You're something else, you know that?" Oriana laughed, watching Alex sloppily sign something sweet to her cast.

"Yeah, but that's what makes me so loveable!"

"True," Oriana agreed as he tossed the pen onto her nightstand. He sat for a moment, glancing around the room. Oriana groaned, wondering if he lost her train of thought. "Kiss me goodnight and jump onto the couch?"

"I thought we could all hang out on the bed for awhile—"

"Alex, I'm going to bed."

"But—"

"Why are you so intent on hanging out on the bed? Looking for a threesome or something?" Oriana bluntly questioned, causing Alex to gasp for air. She rolled her eyes, realizing he would be quite tender around those conversations for the most part. She quickly pushed her brother to the top of her bed, placing a pillow on his legs. She then curled down onto his legs, resting her arm against her chest. "Fine, hang out on the bed..."

"You're going to cuddle on me?" Alex questioned, glancing to Howie with an arch of his dark brows.

"Well, you want to be on the bed, there's no where else for you to go but take my side. And I doubt you'd want to cuddle with Howie. So, this is my only option," Oriana concluded with a soft yawn.

"She does have a good point," Howie replied with a chuckle.

"What, she can't go over to you and cuddle?"

"You're saying you won't yell and watch us like a hawk if we do?"

"I don't know... I just don't know if I feel right with her lying on my legs with her boyfriend right across from us..." Alex fumbled to explain, wondering if he should let his protective side fall.

"You could just trust the both of us and she could cuddle with me. But you have to calm down and realize that we won't do anything inappropriate."

"Um..." Alex hesitated for a moment, finally running his hands through Oriana's damp curls. "Sweetheart, why don't you go cuddle with Howie and I'll get to the couch?"

"You don't mind?" Oriana sleepily replied, obviously exhausted.

"No, I don't mind at all," he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Go on, you need your sleep anyway."

"Mmm, okay," she sighed softly as Alex finally slipped from the bed. He pulled down the covers for a moment, allowing Oriana to crawl over to Howie's side of the bed. She moved to grab a pillow and lay it on Howie's abdomen, then she collapsed down against his chest, resting her cast on the pillow. Her eyes immediately drooped closed.

"Here's a pillow for you, man," Howie gently threw Alex a pillow. "You need anything else?"

"Besides a prayer to make sure she stays safe through everything?" Alex countered, grasping the pillow with ease. He placed it behind his back, sliding down onto the couch while grasping the warm blanket over his body. He was already starting to realize how important Oriana was to his life. She held a great power over him, actually giving him great amounts of joys. She was God's gift to Alex, giving him the chance to finally feel more than just a worthless blob in humanity. Alex sighed and turned to his side to make sure he captured Howie's gaze. Neither boy seemed to be tired, listening to Oriana's soft breaths.

"I'm not going—"

"Not you. Mac... and Brian... and whatever else. She deserves to be safe and happy, you know?"

"You alright, J?" Howie asked, gently running his hands along Oriana's back to soothe her. He had never seen Alex so thoughtful and caring.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just... I really love her..." Alex fumbled to explain, turning to look up to the ceiling.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Howie replied carefully. "Oriana has really changed you for the better, and I can tell she makes you feel better about yourself. I mean, she's your sister. You should love her."

"Yeah, but I'll never love her as much as you love her..." Alex trailed with a soft smile, glancing over to Howie for a passing moment. "I'm really glad you finally got her."

"Yeah, me too. I always thought that I never would... but I did," Howie replied, blushing as he ran his hands through Oriana's locks.

"Never take that for granted."
Taking Sides by Anastacia
Chapter 29 – Taking Sides

"We're going to win today's game! Because we've got my Big Bad Sexy Bri-Bri playing!" Teagan encouraged with a seductive smile, eagerly wrapping her arms around Brian's neck as they met in the living room. The game was set to start within an hour, so all the teenagers were bustling around to get ready. Brian and Teagan were the first to get dressed, deciding to take their own car down, letting the others follow. Brian figured Oriana wouldn't show up, so he was eager to start the game. Teagan, though, couldn't tell the difference. She was just excited for Howie's solo performance that night and the fact that Brian was playing. Oriana seemed to be the farthest from her mind as she eagerly connected their bodies as she kissed him.

"We're going to beat North's ass, that's for damn sure!" Brian whooped after their kiss broke.

"You're going to be the best out there!"

"With my woman cheering me on in the stands, I'll be unstoppable!"

"Half cheering, half making sure the band stays in line," Teagan laughed, running her fingers along the back of his neck.

"Okay, with my woman cheering me on halfway in the stands, I'll be unstoppable!" Brian whooped, dipping Teagan to offer a breathtaking kiss.

"And we're definitely celebrating tonight once we win," Teagan smiled, holding onto him tightly. "Mmm! You're looking good in blue, black and silver! And then those tight pants... damn, Baby."

"Wait, wait, wait, you're missing the best part," Brian concluded, easing Teagan out of his arms. He turned around and purposely bent down to press his hands on the carpet. "Hell yeah, I've been working my ass out!"

"Whoo hoo!" Teagan cheered, reaching forward to smack his behind.

"Y'ow!" he laughed.

"I love knowing your ass is mine!" she giggled.

"Yeah, well, I think you bruised it," he grimaced playfully, finally standing up. He adjusted the jersey again before rubbing his behind.

"Oh, I did not. Stop your pouting," she rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around him.

"Make it feel better, kiss here," he pouted, pointing to his cheek.

"My poor baby," she cooed, leaning in to kiss his flushed cheek.

"Yeah, your poor baby," Brian mimicked with a pitiful coo, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

"I think you're spoiled," Teagan teased with a click of her tongue, resting her forehead against his.

"Only by you."

"And it's all out of love."

"I love you, too," Brian soothed, leaning forward to steal a kiss.

"I know--" she looked down at her watch and gasped. "We gotta get going! I have to be there in ten minutes or else the band will run amuck."

"Oh Lord!" Brian exclaimed frantically, causing Teagan to punch him in the arm. He grimaced, staggering backward as if she had paralyzed him. Teagan rolled her eyes as he tossed her the keys to his car. "Get the car warmed up and I'll grab our stuff. Then, I'll meet you out there, alright, Sweetheart?"

"Alright," Teagan kissed his cheek and headed outside. "Don't take too long!"

"I won't!" he assured with a smile, watching the door close behind him. He kept the smile fixed upon his face as he reached down to grasp the two duffle bags, halting halfway when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He paused, glancing upward with horror.

"Let's go, guys!" Oriana called brightly, never noticing Brian as she hurriedly down the stairs. She was dressed in her jersey and just a simple pair of tight flared jeans. Her curls were twirled into two braids with blue, silver, and black ribbons hiding the bands tying off each braid. Her right cheek depicted a silver star with Luke's number inside, compliments of Ella who had stopped by earlier. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she adjusted the sling on her arm, obviously psyched for the game, even if she was on the sidelines. She seemed quite eager to get going to Brian immediately shoved her back into the wall, startling her greatly. "What?!"

"Why the Hell are you going to the game?! Your mom said that you can't go anywhere after school, which includes the fucking football game!" Brian hissed, keeping her pinned to the wall. "You're not going!"

"I'm going to the game because I don't need to play in the game to support the damn team. They need as much support from the benches as they do from the field. And, frankly, I don't much care what my mother said I could and couldn't do. I go to every damn game, now, get the fuck away from me," Oriana snarled, pushing him away to step out of his block. She was halfway to the kitchen when Brian clamped his hand tightly onto her neck, sending her sharply into the wall. "Damnit, Brian! Get off me!"

"You're not going to the fucking game, you loose bitch!" Brian spat, keeping a strong hold on her neck.

"You're hurting me! Wasn't breaking my fucking arm enough?!" Oriana yelped, feeling a sharp pain invade her neck as he clamped down harder. She did her best to swing away, but having her right arm in a sling did little to help. She grunted in pain as he slammed her back against the wall again. "Get off me!"

"You're not—"

"Brian, get the fuck off her right now!" Alex came running down the stairs in his band uniform and rushed over to yank Brian away from Oriana.

Brian thought nothing of his brother's daring attempt at a rescue, just simply brushing him aside as if it were nothing. Brian then glanced up in time to see Howie barreling down the stairs, knowing that could be a minor amount of trouble. He hurriedly threw Oriana backward, causing her to stumble onto the stairs, her back connecting with the edge. He smiled as Oriana immediately curled forward in agony.

"Let's go, Alex," Brian grunted, grasping his brother by the arm.

"Don't touch me, you piece of shit," Alex hissed, pulling himself away from Brian. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Don't even fucking play games, Alex. Just get the Hell in my car, I'm taking you to the game. Blood over whores, remember?"

"God, I don't even know who you are anymore. You're not my brother, because the brother I once had didn't call women whores. I'm not going with you to the game and you can't tell me otherwise."

"Alex—"

"Don't even talk to me. Just get out of here, Brian."

"You're taking her over me? You're fucking choosing her over your flesh and blood?" Brian growled with disbelief. He wanted to reach out and strike Alex, but Howie stood only a few inches behind.

"She's treated me more like a brother and human being than you ever did. So yeah, I'm choosing her over you," Alex replied, crossing his arms. For so long he had defended Brian's behavior, but enough was enough.

"You fucking remember that after you're done screwing the Hell out of her and want to come crawling back to me, Asshole," Brian snapped, yanking his and Teagan's duffle bags from the floor.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"Why else would you choose a whore over flesh and blood? Unless she's giving you something that I can't give you - hardcore sex. It's fucking disgusting, Alex, but if you need a good screw, guess you go to the top whore of the school," Brian spat indignantly.

"You sick bastard!" Alex hissed, lunging forward to attack his so-called brother.

"Alex," Howie yelped, immediately reaching out to grasp Alex by the shoulder. Brian stumbled back in shock from Alex's forceful aggression, immediately moving towards the door. He slammed the door shut as Alex continued to struggle. "C'mon, Alex, don't ruin the band uniform! They cost too damn much."

"He said that I... dude, that's fucking wrong, she's my damn sister!" Alex ranted, trying to get away.

"I know..." Howie trailed, willing himself not to speak about Brian's behavior. He couldn't believe how fast Brian had drastically changed in a few short weeks. It hurt to say the least, but the anger that propelled Howie forward was unimaginable. The rage lapped through his blood like a rushing flood, causing him to momentarily forget Oriana's presence upon the steps.

"That's not my brother, Howie... where the Hell did my brother go?" Alex whispered, stopping his struggle against Howie's grasp. He turned around and saw Oriana still on the steps, curled up in pain. "Shit. Ry! Ry, Sweetie, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, okay?" she whispered with a small grunt, holding the back of her neck as she gently rocked back and forth. Her back throbbed with a heated pain as her neck stabbed from what she assumed were bruises forming. She swallowed the will to cry again, refusing to look weak. "Let's just get going..."

"D, help her up. I'm going to get her pain pills and an ice pack," Alex ordered, running into the kitchen.

"I'm fine, Howie," Oriana murmured, holding her good hand up to stop him. "Just need to catch my breath. Don't ruin your uniform."

"I doubt you're fine," Howie sighed, moving to sit on the steps beside her. He made no move to reach out and touch her, simply waiting to read her reactions. Though, he knew she was far from fine. Her body was curled in pain and he could already see the bruises forming on her delicate neck. He had heard her body bang against the wall from Brian's physical force, which had alerted Howie and Alex to trouble. But to come down and see Brian practically inches away from beating Oriana to death - that scared Howie immensely. "Besides, I would gladly ruin my uniform for you just to run those laps Teagan enforces."

"It's not a big deal. I just bumped into the wall. He was just trying to scare me or something," Oriana defended, still staring at the floor. She almost thought about weakening in that moment, cuddling into his embrace, letting him kiss the tears away. Yet, she sat silently, refusing to move.

"Just trying to scare you? Baby, he slammed you into the wall and his hand was around your neck!" Howie disagreed with a shake of his head. "Why are you defending him and his actions? You didn't do anything wrong!"

"Because if I don't act like it's nothing then I'll burst into tears," she admitted softly, tracing her fingers against her cast. "Besides, it wasn't his worst."

"I know," Howie sighed, understanding. "Come here, let me hold you. Please."

"Let you hold me?" she sniffled, trying to joke around.

"Yes, now get over here," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Okay," she murmured, standing up. She eased herself into his lap, allowing his arms to encircle around her body. She pressed her face into his chest, blinking back her tears. "Just don't touch my lower back... Okay? Please?"

"I won't," Howie promised, kissing her forehead. He began to hum his song again, gently rocking them back and forth.

"Sometimes I feel like your kid instead of your girlfriend. You know, the way you hold me?" she tried to tease, ignoring the fresh pain.

"You're my Ria, I can hold you any way I want," he chuckled.

"Any way you want, huh?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Next thing I know you'll be bringing by a Karma Sutra book," she groaned, swallowing the urge to sob openly.

"Well, now that you mention it—"

"You do not!" she exclaimed, pulling back in shock.

"No, I don't have one!" he laughed. "I was just saying I could go and buy one."

"You go into a bookstore and come out with a Karma Sutra book? Now that's a laugh..." Oriana groaned, gently rubbing the back of her neck to loosen the pain. "If you went and bought one, I think I'd have to let you pick at least one position... Because you’re so damn shy in the first place, it'd be a major thing..."

"Hey, I'm not that shy—"

"I'm offering to let you pick a position in the book and you're objecting about me calling you shy?"

"Well..."

"Yeah, you're definitely a Prince Charming," Oriana softly laughed, gently running her fingers down the side of his cheek. She had never met such a caring man before and she couldn't believe that he belonged to her.

"Thanks," Howie smiled, his eyes warm and bright. "I thought so."

"Or you're just not saying what you're really thinking."

"Well..."

“Well?"

“I like the idea of picking out..." Howie turned away, actually feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

“Like the idea of picking out?" Oriana trailed, obviously confused. As much as she hated to admit it, Teagan was right, she did process information like a man.

"Picking out a position in the book."

"You would? Why?" she deadpanned.

"I don't know. I just do."

"But we haven't even..."

"I know that. I guess it's just the guy in me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said—"

"No, I asked you what you were thinking," Oriana corrected, noticing Howie's cheeks almost start to turn purple. She smiled softly, leaning up to capture his lips in a kiss. "You shouldn't be afraid to talk to me about things. We can talk about anything, right?"

"Right. I just don't want you to think I'm rushing things," Howie replied, running his fingers over her forehead.

"I know you're not rushing anything," she promised.

"Good—"

"Got the painkillers and ice pack!" Alex called loudly, hurrying back into the room. He yanked Oriana up without warning, forcing her to take the pills before twirling her around. Oriana stumbled a little as Alex moved away her braids to apply the ice pack. Alex hissed openly. "You're freaking bruising already, Ry. I am so sorry this happened. You think he'd be happy with a busted arm—"

"What'd you say?" Oriana countered, immediately turning in shock to face her brother. She held the ice pack against her aching neck, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Um... I don't know if I should repeat it," Alex took a step back from Oriana.

"You know, don't you?" she questioned softly with a guilty expression.

"Yeah, I do. It didn't take very long to figure it out... with the way he's been acting and everything. I just feel so bad it happened, because he's my brother--"

"It's not your fault," she whispered faintly, glancing down at her cast arm. If anything, she should have known better than to push his buttons. She had tempted him into doing the unthinkable. She shouldn't have pushed. Frankly, she was convinced she deserved it. Though, she tensed for a moment. "Howie doesn't... Does he?"

"He's the one who talked to me about it in the first place. Yeah, he does know," Alex slowly nodded his head.

"Maybe we should just get going to the game. You guys have to warm up and I have to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness from the players," Oriana groaned, moving to slip past the boys to locate her keys.

"You keep that ice pack on your neck," Alex called after her.

"Why are you just letting her go without talking to her," Howie groaned, immediately moving to catch Oriana.

"Because—" Alex was interrupted as Howie brushed past him. He smacked his forehead. "Stupid Alex. Stupid, stupid Alex!"

"Ria?" Howie called, hearing Alex's footsteps hurriedly trail behind him.

"In the kitchen," her muffled voice called. Howie quickly entered to see her grasping her keys in her trembling hand. She was obviously overwhelmed by the situation at hand. She just glanced at him for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to brush off the situation. She sighed heavily, blinking back her tears. "Why didn't you just tell me you knew?"

"I thought if I confronted you about it that I would just upset you..." Howie trailed off, looking down at his hands. "I know that it wasn't a good idea, but... I'm sorry."

"I wish you would have just told me," Oriana groaned, walking into his arms. "Because then you could have really held me and told me I would be okay."

"I know, it was a big mistake and I'm sorry," Howie whispered, wrapping his arms around her.

"I just should have told you in the first place," she sniffled, burying her face into the crook of his neck for comfort. She encircled her good arm around his neck, pulling close to his body for warmth. "He just crushed my arm like it was a twig... And you warned me that night... But I didn't listen..."

"You can't blame yourself for this. What Brian did was cruel and not your fault at all. You hear me?" he reprimanded gently, placing gentle kisses on her forehead.

"He said I wouldn't get my MVP title this year and made sure to step harder...."

"He's going to get what's coming to him sooner or later. I promise you that much. I know he said mean things to you in order to hurt you... I know. But you're with me, and I'll keep you safe."

"You will?" she whispered faintly.

"I will. I give you my word."

"I know," she sighed, trying to gather her composure. She really needed to get the boys to the game so they could warm up. She took a deep breath, finally pulling from his arms. "I need to get you guys there, huh?"

"I can drive so that ice pack stays on your neck—"

"Or Jamie can drive and we can sit in the back seat together for more comforting?" Oriana asked softly, hoping she didn't look too needy.

"That sounds even better," Howie agreed.

"Okay," she answered, tossing the keys to Alex. He nodded, hurrying out with everyone's gear. Oriana quickly rubbed her cheeks for a moment, composing herself further. She glanced to her boyfriend, quickly stepping to unbutton the top of his uniform shirt so he could breathe. "But, I do need to tell you one thing."

"And what's that?"

"I think you could make it into Duke if you wanted."

"You do?"

"If you really wanted it, yes. Howie, you're very smart no matter what anyone says. The only reason Mac is in Duke is because of football. He got the lowest SAT score in the history of Tartan, so I doubt he got in because of his brains."

"But—"

"Sweetheart, you're brilliant. You could do laps around Mac with your SAT Scores. You can do whatever you want with your life and succeed fully," Oriana encouraged, reaching up to smack a kiss to his forehead. "And, I'll just have to follow you where ever you go."

"You're amazing," Howie sighed, finally smiling.

"Oh yeah?"

"Definitely."

"Yeah, I know you love me," she teased, tugging him forward.

"Good, because I was just going to say that," he chuckled, delivering a soft kiss to her lips as Alex honked the horn impatiently.

"Why don't you just tell me one more time for clarification," Oriana teased with a faint smile, pushing past Brian's attack.

"I love you more than the sun shines, the stars gleam and the moon glows," Howie replied, smiling as well.

"Yeah, I'll definitely take that."
Spiteful Rewards by Anastacia
Chapter 30 – Spiteful Rewards

"What the HELL is that kid doing?! Why is he throwing all the damn plays! Does he realize we're LOSING! We never loose!" Coach Hanson burst from the benches, throwing his Tartan hat to the ground. He furiously stomped on it as Brian purposely fumbled, allowing North to take control of the ball. It was close to the end of the game and Tartan was just struggling to stay afloat. Oriana had done her best to develop the cunning plays to divert North's attention, but Brian made sure to foul every play. Otherwise, Oriana's plays would have been absolutely beautiful, offering yet another shut out. But, now, Tartan would have to face their first loss of the season.

"I am so sorry, Coach," Oriana whispered in horror, watching Brian fumble to tackle a North player. In turn, the North player dashed down the field, hurriedly slamming into a touchdown. Oriana groaned as Coach blurted a flurry of curses. Oriana looked down in shame, shaking her head. "Coach, damn, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Riley. Not your fault at all! That damn Richardson is throwing this game and he will get benched for this!" Coach ranted, pulling on his fiery red hair as more and more plays were being blown by Brian. "That's it! TIME OUT!"

Oriana winced as the crowd erupted in a hiss of boos while Tartan did their best to drag themselves in. Brian looked almost too pleased with himself, practically skipping to the benches. Oriana immediately jumped up, moving to stand next to Coach Hanson. She didn't want the team to erupt against her. She would save that till the end of the game. She did her best to busy herself, flipping through her binder of plays with one hand.

"COACH, WE'RE DEAD! THERE'S NO WAY TO FUCKING RECOVER THIS SHIT!" Ace roared as he chucked his helmet into the benches, causing a tray of drinks to tip over. His cheeks were flushed with heat and smudged with dirt as he glared to Oriana.

"Don't even think about blaming Riley for this and you will not yell at me like that!" Coach ordered, yanking Ace towards the group by his jersey. "And you won't blame Riley for this, because her plays should have us shutting out North right now!"

"Coach—"

"Richardson! What the Hell are you doing out there?! You're throwing all the plays when they should work like clockwork! May I remind you that the only reason you got Riley's position is because of her injury? I could easily bench you for the rest of the season if you keep playing shitty!" Coach interrupted, rounding on Brian.

"I'm not throwing anything," Brian defended, puffing out his chest with denial. "Riley's plays just aren't cutting it!"

"They cut it at all the other games, and may I mention the one where you still played at Williams! Now get your head out of your ass, or you're benched! End of story!" Coach reached over and smacked Brian upside the helmet. "Do you hear me?!"

"Yes, Coach," Brian gritted, slightly thankful he still kept his helmet on.

"You blow one more play—"

"I get the point!"

"Guys... I think I got a play," Oriana announced quietly, obviously reverting into her shy nature. She didn't want the boys to hate her forever, so she kept a soft spoken voice. She glanced down to her book as everyone silenced for a moment. "I mean, I know we're not going to win. But we can get our dignity back, right?"

"What do you have, Ori?" Luke asked, standing by Oriana.

"Just what we've done before with Williams and they never saw it coming..." Oriana trailed, having Luke hold up the play book for her. She hurriedly pointed out the play to the others, making sure to hold their attention briefly. "24's their fastest runner, so they're obviously going to send 24 in for a quick score. And they'll send their biggest and baddest into protect him. So, do our bulldozer again with Luke behind them. Plow through and hit 24 low, he'll fling the football upward, Luke can catch it and run like Hell..."

"I think we can do it as long as Richardson doesn't fuck it up again," Gabe growled, glaring over at Brian.

"I haven't been fucking anything—"

"What do you call the play, Ori?" Luke interrupted.

"Luke Run Like Hell And Save Our Asses?" Oriana questioned with a shy smile, causing the others to actually laugh.

"Sounds like a good call. Everybody know what we're supposed to do?!"

There was a chorus of agreement.

"Alright, let's do it!"

"Don't fuck up!" Ace hissed, slamming on Brian's chest before hurrying out to the field with the others.

"Fuck you," Brian muttered, hurrying to follow.

"Coach, no offense, but this is the last play of the day. If something happens and things get screwed up... Do I have permission to rush out? Because, I don't want to be underneath that bashing..." Oriana murmured softly as she sat next to the coach, watching the plays being called. Her heart started to hammer within her chest, fearing Brian's next moves.

"I would recommend that, because I will be chewing out Richardson's ass until my face turns blue if things get screwed up," Coach replied, placing a hand on Oriana's shoulder. "Your plays were great, Riley. It's just that someone decided to not go by them."

"Nah, my plays weren't that good. We should have let you call the shots. I wasn't made to be a Junior Coach, Coach," Oriana tried to joke.

"Oh, stop being modest. We won every game before that with them," Coach chuckled a little, tugging on one of Oriana's braids. "You're a great Junior Coach."

"Yeah, well, I learned from the best Coach, you know, Mrs. Coach," Oriana teased faintly, feeling proud that Coach Hanson gave her the compliments that he did. It gave her a sense of pride, because she had seen Coach Hanson as a father-figure for so long.

"Yeah, you're— God, start praying, Riley. The ball is about to be snapped."

"Somehow I think God got boosted out of this awhile ago..." Oriana sighed, watching the ball immediately sail back to number 24 just as Oriana had predicted. She then watched Luke and some others form into her play, hurrying down to crash into the group protecting 24. The football hurled upward and Luke went to grab it, but Brian hurriedly bashed right into Luke, causing both to stumble to the ground. Another from North stumbled to grasp the ball, immediately pitching backward. Another touchdown for North — Tartan had been destroyed. "Damnit," Oriana cursed.

"RICHARDSON! DAMNIT, I TOLD YOU NOT TO SCREW UP THIS PLAY! YOU'RE BENCHED! DONE! YOU'RE NOT PLAYING ANOTHER GAME FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON!" Coach Hanson roared, kicking the other tray of drinks. The time ticked down to seconds and before they knew it, the game was over. Tartan had been crushed by North for the first time in school history. "EVERYONE GET YOUR DAMN ASSES IN HERE NOW!"

"Coach, I'm bucking out, okay?" Oriana whispered, immediately jumping to her feet.

Coach Hanson waved a hand to Oriana and continued to yell at Brian as the team staggered towards the sideline. "THAT WAS THE MOST BLATENT ATTEMPT TO BLOW A GAME THAT I'VE EVER SEEN! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, BOY?!"

"GET THE FUCK OFF MY BACK!" Brian roared back, causing Oriana to jump. Coach Hanson boiled with a thick anger, immediately peeling various curses toward Brian and the rest of the team.

"I am so out of here," she breathed, immediately racing up the bleachers. Most everyone from Tartan had already left, leaving a staggering few within the stands. The band just stood shocked as Oriana hurried upward. She couldn't handle the guys blaming her for the massive defeat. She felt so guilty for breaking her arm and causing the first loss in Tartan history.

"Ori! Wait!" Luke's voice called for her. She pretended not to hear and continued her climb up the bleachers.

"RILEY! STOP YOUR ASS FROM MOVING!" Lou shouted, laughing a little. "We want to ask you something!"

"Oh, Lord, I'm going to get dog-piled and break another arm," Oriana wheezed, hurrying faster toward the band area. She noticed Teagan coming towards her, unable to decide if she would block her escape or not. "Check you at the house, Gabby!"

"Duckie, wait! The team isn't going to hurt you!" Teagan replied, running after Oriana. "They stopped me before the game and they're not mad at you!"

"Did you not just see that huge defeat? Man, they're going to be out for my blood..." Oriana trailed as Teagan finally managed to stop her. She turned in a circle, trying to find Alex and Howie. She paused for a moment, finding Howie and Alex huddled by a group of giggling girls. Oriana's face drew blank, watching as a girl laid her hand on Howie's shoulder while leaning into him. "Gabbers... Um... Tell me what this feeling is... It's like sickness mixed with anger and betrayal...and sadness... But definitely a lot of anger..."

"Jealousy?"

"Is that what it is?"

"Yeah..." Teagan looked over towards Howie and Alex and immediately groaned. "Duckie, those girls are hollow plastics and Howie can see that. He just doesn't want to be mean to anyone, you know that."

"Yeah, he sure doesn't want to be mean..." Oriana trailed sadly, watching Howie release a hearty laugh from one of the girls' jokes.

"Duckie, stop it! He loves you and would never hurt you!"

"Yeah, I know—"

"FINALLY!" Luke cried, throwing his arms around Oriana from behind. She shrieked in surprise as he picked her up into a fierce bear-hug. "We've been trying to catch you for what seems like forever! Where do you get off running like that?"

"I was trying to find Howie and I found him... Then I was trying to get away from my bloodshed. I am so sorry about the game, Luke. I can't believe my plays went to shit so fast. I should have done something. I shouldn't have broken my arm. I'm just so sor—"

"Okay, you can stop that apology right now. You didn't make shitty plays, they were brilliant! Richardson fucked them all up because he's so full of himself just because he got your position when it was out of default," Luke interrupted, clamping a hand over her mouth. "None of this was your fault. And if you disagree, you're going into the mud. Alright?"

"Okay," she squeaked.

"Good," he kissed her cheek before setting her down. "You're coming to the club with us tonight, right?"

"Club?" Oriana drawled in confusion, furling her brows together.

"The club. You know, dancing? What we always do after games?"

"Oh!" Oriana's blue-green eyes lit with an intense excitement, causing Luke and Lou to chuckle. She immediately hugged Luke fiercely as he picked her up into a bear hug again. "You and me dancing! Dude, can we check out The Ice House? I heard the have a lot of salsa mixes! I'm dying for some salsa remixes along with the usual! Please?!"

"Anything you want, Ori. The night is ours to forget this rotten game!" Luke laughed, spinning them in a tight circle. "The Ice House it is!"

"I freaking love The Ice House! We better leave Dee at home because I'll be dancing with you ALL night!" she squealed with excitement, eagerly kissing Luke's sweaty cheeks. She seemed to forget all about Howie for that moment, energized just by the thought of dancing with the football gang.

"Dee and Ella have this big project due in English, so they won't be able to come," Luke replied, finally setting her down on the ground. "Meet you there in about an hour?"

"Definitely, enough time for me to go throw sweat-pants... Um a really hot pair of capris and a tight tank top on?" Oriana changed, noticing the look in Luke's eyes.

"Good," Luke kissed her cheek and turned to Teagan. "You and the band are invited too, like always."

"Yeah, we'll be there, if Oriana actually lets Howie go," Teagan laughed.

"Why would Howie care, he's got his groupies to entertain him tonight," Oriana groaned.

"Duckie!" Teagan scolded. "Stop talking like that, I mean it!"

"Sorry," Oriana winced, recoiling from Teagan's scolding. She glanced to Luke, shrugging her shoulders. "I'll see if he wants to come."

"Alright, cool. See you ladies in an hour!" Luke and the team ran off to the locker room, each of them swatting Oriana's behind as they left.

"So, you're going to get all pretty for us tonight, Duck--"

"TEAGAN! TEAGAN, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!" Brian's voice yelled from the field.

"Excuse me, my boyfriend bellows," Teagan grunted in disbelief, obviously not looking forward to this. She had watched the entire game and was absolutely hysterical. She couldn't believe that Brian had been so callous with Oriana's plays. It was just petty.

"Don't hate him too much," Oriana sighed, gently hugging Teagan. "I'll see you at the house and we'll go to the club together?"

"Yep, I'll be there... Brian may come back with just a severe limp for ruining our record," Teagan agreed, kissing Oriana's cheek before heading down the bleachers.

"TEAGAN!"

"I'm coming, damn!"

"Damn," Oriana groaned simultaneously for her best friend, watching Brian immediately release a tight string of hysterics for her. Not wanting to see the damage, Oriana turned to see Alex returning with a fistful of numbers. "Oh, Lord, Doctor Mambo strikes again."

"Hell yeah! The girls here are much nicer than the ones at William's. Howie's trying to get the plastics off him, so don't be jealous."

"I am—"

"Yeah, that's like saying Brian didn't screw up the plays on purpose."

"Are you looking to walk home tonight?" Oriana threatened, pulling her keys from Alex's pocket. She struggled to hide the crimson coloring of her cheeks, just wanting to hear Howie's opinion on hating the girls. "Because I have no qualms about leaving your ass here and not inviting you to the Ice Box."

"Okay, I’ll be quiet. Just let me come to the Ice Box," Alex whimpered.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Will you get your gear so we can leave? Luke wants me to dress up and meet at the Ice Box in an hour. So, let's go!"

"Going!" Alex replied, running back to the bleachers as Howie was coming towards Oriana. He looked rather annoyed as the girls back where he was shouted good-byes.

"I hate plastics," Howie groaned, resting his head on her shoulder.

"You looked quite entertained for the time being," she drawled, doing her best not to sound too jealous. She had never experienced such a test of emotional endurance. She swallowed the rest of her bitter words, just reaching to run her fingers through Howie's curls. She felt a small twinge of delight run through her system as the girls scowled at her.

"I only looked entertained so they would finally let me leave. All they talk about if how the uniform makes them look fat, or the hats make their hair all messed up. Then they try to tell me jokes and... I'm too nice when it comes to talking to people and it always ends up with the plastics talking my ear off," Howie sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt Oriana's fingers in his hair. "What did the team talk to you about before you came over here?"

"Before or after they wanted to slaughter me for the horrible game?" Oriana mused, still feeling quite guilty. The entire school would feel the impact of the defeat come Monday. She had no doubt that rumors would fly about her, yet again.

"Why would they slaughter you? Brian screwed up all the plays. It wasn't your fault we lost—"

"Yeah, right," Oriana murmured, kicking the ground with her favorite Adidas sneakers. She glanced up for a moment, noticing Alex get caught with yet another group of girls. She had to smile; Alex was definitely right, he had something that the girls at Tartan loved. She could only hope that the girls always latching on to Howie would fall into Alex's clutches. Trying to brush those thoughts away, she continued to run her fingers through Howie's sweaty curls. "I liked your solo tonight..."

Howie glanced up into her eyes with a faint blush on his cheeks. "You did? All I could hear was sour notes and off beat—"

"Oh, please, I've listened to enough of the band to know what a trumpet solo's supposed to sound like. You were perfect," Oriana immediately chided, pulling away from him.

"Well... thank you. I still think your plays were awesome. We would have killed North if only Brian had pulled his head out of his ass and not screw it up."

"My plays were weak. The other team spotted them a mile off. I didn't need Brian to prove that they weren't high quality," Oriana sighed as Howie plucked the red binder from her hands and slipped it into his backpack for her.

"If they weren't good, I don't think Coach Hanson would have used them through the whole game," Howie disagreed with a click of his tongue.
"Are you going to insist on arguing with me till you get me to claim my plays kick ass?" Oriana wondered with a tired smile.

"Yes, m'am," Howie replied, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Figured," Oriana groaned, allowing him to draw her next to his side. She swallowed another bout of anger as the girls passed by Howie, offering giggles of a seductive quality. Each reached out to run their hands down the length of his arm as they passed, alerting Oriana that they were still on the prowl. She tensed dramatically, almost willing God to strike them dead. "I don't think they like the fact that you decided on a completely backward girlfriend instead of a high-quality girl like them..."

"You think they're high-quality? Baby, they're more fake than a Barbie doll and twice as dumb," Howie dismissed the thought with the wave of his hand. "I'm with you because everything about you is pure and beautiful."

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed softly, shifting her attention to see Alex acquiring yet another batch of numbers. She rolled her eyes, knowing Alex would indeed have a fun time at the club tonight. "So, what am I doing with you, Mr. Dorough? Dropping you off at home?"

"Nah, I don't feel like going home," Howie made a face. "What are your plans?"

"Just going out with the guys," she replied casually, figuring Howie wouldn't be too interested. It was just a simple dancing club with a few from the football team to shake off the defeat. Nothing extravagant, but some might disapprove because of her cast.

"Oh. Is this one of those 'team only' kind of things?"

"No, whoever wants to come is fine."

"So, I would be allowed to come along?"

"Well, yeah, of course, but you don't even know what we're doing," she laughed, resting her head against his shoulder. She was starting to feel the familiar ache of the broken bone, knowing she would need to dose up on a pain killer before leaving for the club. "You would be walking into a Satanic Worshipping for all you know."

"Somehow I doubt you all are Satan Worshippers," he chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "Then again... dressed all in black, the human sacrifice... it would definitely be a learning experience—"

"We just might make you the human sacrifice if you're not careful," she threatened.

"Alright, alright, I get the hint."

"Mmmm, I don't think you do," Oriana laughed, turning to offer the sweetest kiss to the flesh of his throat.

"W-Well, how is one chosen to be the sacrifice?" Howie stuttered, feeling his body flush at the simple note of affection.

"I can't share that secret," she replied with an unusually seductive smile that caused Howie a familiar ache of wanting.

"Why not?"

"Because, then I'd have to kill you before we could make love during the human sacrifice," she teased quietly.

"Oh... yeah, I don't feel like dying before we were able to make love," he smiled, pulling her lips to his for a soft kiss.

"You're something else," Oriana murmured against his lips, unable to keep from laughing. Something about the conversation felt so right in her heart, even if her brain condemned such actions. She quickly offered another kiss before pulling away while retrieve her lanyard of keys. "We've got to get going. I've got an hour before I have to meet them."

"Can I come along?" Howie asked, keeping her close to his side.

"Would you like to know what we're doing before you eagerly offer your services?"

"As long as it's not human sacrifices, I'm in."

"So, if we decided to go jump out of an airplane, you'd join in?"

"I've always wanted to try it."

Oriana's blue-green eyes grew wide in shock as she immediately turned, causing him to run into her. She stumbled just a little, but he quickly caught her by the waist to stabilize them both. She laughed softly, immediately reaching out to brush her fingers down his cheek. "You know what, you meet us at the airplane, and I'll just boogie on down to the Ice House."

"The Ice House?"

"Don't you check out any of the older teenage clubs in town?" Oriana questioned, furling her light blonde brows. Her and Teagan were always popping in and out of clubs during the growth into their teenage years. Then, when Oriana hit high school, every Friday night was considered a club night with the football team, good football game or bad football game.

"Depends on what side of town you're talking about. Alex and I usually go to Tabu or Thunder," Howie shrugged with a good-natured smile.

"You should have just went to William's," Oriana groaned playfully, realizing those clubs were attentively the only clubs she refused to attend because of the William's population.

"I can't help that my best friend used to go there," Howie laughed.

"You're telling me that in all those years that you liked me, you never figured out that I was always hanging at those clubs, and never figured that you would go there just to scope out the competition?" she teased, playing off an arrogance that one never associated with Oriana.

"Are you comparing me to a common stalker?" Howie gasped.

"You've really never been to any of those clubs?"

"Never."

"Well, would you like to go to one tonight? The Ice House just opened up a few weeks ago, pretty popular with the football team. Killer beats and they always have salsa mixes on Friday nights. Luke and I freaking love the salsa mixes, gives us chances to practice what Maggie's always telling us."

"I'd love to go. Maybe if I can rip you away from Luke for a few minutes, you could show me some of those salsa steps," Howie agreed as they reached the Hummer.

"Why? Think you could teach me a few moves?" she mused as Alex came running with his equipment and another batch of phone numbers. He pretended to leap into the back of the car as if escaping a huge explosion.

"Maybe," he kissed her deeply. "Maybe not. We'll just have to see."

"I think I love you," she whispered softly as he turned to get into the passenger side.

"What did you say, Ria?"

"Nothing..." she quickly murmured, loosing all nerve to actually admit it aloud. She hurriedly fumbled to open the large door, finally climbing inside the massive vehicle. Her cheeks flushed a sharp crimson color, knowing that she had stepped over the boundaries. She couldn't tell him that she loved him.

"Are you—"

"CHICKS! DUDE! CHICKS!" Alex interrupted from the backseat, greedily rustling through all the lists of numbers.

"You're pathetic," Oriana groaned, watching some of the papers flutter to the floor of her Hummer. "You're nothing but a common Gigilo!"

"I can't help that girls like my charm!”

"Yeah, well, Mr. Snake Charmer, maybe you can find one of these girls to take you."

"Can't you?" he whined.

"I might be late for my Luke," Oriana laughed.

"You're not going?" Alex asked Howie.

"I never said I wasn't—"

"Then why are you going to let her go just to dance with Luke?" Alex fired with a hint of protectiveness. He only wanted to see his sister with Howie. The idea of Oriana dancing with Luke and their already tight friendship only seemed to shoot warning lights through Alex's skull.

"Stop before you even start. I'm going to the Ice House and I don't have any problem with her and Luke dancing," Howie replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well, you freaking should!" Alex hissed, noticing Oriana focusing on driving, seeming to space out from the entire conversation. "You don't want her to get all hot and heavy with Luke at some club, grinding on him, do you?"

"They're best friends! Jeez, Alex, calm down. Luke has Dee and Oriana has me. It's not like they're going to start an affair or something."

"You're telling me you're not going to be jealous when she's down Mack'ing it hardcore with Luke, grinding on him for all she's worth?"

"No, because it's dancing and nothing more. Out of all the players on the team, I trust Luke the most."

"But—" Alex swallowed hard as Howie gave him a short glare. He shrunk back a little like a chastised child. "Sorry, D. I just... I know that you're really good for her... And I don't want you two loosing each other you know? We're already having a hard enough time with Brian..."

"I know," Howie sighed heavily. "But there's one thing I know for sure, and that's I don't have to worry when it comes to Luke and Oriana. Alright, man?"

"Okay..."

"So, you coming to the Ice House with us?"

"Yeah, a lot of the girls said that's where they're heading tonight," Alex replied, glancing at all the numbers in his hands.

"Who gave you numbers?" Howie asked curiously.

"Lacey, Paige, Joanne, Linda, Cindy..."

"Want the ones I got?" Howie groaned, reaching into his pocket to withdraw some numbers.

"Dude! I'll pay you fifty bucks!" Alex exclaimed with excitement.

"You got numbers?" Oriana groaned in disbelief, finally paying attention to the conversation. She finally understood why it hurt Howie so much to have the football players constantly comment on Mac. Damnit, Howie was her boyfriend, not their piece of meat.

"I told them I had a girlfriend and they insisted on giving them to me anyway," Howie made a face as he threw the pieces of paper back to Alex. "I guess being made out of plastic makes you deaf as well as dumb."

"Did you tell them that this girlfriend knows how to play football and has no problem throwing them into the mud when they're wearing Prada?" Oriana gritted, unable to hide her jealousy.

"No... but I will definitely mention that next time.”
Taking A Stand by Anastacia
Chapter 31 - Taking A Stand

"Teagan, please, do me a favor and stop chewing out my ass!" Brian barked for what seemed like the millionth time as he concentrated on the road ahead of him. He found his head throbbing with a new found pain as Teagan continued to shriek within his ear. As if he hadn't got enough bitching from Coach Hanson before having to run laps for screwing up the game. He almost had cruel thoughts about crashing his car to shut her up, if it wasn't for the fact that it was brand new and extremely expensive. But he just couldn't take Teagan's pressure anymore. She was driving him utterly insane.

"You think I'm going to stop? Hell, no! Brian, I don't understand what was going on in your head! You completely ruined Tartan's record and for what?! Just because you didn't want to go along with Oriana's plays?"

"They were shitty—"

"No, you just decided to play shitty and that was stupid!" Teagan steamed, shaking her head in disappointment. She couldn't believe her boyfriend's attitude towards the whole game. He deserved every lecture that someone decided to give him, and she was going to make sure he listened to hers the most.

"I didn't decide to play fucking anything, so don't go laying anything down on me. You weren't even watching the damn game, so don't start this 'holier than thou' shit," Brian spat, accelerating the car's speed to adjust to his anger.

"Fuck you, I was watching the game and you blew it on purpose. I can barely play football and I could have done better than you tonight— Slow down! Jesus, you're going to crash the car!"
"It’d be better than listening to your bitching," Brian growled, turning a tight corner, almost causing the car to turn onto its side. Yet it didn't seem to fluster him as he persisted in his absurd paranoia that everyone was against him.

"Excuse me? You have no right to talk to me like that!" Teagan snapped, holding onto her seatbelt for dear life.

"And you have no right to be ramming me up the ass with the dildo you think you have strapped between your legs!"

"You're fucking disgusting!"

"And you're fucking playing with my last nerve, woman."

"You brought it all on yourself, so deal with it."

"I am dealing with it!"

"By insulting me and speeding like a maniac?!"

"Yes!"

"And you think I'm going to take those insults?"

"Well, you're sitting here, aren't you?" he spat, turning another sharp corner. The worst combination within a relationship were two extremely stubborn personalities, which represented Brian and Teagan. So, fights would tend to erupt into the heat of passion and explode like a hot volcano spewing dangerous spurts of lava.

"Ow!" Teagan cried out as her head hit the passenger window. "Kind of hard to get out of a car driven by a speeding asshole, isn't it?"

"I got no problems stopping the car and letting you walk your ass home," he threatened.

"Or I can just bitch at you some more and make you suffer."

"Suffer, yeah, that's the fucking word for this relationship."

"What are you trying to say?"

"What do you think?"

"Wow. I thought you were different from the other... I guess I was wrong. You're an asshole just like they are—"

"And you're a suffocating bitch," he snapped.

"Oh, really? I guess there's no use in us being together if I'm suffocating poor w’ittle B’wian," she snarled, smacking him with her music folder.

"You took the fucking words right out of my mouth," he growled, slamming sharply on the breaks, pitching them both forward as he launched the car into the driveway.

"Good fucking riddance," she agreed, grabbing her stuff and opened the door. "I'm just glad we never had sex. Then that would have been another thing I would have regretted."

"DAMN STRAIGHT!" he screeched.

"I hope you and your blow-up doll Candy have a nice reunion since you dumped her for me," she smacked him across the cheek as hard as she could before climbing out.

"At least she doesn't leak air through her big-ass mouth!" Brian retorted, refusing to let her have the last word. His cheek stung with a stinging pain, not expecting such a sharp blow. Yet, he didn’t' care as his blood pressure rose dramatically with his fury.

"At least my big-ass mouth has a BRAIN, unlike you!" Teagan screamed, slamming the door as hard as she could. She heard a crack from the newly replaced glass and had to smile with triumph.

"DAMNIT, TEAGAN!"

*~*~*


Oriana hummed softly to herself as she wandered about the length of her bedroom, seemingly in no hurry to dress. Alex and Howie were currently in Alex's room preparing to go to the club, so she was pressed for time. Yet, Oriana didn't really seem too preoccupied with the notion of dressing up. She just wanted to be comfortable, but remembered her promise to Luke. Oriana groaned softly, finally starting to venture toward her large walk-in closet for something decent to wear. She scratched her damp curls with her good hand, mentally switching between outfits for what would at least get Luke's approval. Yet, all of her seductive outfits seemed to be dance outfits. Oriana felt hopeless sometimes.

"Remind me why I saw anything in that piece of shit I called my boyfriend!" Teagan burst as she stormed into Oriana's room. She slammed the door, causing things on Oriana's vanity to shake violently.

"Say huh?" Oriana squeaked in surprise, almost tumbling into her closet. Her heart rate accelerated at the mere approach of Teagan's anger. She had scared the younger girl frightfully.

"I fucking hate Brian so much, I never want to see him again!" Teagan slammed her fist into the heavy oak bedroom door.

"Um, hey, Momma paid good money for that door, let's not break it," Oriana yelped, immediately reaching to grasp Teagan's hand before she could throw another.

"Then I'll go to my room and punch the door for awhile," Teagan went to leave the room.

"Uh-no!" Oriana groaned, grabbing Teagan roughly by the back of her uniform. She tugged the older girl into the room, gently throwing her onto the bed. "You've really got to stop this punching stuff, it's not healthy. And, you already know what I've said. If you freaking want to punch something, go downstairs and take it out on my punching-bag. That's why I bought it... Well, aside from that whole martial arts thing."

"But a door resembles his head so much better than a punching bag," Teagan objected, cradling her aching hand.

"What happened?" Oriana asked instead, easing herself onto the bed beside Teagan's lying form. She felt somewhat stupid sitting there in a tank top and bikini briefs, but it was normal attire for the girls.

"We got into this huge fight... I was yelling at him for blowing the game, so he decided to deny that and insult me instead. After almost crashing the car a few times, we broke up and I broke his window," Teagan explained in a rush, looking up at the ceiling.

"Oh, woah," Oriana breathed in surprise.

"Yeah. Apparently, I'm a suffocating, big-ass mouthed bitch. Maybe that's why Xander almost killed me..."

"Teagan!"

"It could be true! I mean, if you look at all my previous boyfriends... it makes sense!"

"No, it doesn't," Oriana scorned, refusing to let Teagan believe such stupid propaganda. "You just liked the thrill of a bad boy."

"And then I annoyed them, which caused my ass getting beat every time," Teagan added on.

"You didn't deserve anything. You were just a bad judge of character."

"Looks like it struck again with Brian."

"I still love you?"

"I love you, too. Always," Teagan sighed, offering Oriana a sad smile and a kiss on the cheek. "So, where are you going tonight?"

"The Ice House," Oriana answered, resting her cast arm on her lap. Her blue-green eyes naturally brightened at just the idea of dancing. "Luke and I think they have the best salsa mixes and I'm dying to try out some of the moves Maggie wants us the nail..."

"Would it be alright if I come along? I don't want to be around when Brian—" she was interrupted by the slam of a door down the hall. "There he is."

"Dude, you're always welcomed in the clubbing section," Oriana announced, affectionately kissing Teagan's cheek before blowing a raspberry.

"Thanks," Teagan let out a small laugh. "When are you leaving?"

"Whenever Jamie and Howie come out of Jamie's room and I come out of mine..."

"Would you give me a time frame, please?"

"Half hour?"

"Alright, I'll be ready," Teagan hugged Oriana and kissed her cheek once more. "I love you, Duckie."

"I love you, too," Oriana sighed, watching Teagan rise to leave. Oriana jumped up, not wanting to admit she needed Teagan here to just approve of the outfit she decided upon. She felt her heart leap to her throat for the time being. "Um... Wait, you have clothes in here, Gabby. Why don't you just get ready in here?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot," Teagan laughed a little before walking into the closet. "What are you wearing to the Ice House?"

"Clothing?"

"What kind of clothes?"

"Chick clothes?"

"Oriana..."

"Okay, okay, okay," Oriana groaned, traveling into her large closet. She stepped in front of Teagan, hurriedly flipping through the various garments. She smiled with approval as she plucked a pair of skin-tight black flares from its hanger and then a white tube top covered with a cherry print. "This with my red Adidas?"

"Definitely a good clubbing outfit," Teagan approved, walking over to the dresser and opening the jewelry box. "Wear your diamond earrings with this necklace and you're set."

"Thanks, Mom," Oriana quipped sarcastically with a genuine smile.

"You're funny," Teagan rolled her eyes playfully before picking her own outfit.

"What'cha wearing?" Oriana commented curiously as she slipped behind her silk screen. She hurriedly eased the tight flares onto her body as they adhered like a comfortable second skin, resting just along her hips.

"My black Tripp handcuff pants with a red and black leather corset," Teagan replied, loving her punk side.

"Oh, Lord," Oriana teased with a mock gasp, struggling for a moment with the tube top because of her cast.

"My punk is coming out tonight!" Teagan cackled, quickly slipping on the outfit before moving on to make-up and jewelry.

"And when doesn't it come out?" Oriana quipped, finally stepping out from behind the screen. She fidgeted for a moment, finally noticing how much of her lean stomach was exposed from the low-riding jeans and the small tube top. She attempted to pull down the top when Teagan caught her hands. "I look like a tramp, Gabbers."

"No you don't. I dress like that to the Ice House sometimes. Does that make me look like a tramp?"

"You're beautiful, you never dress like a tramp..."

"And you're beautiful. Hence, you don't dress like a tramp, either. Alright?" Teagan offered a smile.
"But—"

"No buts. Unless it's yours moving to get make-up and jewelry on!"

"No make-up," Oriana groaned immediately. She only applied make-up during her dance recitals, only to Maggie's insistence.

"Eyeliner and mascara. Please?"

"No way."

"Duckie!"

"Lip gloss," Oriana compromised.

"Eyeliner and lip gloss."

"Just lip gloss."

"Eyeliner and lip gloss or I'll pin you down and put it on for you."

"How about I let you do my hair instead of eyeliner?"

"Deal."

"Fine," Oriana sighed, seating herself at the vanity table. She wasn't sure this was the most decent compromise in her favor, but it at least got the eyeliner away.

"Hmm... what to do with your hair..." Teagan tapped her chin in thought.

"Just don't take too long; we graduate in May, you know."

"Yeah, that's what I'll do," Teagan surmised, immediately plucking the clip that had nestled Oriana's curls. She smiled excitedly as the brassy blonde ringlets cascaded down passed Oriana's shoulders in neat ringlets. She immediately wove her fingers through some of the curls to perfect them, and then stepped back with awe. "You're beautiful."

"Teagan," Oriana groaned, staring at her long ringlets. "It's going to be so hot!"

"Of course, you're going to heat the place up with your hotness!" Teagan praised, spritzing the curls with a little hairspray.

"But—”

"No buts!"

Oriana was about to protest, but there was a sharp knock at her door. She groaned softly as Teagan pushed her off the stool so she could fix her own hair. Oriana naturally tucked a few curls behind her ears, traveling to the door as she grasped her sling. She opened it to find Alex sleekly dressed in a pair of white pants, silky black shirt with red flames creeping from the bottom, and a bright red hat. "Well, hello, Dr. Mambo," she whistled, leaning against the door frame with a seductive bat of her eyes.

"You like?" Alex asked with a smirk, turning in a circle to give a full show.

"Yeah, if only I wasn't going to be your little step-sister," she joked, pretending to smother a flame on his shoulder.

"Damn the luck," he snapped his fingers in disappointment. "If I may say... Ry, you are looking hot! Howie's going to be drooling over you all night."

"Um...no..."

"Um... yes…"

"I look like a hooker getting ready for a midnight showing of Rocky Horror," she frowned, still nervous about her appearance. She glanced down and poked haphazardly at her bare stomach, second guessing herself as always. She never saw the beauty that others knew she radiated. She just saw the mistakes.

"Oh, stop it. You look amazing!" Alex complimented, brushing her hand away.

"But—"

"Ry, believe me on this, okay?"

Oriana nervously gazed into her soon-to-be-step-brother's dark eyes as he held tightly to her good hand. She shifted carefully as a blush exploded onto her cheeks. She wasn't used to those compliments. "You sure?"

"Positive."

"I shouldn't change?"

"Nope, everything looks perfect. Who did your hair?"

"Teagan," Oriana answered as Teagan appeared behind her, doing a little twirl. Oriana smiled softly as sensuality exploded from Teagan's inner core. "The gorgeous Teagan..."

"Who helped her even more gorgeous best friend Oriana with a look that will knock Howie off his feet!" Teagan added with a smile as she leaned on the other side of the door way.

"You're both two beautiful ladies," Alex approved, kissing both of their cheeks. The girls exchanged coy smiles, never really noticing Brian's door ease open. "Howie's going to be out in a few minutes, just perfecting himself for you, Ry."

"He could come out in a pair of boxers and I'd fall over," Oriana whispered without thought.

"Duckie!" Teagan exclaimed with a laugh. "Such a kinky idea from an innocent mind!"

"Huh?" Oriana deadpanned, her cheeks flushing with a rosy innocence.

"I heard what you said. Howie just in box—"

"We don't need it repeated," Alex groaned as he covered Teagan's mouth

"Bu—"

"Where are you going, Teagan?" Brian charged, finally coming fully out of his room. He had seen enough of an interaction between his brother and Teagan to make him sorely uncomfortable. He offered a stern glare as he crossed his arms, only making Teagan more defiant in nature.

"What's it your business, Brian? We're not together anymore, so I don't have to tell you anything. Didn't I tell you to go back to your blow-up doll?" Teagan snapped with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, you did, but I was hoping to catch up with you so I can return your dildo!"

"At least my dildo would be better than what YOU could give me."

"And that's round one, folks!" Alex interrupted loudly, pushing Teagan down the opposite length of the hallway toward the stairs. He'd have no bloodshed in this house tonight. He watched Brian hurriedly slam his door, causing Oriana to jump. "Why don't you wait for Howie, Slim? While I take Teagan away from the dildo and the blow-up doll conversation?"

"Okay..." Oriana trailed, listening to things crash about Brian's room.

"He does that all the time, don't worry. He won't come out of his room until we leave," Alex kissed her cheek and followed Teagan.

"Dildo and a blow-up doll, damn," Oriana muttered to herself with amusement, leaning against the opposite wall while she waited for Howie. She knew that Teagan had an impressive vocabulary when it came to fighting, but damn.
Oriana waited for only a few more moments before she heard the soft click of a door. She glanced up to see Howie appear before her in all of his handsome glory. She immediately inhaled a sharp breath as her heart rate increased to that of a humming bird. She bit down on her bottom lip, just admiring his raw physique. He looked magnificent in a pair of black slacks, a black wife-beater, and a simple light blue camp-shirt. "Woah..." she wheezed softly.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Howie agreed, looking at Oriana in awe. Her sleek, tanned body was accentuated in every way with the tight flares and tube top. The light seemed to make her golden curls glow brighter than every ounce of the sun’s glowing rays and Howie's heart skipped a beat.

"Woah, no," she instantly replied, blushing furiously. She pushed away from the wall to stand erect, immediately wrapping her good arm around her exposed torso. She just wanted to change.

"No? Ria, you look amazing!"

"Let's just go, Jamie and Gabby are downstairs waiting," Oriana murmured, slipping down the length of the wall to escape. She wasn't used to compliments such as those. The only comments she received like that always lingered with a painful reminder of unwanted physical transgressions.

"Are you alright?" Howie asked in confusion as he followed her.

"I'm not used to all the compliments I guess," she replied with a half-truth, focusing her eyes on the stairs.

"I hope you can get used to them, because I know I'll be complimenting you a lot."

"Huh?" she answered, stumbling slightly on the stairs. She immediately reached out to grip the banister as Alex almost dove to her aid at the bottom of the stairs. She flustered an embarrassed smile, hating that Howie made her feel so vulnerable.

"I just said that I'll be complimenting you a lot," he replied, smiling as he slipped her a kiss and took her hand from the banister into his own. "You ready to go?"

"Um, yeah," she murmured, her cheeks developing another shade deeper from her rosy blush. She tossed Alex the keys, who quickly proceeded out to the car with Teagan.

"That outfit looks great on you. I mean that," he commented as they headed out the house.

"I think you're obligated to say that," Oriana answered, releasing her hand from his so she could adjust her sling.

"But I mean it," Howie insisted, grasping her hand once she was done fixing the sling.

"You just like looking at this tight washboard I have going," she teased, trying to make light of his serious conversation. She used their hands to outline the curvature of her sleekly toned stomach.

"Well, I have to admit that it is nice to look at," he chuckled, rubbing his thumb on her skin.

"Yeah, now all it needs is pierced," she contemplated, hopping into the back of her car. She looked at Alex eagerly run his fingers along the length of her steering wheel, making her slightly nervous.

"You really want to get your bellybutton pierced?" he asked, sliding into the seat next to her.

"Once I'm done with football... That way the boys can't exactly rip it out during a play. I have enough trouble trying to keep my bra on."

"Oh—"

"Sax, don't go too crazy with the Hummer. This is Duckie's baby," Teagan interrupted with a raise of her eyebrow towards Alex.

"Crazy? Imply crazy?" Alex murmured, licking his lips with a raw animal aggression.

"Um, maybe I should drive..." Oriana trailed.

"I mean it, boy. If you ever want to drive this thing again, you've got to be careful!"

"It's not like I can hurt this thing... Ry, can I take it out for prom? I bet you could get some fine-ass ladies in the back—"

"NO!" the girls shouted in unison.

"Whoa. Double whammy," Alex muttered before revving up the Hummer.

"Howie, tell him to be nice to my baby," Oriana whimpered as Howie reached across to buckle her seatbelt.

"Honestly, dude. Just take it easy on the Hummer, okay?" Howie replied, patting Alex's shoulder.

"The beast can take it!" Alex murmured, feeling the power beneath his foot. He grinned evilly, quickly reversing out of the garage.

"ALEX!" the three of them screeched as he peeled onto the road.
Not Just A Chance by Anastacia
Chapter 32 – Not Just A Chance

"I freaking love this club!" Oriana enthused as she stepped into the newly opened club. Her heart immediately accelerated to the pace of the thick beats. Dozens of teenage bodies bounced to the beat as boys struggled to locate girls to dance with for the songs. Oriana didn't seem to notice as all of the male persuasions eyes immediately followed to Teagan and herself, obviously ready to jump. "Let's go—"

"Cherry Bomb! You're finally here!" Luke interrupted with a grin as he pushed his way through the crowds to catch up with the group.

"Luke!" Oriana shrieked with happiness, immediately embracing Luke in a tight hug. He squeezed her just as tightly with several affectionate kisses before releasing her in an arm's length to view her outfit. Oriana blushed faintly as a bunch of cat-calls released from their group of football players. "Do you approve?"

"I definitely approve! Come on, the salsa mixes are just about to start!"

"Dude, don't you think you should be asking her boyfriend before you just take her away?" Alex questioned without any emotions, just stepping up for his sister and best friend. "I mean, that's why she came to the club, to dance with Howie."

"Oh, Jamie—"

"No, no, he's right. I should ask Howie first," Luke agreed, turning to Howie. "Is it alright if I steal Oriana for a few salsa dances?"

"Luke---" Oriana tried to protest.

"No, Cherry Bomb," Luke shushed, placing a finger to her glossed lips for a moment. He smiled softly at his best friend before turning back to Howie. "I'd expect the same curtsey if someone wanted to dance with my beautiful girlfriend. So, Howie, is it okay? Or do you want first dibs?"

"Of course it's okay," Howie agreed with a smile. "I'd like to see the two of you show your stuff when it comes to salsa so I can add on to that later."

"You dance?" Luke asked as the DJ started to scratch through the end of a song to add a different flavor.

"Yeah. I never really took lessons, but my parents taught my brother, sisters and myself a few dances."

"Salsa? Oh yeah, Puerto Rican, right?" Luke laughed, shrugging his broad shoulders.

"You got it," Howie agreed with a wink. "We're also Irish, so I know some of that dance, too."

"Dude, my Irish brother," Luke laughed, slapping Howie a high five, causing the other football players to snort with laughter.

"I'm guessing you're Irish," Howie laughed as well.

"Luke's nickname is Leprechaun," Oriana teased with a roll of her eyes.

"Like you can tease me, Miss Green Eyed Riley," Luke groaned, poking her exposed stomach.

"So? How else do you think I get those red highlights in my blonde hair?" Oriana questioned blankly, causing Teagan to smirk with approval.

"Yeah, but—"

"Are you two going to salsa or what? The song's starting," Howie interrupted the bickering.

"Oh, shit!" Luke groaned when he heard the fresh beats of Christina Aguilera's Infatuation thump through the speakers. He smiled eagerly toward Oriana, pressing a quick kiss to her neck. "This is what Maggie's always playing. We can nail this! C'mon!"

"Okay, okay, meet you down there," Oriana laughed as Luke ran off to clear their usual spot right in the middle. Oriana smiled faintly as she leaned up to brush her lips against Howie's lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Howie smiled, kissing her once more. "Have fun."

"Check you later, Gabby?" Oriana warmed, pressing a kiss to Teagan's cheek.

"Definitely," Teagan winked before heading off to find someone to dance with and get her mind off Brian.

"You think she would have danced with you..." Oriana trailed, not liking the thought of Howie dancing with anyone else but a close friend.

"I'm just going to watch for awhile, anyway. She'll come around and end up dancing with me," Howie dismissed it, pushing Oriana gently. "Go on, Luke's waiting for you."

"Okay," Oriana whispered shyly, carefully slipping down the length of the club. She passed by tons of cat-calls, but the football team made sure to keep others paws off their favorite player. She seemed eager to pull away, immediately reaching Luke's already waiting embrace. He dipped her with a sensual toss before yanking her upward for a close embrace, her curls falling seductively over her heart-shaped face. He then immediately locked his hands against her hips, leading them through a variety of steps from the sweetly seductive beats.

"Damn... She's good..." Alex breathed in shock to Howie, mesmerized by his sister's talented movements for that moment. He had never seen something so addictive and enraged with sex in his life.

"I know. It's like she was born to dance..." Howie nodded, continuing to watch the couple, as did everyone else in the club.

"I've seen you salsa at your sister's wedding... You're damn good at it, too. You two together would just be..." Alex couldn't even find the word to explain something so wonderful within his vocabulary. He smiled faintly as Oriana started to gyrate her hips down the length of Luke before he pulled her up into the quick thrusting movements as he twirled her extensively.

"You think so?"

"Dude, I know so. When they take a break, sweep Oriana into your arms and show her what you can do," Alex encouraged with an abrupt slap on the back. "Just keep an eye on them while I go scope out for my numbers."

"Why?"

"So you make sure that the gyrating doesn't turn into anything too serious..." Alex trailed with a smirk, glancing back out to the dance floor where a circle had gathered to watch Oriana and Luke. Though, something surprised Alex. Usually, Oriana concentrated fully on the steps, but she was glancing back at Howie as she mouthed the words to the song: 'Skin the color of cinnamon / His eyes light up and I melt within / Feels so good it must be a sin / I can't stop what I started / I'm giving in / He brings life to my fantasies / Sparks a passion inside of me / Finds the words when I can not speak / In the silence, his heartbeat is music to me.'

"Dude, she's singing to you," Alex announced with a sly smile.

"What?" Howie looked over at Oriana and blushed when he realized the younger boy was right.

"She loves you, Dude," Alex exclaimed with a grin, shaking Howie's shoulders.

"She loves me," Howie repeated, a silly smile growing on his face as he continued to gaze in Oriana's sparkling eyes before she broke contact to concentrate on the dance moves.

"You finally figured that out?" a feminine voice teased as Alex slipped away to catch a glimpse of some girls. Howie turned in surprise to see Teagan there. She really didn't have the heart to dance with some random guy. Even if she was upset with Brian, she couldn't deny that she loved him. So, she decided a safety date was the next best thing for the night. Howie could get rid of her anger.

Howie blushed even more as Teagan laughed softly. "No, but—"

"I'm only teasing. Listen, I was wondering... since Ori's busy with Luke and everything... would you like to dance?"

"You and me?" Howie mocked, hold a playful hand to his chest as if his heart had burst. "I never thought you'd see me in that kind of way, Teag!"

"I cannot help it! The way your Latino body moves just when you walk... I almost faint!" Teagan sighed, waving a hand as if to cool herself off.

"You better not let Ria hear you say that, she might throw you in the mud," Howie teased, gently twirling Teagan before stepping her carefully into the simple salsa moves. He decided not to throw all his magic into that dance, saving it for Oriana. Besides, he didn't need Brian killing him again over a different issue.

"I've been thrown in the mud enough times growing up with that girl to know better," Teagan laughed, trying to figure out the moves. "You weren't kidding when you said you could salsa."

"Need a quick lesson," Howie chuckled, watching her stumble slightly in her thick heels.

"Please," Teagan nodded thankfully.

"Okay," Howie agreed, stopping for a moment. He put Teagan's hands onto his shoulders and then gently grasped her lean hips. They both glanced toward their feet as he slowly started through the various movements, going slow enough so she could observe. "Just let me know when you want to go faster, okay?"

"Okay..." Teagan concentrated on the moves for a few minutes before she began to get the hang of it. "Let's go faster, now."

"You sure?" he laughed, noticing her dark blue-gray eyes spark with determination.

"Positive. Lay it on me, Dorky Dwaine."

"I'm not laying anything on you, alright?" he teased, stepping towards her to start the faster pace.

"Oh yeah, the mud thing. No, laying stuff on me would be bad," she laughed, moving right along with his movements.

"I've never seen her get so jealous like that, you know?" Howie pondered aloud, sweeping Teagan around the dance floor as most kept their eyes on the couple in the center.

"Believe me, neither have I. But I think it's cute, because that means she really does love and care about you," Teagan replied, waving to Oriana as she saw them over Luke's shoulder. She mouthed 'Thank you' and Teagan winked in reply. "It just those girls in band and most of the cheerleaders are jealous that you're with someone like Oriana and not them. So, they try to get your attention away from her."

"They could never take my attention away from her," Howie breathed with a soft sigh, still keeping a trained eye upon Luke and Oriana while concentrating on Teagan. "God couldn't even keep my attention away from her."

"I know that, Howie. But Oriana's really insecure about things like that, and she needs to be reassured of that," Teagan replied sympathetically.

"The girl can read my eyes, Teag... She should already know—"

"Just keep telling her all those sweet things you tell everyone else when they ask about her," Teagan encouraged, affectionately kissing Howie's forehead. "She needs that. Along with the whole beautiful speech I know you gave her upstairs. She doesn't trust in herself enough, when we all know she's gorgeous... Damn, she could run me out of the title as most popular..."

"Okay, I really can't say anything without getting smacked in that area," Howie laughed as the music abruptly ended and a round of applause erupted for Oriana and Luke. He smiled down at Teagan. "Because, on one side, no one could ever take your place as most popular. You're gorgeous Major T and everyone knows it. But on the other hand, Oriana's got the key to my heart and no one can be more beautiful to me than her."

"That's a very good answer," Teagan approved with a smile, giving Howie a hug. "No wonder Oriana loves you so much."

"Yeah, you just remember Brian loves you just the same," Howie replied soft, squeezing Teagan. He tried to turn from the major group of people, watching boys rush to join the next salsa dance with Oriana. He didn't want to see that outcome, so he decided to use his golden heart. Truth be told, he didn't agree with Brian right now, but he couldn't hardly allow Teagan to tear away from him. "Brian may be going through some shitty stuff right now and I don't agree with his attitude, but... He loves you and he's a different person around you... You know?"

"Yeah, a different person that calls me a suffocating bitch with a big-ass mouth," Teagan muttered, looking down at her feet. She may have been cruel with words, but Brian's actions at the game had been uncalled for. "He wanted to crash the car just so I would stop lecturing him. But he had thrown the game on purpose, Howie! I know he did and he deserved a lecture!"

"Yeah, he deserved everything he got tonight... And I really can't tell you what to do tonight, because I'm not exactly on the best terms with him right now. But I do know you make him different and you make him see that the world's not such a bad place, even for a selfish brat like him," Howie gently explained, rubbing Teagan's shoulders.

"I know," Teagan sniffed, taking a deep breath. "He just really scared me deep inside, you know? It was almost like Xander again with his spiteful words and actions..."

"Brian would never hurt you."

"He almost did tonight, Howie."

"How—"

"Come on, let's dance."

"Teag—"

"I overreact all the time, I don't even think he was close to hurting me. Don't worry about it, okay?" Teagan looked up with a quivering smile.

"Would you just tell me what you think happened?" Howie groaned, gently leading her away from the dance floor. He didn't know whether to suspect if Teagan was correct or not. Brian had never struck one of his girlfriends before, but with Oriana...

"It's stupid, Howie—"

"I'll let you know if it is. Just talk to me, Teag."

“I'm telling you it's stupid. I didn't mean he almost hurt me, because the car didn't crash. We just came really close all the way home is all," Teagan bit on her nails.

"Are you sure?"

"I banged my head on the window from a sharp turn, but he never hit me. Like I said before, it was a stupid thing to say because he didn't hurt—"

"Is your head okay?" Howie instantly responded, bringing two gentle hands into her short locks. He peered down where she had rubbed, noticing just a small bump. He affectionately kissed it. Teagan laughed in surprise as he stared into her eyes. "If it makes you feel better, the boy’s a demon on the road whenever he's pissed or excited. He's almost killed Alex a dozen of times. Not that it excuses him from what he did... But, I know he'd never hurt you purposely..."

"I know that he wouldn't, deep in my heart. But then my brain screams out about past boyfriends..." Teagan sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. "I just want to take the whole fight back, even if I wasn't in the wrong."

"Funny how that happens when you fall in love, huh?" Howie chuckled faintly.

"Yeah... I just don't think he would want to talk to me after all the things we called each other."

"Never know unless you try," Howie replied with a simple shrug, hearing someone loudly clear a throat from behind.

"I leave for three salsa songs and I come back to this! Teagan Gabrielle, I told you to dance with my boyfriend, not steal him!" Oriana exaggerated as if she were one of their infamous cheerleaders. She annoyingly tapped her foot upon the ground while flickering her layers of hair behind her shoulders with a smack of her lips. Luke muffled a laugh behind, knowing her impression was quite accurate.

"I don't see your name on him!" Teagan spat back in the same manner, standing on her feet and snapped her fingers with a crank of her neck, causing Howie to burst out laughing.

"Oh no you didn't!" Oriana exclaimed.

"Oh yes I did! What you gonna do 'bout it?!"

"I'm... I'm... I'm taking my Louie for a romp!" Oriana growled with a frustrated pout, pretending to smolder a kiss onto Lou's awaiting lips, though no one noticed her good hand slip between their mouths for safety measures.

"Scandalicious!" Teagan laughed, clapping.

"Mmm, you're telling me," Oriana purred with approval as she peeled back from Lou, licking her bottom lip with seduction. She kept close to his side, affectionately playing with the collar of his shirt.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" Lou whispered, noticing fire lighting within Howie's dark eyes. He tried to take a step back from Oriana as if going to the bathroom, but she kept hold, running her hand down the length of his arm. Usually, he wouldn't be too frightened of another man, considering he was a football team. But boys that fell for Oriana always had a way of becoming fiercely protective. And Howie seemed like not the type of person to mess with in that area.

"Having fun?" Oriana purred softly with a sensual pout. "What, we can't have fun?"

"This isn't fun," Lou disagreed, shaking his head.

"Because of him?" Oriana drawled, flicking her eyes back to Howie as if she were uninterested.

"Last time I checked, he was your boyfriend. C'mon, Ori, this isn't a funny joke anymore—"

"What joke?" Oriana deadpanned with the utmost seriousness, causing Lou and Howie to freeze in their places. She batted her long eyelashes at Lou with another innocent smile. "C'mon, Lou. You've always tackled me on the field, how about a little tackling off the field?"

"Oriana!" Lou gasped in shock.

"What?" she denounced innocently.

"I...uh... I think I need a drink," Lou blurted, stumbling away from the group. He backed into a chair, actually falling into the seat, before he and the chair tumbled to the floor. Luke broke into a hysterical laughter as Lou ran to the bathroom in hopes to rescue himself from a brutal beating.

"And that's why I never dated Lou," Oriana recalled with her infamous giggle.

"I knew it was a joke!" Teagan exclaimed, pushing on Oriana's shoulder. "Damn, girl!"

"What?" Oriana yelped with a small smile as Teagan accidentally hit her right shoulder. Oriana shied away for just a moment to rub off the pain, her eyes immediately casting to Howie. "You knew it was a joke, right?"

"A joke? Some joke..." Howie muttered, feeling hurt.

Luke's eyes grew wide for just a moment, already sensing the hostility throughout the room. He glanced to Teagan, immediately leading her out onto the dance floor for a quick dance, even if Teagan was eager to get home to Brian. Oriana really didn't seem to notice as she focused on Howie's pained chocolate eyes. She winced subconsciously, running her good hand down his cheek. "What's wrong?"

Howie sighed, biting his bottom lip. "It really looked like you were serious with Lou... I mean, he's a big, strong football player... I wouldn't blame you if—"

"What? That kiss thing?" she laughed, unable to keep from interrupting him.

"No, the whole thing. It seemed like you were pretty interested in hooking up with him..." Howie replied, his face like stone and eyes still radiating pain.

Oriana fell quiet when she noticed the deep flickers or remorse and agony embedded within Howie's soulful eyes. She glanced downward for a moment, understanding the conflict. Christina had branded him just like her mother's boyfriends had branded her. They both had come from rocky places. Howie needed just as much consoling as Oriana did. She sighed as she stepped toward him. "I could never be interested in anyone like I'm interested in you. Besides, have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Saying Lou's a beast, damn, Baby..." Oriana affectionately slipped her hand beneath his wife-beater to run her hand down the length of his chest to his lower torso. "You're rippled to perfection, trust me."

"B-But—"

"You're perfect and you're the only person I want to be with, okay? It was all a joke, but I should have remembered everything that happened in your past and I didn't. I'm sorry."

“Ria---"

"I only have eyes for you. Only you," she repeated firmly, standing on her tip-toes to capture Howie's lips in a sensually sweet kiss.

"Ria--"

"Do I have to stop you again with a kiss?"

"No...Yes...Please?"

"Does that mean you forgive me?"

"Do I get another kiss is I say yes?"

"What do you think?" she laughed, quickly leaning up to kiss him before he could say yes or no as a bonus.

"Then yes, I forgive you. I know you're not ready to say it... but I do love you, Ria. More than anything," Howie whispered, cupping her chin.

Oriana's soft blue-green eyes stared with awe into Howie's sweet chocolate orbs. Her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. Never had he said it with such conviction or determination. "R-Really?"

"Really. Never forget that, alright?" Howie replied, gently pulling their lips together for a kiss.

"Now that was the cutest thing I have ever seen!" Teagan gushed as she waited for them to part. She affectionately threw her arms around Oriana's shoulders, kissing the younger girl's cheek. "What'cha say to taking me home so I can do the same?"

"I knew that was coming," Oriana groaned with an affectionate smile, reaching to squeeze Howie's hand.

"Well, you can thank your boyfriend for that," Teagan laughed, leaning over to kiss Howie's cheek as well. "Thanks again, Dorky Dwaine."

"You're welcome," Howie approved, kissing her back.

"Hey, those are for me," Oriana pouted.

"Okay!" they both bent down and kissed Oriana's cheeks on each side.

"Hey, that was cheek, I meant here," she pouted further, tapping her glossed lips.

"That's Howie's territory, not mine," Teagan shook her head with a laugh.

"Please, you've kissed me there plenty of times, not in public...but..." Oriana thoughts were cut when Howie grabbed her by the hips to pull her in. She gasped softly as her lips met with his for a sweltering kiss, causing her insides to melt. "Was that for the road or what?"

"No, this one was," he replied with a wink, delivering an even stronger kiss.

"Mmm," she whimpered softly into his mouth, feeling her feet slightly give as she became dizzy with excitement and the sheer thrill.

"DAMN!" Teagan hooted, clapping her hands.

"We've got to go..." Oriana whispered, finally pulling away from Howie in shock. She had never felt so tightly wound before. He knew the exact way to erupt such a steep flood of romantic hormones into her system, yet he didn't even seem to understand.

"I'll go find Alex, you girls head to the car," Howie pulled out the Hummer keys and tossed them to Teagan. He kissed Oriana's forehead and went out to search for the lost group member among the sea of girls.

"What was that all about?!" Teagan squealed excitedly into Oriana's ear, immediately threading her arm through Oriana's arm as they shifted through the crowds.

"What? The kisses?" Oriana played dumb.

"Yes, the kisses! Those were freaking hot! I could see your legs give a little, too."

"No..." Oriana trailed with a deep blush.

"Did too, did too!"

"What's the big deal if they did?"

"It only means one thing. You love—"

"Well if it isn't my two favorite girls!" a familiar voice cackled from behind them, causing Teagan to immediately lurch in fear. She was about to break into a run for the door, but Xander caught her roughly by the upper arm while threading his arm around Oriana's hip. "My, my, my, Cherry-Bomb has certainly grown up, hasn't she, Teagie?"

"Damnit, Xander! You gave me your word!" Teagan blurted, trying to get out of his grasp.

"Ah, ah, ah," Xander cooed, immediately hoisting her backward. He pressed his face in between the girls' heads, mashing their cheeks to his. "Maybe for you... But not your little Wild-Cherry-Bomb. She could use a night of loving... Hell, we could even go out of town and get a nice tattoo on this hip of hers..." Xander grinned mechanically as he furiously squeezed Oriana's hip with a crushing pain before moving to palm her behind and Teagan's breast. "Or maybe her ass and one on your tit..."

But, Oriana quickly countered as Teagan freaked. She grabbed Xander roughly by the arm, yanking it backward and twisting it upward. She pulled it further up the length of his back to initiate a break with once swift move. Xander yelped with a furious pain, but Oriana maintained the hold with only one hand. "Who the Hell do you think you are? I told you once and I've told you twice, leave my Gabby alone. I'm not up for your damn games."

"Let go of my fucking arm, bitch—" he yelped again as she yanked his arm harder.

"I can easily break your arm right now, if you want me to. Then it'll be REALLY easy for the cops to find you if you come near my Gabby again!"

"Damnit, Oriana! Stop!" Teagan yelped in shock as Xander struggled beneath Oriana's crushing grip. She feared that Oriana would be severely beaten by Xander. Oriana wasn't as strong with a broken arm and Xander could damage it more. Naturally, Teagan feared for Oriana's life after Xander's threatening remarks made that day in the school parking lot. He was out to exact revenge on Teagan, knowing her true weakness lay within Oriana.

"No, I'm fucking tired of this asshole chasing you around trying to scare you all the time. He's going to know the meaning of a restraining order! Get the fuck outside, Jerk," Oriana growled, pulling his arm upward further behind his back. Xander actually rose to his tip-toes as Oriana shoved him violently toward the exit. He tipped up yet again as she yanked further, causing him to yelp wildly.

Oriana kicked her foot into the back of his knee, causing him to stumble to the cold ground outside the club. His friends closely followed along with others, but Oriana didn't care what embarrassment Xander suffered. "How does it feel, Xanie? Forced down on the ground without a second's notice as a sharp pain invades your body. Do you feel inferior? Because, damnit, you should. That's what you made Teagan suffer through every damn day and frankly, I think you should know what it feels like!"

"Oriana, don't! He won't learn anything from this!" Teagan begged, trying to pull Oriana away. She may have been afraid of Xander, but she would rather have herself get hurt than her best friend.

"Xander..." Oriana was almost prepared to break the bastard's arm, but Teagan tugged furiously upon Oriana's pants like a flustered child. Oriana turned for a moment, noticing the tears actually staring to trickle down the length of Teagan's usually sunny face. Oriana grunted with a sigh, releasing Xander's arm and kicking him squarely in the back to cause him to fall forward. "Get the fuck out of my sight, you freaking Walking STD and don't bother my Teagan again. You fucking hear me?"

"You're going to be sorry. The both of you," Xander grunted as he climbed to his feet, cradling his right arm that Oriana at least sprained.

"Sorry that we ever laid eyes on your sorry ass," Oriana snorted as a few members of the clouded circle started to snicker with amusement, flaring Xander's frustrations.

"She's fucking dead, Teagan. Do you hear me? I'm going to slit her throat from ear to ear, saw her head off, and put it in your bed!" Xander growled as his friends started to pull him away, noticing someone start to dial for the police.

"You're not going anywhere NEAR her, you sick fuck!" Teagan finally snapped, lurching towards Xander in a fit of rage. Hearing those words had finally set her off. Throughout the abusive relationship, he had always threatened to kill Oriana and this time was the breaking point.

"Damnit, Xander! Stop fucking around! Let's go!" a gruff man barked as Howie and Alex started to break through the crowd with shouts of threats.

"She's dead, Teagan! Do you hear me?! I'm going to slaughter her when you least expect it and force you to drink her blood! How about that?!" Xander screamed as he was pulled toward a sleek black car, continuing to rage about Oriana. "You're dead, Bitch! Fucking dead!"

"Just get the Hell on," Oriana murmured, watching the car hurriedly peel from the scene before more trouble could arise.

Teagan turned to Oriana and enveloped her in a fierce hug. "God, Duckie, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault—"

"It's not your fault," Oriana wheezed as Teagan practically crushed Oriana's lean body against her own. Tears were already started to soak Oriana's bare shoulders as Teagan shook furiously with disbelief and fear. Oriana sighed, pulling the cast out of the sling so she couldn't feel the agonizing pressure from Teagan's hug. She let it hang limp as she wrapped her other arm around Teagan's neck for comfort. "C'mon, he was just talking shit to scare you."

"He's carried out his threats before on me! I don't know what I would do if something happened to you—"

"Nothing's going to happen to me, okay? I plan on staying around here for a long time, just to drive my Gabby crazy," Oriana interrupted, gently running her fingers through the back of Teagan's locks.

"You don't understand!" Teagan sobbed further, not relieved by Oriana's simple gesture. "He's always threatened to kill you, but I stood up for you... That's how I got hurt, I let him take it out on me. But, I'll go crazy without you! You can't do that anymore! You can't yell at him! He's crazy! He's going to come back tonight and get us! We've got to lock all the doors and...and... He's going to kill you, Duc—"

"Are you two okay?" Howie breathed in shock as he finally pushed toward the middle of the crowd, breaking free with Alex. They had heard the commotion and struggled to aid in the girls' rescue, but everyone had seemingly blocked them. Howie's heart slammed against his ribcage as he hurriedly cupped both of the girls' cheeks in search of injuries. "What happened?"

"We're fine," Oriana objected, pulling away from Howie's touch. She bent down to gently kiss
Teagan's forehead. "C'mon, let's go home."

"He's going to get us, I know it!" Teagan sniffed, burying her face in the crook of Oriana's neck. "He's going to get us!"

"Teagan, you're such a drama queen," Oriana teased, trying to lighten the situation as Alex reached them. She avoided the boys' shocked gazes, knowing that they were becoming all too familiar with the emotions that leaked through her eyes. Truth be told, Xander's words had chilled her very core. Seeing Teagan in the hospital during their junior year from Xander's 'threats' continued to play throughout Oriana's head. She had been the first to stumble upon Teagan's battered body, which still gave her nightmares. The idea of Xander threatening Oriana with worse punishment just made her sick.

"But he will! Lock the doors, the bay windows... no, ALL the windows... then we have to set the alarm! Do you have a baseball bat and mase—"

"Let's just get to the car first, then we'll worry about setting up for Armageddon at home, alright?" Oriana groaned, feeling Teagan cling especially tighter to her side. Oriana flicked her eyes upward to catch Luke and the rest of the football team eyeing her cautiously. She mustered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, guys. Not much of a pick-me-up, huh?"

"Are you girls alright?" Gabe asked, noticing Teagan's body tremble violently as she clung onto Oriana.

"We'll be fine," Oriana promised as Teagan whimpered pathetically into the crook of Oriana's neck. Teagan finally seemed to be loosing all control with Xander's last threat, but Oriana refused to crumble. "She just needs a warm bath with my rubber ducky."

"Are you sure?" Luke replied with an open frown. He had heard Xander's threats and didn't like the idea of Oriana leaving their sight.

"Yes, we're just going to go home. We can salsa again another time, okay, Luke?" Oriana replied, gently nudging Teagan toward the Hummer. Teagan clung tighter, refusing to walk alone without being attached to Oriana.

"We could always hang out at your house for awhile—"

"Thanks, but not tonight. Luke, everything's fine, really. Don't worry about us."

"Cherry-Bomb, I don't like the idea of you being alone tonight with that psycho—"

"That psycho has been around for almost two years, Luke. If he wanted to kill me; he would have done it already," Oriana groaned, causing Teagan to squeeze tighter. Oriana yelped, hurriedly whispering some kind of soothing words to Teagan to relax her grip. She glanced back to Luke with an apologetic smile. "I'm going to be fine, okay? We're going to be fine—"

"I still don't like the idea of you being alone--"

"Howie and Alex are going to be there, so I won't be alone. I'll give you a call tomorrow, okay? I promise," Oriana replied, rubbing Teagan's back to keep her calm. "But I really need to get her home so she can relax."

"Relax?! You expect me to relax with Xander out there?" Teagan blurted, choking back a sob.

"Yes, I expect you to relax... Damnit, even if I have to give you a Valium to make you relax," Oriana forced, offering yet another smile to her team-mates before moving Teagan toward the car.

"Wait, you promise you guys are going to be there tonight? You won't let her out of your sight?" Luke yelped, immediately reaching to grab Howie's upper arm before they could catch the girls. Luke was used to Oriana promising one thing about her safety then doing another. Usually, she would be by herself at night and the team wasn't agreeing with that.

"I'm going to be there all night, and Alex lives there. We'll keep an eye on her, I promise," Howie replied, watching Oriana pry herself off Teagan to get her into the Hummer before climbing in herself.

"Howie, we're trusting you with some special cargo. A piece of cargo that is a large chunk of all our hearts," Luke impressed, wanting Howie to see the severity of their thoughts.

"I understand that, Luke. She's my life, and I won't let anything happen to her," Howie replied honestly.

"Okay," Luke relented, finally taking the time to inhale. "Thanks, Howie. We really appreciate it."
"No need to thank me. See you guys later," Howie gave a small smile and waved before he headed to the car with Alex in tow.

"Um, D, I have a small problem..." Alex finally announced after a few seconds of contemplation, watching Oriana ease out of the Hummer for a few minutes. She paused, immediately leaning back in to obviously secure Teagan's fears. Alex sighed, "Maybe we should drop you off at home tonight..."

"What the Hell are you talking about? I'm not going home," Howie objected, stopping for a moment.

"I'm talking about my brother..." Alex tried to explain, noticing the immediate fire licking at Howie's irises. He backed for a moment, holding his hands up in defense. "It's not that I don't want you to be with Ry, but I got to thinking. He had a major blow-out with Teag tonight… He's probably blaming Ry for this mess and will be looking to strike at her. What if he starts telling Mom and Dad that you two are sleeping around or something? Dude, that'd be a damn massacre. Especially if you come home tonight with us and spend the entire night with Ry. We should just drop you off—"

"I'm not going home, damnit. I promised the team I would protect her and I'll be damned if anyone's going to be stop me," Howie interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I understand that, but Howie, you will be damned if Mom and Dad get hold of you for having sex with Ry."

"But I haven't!"

"I know that, but what's to stop Brian from saying you have?"

"Well, he doesn't have proof for one thing? And your dad knows that I wouldn't do that with Oriana, because neither of us are ready."

"But with the way you two act sometimes, it looks like you're ready. Can you just for once try to understand where I'm coming from? I know you're bound and determined to spend the night..." Alex groaned softly as he listened to Teagan erupt into another list of hysterics about a trunk. "If you're bound and determined to spend the night, will you at least crash in my room to protect your relationship?"

"But—"

"D, please."

"Alright... I'll stay in your room tonight," Howie relented.

"Thank you. It's for the best, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay," Alex replied with confirmation, moving toward the passenger side. He reached for the handle and pulled, only to notice it was locked. He jiggled it for a moment, only to hear Teagan's incessant babbling about locking all doors.

"Damnit, Teagan Gabrielle," Oriana grunted, pulling hard on her lanyard that Teagan's fingers gripped like a vice. "Give...me...the...fucking...KEYS!" Oriana yelped in surprise as she stumbled backward, finally freeing the keys from Teagan's grasp as she hurriedly ducked down between the seats to be shielded from the trunk. Oriana rolled her eyes with frustration, turning to see Howie standing behind her. She offered him a soft smile, immediately noting the murky color of his usually vibrant eyes. "You okay, Babe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine—"

"Don't lie, you're horrible at it."

"I'm just worried about you," he confessed softly, reaching out to rub his thumb across her cheek. "I heard what he said, Ria. That's not something to take so lightly, you know?"

"I can handle myself," Oriana disagreed, leaning up to capture his lips into a sweet kiss in hopes to distract his thoughts.

"I know, but that's what Teagan thought junior year and I don't need to tell you what happened. I'm worried," he replied, now cupping her cheek. "You can't blame me for being worried when someone like him threatens the love of my life."

"No, I can't blame you for being worried," she whispered faintly, listening to Alex start to bicker with Teagan about opening the doors. "But, just trust me, I'm going to be fine."

"I love you," he whispered, pulling her in for a gentle hug.

"Yeah, I know," she laughed faintly, feeling better just being in his arms. She rubbed her hand along Howie's back for a moment, just inhaling the sweet scent of his cologne. "But you'd love me even more if you'd drive on the way home so I can keep Teagan from killing my car."

"Deal," he smiled softly, kissing the top of her head before leading them to the car.
The Last Dance by Anastacia
Chapter 33 – The Last Dance

Brian felt absolutely miserable as he collapsed onto his large bed, grabbing the nearest tennis ball. The anger that had flamed high within his soul had soon simmered into a few burning coals. His emotions had been so wild since Oriana and Teagan had entered into his life. He didn't know what he could possibly do to fix the fiasco. Hopelessly alone, he stared at the ball for a few moments, wondering how things between Teagan and himself had gone so wrong in such a short fight. The football game didn't even seem to register in his mind, because Teagan was far more important. He would dump the team in a second, but wouldn't chance the idea of losing Teagan for an eternity. He began to bounce it heavily against the wall, trying to decide if groveling would be the best way to get Teagan back.

"We've got to check everywhere in the house. He could get in while we're sleeping, Riana! We're lucky enough he didn't get in the Hummer through the trunk on the way back," Teagan's voice floated through the house, her tone full of paranoia and fear.

"Honestly, Teagan, I've never seen you this out of your skin before over Xander. He threatens me once and you're ready to throw us in a hole for an entire century," Oriana's voice quickly countered as the door slammed, causing Brian to sit up in the bed and miss the tennis ball. He immediately scrambled off the bed and placed his ear against the door to hear better.

"No, this is the second time he's threatened to hurt you! He PROMISED to stay away from me after I gave him that three hundred bucks. He was following me, I know it. Him being at Eclipse was no coincidence tonight. And then he touched us... God, I think I'll need to scald myself tonight!" Teagan started to look in all the closets to make sure no one had gotten into the house.

"A promise from him is like a rattlesnake purring.... Damnit, Teagan, get out of the closets!"

"But what if he—"

"He's not in the closets. He's not in the bedrooms. He's not in the bathrooms. He's not in the living room. He's not in the basement. He's not in the kitchen. He's not going to murder us in our sleep. He's not going to hurt me. And I'm not going to let him hurt you. Just go upstairs and talk to Brian like I know you want to. Just forget about Xander, keep close to people and the next time he shows up, call the damn cops!"

"Alright," Teagan sighed heavily, hugging Oriana. "Thank you... for everything, you know?"

"You mean for actually staying away from the club because you're acting like a paranoid mother?"

"Oriana Ryan—"

"It's the damn truth, so why don't you get up those stairs and talk to lover-boy so I can actually get a Pepsi and relax?"

"I'm going, I'm going..." Teagan went halfway up the stairs and stopped. She turned around with a worried look on her face. "What if he doesn't want to work things out?"

"Now that's a stupid question right there, Gabby. Of course he does," Oriana replied, swallowing her anger once again towards Brian to help her friend out. She understood how important he was to Teagan.

"But—"

"He loves you," Oriana repeated.

Brian stepped back from his door as Teagan's footsteps grew faster. He yelped in surprise, knowing he had to be in the perfect position. He turned to jump on his bed, but the tennis ball caught under his foot. Brian cursed in surprise as he tumbled onto the bed and off to the side. He groaned in contempt as his head bounced lightly against the wall. "Damnit!"

"Brian?" there was a knock at his door.

"Come in," he squeaked, struggling to get off the floor. His efforts proved useless, however, because he kept slipping on the pile of clothes beneath his feet.

Teagan opened the door and carefully walked in. She stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of Brian trying to get back on his feet. A snicker escaped her lips before she clamped a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing. "What are you doing?"

"New training for football," Brian bluffed, grasping onto the covers of his bed. He yanked hard on the cover to pull himself up, but the cover loosened and he fell back against the wall. "Damnit!"

"Interesting training..." Teagan couldn't hold back and just started laughing hysterically. She fell onto his bed and buried her head in his pillow, hoping to calm down.

"Keeps me fit and toned," he yelped, finally making it onto the bed.

"Is it that, or are you just having a lot of problems?" she asked, removing her head from the pillow.

"A tennis ball got in my way," Brian admitted with a huff.

"You alright now?"

"Once I run the tennis ball over with a lawnmower...yeah."

"Just don't kill yourself in the process," Teagan replied, leaning on her elbow. She wanted to be closer to Brian, but was unsure.

"No clothes to trip on in the front yard.”

"True…"

"Look, Teags—"

"I don't want to fight anymore. I don't like fighting with you."

"Me either. And I didn't mean to push you to get out of the car. Coach was just riding me so hard and I hate when people just dog me out of no where. Truth is, yeah, I have a temper, but it hasn't been this bad before. I'm sorry about jumping your case when you were only trying to help..."

"I know, and I'm sorry I didn't stop. I just wanted you to understand and listen... we've never lost before, and that was hard to handle, too. I didn't mean to make you mad..."

"You weren't the one that made me mad---"

"I didn't help the situation."

"It was just stupid."

"It was. I really wish we hadn't fought tonight, it would have been nice to dance with someone at Eclipse for longer than five minutes."

"Who'd you dance with?" Brian countered, submerging his jealousy. He hated the idea of Teagan dancing with anyone but him, but also knew he had to learn to control his streaks of hatred.

"Just your brother and Howie. I didn't feel the music, and I missed you. That's why I'm home so early," Teagan replied, refusing to add that she scared Alex with her behavior.

"Oh..." he trailed, cupping her cheek with his warm hand.

She leaned her cheek against his hand, missing the soft touches. "Next time, you're going with me. I'm never going there without you again..."

"Deal, Baby," Brian agreed, running his thumb against her cupped cheek.

"I love you. Don't forget that, okay? Even if I'm acting like an eejit, I love you regardless." Teagan replied softly.

"Eejit?" Brian asked.

"An idiot."

"Oh, alright. No matter how much of a beast I can be, I love you regardless, too."

Teagan leaned in and kissed him deeply. "Time to mark this on the calendar. This is the make-up of our first big fight."

"That's on the wall and there's no way in Hell I'm getting off this bed with those deadly clothes and tennis balls lurking."

She laughed, running her hand through his messy locks. "You're pretty agile on the field, but anywhere else... Darling, you're hopeless."

"I was agile enough to flip over the bed!"

"After you tripped on the tennis ball?"

"Yeah, and I was pretty graceful with the landing on my head!" Brian protested, causing Teagan to laugh harder. Brian wrinkled his brow in confusion. "I'm being serious."

"How is that serious?" she asked between bursts of laughter.

"Because I said so?"

"Sorry, doesn't work that way," Teagan pounced on him, straddling his hips.

"Well, damnit, it should!"

"Maybe it does in Bri-Bri's World," she leaned down and started kissing his neck. "But not in Teag's World."

"We've only been apart for a few hours and I was missing you like crazy," Brian murmured, thankful that Oriana hadn't entered the conversation once. He just wanted to forget the horrors she caused in his life, focusing upon Teagan. He smiled, tilting his head so Teagan could continue her tiniest of kisses. He ran his hands down her back, hearing her breath slightly catch against his warm skin.

"I missed you so much. It's lonely going anywhere without you," Teagan whispered, her kisses leading upwards to his jaw line. It was her favorite place to kiss, though she couldn't explain why.

"It's lonely not having you here beside me."

"From now on, I will always be right beside you."

"Oh yeah?" he chuckled, tangling his hands in her locks.

"Yep!" she smiled against his skin, nipping a little more before looking into his eyes. "When are Ma and Kevin going out of town?"

"Saturday till Tuesday to finish wedding plans with my Grandparents in Kentucky," Brian replied, deciding to plant kisses of his own against Teagan's throat. He immediately pulled Teagan down so she was lying against his body as if they were one. He smiled as her blue-gray eyes twinkled with delight. "I figure, we have Friday and Monday off for whatever reason, so I make plans for us from Saturday till Monday, making sure that the two little dweebs are out of the house on Saturday night?"

"Sounds like a perfect weekend alone," Teagan agreed, resting her forehead against his. It was as if they had never thought, and she liked to finally have someone who forgives and forgets. "I'll even make you dinner Saturday night. I have the perfect meal for you."

"Sounds good to me," Brian chuckled, making a note to get the two younger siblings out of the house.

"Well... it's still early. What should we do?" Teagan asked, playing with the hairs on the back of his neck.

"Go out for some pizza?"

"Extra cheese?"

"If I get to have extra sauce and extra cheese."

"Deal, if we can stop by Cold Stone after for some ice cream."

"Are you trying to make me slower for the games?"

"Me? Nuh-uh! Teagan's innocent."

"Yeah, right, but we're taking your car, because you cracked my side window."

She winced. "I did do that, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did."

"I'm really sorry... I'll pay for that."

"Don't worry about it. I'll hassle Dad for some cash. C'mon, our pizza's waiting," Brian decided, offering a warm kiss before pushing Teagan gently off him.

"Before we go, can I borrow a sweatshirt? It's kind of cool out to be wearing this," Teagan looked down at her halter top and tried not to freak out as she noticed red marks from Xander's hands on her sides.

"Sure, you can have my favorite UK sweatshirt," Brian decided, leaping over the large pile of clothing he had previously tripped on to reach his closet. He quickly grabbed his favorite item of clothing, tossing it in Teagan's direction. "So, were you planning on telling me that Xander stepped up to you again and put those marks on your side?"

She quickly pulled the hoodie over her head so her hair wouldn't get messed up. "You heard me downstairs?"

"Kind of hard not to when you're having a panic attack and almost shouting."

"I didn’t want to say anything because... well, we were making up after our argument, I didn't want to make it worse."

"It's not worse. I'm just worried about you. What happened?"

"He said he was just going in to drink, but I know he was following me from the house. Riana was going to drive me back, when he stopped us both. Started making all these rude and nasty comments... threats involved, as always. I couldn't even move, I was scared he would do something worse than cut up my neck from last time," Teagan took a deep breath before continuing. "Riana got tired of his mouth and yanked his arm behind his back, throwing him out of the club with the rest of his idiot buddies. I want him to die, Brian. I really do..."

"I'd kill him, but it'd be illegal. Oriana really threw him out of the club?" Brian asked, slightly impressed.

"Yeah, she almost broke his arm. She's really strong when provoked, just like you."

"I guess I owe her that much."

"Wow, wait a minute. Are you... agreeing with me about something positive on Riana?" she asked, more than a little surprised.

"No, I'm just saying I owe her for protecting you. Don't read too much into it, Teagan," Brian warned with a snort, trying to cover up his lapse in judgment.

"Can't blame me for trying."

"Hopefully that mark won't turn into a bruise..."

"If so, I'm wearing sweatshirts all week."

"You just need a longer t-shirt."

"I don't have any. I'm just going to have to hope it doesn't bruise."

"Or you can borrow a couple of my t-shirts."

"Are they UK shirts?" she asked hopefully.

"You think you're getting all my UK shirts?" Brian laughed.

"If I beg enough, I would," Teagan smiled as he took his hand in hers.

"How about we stop at the mall tomorrow and pick you up some UK shirts?"

"Mall? Shopping? With my loving boyfriend by my side... to carry the bags? I'm in!"

"Alright, let's start on pizza first."

"With extra sauce, extra cheese and ice cream after, right?"

"Yes," he promised, kissing her hand.

"I love you, Brian."

"Love you, too, Sweetheart."

*~*~*


Oriana felt herself sigh with relief as she watched Teagan slip behind Brian's door. She caught herself praying that Brian would calm Teagan's paranoia as she traveled into her own bedroom. She figured Howie and Alex were continuing their previous conversation downstairs, so she was alone again. She threw open the door and immediately reached toward the right side of her wall. She smiled in victory as she located the remote to her large CD player that she had Velcro’ed to the doorway for easy access. She pushed the play button, remembering her 80's mix was pumping. Feeling the vibe of the music pulsate through her veins, she crossed toward the full-length mirror her mother had insisted on buying. She pulled her halter top free from her body to stare at her upper half in the light blue sport's bra. She turned slightly to observe her back, wincing slightly as she found a matching pair of handprints near the small of her back where Xander insisted she needed a tattoo.

She frowned slightly, continuing to stare at the darkening marks. She knew they would turn into bruises, because she had too much experience in that area with her mother’s previous boyfriends. She gently ran her fingers against the tender area, realizing she hadn't fooled herself as much as she had fooled Teagan. She was fearful of what Xander might do to Teagan and herself. She figured his wrath against her might not be as self-destructing as what she had been through. But she still had nightmares about finding Teagan's bloody body that horrifying day.

Trying to shrug off the fear, Oriana started to sing along with 'I Wear My Sunglasses At Night', bopping her head along with the heavy beat. She walked into her closet and changed into a wife-beater and her lucky rubber ducky boxers. "Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades/ Oh no/ Don't masquerade with the guy in shades/Oh no/ I can't believe it/ You got it made with the guy in shades/ Oh no..." She danced around her room, eyes closed as she tried to lose her problems in the music.

"Going way old school, huh?" a voice called out, startling Oriana greatly. She jumped in surprise and immediately curled her hands into fists to protect her face. Howie offered her a confused look as he knitted his eyebrows together. "Your door was...uh...open..."

Oriana stared at him for a moment, blanking at the thought. She had always been careful of shutting and locking her door after the first boyfriend who had assaulted her. She tugged hard at her crimped locks, wondering how she could have been so foolish. What if Kevin had turned for a brief moment inside a desire of hate or lust? "Damnit, I'm so stupid!"

"So stupid about what?" Howie replied, still confused as she quickly turned down the music. "Ria, are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, tightening her ponytail.

"Because, like I said earlier, I can see it in your eyes," Howie expressed, noticing her posture tense as she stood by her CD player. He took a step forward and she bumped directly into the stand holding her CD player. He arched his eyebrows in question yet again. "See?"

"Sorry..." she apologized immediately, feeling foolish.

"You don't need to say you're sorry. Just tell me what's wrong instead of trying to shrug it off. What's wrong?" Howie replied as Oriana quickly put in another CD and played it softly. She walked over to her bed and sat down, clutching her broken arm close to her chest.

"I haven't let my door open or unlocked in awhile..." she said quietly, hoping that would be enough for him. She honestly felt that she could trust him with everything in her heart, but she still felt embarrassed and disgusted by her past horrors. Nor did she want Howie telling Teagan that she was honestly worried about Xander. She was the strong one in the relationship, whether Teagan cared to admit that or not. Teagan could wilt at any time, but Oriana had to maintain a stone-like appearance for the sake of their entire family.

"Is that a good thing?" Howie replied, sitting down next to her. He had a feeling there was something really deep in what she just said, but knew better than to push it.

"It's not a good thing..." she trailed, tucking her long legs beneath her. She stared toward the CD player, concentrating on the glowing letters and numbers, hoping to almost float away from the conversation.

"Oh," They were silent for a moment when 'I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)' by Meatloaf. Oriana's favorite singer, played gently through the speakers. Howie began to sing along. "And I would do anything for love/ I'd run right into hell and back/ I would do anything for love/ I'll never lie to you and thats a fact/ But I'll never forget the way you feel right now/ Oh no - no way/ I would do anything for love/ But I wont do that/ I wont do that, anything for love/ I would do anything for love/ I would do anything for love/ But I wont do that/ I wont do that..."

Oriana exhaled slowly, speaking the next part of the song that seemed to embed deep into her soul, "Some days it don't come easy, / And some days it don't come hard / Some days it don't come at all, / And these are the days that never end. / Some nights you're breathing fire, / And some nights you're carved in ice / Some nights you're like nothing / I've ever seen before or will again..."

Howie smiled, resting his chin on her shoulder as he sang once more, "As long as the planets are turning/ As long as the stars are burning/ As long as your dreams are coming true/ You better believe it/ That I would do anything for love/ And I'll be there til the final act/ I would do anything for love/And I'll take a vow and seal a pact."

"Didn't realize you knew the lyrics..." she whispered ever so softly, just enjoying the soft melody of his harmonious voice.

"I listen to just about everything, and I've always liked Meat Loaf," Howie replied before looking into her eyes. "Since we didn't get to do this earlier... would you like to dance?"

Oriana winced slightly, realizing that she never did get to dance with him. Xander's abrupt appearance had ruined almost everything Oriana had hoped for. "I'm sorry we didn't get to dance, Howie. I shouldn't have been so focused on Luke. I mean, I really did go to dance with you. Not just drop you off. I really wanted to dance with you, but then Luke pushed us into the middle and... I'm just really sorry."

"You don't need to apologize, Baby. You were having fun, and you're happy when that happens. We can dance right now, and it would be better than in Eclipse."

"Right now?" she repeated, realizing how truly sweet he was.

"Right now."

"This song's almost over..."

Right when the song ended, Kelly Clarkson's 'A Moment Like This' played gently through the large speakers. Howie smiled and placed his hands on Oriana's waist. "Shall we dance, Miss Riley?"

"Miss Riley?" she laughed.

"You're my Miss Riley," he replied, chuckling as well. Oriana wrapped her arms around his neck before leaning up to kiss him.

"Then you're my Mr. Dorough."

"I'll take that," he answered softly, pulling her carefully toward the middle of the room. He smiled as she gently ran her fingers against his neck while they slowly swayed to the beat of Kelly Clarkson's powerful song. The small chances she took for intimate contact were like gold in Howie's eyes. "You know... If you're actually up to the Miss Riley name, then I might be able to con you into the Homecoming Formal and the Prom."

"Con me?" Oriana countered with a wry smirk. She allowed him to pull her body against his so they could move like one through the song. She kept her cast close to her chest as some kind of barrier between them, but felt silly.

"Well, con you because of the fact you need to wear a dress," Howie replied, remembering her reaction to the bridesmaid dresses.

"Isn't it enough that I have to parade around in a dress for my mother's wedding? Now you want me to go to Homecoming and Prom?"

"Well, that's where the conning part would have to kick in."

"And how exactly might you con me into those idiotic parades of female dominance?" she countered innocently, allowing her fingers to slowly entangle into his curls.

"By promising to get you anything you want?" he asked with an impish smile.

"I don't want anything from you," she whispered with a sweet glance, offering a light kiss to his warm cheek as he gently turned her.

"So you'll go to Homecoming and Prom wearing a dress?" he replied hopefully.

"I didn't say that, I just said that I didn't want anything from you."

"Is it really that bad to wear a dress?"

"In my world, yes. Why do you want to go to Homecoming and Prom so much anyway?"

"Why don't you?"

"Because heels make my back hurt?" she guessed.

"I just really want to go to them, that's all."

"They're really that important to you?"

"Yes."

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course you can."

"Thank you," she replied, closing her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder, allowing him to take the lead. She loved Kelly Clarkson's amazing voice and always found herself drifting into a calm peace with her music.
Howie smiled softly, kissing the top of her head as he once again began to sing along. "Everything changes/ But beauty remains/ Something so tender/ I can't explain/ Well I maybe dreamin'/ But 'till I awake/ Can we make this dream last forever/ And I'll cherish all the love we share/ For a moment like this/ Some people wait a lifetime/ For a moment like this/ Some people search forever/ For that one special kiss/ Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me/ Some people wait a lifetime/ For a moment like this..."

"I think I could listen to you sing all night," Oriana confessed, her eyes still closed as she held herself closer to Howie's body. His voice gave himself yet another link to her heart. She could feel all of his emotions just through the very soft changes in his gifted voice.

"I would sing all night if you asked me to," Howie whispered.

"You'd have no voice in the morning," she whispered with a small laugh.

"Doesn't matter. If it makes you happy, I would do it."

"Howie?" Oriana asked, carefully parting from his grasp when the song abruptly ended.

"Yeah?" Howie looked down into her eyes.

"About the door thing..."

"What about it?"

"I've always shut and locked it since Momma started dating..." she tried to explain, biting down hard on her bottom lip. She had never told anyone about her horrifying experiences. "I...um... I used to get hurt at night and I figured it was easier to protect myself if it was locked..."

"Get hurt?" Howie looked confused for a moment until realization flashed in his eyes. "You mean the boyfriends would hurt you?"

"Something like that..."

"Oh, Riana... I'm sorry. If I had known, I wouldn't have pushed you like I did on our first date--"

"It's okay," she interrupted, pressing her hand against his cheek so he would look into her eyes. She immediately realized it wasn't the smartest choice, because her eyes darkened with fear and hurt. She managed to offer a smile while speaking, "It's not your fault. And it's not a big deal. I don't want anyone knowing though. It's just something that happened."

Howie cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead. "If I could go back and prevent it all, I would. You didn't deserve to be hurt."

"It's okay, Howie. Honestly. Just don't tell anyone?"
"I won't, I promise."

Oriana was about to speak again, but her door flew open. She immediately lept away from Howie's arms as Alex popped into the room. He offered his usually wicked smile, motioning across the hall. "Let's go lover-boy. Time for bed! Got the futon in my room all made up for you!"

"Um..." Oriana was dumbfounded at the turn of events. She was already used to having Howie nestled beside her in bed during the nights. She felt more exposed and naked than before after telling her darkest secret. She wanted to say she needed him, but the words wouldn't surface. "G'night?"

Howie looked confused himself until he remembered the previous conversation with Alex about staying in his room in case of another Brian lash-out. "Oh, shit, I forgot. Listen, J, I'm going to stay here with Riana tonight."

"But I thought--"

"Is that what you two were talking about before you got into the Hummer?" Oriana interrupted with question, glancing between the two boys. She immediately began to wonder if Howie truly didn't like spending the time with her or if Alex was objecting to the relationship, too. Her cynical mind had always been a downfall since the terror she had endured.

"Well, we thought it would be safer since Brian could snap any moment—" Alex tried to explain.

"But I realized I would be too miserable without you," Howie interrupted.

"You said that it wasn't a bad idea—" Alex started to correct.

"That's when I realized it could be a worse idea. I mean, what if he does something and I'm not in the room to protect her?"

"She always locks her door. Besides, you said he could make up some serious shit about you staying in the room. You don't want Cass to think you raped her or something--"

"Futon sounds nice, Howie..." Oriana interrupted, feeling her breath catch at the mere mention of the word rape. She seemed to pale dramatically, collapsing onto the side of her bed.

"But Riana—"

"We don't want my mom thinking we're having sex when we're not. She'll freak out."

"I thought your Mom knew that you were saving yourself for marriage!" Howie protested.

"Well, yeah, but---"

"Must I mention the word rape again? Because Brian will!" Alex stressed.

"Will you stop saying that word, please!"

"Why? Technically it would be Statutory—"

"Howie, just do whatever you want to do, okay?" Oriana stressed weakly, turning to grasp her sheet and comforter at the end of her bed. She carefully pulled it upward before easing herself into the bed, trying her best not to release the sob building.

"Alex, go back in your room. Now. Before I have to kill you," Howie hissed, trying not to wrap his hands around Alex's throat.

"What'd I do?" Alex yelped.

"Didn't think before you spoke, like always. Now GOOD NIGHT and GOOD-BYE."

"I'm sorry. I was just looking out for you tw—"

"Your heart was in the right place, but the wrong way. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"But--"

"Don't argue with me. Just go. Please."

"Okay, but if you're planning on sleeping in here, at least keep the door halfway open," Alex grumbled, crossing the hall.

"Is it alright if it's open? Or do you want me to close it?" Howie asked softly. He felt bad about snapping at Alex, but the boy said the wrong words for what was just discussed.

"Depends..." she trailed, staring at her wall of awards.

"Depends on what?"

"If you're staying, I'll be okay with it being open because I know you'd try to protect me. But if you're going to Alex's room, I'm going to shut and lock it."

"I would like to stay with you, if you still want me to."

"Why wouldn't I want you to?"

"Because we were talking about plans to keep you safe from Brian earlier... I know you feel Brian can't hurt you again, but--"

"Howie, you worry too much..."

"No, actually, I don't. Figuring he broke your arm and you have that bruise on your neck from where he grabbed you..." Howie replied, hoping she understood.

"I get bruises all the time," Oriana assured, remembering the freshest on her lower back.

"I'm still going to worry about your safety because I care about you."

"Are you sleeping in here or not?" she asked, deciding the change the subject. She turned for a moment, causing her tank top to rise. Howie immediately raised his eyebrows as he caught sight of the bruises on her lower back. "Like I said, bruises all the time."

"I would like to—"

"Then leave the door halfway open to satisfy Jamie and come to bed," she decided. "And the bruises on my back aren't from Brian."

Howie did as he was told and carefully climbed into the bed. "Did Xander give you the bruises on your back?"

"Yes," she admitted, feeling Howie settle behind her. With a longing for security, she turned and rested her head against his chest. She smiled softly at the steady rhythm of his heart against her ear.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop it..." Howie whispered, running his fingers through her hair.

"I stopped it," she assured, resting her cast against his stomach for elevation.

"Well, then I wish I could have heard him squeal like a pig."

"Where were you anyway?"

"I was trying to find Alex. And before I knew it, both of you were gone and I was trying to get to you."

"It's done with, Howie. Don't feel bad," Oriana assured, rubbing her cheek against his chest to show a sign of affection before settling herself comfortably against him.

"I know..." he kissed the top of her head, "Get some sleep. We've had a long day."

"What do you have to do tomorrow?" she asked, trying to mask a yawn.

"Besides spending it with you?"

"Um...yeah..."

"I don't know. What about you?"

"I want to go to the Center for awhile, so the kids don't worry about what happened to me. I can't do the football practice tomorrow, because it's just a game where they hang out and I won't be able to play... Then I don't know about my dancing classes, I mean, whether I should still go or not."

"Could I come with you to the Center?" Howie asked, understanding more about why she was there for the kids. They had the same kind of past she did.

"You really want to go?"

"I really do."

"I think it'd be nice if you went with me. The girls are dying to see who actually stole my heart from the little boys at the Center. And, well, the boys are probably ready to wrestle you down in a game of basketball for me."

"Cute little girls drooling over me and playing for my girl's heart against the other boys? I'm in," Howie chuckled.

"Cute is an understatement when it comes to these girls," Oriana decided, stifling yet another yawn. "They're a great bunch of kids, but it's a real commitment, Howie. They need people that are going to be there for them. They haven't had stability in such a long time and I think you'll be a great part of the team. Not enough guys work with us as it is."

"If they accept me, I'll definitely become a part of the team," Howie kissed the top of her head. "You're getting tired."

"They'll accept you," Oriana assured, liking the feeling of Howie's lips against any part of her body. "I figure I'll stop off at the studio to see what Mary wants me to do while I have the cast, then we can go to the Center for awhile. Then I'll have to come back and work on homework---"

"Homework? No way, tomorrow no homework."

"Why?"

"It's your slacking off day."

"Who said?"

"Um... I did?"

"And who made you King?"

"You did?"

"Mmm, good answer," Oriana chuckled, leaning up to kiss Howie.

"I thought it was," he mumbled against her lips before kissing her again. "So, it's agreed? No homework tomorrow?"

"Until you leave to go home."

"Well, I'm not going home until the night before we go back to school. Because you're right, I do need to be at home for at least a day or two during the week."

"You're family probably hates me for keeping you away so much."

"No, they don't," he objected. "They love you from the great things they've heard from me."

"You're probably buffing the truth."

"Nuh-uh!"

"I believe you," she assured, feeling his muscles tense. She affectionately ran her good hand across the side of his stomach, hoping to calm him.

"Good, because there's nothing bad to say about you," he relaxed at the soft touch of her hand.

"Mmmm..." she murmured softly, her eyes finally drifting close. "Howie?"

"Yeah, Riana?" he asked, his eyes closed as well.

Oriana fell silent for a few moments, struggling to gather her wits. She wanted to tell him something that was burning inside her heart, but the words wouldn't form in her mouth. She took a deep breath, feeling his arm gently coil around her shoulder. "Howie, I just wanted to say..." She stopped short when she noticed his breathing steady. She glanced up, realizing he was truly asleep. She smiled softly, allowing her eyes to drift close again. "I just wanted to say that I'm falling in love with you, even if I can't say the words just yet."
Sharing the Depths of His Heart by Anastacia
Chapter 34 – Sharing the Depths of His Heart

"Are the kids up this early at the Center?" Howie asked as he walked out of Oriana's bathroom. He had just taken a cool shower, his curls damp and glistening in the soft bedroom light. Not knowing if there was a particular way to dress, he just pulled on a red t-shirt over a white wife beater along with a pair of khaki shorts. He had slept soundly during the night while Oriana curled sweetly to his side. Only, he had risen early because he was excited to share in Oriana’s life. The very idea that she sacrificed such a large portion of her life to helping the less fortunate caused a sweet note to play sweetly in his heart. He loved that she cared so much and wanted to help.

"If they've had a bad night with their families, yes. The Center is open all the time for the kids, because it's the only place they really have to go at times. It's kind of a give and take scenario. You never know until you get there," Oriana explained, struggling a little to pull up her baggy black mesh shorts to settle against her hips.

"At least there is a place around here for those kids to go to," Howie replied, helping Oriana with her shorts. When she arched her light brows in question, he laughed. "You looked like you needed a little assistance."

"Still haven't gotten used to working with one arm," she explained, blushing faintly.

"It's alright," he leaned down and kissed her. "So, are you ready to go?"

"If you expect me to go running out in a sport's bra, sure," she laughed, freeing her favorite tank top from its place on the post of her bed.

"Well, now that you mention it..."

"Howie!"

"Kidding, kidding."

"Somehow I don't believe you," Oriana replied, pulling the tie-dyed tank over her head.

"I didn't think you would," Howie chuckled as she became fully dressed. "But I tried."

"Bikinis in public, yeah. But not Sport's Bras. The kids at the Center would be scarred for life."

"Nah, the girls would be curious and the boys would fall in love with you even more," he replied.

"You ready to go?" she changed the subject again.

"Are you?" he asked.

"Shorts, tank top, wet hair in a ponytail, cast in the sling, permanent marker in the pocket...keys are downstairs... Yeah, I think I'm ready," Oriana chirped, gently rolling her eyes.

"Then let's head out," Howie replied, opening her bedroom door.

"You're not nervous at all?"

"Why would I be? I love kids."

"Just making sure, because not a lot of people would be into doing this... They hear abused kids and head off running. I don't know, they're great kids. They're all wonderful and unique in their own ways. Corey and Catie are always there, their mother gets a new boyfriend every week..." Oriana sighed softly. She had grown attached to Corey and Catie over the years and would do anything for them. She smiled faintly as she walked toward the stairs, accidentally bumping into Brian. She lurched back in surprise as he steadied the tray in his hands. "Making breakfast for Teagan?" she asked politely.

"Yes, I am," Brian replied. He had made Teagan's favorite breakfast; fried potatoes, French toast, sausage and orange juice.

"Um... She likes powdered sugar on her French toast. She'd love you forever if she noticed that sprinkled," Oriana tried.

"Oh. Um... thanks for the tip," Brian answered, still being polite, which unnerved the three of them.
"You're welcome," Oriana took Howie's hand and headed down the stairs.

"Damnit, I don't like her!" Brian cursed, remembering his personal grudge. He waited until he heard the front door close, so he hurried down the stairs to get powdered sugar on the French toast. He seemed pleased with himself as he hurried back up, hefting the tray yet again. He knew Teagan would be filled with immense joy. He smiled softly, pushing open the door. "Rise and shine, Sweetheart!"

Teagan mumbled a response before pulling the UK comforter over her head, She hated getting up in the morning. The weekends were her time to get at least twelve hours of sleep, but she had only gotten nine so far. She buried her face deep into the pillow and smiled sleepily when she smelled Brian's cologne. He always had a way of stirring her, even if she didn’t want to.

"C'mon, Sweetie. I made you breakfast," Brian tried again, setting the tray on the nearby nightstand.

"I'll eat it in three hours..." she called from beneath the comforter.

"But it's not cereal!"

"Brian, it's too early," she whined as he peeled back the covers.

"It's your favorite," he stressed, climbing into the bed beside her. He quickly made his plan of war, leaning down to offer kisses against her bare neck.

"Mmm... French toast?" she peeked her eyes open.

"Made by my hands," he complied.

She sat up and looked at the tray of food. He really had made her breakfast from scratch. "Oh my gosh! Brian, you're so sweet!"

"Thought you deserved it," he answered, offering her the tray.

"This looks so delicious. Oh! And you even put powdered sugar on the French toast! How did you know I love that on there?" No one had ever treated Teagan so well, and she wasn't used to it.

"Lucky guess?" he answered, laughing nervously.

"You have to be the best boyfriend in the world," she leaned over and kissed him deeply. "Thank you so much."

"Best boyfriend in the world, I'll take that title," Brian laughed against her lips.

Teagan smiled, cutting up the French toast. She took a bite and sighed happily. "This... is the best French toast besides my mom's."

"Well, somehow I don't think anyone could top a mother's cooking."

"No, that's true. You know something... you still haven't met my mom."

"She's never been over here where I had an actual chance to get to know her."

"That's what we'll do today."

"What?"

"Go over to my house so you can get to know my mom and she can get to know you."

"You're not kidding?"

"Why would I be kidding?" she asked, feeding him a piece of French toast.

"I... Sounds like a lot of fun. I'd love to meet your mother," Brian answered, swallowing his own food. He smiled with approval, kissing Teagan softly. "Bet she's where you get your good looks from."

"You make sure to say that today, and you'll be her favorite forever," Teagan giggled. She searched his eyes and smirked. "You're nervous about meeting her, aren't you?"

"It's your mother, Teagan. Of course I'm nervous," he confessed, leaning back on the headboard of his bed. He stared down at his hands, already knowing that Teagan and Oriana shared their mothers. What if Oriana had confessed to Marie about the terror between him and her? Could he really risk that?

"There's nothing to be nervous about. My mom is going to love you, I know she will," Teagan placed her hand on top of his. "I know something else you could do to make this easier."

"What?"

"Just be yourself and relax."

"That's hard."

"What? Being yourself?"

"Relaxing."

"What can I do help you relax?"

"Finish your breakfast."

Teagan nodded, going back to eating. They were silent for awhile until she placed the tray down on the floor and looked over at Brian. He was still looking down at his hands and she knew he was nervous. Smiling, she tackled him and started tickling his sides. "Stop being nervous!"

"HEY!" he screeched in surprise, hoping to tumble away from her flying hands. She was stronger than Brian had anticipated as she pinned him against the soft mattress. He couldn't help but laugh as she reached his most ticklish areas.

"Yeah, see? I can be strong too!" she laughed as Brian tried to squirm away from her torture.

"Yeah! I see!"

"So, how are you going to be today when you meet my mom?"

"Umm... nervous?"

"No..." she giggled, advancing her tickles upward.

"Hmm... apprehensive?"

"That means nervous!"

"Anxious?"

"No."

"Tense?"

"No."

"Panicky?"

"NO!"

"Um...happy?" Brian tried, finding himself growing serious. He smiled softly, bringing her down for a quick kiss. "I'll be on my best behavior and I'll be overjoyed that I'm meeting the woman who created my beautiful girlfriend."

"That's the right answer," Teagan smiled, laying down on top of him. "My mom is going to love you, I know she will."

"Well I hope so, since I'm going to be a part of this family."

Teagan nodded, kissing him again. "How about we take showers, get dressed and head on over there? It's her day off, and I know she's home making her famous cinnamon rolls."

"Cinnamon Rolls? Oh Hell yes!" Brian whooped, feeling his stomach rumble with anticipation.

"My baby boy is hungry," Teagan laughed, trailing her fingers on his firm stomach before kissing him once more and hopping off the bed. "I call your shower first!"

*~*~*


"Wow... this is a nice place for the kids to come to," Howie commented as he helped Oriana climb out of the Hummer before heading into the Center. It was a large building with a swimming pool, basketball court, playground, tennis court and that was just on the outside behind the fence.

"They've got lots of different things so the kids can come here and forget about problems at home. There's tons of rooms inside with different things, too," Oriana replied, smiling thanks when Howie opened the door for her.

"It's so weird, like, I never even knew this existed," Howie continued as Oriana walked him down the large hallway toward an office. Several children sneaked out as Oriana passed, glancing at her before entering different rooms, many being sleeping quarters. Oriana smiled at every single child before she slipped inside to sign in Howie and herself. He was amazed as several adults immediately group hugged Oriana, wishing her well, and telling her how much the children had missed her. Oriana seemed right at home as each adult insisted on signing her cast before she could leave to do her business. Several gave their hellos to Howie as they traveled to finish their work.

"If you really like helping out today, Rick said to speak to him before we leave to get you set up for volunteering," Oriana explained as she pointed to the man behind the desk.

Howie nodded. "Alright. From the looks of how nice everyone is here, and how cute the kids are, I think I would like volunteering a lot."

"He said you don't have to decide until later," Oriana continued, motioning for Howie to follow her. The hallways were wickedly silent as Oriana turned into another corridor, pointing toward a closed door with her name, cherries, hearts, flowers, and various images decorated on the window. "Kids decided to dedicate this room to me, because I'm always hanging out here before we go dancing, swimming, or to the courts or anything..."

"That was really sweet of them," Howie commented as he looked through the window for a moment before Oriana led him further down the hall.

"They're really sweet kids," she agreed, stopping near the end of the hall. "The rest of these rooms are basically the kitchens, eating areas, and lounges. That door leads out to the grounds, which is surrounded by fences so no one can get at the kids if they're outside. The basketball hoops, swimming pools, basketball courts, and all that fun stuff is out there. Then upstairs is more sleeping areas and lounge rooms with movie centers. Downstairs has the most of the indoor activities... But that's the Center in a nutshell."

"Definitely a great place for the kids."

"One of a kind," she explained, turning back down the hallway. She offered her hand toward Howie. "Figured we'd go to the indoor basketball court where I do the dancing, too?"

Howie took her hand and squeezed it gently with a smile. "Let's go, Babe."

Oriana fell quiet as she led Howie toward the indoor courts. Every time she stepped into the Center, her old memories surfaced. She knew it was best to confront each bitter emotion, but sometimes it always seemed harder than before. She could see the various men rushing toward her with lusting desire or terrifying power. Each held their own potent stain upon her fragile soul. She tried to blink away her tears as she released Howie's hand. She pushed on the door and stepped in. She was immediately heard two voices squeal with delight, "ORIANA! YOU'RE HERE!"

Oriana glanced downward to see two fair-headed children rushing in her direction. Her sea blue-green eyes glimmered with excitement as she crouched down as they hurried faster. The children squealed, leaping into her embrace. She didn't even seem to notice the pain of her cast arm, bringing both children tightly into her free arm. She kissed them several times each before hugging them tighter. "Catie! Corey! I missed you guys!"

"We missed you too! Where were you?!" they asked as Oriana finally let them go. Corey gently touched Oriana's cast.

"That's big ‘owie, Oriana."

"It's nothing to worry about, Corey," Oriana assured, kissing his blonde curls yet again. He was almost five years old and one of the sweetest children within the Center. His large crystal blue eyes and puckered bottom lip were just irresistible to Oriana. She wanted nothing more than to take the siblings home with her to stay forever. On more than one occasion had Catie called her in need of assistance, spending the night curled in her arms. "Just had an accident playing football. No one hurt me on purpose."

"P'omise?" Corey pleaded, his bottom lip puckering further.

"I promise," she repeated, kissing his forehead yet again. She stood up and brought the child against her hip, holding him close. She glanced upon Catie, frowning slightly at the eleven year old's bruised cheek. Catie was an adorable pre-teen in Oriana's eyes. She was tall and lithe with soft blonde locks pulled into a messy ponytail and gorgeous sapphire blue eyes. Yet, she didn't see her beauty like others did, because her confidence had been repeatedly broken by various men. "How you doing, Catie?"

"Alright, I guess," Catie shrugged, looking at Howie curiously. "Who's that?"

"You know how the older girls have been hassling me about this guy that's got them learning some funky dances to romance songs?" Oriana explained, feeling Catie press deeply into her other side.

"Yeah..." she glanced at Oriana curiously.

"That's the guy," Oriana replied, smiling gently at Howie.

"Oooh... he's cute," Catie replied.

"What's your name?" Corey asked, pulling Howie down to his level.

"My name's Howie," he answered, pressing his hands to the ground to steady himself. He glanced up to make sure he was okay. Oriana quickly nodded to assure him, so he glanced back to Corey. "What's your name?"

"Corey..." he stated shyly, tugging on Oriana's shorts to be picked up yet again. He immediately wrapped his arms around Oriana's neck, laying his head against her shoulder. "You Ori's friend?"

Howie stood up and smiled. "Yeah, I'm Ori's friend. How old are you, Corey?"

"Four and a half!" he announced proudly, glancing to his older sister for confirmation.

"Wow! Such a big boy!" Howie enthused after Catie nodded to her brother. "What do you like to play here?"

"Anything that Ori plays. She keeps us busy, busy, busy!"

"Oh, I'll bet! Ori keeps me busy, too!" he chuckled, reaching out gently run a hand through Corey's hair. To his amazement and Oriana's, the boy just smiled instead of flinching away like he usually did with strangers.

"You gonna stay for awhile?" Corey questioned again.

"Yep, I am. Is that okay, Corey?"

"Sounds good to me!" he chirped, nodding excitedly. He wiggled for a moment so Oriana would put him down again. He stepped toward Howie, puffing out his chest slightly. "Do you love Ori?"

Howie kneeled down to Corey's level again and smiled. "Yeah, I do. I love her a lot."

"You gonna marry her?"

Howie's eyes grew wide at the question, but nodded. "I hope so, someday."

Corey's eyebrows furled together in confusion. "Really?"

"Yeah. I got that 'can't live without her' kind of love with Ori."

"Did'ja give her cooties?"

"Cooties?"

"Did'ja?" he pressed dramatically.

"Er... if you mean did I kiss her, yeah," Howie chuckled.

"They're my kisses! She's my Ori! I'm gonna marry her first!" Corey growled protectively, turning to tug on Oriana's shorts for her attention. She glanced at him with confusion, kneeling to his level. Corey bit down on his bottom lip, tugging at something in his pocket.

"What do you have Corey?" Oriana asked curiously as he yanked the special bracelet free from his pocket. He grinned in triumph, offering it toward Oriana with a shy look within his eyes. It was a blue and purple friendship bracelet that he took obvious care to create. "Is that for me, Sweetheart?"

"Yep! Made Catie help me! C'you marry me with it?"

"Marry you?" Oriana laughed with amusement as Catie stifled a smile.

"Uh-huh! I love you and wanna marry you!" Corey replied.

"That's so cute, Corey," Oriana cooed, kissing Corey's cheek lovingly. "Tell you what. I'll wear that bracelet always and forever... And, I would love to marry you...when you're a little older."

"Really? How old do I have to get?"

"A few more years, Corey. Got to make sure you get through school so you can become a Fireman, right?"

"Yeah! I save people from fire all day and come to you at night!"

"Sounds like the perfect life, Corey," Oriana agreed, kissing his forehead yet again.

"So you're mine now? Not gonna marry Howie?"

"Since when was I marrying Howie?"

"He said he wanted to someday!"

"Someday, huh?" Oriana trailed, glancing up to Howie with question. A firm blush settled on his cheeks, causing Oriana to chuckle slightly. She turned back to Corey, ruffling his curls. "How about you go get a basketball out and I'll play one-handed?"

"Really? You can still play ball with one hand?" Corey asked, his eyes shining brightly.

"I'm the king and would do anything for you," Oriana promised. "Go grab that ball for me."

"Otay!" Corey ran to get the ball.

"Here, Catie, can you put this on for me?" Oriana asked, handing the bracelet toward the younger girl.

"Yeah," Catie tied the bracelet on Oriana's wrist. "I'm really glad you're alright, Ori."

"It wasn't a big deal, Catie. Just got underneath a pile of hot football guys, hoping to score a date," Oriana teased, causing Catie to laugh. She smiled again, offering Catie the permanent marker to sign the cast. "I'm honestly kidding, Catie. The only guy that does any serious tackling to my heart is Howie."

"You really like him a lot?" Catie asked as she began to write on Oriana's cast.

"I think he's one of the great guys. You know, the kind of princes that end up in Fairy Tales?"

"He's your Prince Charming?"

"I'm hoping," Oriana confessed softly, causing Catie to giggle with approval. She quickly pulled the marker away from the cast, snapping it closed. She offered it toward Oriana, who tucked it safely back into the sling. She glanced over to see Howie watching them awkwardly. "Going to talk to him for me? Make sure he knows that we love him?"

Catie nodded before walking over to Howie. "Guess what?"

"What?" Howie yelped, somewhat surprised.

"You're really nice to Ori, and you make her happy. That makes me happy. I just wanted to tell you that Ori and I love ya."

"Um..."

"Usually a thank you works pretty well in this place, unless you want to say more?" Catie countered, brightly smiling.

Howie chuckled, blushing profusely. "Well, thank you. I love you both, too."

Catie nodded with approval, glancing behind her to locate Oriana. Sure enough, Oriana had been retrieved by Corey, who was now eagerly writing on her cast. Catie knew she was safe to confide in Howie. With a bold step, she tugged on Howie's hand. "She told me that you're her Prince Charming. Do you think that's what you are? Her Prince?"

"Well, I would like to think so, because she's my Princess," Howie replied. He felt he could tell Catie something and wouldn't tell Oriana. "I even have a present for her that I'm waiting to give her. Do you want to know what it is?"

"What's that?"

"I got her a promise ring, which mean I promise we will always be together. I'm going to give it to her once her acceptance letter to Duke comes in the mail and give them both to her."

"She told me Duke's all the way in North Carolina..." Catie thought allowed, frowning slightly. "If she goes there, how can you be together forever?"

"When you're really in love, Catie, no distance can break two people apart."

"Why can't you go to the same college?"

"Well, I've applied to Duke. But I just did it last week, it'll be awhile until I find out."

"Does she know you did?"

"Nope. That's why we have to keep this a secret."

"Then why don't you keep her acceptance letter, the promise ring, and wait for your acceptance letter to come... Then give'em all at the same time?" Catie asked with confusion.

"Because... I'm a dork and needed a smart girl like yourself to tell me that?"

"I guess so, but you're sure you're going to be together forever with her?"

"I'm absolutely positive."

"Then if I have to keep my promise, then you have to promise me something," Catie decided, leading him slowly toward the opposite side of the court so she could speak privately.

"Anything you want me to promise, I will," Howie replied as they sat down against the wall.

"The thing is, Oriana is always worry about us. I got her cell phone number just in case Corey or I need her. We've spent a lot of nights over at her house. She's our favorite out of this whole place... A lot of kids think she's the best, but we also know that she went through the same stuff we're going through. She probably told you, but she got hurt a lot by her mom's boyfriends, just like Corey and me... She's always protecting us, but she never protects herself. Since you're her Prince now, you've got to promise to protect her for us. You can't let her get hurt anymore."

Howie felt himself choke up at the thought of so many kids getting hurt, and no one ever noticing or stopping it. "I won't ever let her get hurt as long as I'm around. I promise."

"Thank you..." Catie whispered, pressing her hand lightly against her bruised cheek. She looked toward Howie, noticing the soft tears burning beneath his eyelids. She was obviously quite perceptive. "What's wrong, Howie? Didn't Oriana tell you about... Well..."

"I know the kids here had hard lives at home, but... I guess I couldn't believe it until I saw your bruise," Howie ran a hand through his curls. "Now I'm just amazed that so many people don't realize the abuse so many kids go through. Me being one of them."

"We're going to be okay, though. We come here when it gets bad, sometimes we even go to Oriana's house until Mom's new boyfriend calms down. Mom knows he hurts us, but she wants to stay with him. She's thankful that Oriana takes us in a lot..." Catie explained softly, rubbing her hands across her knees. "You going to be a permanent thing around here? Or did Oriana ask you to do this?"

"No, actually I asked her if I could come with. I would really like to volunteer here, if the other kids accept me."

"You shouldn't have a problem with the girls."
“Now, you only said the girls. The guys are gonna kill me, aren't they?"

"They love Oriana and once they find out that you're her boyfriend, they'll step up to you. Just think Corey, only bigger."

"So, more trouble?"

"Either that or a ton of bracelets and promises of marriage," Catie teased.

"Her arm is going to be full of bracelets by this afternoon and I'm gonna be all beaten up," Howie laughed.

"No doubt," Catie agreed, watching Corey and Oriana play basketball. Corey shrieked with laughter as Oriana tossed the basketball toward the hoop with one hand, sinking it on the first try. The little boy clapped wildly. Never noticing two older boys approach as others filtered in. The first boy seemed much wilder than the others as he stood behind Oriana while she was dribbling the ball. Though, she seemed to catch wise quickly as he dove for the ball. With no hesitation, she stepped forward and twisted around him, keeping the ball controlled in her good hand.

"Nice try, Tommy!" Oriana laughed as Tommy continued to dive for the ball, missing every time as Oriana shot for an easy lay-up.

"Man! You have a broken arm and can still be good at basketball!" Tommy groaned.

"Because, I am the king!" Oriana triumphed as she handed the ball to Corey. Tommy smirked with approval, allowing Oriana to bring him in for a tight hug. The other boys and girls noticed this and went jogging to surround her.

"Did the idiot hurt you again?" Tommy asked flatly, motioning toward the cast.

"No, this injury was from football," Oriana promised, pulling out the marker. "Going to sign the cast for me?"

"Of course I am!"

"Good, then I want you guys to meet someone."

"Who?" Tommy asked as he began to sign her cast,

"My boyfriend."

"YOU have a BOYFRIEND?"

"Yes, is that so hard to believe?" Oriana yelped in surprise as Tommy tossed the marker along.

"Well, yeah, because you're usually one of the guys!"

"Tommy, you know you'd make a shot at Ori if you were five years older!" one of his buddies shot.

"Shut up, man!"

"He has that picture of you and him in his wallet!" another fired with a snicker, finishing his signature on Oriana's cast, handing the marker to one of the girls.

"You both need to shut up!" Tommy groaned, chasing after them.

"He does think you're hot stuff," one of the girls admitted with a snicker, her jaw dropping slightly as Howie and Catie approached. "That's him?!"
Oriana glanced behind her and nodded. "Yeah, think he's too good for me, Jess?"

"If I say yes, can I date him instead?"

"No!" Catie scolded her older peer, glaring at Jess. "Howie loves Oriana!"

"You really want to take him from me, Jess?" Oriana pouted.

"Well, he's cute!" Jess whined. "And he's older, too!"

"You're fourteen!" another girl, Lindsay, groaned.

"Age ain't nothing but a number, Linds!"

"Coming from a girl who wouldn't date Teddy because he's eleven!" Lindsay snorted.

"He's still in elementary school--"

“Would you girls at least say hello to Howie?" Oriana interrupted, knowing Jess and Lindsay could argue for hours.

The girls turned to Howie, who was trying not to laugh at the scene before him. "Hello, girls."

"Hi," they sighed happily.

"Howie, this is Jess and Lindsay. Girls, this is my boyfriend Howie," Oriana introduced them.

"You know... People say I'm really mature for a fourteen year old. No offense to Oriana, because I love her dearly, but I dress up and act like a girl..." Jess tried, stepping toward Howie with a flirty gleam in her eyes.

"Um... I think it would be better if you dated guys your own age, Jess. I really love Riana, and I don't think I could be happy without her," Howie tried to explain. "But I would love for us to be friends."

"What does Oriana have that I don't?!" Jess huffed.

"A driver's license..." Catie giggled.

"Shut up, Catie--"

"More like a regular bra instead of a training bra," Lindsay snickered.
"Lindsay!"

"Honestly, Jess! Oriana's got big boobs---"

"Okay, I'm duct taping them from now on," Oriana groaned, blushing furiously.

"Nuh-uh, don't do that!" Howie blurted.

"So that's why he likes her so much!" Jess accused loudly.

"Why's that?" Oriana countered in surprise, glancing toward Howie with confusion.

"I just meant that you shouldn't hide things that God intended you to have?"

Oriana stepped toward him with a wry smile, carefully wrapping her good arm around his neck. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Don't bullshit me."

"Well, if I tell you what I mean you're going to think I'm a pig," Howie whined.

"Try me."

"I love everything about you, but your breasts are something that really makes you sexy... you can smack me now if you want."

"Thank you for being honest," she replied instead, affectionately kissing his cheek.

"You mean... my answer was okay?"

"How can I smack you for an honest answer? It's what you truly feel. I can't prevent you from thinking that," Oriana explained quietly.

"That's very... Oh thank God," he breathed with relief, causing Oriana to laugh. He leaned in to kiss her, but Tommy immediately pushed them apart. The younger boy stood in front of Oriana, glaring toward Howie.

"You're really her boyfriend?" Tommy fired, his dark green eyes lit with jealousy.

"Yeah... I really am," Howie stood his ground firmly but gently,

"Why you?"

"Because she wanted it that way?"

"But why?"

"Because I really care about her and love her.”

"You know, I'm fifteen. I could have had a shot--"

"Yeah, you could have."

"She ever talk about me?"

"She talks about all the kids here at the Center."
Tommy clicked his tongue as his friends stood beside Oriana, whispering something. He glanced back at them with a growl, causing them to straighten. He turned back to Howie, cocking his head to the side. "You play ball?"

"Yeah, I play."

"Say we play for a kiss?"

"How many points?"

"Twenty five."

"You're on, Tommy."

"You're playing against each other for me as a trophy?" Oriana questioned in shock.

"I'm just playing to play. If Tommy wins and wants a kiss from you as an award, that'll be up to you," Howie replied. "Unless you're going to swoon afterward and dump me for him..."

"Ooooh, do it, Oriana!" Jess called excitedly.

"Do you honestly think I'd dump one of the best things in my life that easily?" Oriana asked, frowning slightly.

"I was teasing, Baby."

"I hope so..." she countered softly as the girls tugged hard on her arm.

"If they're playing for you, then we're going to do your hair so you actually look pretty!" Jess determined loudly, offering a sweet smile toward Howie. "Can't have you looking like a guy!"

"Jess!" Oriana groaned.

"Could you talk to her about wearing a dress for Homecoming and the Prom while you're at it?" Howie called as the boys motioned for him to join them.

"Howie!" Oriana moaned, watching Jess's eyes light.

"You're going to go to those dances, right Ori?"

"They're so trivial, Jess---"

"But they're a part of high school! And it looks like Howie really wants to go with you."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I can tell."

"I don't think he---"

"Did he not just ask me to convince you to go?"

"If I promise to go, can I con you girls into just French braiding my hair into pigtails?"

"You promise promise?"

"I promise to go at least."

"And wear a dress?"

"Now wait just a---"

"For me?" Catie begged quietly.

"Awe, Catie... You know I can't resist you!"

"So, you'll wear a dress to the Homecoming Dance and Prom?" Catie asked hopefully.

"And why do you care so much?" Oriana questioned, bringing Catie securely into her arm. She worried so much about Catie and Corey during the day, knowing neither of them got much attention at home.

"You're really pretty, Ori, but you always hide it. Howie really likes you for who you are, and I just think you should wear a dress... as a way of saying thank you..."

"Thank you for what?"

“For seeing and loving the true Oriana."

"When did you get so wise, Tie?"

"When my Guardian Angel offered me a chance to learn how to dance," Catie explained softly, referring to the first day she made contact with Oriana. She smiled sweetly as Oriana's eyes started to tear a little.

"You're going to be okay, Tie. You really are," Oriana sniffled, pressing several kisses to the girl's forehead.

*~*~*


"So? What did you think of the kids, Howie?" Oriana asked curiously as she parked her car in the dance studio's parking lot. They had spent all of the morning and most of the afternoon with the children. Catie and Corey had stayed all day, promising to call Oriana if there was any trouble at home. Oriana had prayed for the two all the way to the dance studio, noticing that Howie was extremely quiet. She hoped he wasn't turned off by the Center. The kids were well behaved, but sometimes many couldn't handle all the emotions in their hearts after visiting. That's why they had lost so many volunteers in the beginning. She gently leaned over and grasped Howie's hand to bring his attention back. "Howie?"

"Hmm?" Howie turned to face her, wiping away some tears. All the kids there were so strong despite the abuse they dealt with every day, and he was amazed.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Oriana asked, positive that Howie wouldn't want to come back to the Center. She reached out and wiped away his tears.

"Yeah, I'm just... those kids, they've been through so much... I don't know if I could ever be as strong as them. Or you."

"Me?" Oriana asked in confusion, running her thumb in a circular motion against his warm cheek.

"You've been through a lot, too. And you're strong just like them."

"My experiences were nothing like their..." Oriana caught herself from lying, biting down the words that usually flowed so easily. "My experiences were exactly like what they've had, if not a little worse at times..."

"How did you survive, Riana? How did they? I don't know if I could."

"They realize that it's just one day at a time. Bad things may happen to them, but God did this for some crazy reason. They may not realize it now, but they're going to blossom so beautifully. As long as they have someone nurturing them and loving them, they can get through anything..." Oriana explained quietly, running her fingers against his forehead as more tears fell against his cheeks.

"Who did you have that nurtured and loved you?" Howie asked gently, not bothering to wipe away his tears.

"Teagan...though she never truly realized it..."

"Wow..." they were silent for a moment before Howie leaned in and kissed her. "I'm glad she was there to help you. And I'm really proud of you for helping all the kids."

"I don't think I help them that much---"

"Now that's a lie right there. They would all be lost without you."

"They'd still have the Center, Howie."

"Yeah, but you help them emotionally. You're something stable for them where it wouldn't normally be."

Oriana grew quiet for a few moments, staring at all the sloppy signatures and get well's on her cast. She smiled softly at the sweet memories that fluttered into her heart just by the sight of their signatures. "You really think so?"

"I know so," Howie gently tugged on her braided pigtails. "You're their Guardian Angel."

"I don't know if I'd go that far..." she blushed.

"I would, because you're mine as well."

"What?"

"You're my Guardian Angel, because I felt really lost out there... honestly, until I met you."

"Oh, Howie---"

"Please don't say you're not, because you really are."

Oriana shook her head, biting down on her bottom lip to keep the tears from falling. She gently leaned out of her seat to hug Howie close. She kissed his neck repeatedly while whispering, "You're so sweet, Howie. That's why the kids loved you so much."

Howie smiled softly, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I'm just being me."

"I know, but you were so great with the kids. It really amazed me. Then with Corey. He never lets strangers get closed to him, but he thought you were the neatest thing... Till that marriage thing..."
"Well, he asked me if I was going to, and I said I wanted to someday. I didn't know you had so many suitors at the Center."

"I didn't either..."

"But I don't blame them. You're one in a million."

"Did you really mean someday?" Oriana asked instead, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I really did."

"Howie...." Oriana trailed, stifling another sniffle as she pulled away.

"What? Are you alright?" Howie asked, concerned.

"I haven't even said the 'love' words yet and... And here you are, so open... And... You're just too good to be true..."

"No, I'm just Howie. I'm not going to rush you into anything. You mean way too much to me to lose you.'

"Ick, Howie, you're making me all...girly..." Oriana whispered, trembling slightly as she tried to shake off her emotions.

"But you are a girl...?"

"You're making me feel things that I never thought I'd feel before," she tried to explain, feeling her hands shake.

"You do the same thing to me. Riana, you make me feel more alive than I've ever felt in my life. I'm so happy when I'm with you that I never want us to part," he took her shaking hands into his own. "It's okay to be scared."

"I'm not scared."

"That's why your hands are shaking?"

"No, my hands are shaking because I'm absolutely terrified."

"You wanna know something?"

"What?"

"So am I."

"Why?" she asked in surprise.

"I've never felt like this for a girl before. This is new to me, too."

"Should we cool down? Like take a break?"

"I don't if you don't."

"Are you sure?" Oriana whispered, knowing deep in her heart she could never truly part from Howie. He helped heal the broken parts of her heart that Teagan was unable to reach. She felt lost if she didn't speak to him at least once a day.

"I'm positive," Howie lifted her chin with his index finger so their contrasting eyes locked. "I never want to be apart from you."

"Me either."

He leaned in and kissed her before changing the subject a little. "So, did the girls talk you into going to the Homecoming Dance and Prom?"

"No..." Oriana trailed, unbuckling her seatbelt as her instructor strode past to unlock the studio.

"No?" Howie repeated, feeling a little disappointed.

"No," she assured, "Catie talked me into it."

"She did?"

"Yes."

"How did she--"

"She said I should do it as a thank you..." Oriana explained, opening her door. She leaned against the seat for a moment before stepping out. "You staying in here?"

"No, I'm coming with you," Howie replied as he got out of the Hummer and walked around to meet her. "As a thank you for what?"

"As a thank you to you for seeing and loving the true Oriana, or at least, that's what she said," Oriana explained, placing her hand against the belt looped through Howie's shorts.

"That was the only Oriana I ever knew. But... thank you."

"Don't thank me. Thank Catie."

"Well, I'm thanking you and I'll thank Catie the next time I go to the Center."

Oriana almost stumbled onto the sidewalk in shock. She recovered her balance quickly, stopping their walk toward the studio. Her blue-green eyes were wide at his previous statement. She reached out to stop him by touching his shoulder. "The Center? You're going back?"

He turned around and smiled. "Yeah, I'm going back. I talked to Rick about it and he said it was alright."

"You liked it that much?" she whispered in awe.

"I liked the Center and all the kids that much," he agreed.

"I honestly think you'd not want to go back..." Oriana confessed softly, stopping in her tracks for a moment. "Sometimes people get scared when they realize what the Center's about. These kids need a lot of love and attention... But, I guess that was stupid to think, because you're exactly what the Center needs."

"I did get a little scared when I realized all that," Howie admitted. "But that made me want to help all those kids even more. They deserve happiness, and it feels good to know I helped give some of that."

"They like you a lot... Tommy says you can jump into a game of ball anytime you like. Catie absolutely adores you, because you talk to her like she's an adult and not many do that. Corey is a little high-strung about the whole marriage factor...but he loves you just the same. Lindsay and Jess find you adorable... Might have to watch my back, though."

"Why would you have to watch your back?" Howie asked as they headed towards the studio again.

"Because Lindsay and Jess might feel the need to take you from me."

"Nah, I talked to them before we left. The three of us are friends, and they promised not to take me away from you."

"Would you go willingly?"

"I would fight tooth and nail."

"Oh yeah?"

Yep," he pulled her in for a kiss.

"So this is what you do on your time off?" a voice called as the studio doors opened, interrupting the heated kiss. Oriana immediately pulled away from Howie, blushing furiously. It was her dance instructor, Margie. She was in her mid thirties with deep black curls, light blue eyes, and a fantastic figure.

"Hey, Maggie, sorry. I was just coming to see you about..." Oriana shrugged innocently, holding her cast for view. "Had a small accident on the football field."

"Looks a little more than a small accident, Ori. How long are you in that cast?" Margie asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. She was a highly respected and sought out dance teacher in the whole state of Florida, specializing in every kind of dance imaginable.

"Four to five weeks?" Oriana guessed, biting down on her bottom lip.

Maggie walked over to Oriana as they entered the building. "So, are you going to let your favorite dance teacher sign it?"

"You're not going to give me the lecture about needing to choose dancing over football? Because football is too violent for a dancer who's got the perfected skills like me?" Oriana asked incredulously, offering Maggie the permanent marker.

"I can guess your mother already freaked out about this accident," Maggie continued, writing on Oriana's cast. "I can't tell you to pick between the two passions in your life. You're a football player, and you're a dancer."

"You always tried before," Oriana teased.

"Yes, I know," Maggie chuckled. "But I can't make you choose."

"You're learning," Oriana decided, noticing Howie lingering behind. She knew he always felt uncomfortable invading her personal areas. She smiled softly, motioning for him to come forward. "Think I found a new dancer for you, Maggie... Or maybe a new dancer for me..."

Maggie checked out Howie from head to toe. "He's definitely got the body of a dancer."

"Think he could replace me?"

"Until you come back?" Maggie thought for a moment. "I don't see why not. What kind of dance do you know?"

"I...uh..." Howie stumbled across his words as Luke walked into the studio. He blushed furiously, unable to hide his surprise.

"I was just teasing," Oriana replied with a small smile. She turned back to Maggie, shrugging her shoulders. "Do you still want me to show up for practices, Maggie?"

"Well, of course. It wouldn't be the same without you," Maggie replied.

"Do you want me to stay now, Maggie?"

"If you would like to. But if you've had a busy day at the Center, you should go home and rest that arm."

"I wouldn't be much use---"

"Come on, Cherry-Bomb! Why don't you stay?" Luke interrupted.

"Luke!" Oriana called in surprise, turning to see him stride forward in his usual apparal, tank top and a pair of shorts. She smiled brightly, hugging him tightly. "I didn't even know you were here already!"

"Just here to help out today, and maybe work more on what's going on in our class," Luke smiled, kissing her cheek.

"What about football practice?"

"Already had it."

"Oh..." Oriana trailed, somewhat sad. She had never missed an informal football practice since she had been on the team. She loved just horsing around with the boys.

“Ori, don't get sad. It wasn't even a practice. We were just talking about whether Richardson deserves to be on the team. He hasn't been to any of the impromptu practices, and doesn't fit in with any of us."

Oriana deadpanned for a moment, just staring at her friend for the longest moment. "You talked about him the entire time? No playing?"

"We talked about him, went over the plays that failed against North and added the ones you did to the playbook to make them permanent. But no, we didn't play."

"You made my plays permanent?"

"Yeah, we did," Luke pulled on one of Oriana's pigtails with a smile. "They were great plays, and will help us once you get back in the game."

"I didn't make those plays for me. I made them because---"

"You wanted us to win. Which makes them even better."

"You guys are really sweet, you know that?" Oriana whispered in absolute shock. Not knowing what else to do, she threw her arms around Luke's shoulders, kissing him affectionately on the cheek. "Thank you so much!"

"No need to thank us," Luke chuckled, smiling. "You're our MVP and always will be."

"You need help warming up?"

"Come on back," Luke looked over at Howie, who was talking to Maggie. "Yo, D. You can come with us."

"Me? Where am I going?"

"C'mon, we're going to warm up. I've got to get to know you better. It's obvious you've stolen Oriana's heart. I guess we need to get used to you being around, right?" Luke joked.

"Are you sure you want me tag along? I mean, dancing was always yours and Riana's. I don't want to barge into that if you don't want me to--"

"Well, now it's all of ours. Cherry-Bomb says you're a great dancer. I believe her. You mine as well hang out with us. Plus, if she brought you to the studio, then she wants you to be a part of this. C'mon, Cherry-Bomb, get your boyfriend and meet me in the studio," Luke decided, kissing Oriana's forehead before traveling into the next room where they always danced.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to. I really was joking with Maggie about you dancing... We can leave if you want?" Oriana quickly blurted, not wanting Howie to be upset.

"No, I would really like to stay. I just didn't want to intrude into something that's yours."

"Well, if you want to marry me someday, everything that's mine is going to have to be yours and some point, right?" she teased.

Howie gave a crooked smile. "That's true, too."

"So, do you want to stay?"

"Yeah. Lead the way."

"Thanks for spending the day with me, Howie..."

"No need to thank me. I love spending time with you."

"Just let me know when you get sick of me."

"I would never get sick of you," Howie replied, wrapping an arm around Oriana's waist as they headed down to the modern dance room.
Forced Freedom by Anastacia
Chapter 35 – Forced Freedom

"Jamie, stop staring at me. I feel like an idiot," Oriana called, never turning her head away from the TV Screen. She had locked herself away in the basement for the remainder of the week while Kevin and Cassandra had prepared the wedding further. Oriana had other things on her mind however, like developing dance sequences to the Grease! Songs. She had kept her Grease DVD locked in the TV set she kept in her dancing section, perfecting most of the moves she wanted to incorporate into the school's production. She didn't seem to pay attention to Alex slowly stepping forward as she started the 'We Go Together' Sequence. Like it were a simple series of steps, she moved into the coordinated moves like she were one of the originals.

"You don't look like an idiot," Alex replied as he continued to walked towards her.

"Yeah, right," Oriana laughed, stepping into the 'nerd dance' without fail. She had to laugh at herself as she noticed her reflection in the mirror.

"Well, now you look like a nerd," Alex teased.

"Damn, we're definitely going to have to put that in there. It's freaking classic," she laughed, deciding it was easy enough for the others to mimic.

"This is going to be the best production of Grease that any high school has done, Ry. You're kicking ass with the choreography!" Alex hooted as he began to follow some of her dance steps.

"You're just saying that because you're taking on the big brother role too well," Oriana decided, noticing Alex's ease with the dance steps. She smiled, deciding to change to 'You're The One That I Want,' seeing if he could catch up.

"Nice little trick, but I can keep up right with you. I've been watching Grease and doing the moves since I was a kid," Alex laughed as he did indeed keep up with Oriana.

"Maybe you should try out for Danny," Oriana replied, impressed as he picked her up and spun her.

"Nah, I can't sing that well."
"Well, why don't you let me be the judge of that?"
"Because you're biased?" Alex squeaked.
"C'mon Jamie..." Oriana enthused, grabbing her CD. She crossed back to her stereo, popping it in. "Do Summer Nights. Please?"

"Will you do Sandy's part?"

"Why?"

"Because I'd feel dumb doing a duet as a solo."

"If you laugh or tell anyone, I'll kill you," she stated pointedly, cueing the CD.

"I won't tell anyone and I sure as Hell won't laugh."

"Deal," she decided, pushing the play button so the music filtered.

"As long as you don't laugh at me," Alex replied as the 50's beat played.

"Agreed..."

"Alright, here goes..." Alex took a deep breath before singing Danny's part. "Summer loving, had me a blast..."

Oriana noticed the ease in his voice as she closed her own eyes. She was somewhat terrified of letting Alex hear her voice. She never really sang with anyone but Teagan and that was just goofing around. Knowing that she promised Alex, she took a deep breath herself while sweetly countering, "Summer loving, happened so fast."

"I met a girl, crazy for me," Alex sang more freely, outwardly surprised at how amazing Oriana's voice.

"Met a boy, cute as could be," she continued, still somewhat shy.

"Summer days, drifting away to oh, oh, those summer nights," they sang together.

"Awe! Brother and sister bonding! How sweet!" Brian called with a sneer of sugary-sweetness, walking into the dance studio.

Oriana jumped in surprise, rushing toward the CD player. She immediately turned off the music, finding her heart thumping heavily against her ribcage. Naturally, she brought her cast arm close to her chest for protection. She struggled to maintain a cool appearance, glaring toward Brian. "What do you want?"

"Nothing from you. I just wanted to tell you two you need to get out of the house tomorrow night."

"What for? This is our house, too, you know," Alex replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, not tomorrow it isn't," Brian cut shortly, glaring at his younger brother. He didn't understand how he could have such a traitor for a brother. "Teagan and I are going to have the place to ourselves. Your asses are completely out of here, or else."

"What? Going to break my arm again?" Oriana murmured with distaste.

"Watch it, Riley. I mean it. I want both of you out of the house tomorrow. I don't give a shit where you go, but it won't be here."

"You're such a complete and utter asshole. You're not going to push me around anymore," Oriana growled, boldly stepping toward him.

"Or I could tell Teagan I was asking you politely to leave for tomorrow and you were just plain rude to me and wouldn't listen. You know she would believe me," Brian replied, not backing down.

"Or I could just get the whole team to step toward Teagan and explain how my arm really got broken."
"No, you wouldn't. And even then, I could just say it was an accident. Who will she really believe, Riley? Think about it. Do you really want to hurt her by having the team tell her that?"

"No--"

"Then stay out of the house tomorrow night and everything will be fine."

"Brian, this is way out of line," Alex growled.

"No, she's going to listen," Brian growled, grabbing the back of Oriana's neck where he had done so before. He pulled her close to him, glaring darkly.

"Damnit, Riley, listen to me now? I'm the man and you're the measly woman. You don't talk back to me. You listen and do what you're told. I say get the fuck out of the house tomorrow and you're going to listen. Understand?"

"Get away from me!" Oriana snapped, slamming her good arm into his gut so he would stumble away. Once she was freed, she briskly walked toward the basement stairs.

"I don't fucking think so," Brian went after her and grabbed the back of her shirt. He tugged hard, causing her to lose her balance, but she stayed on her feet. "This should make it even better for me. Telling Teagan you elbowed me in the stomach when I asked you to please leave the house tomorrow night won't look too good for you, will it?"

"Get off me," she stated slowly.

"Leave the house tomorrow night."

"You're worse than all the others."

"Leave the house tomorrow night," Brian repeated. He didn't care what she thought of him.

"You can't make me leave my own house," she gritted, yanking hard on her shirt, hearing it rip, but she was free.

"DAMNIT, RILEY! Don't make it worse for you!"

"How could I possibly make it worse, Richardson? What are you going to do? Beat me to a pulp? Make sure I'm bloody and swelling? Or sneak into my room and slit my throat? What?"

"Ooh, don't tempt me--"

"STOP IT! Brian, you are so over the line that your stupid ass can't see it," Alex interrupted, pushing Brian away from Oriana.

"If you don't leave the house tomorrow night, I swear to God, Oriana... What I'll do to you will make that broken arm seem like a honeymoon!" Brian growled, shoving Alex toward the stairs.

"Leave me alone!" Oriana yelped, rushing up the stairs.

"Go up to your room and lock the door!" Alex shouted after as he pushed Brian again. "Leave her alone, Brian! You're acting like a fucking psycho!"

"I'm not fucking play with you either, Alex. You're such a damn traitor. I'm your flesh and blood and here you are defending that little slut. Does she sleep with you on the side? I bet she's slutty enough for that... Sleeping with someone who's going to be her own brother--"

Alex didn't let him finish as his fist met with Brian's jaw. "SHUT THE FUCK UP, BRIAN! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT Ry AND YOU NEVER WILL!"

"Brave... Really brave," Brian coughed, spitting blood from his mouth.

Alex refused to hear another word. He rushed up the stairs to find Oriana. His hand was throbbing with pain, but he didn't care. He was about to run up the second flight of stairs to reach their rooms, but noticed Oriana sitting on the couch in the living room. She had her cast arm clutched securely to her chest with her good hand cover her mouth. She was shaking violently, trying to control the sob that threatened to burst from her throat.

"Ry..." he rushed over to the couch and sat down next to her. "Sweetie, are you alright? Don't worry about Brian, you know that Howie, me and the team won't let that asshole hurt you."

"It's not that..." she lied, trying to make light of the situation. She could feel the tears falling against her hand. "He ripped my favorite shirt."
"You're lying. I mean, I know you're upset about your shirt. But you can't say that Brian didn't get to you, because he got to me," Alex placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"He doesn't mean anything by it."

"He doesn't? That's why he broke your arm, right? Because he didn't mean anything by it?"

"Maybe we should go out for the weekend..." Oriana suggested, changing the subject. She leaned carefully into Alex's arms, just wanting to feel safe.

"Where would you like to go?" Alex asked. trying to ignore the pain in his hand. It felt good to hit his no-good brother, but was regretting the repercussions.

"I always liked camping on the beach. I have all the supplies... Luke and I go all the time. We have our favorite spot. We can make a fire pit, I have a tent... It'd just be nice..."

"I've never camped on the beach before. It sounds like a lot of fun."

"Real brother and sister bonding..."

"Let's do it, then."

"Just you and me---"

"You're so lucky you didn't break my jaw, you stupid fucker," Brian's voice interrupted Oriana as he came up from the basement.

Oriana tried to stifle a laugh as Brian stumbled into the living room, clutching his aching jaw. Oriana could already see the bruise forming and she was proud of Alex. She noticed Brian try to lunge at Alex, but she quickly stood up to stop him. "If I promise to leave tomorrow, you've got to get the fuck out of our faces - now."

"You'll leave tomorrow?" Brian repeated, spitting some blood into his hand.

"If you get out of our faces right now."

"But---"

"One time offer," Oriana interrupted.

"You'd better take it before it's gone, BRO," Alex replied, clenching his aching hand.

"Whatever, just get out of the house by noon," Brian grunted, stumbling toward the stairs.

Oriana sighed with relief as she heard Brian's door slam. She turned toward Alex, motioning for him to show her his hand. She sighed softly, noticing the subtle swelling already occurring. "Nice punch, but you'll need to get ice on that."

"You don't know how good it felt to punch that asshole..." Alex trailed off as Oriana led him into the kitchen.

"I'll take your word for it," Oriana laughed, making him sit down at the kitchen table. She hummed softly, pulling out one of the many cold packs in the freezers. She crossed back to offer him the cold pack. "If it's still swelling, I'll ace bandage it. Okay?"

"Yes, Doctor Riley," he chuckled, placing it on his hand. "So, we're really going camping tomorrow?"
"As long as you want to."

"Hell yeah, I do. Getting out of this house will be nice."

"Nicer than you realize," Oriana agreed, glancing up toward a clock as the kitchen door open. She cursed openly, realizing she was running late for the dress fitting. She had to meet Teagan, Marie, and Cassandra at the mall. "Damnit!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Guess she's not happy to see me..." Howie trailed.

"No!" Oriana groaned yet again, glancing down at her ripped shirt. The women of the family would never stand for her grubby appearance. She also hadn't talked to her mother since the argument, which made her highly nervous. She took a deep breath, tugging at the shirt before glancing toward Alex's shirt. "Jamie, switch me shirts real quick."

"What--"

"I'm late for the dress fitting, I need your shirt!"

"But---"

"C'mon, Jamie! Please!" Oriana blurted, tugging her shirt free. She offered it toward Alex, not even realizing Howie stood behind them.

"Alright, alright!" Alex yelped, pulling off his own shirt and handing it to her.

"Thank you so much!" Oriana blurted, tugging it on. She immediately leaned over and pressed a kiss to Alex's cheek. "I'll see you in a little bit, okay? Stay away from Brian."

"If he comes around, I can't promise--"

"Jamie, please. Get out of the house if he aggravates you. Don't make it any worse for yourself."

"I'll be fine," Alex promised, glancing behind Oriana to see Howie. He knew that Howie would stay around for awhile to keep him calm. "Just have fun at the fitting."

"Yeah, right," she snorted. She started to turn, but immediately whipped back around. "Keep your arm elevated."

"Yes, ma'am. Just get going, or you'll be late!"

"I'm already late," she sighed, turning just to bump into Howie. She staggered back in surprise, realizing he had probably seen her wearing her regular bra. She blushed furiously at the idea. "I...uh... I'm sorry. I completely forgot that I had to do this stupid dress fitting... You should hang out with Jamie today... Oh, and tomorrow won't be good either."

"What's going on tomorrow?" Howie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm planning on joining a nudist colony," she answered, reaching for her keys.

"And I can't join, too?"

"Seeing her bra wasn't enough?" Alex snickered.

"We'll talk about this later, I have to go," Oriana shot Alex a look before giving Howie a shy kiss.

"Ria, you're beautiful," Howie commented, running his hand against her cheek as she pulled back.

"I've really got to go!" she blurted, rushing forward to the door. She opened it, but hesitated yet again. She turned back with a groan, "The reason this weekend is bad is because Jamie and I are going camping on the beach."

"Brother and sister bonding? That's cute," Howie chuckled.

"Dress fitting?" Alex called.

"Shit!" Oriana groaned, running out the door. "Gabby's going to kill me!"

"I'd pay anything to see her at that dress fitting," Alex laughed, motioning for Howie to join him.

"Well, you'll be able to see her at Homecoming and Prom in a dress, so you won't have to wait long," Howie smirked, sitting down at the table. He looked down at Alex's hand and frowned slightly. "What happened to your hand?"

"Brian..." Alex trailed, holding the ice pack firmly against his tender hand. He made a face as a stinging sensation erupted. "Ry doing some of the choreography to Grease downstairs and then she insisted I try out for Danny. She has a killer voice, you know? But anyway, Brian came downstairs bitching about us needing to get out of the house tomorrow. Ry tried to stand up to him, but he grabbed Ry by the neck. I got him off her and she ran upstairs... He started saying this disgusting stuff and I just lost it. My fist landed in his jaw."

"Damn," Howie whistled, lifting up the ice pack for a moment to see the damage. "You hit him good."

"He fucking deserved it," Alex hissed, "Calling her a whore and shit, saying he was going to slit her throat."

"He said WHAT?!" Howie's eyes grew dark. "I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him!"

Alex winced at Howie's quick burst of rage, knowing he probably shouldn't have said anything. He groaned inwardly, running a hand across his face. He wondered how hard Oriana would deck him if Howie spilled that he knew. He swallowed his anger, trying to remain calm. "Ry just said we should go out for the weekend to spare all the grief. She suggested we go camping on the beach. I've never done that and she said she has all the stuff... So, we're leaving tomorrow around noon..."

"You're leaving for the entire weekend?"

"A special place Luke and her go all the time, like an hour away..."

"So I won't see her the whole weekend?"

"No, we're staying till late Monday."

"Oh... protect her for me, alright?"

Why do you look so upset?"

"Because I'm not used to being a part from her for so long."

"You just started dating her," Alex laughed, leaning back on his chair. He was shocked by the crestfallen look upon Howie's face. He had never seen Howie so stricken by a simple romantic relationship before.

"So? Doesn't change the way I feel," Howie sighed, running a hand through his locks.

"She's not going to get hurt."

"I know, but I can't help worrying."

"You're really that scared?" Alex asked honestly.

"Your brother is crazy. I don't doubt anything with him anymore."

"We're going to be an hour away---"

"I know, Alex. I trust you to protect her, but I'm still going to be scared, alright?"

"But---"

"Listen, you both have fun this weekend, just be careful."

"Howie, what I'm trying to say is---"

"What?"

"Damn, why don't you just ask if you can come along? I bet she's probably thinking the same thing! The only chance you guys have to spend extra time together is on the weekends."

"I thought it was a sibling thing--"

"We're always together, Howie. The only true reason we're leaving is because Brian basically threatened Oriana and she didn't want to get hurt. Besides, I've always thought of you as a brother. It'd be great for you to come along. We'd have a lot of fun," Alex enthused.

"Are you sure?"

"No, I'm lying," Alex rolled his eyes, pushing on Howie's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm sure. Come camping with us."

"Shouldn't I ask Oriana---"

"She'll want you to come, don't worry."

"So I'm just showing up tomorrow and scaring the daylights out of her?"

"Just about."

"If she hates the idea, can I blame it all on you?"

"Sure, I'm used to getting all the blame," Alex laughed, checking on his hand. "But she won't hate the idea."

"And you're sure you don't mind? Because I'm dating her and all? I mean, you're going to be her brother. You deserve to have some alone time with her... You won't mind me butting in?" Howie struggled, hearing the front door open and close.

“Dude, I don't mind at all. I live with the girl, it's not like we haven't bonded yet. So come with us," Alex looked up to see his father walking into the kitchen. "Hey, Dad."

"Hey, Son!" Kevin greeted brightly, affectionately kissing the top of his son's head. He smiled toward Howie. "Did Oriana already leave for the mall? Cassandra was having a panic attack, swearing that if Oriana was late that the Heavens might just crash down on this good earth."

"Yeah, she just left about ten minutes ago, swearing about being late. Sounds like her and Oriana are a lot alike," Howie replied, smiling as well. He had always thought of Kevin like a second father.

"I just hope Oriana and Teagan actually talk to Cassandra..." Kevin sighed, reaching into the fridge to pull out a soda. His eyes went wide for a moment when he grabbed a Pepsi, he quickly shoved it back into the fridge and grabbed a Mug Root beer. "Oriana would probably chop off my hand if I took that."

"Definitely," Alex and Howie replied in unison.

"How is she doing?" Kevin asked, leaning against the counter. Oriana had quickly reverted back into her shell. He had hoped that Oriana would trust him better, but she seemed to disappear just the same.

"Doing alright. I think it's just really hard for her not being able to dance or play football," Alex replied.

"Wish she would talk to me. We could swap so many football stories."

"Just give her time, Dad."

"I guess so... How’s the dating going with her, Howie? Any need to break any fingers, yet?" Kevin joked, already quite protective of the girl that would be his stepdaughter.

"Me?" Howie squeaked. "No, everything has been going fine. No fingers need to be broken."

"Is he telling the truth?" Kevin asked Alex.

"Dad, this is Howie you're talking about. He would never do anything bad to Riana."

"Okay," Kevin consented. "Where's your brother?"

"Who cares," Alex muttered, pressing the ice harder on his hand.

"Excuse me?"

"Upstairs."

"Okay, go get him. We need to get to the tux shop. I promised Cassie that we'd get this done while she's getting the girls fitted. Howie, would you like to come along?"

"Are you sure? That's usually a father/son bonding thing."

"Aren't you a son? You're here often enough."

"I know, but--"

"And, besides, since you've been spending so much time with Oriana, I bet you'll be thinking about tuxes and white dresses soon," Kevin joked, watching Howie pale dramatically. "Um...you alright?"

"He's fine, Dad. Just a little tired from his long day, that's all," Alex spoke for Howie, kicking his shin under the table as a sign to snap out of it.

"What'd you do today that's got you so tired?"

"Riana just lead me all around town, so I can see what she does between football and school."

"Oh..." Kevin trailed with a smirk. "Just don't plan on eloping. Alright?"

"No, sir. But I think marriage is far away in the picture."

"But a possibility?"

"I'm hoping."

"Oh Lord," Kevin breathed, tossing his soda can into the nearby trashcan. He walked forward to ruffle Howie's curls. "I know nothing if her mother asks."

"Thanks, Paw. But if Cass comes to kill me, I'm ratting you out," Howie joked.

"I want your asses in my car in ten minutes."

*~*~*


"Mom! These dresses are so beautiful!" Teagan squealed towards Marie as she carefully put on the one specified for her. "Can I keep this for Prom?"

"I don't think Maid of Honor dresses are good for that, Baby," Marie chuckled.

"Then what am I going to wear for Prom?" Teagan pouted, admiring her reflection in the mirror. The seamstress had yet to wander over to finish the alterations, so Teagan just loved spinning with the mermaid skirt flaring. She knew now she wanted a deep pink dress for Prom. Brian would go absolutely wild.

"I thought that was Brian's job?" Marie replied, eyes tearing up a little at how grown up her little girl looked in the dress.

"No, it's my job to pick out the dress, Mom!"

"But he's buying it, isn't he? I just think it would be odd for you to wear a dress from a wedding to your Senior Prom."

"But it's so pretty."

"Teagan Gabrielle. No."

"Who is going to go out Prom dress shopping with me then, Mom? It's a few months away. Tons of girls already have their dresses picked. I need to get a move on!" Teagan stressed with a growl, turning from the mirror. "I need someone who knows me inside and out--"

"Holy shit, am I late?!" Oriana yelped, rushing into the lovely boutique. She stumbled into the shop in a daze, refusing to be grounded for a simple mistake. She stood straight when she came upon Teagan and Marie, knowing she had to look like a complete disaster.

"Only five minutes," Teagan replied. "You're lucky Ma isn't here right now. She kept saying the Heavens would crash into the Earth if you were late."

"She's not here?" Oriana whispered, breathing a sigh of great relief.

"She went to call home to see if you had left yet."
"You already talked to her, didn't you?" Oriana asked.

"Talked to her about what?" Teagan asked innocently, looking down at her dress.

"About what happened? You're okay with her now, aren't you?" Oriana continued, not liking it when Teagan insisted on playing dumb.

Teagan shook her head. "I haven't said a word to her since we got here. Mom threatened to ground me, but I don't care."

"Oh..." Oriana grew quiet for a moment, staring down at Teagan's outfit. Yet again, Teagan remained to look absolutely wonderful, even without the alterations. Oriana found it hard at times not to be jealous. She sighed softly, however, wrinkling her nose at the deep rose pink color. "That's what we have to wear?"

"Yep. See, it's not so bad, is it? At least it's not like an Easter bunny pink," Teagan twirled in a circle. "You'll look amazing in the dress, Riana."

"I refuse to wear that abomination."

"WHAT is so bad about a dress?"

"It's pink."

"Yeah. What's wrong with pink?"

"It's pink!"

"There's nothing wrong with pink!"

"Everything is wrong with pink."

"It's for one day, it won't kill you."

"It very well—" Oriana faltered when she noticed her mother walking into the boutique. She immediately snatched the dress the seamstress was holding out. She bared a painful grin. "Is a beautiful dress and I just can't wait to try it on!"

Teagan raised an eyebrow and gave her mother a questioning look. Marie just shrugged as Oriana rushed into the dressing room. "Mom, what was that?"

"Where's my daughter?" Cassandra blurted, walking forward.

Teagan turned to look at herself in the mirror, ignoring Cassandra.

"She's trying on the dress, Cassie. Just got here a couple of minutes ago," Marie replied, frowning at Teagan's behavior.

"Guess the Heavens aren't crashing into the ground today," Cassandra sighed with relief, sitting down next to Marie on the couch. She glanced over at Teagan, who swirled in the mirror yet again. She smiled softly, "You look lovely, Teagan."

Teagan just nodded somewhat, continuing to look in the mirror. She was still angry at Cassandra for hurting Oriana after the football accident and yelling at herself. Marie sighed heavily, biting her lip. "I'm afraid she still won't talk, Cassie..."

"I apologized profusely to her," Cassandra explained softly, biting down on her inner cheek. She did feel foolish for scolding Teagan, but she felt absolutely awful for hurting Oriana. Her daughter hadn't even looked at her in over a week let alone spoke with her. She felt just like the crummy boyfriends she had in the past.

"I know you have. The one and only thing she inherited from her father was his stubbornness. Try talking to her again today," Marie patted her friend’s hand.

"Didn't you just see me try?"

"Go and try again."

Cassandra nodded softly, pushing herself up from the sofa. She walked toward the mirrors, gently placing a hand against Teagan's bare shoulder. "Teagan, Sweetie, I really want to talk to you. I understand that you're upset about the other day. I completely understand that. I'm extremely upset at myself for what happened."

"Ma, you really hurt Riana... I've never seen you do that, ever. Do you know how scary that was?" Teagan whispered.

"I know. It was very scary. I don't justify what I did at all. I really don't know what got into me in the first place. It was extremely wrong and I can't stop apologizing for how I mistreated both of you. I never intended on hurting Oriana."

Teagan turned around to face Cassandra, tears in her eyes. "Don't take away football, dance and the Center. They mean too much to her."

"I didn't mean any of what I said. I was just so scared about her getting hurt. I've never seen her so badly... Okay, I have, but that was with other things. Falling down and playing. I just didn't expect to get such shocking news. I won't take any of that away from her. I promise."

"I'm sorry I've been ignoring you, Ma. I was... I don't know. A lot has been going on lately."

"Just don't do it again," Cassandra whispered, pulling Teagan in for a tight hug.

"I won't." Teagan hugged her back.

"Now am I allowed to say that you look lovely in that dress?"

"Do I really look lovely?" Teagan asked with a blushing smile as they looked in the mirror.

"The prettiest girl on the block," Cassandra approved, running her fingers through Teagan's dark locks.

"I wanted to wear this to Prom, but Mom won't let me. You'll let me, right Ma?"

"Um..." Cassandra hesitated, glancing back to see the stern glare from Marie. She immediately turned back to Teagan, offering a smile. "Why don't we send you girls out for a weekend? We'll let you take Friday off of school and we'll fly you to New York, or where ever you like to get Designer Dresses? We'll let you stay in a hotel and do your own shopping with our money?"

"Are you serious? New York? Ma that would be awesome!" Teagan squealed, hugging Cassandra again.

"Any big city you'd like to go to," Cassandra promised.

"New York, definitely New York!"

"You have to get Oriana to go with you, though."
"That'll take me awhile..." Teagan frowned as she looked up to see Oriana peek her head out of the dressing room. "Trouble! Let's see the dress!"

"Do you have any idea what kind of word I'm searching for in my vocabulary at the moment?" Oriana gritted, still standing behind the white door.

"Umm... 'Yes, I'll let you see'?"

"More like, 'No Way In Freaking Hell'!"

"Oh, come on! You'll look great, I know it!"

"No!"

"You want me to drag you out of there? Because I will, Oriana Ryan!"

"I look like Barbie and damnit that bitch does not have everything!"

"Get out here now!"

"I'd rather be a Skipper..." Oriana grumbled, slowly stepping away from the door. She immediately tensed all the muscles in her body, not impressed with the way she looked. But others could see the truth. It seemed as if the dress were made for her. The dark rose pink coloring matched enhanced her light cinnamon colored skin and allowed her honey blonde curls to glow beneath the light. The low cut mermaid flared skirt enhanced the curves of her lower body as the tight bodice enhanced the upper curves of her Coca-Cola bottle figure.

"Oh my gosh... girl, you look fantastic! So beautiful" Teagan gushed.

"No," Oriana grumbled, trying to cover her exposed lower stomach.

"Yes you do!"

"I look like a hideous pink wild beast on search of it's ten thousandth meal!"

"You do not, you dork!"

"Oriana, you look amazing," Marie replied as she stood next to Teagan.

"Moms, no I don't."

"Are you ever going to listen to anyone when they give you a compliment?"

"I just think I look disgusting."

"Why?!"

"Gabby's the one that's used to all this stuff. She's the pretty one. I'm just the goof-off. The girl that wished she was a boy," Oriana tried to explain, stepping toward the mirrors. She attentively smoothed her hands down the soft silk of the skirt.

"But you're the pretty one as well. Just because you have a lot of guy friends and play football doesn't mean you can't be beautiful."

"I don't ever feel beautiful, Moms."

"But you should right now. And you always should."

"It's your job to say that," Oriana frowned, allowing her hands to fall against her well-toned stomach. All the years of dancing and sports had paid off within her looks.

"No, it's the truth," Marie placed her hands on Oriana's shoulders.

"I'm going to look like a complete fool standing next to Teagan in the wedding party," Oriana murmured, pulling all her curls to the top of her head.

"Oh, stop it, You will not, Both of you will look gorgeous and I don't want to hear another objection to that, Oriana."

"But—"

"No buts."

"How am I going to show my face in public— Hey! Get your hands away from there!" Oriana blurted in surprise, jumping as a man started to adjust the fabric near her hips.

"Honey, that's the tailor! He's altering the dress so it fits you perfectly."

"If it fits anymore perfectly I'm going to be staring in a Porn."

"Riana, just be patient and let the man do his job."
Oriana grumbled some kind of reply, arching her back slightly. Her muscles tightened quickly when he ran his hands down her hips to make sure the silk lay perfectly against her skin. She looked at Teagan in disbelief, noticing Teagan lavishing in the attention of her cute tailor.

"You going to talk to your other daughter?" Marie stressed, glancing back at Cassandra. Marie smiled softly, noticing the misty glaze covering Cassandra's dark blue eyes. It was the first time the women had truly seen Oriana in all her glory as a natural woman. True, they had seen her grace in the dance outfits and recitals, but this was different. Now she stood in all her glory as an honestly beautiful woman in the soft lighting of mystery.

"Marie, she looks so beautiful..." Cassandra whispered.

"Hard to believe that's your little girl, huh?" Marie guessed.

"I never thought I would see her wear a dress like this. Not even on her wedding day. I just hope she sees that, because it's true," Cassandra wiped away some stray tears. "Do you think she'll accept my apology?"

"There's only one way to find out..."

"I know," she sighed, walking over to her daughter. "Oriana?"

Oriana turned to catch her mother's eyes. She jumped in surprise, yelping as a pin slipped and pricked her hip. She glared at the man, who shrugged helplessly. She could feel her cheeks burn with fear as her mother stood in front of her. "I only went to the football game and there was no way to back out on the Center. Corey and Catie were wondering where I was... And then I had to stop by Margie's and tell her I'm injured. I'm sorry, Momma--"

"Don’t you apologize about anything. If anyone needs to, it's me. Riana, Sweetie, I'm so sorry about the way I acted when you came home from the hospital. I was scared, my little girl was seriously hurt. I didn't mean to hurt you. I love you way too much to ever hurt you, and I didn't react the right way," Cassandra ran a hand through Oriana's ponytail. "And I didn't mean to scare you. A lot has been going on with the wedding and everything, and I snapped because I took everything on at once. It was wrong for me to even grab you the way I did. I'm sorry."

"It's not a big deal, Momma—"

"If it wasn't a big deal, we wouldn't have avoided each other these past few days."

"I just didn't want to upset you again."

"It upset me more not being able to talk to you."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too." she kissed her daughter's forehead. “You look really beautiful."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me..."

"Maybe because it's true?"

"Or everyone's drunk?"

"Oriana."

"Or everyone is telling the truth," Oriana sighed, noticing the tailor step away from her with approval. He smacked his lips against his fingers, holding them quickly to the air as if she were a masterpiece. She rolled her eyes, stepping off the stage surrounded by mirrors, facing Teagan. "We look ridiculous."

"We look PRETTY!" Teagan corrected with a laugh. "Pink looks so good on you, Riana."

"I look like Barbie in a Pepto Bismol Container."

"This isn't the color of Pepto Bismol."

"It is in my book."

Teagan crinkled her nose. "Is not."

"I'm not fighting with you," Oriana decided, traveling back to the dressing rooms with Teagan. She stared at her reflection once more before entering her private room. She twirled for a moment, offering a small smile. "If I had to choose a dress design though, this wouldn't be too bad."

"Hey, speaking of dress design. Ma said she would let us skip school on a Friday, fly us to New York to find Prom dresses and let us stay in a hotel for the weekend. Is that awesome or what?" Teagan asked, popping her head out of her dressing room.

"Prom dresses?" Oriana countered, stepping into her own dressing room.

"Yeah. You're going to Prom with Howie, right? And Homecoming?"

"Who said that?"

"I did?"

"I didn't say I was going."

"But why wouldn't you?"

"Dresses?"

"You're wearing one now, aren't you?"

"That's for my mother's wedding!"

"So? You're still wearing it. Besides, it can be any color you want for the other dances."

"Homecoming is just before Momma's wedding."

"Homecoming isn't as important as Prom. You could always borrow one of my dresses and no one would know."

"Yeah, right," Oriana snorted, rolling her eyes. She leaned out to hand the top and bottom to the nearby seamstress before working on pulling on her t-shirt and shorts. "The chicks at our school would spot it in a New York Minute. Besides, I promised Mac I'd get together and do something with him over Homecoming---"

"MAC? He's a conceited jackass who insulted your boyfriend!" Teagan objected as she bolted out of her dressing room.

"He'd be a lot of help if I get into Duke---"

“He said Howie was too dumb to get in! Why would you want to hang out with someone like that? You'll do fine in Duke without his help."

"Howie doesn't even want to go to Duke---"

"How do you know?"

"Because we already talked about it."

"He literally said he doesn't want to go to Duke?"

"In so many words."

"Yep, that means he didn't," Teagan took Oriana's hand and walked to where their mother's were.

"That's not the point!"

"Why do you even want to hang out with Mac when you have Howie?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Howie's way better than Mac because he doesn't insult people?"

"Teagan---"

"I don't like Mac, and I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."

"What I'm t---"

"What, Riana?"

Oriana took a deep breath and completed a long drawn sentence, "I was just trying to bullshit you, but I really meant to tell you that I'm going to the Homecoming Dance and the Prom with Howie. And yes I'm planning on wearing two different dresses. No, I don't need to borrow one of your dresses because next weekend I'm taking Corey and Catie to the mall to shop for the dress. Damn!"

"Why do you always do that me?! I feel stupid now!"

"Because I try to tell you the truth, then you just start going off, but I am supposed to visit with Mac during Homecoming. Ace insisted."

"Ace is an asshole for insisting when he knows you're with Howie."

"I didn't even tell Howie yet."

"Are you going to?"

"Going to tell him?" Oriana questioned in confusion as Cassandra paid for the dresses and questioned when they would be available for final delivery.

"Yes."

"I don't know..."

“Why would you listen to Ace about hanging out with Mac anyway? If you don't want to, don't."

"Because I do owe it to Mac. I mean, he was really nice to me when he was on the team. He's been calling all the time to check up on me. He'd be so pissed if he came home and I refused. You know?" Oriana tried to explained. "It's not like I'm going to leave Howie for Mac. I really like Howie."

"Then explain it like that to Howie," Teagan replied as they left the bridal store.

"You think he'll be upset?"

"Not if you tell him the way you just told me."
"I'll think about it."

"Remember that he would have a right to be pissed if he found out you hung out with Mac and didn't tell him."

"What are the chances he'd find out?"

"With the way the guys on the team talk... pretty good."

"Damnit," Oriana groaned.

*~*~*


"What happened to your jaw, Brian?" Kevin called in question as his sons stepped out of the dressing areas in sharp tuxes. He had taken great care in selecting tuxes that the boys could wear again for classy events. They were a modern style without the cummerbund, offering a sharp rose pink tie to match the girls' dresses. Alex seemed pleased with the apparel as he stepped onto the stage for the tailor to make the necessary adjustments. But Brian lingered before stepping onto the opposite stage, scowling as he continued to hold his tender jaw.

"Ran into Alex's fist," Brian muttered as the tailor adjusted the tux to the right measurements.

"What?" Kevin coughed in surprise, sitting up from the couch he had shared with Howie.

"Brian was being an ass and calling Oriana names. So I punched him," Alex replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't really care if his father punished him or not; it still felt good to hit Brian.

"Calling Oriana names?"

"He was calling her a slut and a whore."

"Brian Thomas," Kevin growled.

"Dad, that's all she is!"

"She is not!" Howie and Alex yelled in unison.

"How the Hell would you know what she is, Brian? Do you have proof?" Kevin objected, feeling an immense sense of disappointment toward his son. He had never seen his son stoop so low.

"People at school have told me! She's a fucking disease--"

"Brian, watch your mouth," Kevin snapped, standing up from the couch. He noticed the tailors increase their productivity as his hands curled into fists. "How can you say that about someone, Brian? Damnit, you haven't even sat down with that girl for ten minutes to know her. All you do is have negative comments toward a girl that's probably one of the greatest people you will meet in your life. Have you no compassion?"

"Obviously you don't have any for me when you decided to propose to CASSANDRA. You didn't even ask if it was okay! We were just fine without her and her slutty daughter!" Brian stood his ground. He refused to be broken down by his father.

"We were not fine without Cassandra and Oriana. Damnit, Brian, why don't you get your head out of your ass? Have you ever seen your brother so open with the people at school? Since meeting Oriana, he's been so happy-go-lucky. He loves going to school and he loves spending time with her. Cassandra is like the mother you two never had a chance to have! And Cassandra has changed me into a completely different person. I love her and her daughter and I'm willing to bet that Alex feels the same. The only person miserable in this family is you, because you can't stand sharing the spotlight."

"Then why have me in the wedding, Dad? Huh?"

"Because whether you like it or not. You're a part of this family."

“Maybe I'll just ruin the wedding, then."

"Maybe you'll be grounded for life."

"Oooh, Dad'll ground me for life. Boo fucking hoo," Brian mocked his father, rolling his light blue eyes.

Kevin stood there for a moment, completely shocked by his son's outrageous demeanor. He shook his head in disbelief, feeling the anger boil against his heart. Without any thought, he reached out and smacked Brian sharply on the neck. "Get your fucking act together before I get back out here to get my suit tailored."

"Fuck you," Brian muttered as Kevin walked back into the dressing room. He rubbed his sore neck, not looking at Howie nor Alex.

"Why can't you just suck up your damn pride and be happy for your father? He found someone to love, which is more than some people can say," Howie boldly stated, crossing his arms against his chest.
"Like you?" Brian snorted.

"Excuse me, I have Oriana. Thank you very much. At least I don't blow important games trying to make someone else look stupid. You do know that they're talking about kicking you off the team, right?"

"You do know that they're talking about how Mac is going to score with Oriana over Homecoming, right?" Brian asked with a sly smirk, fixing his tie.

"He's not going to score shit with her, you fucking bastard."

"That's not what Ace is saying, figuring she's going out on a date with him during Homecoming weekend. Ace already asked Shayla out to dinner with them, then they're going to that romantic spot on the beach..."

"Brian, I swear to God, you need to shut up right now."

"You can ask any fucking player on that team. They're going to tell you the same thing. Mac is fixing to win himself a little pre-Duke nookie with the sleeziest chick in the fucking school."
Before Howie could stop himself, he was off the couch and slamming his body against Brian's. The force pushed them back into the mirror, cracking it. "You fucking asshole, shut up!"

"It's the fucking truth!" Brian snapped, throwing Howie backward. "She's going to jump into the backseat with him, because she doesn't care who she spreads her legs to. Haven't you heard about her fucking reputation at that school? Or are you just waiting for your own score with her? Last time I fucking checked, Alex was already in that pool!"

Alex rushed over and pushed Brian away from Howie. "DAD! BRIAN'S STARTING A FIGHT WITH HOWIE!"

It took only a moment for Kevin to rush out from his dressing room in his boxer shorts and tank top. He glanced to see Brian tackle Alex and Howie, throttling them with his fists. Kevin cursed, lunging for his son, throwing him against a nearby wall. "What the Hell is wrong with you, Brian Thomas?!"

"Everything! Fucking let me go!" Brian struggled against Kevin's grasp.

"No, I'm not letting you go!" Kevin barked, holding Brian firmly against the wall.

"YOU ALREADY DID A LONG TIME AGO!"

"What the—"

"I'll be in the damn car!" Brian huffed, finally pushing Kevin's arms away. He glared toward the tailors, stomping into the dressing room. He chucked the suit as far as he possibly could, getting dressed even faster. He then stormed out of the dressing room, slamming the door to the Tux Store with bitter energy.

Kevin groaned softly as the tailors eyed him with confusion. He turned toward the other two boys, offering hands to help them up. "Are you okay, Howie?"

"He needs a rude awakening, Kevin. He kept egging me on, saying that Oriana's going to cheat on me, that she's a slut... but yeah, I'm okay," Howie held a hand to his temple, where Brian had struck.

"Alex?"

"Can we disown him?" Alex groaned, holding his cheek.

"Why don't you get changed and we'll just go home. I'll come back later to finish with the tuxes..."

"I still think we should disown him," Alex muttered as he walked back to change.
Vying for Attention by Anastacia
Chapter 36 – Vying for Attention

Oriana was a little unnerved as she heaved the neatly packed tent into the trunk of her Hummer. She had been packing for the camping trip all morning so she could get away from Brian as soon as possible. She didn't want to run into him again and risk another bruise or break. Yet, she was nervous about leaving despite the relief of getting away. She hadn't talked to Howie since abruptly leaving him for the dress fitting and Alex had already confessed about the terrible disaster at the tux fitting. She wondered if Howie was avoiding her on purpose. She feared to know the answer however as she lugged Alex's duffle bag into the trunk, trying not to injure her arm.

"You need some help?" a voice asked from behind her.

"That'd be fantastic. You know, before I break another arm," Oriana replied with a laugh, not realizing who it really was. She turned with another duffle bag in her arm, yelping in surprise when she crossed Howie's chocolate eyes. Her jaw dropped along with the bag.

"Scare you a little?" he chuckled, picking up the bag and placing it in the trunk. He had his own Nike bag slung over his shoulder and looked quite ready to take off.

"A little would be an understatement..."

"Well, Alex said it would be cool if I came camping with you guys. So, here I am."

Oriana tilted her head in confusion, unable to compute the words that had fallen from his mouth. "Huh?" she deadpanned.

"Um... I was invited to go camping on the beach with you?"

"You're coming with us?"

"If you want me to—"

"I do," she blurted, things finally settling. She offered an apologetic smile, carefully offering a quick peck of a kiss to his cheek. "I didn't mean to haze out on you. Just scared me is all..."

"Oh, alright. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he placed his duffle bag in the trunk as well. "What else needs to be packed in the Hummer?"

"Just that pile," she answered, motioning toward the small pile of sleeping bags, groceries, two coolers, and some other supplies. She loaded another duffle bag, before going to retrieve the groceries. She bit down on her bottom lip, noticing Howie's sullen appearance. The side of his face hosted a large bruise from the fight, causing Oriana to wince. "Howie, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It'll just be really nice to get away from here," Howie replied, leaning down to kiss her before he loaded some things into the car.

"Doesn't seem like you're that excited," Oriana murmured, noticing the quiet simmer of flames from the kiss compared to the raging fire that usually hid beneath his kisses. She pressed her good hand to her lips for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain her thoughts. She didn't want to upset him any more than he seemed to be. "I... Are you sure you want to go? Jamie didn't force you, did he? I mean, you both can just crash at your house if neither of you want to go..."

Howie took her hand into his and away from her mouth. "I really want to go. I just want to get out of here before I see Brian, because I can't promise I won't kill him. I want to spend the weekend with my girl and my best friend."

"You look so miserable," Oriana whispered.

"Not with you, I'm not."

"But—"

"We're going to camp on the beach and have fun."

"I think you're not telling me something," she decided quietly as he pulled away to gather more of the supplies. She frowned openly, moving to place some of the bags of foot in the backseat so there was more room for supplies in the trunk.

"What am I not telling you?" he asked with confusion.

"I don't know. That's the problem."

"Are you going out with Mac during Homecoming?" Howie suddenly blurted.
Oriana jerked back in surprise, smacking her head against the top of the Hummer. She cursed openly, holding the back of her head. "What the Hell?"
"I'm not believing what he said, but yesterday Brian said Ace was insisting you go out with Mac, him and Shayla during Homecoming."

"Yes, Ace is insisting that," Oriana stated honestly, still rubbing her tender head.

"Even though he knows I'm your boyfriend?"

"Yes—"

"Then why is he insisting that?"

"Because he thinks if Mac takes me out for Homecoming I'm going to have this miraculous change of heart and date Mac..." Oriana trailed, for once not being able to read Howie's thoughts through his caring eyes.
"The team doesn't like me, do they?" Howie asked softly.

"Why do you care—"

"Because I accepted them. They watch out for you when I can't and they protect you. I respect them, and I would like respect back."

"Howie, not all of them think like Ace..."

"But it still hurts, Riana. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, I just want you to know how I feel."

"I know it still hurts—"

"Are you going to go out with them at Homecoming?"

"I don't know what I'm doing..."

Howie took a deep breath, knowing it was impossible to even win this argument. "Let's leave all this here. We're supposed to be getting away from the drama here, right?"

"We can't, because you're going to keep thinking about it the entire weekend. You're going to be absolutely miserable because of me," Oriana guiltily replied, hesitating before stepping forward. She furled her brows in sorrow, slowly reaching out to pull Howie close for a hug. She felt him dramatically tense with her touch, making her heart ache. "I just... I think that it's my duty to at least hang out with Mac for a little while when he's here. He's always been nice to me when I was starting out on the team and he's been calling to check up on me all the time. I know that you don't agree with him and I don't agree with what he said to you. But I have to be polite, right?"

"Yeah, you do. I know..." Howie hugged her close to him. He didn't mean to be tense, but everything with Brian wound him up so tight with the vicious words about Oriana. "I'm not tense because of you. I just... I can't believe Brian can be so vicious about you when he doesn't even know you. It's not fair."

"I don't care what he thinks of me. I only care that you realize Mac isn't taking me anywhere. Even if I were deserted in the most romantic place in the world with him, all my thoughts would be directed toward you. I promise you that much," Oriana whispered, not even wanting to know what Brian had declared about her now.

"That helps a lot, Baby. It does," he whispered, kissing her neck.

"And it's not the whole football team that doesn't accept you. Most of them think like Luke and he absolutely loves you to death. Just with Ace being the Captain... He rules the roost. I'll kick their asses if I have to. I just don't want you hurting."

"With you by my side, I will never hurt."

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, somewhat fearful of the answer.

"I'm going to be fine," he tipped her head up gently under the chin and kissed her. "I promise."

"Mmm," she murmured softly as their lips parted. Her eyes fluttered gently, before staring up into his soft brown eyes. "I'm really glad you're going with us. I was worried that I wouldn't see you for this long weekend, which kind of scared me."

"It scared me too," he agreed, cupping her cheek. "But this is going to be a good weekend. I know it."

"As long as Alex doesn't fart in the tent," she answered, trying to make him smile.

"Eww..." he crinkled his nose, "Let's make sure he doesn't eat any beans."

"Didn't buy any of those."

"But are there some in the house? Because he loves baked beans."

"Why don't you go search him and I'll finish packing?"

"Alright," he kissed her again. "I'll be back soon."

"And you're sure you're okay?" she called after him, just wanting the reassurance. She hated when the one's she loved were upset. She would do just about anything to make them smile again.

Howie rushed back and kissed her more passionately than ever before. "I'm sure."

"Okay," she wheezed in surprise, wilting against the side of her Hummer. She felt her heart hammer against her ribcage as the breath left her filling lungs. She blushed furiously as her lips burned from his simple kiss. She had never felt nothing so fiery before. "You're going to have to wait...like...five seconds..."

"You alright?" he chuckled.

"Not really," she gasped softly, struggling to catch her breath.

"What's wrong?"

"That...was one of the best things I've felt in a long time," she admitted, feeling her cheeks burn yet again. She brought her fingers to her tingling lips. "I...wow..."

Howie smiled, kissing her gently one more time. "That's how I feel every time I kiss you. I'll be back in a minute."

"Mmm-kay, if I'm passed out on the floor, don't worry. I died of sheer ecstasy."

"Then I'll just give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation," he smiled before going into the house.

*~*~*


"Teagan, he left to go get supplies or something for your big date," Alex called loudly.

"Oh, thank God, he's gone," Howie muttered as he walked into the kitchen where Alex and Teagan were. "Hey, guys."

"What are you doing here, Howie? These two are about to leave any second for their camping trip," Teagan asked incredulously, sitting down at the kitchen table with a fresh Vanilla Coke.

"I'm going with them?" Howie answered with a question as he made sure Alex wasn't eating beans.

“Dude, what are you doing?"

"You haven't been eating baked beans today, have you?"

"No... That's a hot dog kind of meal..." Alex explained, smacking Howie's hands away from him. "Dude, you're scaring me!"

"Wait, you're going with them?" Teagan laughed.

"Yeah, and I'm making sure Bean Boy doesn't have any or else his farts will make the tent stink."

"You're sure he's not going to have his own tent? I could see that... Putting Alex a mile away in his own tent while you groove in a tent with Oriana... She has that birth control now..." Teagan trailed, clicking her tongue with a seductive smile.

"Teag, you know me better than that," Howie groaned as Alex made gagging noises.

"But Oriana could be getting curious... Such a little virgin she is…"

"It's up to her. I'm not going to force her into anything she doesn't want."

"But say she was curious this weekend... You'd jump on it in a heartbeat, wouldn't you?" Teagan teased.

"You're funny, Real funny," Howie cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks blush. "Anyway. I need you two to screen the mail for me."

"He'd do it in a heartbeat," Alex confirmed with a laugh.

"Are you going to help me with this surprise for Riana or not?"

"Ooooo, what surprise?!" Teagan squealed.

"I was going to give her a promise ring and her acceptance letter to Duke in a box. And mine, too, if I get accepted. So I need you to screen--"

"Wait! Hold the phone! Duke? You applied to Duke?" Alex blurted.

"Shut up, Alex! I want to hear about this ring!" Teagan interrupted.

"It's a silver band, and on top it has a key with a heart shaped top on it. The ring promises that she will always hold the key to my heart and that we'll be together forever."

"Are you serious?" Teagan replied with a high-pitched coo. "That is so totally sweet, Howie!"

"So, she'll like it?" Howie asked.

"I don't know about that, but it is really sweet," Teagan teased.

"You're definitely not helping me right now."

"Howie, no one has every done this for her. Of course she's going to love it. Believe it or not, she truly is a girl on the inside and wants to have a guy lavish her with attention. I think she might actually take a flight with you to Las Vegas for marriage after you give her that ring," Teagan encouraged.

"Well, marriage is farther down the road--"

"WHAT?!" Teagan squealed louder.

"Teagan, be quiet!"

"You wanna marry her someday?!"

"That's what he just said, ditzy," Alex groaned, clamping his hand over Teagan's mouth.

"Thank you, Alex. Now, what I was TRYING to ask you both is to screen the mail for her acceptance letter and give it to me for the surprise. Can you do that for me?"

"Actually, before I even consent to that. What the Hell is this about you applying to Duke?" Alex countered, slowly releasing Teagan's mouth when she was calm.

"They've got a good criminal justice program there. I thought I would apply and see if I could get in."

"Because of Oriana?"

"Well, she's a big part of it--"

"You'd honestly switch a college you want to go to because of a girl?" Alex interrupted with shock. He had never seen Howie so seriously involved. True, Howie hadn't committed to wanting to attend a specific college, but Duke?

"I really care about her. Shit, I love her. No girl has made me feel like this and I don't want to be apart from her," Howie tried to explain as Teagan cooed again.

"But Duke's so far away... What if it doesn't work out?"

"Alex! Of course it will!" Teagan smacked his arm.

"Ow! But what if he doesn't get in?"

"But he will!" she smacked him again.

"Ow!" Alex winced again, stepping away from Teagan's reach. He glanced apologetically toward Howie. "Sorry, Bro. I really want it to work out between you and Ry. I think you two are perfect for each other. Couldn't help but ask the questions, you know? Wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't, right?"

"I know, man. It's alright. So, y'all will watch the mail for me?"
"You do realize she's going to murder us when she finds out this whole plot, right?" Teagan asked blankly.

"Probably. But that's the risk I'm willing to take."

"What if she doesn't get in?" Alex voiced after a few moments.

"ALEX!"

"WHAT?!"

"Get over here so I can smack you!" Teagan growled. "Of course she's going to get in!"

"I'll get the mail every day if you don't hit me," Alex whimpered.

"Will you have more faith in Riana and Howie?"

"Yes."

Teagan walked over and hugged Alex. "I don't mean to hit you, I just... I don't know. I'm sorry, Sax."

"You're...uh...having some really weird mood swings..." Alex whimpered, struggling to get away from her grasp.

"I need to figure out how to stop scaring people," Teagan sighed as she let go of Alex.

"We'll look up a class for you," Alex promised.

"I'm not scared of you," Howie interjected, smiling toward Teagan. "I am grateful that you're helping me out with Oriana though."

"No need to thank me. Just being a friend," Teagan smiled as they hugged.
"Now you two get going, you've got a camping trip to start."

"You saying goodbye to Oriana?" Alex asked.

"Yes, I'm going outside with you."

"You really think she'll like the surprise?" Howie asked softly as they walked toward the garage.

"She'll love it, I promise," Teagan slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Hey! You guys ready to go?" Oriana called brightly as the group hurried down the stairs toward the Hummer. She had everything neatly packed and was just shutting the door as they approached. She quickly focused on Teagan and Alex, afraid that if she looked at Howie her cheeks might burn with remembrance of the passionate kiss as she grew faint.
"Yep!" Alex replied as he hopped into the backseat.

"He's so sweet when he says goodbye, huh?" Oriana joked, looking toward Teagan.

"Oh, but he is," Teagan laughed, rolling her eyes. "BYE SAX!"

"BYE MAJOR!"

"You going to be alright here till Brian gets back?" Oriana trailed, biting down on her bottom lip as she felt Howie's eyes burn into her flesh.

"I'll be fine," Teagan reassured, hugging Oriana. "The security systems on and I have my pepper spray handy. You all just go and have fun, okay?"

"Don't worry about me either," Oriana warned, noticing the gleam in her friend's eyes.

"I'll try not to. Since you have Howie and Alex, I know you'll be safe."

"Didn't I tell you they have their own tent?" Oriana joked.

"Oriana Ryan..."

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You're not funny."

"We're all sleeping in the same tent."

Teagan leaned in and whispered, "If you and Howie want some alone time, just kick Alex out onto the sand."

"Alone time for what?" Oriana asked innocently.

"I'm not even going to answer that," Teagan groaned as she hugged Howie.

"Don't corrupt her," Howie whispered.

"I've tried my hardest to give you a little action, Howie," Teagan sighed dramatically.

"Yeah, thanks," he rolled his eyes, kissing her cheek. "See you Monday."

"Right back at you," Teagan answered, starting to move toward the house. "Oriana?!"

"Yeah?"

"Give the boy some action!" Teagan laughed, shutting the door behind her.

"Action, huh?" Oriana countered, trying not to blush.

"Teagan's talking crazy again. Must be those mood swings," Howie replied, blushing a little before climbing into the passenger seat as Alex laughed.

"Howie's been asking for it hardcore, Ry. You just need to get that stuff over with since your Mom hooked you up with the BC," Alex fired, knowing how to push Howie's buttons.

"Then he can ask me himself," Oriana groaned, revving her engine.

"At a more appropriate time," Howie gritted, throwing a pillow back at Alex.

"Woah! Here that, Ry! I wasn't lying! Appropriate time, huh?! When's that, D?!" Alex continued, not phased by Howie's attack. "C'mon! Indulge!"
Howie turned in his seat. "Richardson, you need to shut up now."

"Just tell us. We're all Sex-ed'ed up here!"

"It's none of your business, dude!"

"I'm the older brother. It's definitely my business!"

"Not about this stuff!"

"Will you both please stop talking like I'm not right here?" Oriana interrupted.

"Then tell him to indulge, Ry!" Alex fired.

"I don't care what he does," Oriana groaned.

"God, if you want to give Alex a bad case of laryngitis, please do it now," Howie begged as he looked up at the sky.

"NOPE! LOUD AND CLEAR BACK HERE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! JUST TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW AND I'LL SHUT UP!" Alex called loudly with a wicked grin.

"I'M WAITING FOR THE PERFECT TIME, OKAY?"

"What do you mean?" Alex asked curiously, knowing he had won.

"I don't want it to be rushed. I don't want it to be sex. I want to take our time. I want it to be making love," Howie explained, feeling his cheeks turn red again.

"Before or after this wedding business?"

"What?" Oriana asked with a raised eyebrow.

"C'mon, Ry, we all know you guys are destined to be married. So, does this 'making love' deed get done before or after, D?" Alex questioned.

"It's whenever she wants. Haven't I told you that before, Alex? And it's not a 'deed'. Just because it isn't fucking doesn't mean it’s non-existent."

"Say what?"

"Never mind. It's up to Oriana what she wants to do."

"No...the last part... What did you mean?"

"Well, no high school kids 'make love'. It's always 'having sex' or 'fucking'. Makes it sound like y'all don't think it's possible to make love at our age."

"And you think it's possible?" Alex countered, growing quite serious.

"I seriously think it is. If they both love each other, then why wouldn't it be?"

"Point well taken..." Alex decided, growing quiet in thought.

"I like the sound of that," Oriana confessed quietly, pulling her cast out of the sling. Carefully, she reached over to brush her tender fingers poking out from the cast against Howie's hand.

Howie smiled, leaning down to kiss her fingers. "That's how I've always thought of it."

“I wish others would follow in your footsteps."

"Maybe someday they will."

"We definitely have a lot to talk about this weekend, huh?"

"Yeah, but we've got the whole weekend to do that. Let's just have fun and be carefree."

"Carefree in the passion of love making sounds better at times..." Oriana trailed quietly, focusing back on the road ahead.

"Is that what you want?" Howie asked as Alex slipped some headphones on and blared Linkin Park.

"Huh?" Oriana blanked.

"To be carefree in the passion of love making?"

"You heard that?" Oriana groaned, blushing furiously.

"I hear lots of things," Howie reached out and traced the back of her neck gently. "That's what I want, too."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do."

"But-- "

"I'm sure."

"We can't this weekend, though... I mean..." Oriana fumbled with her words, shying away from Howie's fingers against her neck.

"No, no, no. Not with Alex here, it wouldn't be right. But sometime soon, if you want to... we could."

"We could..." she agreed, trailing her sentence.

"Remember, it's up to you."

"I know..." she answered, gripping the steering wheel tighter with her left hand. All the talk of love making brought so many questions to her heart. Her virginity issues always remained constant between the realities of the rapes she suffered through. Then she wondered about the idea of saving herself for the one she married. She wanted to be true to her Christian roots, but if Howie spoke of marriage in the near future, she would be making love with the man she married... Yet, one of the biggest issues, she spoke of making love to a man she hadn't even confessed her love for aloud yet.

"We'll talk about it more this weekend, okay?" he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"How'd you know..." she found her words falling off the cliff as she glanced back in amazement.

"I just did."

"Just don't tell me you know what I was thinking about, or I might crash this car."

"Okay, I won't."

Oriana fell quiet for several moments, trying to concentrate on the open road. Yet, her inquisitive mind got the best of her. She glanced back to her boyfriend for a moment. "Did you know?"

"You were thinking about marriage and your virginity."

"Two out of three..." she laughed tensely.

"And because you haven't said I love you," he continued.

"O-Okay, that's enough right there..."

"I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me..."

"Did I terrify you?"

"No, you make me highly nervous."

"Why?"

"Because I'm starting to believe that you know my heart better than I know my heart."

"It just proves more that we're meant to be.”

*~*~*


"Brian., I can't see with this blindfold on!" Teagan whined as Brian led her up the stairs to his bedroom. He had everything set up for their perfect night alone.

"That's the point, Baby," he chuckled. "Just a little bit longer."

"Better be worth it..." she grumbled with a smile as he opened the door and brought her to the bed. She sniffed and smiled. It smelt like roses with a mix of Brian's cologne. "Can I see now?"

"I'm thinking about holding you off for about...maybe...ten more minutes..." Brian teased, standing her right in the center of the loveliness. He had taken all the great ideas from classic love stories and combined them together for one romantic evening.

"Nuh-uh! I'll take it off right now if that's true!" Teagan paused for a moment and heard soft music playing in the background.

"Don't ruin the moment," Brian breathed, gently kissing her neck.

"Mmm..." Teagan moaned, reaching out to pull Brian closer to her.

"I love you so much, Teags."

"I love you, too, Brian. Always." she felt his kisses move up her neck until their lips infused in a passionate kiss.

Brian carefully reached up toward the blindfold as their lips continued to press into several fiery kisses, expressing the emotions buried deep within their souls. Every worry seemed to melt with Teagan's gentle touch. Brian could hardly contain his love as he slowly undid the blindfold, whispering softly against her lips, "I owe everything to you, Teags. You're the one that keeps me sane through all the pain. I can never express all my undying love for you, because it's so large and immeasurable. But I can show you my love and let you know that I go to bed thinking of you and wake up thinking of you. And this is why I'm dedicating this night to you, Teags. Because you're my everything."

Teagan opened her eyes and gasped. "Oh my gosh... Brian..." the room was lit with only red candles and red rose petals decorated the ground. Looking over at the bed, she saw more rose petals on the covers and a dozen roses standing in a crystal vase by the stereo. A tray of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of sparkling lemonade sat on the dresser.

"Like it?" he asked.

"Like it? I love it!" she enthused, bringing him in for another kiss. "No one has ever done this for me."

"You deserve every inch of it," he promised, accepting the sweet kiss. He ran his hands down her sides, pulling her close against his body. He had waited so long for them to be alone together. It seemed so perfect in his mind, like nothing could taint their sweetness.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss his jaw line. "How did you know I like chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling lemonade?"

"A little birdie told me," he teased, lifting her into his arms.
A squeal escaped her lips as she held onto him tightly. "Well, bring that tray on over, because I want to show you a trick. You'll love it."

"A trick?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, let me take you to the bed."

Teagan nodded as Brian walked over to his bed and gently laid her down. He kissed her before going to get the tray and he came back.

"So? What's this infamous trick?" Brian asked curiously, setting the tray between them. He plucked two wine glasses and turned them over, pouring each a glass of sparkling lemonade.

"Strawberries and chocolate are naturally sweet, right? Well, I thought it would be interesting if I did this," she grabbed a strawberry and held it by Brian's mouth. "Take a bite."

"Alright..." he trailed, doing as he was told.

She took the bitten end and dipped it in the lemonade for a minute. She pulled it out and placed it by his mouth. "Now try it."

He cautiously took a bite and was amazed. "Whoa... that's really good!"

"Told you," she smirked.

"Well, let me tell you something," he countered, leaning toward her. He quickly captured her lips in a powerful kiss, sharing the wonderful sweet and sour combination toiling within his mouth.,

"Wow... never did that after my trick," she breathed, licking her lips.

"Let's just say I have a few tricks of my own," he declared, leaning forward again to capture the rest of the sweet nectar from her lips.
She placed her hands on the back of his neck, making the kiss deeper as she pulled him down on top of her. "I like your tricks."

"I like your tricks," he laughed.

She laughed as well, tracing her fingers down his strong back. "Here we are... alone in the house with candles burning and music playing in the background..."

"Yes, a romantic night for the two of us."

Teagan smirked, leaning up to kiss him before pulling off his shirt. "Much better. You're so toned, Brian, but you always hide it under t-shirts."

"I'm sorry?"

"You don't have to say you're sorry," she turned them around so she was straddling his hips. "Just walk around the house shirtless."

"If you do it, too," he teased.

"Yeah, that'll happen only when we're alone," she laughed.

"Which is right now."

"True..." she trailed seductively, biting down on her bottom lip. Knowing she had the upper hand, she decided to play a game. She played with the hem of her form-fitting t-shirt, allowing it to rise ever so slowly to reveal inches of soft tanned flesh.

"You are such a tease," he groaned softly, reaching out to help her. She shook her head, smacking his hands.

"Uh-uh, Brian. Naughty."

"You're calling me naughty?" he scoffed in disbelief, finding his body aching to be with her.

"Yes I am," she replied, pulling up her shirt a little more so that her belly ring flashed delicately in the candlelight. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Hmmm.... Oh the things I could do," Brian declared, clicking his tongue with a rueful smile. He wrapped his hands against the sides of her hips, pushing her up off his hips.

"Like what?" Teagan asked with a raised eyebrow, smiling. Her shirt was still halfway up. absentmindedly playing with her belly ring.
Brian nodded at the plan he had delegated in his mind. Without a second thought, he tossed her onto the soft rose petals. He quickly covered her body with his own, lowering his head to her exposed stomach. Ever so lightly did he deliver sweet kisses to cover the sweet skin of her stomach.

"Oh, wow... Brian..." she moaned, arching her back slightly at the feather like kisses. She reached out and entangled her fingers within his locks.

"I love you, Teagan Gabrielle. I need you, Teagan Gabrielle. I want you, Teagan Gabrielle," Brian breathed in between each kiss, running his hands down her legs.

"I love you, I need you and I want you, too," Teagan whispered, feeling her body quiver beneath Brian's touch.

"I'll never hurt you, okay?" Brian promised, bringing his lips back to her own.

"I know you won't," Teagan replied before pulling off her shirt.

"This is going to be the most memorable night of both our lives," he breathed, pushing himself to admire her beautiful glory. He knew deep within his heart that he loved her with everything he could possibly muster. Their love would linger beyond their inevitable reaches into the Heavens.

"I know I'll never forget this night. Never," she whispered, feeling her eyes mist. She had the strongest feeling that the love they had would be the kind to last a lifetime and after. A never-ending kind of love that not many people find, and she was thankful she did.

"Together forever?" he asked, melting his body against hers. He brought his hands beneath her bare shoulders, pulling her against his warm chest. He could feel their hearts beat within the same wave, molding together into a single unit.

"Forever," she promised, reaching up to kiss him softly.
A Chance for Magic by Anastacia
Chapter 37 – A Chance for Magic

"Jamie, don't you even think about touching my marshmallow," Oriana warned with a menacing tone, eyeing her soon-to-be-brother out of the corner of her eye. She knew him all too well already, watching his mouth water at the already browning cubes of fluffy sugar. She had just placed several marshmallows on her stick to be burned for eating. They had arrived at the beach several hours ago with time to set up the camp and play in the water before the sun dipped into the ocean and the moon rose to the starry night. The small camp was like a perfect paradise for the three with no worries or cares to dread upon. Just the beach and friends. Now, they sat comfortably around a roaring fire, roasting marshmallows for smores and hot dogs. "Don't touch them!"

"Why!?" Alex whined, sitting back on his haunches. "They're brown!"

"They're not done," Oriana objected, letting the three marshmallows quickly catch fire. Alex howled as if the flames were licking at his own skin, falling upon the still warm sand. Oriana rolled her eyes, pulling her utensil back to blow out the flames, never thinking about the seductive appeal of the simple act as her thick towel slipped from her bare shoulders to reveal the beginning portions of her skimpy bikini.

"You burnt the marshmallows!" Alex cried out in despair as he sat back up, shaking off the sand on his clothes. "You killed them!"

"They're way better this way. And, last time I checked, I brought enough of these things for everyone to roast their own marshmallows. Pick up your own and start cooking," Oriana scolded with a proud smile, sitting back on the beach blanket she had laid out for herself. She seemed quiet content with her burnt marshmallows, popping one carefully into her mouth. "Mmmm."
"That's just disgusting," Alex shuddered as he took his own marshmallows and started to roast them what he thought was the right way.

"Have you ever seriously tried one like this?" Oriana asked as Alex mocked a disgusted gag.

"No, because marshmallows are not meant to be burnt."

"Really?" she asked curiously, pulling a burnt marshmallow free from the metal utensil. The flames of the fire flickered against her blue-green irises, causing her innocent appeal to turn impish.

"Yes, and I'm not trying one burnt," Alex replied as he pulled his perfectly golden brown marshmallows away from the fire with a triumphant smile.

"Mmm, right..." she trailed, watching him prop the stick against the cooler to get graham crackers. She knew it was her chance. She pounced on Alex like a stalking cat, pinning him to the sand. She held the burnt marshmallow up for his view, before smothering it onto his mouth, forcing him to taste it.

"Rifana, fis nfot fairs!" Alex mumbled, his mouth full of marshmallow.

"What?" she asked innocently, her blue-green eyes lighting with a playful glimmer. She smiled with approval, licking off the remains of her marshmallow from her fingers.

Swallowing quickly, he repeated himself again. "Riana, that wasn't fair!"

"How'd it taste?" she asked, ignoring his complaint.

Alex looked away, mumbling a reply. He didn't want to admit it tasted better than golden brown.

"Oh yes, Oriana Ryan Riley is victorious in the quest of the better marshmallow!" Oriana hooted, throwing her arms into the air with victory, still perched on Alex.

"Alright, alright! Burnt is better, just don't shove them in my mouth again, it was still hot!" Alex whined.

"Hot, sticky, gooey things a no-no for Jamie's mouth... Okay," she chirped, affectionately kissing his cheek before standing up.

"That... sounded so wrong..."

"Oh so true," Oriana agreed with a laugh, reaching into the nearby box to free baby wipes to clean the gooey remains off of her good fingers, before she could locate her sling once again.

Alex sat up, brushing more sand off himself before going back to his spot. "Why didn't you torture Howie with this?"

"Because Howie is normal and likes burnt marshmallows," Howie replied in third person.

"And because you looked like Gollom when Sam cooked the rabbits into a stew," Oriana laughed, tossing the baby wipe into the nearby trash bag before returning to her spot. She crossed her legs beneath her, reaching to cover her bare shoulders with the thick towel yet again, clicking on the Boom Box.

"You is ruining the rabbitses..." Howie hissed in a decent Gollum impression, though he wasn't positive of the line.

Oriana and Alex glanced between each other to survey Howie's impression. They cocked their heads to the side, smirking identically before turning back. Without any thoughts, they corrected his performance in unison, "Spoilin' nice fish. Give it to us raw and wrigglin'. You keep nasty chips."

"That was scary. That was REALLY scary."

"We try," they replied.

"Stop talking in unison, you sound like those Village Of The Damned kids."

"KILLER MOVIE!" they exclaimed.

"Aaah!" Howie yelped, diving backwards to hide under his blanket.

"Pathetic, simply pathetic," they ended, smiling toward one another.

"I'm hiding under here until Monday," Howie whimpered, peeking out from the blanket.

"Does that mean I'm free to search the beach for some lost merman?" Oriana teased, wiggling her honey blonde brows with delight.

"There's no such thing as a merman."

"Any boy on the beach will do really..."

"Oriana, not funny."

"Well? What the Hell am I supposed to do? My freaking boyfriend is acting like a groundhog for the weekend," Oriana replied, puckering her bottom lip.

"Come under the blanket with me," Howie pouted back.

"You're lying on sand."

"So?"

"It'll scare Alex."

"Why will it scare him?"

"Because I said so?" she countered in confusion, not really have an firm explanation. She shrugged her shoulders beneath the thick blanket, leaning over to change the song on her CD.

"I think that's her way of saying no way in Hell," Alex offered toward Howie with a genuine smile, offering Oriana one of his smores.

"Thank you for the translation," Howie groaned, coming out of the sanctuary of the blanket.

"You're welcome, Bro," Alex answered with a successful smile, popping the smore into his mouth. He easily swallowed the large morsel, deciding to fire up the conversation. "Anything else you need help with, Bro?"

"Like what?" Howie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Anything!" Alex declared, opening his arms wide. "Like help with scoring...on the football field..."

"I don't play football?"

"I think that's the problem," Alex laughed.

"How is that the problem?" Howie asked, still confused.

"You need to play football to score... Do you?... Damnit, D... Scoring on the football field?" Alex repeated, trying not to groan at Howie's stupidity. He tugged at his dark locks in frustration as Howie continued to offer a dumbfounded look. Alex loved his friend deeply, but Howie could be so dense during the most interesting conversations. Howie was just completely hopeless at times. "You know... Scoring? Football?"

"Oh, Lord, Howie," Oriana sighed, quite tired of everyone talking about her as if she weren't present. She stepped off her own blanket to venture toward his. She immediately crouched on her knees, cupping the side of his face in her good hand. "He means this," Oriana explained, offering a heated kiss for her own pleasure. She felt Howie's body tense at the heat circling between their bodies from the passionate kiss, but she continued. She leaned against him as his body relaxed, causing him to fall over on the blanket. She quickly straddled his hips, biting down softly on his bottom lip as she offered several more kisses without uncoupling.

"That's exactly what I mean!" Alex hooted.

"And this is exactly what I mean," Oriana whispered, allowing her tongue to intertwine with his own for several moments of undying pleasure. Her whole body lit with tingles of anticipation, calling down the darkest depths of her heart, surfacing the true desires. She pulled back for a moment, taking a deep breath as the emotions bubbled to the surface. Refusing to be swayed, however, Oriana grinned softly against Howie's lips, deciding it was her chance to enjoy her mini-vacation.

Alex seemed overjoyed at the couple's wild fever for the first few minutes. But then he found himself slightly unnerved by the intimate contact. Alex noticed Howie's hands roaming further down Oriana's delicate body, making him tremendously sick to his stomach for some reason. That young woman before him would be his little sister in a few short weeks, giving him the privilege of being protective. His father had already given him a serious conversation about protecting the soon-to-be youngest and only daughter Richardson. He no longer could control his actions as he stepped over the couples embrace, looping his arms around Oriana's bare waist. With one simple tug, he pulled her away from Howie's embrace and tossed her onto his shoulder. "That's enough of that!"

"Jamie, you initiated that!" Oriana asked in surprise, not really liking the view of Alex's backside.

"I didn't mean to do it right in front of me! Nuh-uh, no way! I love you both, but there's no way I'm going to sit here and watch my best friend make out with my little sister," Alex explained.

"But, Jamie—"

"Not in front of me."

Oriana was about to protest further when Alex stood her up on her own towel. He held her out at an arms-length, immediately frowning again. Oriana glanced down, not seeing the issue. She was wearing a simple purple string bikini bottom with a purple striped triangular cut bikini top. Yet, Alex seemed completely nervous about the situation. Without any further argument, he pulled off his baggy shirt and forced it onto Oriana's body. He then grabbed her thick towel and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders to conceal any of her curves that might be exposed by the t-shirt. And finally he topped the outfit off with his hat to hid her wild curls. Oriana arched her eyebrows in confusion at Alex, "What the Hell is this?"

"You've heard of Make-up? Well, this is Frump-up for chicks that need to tone down their sexual status," Alex huffed.

"Frump-up?" Oriana repeated in disbelief.

"Frump-up."

"Alex, this is completely stupid--"

"This is completely what you're wearing for the entire trip," Alex threatened.

"Howie!" Oriana protested.

"Dude, you're getting a little ridiculous. I mean, I know she's going to be your sister, but you can't make her wear this!" Howie objected.

"I retract any statement I gave you earlier about scoring with her. You can't have sex with her. She's my little sister and I can't let her get into that mess... No sex, no kissing, no petting, no sleeping together, no nakedness, no half nakedness, no hugging,... Holding her hand, fine, but nothing else!" Alex protested, shaking his head vehemently.

"You can't tell her and I what we can and can't do!"

"No sex," Alex repeated.

"Who are you to say anything, Jamie? It's not your choice, it's mine," Oriana pulled off the hat, towel and t-shirt.

"But---"

"Would you have a shit fit if I ran and skinny-dipped right this second?" Oriana asked suddenly, fingering the ties that held the bikini top around her neck. She needed to make a point. She loved Alex and true she had pressed the point, but he was just overreacting.

"SKINNY-DIPPED?!"

"Yeah... Got naked and jumped right into the ocean... Right now as a matter of fact..." Oriana continued, glancing to Alex.

"You wouldn't."

"You don't think so?"

"You better not."

"What will you do if I do?"

"I'll... I'll tell on you!"

"Real mature, man," Howie rolled his eyes.

"The point is, Jaime..." Oriana trailed, stepping beside him, making very sure to have her back toward Howie. She reached her good arm behind her neck, pulling the ties free. She then freed the ties that curled around her back. She pulled the bikini top away from her warm flesh, dropping it into Alex's trembling hands. "I love you very much, Jamie and I'm glad you're going to be my brother, but I don't need this Princess kind of protection," she explained.

With that said, she slowly sauntered down to the water's edge, realizing how liberated she had turned out to be. She never looked back as the cool air gently kissed her sun tanned skin, feeling the water gently lap against her ankles. Realizing the boys would only see her backside, she loosened the ties against her curving hips. She had shown her backside enough during mooning raids against the football players that it didn't matter to her. She quickly tossed the bottoms back upon the beach, diving into the cool shimmering water with renewed freshness, leaving both boys in a state of shock.

"Dude... she's skinny dipping..." Alex mumbled.

"I...I think she's trying to make a point..." Howie trailed, swallowing hard as Oriana surfaced beneath the water, completely content with her decision.

"What point? That her nipples won't fall off in freezing water?"

"That she can do anything she wants, even if you say she can't. Or if anyone says she can't."

"But...she's naked..."

"Because you told her she couldn't."

"What the Hell am I going to do with her?"

"Well, for one, don't tell her what to do. Two, lighten up! I know you care about her, but you really lost it just now."

"She was practically naked on top of you with that..." Alex glanced out into the water as Oriana dove deeper, the moonlight enhancing her beautiful figure. "Guess that point is mute, now."

"Just about."

"Just..." Alex bit down on his inner cheek, glancing down at the bikini top in his hands. He rolled his eyes in disbelief, knowing Oriana had a bold way of settling an argument between them. She was definitely one in a million like Howie always voiced. Though, Alex feared what she would do if they had been home. "Just don't hurt her, Howie."

"You should know me better than that. I would never, ever hurt her. I love her, you know," Howie replied, placing a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Yeah..." Alex trailed, smiling as Oriana waved affectionately. "You guys want some time alone? Because I really am getting tired..."

"You won't come out with the Frump-Up?"

"That's going to make big bucks you know," Alex answered with a wry smile.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Howie chuckled, rolling his eyes. "G'night, man."

"You wouldn't do anything out here while I was in the tent... Would you?" Alex trailed, not sure he wanted to really hear the answer.

"Do you really think we would?"

"I don't think I know Oriana as much as I thought I did," Alex laughed, holding up her bikini top.

"She's full of surprises, that's for damn sure," Howie agreed as Alex placed it in his hands.

"Just... No viewing the goods while I'm in sight," Alex begged.

"I won't."

Alex nodded, hesitating for a moment before bringing Howie in for a tight hug. He then turned toward the ocean, holding his hand up for Oriana's view. "YOU WIN, RY! I'M GOING TO BED!"

"SWEET DREAMS, JAMIE! LOVE YOU!" Oriana called black, throwing another affectionate kiss toward him.

"LOVE YOU, TOO!" Alex turned to Howie. "Goodnight, bro."

"We'll be in..." Howie promised.

"I'm sleeping between you two," Alex decided.

"Up to you."

"Can I really trust her in the middle?"

"I hope you can trust her, she's going to be your sister."

"Yeah, she's a sweetheart," Alex admitted, walking toward the tent. He was about to slip inside, but stopped. He turned back to Howie, pointing toward the bikini top. "Would you please return that to the proper owner?"

"Yes, sir," Howie saluted, getting whacked in the forehead by the top in his hand.

"It'd be a Godsend if he lost his sight while going down there," Alex breathed, slipping into the large tent.

Howie rubbed his forehead where the strings had hit, wincing slightly, but knowing Alex's heart was in the right place. He noticed Oriana dive beneath the waves yet again and smiled at her freedom. He started down the soft sand, finding his heart beating wildly as he picked up the bikini bottoms. Her intimate nature beneath the waves made him dizzy with anticipation. He squeaked slightly as Oriana quickly surfaced, crossing her good arm over the tops of her breasts as the rest of her body was shielded by the dark glittery water.

"You...um...have my suit?" Oriana asked, feeling her cheeks redden.

"Yeah, I do. Right here," Howie replied, holding them up. He felt his own cheeks blush as well.

"What are the chances you could toss them to me so I can just throw them on in the water?" Oriana asked as another cold wave splashed against her nude body. She hadn't anticipated getting out of the water with Howie watching her, nor did she quite understand why she had skinny-dipped in the first place. Usually, she was reserved and self-conscious about her body. Her thoughts were quickly crashed as another wave tossed over her head, pulling her entire body down into the icy depths. She surfaced quickly, bracing both arms across her chest for warmth. She shivered dramatically, feeling her teeth start to slowly chatter. She hadn't expected it to be so cold.

"I'll toss them out right now, Babe. You look like you're freezing," Howie replied, walking close to the shore before throwing them towards her.

"Freezing is an understatement at the moment," she chattered, snatching the two pieces floating beside her. She quickly slid on the bottoms, clumsily tying them to her hips with her numbing fingers. She then managed to get her top on before hurrying out of the water. She immediately rubbed her good arm across her opposite shoulder, trying to warm her freezing body. "Remind me never to do that again..."

"Come on, we'll warm you up by the fire," Howie wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked back to the campsite. He sat her down and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around her.

Oriana obliged his physical orders, sitting down on her favorite beach blanket. She cinched the towel tightly around her shoulders, hoping to provide warmth as her teeth continued to chatter. The warmth of the fire seemed to do no good as she shivered. She glanced up to see Howie retrieving a soda out of the cooler. She bit down on her blue-tinged bottom lip, hoping to stop the chattering. "Howie..." she trailed quietly.

"Yeah, Ria?" he replied, sitting down next to her.

Oriana carefully reached out to place her cold hand against his forearm, feeling the warmth radiating from his skin. She smiled with relief, locking her blue-green eyes against his chocolate ones. "Can you d-do me a huge favor?"

"Anything," he smiled, placing a hand over hers.

"Go grab a blanket...and generate body heat with me—" Oriana stopped suddenly when she realized what she said, blushing furiously. She removed her hand from his, shaking it slightly. "I meant I need to press against your warm body to get me warm... It's the fastest way to warm someone..."

"You're cute when you blush," Howie replied, chuckling as he got up to get her blanket. He came back and wrapped it around them both, his arms encircling her waist. "This better?"

She nodded furiously, burying herself deep into his warm embrace. She released a soft sigh of relief as her fingers and toes regained feeling. She allowed the blanket to rest against her chin, almost burying her completely, as she leaned back, pressing her cheek against his bare chest. She continued to shiver slightly, but was unsure if it was from being cold or nervous. "Thank you so much, Howie."

"No need to thank me," he kissed the top of her head. He could feel his body heat with anticipation, but wouldn't do anything she didn't want to.
"Water was freaking freezing..." Oriana trailed, trying to make small talk. She took great lengths in avoiding the obvious topic of conversation hidden within their eyes. Though, without much though, She allowed her good hand to rest against his chest, right above his heart.

"Well, it is after midnight," Howie chuckled, trying to calm down his heart. He knew she could feel it beat faster with just her simple touch.

"True," she admitted, already noticing his heart pick up a faster pace while she allowed her thumb to make tiny circles out of habit.

"We really freaked out Alex earlier. I had never seen him act like that before, especially since he instigated it," he felt his breath catch at the feeling of her thumb on his skin.

"I didn't mean to tackle you like that," Oriana immediately apologized, allowing her hand to drift back down beneath the blanket against her cast arm. She hadn't even had a chance to compute what her mind was thinking when she attacked Howie with her powerful fever. She felt herself tense as she pulled her cheek away from his chest, just sitting numbly within his arms. "I guess I just got so tired of people talking about me when I'm right there..."

"You don't have to apologize. I know now how you felt when I kissed you earlier at the house. I was totally breathless. You did it because you wanted to. I'm not going to object to it or anything," Howie replied, his fingers tracing lightly on her bare shoulder.

"That good, huh?" she joked, trying to ignore the knots tightening in her stomach.

"It was amazing."

"I think I felt it, too."

"Really?"

"More than really," she admitted, pulling away even further than before.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh?" she asked in confusion, glancing down to see herself completely unraveled from the blanket. She shivered yet again as a cool gust of ocean air blew against her damp bathing suit. She dove back into the blanket, shivering yet again.

"You scooted so far away from me you weren't in the blanket," Howie wrapped the blanket tightly around them. "Are you alright?"

"I'm think I'm going insane," she admitted honestly, pressing her hand against her temple.

"Why would you be going insane?"

"Because of you."

"Because of... me?"

"Not in a bad way..." Oriana tried to explain, biting her tongue for even admitting such a stupid thought. She almost felt like burying herself deep within the blanket, but the same thoughts of making love with Howie on the beach confused her one in the same.

"I'm afraid I don't get it," Howie replied, a little confused.

"You just make me feel things that I've never felt before. Like... All jittery and excited... You know? Like I drank a straight twenty-four pack of Pepsi?" Oriana tried to explain, almost confusing herself.

"That's exactly how I feel with you, except it's like I drank 10 coffee coolers from Caribou. You know what that feeling is? Baby, that's love. I know you're scared of it, but that's what it is."

"Are you sure?" she asked in disbelief, starting to shy away from him in the blanket again.

"Yes, I'm sure. And you'll be out in the wind if you keep moving away from me."

"I just don't know what to do," she sighed with exasperation, stiffening.

"Just go with your feelings. That's all you can do."

"My feelings always cause trouble."

"I doubt that."

"Howie..." Oriana trailed, biting down hard on her bottom lip. It was just all too much to compute within her still bruised heart. For so long she thought she was tainted and unlovable. Many men had passed through her, almost tearing her soul to pieces. But she had finally found one with a true heart and honest soul. But she felt herself pulling away yet again from a boy who just wanted to love her.

"Please... Riana, I know you're scared. I know that you've been hurt. But I honest to God love you and that's all I ever want to do. Please, don't push me away," Howie begged slightly.

"I'm not cold anymore..." Oriana trailed, deciding to quickly change the subject.

"Why do you always change the subject?"

"I think it's time to go to bed, Howie."

"Answer my question first."

"It's too late to have these kind of serious discussions," Oriana tried to lie, weaving herself out of trouble. She finally pulled away from the blanket, pouring the bucket of water onto the fire.

"I'm just wondering," Howie replied, standing up with the blanket still around him.

"Aren't you tired?" Oriana asked, avoiding the entire question yet again as she walked toward the tent. She carefully unzipped the tent and peered inside. She felt her muscles lax with obvious relief, noticing Alex had taken the middle sleeping bag. It would give her time to sort feelings. Noticing her duffle bag on the far side, she stepped over Alex to that side.

"You and I are having a serious talk tomorrow," Howie replied, getting a little frustrated as he walked into the tent and took his place on the other side of Alex.

"Not if I can help it," she breathed quietly, pulling out her favorite baggy t-shirt and worn boxer shorts. She stood up, sliding the boxers onto her hips, and then removing the bottoms of her bikini. She pulled her damp hair away from her face before sliding over the overly baggy t-shirt, freeing the bikini top from her skin as well. Fully dressed for bed, she unzipped her sleeping bag, slowly stepping into it and cuddling against her two pillows.

"That hurt..." Howie whispered to himself as he zipped up the tent flap before crawling into his sleeping bag, clad in a tank top and boxers. His back facing Oriana, he fell into a restless sleep.

"It hurt me twice as bad," Oriana softly decided, already knowing Howie was sleeping. She opened her eyes into the darkness of the tent, coming upon Alex's sleeping face instead of Howie's handsome face. She sighed softly, immediately turning onto her other side, holding her cast against the nearby pillow. She could see the moon shining down upon the tent, casting an eerie glow against her. She buried her cheek deeper into the pillow, allowing the tears to fall, praying for sleep or death to overcome her soul.

*~*~*


Brian woke up to the bright sun shining in his eyes. Moaning quietly, he buried his head in the pillow for a moment as his eyes adjusted. He turned over and smiled, seeing Teagan sleep peacefully beside him. Her dark hair rested gently on the pillow, almost glowing in the light. Her cheeks were still rosy from the night before.

He almost didn't want to disturb her, knowing her dreams must be sweet. On a whim of romance, he cuddled up against her side, allowing his chin to rest against her bare shoulder. He encircled his arms around her bare waist, spooning her gently. He inhaled the soft fruity scent of her hair, finding himself in pure ecstasy.

"Mmm..." she stirred softly, slowly waking up. She turned her head slightly and smiled. "Good morning."

"How are you, Sweetheart?" he cooed softly, running his hands up her slim stomach.

"I could definitely get used to waking up next to you," she kissed the tip of his nose. "I'm feeling better than ever."

"Did I tell you that you're absolutely beautiful?"

"Not since I woke up..."

"You're the most beautiful creature on this entire earth," Brian praised, offering several kisses against her bare neck.

"You're so sweet," Teagan swooned, turning in his arms. She ran her fingers through his messy locks, loving how soft they were.

"This has to be the best weekend in the entire universe, Teagan. And it's only just beginning. I could hold you in my arms forever, do you know that?" Brian enthused, kissing her with delight. "I don't think I've ever felt so complete before. You understand me in a way that no one else can. I thank you for that."

"I feel everything you do... it's amazing... like you were in my mind," Teagan replied, kissing him. "I've never felt so alive before. Thank you..."

"No need to thank me, because I'm willingly giving you my all."
Teagan smiled, singing one of her favorite Mariah Carey songs. "And I'd give my all to have/ just one more night with you/ I'd risk my life to feel/ your body next to mine..."

"I love your voice, too. No wonder you're going to get Sandy," Brian enthused, feeling himself drift into a lulling state of tranquility just by her voice. He reached out to gently caress her face, never able to keep his hands away from her soft skin.

"I'm hoping to get Sandy. There are other girls out there just as good if not better--"

"Not in a million years," Brian quickly objected, giving her a strong kiss of assurance. "You're the best looking girl in that school, not to mention the most talented."

"Well, thank you. Are you going to try out for Danny?" Teagan asked, blushing a little at his compliments.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to let another guy kiss you?"

"So you're not trying out for Danny?" Teagan pouted.

"Real funny, Baby," Brian faked a laugh, running his hand down the length of her bare back. "There is no way that I'm going to let you play Sandy without me being Danny. Are we not the best looking couple in that school?"

"We are," Teagan giggled as Brian hit a ticklish spot near her lower back. "That tickles!"

"Did God show me this so I may enact my revenge for your tickling spree?" Brian flared dramatically with a sly smile, dancing his fingers over the spot Teagan had squealed about.

"Brian, don't!" she squeaked, arching her back away from his hand.

"And you press yourself tighter against me. God Bless You!"

"You're a horny little bastard," Teagan laughed.

"And you created this horny little bastard you kinky little tease."

"Kinky little tease... I like that," she grinned, pressing closer to him and pulling away.

"HEY!"

"You know you like it," she tried to do a spy roll off the bed and accidentally landed hard on the floor. "Ouch!"

Brian stifled a tight laugh, slowly peering over the side of his bed. Teagan lay on the carpet, contorted beyond belief. He arched his eyebrows in confusion. "Is this a new kinky game we're trying out? Because I've never done this whole Karma Sutra thing..."

"No, this is not Karma Sutra, but I am stuck in this position-- ow, ow, ow! Ankle cramping up, not good! Brian, help!" Teagan whined, feeling extremely stupid for falling off the bed.

"Where's that camera..." Brian sang, disappearing beyond Teagan's sight of the bed.

"BRIAN THOMAS RICHARDSON! Don't you dare!"

"CAMERA! CAMERA! CAMERA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"YOU ARE SO EVIL!" Teagan groaned, trying to untangle herself. "This is NOT FUNNY! I need help!"

"Define help please!" Brian teased, almost enjoying Teagan's predicament too much. He crawled back over to the edge of the bed, watching Teagan fluster to get out of the awkward position. He began to laugh louder than before, offering a light tap on her backside. "You've got a really cute ass."

"Your ass is gonna be black and blue once I get out of this mess!" Teagan growled, finally getting one limb straight. "So either you stop getting horny at this picture and help me or I shall get you once I get on my feet."

"You've got to admit this is pretty funny," Brian continued, grasping one of her legs.

"Funny for whom?"

"Honey, it's not a big deal."

"You were gonna take a picture!"

"I was just kidding," he laughed, helping her detangle. He was careful as Teagan released a series of odd distress noises. Brian tried to muffle his laughter yet again as she finally freed herself, wilting onto the floor.

"I don't think I have any more energy... I'm done..."

"Any more energy for what?"

"To move!"

"Do you want me to carry you into the shower to apologize for laughing at you?" Brian cooed, wanting her to feel better. Though, he had to admit it was the funniest thing that had ever happened between them, despite his fiasco with the tennis ball and clothing.

"Please?" Teagan pouted.

"We'll get a nice warm shower together, then what?"

"Could we practice for Grease?"

"Singing duets?" he asked curiously, wrapping the sheet of the bed around his waist as he jumped off the bed. He padded toward the bathroom he shared with Alex, quickly opening the glass doors to the large shower and bathtub. He turned the water to produce a fresh, warm steam.

"And some of the dialogue, we could watch the movie... Get some popcorn..."

"Sounds like a perfect thing to do on our blissful vacation," Brian declared, shuffling back into the bedroom. He leaned down toward Teagan, carefully gathering her into his arms. He smiled softly, kissing her forehead as he held her bare body close to his chest. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Teagan smiled, kissing him softly before resting her head on his chest.

"I know," he whispered, carrying her into the bathroom. He gently eased Teagan into the shower, allowing her to soak herself straight beneath the jet of warm water. She moaned in absolute delight, raising her face toward the streams of water, allowing it to cascade down her glistening body. "Teags?" Brian swallowed, mesmerized by her beauty. "How's the water?"

"It’s the perfect temperature. Why don't you join me?"

"Are you sure you can handle me?" Brian joked, allowing the sheet to fall from his waist. He carefully stepped into the slippery tub, bringing his arms around Teagan's waist from behind. He rested his chin against her shoulder, allowing the streams of water to soak him also.

"I can handle anything," Teagan chuckled as she leaned her head against his. "This is so nice... just being here with you, alone."

"I think it'd be perfect if we found our own deserted island," Brian quickly agreed.

"We could make love anytime and not have to worry about anyone..."

"Not to mention no tan lines when we lay naked on the beach..." Brian murmured, wincing as Teagan slapped him sharply on the hand. He wrenched back in surprise, his light blue eyes wide with disbelief. "What?! Oh... We were being serious, weren't we?"

"Yes, we were."

"Sorry... What I meant to say was..."

"Was...?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Damn, Teags, you have a cute ass."
Beachside Confessionals by Anastacia
Chapter 38 – Beachside Confessionals

Oriana sniffled softly as she flipped yet another page in the Book of Love Poems and Quotes that Howie had given her for her birthday. Truth be told, she never went anywhere without the book tucked safely within her reach. It was her own little secret, even without Howie's knowledge. Like Howie said, the words protected her and made her feel loved whether anyone was there or not. Yet, today it brought a stinging sensation into her pained heart.

The previous night had been Hell. She had tossed and turned all night long with periods of silent tears for the bitter words exchanged. She had leapt out of the tent like lightening when the sun started to peak into the sky. She had taken a long run along the beach, now she lay several feet away from the tent on a long beach blanket. She allowed the gentle morning rays of the sun warm her skin as she stretched out with the book, contemplating the idea of love.

Nevertheless, she found herself silently crying again as she read over the pages in hopes to find the answer to the question plaguing her thoughts - How to know if she was in love. She found herself flipped through the pages, reading little quotes in hopes to make sense of the situation.
"Love is when you don't have to be with another person to touch their heart... To be in love is to feel you could touch a star without standing on tiptoe... You know you're in love when you can still feel his kiss on your lips after he's gone... Falling in love with someone isn't always going to be easy. It is often filled with anger and tears. It is when you want to be together despite it all. That is when you are truly in love..."

"That's your situation right now, in that poem," Alex replied as she sat down next to her.

Oriana jerked in surprise, quickly fumbling to hide the book beneath her towel. She immediately laid her cast against the bump of the towel, securing the book tightly. She then covered her eyes in disbelief, feeling utterly mortified. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," he explained with a shrug of his shoulders. "From what I saw, you and Howie had a bad night."

"What do you mean?" she murmured, almost afraid to look up at the older boy who would soon be her brother.

"Well, if last night had gone good, you both would be out here. Not you on the beach reading and Howie still sleeping. AND you would have pushed me to the side so you two could sleep next to each other."

"I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to disturb you by pushing you over..." Oriana lied, glancing down at the sand before her towel. She sighed softly, running her fingers against the sand to doodle. She just wanted to forget.

"Mm-hmm, alright. Let me ask you something. How does Howie make you feel?"
It sounded all too familiar to Oriana's pained heart. She turned gently to lay on her back, staring up at Alex. She focused on his light brown eyes before speaking, "Did you hear us last night?"

"Some of it. But I'm asking you a question," Alex replied, determined to get her to listen to her true feelings.

"All we do is fight."

"That's bullshit, Riana. "

"Don't tell me you got out of your warm sleeping bag to yell at me?"

"I'm not yelling at you. But what you just said was bullshit. I see the look on your face after he kisses you. The way you shiver when he touches you. I'm not blind, you know. I can tell when my little sister is in love."

"How do you know what love is?!" she groaned, immediately turning back to her stomach, burying her face in one hand. It was the ultimate question in her love.

"How do you know what isn't?" he countered. "You just read that last poem out loud. THAT'S what love is. Love is not perfect."

"It's not a big deal, Jamie—"

"Don't say it's not a big deal. You are miserable if Howie's not with you and he's the same without you."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I know you both that well."

"Is that it?" she asked, standing up from the towel. She smoothed out her sunset-print, boy cut bikini bottoms after pulling down the light yellow tank top she had thrown on after taking a morning dip. She then picked up the soccer ball that she had brought along, dropping it to the sand. She kicked it forward, controlling it with great ease as she traveled around the beach.

"Running away won't stop your feelings for him," Alex replied as he stood up and followed her. "I know you're scared, but so is he! Don't push him away because of that."

"You don't have any idea of what I feel," she answered, rolling the ball up her foot to pop it into the air. She easily brought her good knee toward the ball, continuing to pop it into the air with her knee.

"Oh, I don't? Howie showed me that poem book you read all the time. He wanted to make sure I thought you would like it. You don't think I see you reading it? C'mon, admit it! You love him!"

"It's something interesting to read, Jamie. Nothing more or less."

"Bullshit!" Alex grabbed her soccer ball.

"Alex!" she growled.

"Stop this charade, it's ridiculous! You love him!"

"Give me back the ball."

"Nope."

"This is fucking ridiculous," Oriana growled, staying still for the first time all morning. She stared at Alex in disbelief, fixing her hand into a fist. "Why do you care so much? You were the one in the first place telling me that I couldn't do anything with Howie. Giving me that idiotic Frump-up... Now you're telling me that I'm fooling myself and I love him when no one wants me to in the first place!"

"I was in a stupid protective brother phase, okay? I care because I want to see you happy! And you're with Howie when you're happy! I want you to be with him, Teagan want you to be with him, Cass and Marie want you to be with him. Most important of all, HOWIE wants you to be with him!"

"I am with him!"

"This is what you call being with him? Being out here when you should be in the tent with him?"

"He's sleeping!"

"Because he thinks you hate him!"

"He does not," she scoffed.

"Oh, you don't think so?"

"No, I don't."

"That's why when I woke up he was curled up into a ball with tear streaks on his face?"

"You're just trying to upset me..." Oriana countered, her voice softer than before. Her eyes quickly flitted back and forth, trying to search for a lie within Alex's serious eyes. Her hand slowly uncurled from the fist as she stepped back. "It's probably just sweat or something..."

"I know tear streaks when I see them, Ry. He was crying."

“But..." Oriana found herself truly speechless.

"He really does love you. He's scared to death you don't."

"I don't know—"

"Just listen to your mind, heart and soul. What does it say?"

"It doesn't say anything."

"It doesn't?" He raised an eyebrow.

"My... My mind says it's impossible for me to love and be loved..." Oriana started, closing her eyes for the longest moment. She turned away from Alex, watching the ball fall gently from his hands. "My mind says I'm an idiot to think it's possible to feel anything anymore. Not after everything... My... My heart says not to get hurt again. It bleeds with this raw pain from years of defeat. My mind shuts down any tiny recuperation my heart tries to make... And my soul..."

"What does your soul say?" Alex asked softly.

"My soul..."

"Says you love him?"

"I..." Oriana could already feel the tears building beneath her eyelids. She offered a ragged sigh, gently popping the ball up into Alex's arms. She needed to contemplate the hints her soul was screaming so desperately from below. "Could you give me a few minutes?"

"Just really think it over, okay?" Alex whispered, kissing her forehead before walking back to the tent.

*~*~*


Howie felt absolutely miserable as he stepped from the tent. His bones ached from the long drawn night of restless darkness. The night had been cold and lonely. He found himself utterly wasted when Oriana wasn't drawn to his side for sweet dreams. Yet he couldn't truly admit that to her, because he feared she wouldn't feel the same. So many doubts plagued his mind. Was he foolish to love a girl that refused to love him back? Did he push too hard? Was she truly the one in his life? Does she love him?
He raggedly ran his hands through his messy curls, digging his bare feet into the warming sand. No one was in sight around the camp. He shook his head in disbelief, walking toward the cooler, but Oriana's beach blanket caught his eye. He noticed the square lump beneath it, which raised his curiosity. He immediately folded the towel back, retrieving the familiar book, which had been bookmarked to a specific page. He noticed the fresh highlighter strokes upon one passage, reading it aloud, "Love is patient, / Love is kind. / It does not envy, / It does not boast, / It is not proud. / It is not rude, / It is not self-seeking, / It is not easily angered, / It keeps no record of wrongs. / Love does not delight in evil / But rejoices with the truth. / It always protects, / Always trusts, / Always hopes, / Always perseveres. / Love never fails."

"Hey! D! Sleep well?" Alex called brightly, jogging forward with the ball neatly controlled between his feet. He acted as if nothing were wrong, knowing it would probably be best. Oriana was still down along the beach, sorting through her thoughts. Alex could only hope for the best now and he did. He wouldn't have his vacation ruined by a stubborn heart.

"What?" Howie looked up, and Alex knew right away that his friend didn't sleep well. "Oh. Hey, man."

"What's happening?" Alex asked, stopping the ball from spinning with the bottom of his foot. He craned his neck, noticing the book within Howie's hands. "Light reading?"

"Just the book I gave Ria for her birthday, that's all," Howie placed it underneath the towel where it was before.

"Steal it from her dresser drawer?" Alex joked.

"Haha, funny. Do you know where she is?" Howie asked, running a hand through his locks again.

"She went for a walk... Why?"

"Just curious."

"You'd think you two would get tired of each other. Now you're looking for her again. Jezz, D, what's there to talk about now?" Alex questioned lamely, really reaching for Howie to open up. Howie was much more gentle when it came to these issues. Oriana needed confronted directly in order to be forced to talk, but Howie would talk freely if he knew the person cared enough to listen.

"She freaking hates me, J. Last night... it went all wrong after you went to bed," Howie groaned, reaching over and grabbing an orange juice out of the cooler.

"How'd it go all wrong? You guys were pretty hot and heavy in my presence last time I checked..."

"She basically pushed me away. Probably because I spoke too much, like I always do," Howie chugged down half of the juice.

"Maybe it was time that you needed to push? You're always giving and giving to this relationship, right? Maybe it's time she gave back?"

"But if I push, she pulls away."

"But she always comes back, doesn't she?"

“What if this time I do, she doesn't come back?"

"Do you honestly think she won't?" Alex questioned, watching Howie easily finish the rest of the orange juice, tossing the container into the nearby garbage bag. Howie then slumped against the cooler, holding his aching head in his hands. Alex winced, wishing Oriana would notice Howie's disheveled state and come running.

"I really don't know. She's been hurt so many times, it could happen... I don't even know if she loves me. I tell her that all the time, and she says nothing. It... it hurts, man."

"Hurts that she doesn't say it back?"

"Hurts that she probably doesn't feel the same way. And when I try to talk to her about it, she runs away."

"Why don't you tell her it hurts? I bet she doesn’t want to see you in pain—"

"Because I don't want to guilt her into thinking she loves me when maybe she doesn't—"

"Maybe she does love you?"

"How do you know?"

"I don't know," Alex lied. "The only way you can find out is if you ask her yourself."

"She won't tell me."

"Ask till you get an answer."

"But--"

"Hey! Why don't I fire up that mini-grill and make us some killer breakfast?" Alex interrupted excitedly, rolling the soccer ball beneath one foot.

"You can cook?" Howie raised an eyebrow.

"I can at least scramble eggs!" Alex scoffed.

"Without burning them?"

Alex offered Howie a sarcastic look, purposely kicking the ball toward Oriana's direction. He stumbled slightly, acting as if it were a complete accident. "Damnit, D! Can you go grab that before the ocean swallows it?"

"As long as you don't burn breakfast," Howie groaned, getting up to his feet before running after the ball.

"Yeah, well, don't burn her heart," Alex warned softly.

*~*~*


Howie groaned as the soccer ball rolled quickly down the small incline toward the ocean. He couldn't believe that Alex had so much power within his skinny legs. Still completely oblivious to the scheme, he chased after the ball with random thoughts circulating in his mind. Rolling his eyes, he picked up his pace as the ball started to slow. He was about to yell in triumph as the ball knocked against something, but he lost his footing and tackled the very same object.

"Howie!" Oriana gasped in surprise as she slammed back onto the soft sand, hitting her head against a seashell of some sort. She groaned immediately, reaching within her tangled curls to massage the tender area. "Love freaking hurts..."

"Ouch..." Howie gritted as pain radiated in his hand. His eyes grew wide as he realized he had tackled Oriana. "Ria, I'm sorry! I was just chasing the soccer ball Alex kicked and I wasn't even paying attention to where I was going--"

"Don't worry about it... Are you alright?" she asked, sitting up as she continued to rub the back of her head. Her sea blue-green eyes glimmered with concern as she eyed his appearance, looking for something that didn't fit.

"Yeah, I just slammed my hand into a rock. Are you okay?" Howie asked, wanting to reach out and touch the back of her head, but didn't.

"Just wanted to know what kind of sound my head would make smashing against the ground..." Oriana joked, tensing immediately as she glanced into Howie's dark eyes. Initiating her nervous habit, she bit down on her bottom lip, bracing her good hand against the sand to keep herself propped up as the ocean seemed to spin. "You're hand though... You're sure it's okay?"

"It's fine, don't worry. I'll ice it later. Your pupils look a little off. Are you sure you didn't hit your head too hard?"

"I'm fine," she repeated, bowing her head slightly.

"Listen... I'm sorry if I upset you last night. I didn't mean to."

"It's not a big deal," she assured, closing her eyes for a brief moment as she pushed herself off the sand. She felt her head spin at the sudden shift in gravity, causing the back of her skull to throb with pain. She wobbled a little as she stepped forward. She made it about three steps before stumbling back onto the beach. She quickly laid down on her back, trying not to laugh. "And I'm not even drunk..."

"You really hit your head hard," Howie replied, sitting down next to her. "We really need to talk, though. Please?"

"I can't get out of this on account of an injury?" Oriana whispered, concentrating on focusing her eyes upon Howie's handsome face. Her first thought was to run her fingers down the stubble of his cheek, but she remembered their awful conversation. She quickly blinked back tears, not sure if they were from the pain in her head or heart.

"If we don't talk about it now, we never will," Howie finally overcame his apprehension and reached out to gently cup her cheek. "I love you, Oriana. I have for a long time now and I always will. I thought that last night I lost you, because I thought you didn't love me. I thought that maybe I wasn't good enough. That maybe I pushed too much and was the cause of you not loving me. And to be honest... it hurts my heart to think you don't love me, because of how deep my love is for you."

Oriana felt her throat constrict at Howie's meaningful words. She didn't think she would ever be ready for the deep thoughts or feelings overcoming her soul. The tears were already starting to build beneath her eyelids. It was all she could do to squeak before getting cut off, "Howie---"

"I know. I know you're scared. So am I. This is something I've never felt before in my life, but I don't want to run away from it."

"I... I don't want to hurt you---"

"The only way you could hurt me would be to leave me."

Oriana shied away from his hand, feeling her cheek already starting to burn. "But---"

"I would never hurt you."

"I know..."

"Just... know that I love you, okay?"

"I know that, too..." she trailed, watching his hand slowly reach out to caress her. She quickly caught his hand with her own, startling him. His eyes were still murky with hurt. She bit on the inside of her cheek, ignoring the throbbing ache in the back of her head. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. Something. Anything."

"Am... Am I really hurting your heart like you said?"

"You're not hurting it. It... it just hurts to think I love someone so much who might not love me back. I know you have issues with love, but I can't help it if it hurts, you know?"

"I---"

"I'm not rushing you to love me. I just wanted to know if that could happen."

"Wanted to know?"

"That didn't sound right..."

"I don't know what---"

"I just want you to love me, Oriana. Is that so hard? I mean... Is that a hard question? Am I not good enough?"

"No! You're good enough, too good!" Oriana blurted, reaching to grab his arm before he could get away.

"Then why do I feel like I'm not when you pull away from me?"

"I... I pull away because sometimes I don't think I want—"

“You don't want me?"

"No—"

"You don't?"

"Damnit, Howie!" Oriana groaned, sitting up straight. He always made her so confused and haphazard. It was as if she wasn't even in her body at times. "You don't understand—"

"Just say it, then. You keep spinning me in circles that I really don't understand!"

"I was raped," she murmured quietly, dropping her gaze quickly to the sand. She had never murmured those words to anyone in her entire life. Teagan didn’t even know the depths of her pain during childhood and puberty. To trust Howie with such a heavy burden proved more about the depth of her love than anything.

Howie's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"That's why I lock my door—"

"One of your mom’s boyfriends?"

“Not just one…”

“Excuse me?”

"Momma was always really tired at night from trying to get her office off the ground I guess or maybe they wanted to teach me a lesson. I'm not sure why. I never knew why. I just know that I'd be curled in my bed, praying for a miracle, and then the hallway light would come shining through as the door opened... It was awful… Just… They did things… They hurt me…"

"Oh, Riana... I'm sorry. I didn't know, and here I am acting like a selfish ass—"

"You're not selfish," Oriana quickly blurted, still unable to look him directly in the eyes. "You deserve to hear those words over and over."

"But I pushed you to talk—"

"You had a right to do that."

"I did?"

"You give and give to this relationship, Howie. And I never give any of it back. I just sit there like some stone wall. You deserve so much better. I can understand why you're so upset with me. I can also understand if you don't want to deal with this anymore... I just... I'm really sorry I put you through all this," she answered, knowing the true words she were longing to say lay buried deep in her heart, squirming to release.

"No, the thing is that I don't want anyone else but you, Riana. No buts. I love you, and only you."

"I..."

"What, Sweetheart?"

"I don't know what to say."

"Say anything."

"I know what you want me to say, but…"

"You're scared to say it."

"Something like that..."

They both sat in silence for a moment, watching the waves crash onto the shore. It depicted their turmoil. So, Howie looked away. Taking a deep breath, Howie glanced over at Oriana's image. Outside, she looked so fearless and determined, yet inside she was a shattered image of her true self. He didn't know what more he could do for her. He said what he wanted to say. As much as he hated to accept it, maybe she did need time. He didn't want to leave her side, but it felt like the only thing to do.
"Remember what I said, Ria. I'll always love you," he whispered, standing up.

Oriana glanced up quickly to see him starting to walk over the small hill of sand to reach their tent. She felt devastated, knowing she truly didn't want him to go. She scrambled to her feet, feeling her head immediately circle with dizziness, but never caring as she stumbled behind him. "Howie!"

He turned around to see her half walking half stumbling after him. His heart leaped with anticipation. "Yeah?"

"Jamie talked to me before you got up. He...um...he said you had tear streaks across your face..."

"He saw them?" Howie asked, feeling embarrassed at the thought of his beat friend knowing he had cried.

"Yeah...but why?"

"Because I thought you hated me."

"Why?"

"By the way you acted, I don't know..."

"Oh..." she trailed quietly, her eyes falling to the sand. She tried to gather her wits, looking back up to see Howie walking ever further. She felt her heart leap from her chest to her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. Something inside her refused to let Howie get away. "Howie! Please!"

Howie turned around again, tears in his eyes. "What?"

"Why are you leaving me? And why are you crying?"

"I'm not leaving you, I was heading back to camp."

"But why are you crying?"

"I'm crying because I'm afraid I lost you, I'm crying because of how Brian has hurt you and tried to pull us apart, I'm crying because I love you so much... it's everything jumbled into one."

"I'm sorry, but I need to..." Oriana hesitated greatly, staring at Howie's watery eyes. She sighed softly, knowing it was her fault he hurt so much. She carefully stepped toward him, wiping away the stray tears before stepping back again. "Before you woke up, Jamie was talking with me. He kept pushing me to say the things that I fear most, but I kept backing away like I do with you. Finally, he asked me what my heart, mind, and soul were telling me about you."

"W-What were they telling you about me?"

"My mind was telling me that I couldn't love you and that I couldn't be loved by you," she started.

"Alright..."

"My heart thinks it’s impossible to feel anything anymore. It doesn't want to get hurt again, even if it believes you’re trustworthy. My heart doesn't want to risk the chance. It bleeds with this deafening pain of useless defeat."

Howie sighed heavily, biting down on his bottom lip. "I wish I could make it stop hurting."

"Then my mind and my heart start battling each other, because as much as my mind hates to admit it, my heart's walls are weak against you. But anytime my heart prays to trust you, chiseling a bit of the wall, my mind shuts down the tiniest thought," Oriana explained, unable to stop her speech.

Howie nodded, knowing she had more to say.

"But my soul... My soul..." Oriana trailed, closing her eyes. She allowed herself to drift away from the pain that always clouded around her like a shroud of darkness. Allowing her heart and mind to combine as one, she accessed the deepest core of her soul, unleashing the powerful box of emotions that had been closed for so long. Still lulled by the state of peace, she found herself murmuring her favorite quote from the book Howie gave her, "Love is patient, / Love is kind. / It does not envy, / It does not boast, / It is not proud. / It is not rude, / It is not self-seeking, / It is not easily angered, / It keeps no record of wrongs. / Love does not delight in evil / But rejoices with the truth. / It always protects, / Always trusts, / Always hopes, / Always perseveres. / Love never fails.”

"You highlighted that..." Howie whispered, almost afraid to break her perfect concentration. Something was happening deep inside her and he prayed selfishly that it was in her favor.

"And you wrote beside it. You remember that one, don't you?" she countered, allowing her eyes to flutter open.

"Yeah, I do. That's what I thought real love was."

"And do you remember what you wrote beside it?"

"Yeah... I wrote 'I never knew what love really was until I met you, Riana. Looking through this book, I found the perfect poem to go along with what I thought. Love never dies, and will always be remembered'..."

"I didn't think I knew what love was either, Howie," Oriana whispered.

"Does that poem describe how you think about love now?"

"It always did... My soul just never had a chance to say it."

"What does your soul say? You've talked about your mind and heart, but not your soul."

Oriana cautiously stepped toward him, wiping away the stray tears yet again, but letting her fingers linger against his warm cheek. "My soul says to trust you. My soul says that you're truly the one for me. That all my hurt goes away when I'm with you. That I need to trust you, no matter what my mind and heart say. It says you'll be the one to understand me and love me through all the best times and the worst times. It puts your name in that Bible verse instead of the word love: Howie is patient / Howie is kind / He does not envy / He does not boast / He is not proud / He is not rude / He is not self-seeking / He is not easily angered / He keeps no records of my wrongs / He does not delight in evil / But rejoices with the truth / He always protects me / Always trusts me / Always hopes for me / Always preservers / Howie never fails me."

Howie smiled softly, placing his hand on top of hers. "I really hope you'll listen to your soul... because it's right."

Oriana nodded slightly, leaning in to place her lips a top his own. She allowed her feelings to pulsate through the tender kiss as she had done the night before. She pulled her hand free from his cheek, immediately wrapping it around the back of his neck, gently pulling him closer. She could feel his heart beat against her chest, lighting her soul with a deep fire. Ever so carefully did she let her lips pull away, but still lingering near. "I love you, Howie. I love you so much," she confessed.

"You do?" he whispered.

"More than my life."

"I love you, too." he pulled her in for another kiss, more passionate than any other kiss they had shared.

"Mmm," she murmured against his mouth, feeling her heart hammer loudly against her chest. She was almost too sure that he could hear it, let alone feel it. Yet, she never backed away. She stepped forward, causing Howie to stumble. They fell softly against the sand, never flinching from pain, almost as if God had covered the warm sand with pillows for their safety. Oriana glanced down to see herself straddling his hips yet again, causing her to laugh.

"We seem to end in this position a lot," Howie chuckled, resting his hands on her curvy hips.

"It's well worth it now," she whispered, bowing down again. "I have to finish what I started last night, right?"

Howie's eyes grew wide as their lips parted. "Are you sure?"

"Sure about what?"

"We don't have to finish if you're not sure—"

"Not sure about what?"

"I... I don't know anymore. You're kisses always leave me speechless or not making any sense."

"Are you thinking about what we talked about before we came here?" Oriana countered, loving the peculiar look crossing over his face. She ran her hand against the curly locks framing his forehead, trusting him with everything she had.

"Say... huh?" He raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Making love?" she questioned, feeling her cheeks heat at the mere mention. "Because you were just so surprised about... I was..."

"Would you really want to make love now? Well, not RIGHT now, but—"

"We...um... We still have things to talk about before that can happen..."

"I don't mean to sound stupid, but what other things?"

"Just...um..." Oriana bit down hard on her bottom lip, struggling to find the right words. Hoping to halt the conversation before it could start, she leaned down to kiss him again. "I love you?"

"I love you, too. But what was it you wanted to talk about?" Howie replied, knowing she was trying to change the subject.

She sat up again on his hips, feeling her spine stiffen with apprehension. She knew they would have to talk about it eventually, but she couldn't help but feel ashamed. "Just... You're a technical virgin, right?"

"Yeah, I am. But what does..." a look of realization crossed his face.
"You're worried you're not because of the boyfriends..."

"Yeah..." she whispered, her voice slightly cracking under the pressure. Sometimes she could still feel their hands wandering her body in the lonely nights. She took a sharp breath, slowly easing herself off Howie's hips so she wouldn't compromise him. "I mean... I know that people say that being a virgin is something in your heart. That you willingly give your virginity away... But it hurt... It hurt so bad. And I'm just afraid... Maybe you don't want me because of that. Because you know that now. Or maybe I won't be good for you because I... Because of what happened... Maybe I don't deserve to feel pleasure that way and God let that happen for a reason..."

"Riana, you deserve all the pleasure and happiness life can give you. I don't care what happened in the past. Well, wait, I do, but it doesn't change how I feel about you. Those assholes forced you into doing something you didn't want to. You did not lose your virginity, because you did not consent and it was not out of love at all. You could never not be good for me. It's impossible."

She trembled from the memories, just willing the evil thoughts away. She could feel her bottom lip quiver with the anticipated tears. As much as she wanted to will it away, she did thinking about sharing that intimate connection with him. To feel one with him. Howie was so genuinely sweet about the whole concept, but she wondered if the pain would be unbearable. She didn't even know if she wanted to discuss that concept of her life anymore "I..."

"You can tell me anything, Riana... C'mon, Sweetie. We've gotten this far, please don't stop now," Howie ushered, propping himself up with his elbows. He just wanted her to feel safe with confiding in him.

"What..." Oriana stifled the question, sniffling softly. On a whim, she made Howie lay back in the sand, resting her head against his chest. She closed her eyes for the longest moment, listening to his heartbeat, trying to sort through the issues. "I would love to be with you in that way, Howie. I won't lie and say that I'm not thinking about it. Because it's hard not to when you're this affectionate. But I can't help but be scared. I bled so much when they... I hurt all over... I felt like I'd never stop crying... What if we...and I... What if it hurts?"

"I can't promise you it won't hurt, because I'm a guy and I don't know. But even if it does hurt, I will be so gentle, because the last thing I want to do is hurt you," Howie ran his hands through her locks.

"Do you...do you really want me?"

"Of course I do."

"And you really want to make love?"

"Yes," he lifted her chin up so their eyes locked. "With you and only you."

"Are you... Are you sure?"

"Do you see any doubt in my eyes?" he whispered.

"It's just a really big—"

"I know. And I'm not going to rush it. When you're ready, we will."

“Are you sure?”

"I've been waiting to lose my technicall virginity with someone that I love with all of my heart. I found that person and she's right in front of me."

"What about waiting for marriage?" she questioned carefully, knowing that was another apprehension in her mind. She had promised herself long ago that the only man she would physically and emotionally connect with would be the man she married. Making love was such an intimate detail in a couple's life, not something to be thrown around.

"If I found the woman I love unconditionally, that would be the one I want to marry. So... I don't know how to say it. Not exactly canceling it out, but--"

"Huh?" she asked in confusion as he stumbled over his words.

"If I can see myself marrying that person and I love them, I think it's okay to make love," Howie licked his lips nervously. He was hoping that made sense. "Do you know what I mean?"

"That you don't think we should do this?"

"No, because I can see myself marrying you."

"Say...wha...huh?" she murmured, dumbfounded.

"I can see myself marrying you?"

"But—"

"Regardless of anything. If we were older and been dating for awhile longer, I would ask you to marry me."

"You're nuts..."

"It's just what I feel."

Oriana finally pulled away, wrinkling her honey brows into a look of confusion. Howie was so honest when it came to the feelings of his heart. The idea of marrying him seemed perfect inside and out. She found herself licking her own bottom lip with nervousness, staring at him. "I promised myself...that I would only make love with the man that I'm going to marry."

"And that's a very good promise," Howie replied, hoping deep inside that the man she would want to marry was him.

"So if we... I mean..."

"If we did make love, I would ask you to marry me once we got older."

"You would?" she breathed.

"I would."

"Marry me?"

"Yes, I would," he repeated, chuckling a little at the look of shock on her face.

She quickly glanced behind her to make sure that no one else was around, assuring herself that Howie did indeed mean her. She leaned forward to offer a charming kiss. "I'd marry you in a heartbeat."

"And then I would be the happiest man alive," Howie enthused, running his hands up and down her sides.

Oriana carefully climbed back onto his hips, making him lay back into the sand. She smiled innocently, leaning down to catch his lips in another breathtaking kiss. Though, she parted quickly, she offered a kiss between each pause in her sentences, "I love you... I love you... I love you... And I love you..."

"I love you too... I love you too... I love you too... And I love you too..." he replied right after her.

"Now that's what I like to see! Not too R-Rated for a big brother!" Alex whooped out of nowhere, startling the couple. "So? What happened?"

"I love him?" Oriana guessed innocently, standing up and offering Howie her good hand.

"And I love her," Howie replied, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her back down on top of him for another kiss.

"Oh Lord," Alex groaned openly.

"I was trying to help you up," Oriana laughed against his lips, offering another kiss.

"I know, but I wanted another kiss," Howie grinned. "Besides, this was a comfy position.”

"You're going to give Jamie another reason to bring out the Frump-up," Oriana warned, trying to stand up again.

"You looked sexy in the Frump-up, too," Howie replied as he kept her close to him, kissing her again.

"Don't tell him that or he'll end up locking me up or something," Oriana laughed, almost thinking she could hear Alex's blood boiling. She accepted several more heated kisses, before trying one more time.

"Why can't we just lay here?" Howie complained as he finally let Oriana up.

"Because you'll be doing more than laying!" Alex growled.

"Please, Jamie," Oriana begged innocently, walking toward her brother. She affectionately wrapped her arm around his neck, pressing a delicate kiss to his cheek. "I'll behave."

"I will, too! Man, do you think that little of me that I would have the first time to be on the beach with you fifty feet away?" Howie groaned, getting to his feet.

"Oh Lord, this is where your technical virginity comes into play with all that horseshit about Christina?" Alex groaned.

"Um... duh?"

"Well, that wasn't really computing at the moment. You're honestly telling me that with all the girls that have plastered themselves on you... You haven't had sex since Christina?" Alex questioned just for verification.

"Not once."

"How far have you...?" Alex continued to question, knowing it was in Oriana's best interest.

"I've only kissed girls, never any farther," Howie replied, understanding that Alex was just looking out for his sister.

"You swear?"

"Dude, you know I don't lie!"

"I know, but... You've never been serious about another girl like this, right?"

"Never."

"And, you, how much experience am I looking at when I look at my little sister?" Alex fired, staring at Oriana. He knew it was almost too foolish to ask, but he knew her wild streaks. Outside she looked completely sweet and innocent, but inside lurked an entirely different character.

"Nothing I wanted..." Oriana trailed softly, glancing up to catch Alex's confused gaze. "I haven't been serious about anyone. Frankly, I'm waiting till the right guy comes along to marry before I consider offering my entire body to him."

"Are you done interrogating us, now?" Howie asked, trying to break the attention away from Oriana. He knew she hadn't told Alex about her rapes.

"Did you tell him you loved him?" Alex asked, ignoring Howie's blunt question. He smiled as Oriana nodded shyly. He couldn't have been prouder as he stepped toward her. He offered a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm going to throw my trunks on and go for a dip before taking a nap. You two have fun frolicking in this hidden oasis, okay?"

"Thanks Jamie," Oriana whispered, kissing him affectionately once more.

"Just being a big brother," Alex smiled before turning to Howie. "You treat her like the Princess she is, alright?"

"You know I will," Howie replied, shaking his hand.

"At least promise to eat lunch with me, okay? I'd like to spend a little more time with her before you snatch her away forever," Alex teased, heading back up toward the campsite.

"I'll join you in the water in a little bit," Oriana called after him.

"Sounds good," Alex answered, waving before he disappeared behind the tent.

"We're alone again," Oriana announced, glancing shyly towards Howie.

"Yes, we are," Howie smiled, reaching out to wrap his arms around her as they kissed. "What shall we do?"

"Anything you want," she offered, linking her arm around his shoulders as she rested her cast hand between them.

"Just laying with you on the beach while the sun warms our bodies sounds good to me."

"Towel beneath us would be good," Oriana agreed, pulling away so she could head toward the campsite. While walking, she tugged on the hem of her tank top, pulling it over her head as she reached the campsite, throwing it against one of the lounge chairs.

"Alright..." Howie trailed, admiring her natural physique.

Though, she seemed too preoccupied to notice Howie's hungry stare as she retrieved her favorite beach blanket. She carried it down nearer to the shore, carefully laying it out. She smiled with approval, fixing her bikini bottoms before smoothing out the edges. She stood up to find Howie mesmerized. "Howie?"

He shook his head a little. "What?"

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, it's just... Riana, you are so beautiful."

"I have sea-wild curls, red cheeks, and a bikini. I don't think they qualify as beautiful," she replied, motioning for him to at least sit down before he fainted.

"I said 'so beautiful'. That's different from beautiful," he corrected before sitting down.

"How is that different?" she asked, immediately laying down on her back to welcome the warmth of the sun rays.

"Because you are beyond beautiful."

"You've had too much sun."

Howie shook his head. "No, I haven't."

Oriana gently rolled her eyes, not wanting to fight. She motioned with her index finger for him to come closer. "C'mere, Baby."

Howie leaned closer to her. "What?"

She said nothing more as she gently tugged off his tank top, exposing his chiseled bare chest. She smiled with acceptance, carefully pushing him so he'd lay back against the soft beach blanket. With that done, she ran her hand down his chest once before propping herself against him, studying the sound of his heart against her ear. "Mmmm, better."

"Definitely," he replied, smiling as well. He ran a hand up and down her back, enjoying that closeness they shared by just the simplest body contact. The weekend had started off rocky, but now he knew everything would be going great from then on.
The Drag of Hangovers by Anastacia
Chapter 39 – The Drag of Hangovers

Oriana yawned yet again as the sounds of teenagers bustling to classes filled her ears. She groaned at the high-pitched squeals of the girls speaking about the Homecoming Dance in two weeks. Everything seemed to be a nuisance. Knowing she had absolutely no energy to tolerate standing alone, she leaned back against her locker, listening to Luke chatter about their upcoming dance recital. She wanted to listen, but her eyes slowly fell close yet again. She couldn't believe how tired she actually was. Monday mornings were a bother for every teenager in America, but Oriana had gotten home from camping at the beach late that morning. The boys didn't seem to care, because they had slept the entire way, but she had to drive. She wouldn't have dragged herself to school if it weren't for the two tests in her Enriched classes.

"Cherry-Bomb?" Luke called as he slammed his locker shut, startling Oriana. She jumped away from her locker only a moment, glaring slightly at Luke before leaning against it again. He smiled sweetly, glancing down the hall to see Teagan pointed toward Oriana. "How much sleep did you actually get last night?"

"Two? ... No, one and a half," Oriana murmured, closing her eyes as she slumped against her locker yet again.

"Well, the next time you go camping, get more sleep the night before you come back. Good piece of advice," he placed his arm around Oriana's shoulders. "Come on, let's talk with Teag."

"Eh, no! Five minutes till we have to be in class... Let me here!" Oriana whined softly, pulling back from Luke's grasp.

"This is our free hour, remember? I know you're not that tired," Luke replied, bringing her into his arms again.

"I'm exhausted!" Oriana complained, pulling out yet again. She peeked her eyes open just a moment to notice Brian tightly secured by Teagan's side. She didn't want to interrupt that, either. Yet, Luke seemed to oblige Teagan's incessant pointing toward Oriana. "Just leave me... LUKE!" Oriana yelped in surprise as Luke bent over and threw Oriana over his shoulder, walking toward Teagan's little group.

"Teagan wants to talk to you about camping, I'm sure. Now stop wiggling, I don't want to drop you!" Luke replied as they reached Teagan and the group. "Hey, everyone."

"Hey..." Teagan trailed, arching her eyebrows in confusion as the group stared at Oriana's backside over Luke's shoulder.

"Ori was too sleepy to walk, so I volunteered to carry—"

"You freaking kidnapped me from my sleeping spot, Luke!"

"Kidnapping is such an awful word. I like to think of it as...abducting for the better cause," Luke called behind his shoulder, smiling gently toward Teagan, trying not to frown at Brian's disgusted look. "Wasn't my fault that Teag wanted you as soon as possible."

"Luke—nice ass..." Oriana trailed.

"Right back at you," Luke replied with a grin as he set her down.

Oriana stumbled a little once her feet were planted on the ground. She had nothing nearby to lean against, so she decided to lean against Luke instead. She rested her head against his broad shoulder, staring at her friend. She stifled another yawn while speaking, "So, what'd you want Gab—"

"I've got to get to class," Brian cut shortly, glaring toward Oriana.

"Are you alright, Babe?" Teagan asked, looking at her boyfriend with confusion. He had been in a good mood right before Oriana and Luke walked up, but she shook that thought away. He's probably tired from our first weekend alone.

"I'm fine," he assured, glaring shortly at Oriana. He quickly averted his attention back to his girlfriend, pressing a kiss to her lips. "I'll see you before practice?"

"I'll be there," she smiled, kissing him again.

"Love you, Babe," Brian called, walking past Oriana, making sure to connect roughly with her shoulder.

"Love you, too," Teagan replied, not noticing the conflict between Brian and Oriana. "So... how was the camping trip, Trouble?"

"Trouble in and of itself," Oriana stated, rubbing her already sore shoulder.

"Well, spill it! What happened?" Teagan enthused, hugging her best friend.

"We were on the beach, swimming, tanning, talking, and eating marshmallows. Regular camping," Oriana answered, not really wanting to divulge too much information until they were in private. She smiled at the warmth of the hug, affectionately rustling Teagan's dark locks. "How was your weekend?"

"Spent all my time with Brian... that was a lot of fun..." Teagan blushed a little. "But I missed you so much! I'm not used to you being gone."

"I've been gone before..." Oriana trailed.

"Not for the whole weekend. You know the only way we've been apart is me being at my house and you're at your house."

"Well, what are you going to do when we're at college?"

"Um... come and kidnap you?"

"What is it with kidnapping me today?" Oriana groaned as Luke slightly pushed her to make them walk toward the large classroom for their free period. She stumbled a little, taking Teagan along with her.

"Because everyone loves you!" Teagan replied as they regained their balance. She gave Oriana a loud kiss on the cheek.

"You're really happy go lucky today," Oriana commented, looping her good arm around Teagan's waist. Luke quickly hurried to Oriana's other side, wrapping his arm around her waist. They looked like a happy threesome, hurrying to the last class of the day.

"I think it being the last class on a Monday might do with it," Teagan chuckled. "Besides that, there's no reason not to be happy go lucky. I spent the weekend with Brian, and now you're back from camping--"

"Ria!"

The group stopped shortly, noticing Howie rush toward them with a large smile on his face. Oriana shared the same smile however, breaking the link of arms with her friends. She stepped toward him, offering a tight hug. "How was classes?"

"They dragged on forever. We've gotta go to bed early the night before school if we go camping," Howie kissed her gently. "You look like you're about to fall asleep."

"Oh please, I'm the one that had to drive on the way home. You guys were asleep the second you buckled your seatbelts," Oriana teased, accepting the sweet kiss, though her cheeks blushed a faint pink from the public display of affection.

"Well, I was tired!" Howie chuckled, turning to see Luke and Teagan. "Hey, guys."

"Hey," they called in unison with smiles.

"Why were you so tired anyway, Howie? Did you guys take my advice about kicking Sax out onto the sand?" Teagan trailed with a smirk.

"No, we were up the last night telling ghost stories... remind me to never ask Ria to tell another one," Howie joked, kissing Oriana's cheek.

"He wanted his teddy bear that night," Oriana laughed, yawning yet again.

"I did, but my girlfriend is a much better teddy bear than the one I have at home," Howie grinned, pulling her closer to him.

"That is so cute!" Teagan cooed.

"Don't you have a class?" Oriana groaned, slightly pushing him away as her cheeks turned a deeper red. She loved Howie more than anything, but felt so self conscious.

"Oh, shit. I forgot," Howie kissed her again before adjusting his black and blue backpack on his shoulders. "See you after class?"

"If I don't collapse from exhaustion... Sure."

"I love you," he kissed her once more.

"Yeah, I know," she teased. Howie offered her a look of shock, staring at her in disbelief. It was almost like he decided she refused to say those things in public. He shrugged his shoulders, turning to leave, but she quickly caught his upper arm. She pulled him back for a stunning kiss, allowing their lips to carefully part before declaring, "I love you, too."

Giving a silly smile, he kissed her cheek and waved to everyone before heading to class.

"Excuse me... Did I just hear Oriana Riley offer a declaration of love to another human being? A preferably male human being with absolutely no family blood attachment that kisses you passionately?" Luke called in disbelief, wrapping his arms around Oriana's shoulders with a whoop.

"Maybe?" she answered shyly.

"Oh my gosh! Riana!" Teagan grinned, giving her friend a one armed hug. "I knew you loved him!"

"Somehow... I think I knew it from the beginning, too," Oriana agreed as Luke pressed a kiss to her cheek, promising to meet both girls inside after speaking with his own girlfriend for a few moments.

"You and Howie are perfect for each other," Teagan enthused as they finally walked into the free period classroom.

"You think so?" Oriana asked with a small smile. Her blue-green eyes sparkled with a radiance that Teagan was not used to seeing. She couldn't have been more thankful for her best friend. Teagan had assured that Howie would attend the parties. Teagan had done everything to make the pieces fall together. Without any thought, she hugged Teagan close, affectionately kissing her cheek.

"What was that for?" Teagan asked with a smile.

"For loving me."

"Well, I'm going to love you no matter what. Forever and ever," Teagan wrapped her arms around Oriana in a tight hug.

"Good, because I don't think you could ever get rid of me."

"Damn—"

"What?"

"Kidding, kidding."

"Now I'm not going to tell you what Momma said," Oriana scowled, clicking her tongue with disbelief. She perched herself in the back of the class on a series of heavy wooden desks. It was their normal spot to waste Monday afternoons until the final bell rang.

"Wait, what did Ma say? C'mon, tell me!" Teagan whined, sitting next to Oriana.

"Forget it now. Saying you couldn't possibly love me anymore and wanted to get rid of me. Now I'll have to keep it all to myself... Damn, it was great news, too," Oriana teased as Luke rushed to the back of the room, jumping onto the desk beside Oriana.

"I was teasing and you know it!" Teagan started to tickle Oriana's sides. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"HEY!" Oriana squeaked, shying into Luke for protection.

"Tell me what Ma said!"

"No!"

"I'll keep tickling you!"

"Luke! Tell her!"

"Tell her what?" he laughed.

"That she has to stop tickling me!"

"If you told her what your mom said, she wouldn't be tickling you."

"But she said she didn't want to keep me forever!" Oriana pouted, leaping into Luke's arms when Teagan started to tickle her neck.

"You know I was teasing! Of course I want to keep you forever, you're my sister!" Teagan replied, continuing to tickle her.

"Help me, Luke!" Oriana yelped.

"You got yourself in this mess, you know," Luke laughed again.

"We're not going to be here this weekend, okay?!" Oriana shrieked, clutching tighter to Luke.

"What do you mean? Where are we going?" Teagan raised an eyebrow, stopping her tickle torture for a moment.

"Oh thank God," Oriana breathed, relaxing in Luke's arms.

"Tell me where we're going, or I'm tickling you again."

"Momma wants me out of the house before the wedding to cool off or... Whatever she thinks I need to do to prepare for this fiasco... She also knows that Homecoming is in two weeks... So, Momma and Moms scheduled our plane tickets for this weekend. We're leaving Thursday and coming home Monday. Three days off school for your beloved shopping."

"You mean we're going to New York?!" Teagan squealed, clapping her hands excitedly.

"This weekend," Oriana answered.

"You know I'm going to make you buy dresses for Homecoming and Prom, right?"

"Huh?" Oriana deadpanned.

"Well, you're going to the dances with Howie. That means you need dresses."

"Why can't I just get nice black pants or something?" Oriana complained as Luke intently listened to the conversation, knowing the guys on the team would have a fit when they saw Oriana in a dress.

"Because you know Howie and I won't let you wear that."

"It's not Howie's choice!"

"You want to make him happy, right?"

"Yes..."

"I know you don't like dresses. But they're honestly not bad. You can pick ANY color and ANY style you want when we go to New York."

"But..." Oriana groaned inwardly, remembering her promise to Catie. She couldn't possibly break that little girl's heart by not wearing a dress for two events. Plus, the idea of actually looking pretty for Howie seemed interesting. Her lips curved into a soft smile. "You won't dog my style?"

"I would never dog your style when it comes to a dress."

"That's because you probably have no style when it comes to a dress," Luke teased affectionately.

"Oh, bite me, Luke. Catie wants to see me in a dress."

"Catie?" Luke asked.

"A little girl I know..." Oriana trailed softly, smiling ever so gently. She glanced back to Teagan, her eyes sparkling. "She gives the best advice for an eleven year old."

"Eleven going on thirty," Teagan agreed, kissing Oriana's forehead. "I'm glad she gave you a talking to."

"She absolutely loves Howie."

"I'll bet all the kids love him... well, the older boys probably fought over you--"

"How'd you..."

"Because I'm Teagan," she replied simply.

"So, you two are really heading out to New York at the end of the week? Alone? By yourselves?" Luke asked, interrupting the conversation. He was somewhat confused about the girls' conversation, but understood it must have been important.

"Yeah, alone," Oriana confided. "Are you worried?"

"Well, it just doesn't seem safe for two teenage girls to shop around New York alone."

"Luke... Do you not remember that Oriana's a football player that also takes martial arts...dance... Lord knows what else? Damn, we're going to be the safest girls out there," Teagan laughed, shaking Oriana's shoulders.

"Plus, we're going to be in the good part of the city. Momma called one of the best hotels in the city - The Carlyle. She even booked us this time at a Spa thing... We're going to be super-safe, plus we'll have our cell phones on at all times. We'll be safe," Oriana promised.

"You can't blame me for being worried," Luke replied, hugging both girls. "I just want you both to be safe."

"We know," the girls countered with sweet smiles, kissing his cheeks.

"But if he gives us this much grief, what are Brian and Howie going to say?" Teagan breathed to Oriana as Luke hopped off the desks to use the restroom.

"Who cares?" Oriana asked.

"Um... they're our boyfriends?"

"Which means we can't go off to New York without their permission?"

"No, not that. But we at least need to tell them."

"We'll tell them..." Oriana trialed with a mischievous smile, "Before the taxi comes to take us to the airport."

*~*~*


"Hey, Baby Girl!" Brian called lightly as he jogged down the steps of the bleachers toward Teagan. Everyone was just traveling from their classes for their extracurricular activities. There would be a short half hour recess before the practices would actually begin. Brian had a grueling end to his day with Trigonometry. He was just thankful to look upon Teagan's lovely face. He smiled freshly, slipping a kiss as other football players filed past him with foul looks. He ignored their annoying aggravations, focusing upon Teagan.

"How was Trig, Sweetheart?" Teagan asked with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck. She knew the team was still hateful towards Brian for the game against North, but tried to ignore it.

"Painful," Brian groaned.

"Aw, my poor Bri-Bri. I took that last semester, I'll help you with the homework tonight, okay?" Teagan ran a hand through his messy locks.

"Help with homework or extracurricular activities?" he asked with a lazy smile, kissing her cheek.

"We'll do both," she smirked.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Did I ever tell you how sexy that uniform looks on you? Damn, boy!" Teagan whistled, running a finger down his chest.

"So, I've been told by the greater female population," Brian teased, leaning down for yet another kiss as her hand slipped beneath the jersey to explore his firm stomach. He ran his hands against her silky locks, listening to the band mates whistle for Teagan's choice of boyfriends. He rolled his eyes gently, while speaking to her, "But I thought you liked my bare chest better."

"Oh, I do. There's just something about a man in uniform that I drool over..." Teagan leaned in and kissed his neck. She heard her band cheer yet again and chuckled.

"You've got quite a selection of a team over there. I think I like them the most..." Brian teased.

"You're not funny," Teagan bit down on his earlobe.

"Ow!" he yelped in surprise.

"That's what you get for being a smartass," she smiled innocently, leaning against the bleacher railing.

"You didn't have to be Mike Tyson," he scolded gently, holding his earlobe.

"Oh, quit being a baby. I didn't even bite that hard," she took his hand before leaning in to kiss it. "There, all better."

"Mmmm, okay, guess I can tell you my surprise then," Brian enthused, watching Oriana lazily climb down the bleachers toward the players screaming her name. He made a point not to scowl, knowing Teagan was carefully watching him. He quickly averted his eyes with a kind smile.
"Why don't we go out this weekend someplace special to celebrate? It'll be our month anniversary of meeting on Friday."

Teagan smacked her forehead, not believing she actually forgot their anniversary. "This weekend? Oh, no. Brian, I won't be here."

"Huh?"

"Mom and Ma are flying me and Riana out to New York for the weekend."

"Are you serious?" Brian murmured, his face falling with regret. He had been so excited about celebrating their one month anniversary. He had everything planned out. He bit down hard on his inner cheek, almost causing it to bleed. "New York for the weekend? By yourself?"

"Brian, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think if it would conflict with anything else. Everything's been so crazy lately--"

"When are you leaving?"

"Thursday..."

"Early in the morning?"

"Around noon."

"Then we'll just celebrate Wednesday I guess," Brian decided, not wanting Teagan to be upset. He could shift the plans and just stay home Thursday to see her off. Then, he'd call her Friday for a surprise, perhaps even make sure that flowers were delivered to the hotel. "I'll stay home Thursday to see you off, too."

"Brian, I feel so bad--"

"It's not a big deal, Sweetheart. You're going Prom Dress shopping, aren't you?" Brian guessed.

"Homecoming and Prom Dress shopping," Teagan agreed.

"Then just make sure you get dazzling outfits, okay?"

"I will, I promise."

"We'll celebrate Wednesday, okay? Don't worry," Brian assured, cupping her face in both his hands. He pulled her upward for a sweet kiss. "C'mon, no sad faces. One month strong, not seeing you on Friday isn't going to kill me. We'll just call each other."

"Yeah..." Teagan smiled softly. "You're amazing, you know that? Not many boyfriends would be so understanding."

"I'm one in a million," he joked.

"One in a billion," she corrected with another kiss.

"Well thank you, but you better get to practice."

"You, too," they kissed once more. "Just be careful, okay? We already had one accident at football practice, I don't think I could stand to see you hurt."

"I'm not a screw off like..." Brian caught himself quickly. "I'll be careful."

"Have fun!" Teagan smiled, about to turn around to start up the band, who were getting a little rambunctious.

"Love you!"

"Love you, too!"

*~*~*


"Hey! Howie!" Luke called brightly, hurrying up the bleachers to meet Howie halfway. Practice had yet to start, so he had a few minutes to shoot the breeze. He eagerly gave Howie a brotherly hug for a greeting, his light blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "What's happening?"

"Nothing, just waiting for band practice to start..." Howie trailed off, looking for Oriana. "Have you seen Ria?"

"Her, well, we've got to talk about her, Howie," Luke pressed, masking a stern look.

"What do you mean?" Howie raised an eyebrow.

"I've been thinking, Howie..."

"About?"

"I think we need to keep you two separated a little bit more often in this upcoming two weeks."

"Why? We've just officially became a couple. I don't understand--"

"Howie, man, chill it out. It's nothing bad. You just run her ragged," Luke laughed, motioning toward the field. He pointed near the benches and sure enough, there was Oriana. She had been helping Lou stretch out and warm up, but now she lay on the field with her head resting on Lou's leg, sleeping soundly. "Lou asked her to help him warm up... She's about the only person I know who has the balls to sleep on the field with all the other guys running around."

"I tried to tell her to go to sleep! Honest!" Howie laughed as well.

"Sure..." Luke trailed, still in disbelief over her choice of sleeping areas. Lou glanced up in the stands, shrugging his shoulders helplessly at the two, deciding just to run an affectionate hand through her curly locks. "You've definitely got to spend a little time at your own home in these upcoming two weeks. She can't afford to lose the sleep."

"What's going on these next two weeks?" Howie asked in utter confusion.

"She didn't give you a heads up?"

"Heads up about what?"

"You're serious?" Luke asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"I sure as Hell ain't lying."

"Maybe she should tell you then?"

"She's sleeping..." Howie answered, trying not to over exaggerate the point. He leaned against the railing of the bleachers, setting his instrument case down. "Just tell me what's going on and I'll ask her about it later."

"It probably slipped her mind or something," Luke assured.

"I wouldn’t doubt it. Tell me what's gonna be happening."

"Which week?"

"Both?"

"She's going to New York this weekend---"

"NEW YORK?"

"As in the city..."

"With who? How long? What for--"

"She's not moving there completely," Luke interrupted, not wanting him to go completely hysterical. He rested his hands firmly against the other boy's shoulders. "She's going with Teagan. Dr. Riley decided Oriana needed a break before the wedding or whatever. She's letting the girls go to New York City this weekend... Teagan said something about Homecoming and Prom dresses."

"So, just for the weekend?" Howie confirmed, smiling when he heard about them getting dresses.

"I think they said Thursday till Monday."

"Alright, that's okay... what about the next week?"

"That's the wedding on top of everything else--"

"What's beside the wedding?"

"She has to start getting the scenery around for Grease all next week. If the bones are all healed, she gets her cast off on Thursday. Plus Margie decided that Ori's allowed to be in the dance recital next Friday. We're doing the solo dance together. Friday is also the Homecoming Dance. Not to mention the Wedding's on Saturday. And somewhere in that mess she has to see Mac."

"Why does she have to see that asshole?" Howie groaned quietly. He hated Mac almost as much as Brian.

"Because Ace talked her into it..."

"It's not Ace's choice, it's hers. Has it not occurred to him yet that I'm her boyfriend and that I may be a tad pissed about it?"

"I don't think he gives a flying fuck what you think about the situation..." Luke answered honestly, not wanting to upset Howie. He understood Howie's feelings toward the reunion, because he would feel the same way. "Ace just has a way of pushing her into things, because he's the captain. She has to respect him... Or at least that's how she thinks. Plus Mac and Ace are like brothers... He just gives her the whole it'd be rude not to see him because he does care about you lines."

"This is fucking ridiculous. No wonder Ace and Mac are like brothers, they're both assholes if they don't get their way," Howie grumbled. It wasn't that he didn't trust Oriana. It was Mac that he worried about.
"I'm not disagreeing with that. But Oriana has a lot on her plate next week, correct?"

"Yeah, but--"

"No buts. The girl's going to be a walking disaster if she doesn't get her rest."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Just... Don't spend the night?" Luke joked.

"Seriously, now."

"Just make sure she doesn't overwork herself, you know? Make sure she gets her rest between all those activities. Because, Coach'll expect her back at practice the following week, then she'll start back in on her dance..."

"Dude, you know I'll take care of her. She'll get all the rest she needs."

"I know, I just... Got to watch out for her."

"Totally understandable. Just don't worry, okay?"

"That's like telling you not to worry that she's going to New York City with only Teagan to spend an entire weekend."

"She's only going to be with Teagan?!"

"I didn't mention that?"

"No, you did not!"

"Oh..." Luke smiled sheepishly. "You're going to have to fight that one out with her."

"Would she have even told me any of these plans?"

"Probably the day she left..."

"Why does she do that? To drive me nuts?"

"I'm kidding..." Luke laughed, holding his hands up in defense. "I'm pretty sure she would have told you about New York City. Getting her cast off, yes... You were invited to the wedding... And I thought she already told you about Mac?"

"She told me about Ace wanting them to hang out, but I didn't know she had to."

"Maybe you can go with them?"

"Then Riana will think I don't trust her."

"I... I don't know what to tell you"

"I'll figure it out... thanks for the heads up, man.”

"No problem, but to tell you the truth, I don't think she'll tell you about the recital."

"Why not?"

"She's weird about having people watch her dance recitals. Took forever to get her to let some of the team come when they wanted. I guess she doesn't want to look stupid in front of people she cares about."

"But I saw her at dance class before she broke her arm. She's amazing."

"She doesn't think she's amazing, Howie. She feels uncomfortable for some reason. She's the best dancer that Margie has ever had. You should definitely come. Seeing her in an actual recital is breathtaking."

"I'll definitely come," Howie agreed as Teagan blew her whistle. "I gotta go."

"Me, too..." Luke murmured, wincing slightly as he noticed two of the players raise their icy water bottles above Oriana's head. "Because by the looks of it, blood will be spilled."

Howie looked over where Oriana was and winced as well. "Wouldn't want to be those two."

"Especially while she's sleeping. One guy did that on the bus to an away game... He got his nose broken," Luke remembered as the ice water poured down. Oriana bolted up from her place on the ground, her favorite tank top soaked clean through, clinging to her slim body. She glared at the two boys, immediately tackling them. "Damn, gotta get down there before she breaks her arm again... I'll give her your love or are you hunting her out after practice?"

"Both," Howie replied as he grabbed his instrument case. "Just hurry and stop her before she kills someone... unless it's Brian..."

"You're not the only one in that mood right now," Luke replied as Brian walked onto the field, ignoring all the stony glares from other teammates.

"Well, he deserves it. Blowing the North game on purpose just because Riana made excellent plays."

"Not to mention breaking her damn arm."

"Yeah, that too..." Howie ground his teeth at the thought of it. Teagan blew her whistle again. "See you after practice, Luke."

"Yeah..." Luke trailed, glancing back to the football field. He immediately groaned, snatching his helmet before running down. "HOLY SHIT! CHERRY BOMB! DON'T! WE NEED HIM FOR THE GAME NEXT WEEK!!!"
Knotting Loose Ends by Anastacia
Chapter 40 – Knotting Loose Ends

"I know this is last minute, but I really did want to show you how much I loved you before you headed off to New York City," Brian explained, bustling about Teagan's kitchen to prepare the two plates of homemade spaghetti. It was already early Wednesday evening and Marie was still working, so Brian consented to making Teagan a home cooked meal for their anniversary. He was very proud of his accomplishments with cooking, knowing he couldn't do much with a stove.

"Brian, you're so sweet," Teagan cooed with a smile as she sat at the island in the middle of the Eavan's Mediterranean themed kitchen. "You know you didn't have to do this--"

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to," he explained, carrying the two large plates of pasta over to the already made dining table. He had covered it with a delicate pink table cloth, matching the table cloth with pink candles and pink roses.

"You're too much sometimes," she replied as he came back to get the garlic bread and parmesan cheese. He came back once more to take her hand and lead them out to the dining room. "This looks delicious. You made this all by yourself, too!"

"Didn't burn anything, either," he announced proudly, pulling out her chair.

"You're getting to be such a big boy," she teased with a smile, sitting down.

"Be nice," he chided softly.

"I know," she nodded as Brian went to sit across from her. After pouring some cheese on the spaghetti, she took a bite and moaned. "Oh my goodness. Brian, this is amazing!"

"Really?" he asked in surprise.

"I'm not kidding, this is really good!"

"Well, I'm very glad that you like it."

"You outdid yourself, Baby."

"Is that possible?"

"Good point..." She took another bite of spaghetti along with garlic bread. "Mmm. You're going to be the cook if we get married.

"Deal."

Teagan grabbed her glass, which was filled with what she thought was juice and took a gulp. She coughed loudly. "Whoa! Is that wine?"

"Sparkling Grape Juice..."

"It doesn't taste like it."

"Okay...wine."

"This is really nice tasting wine..." she sniffed it gently. "with nutmeg and a hint of cedar. Where'd you get it?"

"What's he doing with all the wine now that you're at Ma's house?"

"He built a cellar in the backyard."

"Oh... Nice!"

"I thought it would be nice with a little wine for our one month anniversary. Do you like it?"

"Of course I do," she leaned over the table and kissed him. "Thank you."

"Anything for you," he promised, licking his bottom lip after the kiss to taste the remaining droplets of wine. He smiled softly, reaching out to caress her cheek.

"I love you," Teagan replied, smiling as she took his hand in hers.

"I love you endlessly."

Things were quiet for a little while as they continued to eat and drink. Her plate almost empty, she sat back in her chair with a hand on her stomach. "I don't think I could eat anymore."

"Not even chocolate covered strawberries?" Brian trailed with a seductive smile.

"Oh, no... my weakness. Well, maybe a couple wouldn't hurt..." Teagan gave in, burping loudly. "Excuse me!"

"Impressive," Brian laughed, standing up from the table. He gathered both plates, carrying them back into the kitchen. He hummed softly to himself as he carried back a fresh plate of hand-dipped chocolate strawberries. He set the plate down on the table, offering her the first piece of fruit from his own hand.

Smirking, Teagan leaned down and traced her tongue around the strawberry before taking it out of his hand with her teeth.

"You're definitely a tease," Brian murmured, feeling his body light with passion over her simple tactics.

"I know," she replied with a mouthful of fruit, taking a drink of her wine.

"And oh so...delicate?"

"It's the wine. I get a little more... loud when I drink."

"It was only one glass," he teased, crouching down beside her.

"Yeah, but I don't handle wine well," she laughed, framing his face with her hands. She kissed him deeply, making sure he tasted the strawberry, chocolate and wine.

"Then that's enough for you..." he murmured, loving the flavor of her lips. He pressed their foreheads together, wanting to just stay linked. "I like kissing you better anyway."

"Kissing is definitely better," she agreed, getting out of her chair as she pushed him down on the floor and climbed on top of him.

"Not what I had in mind, but I'm up for improv..." Brian teased, running his hands up her sides as she bent down for another kiss.

"Thought I could be a little spontaneous tonight," Teagan giggled as she began to kiss his neck. "I have a present for you."

"I love you being spontaneous and I have a gift for you, too," he explained, pointing up toward the table.

"Let me get yours," she replied, kissing him once more before running up to her room. She grabbed a small box and a larger one and ran back downstairs.

Brian jumped up from the floor, rushing into the living room. He grabbed her two small boxes, carrying them back to the kitchen. He smiled proudly as Teagan reached the room with both of her gifts. He motioned for her to set down her gifts, so she could receive his first. "I want you to open yours first, Teags."

"Alright," Teagan smiled, placing down Brian's gifts by him before grabbing the first box.

Brian sat down on the nearby chair, pulling Teagan into his lap. He noticed her dark blue-gray eyes light with excitement at the tiny box. He knew right then that he loved her too much to ever say no to her. She carefully peeled back the wrapping, squealing in surprise as she freed a tennis bracelet lined with topaz gemstones to match the ring on her finger. "How's that?" he asked excitedly.

"Baby, it's beautiful!" Teagan cooed happily as she took it out of the box and watched the stones glitter in the light. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Sweetheart," Brian enthused, helping her wrap it around her dainty wrist. He kissed the side of her neck affectionately, "It was made for you."

"It's so beautiful, and it matches the ring you gave me," she kissed his lips gently. "This is too much already."

"You got one more."

"Brian," she whined, taking the other box. "You didn't have to."

"Like I said before, I didn't have to do it, but I wanted to do it."

"You're the greatest boyfriend in the world," Teagan enthused has she took the other box and opened it up. "Oh my God! Brian!"

He smiled yet again as she freed a plain Nascar t-shirt from the box, but the most important feature was on the back. He had managed to secure a t-shirt with both Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s signatures. "Like it?"

"I FREAKING LOVE IT!" She almost screamed, wrapping her arms around him. She delivered feverish kisses all over Brian's cheeks. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome!" he laughed in surprise.

"How in the world did you get Gordon and Junior's autographs?! And how did you know they were my favorite racers?"

"I have my ways," he laughed, holding her tightly.

"You've got to open mine now," Teagan replied after she kissed him deeply.
"Which first?" he asked as she leaned over to grab both gifts.

"The smaller one, first."

"Okay..." he trailed, picking up the miniature box as Teagan perched on his lap again. He wrapped his arms around her, rested his chin on her shoulder, and opening the gift in front of her. He smiled softly when he revealed a simple silver ring. Teagan gently took his hand and helped him turn the ring so he could see inside. "Teagan Gabrielle and Brian Thomas, huh?"

"Yep. Do you like it?"

"It's great," he laughed, kissing her cheek. "Slip it on me."

"That can be taken in so many kinky ways," she giggled before placing the ring on Brian's left, fourth digit.

"You're horrible sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah, but you love me!"

"That I do."

"Alright, open your next present," she kissed him before handing the larger box.

"And you yelled at me about getting too much?" he scoffed playfully, pulling at the wrapped paper. When he ripped away all the paper, he pulled on the top of the box, gasping in surprise. He pulled out a brand new football with the entire Kentucky Wildcat team's signatures.

"Do you like it?" Teagan asked, hoping the gasp was a good thing.

"How'd you get this?" he asked in surprise.

"I was talking to Mom about what to get you and I told her how much you love the Wildcat's. I can't believe I forgot, but she reminded me that my cousin Steve goes to school there and is the assistant coach. So I gave him a call and he hooked me up with the football."

"Thank you so much, Sweetheart!"

"You're very welcome! I'm glad you like it."

"It's the best gift ever," Brian decided, making her turn around in his lap. He carefully set the football on the table, bringing both of his hands up to cup her face. He pulled her toward him for a spellbinding kiss, smiling gratefully. "Thank you so much for everything, Teags. I love you so much. And happy one month anniversary."

"I love you more than I could ever tell you. Happy anniversary, Baby. Thank you for making feel like the most special person alive," Teagan rested her forehead against his.

“You are the most special person alive, Teags."

"And so are you," she agreed, bringing his lips to hers for another intense kiss.

*~*~*


Howie felt all his nerves bundle within his stomach as he carefully climbed the Riley's staircase toward Oriana's bedroom. He had hoped to catch her in the living room, but Kevin had answered the door. He quickly proceeded to explain that Oriana was upstairs multi-tasking and Howie could go upstairs if he wanted. Howie knew he had to settle things before she left for New York City. He hadn't had a long chance to talk to her since Monday afternoon. They had only exchanged quick hellos and good-byes, not even able to stay on the phone for very long. Whenever he tried to visit, he ended up spending his time with Alex because Oriana was gone. Somehow, he had climbed the stairs to be greeted with Oriana's throbbing music, Fantastic Voyage by Lakeside, filtering from behind her door. He carefully laid his hand upon the doorknob, but was scared senseless when Alex called to him loudly.

"D!"

"HOLY SHIT!" Howie exclaimed, turning around. "ALEX, YOU SCARED ME!"

"Sorry..." Alex trailed with a snicker.

"Not funny," Howie groaned, pushing Alex on the shoulder. "What do you want?"

"First off... What are you doing here?" Alex asked curiously, leaning back against his doorway. He hadn't even had a chance to speak with Oriana all day since returning from band practice. She had finished with football practice only to run to two dance classes, then stopping off at some girl named Catie's house. Now she had locked herself in her room, preparing for New York City.

"I need to talk to my girlfriend?" Howie replied with question.

"She's impossible to reach at the moment... She's been impossible to reach all freaking week and I live right next door," Alex exasperated.

"Yeah, Luke told me all her plans... even though it should have been her telling me... dude, did you know she wasn't even gonna tell me she was going to New York until tomorrow morning?"

"I think her mind has been a little preoccupied... Besides, how could she tell you she was going to New York tomorrow morning? Dude, you'd be at school."

"There is calling me before school? Because I know Teag will call her really early out of excitement."

"I don't think her mind would be on calling you in the morning..."

"Then when in the Hell was she gonna tell me?"

Alex shrugged helplessly, not really knowing the answer. According to the household chart, Oriana's plans had been jumbled all around for the next two weeks. Between dance classes, football practices, school work, Grease scenery, Grease choreography, and basic life - Oriana had been swamped. She wasn't thinking much of anything, except those tasks. "Don't get too pissed at her."

"I'm not pissed, I'm just confused on why she wouldn't at least tell me she's going to be out of town from Thursday to Monday."

"Like I said, she's been jumbled."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I just want to talk to her before they leave tomorrow."

"You should make her take a camera..." Alex recalled with a faint smirk. "Cass was telling Dad how she signed the girls up for this expensive Beauty Spa for Sunday I think... The whole work out - Mud Baths, Saunas, Face Peels... God knows what else they do..."

"Cass is really going all out for Teag and Ria. Well, they both deserve it anyway—"

"They deserve it, but she's also making up for the little incident after Ry broke her arm..." Alex trailed, listening to Oriana's music shift to 'Sweet Home Alabama.' He thought for a moment, his eyes growing wide,
"Shit! D! C'mere!"

"What?" Howie yelped as Alex pulled him away from Oriana's door.

Alex yanked Howie into his room, quickly closing the door behind him. Howie stumbled over several pairs of shorts, falling onto the leopard printed bed. Howie cringed for a moment at his position, but Alex seemed unaware. The younger man quickly jumped toward his desk, ruffling through his drawers in search of something important. "I don't want it anymore... It's deadly to carry this thing around with her in the house..."

"What are you talking about?" Howie asked in utter confusion.

"She'd kill me if she knew I had this..." Alex continued, rushing himself to the bottom drawer. He quickly pulled out a stack of Playboys and smiled securely. He plucked a thick envelope from the bottom of the drawer. "It's her Duke Letter."

"You hid her Duke letter in your Playboys?" Howie asked with a snicker as he took the envelope.

"Like she was honestly going to go searching through that drawer!" Alex snorted, sitting down on the bed beside Howie. He anxiously licked his bottom lip, staring at the thick letter. "Like...thick is a good sign, right?"

"Thick is a very good sign. That means there's dorm stuff, orientation and registration stuff in there. She got accepted, just like I knew she would."

"Are you sure? What if it's just a really big rejection letter? Because it would totally suck ass if you gave her the letter, the ring, and then your acceptance letter... And she opened them all up and she was denied."

"Can you actually see her getting denied?"

"There's a chance?"

"You don't know how smart she is, do you? She's the first in our class with a perfect 4.0, I highly doubt she got rejected."

"But--"

"When did you become Mr. Negative? Rejection letters from college are not thick. My brother John got rejected from NDU and it was very thin."

"Well... I guess I just want things to go well for you?" Alex questioned, staring down at the envelope. He quickly snatched it from Howie's hands, preparing to open it.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"Opening it just to make sure?"

"No, you're not. If she sees it opened, she's going to kill me for letting you. And then she'll come and kill you for opening it."

"I think she's going to kill you for keeping it from her. When she comes to me asking how the Hell you got it away, I'm blaming every damn thing on you," Alex threatened as Howie swiped the letter back into his own hands, slipping it into his backpack.

"She'll love my surprise," Howie replied confidently as he zipped his backpack up and stood up. "Thanks for screening the mail."

"Don't thank me when you have a bald spot from her ripping out your hair."

"No, I'll just come to you for a wig with that already balding forehead of yours," Howie countered with a sweet smile, slipping out the door. He heard Alex deliver a string of curses, but could care less. He crossed the hallway to hear the CD Player switch yet again to Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows. He carefully eased the door open to see Oriana perched in a specific position in front of her closet, waiting for the right beat. Then as the music kicked off she kicked her long leg high above her head with a twist, falling into a certain rhythm of dance steps Howie assumed were for the dance recital next week.

Yet, she didn't stop to notice him let alone to focus on one activity. Instead, she continued the dance as she twirled around her bed toward the computer desk. She quickly typed something with her left hand as she moved her hips in a particular way with the beat. She then did a running backward move with a twist to her closet. She then stood in front of that, doing the same hip moves as she stared at her clothing.

"Trying to think of what to bring to New York?" Howie spoke up over the music.

Oriana suddenly froze within her closet, dropping her favorite Adidas sweatshirt to the clean floor. She pulled the remote from her back pocket to pause the music. She carefully turned, her jaw slightly unhinged at Howie's form. "Holy shit, Howie!"

"That's exactly what I said when your loving brother scared me when I got here," Howie chuckled as he sat down on her bed.

"I... What are you doing here?" she asked in confusion, leaning down to grab the Adidas sweatshirt. Well aware that it would be quite cooler in New York than Florida, she carefully folded it against her chest, carrying it back to the duffle bag on her bed. She leaned over the bag to plant a quick kiss on Howie's cheek before slipping the sweatshirt into the empty bag. She hadn't held a real conversation with Howie since Monday. She felt terrible for leaving him alone for so long, but she hadn't even had time to breathe on her own.

"Just wanted to see you before you and Teag left for New York," he replied simply, not getting mad over it. He knew she had been extremely busy, but part of him still wished she would have stopped to tell him instead of Luke.

"Yeah, I just now had time to pack..." she trailed, walking back to her closet. She pulled free three of her favorite flared jeans and three of her favorite sweatpants. She was quickly searching through her tank tops and t-shirts, when she realized what Howie had said. She turned on her heel again, cursing loudly, "Shit! Howie! I didn't even tell you about New York!"

"No, you didn't," he chuckled. "You're lucky you have Luke to clue me in on your schedule when you're too busy."

"Luke told you?" she groaned.

"Yeah. I mean, I was a little peeved you didn't tell me. But I understood you were busy--"

"Busy is an understatement," she interrupted with yet another groan, tossing the small pile of clothing on her shoulder to the bed. She then slid the duffle bag over so she could sit next to her boyfriend on her bed. She sighed softly, staring down at her bare feet. "I'm really sorry, Howie. I should have told you the second I knew... I have no excuse... You can be upset at me."

"There's no need for me to be upset about New York. All your mom is trying to do is make sure you relax for one weekend so you don't break apart. Though I didn't know you were still going to hang out with Mac during Homecoming."

Oriana groaned in dismay yet again, falling backward onto her bed. She covered her eyes with her good hand, just remembering that fiasco. "Damnit! I forgot all about that."

"You don't have to go hang out with Mac if you don't want to," Howie replied as he laid down next to her.

"Then have Ace biting my ass during the rest of the season?"

"Because he didn't get his way?"

"Yes," Oriana admitted, still shielding her eyes from the brightness of her lights. She tried to remember the last night she actually had a good night's rest. It just seemed like the days dragged on forever as she ran around doing various items of business. "I think Ace is having some stupid private party after the Homecoming Dance for a few guys and their girlfriends... Mac's going to be there and that's where I have to meet them."

"Well, then I'm going with you."

"Huh?" she deadpanned, finally peeking her eyes open to see Howie leaning over her.

"The party is for the players and girlfriends, right? Well, you're a player and I'm the boyfriend. I'll come with you."

"Sounds good to me..."

"Do you want me to go?"

"Do you really think I want to hang out with Mac all by myself? I know what Ace and Gabe will plan. Somehow I'll get thrown into a room with Mac..."

"Why would they do that if you have a boyfriend?" Howie asked, trying to stay calm.

"Because it's Ace?" Oriana tried explain, not really knowing how to explain the real answer. She glanced up into Howie's eyes for a moment, noticing the darkness creeping through. "Look, Ace just has this pig-headed idea that I'm just like their cheerleader girlfriends. That I have to be linked with a football player in order to remain on the friendly side of the team."

"But Luke told me most of the team isn't like Ace. So it wouldn't matter, then... either way, I'm going to that party with you. I sure as Hell ain't going to let anything happen to you when Ace and Gabe are planning shit."

"Babe, what have I told you before?" Oriana warned, resting her good hand beneath his chin. "Even if they set up the most romantic room in Ace's home, I'd only be thinking about you. I just need to hang out with Mac to tell him no hard feelings and thank him for caring about me."

"I trust you, it's those assholes I don't trust..."

"You can come if you like," she promised.

"Alright," he agreed, leaning down to kiss her. "Are you going to miss me when you're in New York?"

"What do you think?" she countered with a soft smile, motioning for him to lay beside her again. On instinct, he rested his head against her chest for comfort of her mellow heartbeat and warmth, allowing her to run her fingers through his messy locks. She smiled softly, inhaling the light spray of Howie's Drakkar Noir Cologne. She would honestly miss the moments of doing absolutely nothing with him.

"You'll go crazy without me," he chuckled, resting his hand on her stomach. "But you definitely deserve a break from everything. I heard you and Teag are going to a spa, too."

"I get to be dipped in mud, oh joy, Momma's spending all this money on us when I can go diving in the field for the same treatment," Oriana teased, somewhat nervous about the feminine spa. She almost thought they might suck away her tomboyish nature.

"It'll help you relax, though."

"Getting dipped in mud will help me relax? Do they add worms for extra energy?"

"Ew... that's gross," Howie chuckled. "No, but you get massages, whirlpools and whatever else. You'll feel better."

"You think I don't feel good?"

"Not like that. You'll just feel more relaxed."

"I guess so..." she trailed, knowing next week would probably be a living Hell. She was already trying to figure out how she would handle the final wedding arrangements, the Homecoming Game that she might actually be able to play in, the Homecoming Dance, Ace's party, Grease scenery, Grease choreography, rehearsing with Luke, and the actual dance recital in one week.

"Do you need any help next week?" Howie asked, knowing she was thinking about it.

"What do you know about next week?" she asked in surprise, stiffening somewhat beneath him.

"You have Grease, football, dance classes and the wedding, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"I was just asking if you wanted help with anything."

"I don't know what you could really do to help me..."

"The offers on the table," Howie replied as he looked up into her eyes, kissing her gently underneath her chin.

"Thank you..." she answered with a squeak, her breath slightly catching from the simple kiss. She felt her body relax as he gently slipped his hand beneath her tank top to rub her firm stomach. "There's just so much to do next week."

"Homecoming is a busy week," Howie agreed. "Aren't you getting your cast off then, too?"

"Shit...yeah...Thursday..." she suddenly remembered, slightly excited. "Homecoming game is that night, so I might get to play... But that means Coach'll have to eighty-six Numbnut from the game... But then the Homecoming Dance is Friday...which is after the stupid reci..."

"The stupid what?"

"It's not really stupid..." Oriana trailed, scolding herself for speaking ill of her favorite activity. She was proud of dancing, just unable to express herself to others about the wonders of it. "Margie planned a dance recital awhile ago for next Friday. She picked Luke and me to do a solo dance for the closing of the show, not to mention being with the other dancers in our class..."

"I would really like to go to your recital," Howie replied, tracing hearts on Oriana's stomach.

"You... Y-Yeah?" Oriana squeaked again as Howie's delicate fingers tickled her stomach.

"Yeah, I would. I've seen you dance and it's so beautiful."

"Momma and Teagan always go. If you want to, catch a ride with them?"

"I'll talk to them about it," he promised. "I'm going to miss you while you're in New York."

"It's only like five days... I've already been dogging you for three... You should be okay," Oriana answered, trying to slip from beneath Howie.

"I'm still going to miss you."

"I know, Babe. I'm going to miss you, too. I'll pick you up something in New York, how about that?" Oriana tried, wrapping her arm around Howie's shoulders, knowing that she had to pack.

"You don't have to," Howie helped them both sit up and kissed her softly. "Just make sure to call me once in awhile."

"I'll call you every night, okay? And I'll definitely get you something because I love you," she answered, accepting the kiss and giving her own teasing kiss.

"I'll look forward to the calls and I love you, too," he chuckled at her teasing nature.

"If you need me, you can call my cell or the hotel... Momma booked us at The Carlyle. But, you know what I'm going to miss the most?" Oriana trailed innocently, slipping onto Howie's hips without any thought. She laughed softy when he automatically leaned back.

"What are you going to miss most?" Howie asked, placing his hands on her hips.

"Your kisses, like I've missed them for the past three days," she explained, leaning down to offer her sweet kisses. She smiled sweetly as she braced her arms at the sides of Howie's head, offering several more enticing kisses, gently biting down on his bottom lip for her own pleasure.

"I've definitely missed your kisses," he agreed enthusiastically before leaning up to give her one of his fiery kisses that always left her breathless.

"Man," she gasped when they finally released each other from the melting embrace. She sat straight up, pressing a hand against her chest to slow her heart. She gasped silently for air, finding herself lightheaded with excitement. It was those kisses that made Oriana yearn for something deeper than their satisfying embraces and loving kisses. She carefully reached over Howie to grab the jeans, sweatpants, tank tops, and t-shirts she had thrown to the side. She grasped her favorite jeans with trembling hands, doing her best to fold them.

"You alright?" Howie asked, watching her hands shake as she folded her clothes.

"You...um... You definitely know how to make me..." Oriana grumbled softly as the jeans bunched in her hands. She threw them down and picked up the other pair. "You're kisses always..." Yet again she failed to fold the jeans, so she reached for the sweatpants instead. "You just make me so..."
Oriana threw the sweatpants down and reached for the t-shirt. "The kiss was..." Oriana chucked the t-shirt for a tank top. "You just really make me..." Oriana grimaced at her uselessness. She screamed quietly in frustration, cramming the clothing deep into the duffle bag without folding it. "Your kisses get me really hot... You know?"

"Ohh... I get it. Baby, that's not a bad thing--"

"Yes it is, because I want it to be special!"

"Sweetheart, I feel the---"

"It's like playing with fire," she groaned, slipping off his hips. She hopped off the side of her bed to reach the vanity table. She grabbed her favorite hair brush and wrapped several scrunchies around it. She then threw the brush, her favorite lip gloss, and her Adidas perfume, her toothbrush, toothpaste, and other necessary items into a small carrying case. She tossed that case into her duffle bag, quickly zipped it up, and threw it toward the door till the morning. "Jezz..."

"How is it like playing with fire?" Howie asked in confusion as he watched her pace around the room, checking various places to make sure she grabbed everything.

"You get drawn to the flame little by little, then you get burned..." Oriana tried to explain, packing her CD player and thick CD holder into her carry-on. She didn't want to admit that she was still scared about the level of their commitment. Since discussing the fact that they both wanted to make love, Oriana's dreams had continued to get more graphic of the repeated raping. Each dream sent just another jolt of insecurity through her body. What if Howie hurt her? What if she wasn't good enough? What if she burst into tears during their moment that was supposed to be bliss? What if she screamed in fright?

“Burned? Ria, I thought we talked about this?" Howie called in confusion, standing up to grasp her shoulders as she flitted by. She jerked a little, but soon relaxed in his arms.

"We did talk about this," she agreed. "And I do want to make love at some point... But I can't help the questions rushing through my mind at given points. Those kisses are so wonderful, Howie, but they scare me, too."

"They scare me a little, too. I've never felt the way I do after we kiss."

"So, you understand?" she asked hopefully, resting a hand against his cheek.

"Of course I understand. It's okay to be scared," he placed his hands on her hips.

"It still feels really good," she promised, leaning to offer a soft kiss.

"Does it ever," he smiled, kissing her again.

"Just none of those huge breath-taking kisses till we're alone and snuggling beneath covers, okay? I have to appear to be semi-normal, right?" she teased softly, bringing her arm around his neck.

"You're always semi-normal," he chuckled, his eyes sparkling before they kissed once more. "I love you, Ria."

"I love you more than you'll ever know," she declared, deciding to offer her own kiss for flavor, allowing her tongue to quickly caress the inside of his mouth before nibbling gently on his bottom lip.

"And you think my kisses are amazing? Damn, Baby. Just nibbling on my lip..." he trailed off with a lopsided smile.

"Yeah, but you don't get knocked over from mine..." she laughed, biting down on her own bottom lip with a faint blush on her cheeks. Never in her life had she been so carefree with her feelings or kisses. Never had she offered so many passionate kisses.

"Maybe I have and I hid it from you," he teased, caressing her cheek.

"Yeah right," she scoffed.

"You doubt me?"

"Maybe I do."

"Maybe I'll just have to kiss you, then..."

"Now you're just teasing..." Oriana trailed, backing up slightly.

"You think so?" Howie raised an eyebrow, moving closer.

"Yes?"

Howie wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "I'll have to prove you wrong," he leaned down and gave her one of his breath-taking kisses.

Oriana pressed her back tightly against the wall, feeling her knees wobble just from the softest touch of his sweet lips. She felt her eyes flutter close as an intense heat raced down her spine. She pulled Howie down to the floor with her, continuing the kiss with one of her own special blend. He tasted so sweet to her lips and she never wanted to stop this kiss. Her whole body seemed to tremble beneath his powerful hands, making it know that she was Howie's at his will. "Dear God... Thank you..." Oriana breathed as Howie slowly allowed her to pull away.

"Thank you for what?" Howie panted slightly, his heart beating fast. He loved kissing Oriana and wouldn't stop if it was possible.

"Thank...God that I found you..." Oriana whispered, placing her hand against her chest to hold her heart back. She took several deep breaths, closing her eyes. She took a few moments to collect herself, before pushing gently on Howie's shoulder. "Why'd you do that when you know what it does to me? The point was to prove that my kisses knocked you off your feet, not the other way around!"

"I'm not on my feet, am I?" Howie laughed with a smirk, running a hand through her locks.

"Because I pulled you down!"

"Exactly. You did it."

"You're not funny," she grunted, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, I am. And you love me."

"You going to help me pack?"

"Sure."

"Am I saying goodbye tonight?" she asked, standing up from their spot on the floor. Her heart was still continuing to thump hard against her chest. She was almost too sure that Howie could hear it. Her body still warm from the intense kiss.

"Unless you want me to spend the night," he replied, getting to his feet as well.

"But you have classes—"

"I can miss half a day."

"It's your choice..." she trailed, tugging on her baggy t-shirt, surveying her room. It was semi-clean for once in her life, since she had packed most of the items on the floor, which were what she daily used.

"Then I'll stay the night," he tugged on her shirt before turning on her stereo again.

"What are you doing?" she asked in surprise.

"Playing our song."

"What's our song?"

"I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That). I thought maybe we could dance..." Howie trailed off as the music began to play.
"Why?" she asked curiously, loving that Howie had declared one of her favorite Meatloaf songs 'their' song.

"Why is it our song?"

"That and why do you want to dance..."

"Because I think it describes our love so well... and I thought it would be nice to dance with a professional."

"I'm not a professional," she laughed as he drew her close. She affectionately hung her arm loosely against his shoulders, feeling his hands embrace the curves of her hips. She could already feel her body tingle with excitement.

"Either way, you're a great dancer," he replied as they swayed to the music.

"Well, thank you for that..." she answered with a sweet smile, stepping closer into his embrace. She found herself excited about the Homecoming Dance next week. She loved dancing with him. "So... What are you going to do this weekend?"

"Besides miss you like crazy? I don't know... I think my brother and I might go flying or something."

"Flying?"

"Yeah, he got his pilot's license a year ago and works at the Tampa Airport."

"You'll be careful though, right?" Oriana trailed, resting her head against his shoulder, just feeling the beat slowly flow through her body. "Like where do you plan on flying?"

"We'll definitely be careful," Howie ran his hand up and down her back. "I think we're just flying around the Everglades and maybe Key Largo."

"Sounds like fun," she decided, already starting to pray for his safety.

"John is a very good pilot, we'll be okay."

"I trust you," she answered softly.

Howie placed a finger under her chin and made her look into his eyes. "You and Teag be careful, too."

"We're not going to get into any trouble. It's just New York."

"I know. But still, be safe and careful."

"I will," she promised, leaning her head back down on his shoulder. She took a soft breath, before opting to kiss Howie's neck. "If you want, I finally cleaned out the top drawer in my dresser over there... So you could stop by to visit Alex this weekend to make sure he's okay with Brian being here and put some clothes in it?"

"S-Sounds good to me," Howie stammered a little at the kisses on his neck. He was definitely going to check on Alex, especially after the fight during the tux fitting.

"You'll bring your favorite clothes?" she asked innocently, continuing her kisses, never noticing Howie's change.

"Just like you asked me to before," he replied, his fingers trailing up down her back under her shirt.

"And...one more favor before you get seriously close to unsnapping my bra?" she teased softly.

"I wouldn't touch your bra," he chuckled. "What's the favor?"

"I was at Catie and Corey's house today... Their stepfather hit Corey again, so I took them over to their Grandmother's house. Since I have to leave, I gave them your cell phone just in case they're in trouble again. If anything would happen, could you just pick them up from their Grandmother's and bring them here? Momma will understand."

"You can count on me to get them if they need help. You have my word, Baby."

"Thank you," she breathed, still holding onto him as the music finished.

"You know I would do anything for you."

"Yeah... I know... So what do you want from New York?" she asked thankfully, pulling apart.

"Anything would be nice," he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"No hints?"

"Whatever you find would be perfect."

"Guess I'm just going to have to be creative," she sighed dramatically, walking back over to her bed. She glanced at her clock, noticing it was a little after eight in the evening. She flopped down onto her bed, already craving the softness of her pillows. She hadn't slept well this week.
"You wanna hit the sack early, Ria?" he asked, crawling onto the bed and laying next to her.

"Nah, I like your company. I just want to cuddle under the blankets and watch a movie?" she guessed, slipping her hands beneath her t-shirt to free her bra. She hated sleeping with the damn thing on.

"Sounds good to me. Hey, how do you girls get your bras off like that? It's almost like a magic trick!"

"Haven't you ever practiced?" she laughed, tossing it toward him.

"Um... no? Didn't know it was so complicated..." he trailed off, looking down at the hooks and clasps.

"The boys on the team can get them loose with one hand... They've done it during tackles."

"They've WHAT?"

"It's not a big deal... I started wearing sports bras to practice after that," Oriana answered, not wanting Howie to worry. She motioned for him to join her. "You've honestly never taken a bra off a chick?"

"Never gotten that far with anyone, except Christina… But… No, I’ve never honestly taken a bra off a chick," Howie agreed, quickly stripping down to his boxers before climbing into the bed.

"I'd put it on again so you could try---"

"Are you serious?"

"Do I look serious?" she countered in confusion.

"I've never had that offer before."

"Well, I kind of hope you hadn't---"

"Well, yeah, I mean..."

"It was just an offer... Otherwise I'll carry scissors around with me until we decide to make love?" she joked, not understanding why he was so tense. It was just a bra to her. He had seen her in them plenty of times, being lucky or unlucky.

"I just don't want to look like an idiot."

"Then don't worry about it," Oriana answered, kissing his cheek as she reached for the bra still gripped tightly in his hands.

"As long as you're sure," Howie replied as Oriana put her bra back on. "Give me a couple of tips?"

"Unhook the back?"

"Is there a trick to do it?"

"Just pull the ends together and pull up to unhook the clasps?"

"Alright," Howie bit his lip slightly before wrapping his arms around her. His hands gently traced under her shirt until he reached her bra.

"Don't even worry about it, Babe," Oriana called softly, feeling his hands tremble. She carefully ran her fingers through his locks to calm his ever-growing nerves. She actually enjoyed the feeling of his fingers against her skin. Never had she been so open within a relationship.

Finally grasping the clasp, Howie followed the directions she gave him and gasped with surprise as it easily unhooked. "I... I did it."

"See? Not that hard," she laughed softly, feeling him pull it free beneath her shirt.

"No, not really," his voice dropped and his cheeks blushed as he felt one of his hands brush across her breast.

"Okay...that might have been a little hard..." she trailed, her breast burning from the simple stroke.

"Sorry," he mumbled, running his hands through his curls before placing her bra on the floor.

"Hey... Babe, don't worry about it," Oriana called quickly, noticing the embarrassment heating his cheeks and the feeling of stupidity clouding his eyes. She leaned over in the bed to grasp his chin. "It's just a boob, right?" she asked, just wanting him to laugh.

"Yeah, that's true. You girls call them boobs? I thought that was a guy thing," he laughed a little.

"Not all girls call them boobs, I think I do... Just wait, the feminist group might be out and tampon me or something," she laughed, kissing him gently. "Do you want to watch the movie now?"

He nodded gratefully at the subject change. "What movie?"

"28 Days Later..." she trailed, leaning over her side of the bed to grab her TV remote and her DVD remote. She then snuggled down in her blankets, flicking off her lamp, and turning on the TV. She glanced over to notice Howie was still stiffened from his accidental brushing. "Going to cuddle?"

"Cuddling commencing..." he climbed under the covers and wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with Oriana "Now."
A Step Closer by Anastacia
Chapter 41 – A Step Closer

Oriana yawned softly as she trudged up the stairs to her room to bring down her bags. It was already nearing noon and Cassandra was soon to call the cab. Teagan was spending her last minutes with Brian while Howie was still showering. Oriana thought nothing of it as she walked past the first room of the hallway, hearing the soft tinkering of an unfamiliar song. She stopped in her tracks, slowly turning, recognizing the room had been turned into Kevin's music studio. She winced slightly as the deeper notes filtering, realizing it wasn't the right pitch for the style he was going for. She gently eased the already cracked door open, peering her head inside. "Kevin?"
Kevin stopped playing and turned around with a smile. "Hey, Oriana. Are you excited for New York?"

"More excited to get away from the hysteria," she answered honestly, hesitating at the doorway.

"I hear you," he agreed, waving his hand gently. "Come on in."

"You...um...sure?"

"Of course. I'm just trying to figure out this new song, but it doesn't sound right."

"Yeah... I heard..." Oriana trailed, stepping further in. She stood behind him, admiring the spacious room, though now it was cluttered with various pieces of equipment and instruments suitable for writing songs. She let her eyes glance around the walls however, noticing all the pictures of the boys growing up. She smiled softly, glancing toward the desk of lyrics, but paused when she noticed a familiar photograph. It was the professional photograph herself and her mother had taken during her Graduation Photo Shoot. They were standing out in the ocean waves, Cassandra's arms thrown affectionately around Oriana's shoulders, both smiling like they were sharing a special secret. "Um... Why do you have that photo?"

"Your mom gave it to me. I brought it in here for inspiration... ever since I put the photo in here I've made about six songs. But this one I'm writing right now," he played the ending where the deeper notes came in. "It's not flowing yet."

"Inspiration?" she asked in confusion, carefully stepping beside him to eye the music. She made sure that she did nothing to provoke his feelings of lust, like other boyfriends had accused. She carefully folded her arms against her chest, tapping her foot to figure the beat.

"The boys’ pictures always inspire me, because I think of all the great times we've had. When you and your mom came into my life, I knew that I would get even more inspiration."

"Why didn't you just ask for a picture of Momma?" she asked again, not understanding how she could have caused any inspiration. She had been hateful toward the man, never giving him a chance.

"Because you're part of my life, too. Regardless of how rocky it's been, I still think of you as a daughter, Oriana."

"But I'm not your dau---"

"I know you're not my blood daughter. But you're still a daughter to me."

"Would you adopt me if you had the chance...?" she trailed.

"If it was alright with you, I would do it in a heartbeat."

Oriana nodded softly with contemplation, biting down on her lower lip. That was always her first test question with the boyfriends who confessed they were serious with their mother. Most had laughed in her face, only to attack her during the night. Yet, Kevin was sincere. She glanced down at the bench he was sitting on. Kevin quickly picked up on her thoughts, sliding down so she could sit beside him. "So... How much inspiration did I bring to these six songs? Any about me?" she joked, carefully sitting herself beside him.
"One song was about the conflict we all had at your birthday party... another was when you got hurt at football and you asked me to stay with you," Kevin confessed with a smile.

"Really?" she asked in surprise, not expecting him to answer.

"Really. My family is a huge part of my music, so a lot of the songs are about them or events that happen."

Oriana nodded yet again, glancing toward the scribbles of words on the sheet of music. She craned her neck for a moment, tapping her foot yet again. "What's this one about?"

"It's about the wedding and how we're all going to be united as a family... but I'm kind of stuck on the notes."

"You’re singing it to Momma at the wedding?"

"If I can get it done."

"I think if you..." Oriana swallowed her words quickly, not wanting to critique his music. She knew how quick a man's backhand could be to a smart mouth. "Can I suggest something?"

"By all means. I'm up to suggestions," Kevin replied, letting Oriana have full access to the piano.

"Um...from what I heard, it was really great, except for these last notes to end the song..." Oriana explained, motioning toward the last notes on his paper. She played what he had decided to do, then waited for him to nod before she continued. "But I think it'd sound better if you took it a higher note, just a step up..." She quickly played the same flourish of notes with just one hand, offering the beautiful tune a simple melody. She glanced to Kevin for confirmation, playing it again as she added his lyrics with her powerful voice, "It's such a fragile thread that binds us all together under one locket of love, so I make this solemn promise to handle us all with loving care."

"Oriana... that was absolutely perfect!" Kevin enthused, scribbling down the notes she played for him. He smiled happily, knowing the song was now finished in time for the wedding. "I didn't know you had such a beautiful voice."

"You really liked my idea?" she asked with surprise, never assuming that she would hear such praise from her mother's love interest.

"I loved it!"

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure," he fixed the Written by Kevin Richardson to have it say Written by Kevin Richardson and Oriana Riley.

"Hey!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Giving you credit for my song."

"I don't need it. I just fixed a few simple notes... You would have done it anyway. Please, don't," she immediately blurted, not wanting to take any credit for such a beautiful song.

"No, I wouldn't have done it..." Kevin chided, holding the music away from her reaching hand. "You deserve credit for doing that. It was just a beautiful performance and you have a real talent in music... You have to take this credit... Hell, Oriana, I might even make you sing it at the wedding."

"No!" she blurted in surprise.

"Why not? It would be perfect if you sang the song instead of me--"

"It's about your feelings, Kevin. I didn't write the song. It's your inspiration... You're emotions... Plus, Momma loves your voice so much. You should sing it."

Kevin thought for a moment. "How would you feel about singing with me?"

"Huh?" she deadpanned, feeling her stomach churn at the mere thought. She hardly shared her voice with anyone, except the kids at the Center, her mother, and Teagan. She even sang softly in choir to keep a low profile, because it was Teagan's chance to shine. She hated the idea of others hearing her.

"Singing with me at the wedding. I know Teagan and your mom have told me you don't like people hearing you sing a lot of the time... but I think your mom would love it if you and I sang this song. Your voice is great, so don't tell me it's not."

"The guys would hound me forever... I can't---"

"Why would they hound you? They would be so blown away by your voice that they wouldn't do anything but give you compliments."

"That's Teagan's area..."

"Why can't it be yours, too?"

"Because it just can't be..."

"But why?"

"It's just not a good idea---"

"I know your mom would love it if you sang with me. And so would I. Oriana, everyone would love it."

"Howie's going to be there... And then Alex... The football team... I'm in choir with most of them and I never... I just..."

"Will you at least seriously think about it?"

"Yeah--"

"I mean SERIOUSLY. Because I would be very honored if my stepdaughter sang with me at my wedding."

"I'll SERIOUSLY think about it," she promised. "But I really think it's your place to sing your own song that you wrote for Momma."

"Thank you," he smiled, standing up. "I'm glad you came in here, because I have a present for you."

"Me?" she asked in surprise, her jaw slightly unhinged. Never had one of the boyfriends gave her a present that didn't cause pain.

"Yeah, you," he chuckled, walking over to his desk. He pulled out a small box and came back to the piano. "There you go. I hope you like it."

"What's it for?"

"It's for being special?" Kevin guessed, handing her the small box.

"Try again?" Oriana countered, pulling the purple bow off the small box.
"Because I wanted to give my stepdaughter something special to wear at the wedding... I know it's a little girly, but I'll give you some money to grab something fun at New York on me, too, alright?"

"You're serious?" she whispered in surprise, almost afraid to open the small box.

"I'm totally serious," he chuckled. "I just hope you like what I got you."
"Jewelry?" she guessed with an innocent smile.

"Yeah, it's jewelry. But open it to see what kind."

"Okay..." she replied softly, opening the slender box. Her eyes went wide with surprise as the diamonds glittered brightly in the lighting. Kevin had purchased the Past, Present, Future Diamond Necklace and Earrings for Oriana to wear. "You're... This... Me?"

"Yes, that's for you. Do you like it?" he asked with a smile, knowing her reaction was good.

"It's really pretty and I love silver... I mean... Thank you. You really didn't have to do this..."

"I did because I wanted to. I know Howie is probably going to spoil you with gifts as the relationship gets serious, but I thought I would get my gift in before that. I'm glad you like it."

"Howie's not going to do that..."

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Because... I mean... He wouldn't do that, would he?"

"I know that he likes you a lot, and he's the kind of guy to buy things for his girlfriend."

"How do you know?"

"Because he looks at you the way I look at your mom."

"You really love Momma, don't you?" she asked softly, staring down at the beautiful gift. She could feel tears prickle the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. For once, they were actually tears of joy.

"I love her a lot, Oriana. And... I don't want to scare you, but I love you, too. You're my girls, and I would do anything to protect you both," Kevin took a chance and placed his hand on Oriana's shoulder.

"I--"

"RIANA! THE CAB'S PULLING UP!"

Oriana jumped away from Kevin's grasp in surprise, holding the box tightly to her chest. She offered an apologetic smile, feeling her heart hammer with surprise at her sudden bond with Kevin. "I... Guess I better get going, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so. You two have fun and be careful, okay?" Kevin pulled out his wallet and placed some bills in her free hand.

"I can't take your money—"

"I want you to get something fun in New York."

"I have my own money from working at the clinic—"

"You're being very polite, but just take the money and say 'Thank you, Kevin'. Alright?" he chuckled.

"Um...okay..." she trailed, accepting the crisp bills. She nodded toward him, slowly backing toward the door. She was halfway out, but stopped. She stepped forward, hesitantly wrapping her arm around Kevin for a hug. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome," he kissed the top of her head as Teagan yelled for Oriana again. "Go on, now. Have fun and be safe, y'hear?"

"Can you...uh...put this in my room?" Oriana asked quickly, offering the velvet box back.

"I will. Bye, Oriana."

"Bye..." Oriana called, walking out of the room. She quickly grabbed her duffle bag that she had dropped, hurrying down the stairs. She quickly ran out the door, noticing everyone was waiting outside. She handed her duffle bag to the driver before pulling her carry-on bag off her shoulder. "Momma, Kevin's upstairs working on his songs..."

"Oh, alright. Did you tell him good-bye?" Cassandra asked as the driver took Oriana's bag and placed it in the trunk.

"You mean did I get the present from him?" Oriana countered with an innocent smile, already knowing how to read her mother after seventeen years. She glanced away from her mother to see the driver then loading all of Teagan's bags. She resisted the urge to groan, already used to Teagan's accessorizing.

"Yes, that's what I meant," Cassandra chuckled, wrapping an arm around her daughter's shoulders. She could tell that Oriana and Kevin were slowly starting to connect.

"Did you pick it out?" she asked curiously, still somewhat amazed by the beautiful gift.

"I went with him, but he picked it out himself. He's not such a bad guy to have as a stepfather, is he?"

"He..." Oriana let her words drop for a moment. She almost didn't want to jinx herself. She leaned into her mother's embrace, just wanting to stay connected for a few moments. It had been so long sine her mother had actually held her. "He's not so bad, I guess. He loves you a lot... But, Momma... Um... Did you talk to him about adoption?"

"Adoption? No... we haven't talked about that. Why?"

"No reason."

"Oriana Ryan, I know that there's a reason. Did Kevin say he wanted to adopt you?"

"He said he would—"

"And what did you say?"

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't?"

"Honestly, Momma, what was I supposed to say?" Oriana stressed, noticing the last of the luggage being placed within the trunk. She felt weird about having to leaving Kevin when their relationship was still open to many weaknesses, yet, she still wanted to get away for her own safety.

"I don't know, I thought maybe you would say something," Cassandra sighed as the driver got back into the cab. She just wanted a close, loving family with Kevin, Oriana, Alex and Brian.

"You want anything special from New York, Momma?" Oriana asked, changing the subject as she watched Teagan hug her mother.

"Just to know you both are safe is special enough," Cassandra replied as she hugged Oriana.

"I'll call when we get to the hotel," Oriana promised, affectionately kissing her mother's cheek.

"Have fun, Baby. I love you."

"Something like that," Oriana laughed as she pulled away, causing Cassandra to pout with hurt. Oriana playful rolled her eyes, throwing her arm back around her mother for another tight hug. "I love you, too, Momma."

"Yeah, that's better," Cassandra chuckled, kissing her daughter's cheek. "Have fun."

"I'll have fun... I'm going to try that duct tape trick on Gabby like you did to me..."

"And BEHAVE."

"Behave? What's that mean? I... Wow, I never had a chance to look that up in the dictionary before I had a chance to leave..."

"Just get your little butt going," Cassandra laughed. "I'll see you Monday."

"Deal," Oriana laughed, watching her mother disappear into the house to find Kevin. Her mother never liked to watch Oriana leave the house for a long trip, almost as if it were bad luck. Oriana shrugged her shoulders, turning to see Alex waiting for her. She smiled, hugging him quickly. "Stay away from the Numbnut."

"Dude, I'll either be locked in my room or over at Howie's. Have fun in New York," Alex kissed her cheek.

"I have to shop for dresses and probably sit in a puddle of mud... Fun has nothing to do with it," Oriana joked as Alex handed her a camera. "What's this for? Because I am not taking photographs of near naked chicks at the Spa!"

"Just take pictures of anything you think would be cool."

"I don't think nearly naked chicks are cool, Jamie."

"Not at the spa, you dork. Of New York."

“Male Strip Clubs?" she asked excitedly.

"Ew, Hell no!"

"Didn't say you were going to be looking at the pictures," Oriana laughed, throwing the camera into her carry-on messenger bag.

"You drive me nuts," Alex groaned, kissing her cheek again. "Call me sometime, it's going to be so boring without you here."

"I'm calling Momma when we get to the hotel, so I'll make her give the phone to you then."

"Sounds like a plan," Alex agreed, wishing her goodbye yet again.

Oriana nodded, waving to him before bumping into Marie. She smiled softly, hugging her other mother tightly. She would miss both of the women who had such a big part of her heart. "Have fun with the house to yourself, Moms."

"It's been so long since I've had the house to myself that I don't know what I would do," Marie chuckled, kissing Oriana's cheek. "You two be careful and have fun, okay? I don't want to get a call saying you're both in jail with grins on your faces."

"But, Moms, you know that saying... A friend will call you in Jail. A good friend will visit you in Jail. And a best friend will be sitting next to you in Jail saying DAMN! THAT WAS AWESOME! We've got to try it out and get a picture!"

"If you purposely try to do that, you're both grounded."

"No flashing the cute cops... Check..."

"You're going to give New York a headache," Marie teased.

"We'll bring them all aspirin," Oriana promised, kissing Marie once more. She then immediately turned to walk toward the taxi where Howie was standing. She gently tugged on the front of his silky shirt, pulling him forward for a strong kiss. "I'm going to miss you the most, though."

"I'm going to miss you like crazy," Howie whispered, resting his forehead against hers. He kissed her once more. "You'll call me when you get there?"

"After I call Momma and Jamie, yeah. Make sure you either get to school or spend the day with Jamie so Numbnut can't hurt him... And, please be careful if you go flying with your brother... And...no girls while I'm away..."

"I won't let J get hurt, John and I will be extremely careful and of course no girls. You're the only one for me."

"I was hoping I would hear that..." she confessed, kissing him once more. She would actually miss cuddling next to him for the entire weekend, though she knew that Teagan would cuddle against her in a tangle of arms and legs. It just wasn't the same as Howie. She smiled sadly, trying to act like it didn't bother her. "I'll get you something while I'm at New York."

"Sounds good. Just be careful and have lots of fun, because you deserve it..." he cupped her face in his hands. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she answered, closing her eyes as he kissed her forehead. She pulled away from his embrace, walking to step into the taxi. Though, she paused suddenly, at least wanting to leave with the remembrance of his cute laugh. "And... I've decided that I love you so much that I'll hook up with one of those sexy boudoir photographing places..."

"Are you serious?" Howie laughed.

"Do you want me to be serious?"

"No, I was just wondering if you would actually do that."

"When I'm married... Sure."

Howie just smiled and walked over to give her another kiss. "Just have fun."

"You have fun, too."

"I will, but it's not the same fun without you."

"You'll survive," she laughed softly.

"One more kiss?" he asked with a sly smile.

"Just don't make me pass out in the taxi or they'll never let me on the plane," she warned with a soft nod.

"Yes, m'am," he wrapped his arms around her and delivered half of his mind-blowing kiss.

Oriana found no words to fill her mouth as he slowly pulled back. She could already feel her heart hammering with an intense rhythm. She nodded meekly, finally seating herself in the taxi. She jumped a little when Howie shut the car door for her. "I... Gabby, let's get going!"

"I'll be right there!" Teagan called back, still in Brian's arms

"You pick out a beautiful dress, alright? Actually, two beautiful dresses. Gotta be able to show you off at the Homecoming Dance and Ace's party, right?" Brian cooed toward her, planting little kisses along her neckline. He didn't want to see her go, but understood that she needed a break. She would feel safe in New York without Xander lurking about.

"I will, I promise. You just behave while I'm gone, or else I'll kick your ass," Teagan scolded with a smile, running her fingers through his soft curls, She wanted to remember everything about him before she left. "Behave... Okay..."

"I mean it, Brian Thomas," she pulled him in for a deep kiss.

"I know you mean it!" Brian murmured, running his hands down her back to create a spark between them.

"Teagan! Time to go!" Marie called, who was standing by the cab talking to Oriana.

"You've got to go, Sweetie," Brian decided with a frown.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Teagan whispered, a little sad that she had to leave Brian. But she was also excited to spend a weekend alone with Oriana.

"I'm going to miss you, too..." Brian answered, staring into her deep blue-gray eyes. He frowned slightly, noticing the enthused spark bringing out the dark blue tint within the mixture of her irises. He knew that excitement could only be from one person - Oriana.

Not liking the frown on his face, Teagan delivered a steamy kiss against his lips.

"TEAGAN GABRIELLE! YOU'RE GOING TO MISS YOUR PLANE!" Marie groaned.

"I'M COMING, MOM!" Teagan kissed Brian again. "I love you more than anything and I'll call you when we get there."

"Alright, Baby. Have fun!" Brian called, watching her hurry toward the taxi. She threw her arms around her mother's waist for an affectionate kiss before jumping into the taxi. Marie tapped hard on the hood, signaling for the taxi to take off. Brian felt a piece of his heart yank away from the core to sail with Teagan as she flew across the states.
The Shiny Big Apple by Anastacia
Chapter 42 – The Shiny Big Apple

"Oh my goodness! I feel like a princess in this dress!" Teagan squealed as she twirled in front of her dressing room mirror. They immediately went dress shopping after dropping off their things at the hotel and were now at Sak's Fifth Avenue trying on different dresses.

"A princess? Oh, Lord please save me from this disaster," Oriana groaned from inside her dressing room, just staring at the two dresses she selected. One for Homecoming and the other for Prom. For being what they were, dresses, Oriana liked the styles and colors. Yet, she hadn't gotten to the point of putting either on. She just stood in her bikini briefs and bra, offering a show-down stare with the gowns. Knowing she hadn't the strength for slipping on either, she poked her head out of the heavy curtain in search for Teagan.

"What'd you pick, Gabby? And for what?"

"This is for Prom," Teagan replied as she stepped out of her dressing room.
"Well, one thing's obvious..." Oriana decided, watching Teagan twirl happily in the middle of the dressing area. The dress was one of a kind and definitely suited for Teagan's bizarre style. It was sleeveless and the hugging top was a sparkling silver color that ended in a straight 'V' line. The 'V' line of the top that dipped low against the middle of her pelvis offered her a more slender curve of the hips for the design of the dress, because the dark blue skirt then flared out into a elegant princess fluff.

"You're gorgeous, Gabby."

"Thank you," Teagan blushed a little as she looked over at her best friend. "Why aren't you in a dress yet, Riana?"

"What are you talking about?" Oriana countered, glancing down, smiling sheepishly at the bra-strapped shoulder exposed from behind the thick curtain. She shrugged her shoulders as Teagan rolled her eyes. Oriana glanced around, noticing no one else was in the dressing area, so quickly stepping out in her bikini briefs and underwear. "This is my Homecoming Dress. You like?!"

"I'm sure Howie would love that," Teagan laughed, rolling her eyes again. "Especially with your favorite bra and fairy printed undies."

"Look, I can make them dance, too!" Oriana declared, turning to show Teagan her backside. She quickly wiggled her butt.

"Oh my God!" Teagan giggled, going as far as doing her infamous laugh, which sounded like a squeaking mouse.

Oriana smiled triumphantly at the sound of Teagan's snorting squeak. She turned around and placed her hands against the tops of her exposed hips. She tilted her head to the side with a pout, "Guess this dress won't work?"
"N-N-N-No!" she shook her head.

"Damn... Did you pick one out for Homecoming?" she asked, still smiling as Teagan's laugh continued.

Teagan nodded, still laughing. "I-I need to calm down first!"

"Well, let me see that one," Oriana ordered, slipping back behind her curtain with her head peeking out.

Finally calming down, Teagan went back and quickly changed into a simpler dress for Homecoming. She smiled, knowing it was totally different than any other dress girls at Tartan would wear. "What do you think?" she asked, walking out again.

Oriana shook her head in disbelief, knowing this one was almost too perfect for her best friend. It was a one piece dress with, sleeveless yet again, with a hugging bodice to add an ample amount of cleavage. The end of the dress cut to just the knees with a simple straight line. The flaming red dress seemed to be everything that the girls in the school talked about with owning a 'little black dress.' Teagan looked perfect. "It's definitely you."

"I think these are the two perfect dresses," Teagan agreed, looking in the mirror for a minute. She faced Oriana, hands on her hips. "Now it's your turn."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"If I get one giggle out of you, we're leaving, going back to the hotel, I'm not going to Homecoming, and I'm not going to Prom. Understood?" Oriana decided, glancing to Teagan for acceptance of the agreement. She felt like she were making plans for a battle in a strategic war.

"Yes, m'am!" Teagan saluted her. "Honestly, I won't laugh."

"You say that now..." Oriana grumbled, disappearing behind the curtain as Teagan rushed to get changed. Oriana only fought a few moments with the first dress, carefully easing it onto her slender figure and managing to zip it with no problems. She heard Teagan burst from her own dressing room to sit herself on the waiting couch. Oriana stared at her reflection for a moment, "Ready?"

"Ready and waiting! Come on out!"

"This is for Homecoming..." Oriana took a deep breath, then held it as she stepped away from the curtain. She closed her eyes quickly, not even wanting to see Teagan's reaction. She had choose one of the rarest cocktail dresses in the store. It was a vibrant color of light purple and adhered to her soft curves like a second skin. The had sexy spaghetti straps and a V neckline with a front tie that fell down the center of the dress. The left side of the dress was shirred all the way to the place where the dress wrapped in front with a front slit. The hemline at the bottom of the dress was a handkerchief type with various lengths of material. Though some of the front piece of the dress graced her legs, the majority of the dress exposed her long, graceful, dancing legs till the mid thigh.

"Oh my... Riana, you look absolutely beautiful!" Teagan cooed, almost feeling tears come to her eyes as she saw her best friend finally look like a woman. The dress was perfect for Oriana's style and body.

"Are you sure?" Oriana asked, her voice quivering, still keeping her eyes squeezed shut.

"You know I wouldn't lie to you. Sweetie, you're gorgeous."

Oriana still kept her eyes shut, feeling Teagan guide her to the three mirrors. She was placed in the middle to see herself at all angles. Slowly, Oriana allowed her eyes to peek open. Fully aware of her surroundings, she glanced down. Without any thought, she gasped in surprise. She had been completely transformed with just a little dress. All of her womanhood exposed for public view. Almost not willing to believe it, she covered her hands over the exposed portion of her breasts. "Holy shit!"

Teagan chuckled, taking Oriana's hands and pulling them away. "You don't have to hide your breasts, Dear."

"Teag... The boys are popping out of the dress!"

"That's the point of this style!"

"But---"

"No. They're not even popping out. It's called cleavage and that's not a bad thing. This dress is perfect for you, get it."

Oriana fell silent for a few moments, running her hands down the soft fabric clinging to her tan skin. She tilted her head to the side, swishing her hips from side to side to see the handkerchief hemline flare. "It looks like the dance outfits I had with the salsa classes in the summer..."

"So you'll buy it?" Teagan asked hopefully.

"Why do you care so much?" Oriana asked, turning.

"Because you look beautiful and this is the first time I've seen you in a dress that doesn't involve dance or the wedding."

"Guess dancing paid off, huh?"

"Definitely. So... will you?"

"It's not trashy or anything? Like, the cheerleaders aren't going to stone me at Homecoming, are they?" Oriana hesitated, slowly inching back to the dressing room.

"No way is it trashy. You know me and my fashion."

"Well, yeah, but the Cheerleaders---"

"Will be so jealous of your dress that they won't be able to say a ditzy
word. Besides, when did you start caring about what they thought and said?"

"True..." Oriana answered, clicking her tongue. She never had cared before what they thought. She shrugged her lean shoulders with a proud smile. "They can kiss my hairy white ass..."

"You just leave out the hairy part and it'll be cool," Teagan groaned.

"My lily white ass?"

"Much better."

"Okay! Hairy white ass it is!" Oriana declared, slipping back behind her curtain. "All done!"

"Nuh-uh, you still have the other dress to show me!"

Oriana grumbled incoherently from inside her dressing room. Teagan smiled in triumph as she heard the sounds of zippers being pulled up and down. She leaned back on the couch, waiting for Oriana to make her grand appearance. "You laugh it me in this one and I'll slaughter you."

"How many times do I have to say I won't laugh at you? Just come on out!" Teagan encouraged, getting a little impatient.

Oriana lifted up the skirt so she wouldn't trip and stepped from the curtain. She allowed the elegant satin material to grace the floor. She held her arms out, slowly turning in a circle for Teagan's enjoyment. The soft satin fabric was a delicate mint green color, clinging to her body yet again like a second skin fell straight down with a classic look. The bust line was detailed with fabulous crystals. Then the stunning lace up back with ties adorned with crystals made for a dramatic finish. "So?"

"I think I'm gonna cry!" Teagan gushed, waving a hand in front of her face. "Riana, you look like a princess!"

"If a princess wore this, I'm sure her father would be searching for a metal chastity belt," Oriana joked, running her fingers across the crystal detailed lining of the low bust line. No sleeves or straps held this dress up, only her natural God-given bosom.

Teagan laughed, standing up to hug Oriana. "You look really pretty, chica. Howie's going to die when he sees you Prom night"

"You think?" Oriana asked honestly as Teagan pushed her toward the mirrors.
"I don't think, I know. Look at how beautiful you are."

Oriana took a hard look at her reflection, tilting her head ever-so slightly to the side. She smiled softly, actually liking what she saw in the mirror. She filled the dress nicely with her fitted and toned curves from dancing. She actually saw no flaw for once in her life and it was because of Howie's honest love. Though, she found herself gazing at the bust line for a long moment. "Damn, Linds is right..."

"What did Linds say?" Teagan asked curiously, watching her friend in the mirror. She was so glad Oriana wasn't putting herself down like she usually did.

"Linds told Jess that the reason Howie likes me is because I have big boobs... Well... The big boobs part is right... I need to duct tape these puppies down before I get knocked out!"

"You will do no such thing for Prom night!" Teagan laughed.

"I don't even know how I dance with these things in the way!"

"You'll deal!"

"They're like blimps---"

"Okay, that's enough, get the Hell in the dressing room."

"You'd think I'm pregnant and they're swelling with milk!"

"Get in that room and stop talking about your breasts!"

"But, I'm suddenly so proud of them---"

"Oriana Ryan!"

"Going!"

*~*~*


"What are you picking up Moms and Momma from New York?" Oriana asked curiously as they floated into yet another store in the array of shops. It was late Friday afternoon and the girls had managed to find one of the best Malls in New York City. They had gotten up early to do some sight seeing, even visiting an old jail where Oriana managed to score a picture of the girls in one of the cells with a cute guard. She already had the film developed on that camera and planned to frame it for Marie for when they returned. Yet, visiting outside tourist areas became quite a task for the Floridian girls. It was already too chilly outside for them in the late October air, so they decided to stick close inside the shops.

"I'm thinking about getting Mom a bracelet... there was one she saw in a magazine and I want to buy it for her," Teagan replied as they slowly walked through the store, looking at various things. "I wonder if this was the place that has it. And for Ma... I don't know yet. Have any suggestions?"

"Momma... Stuff for the wedding, I guess. She still needs the something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Moms said she has the old and borrowed, but we have to do the blue and new."

"Something blue... hey! We should go to Victoria's Secret and get her a blue bustier set!"

"What?" Oriana choked heavily against her Pepsi.

"Get Ma a blue bustier set for the wedding."

"Are you serious? Give her an open invitation to show her... Oh, Lord, that's disgusting!"

"She needs something blue!"

"You honestly want us to buy her the bustier?" Oriana asked, motioning toward the gift case of delicate bracelets.

"It would be great to see the look on her face," Teagan agreed as they reached the bracelets.

"You go into the store and buy it."

"You won't come in with me?"

"Do you honestly want my Estrogen level to rise to the point of suffocation?"

"Oh, come on Riana--"

"Is that the bracelet?" Oriana interrupted, motioning toward the bracelet in the middle.

"Oooh, it is!" Teagan squealed happily. "Do you think Mom will like it?"
Oriana gazed down at the delicate bracelet. It was one of the Italian charm bracelets with various 'Nurse' insignias. The charms ranged from needles, pill bottles, old fashioned nursing hats, and written words. Oriana immediately nodded with approval, "Moms will love that."

"I'll get it for her... excuse me?" she called over one of the employees. "I would like that bracelet in the middle. The Italian charm bracelet with the Nursing charms."

"Good choice, Miss," the man declared in a high pitched voice, causing Oriana to stifle a giggle of amusement. The man quickly scurried to retrieve the keys for the case, snatching the bracelet, and hurrying back to wrap it delicately.

"Um...did you pick up anything for Brian yet?"

"No, I'm still looking around. Have you found anything for Howie?"

"I...um...yeah..." Oriana trailed, blushing faintly. She still felt odd about buying him gifts, but she couldn't wait to show him. "When you were looking around in Victoria's Secret, I went to this music store. I have to stop buy and pick up what I had personalized... But then I also got him... Well..."
"What? Tell me!" Teagan begged as the man came back with the present wrapped and placed in a box. She gave him her credit card and looked at Oriana curiously. "What did you get him?"

"I actually got Jamie these cute leopard curtains and this t-shirt that says, 'Doin' It New York Style.' He's going to die," Oriana answered, changing the subject as the man walked away yet again.

"That's cute. But what did you get Howie?"

"Just some stupid boxers?"

"That look like?"

"They're thongs okay? Just lay off," Oriana joked, wanting to keep the subject away.

"Ew, they are not!"

"Then just let me go!" Oriana laughed, stepping out of the store.

"Wait!" Teagan signed the receipt, grabbed the bag and ran out the store.

"I've got to get back to the Music Store real quick, okay? The stuff is ready---" Oriana's sentence dropped when she looked at the pitiful face Teagan was offering. Oriana rolled her eyes with disgust, knowing Teagan wouldn't stop till she knew. "Look, they're silk boxers with apples all over them, then on the butt it says, 'Cute Apples.' But I'm not even sure if I'm giving them to him. I might wear them for myself."

"Aw, but he'd like them!"

"It's embarrassing, though, right? Maybe I should just keep them for myself? I mean, yeah, we've slept in the same bed and all, but we haven't done anything that serious..." Oriana trialed, stumbling over her answer. She could already feel her cheeks redden at the thought while they walked toward the Music Store and Victoria's Secret.

"Dude, it's just boxers. It's not like they're engagement boxers or something," Teagan shook her head, rolling her eyes with a smile.

"No, I thought I'd leave them for the next trip to New York."

"What?

"Nothing," Oriana groaned. "So, you think he'll like them?"

"Of course he will. Both of you are cheesy, and those are perfect."

"I am not cheesy!"

"It's not a bad thing!"

"I'm nothing compared to that silver ring with your name and Brian's name inside!"

"Hey, that's not cheesy!" Teagan objected with a pout as they walked into Victoria's Secret.

"Wait!" Oriana blurted, hesitating before stepping onto the loudly pink carpet. She pulled Teagan back from the entrance, almost feeling slightly nauseous from all the pink. "I'm going to go grab the stuff at the Music Store, then meet you here..."

"This store is not that bad! You're going to have to come in here sooner or later. Every girl does."

"I'm not every girl."

"You're still a girl."

"Barely!"

"Still a girl!" Teagan grabbed Oriana's arm. "Come on!"

"I'VE GOT TO GO TO THE MUSIC STORE!" Oriana grunted, struggling to pull away. She sighed with satisfaction as she tore away from Teagan's grasp, accidentally bumping into a group of good-looking men. "Sorry!"

"Mmmm, no problem..." one answered with a sly grin.

"SHE'S TAKEN!" Teagan blurted.

"Sorry, boys. Gotta go!" Oriana called, running off to the music store.
"You let her get away!" Teagan grunted, pushing through the group to catch Oriana. Teagan groaned softly as her feet started to ache from the heeled boots, noticing Oriana quickly slipping into the expensive Music Store. Teagan stopped at the entrance, carefully peering into the store to see what Oriana was so secretive about.

Teagan's eyes grew wide when the store owner showed Oriana the expensive guitar strap that was obviously for Howie. Teagan had to resist the urge to coo as she noticed the guitar strap was imprinted with ‘H.D. & O.R., 09-07-04' all over the celtic imprinted strap. And Teagan quickly remembered that was the day that they first kissed. But the next gift surprised Teagan the most. She wanted the store owner then hand Oriana a leather bound music book with a engraved silver plaque reading: Kevin Scott Richardson. Oriana then opened the large book to reveal personalized music sheets specifically for Kevin.

"They're both great. Thank you so much," Oriana complimented the man, handing him her credit card.

"You're very welcome," he replied, taking the card and ringing up the items. He handed her a receipt she quickly signed. Taking the copy, he placed that in the bag along with the strap and music book. "You have a great day, Miss."

"You, too," Oriana called with a sweet smile, heading toward the exit. She seemed content with her purchases until bumping straight into Teagan. Her eyes grew wide in surprise as she stumbled backward. "Gabby!"

"Um... hi?" Teagan replied sheepishly. She hadn't meant to get caught watching.

"What are you doing? You were supposed to be getting Momma's blue thing.... Were you spying on me?!"

"I was trying to get you to come back with me and... and I wasn't spying!"
"Bullshit card drawn!"

"I wasn't spying! I was curious on what you were hiding from me!"

"I wasn't hiding anything. I just needed to stop by this store and Victoria's Secret was at the opposite side. I know you're probably killing in those heels and I didn't want to make a big deal," Oriana groaned, motioning toward the opposite end of the mall.

"Well, then I wasn't spying if you weren't hiding. By the way, though... those gifts for Howie and Kevin are really nice. They're going to love them."

"Excuse me?" Oriana choked.

"They're going to love their gifts."

Oriana glanced toward her best friend, noticing the surprise still lingering in her blue-gray eyes. She bit down on her bottom lip, letting the shopping bags hang down at her side. "What?"

"You and Kevin are getting closer, aren't you?"

"No," Oriana scoffed.

"So that's why you got him that personalized music book with personalized sheet music?"

"Gabby, it's completely different. I had to return the favor after he got me that diamond necklace and earrings..."

"I don't think it's returning a favor," Teagan replied. She already knew that Kevin bought Oriana the necklace and earrings. "It's okay to get close to him, you know."

"I don't know about that..." Oriana trailed, remembering how sweet most of the boyfriends had started out. Then in a split second, the evil surfaced to drown her. She felt her heart slam against her chest at just the mere remembrance, yet Kevin seemed so kind. He seemed like the type of man who could be a real father. "I really just wanted to return the favor for the expensive gift. He has the music studio... Just figured it be nice to give him that."

"Well, it is a really nice thought to get him this present," Teagan agreed, deciding to change the subject. "Come on, we need to go to Victoria's Secret."

"Why do you want me to go in there?!"

"Because you need to!"

"WHY?!"

"BECAUSE I SAID SO!"

"Why?" she continued, not letting go.

"Do you have to keep asking me why? Can't you just come into the store with me?" Teagan was getting frustrated.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to go in there and buy some stupid teddy for Howie to view for Prom or something?" Oriana questioned, knowing exactly how Teagan's mind worked. They would buy Cassandra her blue bustier, but then Teagan would force Oriana deeper to look at the assorted intimate styles of clothing for Howie and Brian's viewing pleasure.

"Girls usually wear teddy's under their Prom dresses, regardless if their date sees them or not," Teagan replied. She had been to many Proms and knew the in's and out's.

"Bullshit, you want Howie to see whatever you want me to pick out."

"I'm not gonna force you into that. If you want Howie too see it, that's your choice."

"Is that your present to Brian?"

"That... and one more thing. I have to go back to that jewlery store and pick something up."

"What are you getting him?"

"A necklace."

"You already got him a ring---"

"Are you going to come into the store with me?"

"What if I did let Howie see... I mean... He wouldn't have to touch if I didn't want him... I mean... Would he like that? Should I do it for him?" Oriana pondered with a puzzled look, letting Teagan slowly inch her into the store.

"Howie respects you so much, Riana. If you wore the teddy for him, he would like it. But I also know that if you don't want to go too far, he'll listen."

"So you think I should?"

"It's not up to me, it's up to you."

"I'm asking your opinion."

"If I was you, I would," Teagan pulled them over to the bustier sets for Cassandra.

"Can we make this a light blue type of thing? Like, nothing we're going to be seeing this thing through her wedding gown... Because I have no desire to see Momma's goods through the cream..."

"And neither do I," Teagan laughed, looking through the lighter blue sets. "Oooh! This one is perfect!"

"Looks like a winner to me?" Oriana guessed, not really having a clue what to look for. "It has little hearts..."

"It's a light blue, the right size for Ma and had little pink hearts all over. She's going to love it," Teagan placed it over her arm.

"And it'll hold up those granny stockings..." Oriana countered, trying not to snicker.

"Don't you say that to her on the wedding day," Teagan tried not to laugh as well.

"You really think she'd clock me on her wedding day and risk blood on her wedding dress?" Oriana asked in a mock look of shock, trying to maintain as Teagan tugged her toward the sexy sleepwear.

"She'd ground you, then clock you after changing out of her dress," Teagan replied as they reached the teddies.

"Do we really have to do this?" Oriana whined, already knowing her mind was set on purchasing one for Howie's pleasure. He had done so much for her, the least she could do was buy a teddy.

"Oh, you know you want to buy one for Howie. Besides, you can get any color you want."

"But---"

"Just pick one that you'll like and we'll take it from there, okay?"

"It's like a one piece bathing suit that exposes...everything..." Oriana decided with a frown, flipping through the series of sexy lingerie.

"That's kind of the point," Teagan chuckled as she looked for a black and hot pink teddy. She already had the perfect one in mind and hoped they had it.

"I don't know if I'm cool with... What the Hell is that?" Oriana screeched in surprise as Teagan plucked her favorite teddy away from the bunch with a triumphant giggle.

"This is my favorite teddy!"

"Oh...Lord..." Oriana gasped as Teagan held the flimsy teddy against her body. The top was a hot pink and the reveal bottom portion was pink with a see-through black netting connecting both portions.

"What?" Teagan looked up at Oriana quizzically.

"You're not even going to have that thing on for ten minutes when he gets hold of you..." Oriana guessed, frowning at the thought in her head.

"That's exactly why I'm buying it!" Teagan declared with a giggle.

"So you've already..."

She nodded. "The weekend y'all went camping."

"I figured as much…” Oriana trailed, deciding she wanted to get her own feelings of sex out to someone besides Howie. She flipped through a few more sets, her eyes lightly softly at the sweet white silk camisole. She pulled it out for Teagan's view. The top portion hugged her bust line with no straps, so it could easily hide beneath her prom dress, but was covered with cherries and the word 'Sweet' all over. The soft see-through material then flared softly out from the bust line, ending just near the start of the cherry-printed high-cut bikini bottoms with flimsy red strings.

"It was like Victoria thought of designs and made that one especially for you. Riana, that's the perfect teddy for you," Teagan enthused as she placed it against Oriana for a moment. "Not too innocent, but not Moulin Rouge-ish, either."

"Figure white will remind me to wait for my wedding..." Oriana stated uneasily, glancing down.

"With the way you and Howie are, it will be your wedding day. I know he doesn't rush you into anything-- that's the one thing I knew about him right away, was that he treats women like queens and will never disrespect them."

"But what if I want to rush?" Oriana whispered quietly.

"You do?" Teagan asked softly, smiling a little. She knew how much Oriana loved Howie.

"Um..." Oriana faltered, scowling herself lightly. Teagan wasn't supposed to hear that comment. Ever since meeting Howie, all the thoughts that were supposed to remain inside had a way of popping out. She shook her head in disbelief as she took back the intimate clothing. "Do we try these on or what? I've never been in here...
"
"I never try them on. But if you want to, you can."

"Let’s just get the Hell out of here so I can burn the bag as evidence!"

*~*~*


"Damn! I love the Carylye!" Oriana hooted, jumping onto the king sized bed in the middle of their large room. She had a large slice of Domino's Pizza in her mouth as she danced around to her music. She had never felt so free in her life. All the pressure from Brian's hate had been lifted and she was finally released from the pain of her house. She eagerly jumped on her bed, shaking her butt to the beat of her favorite mix CD. The jacuzzi had been absolutely wonderful to relax in after their day of shopping, but now she was revved from the pizza. And Teagan seemed awfully amused watching Oriana's bursts of energy while she lounged on the soft couch in the corner of the room near the balcony, painting her toenails.

"I don't even have to watch TV, you're my entertainment," Teagan laughed as she wiped off some black nail polish off her toe.

"Do you honestly know how long it's been since I've ate some hardcore pizza? I should be fruiting and salading this week then switching to carbs for Thursday, but I'm on vacation. And Damn! I'm just completely content living in this hotel!" Oriana hooted, bouncing in a circle as she finished her pizza.

"Well, it's nice to see you so happy. It really is," Teagan smiled, finishing her toe nails.

"Just wait till that Ben and Jerry's comes up..." Oriana declared, hopping off the bed as 'Redneck Woman' by Gretchen Wilson started to play. Over the summer she had gone to a few country line dancing classes, just hoping they'd come in use if she went to Duke. She quickly stepped into the various maneuvers, grabbing another slice of pizza over the quick turn in the dance. "Starting on your fingernails, now?"

"Yes, I am. For some reason, I was in the mood for black nails," Teagan replied as she started on her fingernails. "I would ask you to help me with my right hand, but that's like asking a scarecrow to light a fire."

"Awe, smart Gabby!" Oriana cooed, twisting her hips to the beat.

"Awe, smartass Riana!" she retorted.

"Oh, bite me!" Oriana groaned, finishing her second piece of the cold pizza. She smiled with delight, continuing the same swivel of the hips as she walked toward her boom box. Absolutely loving the song, she sang proudly, "Well, I ain't never been the Barbie doll type / No, I can't swig that sweet Champagne, I'd rather drink beer all night / In a tavern or in a honky tonk or on a four-wheel drive tailgate / I've got posters on my wall of Skynyrd, Kid and Strait / Some people look down on me, but I don't give a rip / I'll stand barefooted in my own front yard with a baby on my hip / 'Cause I'm a redneck woman / I ain't no high class broad / I'm just a product of my raising / I say, 'hey y'all' and 'yee-haw'"

"That song describes you so well..." Teagan laughed as she watched Oriana line dance.

"So here's to all my sisters out there keeping it country / Let me get a big 'hell yeah' from the redneck girls like me, hell yeah!" Oriana sang proudly, actually not caring who heard her beautiful voice. She placed her good hand onto the hem of her short boxers as if she were hugging her belt buckle like those in the country bar. Yet, she offered a little modern dance into the country line dancing.

"Hell yeah!" Teagan sang along with the chorus in the song's background.

"Victoria's Secret, well their stuff's real nice / But I can buy the same damn thing on a Wal-Mart shelf half price / And still look sexy, just as sexy as those models on TV / No, I don't need no designer tag to make my man want me / Well, you might think I'm trashy, a little too hardcore / But in my neck of the woods I'm just the girl next door---" Oriana's powerful singing voice suddenly dropped when she threw open the door to discover a handsome bellhop holding her pint of Ben and Jerry's and a vase of beautiful red and white roses. "Hi?" she squeaked with a laugh, finding her cheeks blushing.

"Very nice singing," he chuckled. "A pint of ice cream for Miss Riley and flowers for Miss Eavans."

"Heaven sent!" Oriana declared with an innocent smile as Teagan killed the music. Teagan quickly sprung forward to seize the flowers as Oriana lingered to receive her ice cream. She smiled yet again as she glanced down at her clinging tank top that exposed the bottom portion of her toned stomach as her short boxers settled against her hips, her hair hanging in two wet braided pigtails - she looked almost like a sweet fallen angel. "C'you hold on one second? I don't have my wallet in these shorts..."

"Don't worry about a tip. Your little concert was much better than money," the bellhop smiled as Teagan handed him some money of her own for the flowers.

"Thank you!" Teagan replied with a smile as she ran back into the living room'.

"Are you sure? Because I can just..." Oriana's voice trailed when she noticed the bellhop admiring her figure. She felt herself blush yet again at the attention she hardly received from the male persuasion.

"Riana, come on! Your favorite movie is on tv!" Teagan's voice called from the room.

"Mother's calling..." Oriana joked, glancing back into the boy's beautiful brown eyes, who only seemed to remind her of Howie. "It was really nice of you to... Well, it was your job. So, nice to meet you?"

"Nice to meet you," he replied. "If you need anything, I'll be of service."

"All weekend?" she laughed softly.

"You're here all weekend?"

"Till Monday--"

"In that case," the bellhop decided, plucking a marker from his pocket. He eagerly wrote his name and cell phone number on her cast. "Don't be a stranger while you're in this city. I can show you the real nightlife."

"Um...thanks... Are you sure you don't want any money?"

"Positive. I'll just hope to hear from you soon, Miss Riley," he gave a flashing smile before walking towards the elevators.

"RIANA! GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE, YOU'RE WITH HOWIE!"

Oriana lingered in the doorway for a moment, absolutely confused by the chain reaction of events. She noticed him turn for a moment to blow a kiss. She gurgled something in her throat, immediately pushing the door shut behind her. She shook her head in disbelief, popping the top of her Ben and Jerry's Half Baked Ice Cream. She dug her spoon deep into the ice cream, popping the spoon into her mouth as she traveled into the pseudo living room, plopping down on the couch with Teagan, who was admiring her flowers. "Who are they from?" she asked, balancing the pint on her lap so she could hide her cast.

“Brian. Today is our one month anniversary, so he sent me my favorite flowers," Teagan smiled, reading the card he had sent along with the bouquet. She looked up at Oriana with a raised eyebrow. "What took you so long with the bellhop? Was he hitting on you?"

"Today's honestly your one month anniversary?" Oriana asked in surprise, hoping to keep Teagan on that subject.

"Yeah, it is. Doesn't feel like a month already."

"Those flowers are really pretty," Oriana decided, leaning in to smell the soft scent of the roses. Brian could be a complete sweetheart when he was with Teagan, which Oriana was thankful for. Oriana knew her best friend needed someone to love, but it just made it harder to know that the same boy probably have sweet dreams of murdering her while he slept beside her best friend.

"Do you want one?" Teagan asked with a smile.

"No, they're yours."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm positive," she answered, staring at the TV. If she took one of those roses, Brian might strike her dead. She knew better.

"Alright... what did that bellhop want?" she asked, knowing that something did occur.

"Nothing," Oriana answered, staring straight ahead.

"Liar."

"I was trying to give him some money for running up the ice cream, but he kept refusing--"

"What's his name?"

Oriana quickly glanced to her cast. "Will---" she stopped mid-sentence when she realized what she did. "Shit..."

"Did he write on your cast?!" Teagan shrieked in surprise.

"Um...maybe?" Oriana replied carefully, pulling her cast back. Yet, Teagan would think nothing of the sort. She set her vase on the nearby coffee table, snatching Oriana's cast into her hands. She admired the bellhop's signature, smiling with amusement. "What are you thinking?"

"One is now you know guys like you because you're beautiful. Another is that you need to get that number off there or else Howie is going to flip."

"It's permanent marker!" Oriana screeched, staring down at the name and number. "You really think he's going to kill me? Or can we just chalk it up to a funny joke? Because the guy probably had a bet going with the other bellhop that brought up the pizza..."

"Well, how would you feel if the tables were turned and Howie came back with a girl’s phone number on his cast?"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"I know. But answer my question."

"I'd probably cry, but Howie doesn't think the way I do. He trusts me. Plus, if I scribbled it out, he would still know that something was there that he wasn't supposed to see. It's not like I'm ever going to see this dude again... Okay, take that back, because he'll probably be taking all our Room Service requests... So I'll just let you answer them--- It wasn't my fault!" Oriana stumbled in disbelief, knowing she was in deep trouble. She offered an innocent pout, "You don't think the silk boxers will get me out of this mess?”

"Silk boxers plus the guitar strap will definitely help you. Hun, don't worry. As long as you tell him the guy wrote it all down before you could stop him, he'll be okay with it."

"He's going to kill me," Oriana moaned.

"Stop it, he will not."

"He's not going to believe me. He's so paranoid about freaking Mac--"

"Mac is totally different than this situation. The bellhop isn't an asshole like Mac is, and you won't ever see him again."

"I'm so screwed---" Oriana yelped in surprise when the phone rang shrilly. She was so shaken that she fell off the couch, gently bumping the back of her head on the soft carpet. She groaned openly, remembering how Howie had tackled her before.

"Riana, are you okay?!" Teagan burst out laughing, the phone still ringing.
"I want my ice cream!" she sulked, sitting up from the carpet. She reached onto the couch to snatch her pint and spoon. She dug the spoon heavily into the ice cream, popping it into her mouth.

"Sometimes, I swear it's like having a child..." Teagan rolled her eyes as she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"BRAINFREEZE! HOLY SHIT! THAT'S BRAINFREEZE!" Oriana suddenly yelped, rushing out of the living room area, tapping on her forehead.

"SERVES YOU RIGHT FOR ACTING LIKE A KID AND EATING TOO FAST!" Teagan called after Oriana, laughing. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

"Howie?" the voice answered with an amused questioning tone.

"I'D RATHER HAVE MY ASS FROZEN!" Oriana screeched even louder, running around the circular pattern of their suite. She didn't seem to notice that she continued to pass through the living room, bathroom, and bedroom.

"H-Howie, hold on a minute," Teagan placed a hand over the receiver. "DRINK SOME WARM WATER AND GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE! HOWIE'S ON THE PHONE!"

Oriana only ran a few more times, completely oblivious to Teagan's comment. She sighed with relief as she fell onto the couch, rubbing her sore temples. She reached for her ice cream yet again, taking another smaller bite. "Damn ice cream... Damn bellhop..."

"AHEM. Your boyfriend HOWIE is on the phone, you dumbass."

"Huh?" Oriana choked.

"Howie. You know, the sexy Spanish man you have back home?"

Oriana's blue-green eyes fired with surprise. She swallowed the mouthful of ice cream quickly, scrambling to reach the phone. “'Lo?" she blurted.

"Having some problems with ice cream and a bellhop, Baby?" he chuckled.

"Baby!" she cooed.

"Hey, I thought I would just call and see how New York is going."

"It's...um...pretty interesting?" she guessed, glancing down at her defiled cast.

"Especially with those bellhops," he teased.

"Huh? What do you know about the bellhops?" she squeaked.

"I just heard you say 'Damn bellhop'."

"Oh..." she trailed, laughing tensely. She scooped another spoon of ice cream, popping it into her mouth. She felt like she was on fire just with Howie's voice. She took several deep breaths to calm herself. "How's Orlando, Baby?"

"Same old, same old. It's really boring without you here, and Alex is already driving me nuts,"

"Already driving you nuts?" Oriana laughed. "Jamie can't be that bad."

"Maybe it's just because you keep him in line."

"Then you keep him in line for yourself, Baby."

"Somehow I don't have the kind of authority that you keep."

"Maybe it was those martial arts awards he saw..." Oriana trailed with a familiar smile, knowing that Howie couldn't see it anyway. She let them both go silent for a few moments before speaking up, "Corey and Catie... Did they call you at all?"

"No, they haven't called me yet. No news is good news with them, right?"

"Right..." Oriana trailed, biting down on her bottom lip. She suddenly wished they would have at least called to say hello to Howie.

"Well, maybe they'll call me tomorrow to say Hi or something," Howie replied, trying to cheer her up. "I know they miss you almost as much as me."

"You think?" she asked with a soft lopsided smile.

"I think so," he chuckled. "Do you miss me?"

"I miss you like crazy," Oriana confided with an innocent laugh, causing Teagan to coo. Oriana tried to ignore her friend, shifting on the couch and pushing the ice cream away. She held the phone closer to her ear, curling slightly into a ball to conceal the low tones of her conversation. "I love having Gabby in my bed, but you're so much better to cuddle with..."

"Aw..." Howie cooed as well. "My bed's so cold and empty without you, too. It's not the same. Your loving brother Alex even offered to be your replacement... I just pray to God he was kidding."

"He's not too bad to cuddle with..."

"But I'm a guy!"

"And I cuddle with Gabby."

"It's different."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"He spending the night with you or what?"

"He should be over here soon. That's why I called you now, so he couldn't snatch the phone away from me. I think he might be going as crazy as me without you. He wants to go flying tomorrow with us. John's all ready for it. He wants to take you and me for a quick spin before Prom. How about that?"

"Me...and heights?" she asked, swallowing hard.

"You don't like flying?"

"Flying's okay... But heights are just a little much... Gabby had to take the outside seat on the flight."

"Well, you could sit in the middle seat. Or if you don't want to, that's okay--"

"If you really want to go, I'll go," Oriana interrupted quickly. "I'm just going to probably be attached to you..."

"Sounds fine to me. How was the dress shopping?"

"Dress shopping... Oh, I bailed out on that."

"What?" Howie asked in disbelief.

Teagan raised an eyebrow. "You did not--"

"Yeah, I met this bellhop while Teagan was going down to catch the cab to the dress place. Ended up spending the whole day with him--"

"Stop lying!" Teagan smacked Oriana's shoulder.

"Howie?" Oriana yelped into the receiver as he went silent.

"What?"

"I'm completely bullshitting because I'm hoping the worst case scenario next to what really happened won't look so terrible--- "

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"We went and got our dresses, both of them in fact, in the same day... In the same trip..."

"You got dresses?" he asked, smiling.

"Yeah, we got them after we put our stuff at the hotel... But today we went out shopping for just gifts for the entire family. We got back and my knee was killing me, so I got a jacuzzi tubby. Gosh, that was so nice. So I get out and I order a killer Domino's pizza for dinner and I'm cramming this away and decide I want ice cream. Which, I shouldn't have even had either because of the dance recital and the football game, but anyway, this bellhop comes up and gives Teagan the flowers Brian gave her for their month anniversary and he has my ice cream. He heard me singing and I try to give him a tip, but he won't let me. He asks me how long we're staying and I say the weekend and he throws his name on my cast with a number telling me to get a hold of him. ALL before I could tell him I'm madly in love with this guy in Florida who's sexier than all the bellhops put together in this entire hotel..." Oriana explained in one long breath.

"Wow... a very productive day," Howie chuckled, knowing he didn't have to worry about the bellhop.

"Excuse me?" she blanked.

"A very productive day. Baby, I'm not mad about the bellhop, because you're right. He didn't know that I was the boyfriend of the amazingly beautiful country singing girl."

"You're not mad?" she repeated.

"Why would I be mad?"

"So I got worried for nothing?" she asked, not bothering to answer his question. She groaned inwardly at her foolishness, standing up. She tossed the phone toward Teagan. She grumbled as she walked into the bedroom. "Holy freaking Hell! I get all worried about this hot-ass bellhop writes his name and number on my cast and Howie doesn't even give a shit? Now I feel sick..."

"Dude, Howie, what the Hell did you say to her?" Teagan asked.

"I said I wasn't mad about the bellhop?" Howie replied quizzically in confusion. He had never heard such a sour tone in a woman's voice when she should be happy.

"Oh..." Teagan trailed, clicking her tongue with a laugh. She heard the bathroom door shut and soon enough the recoiling of Oriana's stomach contents. She winced slightly, knowing Oriana had overdone it on the milk products when she was lactose intolerant and not used to eating so much. "Then that was her way of saying I love you and sweet dreams."

"Is she mad at me? Because I know if I had been all pissed off and jealous, she would have freaked out on me. I was going to tell her that I trust her and that I didn't have to worry about bellhops hitting on her because we love each other too much to let anyone get in between us," Howie replied, feeling bad.

"That was just her...um...Oriana Ryan Riley Emotions?" Teagan tried to explain, hearing the toilet flush and the sink water start. She coiled the phone cord around her finger, staring at the beautiful roses. "She honestly thought you were going to flip a shit, so she worked out this whole speech. But I honestly think all the milk products got to her worse than your sympathy... Don't worry Howie, when she realizes what she said, she'll call you right back begging for forgiveness. She operates like a guy sometimes, so expect a call at any time."

"Alright..." Howie bit his lip hard, still feeling bad. "Tell her I said good-night and that I love her for me?"

"She's going to call you back tonight," Teagan promised, hearing the bathroom door open and close. She heard Oriana's pathetic shuffle of her feet, the peeling back of the covers, then Oriana launching herself right into the middle. "I guarantee she'll call you back tonight."

"Well, I'll be up for awhile. Thanks, Teag."

"You're welcome, Howie. Goodnight."

Howie mumbled some kind of reply as Teagan hung up the phone. She gently clicked her tongue, feeling slightly bad for Howie. Oriana had the oddest behavior at times that was too difficult to define. She knew that before the night was out, Oriana would scramble for the phone. She just had to wait until Oriana got the picture.

"First relationships are always the hardest," Teagan laughed with amusement, sniffing her beautiful flowers yet again as the phone rang. She almost expected it to be Howie asking if Oriana was okay.

"Teags?!" Brian's voice rang excitedly, instead.

"BABY!" Teagan cooed happily.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Thank you for the flowers, that was too sweet."

"I knew you would like them," he answered with a hardy laugh, approving of her excitement. "Red and White Roses, for love and friendship."

"They are absolutely beautiful, I'm going to save each and every one. How are you doing at home?"

"I'm...okay, I guess," he answered softly. Truth be told, things had been worse for him without Teagan. The wedding plans were taking a lot of time in the entire household and Brian had no where to escape. The football team seemed to repel him like he was a diseased rat while Alex and Howie assured on keeping their distance. Nick seemed to be the only one somewhat communicating with him. Things were always different when Teagan was around. "I just want you home soon."

"I know, Bri. Just a couple more days and I'll be back in your arms," she replied, feeling bad for her boyfriend. She knew how despised he was on the team ever since the first practice and that a lot of people avoided him if she wasn't around. She wanted to go home to him badly, but also loved spending time alone with Oriana.

"Couple more days seems like eternity."

"An eternity and a half," Teagan groaned softly, getting up to crawl under the covers on the king sized bed. She snuggled into the pillow, imagining he was with her. "We'll do whatever you want when I come home, okay? That's something else to look forward to."

"Anything I want? Like run away from Tartan?"

"Tartan's not that bad," she scolded.

"Okay... Okay..." he sighed softly.

"We've only got about six months of school left until Graduation, I'm sure you can hang in there."

"I'll be okay as long as you're with me," Brian decided.

"And of course I will be with you. Always," Teagan replied, twirling some of her short locks around her index finger. The ring he gave her sparkled in the soft lamplight. "Brian... you haven't seen him, have you?"

"Who?"

"...Xander."

"No..." Brian trailed in surprise. "Teags, he's going to leave you alone."

"I've thought that before, Brian. He doesn't go away..." Teagan chewed on her nails. "But if you do see him, just run--"

"I'm not going to run from him. He doesn't scare me and if he does come anywhere near me - I'll kill him. I'm going to protect you, Teags. You're not going to get hurt by him again."

"You don't understand what he's capable of. He almost killed me--"

"Because of fucking Oriana," Brian breathed quietly without thought, though it sounded like a muffled connection to Teagan.

"Brian, what was that? The connection got bad for a moment."

"Nothing, Honey," Brian cooed. "I'm just saying that I'm going to protect you. Don't worry a thing about Xander. You're not going to get hurt, okay? I promise you."

"Just don't get hurt either... I love you too much and I don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me."

"I know..." Teagan sighed. "Anyway, enough sad stuff. You know what I'm going to do for you when I get home?"

"Something really exciting?"

"Something extremely exciting," she agreed.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"Sorry, Baby... you gotta wait to see when I get home."

"But---"

"No buts, it's a surprise. Trust me, when you see it you'll be glad it was a surprise."

"But---"

"I'm not going to tell you, Brian Thomas."

"You're not fair!"

"But you love me!"

"Yeah, but---"

"If you say 'but' one more time I'll come through the phone and smack your ass."

"Does that mean you'd be here with me?" he countered curiously.

"I can't physically go through the phone, it was an empty threat," she giggled.

"D-amn," he moaned pathetically. "I just wanted someone to cuddle with tonight. Is that so much to ask?"

"No, it's not. Just sleep with the teddy bear I gave you this morning."

"He is kind of cute..." Brian trailed, giving Teagan the opportunity to imagine the sweet smirk across his handsome face. "I'll cuddle up with him tonight. Alex is staying over at D's house... So, no pictures of me with the teddy..."

"That's because it's my job to take the embarrassing pictures," Teagan snickered. "So when I come back, you better be careful."

"Is that a threat, Miss Eavans?"

"Always..." she giggled.

"Well, you better just have a Happy Anniversary then, because payback will be a bitch."

"Right back at you--" she yawned heavily. "Oh, my goodness. It's getting late."

"Too hard picking out pretty dresses?" Brian teased softly, hearing her yawn yet again. He smiled softly, wishing he could at least stroke her cheek softly. "I better let you get some rest for your next day of adventure, huh?"

"Every day is something different here in New York... I just wish I could kiss you goodnight," Teagan mumbled, her eyelids drooping.

"Well...here!" Brian declared brightly, smooching loudly into the telephone.

Teagan's eyes snapped open with surprise, laughing before doing the same. "I love you, Brian! Sweet dreams."

"Only dream about me, Baby."

"You're the only one I would ever want to dream about."

"Good," he answered, doing the smooches yet again. "Love you and happy anniversary."

"Love you too, happy anniversary. I'll call you tomorrow," she made kissing noises.

Somehow, they managed to drift their conversation into an actual goodbye. Teagan felt absolutely content as she turned onto her back, staring up into the darkness with a smile on her face. Brian was the absolutely the most adorable man in her eyes. She thought of Brian as she felt Oriana carefully shift to cuddle up against her. Though, instead of wrapping her bracing her good arm on Teagan's arm like a pillow, she placed her hand against Teagan's mouth. Oriana mumbled sleepily, "You done sucking face through a phone?"
Teagan nodded, muttering. "Yeah, are you done making out with the toilet?"

"Knew I shouldn't have ate that much. I really got to stick to the fruit and salad till this dance recital..." Oriana replied, releasing Teagan's mouth so she could cuddle like normal.

"You were just excited about being in New York," Teagan replied, cuddling closer to Oriana. "The ice cream and your intolerance probably didn't help, either."

"I'm sticking to fruit and salads...mixed with a McDonald's breakfast?" Oriana decided with an innocent spark in her eyes.

"Sounds good to me," Teagan answered sleepily, closing her eyes. "Howie was worried you were mad at him, though."

"Howie?" Oriana asked in confusion.

"You know, your boyfriend."

Oriana stayed silent for a few moments, letting the memories run through her brain. She lurched up from the bed, cursing, "Shit!" She gently reached over Teagan to snatch the phone. She then turned in the bed to her own side, letting Teagan fall asleep as she hurriedly punched Howie's cell phone number. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

"Hello?" Howie's voice filtered through the phone.

"Baby, I am so sorry," Oriana blurted without thought, feeling extremely guilty.

"Ria? Sweetie, it's okay. Maybe I should have reacted differently when you told me about the bellhop--"

"No! That's not it at all. I just had like two slices of pizza and that ice cream... I was feeling the sickness bubble and I guess I just needed a way to get off the phone. I was an idiot to even yell at you for it..." Oriana interrupted, running her hand through her tangled locks with worry.

"You didn't yell at me, but you really got sick?"

"Too much milk..." Oriana answered. "Sticking to fruit, salad, and McDonald's breakfast... But, honestly, Baby, I'm really sorry about ditching you like that. Gabby said you were upset, but I didn't mean to do that."

"Well, I was upset because I thought you were upset. I didn't know that you had gotten sick from eating too much food. You don't need to apologize," Howie replied, glad Oriana wasn't mad at him.

"This is so stupid, we're fighting over being sorry," Oriana answered with a soft laugh, settling down against her pillows. She felt Teagan turn to cuddle against her back, making her squeal quietly with surprise.

"I know, and I thought it was bad with my sisters and their boyfriends," Howie chuckled, enjoying the private conversation.

"We'll just have to go down in the record books, but I'm so quitting if we start fighting about who's hanging up first."

"I refuse to let that happen."

"You're not the only one, because I will hang up first," Oriana joked, feeling Teagan's arm wrap around her waist like she was a teddy bear. She rolled her eyes with amusement, finally allowing them to drift close just with the sound of Howie's voice. "Jamie over yet?"

"Yeah, he's playing video games with John and his friends. I'm just glad he's not in here bugging me," Howie replied, leaning back on his pillows. He felt himself float along with her voice.

"You should be playing with your friend."

"I don't like the video games they're playing. Besides, I wanna talk to my girl."

"You still should be playing with your friend, instead of passing him off to your big brother."

"Hey, he was bugging John to let him play. I wasn't going to stop him. He's been under a lot of stress lately with the way Brian is."

"He isn't giving you guys trouble this weekend, is he?"

"Not yet. That's why I decided we should stay at my house until you girls come back. Kevin said it was alright, Alex just needs to be home at certain times for wedding stuff."

"Good..." she trailed, biting down hard on her bottom lip. She felt so guilty for placing Alex and Howie in such a hard place with Brian. Before her, nothing had gone wrong between the three. From what she understood, they were the greatest of friends with Nick included. Now they were in opposite sides of a bitter war.

"So, what do you two have planned for tomorrow?" he asked, changing the subject. He knew she felt guilty for Brian's attitude, but it wasn't her fault.

"Tomorrow's Saturday... She's dragging me somewhere... Sunday is the Spa, so we might hit some of the clubs or something tomorrow---"

"You both be careful at the clubs."

"We don't know for sure if that's what we're doing," Oriana answered, figuring Howie's protective scowl was crossing his facial features. She smiled softly just at the mere picture inside her mind. "I want to check out the Freakatorium, supposed to be some killer stuff in that..."

"The Freaka-what?"

"Freakatorium, Baby. It's like a museum of sorts. Like it has these weird animals, like a living two-headed turtle... The bones of Saint Matthew... And like shrunken heads and stuff!" Oriana answered with an excited tone.

"You really want to go to that freak show?"

"More than anything," she confirmed, yawning slightly. "But you know what I want to do more than anything right now?"

"What, Babe?"

"Rather than have Teagan cuddling next to me, which I love, don't get my wrong... I would really much rather be in your room right now, which I've never even seen, cuddling next to you in your neatly folded down bed, trailing my fingers against your bare chest, telling you how much I love you," Oriana cooed softly.

"Awe, Riana... that's so sweet," Howie blushed with a smile. "I wish you were here, too. More than anything."

"I'd hop a flight home if it weren't for needing someone's hand during the flight and Teagan trailing me with a shotgun..."

"I know. But you'll be home soon, and then you can spend the night at my house."

"Huh?"

"Unless you don't want to spend the night at my house--"

"No, it's not that... I just don't want to make your parents uncomfortable, or your sisters, or your brother for that matter... I mean, are they going to approve? It’s different when you spend the night here because you can say you crashed in Jamie’s room or Brian’s room… I just wouldn't feel right without---"

"How about you come over for dinner Tuesday after practices and meet everyone? They're going to love you so much that they would never mind you staying the night."

"I'd like that..." Oriana stated softly, it had been so long since she had seen a normal family.

"Mama cooks like a fiend. You'll never be able to eat again."

"I don't think I can eat that much..."

"We try telling her that, but she still does it. So we usually invited Nick and Alex over to eat the rest."

"I can bring them with me if you want..."

"No, this is going to be just you, me and my family..." they were silent for a moment. "Don't be scared about meeting them."

"Terrified more appropriate?"

"Don't be terrified. You'll do great, just be yourself."

"Be myself in a house dominated by females?"

"Yes, be yourself," he repeated, stifling a small yawn.

"Okay," she answered, hearing him yawn louder. "Baby, you're tired."

"But I--" he yawned again. "Wanna talk to my Ria."

"You want to sleep," she corrected.

"But--"

"Baby, I'm not going to keep you up. You need your sleep, besides, Jamie'll just wake you up when he comes into the room. You're going to need your sleep for flying tomorrow... Which I'm saying be careful at yet again... But have sweet dreams."

"I'll be careful, as always. My dreams are of you, so of course they're sweet. I love you, Sweetie."

"We getting a PG-13 Rating in your dreams? Or am I looking at an NC-17 or R when I get back home?" she teased softly.

"PG-13 on its way to R," he chuckled.

"Bet it's kinky..."

"With your twisted little mind, it sure is."

"And now I'm making a note to buy a hardcore metal chastity belt before coming home..."

*~*~*


"You're not supposed to pick up massage techniques, Oriana Ryan Riley! You're supposed to be enjoying the massage yourself!" Teagan scolded loudly as she tugged heavily on Oriana's arm, dragging her through the tranquil halls of the exclusive spa. It was already early Sunday afternoon and Teagan wanted to enjoy everything the expensive spa had to offer. So far she and a forced Oriana had participated in full body massages, manicures, pedicures, reflexology, European facials, and many other offers that Oriana found revolting. Now, Teagan was forcing Oriana into the luxury of a large mud bath.

"I like to massage! Can you blame me?" Oriana groaned, tugging to hold her soft terry-cloth robe tighter to her bikini-clad body. She had already been dipped, waxed, fluffed, and Oriana was waiting to be thrown in a huge dryer.
"But this is a time to enjoy, not a time to learn! Come on, we need to relax in the mud bath. You're going to love it," Teagan replied as they reached a huge room with many pools filled with smooth mud.

"Can't I just sit on the sidelines and take pictures of you?" Oriana asked hopefully, motioning toward the camera their mothers had insisted on packing specifically for the spa. Oriana knew better, after the mud bath they would do something else to her to purify the mud and she dreaded that. She glanced down at the largest pool of mud, fitted for two, and stopped. "Honestly! I get this treatment on the damn field every practice! Ain't seen no improvement in my complexion or whatever!"

"That's because it's dirty mud--"

"That's what mud is!"

"No, this is medicated mud that does help your skin, unlike the kind you get smothered in at practice."

"Medicated mud?" Oriana snorted, unable to keep a straight face. "You honestly think this goo is medicated? Bet they go down to the farm portion of New York and get a good price from those cattle farmers, then charge us triple the damn price promising its rejuvenating and good for aching muscles!"

"You shut your mouth right now and get in that mud before I push you in," Teagan threatened.

"You're absolutely insane," Oriana cackled, noticing the blush of fury streaking cross her friend's cheeks. Oriana tugged on the special cast protector her mother had gotten for this specific event, so nothing could harm the cast in its last days. Oriana found the cover interesting, though she was determined not to get into the mud. She just found it absurd that she had to pay money to frolic in mud that she was always tackled into at practice. "No way in Hell---"

Teagan shrieked with a fury of disbelief, pushing Oriana from behind. Oriana yelped in surprise, stumbling forward and crashing into the pile of thick goo as the camera flew upward. Teagan caught it with ease, watching Oriana's ungraceful fall. She sunk like a lead weight into the thick, bubbling ooze, sticking beneath the surface with only her neck and up showing. She looked utterly surprised as Teagan burst into a fit of laughter. "GOT YOU!"

"Is that so?"

"Mmm-hmmm!"

"Well... Get this!" Oriana grunted, pulling her hand free from the warm, slippery mud to grasp Teagan's robe. She tugged heavily, causing Teagan to topple into the mud, the camera landing on the marble surface as Teagan plunked right on top of Oriana.

"That was not part of the plan!" Teagan sputtered, wiping mud out of her face. "You're lucky the camera didn't break!"

"It...was part of my plan!" Oriana declared, swiping a large pile of goop into her hand, affectionately smearing it down Teagan's cheek. "Yeah... This stuff is really refreshing!"

"Stop being a smartass," Teagan groaned before taking some mud in both her hands and smushed it into Oriana's cheeks.

"Mmmm! I feel my muscles relaxing and my body purifying as we speak!" Oriana continued, wiggling a little to free the mud-caked robe from her body. She pulled it free from the thick goop, throwing it into the nearby basket to the horror of a fellow spa member.

"We're never going to be allowed here again," Teagan laughed as she threw hers into the basket as well.

"We're in New York, what are the chances that we're really coming back to this particular spa?" Oriana asked as Teagan tackled her into the mud with a thump. Oriana groaned, remembering all the baby pictures of Teagan tackling her. She noticed a towel boy saunter across to collect the dirty towels. She knew she would be grounded for a century if she didn't allow a picture to be taken. So, Oriana offered her most innocent smile, "Hey! What are the chances you can get our camera and take a picture for our mothers?"

The boy clicked his tongue in approval, smirking. He bent down and picked up the camera. "It would be a very good chance, ladies."

"Thanks!" Oriana chirped as Teagan tackled her yet again in the mud like old times, smiling. Oriana rolled her eyes for a moment, before offering her own smile toward the boy.

He placed the camera to his eyes and focused in on the two girls. "That's prefect. You ready? 1, 2, 3," the light flashed and Oriana knew she would be tortured for life with the pictures.

"This goes no further than our mothers, Teagan Gabrielle, or I'll let those 'streaking' pictures surface of you drunk as Hell on the beach..." Oriana bribed as the boy smiled yet again, setting the camera near their 'mud hole.' Oriana offered yet another kind smile, "Thanks again... And two robes would be pretty sweet when you get the chance..."

"Two robes, coming up," The boy smiled, checking Teagan and Oriana one more time before leaving the room.

"You should see if he'll write his number on your cast, too," Teagan teased, carefully pulling herself off Oriana, settling into the spot next to her with a pillow supporting her head. She freed her hands from the mud to slide down her cool gel eye-mask, then quickly submerged them back into the mud.

"He was looking at you more than me. Guys go for the brunette..." Oriana replied with a snort, leaning back on her own pillow, sinking deeper into the mud. She resisted the urge to giggle as she squished the mud between her toes, remembering her youth when she visited her grandparents in North Carolina.

"I don't know about that, but I don't have a cast to get guy's numbers on like you do," Teagan chuckled, feeling her pores open up from the mud. She sighed softly. The first two months of school and life in general had been so hectic, it felt good to be pampered for the day. "And don't you dare get out those streaking pictures. Mom would kill me if she found out why I was even doing that in the first place."

"I think she'd be more surprised to see that little heart tattoo near your right boob that just had to have that night..."

Teagan's eyes snapped open. "She doesn't even know I have any tattoos! She'd kill me and bury me six feet under!"

"Then lets just remember this little fact when it comes time to develop this pictures," Oriana laughed, settling back deeper into her pillow.

"Told you this wasn't so bad, didn't I?" Teagan changed the subject.

"You want to know the best part?" Oriana asked as a mischievous smile curved to her delicate lips.

"Do I even want to know?" Teagan raised an eyebrow. She didn't like the smile on her best friend's face.

"Oh, yes," she cooed.

"What?"

Oriana plopped her hand down into the mud to drawl up a large pile. She smirked with pleasure as she quickly squeezed it free, developing a large farting sound. She giggled madly as an elderly woman rushed away from her mud bath to the beautiful showers. Oriana snorted with laughter as little mud droplets fell behind her. She was obviously highly amused as she gathered another pile to do yet another fart with her hands. Yet, she didn't seem to notice the towel boy walk in with the robes until he slipped on the mud and tumbled into the girls' mud bath. Oriana's blue-green eyes widened with surprise as she and Teagan jumped up to sit on the side of the mud bath. "Did you need relaxing muscles and a purified body?" Oriana questioned with a serious look casting her innocent face.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Teagan asked as the boy stood up in the pool, covered in mud.

"Your...uh...robes?" he fumbled, holding up two mud-caked robes to the girls. His cheeks were bright red as the mud slowly dripped from his crisp white uniform. He was obviously highly embarrassed from screwing up in front of two beautiful girls. He muttered something to himself as he struggled to get out of the mud bath, but Oriana quickly jumped up to grasp his arm.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" she asked kindly, feeling bad.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just feel a little dumb for slipping into the mud bath," he mumbled, wiping some mud out of his hair.

"Well... Hell, you deserved a break," Oriana joked sweetly, just wanting him to smile. She stepped toward him, carefully smoothing the rest of the mud from his dark locks. "Tell you what... Why don't you just enjoy the dip on us? We'll give you a major bonus tip to spend the day with us... I think we'd be better company than grabbing towels for the old ladies all day. Your supervisor won't mind a bit, either, because Momma's definitely a killer advocate to have when it comes to relaxing spas for patients..."

"I don't know... I don't think it would be good to stay in my uniform, and I don't have anything else to change into--"

"You guys have a store here for lounge shorts and shirts..." Teagan agreed, understanding Oriana's noble act. She held her finger up for a moment, reaching over to the nearby bench to grab her purse. She wiped her hands with the towel before reaching and plucking some bills from her wallet. "On us for my little sister's idiotic farting techniques."

"Hey! That was just classic!" Oriana objected as Teagan offered him the crisp bills. Oriana smiled pleadingly at the boy. "C'mon, you can buy your girlfriend something really sweet with the tip. I feel really bad for the whole flying mud incident..."

"Are you both sure? I don't want jealous boyfriends to come and chase me down or something."

"We're from Florida," Teagan assured with a laugh.

"What she means is were definitely sure. They understand as much. We just needed a guy to show us the ropes while we have seaweed on our faces..." Oriana joked.

"Well... alright. Let me get some clothes, and I’ll be right back."

"Okay," the girls answered, stepping so he could get past them, but he ended up slipping yet again in the mud. Teagan shrieked in surprise as they crashed back into the thick mud with a loud farting sound. Oriana burst into a round of hearty laughs over the sound as the boy's hands settled around their waists because he had tried to steady them. Now they lay in the mud, the girls practically on his lap.

"Oh, Lord," Oriana snickered as she caught Teagan's gaze. They seemed to be thinking the same thing. Oriana nodded, reaching behind her to grab the camera. She held it above them and both girls quickly pressed kisses to the boy's muddy cheeks as the flash expelled.

"Just don't let my girlfriend see that," the boy chuckled as he looked to see their positions.

"We'll be gone tomorrow," Teagan promised.

"Though we might stay around just to see that smile..." Oriana teased, helping Teagan up so he could actually get some clothing.

"Tempting. Very tempting," he smiled, getting out of the mud bath and carefully walking towards the store.

"Howie's so going to kill you..." Teagan murmured in disbelief.

"Oh no, he won't," Oriana declared, slipping back down into the mud. She sighed with pleasure as the warm mud covered her body yet again, allowing her to squish it between her toes. She spoke with confidence as she pulled down her own gel mask, "I just pick up some massage oils at the spa store...and call it even..."

"You're evil," Teagan muttered with a slight smile before relaxing the mud herself. She closed her eyes, suddenly missing Brian even more after the towel boy incident.

"You'll see him tomorrow afternoon," Oriana reminded, knowing exactly what Teagan was thinking.

"How'd you--"

"Seventeen years," Oriana interrupted with a coy smile. "I bet he misses you just as much. You're going to get home, spend like five minutes with the mothers, and run to him for the rest of the night."

"I can't wait!" Teagan admitted with a squeal of pleasure. She didn't think she could wait until she had her arms around him again. Sighing softly, she wrapped her arms around herself and glanced down into the store, noticing the boy motioning toward Oriana with a large smile and glittering eyes. "Riana, if you ever screw up with Howie... You should move to New York."

"Why's that?"

"Because, first off, you’re getting plenty of action here without even trying. And second, I know that towel boy so doesn't have a girlfriend."

"Huh?" Oriana deadpanned, pulling her gel mask off to glance at her friend.

"You actually think he had a girlfriend? He doesn't," Teagan replied matter-of-factly with a smile.

"Didn't he just freaking say---"

"He wanted to see your reaction. It was a good one, that's why he's staying."
"What?"

"In other words, he said he had a girlfriend to see if you have a boyfriend. You didn't mind when he said that, so he thinks that you don't have a boyfriend."

"But I said they'd understand," Oriana groaned, standing up from the mud bath. She was obviously tired with the warm mud. She offered her hand to Teagan to help her out. They sauntered toward the glass showers before the boy could return. "I said 'they,' Gabby. Meaning more than one boyfriend. You're reading into this."

"That's why he was motioning towards you in the shop, smiling and eyes twinkling... okay, Riana."

"You're full of shit," Oriana stated yet again, stepping into the steaming showers to free the mud from her body. She still wasn't too confident about her looks, even if Howie constantly doted upon her. She seemed more content with cleaning the mud free from her sleek body as Teagan did the same beside her. "So, what are we doing next? I heard the jacuzzi massage is freaking killer after a mud bath..."

"Actually, that's next and I am not full of shit," Teagan replied, cupping water in her hands and throwing it at Oriana.

"Hey!" Oriana laughed in surprise, quickly soaping up her long locks with the complimentary shampoo and conditioner.

"That's what you get," Teagan snickered as she shampooed and conditioned her hair in half the time it took Oriana. "I love having short hair."

"Yeah, we know," Oriana groaned, watching Teagan hop out of the showers and snag the last towel and robe to wrap around her body and hair. Oriana cursed softly, finishing and jumping out, knowing she'd have to wait for yet another towel boy for at least a robe. She glared playfully at her friend, bending over to twist the water free from her soaking wet curls. She quickly pulled back up only to face the familiar towel boy in her bikini. "Back so soon?" she asked, awkwardly tucking her hands behind her back.

"Yep. Are you both sure it's alright if I hang out?" the boy asked, handing her extra towels.

"Of course it is. Just stay away from the mud," Teagan teased softly.

"Thanks," Oriana answered, not really hearing Teagan's wise-crack. She quickly bent over again to towel dry her curls, not really paying attention to anything but what Teagan said early. She quickly stood back up, allowing her curls to fall into her face. "Do you have a girlfriend seriously?"

"That's the funny thing. I DID have a girlfriend at one point."

"How long ago was that?"

"Two weeks..."

"Two weeks ago and you said that you had one now?" Teagan laughed, shooting an I-told-you-so glance to Oriana. "Why?"

"Well, a lot of girls say that they have boyfriends here, and I see them later with no one. I was just trying to see if one of you was single, and it seemed like you were with your reaction," he indicated towards Oriana.

"Wait... So you were looking to hook up with either one of us?" Teagan asked as Oriana glared toward her.


"Yeah... if you don't want me to tag along, I'll understand--"

"Both of us?" Teagan repeated, knowing it would infuriate Oriana. She just wanted the point to be proven that Oriana was capable of attracting a man's attention for something besides sports. "You weren't just looking to score with the Blonde and Beautiful over there? I mean honestly, which one of us caught your eye first?"

"You won't be mad at what I say?"

"No way, because I asked for your honesty."

"It was you," he replied, looking at Oriana.

"Excuse me?" Oriana choked in disbelief, allowing the towel to drop from her hands. She was so used to Teagan attracting all the attention.

"You're the one who caught my eye."

"Why?" she deadpanned.

"Everything about you. Those blonde curls, beautiful eyes and that amazing body. It just caught my eye."

"But I'm---"

"Could you grab her a robe real quick before we all head to the jacuzzi?" Teagan interrupted, wanting Oriana to have fun with it. If anything, Howie trusted Oriana completely and wouldn't care as long as she came home to love him. Plus, Teagan knew Oriana wouldn't be rushing off to elope with the boy, Howie was too important. Teagan smiled affectionately as the boy nodded, walking away.

"Howie?" Oriana squeaked softly to Teagan.

"He trusts you, that's why he didn't object to you coming. Just have fun with this today. I'm sure it shows you that guys do look at you, even if you're not playing some sport."

Oriana just leaned back on the nearby wall, staring at the boy's retreating form. Truth be told, he was well built and quite handsome. Her eyes focused on his backside for a moment, unable to hide her smile. "Maybe...I should pick up edible massage oil for Howie before we leave..."

"I think he would like the reassurance that no boy could ever compare to him, even in other states," Teagan agreed, smiling as well. "If anything, become good friends with Towel Boy and become email-pals."

"So, if anything, I still have Towel Boy for a backup when Howie dumps me?"

"Oriana Ryan--"

"Okay, two edible body massage oils..."

"Did I ever tell you that you think like a guy?"

"Every God-Damn Day."
Welcome Home by Anastacia
Chapter 43 – Welcome Home

"Mom! Ma! We're home!" Teagan called as she and Oriana walked into the house with their luggage and bags of presents. "Ooh, I'm craving homemade food so bad."

"Please, I'm on a strict fruit and salad diet till Wednesday when I have to carbo load," Oriana interjected, gently laying her bags of presents to the side. She heard two loud squeals and immediately pitched her duffle bag to the floor. She watched Teagan rush forward to Marie, giving her a gigantic kiss. Oriana shrugged her shoulders as her own mother rushed forward, enveloping her in a tight bear hug. "Hi, Momma!"

"Hi, Baby! How was New York?" Cassandra enthused, kissing Oriana's cheeks. "You both behaved and didn't get banned from anywhere, right?"

"Banned... Actually, we got a chance to come back and dance for that topless club—"

"You are doing no such thing!"

"Kidding, Momma. Jezz," Oriana answered, kissing her mother's cheek affectionately as Teagan grabbed all the bags of presents and dove onto the one couch with her mother. Oriana lead her own mother to the other set of couches, sitting down. She was still exhausted from the airplane ride. "How was everything here, Momma, Moms?"

"Everything was just fine, like always. We all missed you two like crazy, though!" Marie replied, kissing Teagan's forehead as she was handed two gifts.

"You guys didn't go shopping for us," Cassandra scolded as she was handed her own gift.

"We went shopping for everyone, including ourselves," Oriana interjected before either mother could complain. She propped her graceful legs into her mother's lap, pointing to the larger gift. "Moms, open that one first!"

Marie shook her head as she unwrapped the gift. "You two are unbelieve—oh my God! Teagan Gabrielle! Oriana Ryan!"

"You like it, Mom?" Teagan snickered.

"Moms, I stood right there in our front beach lawn thing that we were planning on getting arrested," Oriana continued as Marie showed Cassandra the gift. Sure enough, Oriana had gotten the picture of the girls in the old fashioned jail cell with a cute guard between them. The girls were affectionately kissing the handsome guard's cheeks as he handcuffed them together. The frame was decorated with police cars and Oriana had even managed to find a sticker to place above their smiling faces with the caption - DAMN THAT WAS FUN!

"You two are going to be the death of us. You know that, right?" Cassandra shook her head, trying not to smile as she handed back the picture.

"But you both love us!" Teagan and Oriana replied with innocent grins.

"That's why you're going to be the death of us," Marie reminded, placing the frame back in the box. Truth be told, she couldn't wait to place it on the fireplace mantel for display with the other pictures of the girls.

"Next present!" Teagan chimed.

"Teag, Sweetie, this is more than enough--"

"Hush now and open your next present."

"You're lucky you just came home," Marie muttered as her daughter kissed her cheek before taking the other gift.

"Oh please, Moms, she gets away with everything," Oriana groaned as Marie gushed a squeal, freeing the bracelet from the bed of velvet. She shrieked yet again, throwing her arms around Teagan as she admired each Nurse-directed charm glittering beneath the light.

"This is absolutely beautiful! Thank you!" Marie enthused, kissing Teagan's cheeks.

"You're welcome, Mom," Teagan giggled.

"Okay, Cass. It's your turn!"

"Mine?" Cassandra asked, grasping the box.

"Wait!" Oriana yelped. "Before you open this thing, it was not my idea. I was forced into this... And no way in Hell am I insinuating for you to do anything with this."

"It was mine!" Teagan chirped as she cuddled with Marie.

"Exactly, her idea," Oriana repeated as her mother tore through the paper. She closed her eyes when she heard the rustling of tissue paper and a gigantic squeal. She jumped as she opened her eyes, watching Cassandra stand up to hold the light blue bustier to her womanly figure. "Oh, God, Momma, no!"

"This is going to be perfect for the wedding! Now I have the something blue! Marie, look at this! This is exactly what I would have gotten!" Cassandra gushed happily.

"Make the horror stop!" Oriana cried with a painful moan of the dead, collapsing onto the couch and covering her head with the throw pillow.

"I've heard worse!" Teagan laughed, remembering things about her mother's past boyfriends that she didn't want to know.

"Did Riana pick out the one with the little hearts?" Cassandra cooed, sitting down on the couch to rub her daughter's back. She definitely knew how to press her daughter's buttons. "I bet she picked out this really sexy one for my wedding night..."

"Where's Kevin?" Oriana blurted, launching herself off the couch.

"He's up in the studio. Why?"

"Because I really don't need to know about my mother's sex life and I need to talk to him about something," Oriana answered, reaching down to snatch her bag with the remaining gifts she had purchased. She quickly kissed both of the mothers' cheeks before racing up the stairs. "Love you guys! Great to be home!"

"Kevin said she was the one to bring up adoption," Cassandra confided with a flushed smile, gently folding the bustier back into the box. She stood up to kiss Teagan's forehead.

"They're really getting close. I knew it just took time," Marie replied as Teagan smiled.

"You like the bustier, Ma?"

"It's gorgeous. Kevin's going to be so thrilled," Cassandra approved.

"I think Riana's scarred for life after going into Victoria's Secret, but it was worth it."

"I shouldn't have dressed her in all that pink as a baby. I mean, goodness, she was a blonde hair, blue-green eyed baby girl. What was I supposed to do?" Cassandra laughed.

"I'm trying to make her more girly! It's hard work, but someone's gotta do it--"

"CASSANDRA? IS TEAGAN BACK YET?" Brian called loudly as the front door slammed shut. He glanced into the living room and his eyes lit with joy. Teagan squealed, snatching her remaining bag as she stood up. Brian quickly rushed forward and scooped Teagan into his arms, delivering several kisses to her cheeks as he rushed up the stairs.

"I knew that was going to happen... These girls can't even spend more than a half hour with us," Marie sighed.

"It'll be okay," Cassandra enthused, helping Marie off the couch.

"You're only saying that so I'll go into the kitchen and help finish wedding plans."

"True..."

*~*~*


"I missed you so much!" Brian growled as he gently tossed Teagan onto the bed. He smiled ruefully as he jumped onto the bed, gently pinning her beneath him. He delivered several kisses to her sweet neck, just wanting to touch and feel her. "I love you, Teagan Gabrielle. You're not allowed to leave...ever again!"

"I love you, too! I'm never leaving, I promise!" Teagan giggled as she wrapped her arms around him. She didn't realize until then how much she truly missed Brian and didn't want him to be out of her sight. "If I ever have to go somewhere, you're coming with me."

"Likewise if I have to go anywhere," Brian breathed, continuing to kiss her neck as he lay against her. He loved the warmth and unique sweet smell of her skin. He ran his hand against her shoulder, trailing the kisses to her collar bone. "I love you so damn much. We're going to have to go to college together or near each other."

"I would love that," Teagan whispered, running her hands through his sandy blonde locks as she smelled his intoxicating cologne. "I don't think I could go to school in Minnesota and not be near you."

"We'll plan everything out in due time."

"Until then, I have presents for you."

"Presents?" Brian asked with a teasing groan, feeling her slip from beneath him. He pitched forward onto his UK pillows, burying his face for a few moments. He then felt her hands slide up his shirt, so he quickly turned onto his back so she could sit on his hips.

"Open this one first," she handed him a medium sized box.

"Okay," he answered, taking the medium sized box. He carefully opened the packaged item and smiled softly when he freed the necklace from the velvet cushion. He held it up for inspection, nodding yet again with approval. It was a simple silver chain with an extremely detailed silver cross. "It's beautiful."

"I know I buy you a lot of jewelry, but it was just the right cross for you and your faith. I had to get it," Teagan smiled. "You like it?"

"Yeah, looks like the kind of cross I want to tattoo on my arm."

"You want a tattoo? I didn't know that."

"Yeah, a cross with rocks on my right shoulder," Brian approved. "Figuring all the little emblems you have on your sweet skin. I have to match right?"

"My tattooed Baby," she cooed with a nod, leaning down to kiss him. "There's more in that box."

"Okay," he answered, opening the second box. He smiled softly as he freed the frame from the box, memories quickly washing over him. It was a framed version of their first photograph together at the foolish picture booth in the mall. Teagan had it blown up larger and settled into a frame decorated with tiny footballs and music notes. He smiled at the goofy pose, Teagan nestled on his lap as he tugged on her ears and she stuck out her tongue while pulling on his ears. "It's perfect, Baby. Thanks."

"You're welcome. But I've got one more present," she grinned, climbing off his hips. She grabbed the larger box and ran into the bathroom to change. "Lock your door, please!"

"Okay!" Brian hooted, knowing it was something naughty. He launched himself off the bed and ran to his door. He practically bowled into it as he slammed it shut and locked it quickly. He then hurled himself back into the bed, signaling to his bathroom door. "Come to Papa!"

Teagan poked her head out the door, laughing. "A little eager to see your next present?"

"You heard that?" he murmured with a blush.

"Teagan sees all and hears all."

"Well, damn," Brian whistled, "COME TO PAPA!"

"Horny little Devil," Teagan shook her head with a laugh as she stepped out, clad in the teddy she picked out at Victoria's Secret.

"Kinky Little Teas---HOLY HELL!" Brian whooped in absolutely delight, falling onto his back in shock. His light blue eyes wide in absolute disbelief at her gorgeous sex appeal. The black portion of the see-through teddy seemed to explain everything about her delicate features, yet the thick hot pink across her bustline and skimpy bikini line gave him just a little peek of temptation. He could already feel his temperature rise as she ran her hands through her short dark locks, sauntering to him with a swish of her hips. "Do...we...damn, Baby, you're beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it," Teagan gave a crooked smile, happy with his reaction. She reached his bed and straddled his hips again. "Thought I would wear this under my Homecoming and Prom Dresses."

"Dear Lord, I get to see it two more times?" Brian wheezed with happiness.

"Yes, you do. And any other time you wanna see it, because this thing is really comfortable."

"You can wear it any damn time you want a do a strip show for me," Brian murmured, acting noble.

"Which would be... hmm, almost every damn night," Teagan laughed, her fingers trailing along Brian's jaw.

"I think I can manage," he offered, snatching her hand to offer kisses.

"I... missed... you... so... much..." she whispered between kisses.

"I missed you twice as much," he promised, pulling her down.

"I missed you...thrice as much..." she breathed.

"Thrice?" Brian chuckled, clasping her face in his hands.

"I don't have to make sense when you're kissing me!"

"Just remember that when it comes to you strip dancing for me."

*~*~*


Oriana quickly visited her room just to drop off her bag of presents. She took a few moments to pull out the gift wrapped present for Kevin. She felt her nerves bundle tightly within her stomach as she crossed the hallway toward Kevin's studio. She took a deep breath, hearing him singing softly. She let her hand stop just before tapping on the door, listening to his deep voice profess the love in his heart. She almost didn't want to interrupt such beautiful singing. And after listening to him sing for a couple more minutes, Oriana knocked on the door when she thought was a pause in the song.

The door opened and Kevin smiled brightly. "Oriana! You're home! How was New York?"

"I didn't interrupt you, did I?" Oriana immediately blurted, only able to think of the other boyfriends. She remembered getting strongly backhanded for interrupting a favorite commercial. Her jaw had been close to breaking and she had to tell her mother that the bloody nose was from accidentally running into the door.

"No, of course not. Come in, tell me all that happened," he opened the door to let her in.

"You're sure?" she asked just for a final clarification, standing at the threshold of the studio.

"I'm positive. You can come in, you know."

"I just... Sorry," she whispered, finally stepping into the room.

"You don't have to apologize," he walked over to the couch and sat down. He patted the piano bench right next to it. "Make yourself at home. Well, it is your home, but you know what I mean."

"This is your official room, though," she answered, making sure to keep the door open just in case. She carefully crossed the quarters, seating herself at the piano bench. She gently laid the gift by her side, slumping down on the bench.

"It's still a part of your home. Did you and Teag have fun in New York?"

"It was a lot of fun," Oriana answered, noticing his swift move at switching subjects. She smiled softly at the thought of her new memories. "New York was a complete blast, actually. The Carlyle was so beautiful..."

"I was there with my friend Jason back in college, and it was a lot of fun. What was your favorite site there?"

"Freaktorium, hands down."

"Your mom told me about that place, I should have known that would be your favorite. What else did you do?" Kevin asked, glad she was opening up to him.

"Um... Prom dress shopping, actual shopping, causing trouble at the hotel, sight seeing... Then Momma had us go to the Spa. Freaking laid in a mud pie for an hour. I could have done that at home for no money!" Oriana explained, crinkling her nose in distaste. "Though it made great fart noises when you squeezed it between your hands..."

"As much as I'd love to hear about these fart noises that medicinal mud makes, prom dresses and you have more appeal. So, how'd that go?" Kevin asked, liking the smooth interaction between himself and Oriana. He found it heart warming to know that she would be his own daughter in a few days.

"This will blow your mind. Not just prom dresses, but homecoming dresses too..." Oriana volunteered, rolling her eyes. "I actually picked two out if that's what you're asking."

"TWO dresses? Wow, I'll bet you look beautiful in them. Your mom told me how great the Maid Of Honor dress looked on you, so I know the dresses you picked out will be perfect," Kevin complimented.

"Momma was probably talking about Teagan."

"She did talk about Teagan, but she also talked about you."

"You must have mixed up the conversations."

"It's hard for you to take compliments if they don't involves sports, isn't it?"

"Well, with me as your soon to be stepfather and Howie as your boyfriend, you need to learn how to accept and believe them. Because you are one amazing girl, and I just wish you could see that."

"Um..." Oriana really didn't know what to say. She stared at Kevin for a long moment, feeling her cheeks redden with an uncomfortable blush. She glanced down at her cast, resisting the urge to groan at the bellboy's signature. She quickly glanced up. "Tell you what; you still believe in all this stuff come Homecoming and you actually like the dress I picked out, I'll let you do the father-daughter stuff of taking the first Homecoming pictures..." Oriana's jaw slightly unhinged at what she said. The word father-daughter just completely foreign in her vocabulary. "I mean—"

"I would love to take the pictures," Kevin interrupted. He knew it was odd for her to have a father figure, and didn't want her to be uncomfortable. "Because your mom will be crying too much."

"Oh, yeah," Oriana groaned, sitting back against the bench. "Dance recital is the same night, maybe I can swing getting ready in the Hummer..."

"I think she would like to see you in the dress," he chuckled.

"I could get ready in the Hummer—"

"We would both like to see you and Howie dressed for the dance."

"But her crying?" Oriana moaned.

"I'll make sure it won't take long, okay?"

"Her crying or the pictures?" Oriana asked wryly, causing Kevin to chuckle with amusement. Oriana shrugged her shoulders innocently, glancing around yet again at all his pictures. "If we get a really good one... Would you put it up on your wall?"

"You're going to be my daughter, of course it will be up on the wall," Kevin replied with a sincere smile.

"Oh... Are you going to the dance recital?" she asked again, fingering the bow on the package. She still hadn't worked the nerve to give Kevin the present. Everything was so fragile around them.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I've heard that you're a very talented dancer," he answered, noticing the box next to Oriana.

"Momma again?"

"Your mom, Teagan, Marie and Howie."

"Guess I have a lot of hype to live up to?"

"You'll do great," he finally nodded towards the package. "What's that you got?"

"Oh!" Oriana groaned, reaching to pick up the package with her good hand. She offered it toward him with a shy smile, not really knowing what to say. "I just... Figured I had to return the favor for the necklace."

"Oriana... you didn't have to," Kevin replied, a little shocked as he took the gift. "I gave you money to spend on yourself."

"I did spend that money on myself, but I took my own money along. The money I worked at the clinic for," Oriana explained, blushing furiously. "Like I said, just to hit you back for the necklace."

"I'm sure this is going to be an amazing present," he unwrapped the present and opened it. His mouth dropped open as he pulled out the songbook. "Oh wow... Oriana, this is absolutely beautiful!"

"It...um..." Oriana bit down hard on her bottom lip as Kevin ran his fingers over the engraved front. "I got the music sheets inside personalized and everything, but you can add the ones you were already using in the back... I mean... You know, just a present for the necklace, right?"

"It's the best present anyone could ever give me. Thank you so much," Kevin blinked back a few tears. He was so touched at the simple gift from a girl who had refused to even talk to him a month ago.

"You're welcome," she answered, standing up awkwardly.

He stood up as well, placing the book on his desk. "I'm glad you had fun in New York, and thank you again for the gift. I'll use it all the time."

"You don't have to if you don't want to..." Oriana found her words dropping from the large cliff in her heart as he plucked the wedding song from its worn binder, adding it to the new book.

"But I do want to. You've inspired me with the song for the wedding, you gave me personalized sheet music with a personalized binder... I really appreciate it all."

"So... You're really pleased with the wedding song then?"

"It's perfect. Have you considered singing with me?"

"Are you sure you want me to?" Oriana asked quickly, slightly hoping he had changed his mind. She had spent an entire night thinking of the possibilities. She wanted to be closer to Kevin, but was almost too afraid of the fire.

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life. It would be a real treat for you to sing with me. I know you have a worth-while voice... Wait, beautiful voice is more like it. Your mom would be so pleased to see us together. It's something that I'd like to do as the first day of being father and daughter..." Kevin encouraged, just praying she'd say yes.

"I'd like that too," she mumbled softly.

"What'd you say?"

"I... I'd like to sing with you..."

"Really? You would?"

"Yeah."

"That's great!" he smiled happily, hugging her without even thinking about it.

"Um... Kevin?" Oriana squeaked, feeling herself being lifted from the ground.

"Oops! Sorry, Oriana. Got a little carried away," Kevin blushed, setting her back down on the ground.

"It's okay... I'm excited about singing with you, too," she offered, stepping back from his bear hug. The man was huge compared to Oriana's stature, though, she was sure she could at least tackle him in football practice.

"I'm just glad we're talking now. It's nice."

"Yeah, it is... listen, I have to go see Alex and Howie--"

"Oh, sure! I'm sorry. Go and visit them, have fun. If you want to come back later and look over the song, my door is always open for you."

"Thanks, Kevin," she called softly with a nod, making plans to at least stop by later in the afternoon to see what she would sound like him. She carefully backed out of the room as Kevin went back to looking over the new music book. She smiled proudly at what she had accomplished, never noticing Alex and Howie behind her till she bumped against Alex. She turned around in surprise, her eyes lighting when she saw Alex. "Jamie!" she called gleefully, enveloping Alex in a friendly hug.

"Hey, Ry! How was New York?" Alex replied happily, hugging her tightly.

"Freaking kick ass monkey balls!" Oriana blurted without thought, affectionately kissing his cheek as she hugged him yet again.

"I guess that's good," he laughed.

"Okay, okay, it was seriously killer. How about that?"

"Better. Get anything for me?"

"Don't you know it. C'mere," Oriana enthused further, tugging on Alex's hand. Howie shrugged his shoulders as Alex threw him a surprised look. Both boys following closely into Oriana's room. She jumped onto her bed, reaching into the bag to pull out two gifts. She tossed them toward him. "Knock yourself out, Jamie."

"Holy... thanks, Ry!" he replied, kissing her cheek. "I'll go open them in my room. You and Howie still need that reuniting moment."

"Are you sure?" Oriana asked in surprise.

"Definitely. I'll come and interrupt later. Thanks again!" Alex ran across the hall to his room.

"Welcome...?" Oriana called in confusion as Alex quickly shut her door then his own. She arched her honey blonde brows to Howie with question, offering a wry smile. "Hey, Baby. How was school?"

"Really boring not seeing you between classes," Howie replied, walking over and wrapping his arms around her. "I hear you had a lot of fun in New York."

"Really? Who told you that?" she teased softly, wrapping her cast arm around his neck so he couldn't see the bellboy's signature. She allowed their foreheads to connect as they stood intertwined, just the touch of their bodies beneath clothing sent shivers of delight down her spine. She had missed him.

"A little bird named Ria," he smiled, leaning down to kiss her gently. "I missed you so much."

"I didn't think I'd miss you as much as I did," Oriana confessed, accepting the sweetly sentimental kiss. She gently pushed him backward so he was sitting on the bed and she was still standing. She almost thought about throwing him on the bed and professing her need to be connected with him as one. She affectionately ran her hand against his cheek, however, glancing down at him from her stance in front of him.

"I'm just one of those people you miss a lot," Howie teased with a smile, placing his hands on her hips.

"I missed you like crazy," she agreed as he glanced up at her. Immediately she realized her mistake, so she sat herself in his lap. "Though, I'm starting to think you might like talking to my boobs more than my face."

"Nah, that would just be if you're not listening to me. At least I would have someone to talk to," he laughed.

"With the way they grew, it'd be more like four someone's to talk to," she joked, nestling her head against her shoulder, noticing how perfectly she fit inside his arms.

"That's true, too," he kissed her forehead, just enjoying the feeling of her in his arms.

"Somehow it seems really kinky when you talk about it---"

"With us, anything's kinky."

"True..." Oriana answered with a roll of her eyes, pulling away from his lap. She took a deep breath to calm her raging emotions, quickly reminding herself that Howie wanted the time to be special. She slowly felt herself wind down as she settled on the side of the bed beside Howie. She motioned toward the bag. "The remaining three in there are for you, Baby. Then you have another one that's hopefully for later..."

"Baby, you didn't have to," Howie replied with a smile as he grabbed the three gifts. "Do you want me to open the one that's for later?"

"That one is...in my duffle bag..." she answered, pointing toward her ADIDAS duffle bag in the corner. “Knock yourself out with these first and I'll think about that other one..."

"Oh, alright. That's okay, too," he kissed her once more before opening up the first one.

Oriana quickly drew her knees up beneath her, watching Howie carefully tear into the paper. She smiled softly when he freed the silk boxers. She had bought herself a pair, only instead of Howie's red apple print, she had gotten the green apple print. Still, the words printed along the butt were the same: Cute Apples. She felt herself blush just as she had with Teagan. "I know you said you'd make your own dresser drawer over here and if you want to keep them here it's fine, or wear them around your house, or you can give them back, I got myself a pair..." she rambled.

"No way, I love them. They'll stay here in my drawer," he promised with a bright smile, placing them on his lap. "Thank you!"

"You're serious? You like them?"

"I like them a lot," he kissed her cheek before grabbing the next one.

Oriana sighed with relief, leaning back amongst the pillows at the bottle of her ruffled bed. She smiled as Howie plucked two edible massage oils from the bag, causing him to glance at her with wonder. "This family is always raving that I give killer massages and I felt bad about the whole bellboy and towel boy incident, so I bought those. There's Cherry-licious and Passion Fruit. I figured I could use them on you or you could use them on me, which ever you want..."

"I didn't know you were into massage oils... but I would definitely like to try it out. I don't think I've had one of your massages yet," Howie replied.

"Momma bought me this whole case of them one time, because I had such an interest in it with being a doctor... Now every time Momma's stressed she flops down on my bed for a massage. She loves them, so I guess they're good. But like I said before, we don't have to---"

"I do want to."

"I'm not thinking it's turning into sex or anything, I just like trying out massages--"

"I know, I didn't think that either."

"Okay..." she trailed, blushing furiously. She felt like such an idiot in front of him sometimes. He had a way of making her flustered. She always had to cover her tail around him.

"Hey, no need to be embarrassed," he kissed her gently before opening the third one.

Oriana mustered some kind of nod with her head, realizing that this was the most important gift of all. She found herself holding her breath as Howie pulled up the black leather guitar strap. She loved it so much, but only hoped that Howie felt the same. It was her most daring gift given from the heart, besides Kevin's music book. She watched him study the guitar strap imprinting of ‘H.D. & O.R., 09-07-04' amongst the Celtic knots that Oriana hoped remembered him of their pledge for undying love. He was quiet for several moments, however, startling Oriana. "You don't like it?" she finally asked, swallowing hard.

"How can I not like it? Riana... no one has done this for me before, and I don't know what to say. You even remembered the date when we first kissed... this is an amazing gift," Howie placed the strap carefully in the box before bringing her into his arms once more. He kissed her deeply, showing her his love and gratefulness. "Thank you so, so much. I love you."

"How could I not remember when we first kissed? It was the greatest birthday of my life," she whispered when she pulled back from his kiss. Her hands were already trembling from the beautiful kiss. She couldn't seem to control her emotions behind the mask like she did so many years before when he kissed her or even talked to her.

"Greatest day of my life, too," he replied, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Awe, Howie, I'm glad you like your gifts," Oriana soothed, running her fingers down the side of his face.

"I love your gifts."

"Good," she laughed softly, kissing his forehead several times. She allowed herself to lean back on the bed, causing them to topple against one another. She rolled her eyes as Howie cuddled against her chest, closing his eyes with utter contentment. "You okay, Baby?"

"Just loving being here with you. It was so lonely while you were in New York," Howie replied, wrapping his arms around her.

"I thought you had Jamie," Oriana teased softly, running her fingers through his hair then down his back. She assumed he hadn't slept much that previous night and school had been exhausting, because he almost looked like he was ready to fall asleep.

"Yeah, that helped a lot. He's one of my best friends, but he can drive me nuts," Howie chuckled a little, feeling his body relax even more.

"Well, I'm here now," she answered, hearing him sigh softly. "Rough night or what, Baby?"

"I just couldn't sleep while you were gone..."

"Why?"

"We've slept in the same bed for so long, it doesn't feel right without you."

"Well, what do you do when your home with your family for the week and I'm here?" she asked, running her fingers lightly against his back. Howie was acting as if they were married and Oriana found it adorable.

"Miss you like crazy?"

"You have to sleep, though, right?"

"Well, yeah, I sleep. Just not as well."

"What if I give you one of my pillows to take home?" Oriana suggested.

"Really? Could I have one?"

"If it's going to help you sleep, yeah."

"Can I have your favorite pillow? Since you get to have my favorite outfit?"

"Now wait a damn minute. My favorite pillow?" she whimpered, pulling her hand away from Howie's back. She traced her fingers along her favorite pillow tucked behind her head. She had that pillow for what seemed like forever and finally had it broken into a perfect plush. She was about to say no, till she glanced down into Howie's soft brown eyes. The word quickly crumpled at her heart and she nodded. "Sure, my favorite pillow."

"Thank you, Baby," he leaned up and kissed her pouting lips.

"You're welcome, but if I ever spend the night at your house, it's mine."

"It'll be yours, I promise."

"Good," she sighed, allowing her hand to drift to his back again. She carefully tugged on his t-shirt to expose his bare back, allowing her fingers to trace against his warm skin. "So, do you want to take a nap and worry about the other present later, Baby?"

"I'm up for a nap if—" he yawned softly. "if you are."

"I'm dying to sleep. That plane ride killed me," she admitted, reaching over to grasp the blanket her mother had crochet for her.

"Then let's take a nap. Do I have to move?"

Oriana glanced down to see Howie nestled perfectly against her chest with his arms resting against her stomach. She figured he didn't want to move because he was so exhausted. She smiled softly, draping the blanket over both of them. "No, you don't have to move if you don't want."

Howie cuddled even closer to her, singing softly. "The smell of your skin/ The taste of your kiss/ The way you whisper in the dark/ Your hair all around me/ Baby you surround me/ You touch every place in my heart/ Oh it feels like the first time every time/ I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes."
A Chance for Glory by Anastacia
Chapter 44 – A Chance for Glory

"Okay, let's buzz the damn thing off! C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!" Oriana whooped as she jumped onto the examining table. The week had passed to Thursday morning and Oriana was finally free to get rid of the cast that had blocked her for so many weeks. Teagan and Howie exchange smirks of amusement as Oriana drummed on her bare knee with excitement, waiting for the doctor to appear with the infamous cast saw. Truth be told, Oriana's giddiness was contagious. Neither could wait for her to be free from the cast, either. It was like the chains were being freed from her nimble wings, giving her the chance to soar with all the strength she possessed.

"What's the first thing you're gonna do when the cast comes off?" Teagan asked, hopping onto the table next to Oriana.

"First thing I'm going to do..." Oriana trailed, glancing at Howie with a mischievous smirk. "First thing..."

"I don't think I wanna know..." Teagan groaned, covering her eyes.

"I was more or less thinking a clean back flip," Oriana answered, her blue-green eyes twinkling innocently. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know anymore, but you're not as innocent as people think," Teagan replied, pushing on Oriana's shoulder.

"Why do you say that?" Oriana cooed, leaning her head affectionately on Teagan's shoulder. She loved the playful banter that she could create between herself and Teagan.

"You're like a Milkdud," Teagan replied, running a hand up and down Oriana's back. "Sweet on the outside, trouble on the inside."

"I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E," she quoted from a Travis Tritt song with a laugh.

"And its name is O-R-I-A-N-A," Teagan added.

"So, if we're going by that song... Does that mean I'm the 'good L double O-K-I-N-G?"

"I think I'll give a Hell yeah to that."

"Oh, shit," Oriana laughed. "I need a pen and paper before I get rid of this cast."

"For what?"

"Well... hell yeah reminded me of bellhop boy and I'm supposed to hook him up if we're ever back in New York, right?" Oriana declared impishly, not really caring about the bellhop under any circumstances.

"See, you just lived up to my Milkdud analogy," Teagan laughed.

"So, can I have the pen and paper, Howie?" Oriana teased.

"Excuse me?" Howie blurted with a cool smirk, leaning back against the wall. He crossed his arms across his chest, just staring at his girl in a mock tone of disbelief. "Are you really asking to get rid of me?"

"No way, Baby," Oriana laughed softly, reaching her long leg out to hook her ADIDAS clad foot just underneath the hem of Howie's short's leg. She tugged her leg backward, hoping to bring him closer.

It worked, and he halfway stumbled closer to her. "Then why do you need the pen and paper, Ria?"

"To write my name and number on your arm?" she guessed slyly, tugging him a little further with her foot.

"Guess again," he chuckled.

"To write my name and number in your boxers?"

"Hello! Teagan's still here, don't wanna see that!" Teagan announced.

"Last time I checked, she always did the same thing to me," Oriana answered, bumping her shoulder against Teagan's shoulder, causing Teagan to snort with laughter. Oriana rolled her eyes, giving a final tug with her foot in Howie's short's leg. "Okay, okay, so I want the pen and paper to write down my name and number to stuff in my bra in case the doctor's cute so I can accidentally leave the bra behind for some reason... Or I'm just completely bullshitting you, because I needed you closer to me?"

"I'm thinking it's the second one," Howie gave a soft smile before kissing her.

"Okay, yeah, I'll go with the second one," she wheezed when he pulled back with a confident smile. The high-pitched squeak in her voice caused Teagan to burst into a round of chortling laughs, making Oriana blush further.

"You two are so cute—"

"Why's that?" Howie asked, sitting down on the examining table beside Oriana. He found it so adorable when Oriana blushed. She always carried such a tough exterior, but she was so soft and sweet on the inside. It was amazing to him the way her core would melt within his hands.

"Because you make Riana into a girl—"

"Okay, yeah! So, we're going to kick some Wolf ass tonight, right?" Oriana interrupted, wanting to change the subject. She couldn't afford the doctor to come in on that kind of private conversation, though, she could only focus her mind on the Homecoming Game tonight. They were playing their hardest rivals, West Orlando Wolves, so it'd be a great match.

"You can play tonight, right?" Teagan asked, rolling her eyes at the abrupt subject change.

"No," Oriana frowned, bumping her foot against the bottom of the examining table in a rhythmic pace. "Momma already called and spoke to the doctor that handled the cast and junk. He says I should wait till the next game to play, so Momma called Coach and told him I can't kick ass till the next game."

"Hanson will really listen to Ma about that? Even if you could kick ass tonight and he knows it?"

"I don't think Coach wants to mess around with Momma's temper..." Oriana answered, chewing on her bottom lip. She had faced her mother's wrath only once in seventeen years and believed that she never wanted to see it again.

"Good point..."

"So, I can just hope that the team kicks ass while I ride the bench...again..."

"C'mon, Baby, don't be so down," Howie sighed, running his hand affectionately across her neck. She immediately shied away from his intimate touch, causing him to smile sweetly. He understood her pain for that moment, Brian had taken away her last Homecoming Game as a Senior on the Varsity Football team. It was a big deal to Oriana and it hurt Howie to see her so upset. "We'll do whatever you want after you get this cast off, okay? Then we'll do whatever you want after the football game, okay?"

"Anything I want?" she asked, her bottom lip still puckered slightly with disappointment. She knew Howie was already reading the depths of her blended sapphire and emerald orbs leading to her soul.

"Anything you want," he promised, kissing her cheek. "You name it, we'll do that."

"Can I go use the new surfboard you bought me?" Oriana asked pleadingly. "It only had like one or two uses till I busted my arm... Please?"

"Of course you can. That's why I bought it for you, so you can use it."

"I'm going surfing! I'm going surfing!" Oriana hooted, rolling her arms in a circular motion in front of her.

"You sure know how to make her happy," Teagan chuckled.

"Just say yes to everything she asks?" Howie questioned.

"Yeah! That'll do it!" Oriana chirped, pressing an affectionate kiss to Howie's cheek. "I can't wait to hit those waves! Perfectly crisp cuts..."

"Speaking of cuts," Teagan muttered as the doctor knocked on the door and walked in.

"Hell yes! Wind up the blade! I got places to see and people to do... I mean... places to do and people to see? Or... Just cut the thing off!" Oriana whooped excitedly as Teagan and Howie hopped off the examining table and moved toward the two chairs on the opposite wall.

"Your mother warned me that you would be extremely excited to get the cast off. She wasn't kidding," the doctor chuckled, shaking Oriana's hand. "My name is Dr. Larson and yes, we'll be taking off your cast today. You just better stay still once I start cutting."

"The saw is only made to cut the plaster, not skin. You can't scare me with that old trick. Dr. Larson," Oriana warned with a sly smile as Dr. Larson crossed to plug in the appliance. "And I already know that it'll be smaller than my other arm because I haven't used it and if you find a pen in there, can I have it back? Because the cast was super itchy..."

"Yes, you can have it back," Dr. Larson chuckled, walking back with the saw. "Ready?"

"Ready? I've been ready since I got the damn thing put on. So, please, do the honors!" Oriana answered excitedly as he turned on the machine. Teagan immediately covered her ears and buried her face in Howie's shoulder as the engine of the machine roared, biting down hard into the plaster. Oriana didn't even seem dazed as she watched bits of plaster fly and her skin warm dramatically from the intense pressure. She fidgeted only once from the burning heat as the saw continued to flow down her hand.

"Oh my Lord! I can actually see my arm now!" Oriana cheered as the cast fell off.

"It looks like a skinny worm," Teagan trailed, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Thanks, Gabby," Oriana groaned as Dr. Larson pulled away the bottom half of the cast. Oriana gently lifted her hand into the air, feeling the extreme lightness of her arm without the cast's weight. She stared at it for a moment, knowing she could never forget the accident. Her arm was at least two times smaller than the other with a fainter tan color, the dead skin slowly starting to peel from the arm. Yet, the cleat puncture wounds had turned into scars for her to remember. She bit back her tears, knowing she should at least be thrilled that she was healed. She swallowed her anger against Brian, carefully moving her tender arm in a circular pattern for the doctor to see. "I'm free! Smeagol is free!"

"Yes, you're free from the cast. But there are a few things your mother wanted me to emphasize with you," he replied with a laugh.

"To behave?" Oriana guessed, gently resting her arm against her lap, tracing her fingers against the cleat scars.

"And--"

"Start the physical therapy instructions on this piece of paper?" she guessed as he handed her the list of exercises she needed to complete to strengthen the muscles. "Stay out of trouble. And no football. Just no football?"

"Dance is alright, but anything that can cause you to fall on your arm is out. Such as football, surfing, rollerblading--"

"For how damn long?"

"Just until your next football game."

"Okay..." she trailed, knowing there was no way on God's green Earth that she would be turning down surfing today.

"Your mother and I mean it, Oriana. Your arm isn't strong enough to handle a fall, it'll break again."

"Two clean breaks that poke up beneath my skin and you guys are scared? Have you seen my medical record's thickness? I've done stupider...stupider? No, more stupid... There we go... I've done more stupid stuff when I was in diapers!"

"The only thing I can do is warn you. If something happens and you come back with that arm broken... all I would say is 'I told you so' and then you would face your mother's wrath," Dr. Larson shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not going to break my arm," she assured.

"Can't you just promise not to surf until the next game?" Teagan groaned, knowing how stubborn Oriana was when it came to doing what she wanted.

"I'm not going to surf," she murmured pathetically as Dr. Larson nodded with approval. He quickly jotted some words down in her file, reaching to thrown away the cast. "Wait!" she blurted in surprise, knowing all the kids' signatures were on it. "Can I at least keep that?"

"I'm sorry, force of habit. Most people ask me to throw it away," he handed her the cast. "Remember to do your exercises and no strenuous activities until...?"

"The next football game," Oriana muttered.

"Good girl," Dr. Larson approved, patting Oriana's shoulder. He quickly brought the file underneath his arm, moving toward the door. He hesitated for a moment, turning back to Oriana. He smiled affectionately, "I went to Medical School with your mother, Oriana. I think I'd just like to say that you're a mirror image of her at that age - beautiful and intelligent."

Oriana arched her honey blonde eyebrows with cynicism, already feeling protective of Kevin. She didn't even seem to notice the compliment was intended for her as she focused on the man's words for her mother. "Momma's getting married this Saturday."

"Really? That's great news. Tell her I said congratulations and I hope the marriage is filled with happiness. You take care of yourself, Oriana," He smiled again before leaving the room.

"Riana, what was that about? Dr. Larson was complimenting you!" Teagan replied as the door closed shut.

"She was defending Kevin..." Howie answered with a sly smile.

"I was not," Oriana groaned, hopping off the examining table. She glance down at the cast she held in her two open hands, feeling absolutely free.

"Oooh, she was! That's cute!"

"Can we leave so I can get my surfboard and dump you two windbags?" Oriana complained, rolling her eyes at their actions. She had already convinced herself that she had just stated facts for Dr. Larson's knowledge. Maybe he wanted to keep touch with her mother's life.

"You said you weren't gonna surf--"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Oriana trailed, opening the door to lead out into the hallway. She swiftly glanced down both ends of the hallway, noticing it was clear. She smiled slyly, offering the cast to Howie's hands. In exchanged he masked a puzzled look, watching her turn around. She took a deep breath, gathering her balance, then swiftly kicked herself backward in a perfect double back flip.

"Great back flip! But no surfing!" Teagan replied as they left the office and headed out to the Hummer.

"Damn, c'mon, Gabby!"

"No surfing! For once, just listen to what the doctor says. It's not that long until the next game, you can wait!" Teagan climbed into the backseat.

"Howie?" Oriana whined softly, wrapping both of her arms freely around his neck. She couldn't even hide her smile as she ran both hands freely within his thick curls. It felt so good to have use of both of her hands to please Howie. She just wanted to love him.

"I don't want you to get hurt surfing, Baby," Howie placed his hands on her hips. "I know I said you could surf, but--"

"But?" she whimpered, pressing her forehead against his.

"But you need to be extremely careful or else your mom, Kevin, Marie, Teagan, the team and your doctor will come after me."

"How so?"

"Because if you fall and hurt your arm... I'm a dead man."

"Then how are you going to keep me entertained, huh?" she challenged, offering a soft kiss to his lips. Her own lips quickly curved into a sensual smile from the kiss, loving the taste of his sweet lips.

"We could go swimming?" he replied, kissing the tip of her nose.

"And here I thought you'd offer a more supple form of entertainment," Oriana teased, kissing his lips yet again. "Swimming it is."

"Wait, what do you mean more supple--"

"We've got to get home, Sweetheart," Oriana interrupted, knowing how to bait the hook well, even if she hadn't had much time on the playing field of love.

"You're a tease," Howie muttered as she hopped into the driver's seat.

"What'd you say?" Oriana asked innocently, pulling the seatbelt across her lap.

"I said I love you," Howie replied, getting into the passenger side and buckling his seatbelt.

"I think he called you a tease," Teagan voiced from the back.

"A tease, huh?" Oriana laughed, leaning over to kiss his throat.

"Y-Yes, but you know you are."

"Do you want me to stop teasing?" she asked, blowing gently against the flesh of his throat before offering yet another long kiss against his throat.

"N-No," he groaned.

"So, you like these teasing kisses?" Oriana continued, hearing Teagan muffle a squeal. Teagan and Oriana both knew that she had won this war, whether Howie was willing to believe it or not. She allowed her freed right hand to stroke the side of his face while she offered yet another kiss to the throat. "You like that I'm a tease?"

"Y-Yeah," he gasped.

"Okay," she laughed, "Then we'll go home and swim, then have private time upstairs till the game. How about that?"

"S-Sounds good to me."

"I love you, Baby," she cooed, moving back to start the engine.

"I love you, too," he cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply.

"See! Told you get her to act like a girl!" Teagan laughed.

*~*~*


"DAMNIT! RICHARDSON IS KILLING US OUT THERE! AND THERE’S NOT EVEN A SNOT-NOSED ROOKIE THAT CAN SUB!" Coach Hanson roared in disbelief as he ripped the ball cap from his head, almost shredding it to pieces. Oriana winced, turning away as the Coach barked several commands to the players on the field. The Wolves were murdering their team and Brian was continually screwing up the plays that Oriana made. It was as if he refused to play by the rules so Oriana might have some tiny victory. "WE HAVE NEVER LOST A GOD DAMN HOMECOMING GAME!"

"Sorry, Coach," Oriana murmured, folding her arms across her football helmet. She felt extremely guilty for the torture Coach Hanson was facing. Everything looked like it could be put right on Oriana's shoulders for fault. They only had about two more plays to go for a good chance of winning, but it seemed like Brian didn't care.

"It's not your fault, Riley. Richardson doesn't seem to have what it takes to play for this team... even from the beginning, he screwed everything up," Coach Hanson pulled his hat back on, turning to Oriana. "I know I promised your mother you wouldn't play... but do you think you could do the last two plays? If I keep Richardson out there, we're going to lose."

"Momma would—"

"Your mother hasn’t come to a game in years, Riley. She wouldn't even know. C'mon, Riley. You've carried this team ever since you joined. We need you out there."

"Coach, I..." Oriana fumbled over her words as Coach Hanson barked for a time out.

"You know you've got what it takes to win. No one will ever tell your mom that you played early."

"Can we duct tape my forearm pad?" Oriana joked, standing up from the bench as the boys hustled forward. She tucked back her two braided pigtails, pulling on her helmet. The fans seemed to grow deathly silent at the revelation of Oriana tugging on her helmet.

"Please say you've got a plan, Coach! Richardson is fucking up every play we do and we're losing because of him!" Abe commented, ripping off his helmet for a moment.

"Richardson's benched," Coach Hanson barked, glaring in Brian's direction. "Sit your ass down."

"What?! Who's gonna—"

"HELL YEAH! ORI'S PLAYING AGAIN!" Logan cheered as someone pushed Brian away from the huddle.

"Wait!" Abe roared, causing the team to settle quickly. He stood directly in front of Coach Hanson and Oriana, glancing between them. "Coach, you're seriously letting Ori go in?"

"I've got to; she's the only chance we have of winning."

"Our Cherry-Bomb's going in?" Luke repeated with an excited smile.

"YES, she is! Now you all get out there and WIN, DAMNIT!"

The team roared loudly with approval, bringing Oriana within the tight knit huddle. Coach Hanson offered a glare toward Brian, causing him to stumble back onto the bench. He then joined the huddle. Oriana seemed to be welcomed with open arms by the entire football entourage as the announcers quickly shuffled to figure out what was happening. Oriana didn't seem to notice however, because she was trying to assume what kind of play to make. "Okay... Wolves are assuming that I'm rusty, right? That putting me on the line is just a last ditch effort to pathetically win..."

"Little do they know that this is the best way to kick their asses," Gabe replied, smacking Oriana's butt. "What's your plan, Cherry?"

"Give me the ball and let me run like Hell?"

"Sounds good to me! Let's go and win this fucking game!" Ace replied.

"Just run right beside me, Luke. Okay? We'll go off to the side like always. Just knock the Hell out of them," Oriana planned, pushing her mouth guard into her mouth. She took a deep breath, hearing the announcers wildly proclaim her name as she stretched her muscles. The crowd seemed to roar, giving Oriana a flush of approval, although she could feel Brian's eyes boring into her neck. She tried not to care as she took her position along the line, knowing she had to win for her team.

Everything seemed surreal, however, as the ball was launched back to Ace. She quickly darted out with Luke by her side, blowing over the hungry Wolves as the ball was snapped. She glanced upward to see the ball hurdling directly toward her. With added grace, she leapt into the air, snatching the ball, and bringing it to her side. She flew down the field as far as she possibly could, feeling her lungs burn with the copious use of oxygen. She felt relieved to see the end zone in sight as she was tackled beneath a mass of boys.

The whistle was quickly voiced as the boys flew away from the pile. Teagan almost felt her breath catch until Oriana jumped up from the pile with the football in hand. The boys cheered as they rushed back for a last minute hustle. Last play of the game - last chance to make the score count. "Okay, guys. We're so damn close to the End Zone, we can do this. Just send me right up the middle like I tried before. The Cherry Blast in the playbook? Have Abe, Lou, and Luke block my way like a tow truck, and I'll push the run-off away from me. It's our best shot."

"Everyone got that?" Ace asked the team. Everyone nodded in understanding. "Alright, get ready!"

"Do you trust me?" Oriana asked as she took her place beside Luke, hearing the appropriate commands being called from Ace.

"Of course we trust you," Luke replied before the ball was snapped. "Go!"

Brian watched in absolute horror as Oriana took off beneath Luke, Lou, and Abe. It seemed perfectly executed as Ace tossed her the ball and she caught it perfectly. Once tucked safely under her arm, she raced down the field behind the three, tossing leftovers as they came. Brian felt his heart stop as the End Zone quickly neared, Abe and Lou falling off to the side. He smiled gleefully, knowing Oriana was caught as a lumbering boy hurdled toward her.

Yet, she did Oriana one better. She bent down and pitched the boy over her back like a balloon, causing him to tumble hard into a pile. She whooped with delight as she jumped into the End Zone, spiking the ball. She then did a feverish dance as the team quickly surfaced to rush her. They had won!

"CHERRY-BOMB! YOU DID IT! WE WON!" Luke cheered, rushing over to lift Oriana in his arms. "WE FREAKING WON!"

"HELL YEAH, WE DID!" she screamed, pumping her fists in the air as fans rushed out onto the field while the band played their victory song loud and proud.

"THANK GOD FOR THIS GIRL!" Ace screamed, jumping up to deliver a swift swat to Oriana's behind. Luke laughed affectionately, allowing her to stand on the ground before delivering kisses to her cheeks. The boys seemed to appreciate the affection, roaring twice as loud as the Coach jumped in to hug Oriana tightly.

"WE KICK MAJOR ASS!" Oriana hooted for what seemed like the hundredth time, accepting Coach Hanson's approval hug. She continued to do her own little dance as Ace and Gabe huddled over with the water cooler, unaware of their dastardly plan as she danced with Luke.

"OUR HOMECOMING RECORD IS STILL UNDEFEATED! YES!" Luke cheered, doing a series of back flips along with Oriana.

"HELL YES! HELL FUCKING YES!" Oriana laughed, bumping chests with Luke before hugging tightly again. The fans seemed to crowd round in a circle as Ace and Gabe broke through. "WE ARE SO HOT—" Oriana's words were broken off as the cooler was released on top of her. The icy cold water and icy bits splashed against her skin, cooling her heated body. She jumped in surprise, laughing openly, "Holy shit, we are so cold!"

"RIANA! RIANA!" a voice called from behind the crowd. Turning around, Oriana saw it was Teagan, clad in her drum major uniform and a huge grin on her face. She ran to Oriana and tackled her to the ground. "YOU KICKED ASS OUT THERE!"

"Wait! This isn't medicated mud!" Oriana laughed as Teagan eagerly kissed her wet and dirt streaked cheeks. Oriana didn't care however, hugging Teagan back just as fiercely. The energy flowing through her body was unimaginable. She felt like she could lift a hundred cars at once. The team seemed to laugh at the girls' antics, but neither cared as they exchanged more hugs on the soft ground. "And you didn't want me to play!"

"That doesn't matter anymore, we won! We won, we won, we won!" Teagan cheered as she kissed Oriana's cheeks again. She felt the mud seep into the uniform, but she didn't care. She would handle Dr. Didier's wrath later.

"Yeah, we won!" Oriana laughed.

"Party tonight at my house!"

"Deal!" Oriana laughed as the girls finally managed to get off the ground. Oriana nodded toward Teagan, tackling her just once more for a tight hug. The girls squealed in each others ears, dancing around.

"Boyfriend alert!" Luke called.

"Yours or mine?" Oriana asked, glancing to Teagan.

"Yours," Teagan replied as she saw Howie come running. "Mine's gonna be pissed the whole damn night."

"Oh, shit," Oriana cursed, finally realize what had happened. Brian had been thrown from the game just so she could make an appearance. She knew that he probably wanted her to fail, but she rose above and conquered. Hell would be drawn against her once again with Brian's fury. "I'm really sorry, Gabby. He's going to be miserable at your party tonight. I'll just go home, I have to get rest for the dance recital anyway..."

"No, you're coming to my house. Brian can sulk if he wants to, it was his own fault for getting benched," Teagan replied as Howie reached the middle of the circle. "Don't let him ruin your big night."

"I'm only going to stay for a little bit," Oriana hesitated, pulling off her helmet and tossing it toward Luke. "I really do have to sleep for the recital... And I feel awful because he's going to be a complete bear to you."

"Don't worry about it, I don't care how he is. It was his fault. Oriana, you pulled us through the game and we kicked Wolf ass! Be happy about that!" Teagan kissed her cheek once more. "I'll see you at my house after you clean up, okay?"

"Gabby—"

"See you in a little bit!" Teagan kissed her cheek and ran towards the bleachers.

"She always does that!" Oriana groaned as several members of the team approached to clap her on the back and brush a hand across her butt for a playful swat. She smiled toward every single one of them, kissing their cheeks, and congratulating them on a job well fought. She almost seemed too exhausted till Howie approached. "Hey Baby, great playing!" she called toward him.

"You, too!" Howie smiled. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

"Hey!" she laughed in surprise, breaking their heated kiss. "I'm soaking wet, Baby!"

"And you look extremely hot like that," he smirked, kissing her again. "I'm so proud of you!"

"It was just two plays," Oriana answered, accepting the second kiss with no regrets. She pushed softly on his shoulder, noticing the collar of 'Proud Boyfriend' Shirt poking beneath his uniform. "The guys were the ones that did everything, I just booted it into the hole."

"Yeah, but we would have lost without you and I know that they'll agree with me on that. So after you're done out here on the field, I'll take you wherever you want and get you dessert."

"You won't mind? I'm filthy."

"Of course I don't mind. Meet me in the parking lot, alright?" Howie kissed her again. "I love you."

"Shit, wait," Oriana groaned, remembering Teagan's party plans. She glanced down at her muddy cleats, wondering how she could get away with it. "We can go for dessert, but Gabby's having a party at her house..."

"How about this? We'll get dessert, bring it back to your house so we can change and then head over there."

"I don't even really want to go," Oriana confessed softly, peering up to see Teagan and Brian walking up through the bleachers, arms wrapped around each other. "Brian's going to be absolutely miserable, which makes Teagan miserable. If I'm there, it'll just be even worse."

"Did she want you to come?"

"Yeah..."

"Just to make Teag happy, we'll only stay for a half hour. Brian won't do anything, there will be too many people there."

"I guess..." Oriana trailed, sighing softly. Usually, she would be so pumped after winning a Homecoming Game, but Brian's presence seemed to ruin everything. She took a deep breath, pushing back her feelings. "We're meeting at the Hummer?"

"I'll be there."

"I love you," she called, feeling him break away.

"Love you more!" he called back before running to the bleachers.

"Done smooching?" Ace asked, slinging his arm against her shoulders, leading her through a throng of people. "Because Mac's back in town and he can't wait to see you tomorrow. He's staying with his parents tonight, but sends his best."

"Can't wait to see him either," Oriana lied, looking for Luke to free her.

Luke saw what was going on and ran towards them. "Cherry! Come on, we gotta get going!"

"Go where?" Ace asked in surprise as Luke tugged Oriana free from his embrace.

"She's gotta go home and get cleaned up so her mom doesn't know she played tonight."

"Oh please--"

"See you, Ace!" Oriana called, quickly pulling Luke toward the bleachers. Relief was written on her face as they slowly ascended, people calling her name and wishing her well. She smiled toward each one, leaning against Luke. "Thank you so much, Luke. That party tomorrow is going to be Hell."

"I know. But I'll be there, and you know I won't let anything happen. Nor will Howie. You just gotta suck it up and get through it, because that'll be the last time before Graduation you'll have to see Mac," he replied, throwing her a towel before grabbing their duffel bags. "Alright?"

"He even tries to make a move, I'm going to kick his balls so far up his ass that they're going to pop out his mouth," Oriana threatened, wiping her damp face on the towel.

"That's what I wanted to hear," Luke enthused as they headed towards the student parking lot.

"Luke?" she called, noticing Howie leaning against the Hummer, conversing with several girls.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around.

"We totally kicked major ass tonight," she answered with a sly smile, trying to forget the image. As much as Howie trusted her to do no wrong, she couldn't help but worry. She trusted Howie with her life, but sometimes she let her worries invade her mind.

"We definitely did," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"You heading to Gabby's party?"

"I'll be there in about 15 minutes," Luke kissed her cheek. "See you later, Riana. You did great tonight."

"You were kick-ass, too," Oriana called as they parted ways. She walked toward her Hummer, immediately going toward the trunk. The girls surrounding Howie didn't even seem to notice as she popped her trunk to retrieve the duffle bag. She pulled off her jersey and shoulder pads, tossing them into the bag. Dressed in her uniformed pants, bottom pads, and sweaty tank top, she turned to glance at the ruffle of women. "Hey, chickies... Loitering is a public offense."

"Uh-oh, it's the 'girlfriend'," a blonde muttered, clicking her tongue.

"Excuse me, girls. I've got to go. I'll see you all at band practice on Monday," Howie replied, shooing the girls away.

"The girlfriend," Oriana mimicked with a roll of her eyes, yanking open her front door. She was halfway in her seat when she noticed Howie standing there. Usually, she really didn't care what people thought of her, but those girls had a way of rubbing her the wrong way. "Usually, I wouldn't care what they thought of me. But I swear to God I hope they’re at the Homecoming Dance..."

"You'll shut them up for good once they see how beautiful you look in your dress."

"Baby... You don't even know what the dress looks like," Oriana trailed as Howie offered a secure smile, walking around to hop into the passenger side. She sighed, hopping back into her seat and slamming her door shut. She knew it was probably hopeless to assume they would stop dead in their tracks at her beauty, because she didn't know the first thing about make-up and whatnot. Besides, she would be running in after a dance recital, so she'd have to manage a shower, too. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"Then don't let what those girls say bother you," Howie replied simply as Oriana revved the engine.

"Kind of hard to say when the girls are flocking over you every fucking second I'm away," she growled, unable to bite back her thoughts.

"Um... whoa. I admit, they do that, but... you should trust me enough and not worry if the girls do flock over me. I trust you," he replied calmly.

"I know..." she sighed.

"So, no worries, right?" he asked, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Right..." she trailed, trying to convince her heart.

*~*~*


"Gabby, I need to ask you a seriously huge favor," Oriana pleaded as she carefully pulled Teagan away from the throngs of people. The party was already pumping and Oriana had just ventured over from the mess of wedding plans with Howie. As excited as she was to win the game, her feelings still revolved around Howie's little fan base. Her feelings seemed to flame further when Howie entered the home only to be abducted by the girls yet again. Oriana hated how she felt and knew it was the safest to speak with Teagan now, since Brian was currently sulking in the game room playing video games with Nick. She took a deep breath as she jumped onto the counter, Teagan and Alex standing curiously before her. "I just... I need help, okay?"

"What do you need help with?" Teagan asked, taking a large sip of her Bacardi Silver. She knew Brian was down playing video games and basically getting drunk, but she could care less right then. Oriana needed help, and she would do anything for her best friend.

Oriana glanced nervously around the kitchen, assuring herself that no one was in sight. Alex seemed to understand her thoughts, quickly rushing forward to shut the kitchen door. Oriana let her shoulders finally slump forward, declining the Strawberry Daiquiri Teagan had offered. "With the Homecoming Dance tomorrow..." Oriana trailed, not really sure how to explain it.

"Are you worried about the dress? You don't have to, Riana, you look amazing--"

"It's not the dress," Oriana explained, finally hopping down from the counter. She stuffed her hands into the front of her baggy jeans, staring down at her ADIDAS. She mustered her nerves and finally glanced up into her friend's understanding blue-gray eyes. "It's just those damn girls that are always hanging all over Howie. Do you know as soon as we got here they made some damn excuse for him to go with them. Instead of saying he wanted to be with me, he just went with them. I know I should trust me and I do trust him. I trust him with everything, except this tiniest piece of my heart. It hurts so much because I know he'd probably rather that I was one of those beautiful girls. That I would actually care about what I looked like. Nick said it himself, guys care more about a girl who actually takes time into what they wear, like you Gabby..."

"You're going to trust what Nick said? C'mon, Riana. Not all guys care more about girls 'like me'. Howie likes you for who you are. You and I both know he could be with any girl in this school. But he's with you because he likes your 'I don't give a rip about how I look'. It shows that you're confident about yourself that you don't need make-up or nice clothes to look beautiful. You have this natural beauty that a lot of girls don't have, just like the sluts that are in my band. They're jealous of you, and that's why they keep trying to get Howie's attention. But do you ever see him react in any way towards them?" Teagan paused, letting that sink in for Oriana. "No, he doesn't. He loves YOU, he will always love YOU and I know he would never want anyone else BUT you."

"I've spent seventeen years just throwing shit on that's comfortable to me. But those girls just make me feel so awful. Howie deserves the best, Gabby. These girls, never in my life did I care what they thought, until today. Freaking stepping away from Howie saying 'Uh-oh the girlfriend.' Just the snottiest I've ever seen. I seriously thought about popping this plastic boobs..." Oriana tried to explain, still feeling desperate. "I just can't help but think that Howie gets embarrassed, because I fight to even wear a nice pair of pants... You know?"

"Fuck what those girls say or think. But you have to realize Howie doesn't get embarrassed by how you dress. I know that you could wear a paper bag and he would love it. Just... believe me on this. He loves you for you, and will never leave," Teagan wrapped an arm around Oriana's waist and rested her head on her shoulder.

"I hate that they think I'm not good enough for him," Oriana sighed, staring at the picture of Marie, Cassandra, Oriana, and Teagan on the wall. It was when the girls were younger. Oriana remembered it clearly, because her mother had bribed her to wear a matching dress with Teagan.

"You are good enough for him."

"As much as I loathe admitting it, just once I think I'd like to make their jaws hit the damn floor. You know? Walk into school, somehow managing to look better than them..."

"I know what you mean, but you walk into school looking better than them everyday. That's why they're jealous of you."

"They're not jealous---"

"Bullshit. They are, too! I know they are. You can wear sweatpants and a tank top and the boys will be drooling more over you than them."

"It's not the point, Gabby," Oriana sighed, still hating that she was stooping to the witches' level. "I need your help after the Dance Recital tomorrow. I'm picking up Catie and Corey, because they want to watch me dance and they'll spend the night for the wedding tomorrow. But, I'm going to be sweaty and Lord knows what else after the recital, so I need to come home... I guess what I'm asking you is if you would help make sure I look okay? I'm not talking like full out makeup or anything, just make sure my hair looks alright, lipgloss, and that shit you put on your eyes...eye shadow?"

"Eye shadow and eyeliner," Teagan replied, kissing Oriana's cheek. "I'll help you out tomorrow, I promise. You're going to look fantastic."

"Now that I lowered my dignity to a drastic level..." Oriana groaned, not really believeing that she'd go through with it.

"You haven't lowered anything."

"Alex, please don't tell anyone, okay?" Oriana whispered, glancing at her soon-to-be-brother.

"I won't tell a soul," Alex vowed, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks," she answered, finally glancing back at Teagan. "I love you to death, you know that, right? And I'm like, forever grateful for you doing this."

"I know. I love you too, man!" Teagan hugged Oriana tightly, trying to lighten the situation and forgetting how nasty Brian was going to be after everyone left.

"Okay, you ruined my moment," Oriana groaned, wiggling away.

Teagan was about to reply, but Luke burst through the door. He quickly turned to shut the door, leaning on it with relief. "Those girls are just freaking ridiculous when it comes to Howi— Cherry-Bomb! That's who I was looking for! Gabby, fabulous party as always!" Luke walked forward, affectionately planting a kiss on Teagan's cheek. "I was hoping that I could take Oriana away from the party over to her dance studio? I hate to say it, but I'm nervous about tomorrow. Plus, I promised that girl right there that I'd check out the four dances she has to do tomorrow, plus we have to practice our solo duet thing. I just want to make sure everything's perfect. Do you hate me?"

"How can I hate my Luke Skywalker? Tomorrow's a big day, and you both need to practice! As long as you both stayed for a little while, that's all I can ask," Teagan kissed Luke's cheek. "Have fun, and I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Thanks, Teag!" Luke answered with relief, kissing her once more before looping his arm around Oriana's waist. He noticed the worry wallowing within her beautiful eyes, which made him slightly nervous. "You okay, Cherry-Bomb? You want to practice right?"

"I'd love to dance. Actually, rehearsing sounds like the best thing at the moment," Oriana enthused with relief, hugging Luke tightly. She just wanted to be away from Howie and the wretched girls.

"You two crazy kids have fun, and be careful out there!" Teagan replied, grinning as she grabbed another Bacardi Silver and left the kitchen.

"Jamie, if you see Howie and his flock of chicks, tell him where I went and not to worry," Oriana groaned, reaching for her jean jacket on the kitchen table.

"Yes, ma'am!" Alex saluted her before kissing her cheek as well before walking to the door. "See you both later."

"Let's go, Luke," Oriana pleaded, tugging on his shirt.

"We're going, we're going."

Alex waited at the door until Oriana and Luke disappeared out the back. He stifled a laugh as he watched Luke fire something at Oriana, chasing her across the way to the other house. Alex decided that if Howie wouldn't have been so perfect for Oriana that Luke would probably be the one to score. Rolling his eyes, he entered the living room only to find Howie and his frenzy of women. Alex immediately felt Oriana's dismay, watching the girls coo over Howie and make sure to be constantly touching him. Without thought, Alex collapsed on the couch next to Howie, causing one of the girls to topple to the floor. "Two guesses as to where your beautiful girlfriend is."

"With Teagan?" Howie replied, pushing away one of the girls hand.

"Nope, guess again."

"With the team throwing footballs out back?"

"Yeah right," Alex snorted, "She went off with another guy."

"What do you mean, she went off with another guy?" Howie raised an eyebrow, finally getting tired of the girls. "Okay, you know what? I need to talk to Alex alone, and you are all getting on my nerves. Can you please leave?"

The girls glanced at Howie for a moment, laughing shrilly, deciding he was joking. One went back to perching on his lap, running her fingers through his hair. Alex felt himself grow upset as he furled his dark eyebrows. "She's out with Mac," he lied with a growl, wanting to get Howie's attention fully.

"Get off me!" Howie grunted, pushing the girl off his lap. The mere mention of Mac made his blood boil. "How many times do I have to tell you stupid sluts that I have a girlfriend? Now back off and leave me alone!"

"Asshole," the girl huffed, quickly rushing away.

"We'll be back," the head decided, following her fellow girlfriends to the bathroom. She flicked a piece of her dyed blonde hair away from her eyes, muttering as she left, "We're so freaking getting Riley back for this!"

"Pissed you off, didn't it? Hearing that she's with Mac?" Alex asked flatly, hoping he could easily make his point. He wasn't known in the group of friends for giving the best of advice, but he would do his damnest to see that Oriana was happy.

"Well, no shit. You think I like talking to those girls? You know me, I try to be nice to everyone--"

"But you know Riana is jealous about that."

"She said it was fine—"

"She was lying out of her teeth. Just like when you tell her you don't mind her seeing Mac tomorrow night. You hate it more than anything. She hates those girls more than anything. Lord, I shouldn't be telling you this, but every time she's sees you with those chicks, she doesn't think she's pretty enough for you. All those years of not caring a shit about what people think and everything gets turned upside down because of you. Some accomplishment, huh?"

"Why doesn't she tell me--"

"Why don't you tell her how you feel about her seeing Mac?"

"Because it'll make her think that I don't trust her..."

"Same with her, but her looks are involved. For once, she actually cares about looking good for you. She thinks you're embarrassed about how she dresses. That she's not good enough for you. And, like I said before, that she's not pretty enough, because she knows that you could have any girl in that damn school."

"But I don't care how she dresses. I feel like I'm not good enough for her, she's so fucking beautiful! I love her more than anything, man!"

"I'm just honestly telling you what she told Teagan and me," Alex answered, watching Howie hold his head in his hands. "It's not a bad thing, Howie. It just means that she really cares about you, but as much as we'd like to think she has a heart of stone... Truth be told, her feelings are pretty fragile..."

"I know, and I didn't help by continuing to talk to those girls..."

"Nope," Alex admitted with the nod of his head. "She said she trusts you except for this tiniest piece of her heart. I have no idea what she meant, but she does trust you because she loves you. Look...she's not with Mac..."

"Why in the Hell did you tell me that, then? I've been sitting here for five minutes trying not to run out and kill the bastard for wanting to be with my girl."

"Because I needed your attention and I needed it right away. But I was telling the truth before, she did leave with a guy—"

"Who?!"

"Just—"

"Who did she leave with?!"

"Damn, Howie. Luke picked her up for a romantic—"

"Romantic what?"

"Can I finish a complete sentence?" Alex groaned.

"Then stop saying shit that you know will set me off!"

"All I was saying was that she left with a guy, then you cut me off. I try to say it was just Luke, you cut me off. Then I try to tell you... Well, okay, the last one was a fluke..." Alex smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Howie grabbed a pillow and hit Alex upside the head. "Where are they going?"

"I guess Ry's in more than one of the dances at the dance recital tomorrow. So, Luke promised to watch her in each one to make sure she's okay. Then he wanted to practice that duet thing they're doing. So, they went over to the studio in the basement to practice for the rest of the night. I think she even promised him some of that fruit salad she had for dessert after the game.

"Should I go over there now and apologize for allowing the girls to hang over me?"

"I..." Alex went silent for a moment, figuring the possibilities. "You don't have to. I mean, I don't think she's looking for you to apologize for letting the girls hang on you. She doesn't think it's your fault. She's just concentrating on the dance stuff..."

"But I shouldn't have let them do that--"

"Dude, if the chick isn't mad at you, don't press the issue. I'm not even the one getting married and I know that!"

"Yeah... you're right. Thanks for smacking some sense into me," Howie stood up and stretched. "I'm going to get a Corona. Do you want one?"

"Yeah, you better be drunk, you're going to need it for tomorrow when she comes down those stairs..." Alex blurted with thought.

"What do you mean?" Howie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I meant hook me up!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Howie laughed, walking into the kitchen.

"You're definitely in for it tomorrow when Cinderella transforms," Alex snickered, settling back on the couch with satisfaction.

*~*~*


Teagan carefully tip-toed down the stairs to her basement, wanting to check on Brian. Last she had heard, he had crashed downstairs in a drunken sleep. But the party was over and she wanted to make sure he was at least okay. He had been the most miserable person at the party, but she still loved him. She found herself smiling softly as she noticed him curled on the couch, sleeping soundly. She reached to grab a blanket just as another empty bottle fell from his hands, making her roll her eyes. She carefully draped the blanket over him, not really wanting to know the nature of the beast by waking him. Though, she found herself slightly curious when he mumbled, "Should've finished her."

"What the Hell... should have finished who?" Teagan asked herself with a raised eyebrow. She fixed the blanket a little more and turned to leave when something gripped her wrist and squeezed hard.

"DON'T WALK AWAY WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, ORIANA! DAMNIT!" Brian roared.

"BRIAN, LET ME GO!" Teagan shrieked in surprise, trying to pull away from Brian's grasp. She was scared out of her mind for Oriana rather than herself.

Teagan jerked herself hard enough to cause Brian to topple onto the floor. The slam on the floor, jolted him, causing him to release her hand. He immediately jumped up from the floor, running his hands through his tangled locks. His face was heavy with exhaustion and alcohol as he swayed from side to side. "Teags?"

"Brian, what the fuck was that?" Teagan replied, holding her throbbing wrist.

"Huh?" he blanked.

"Earlier you muttered 'Should've finished her' before I covered you with a blanket. As I tried to leave, you grabbed my wrist and started yelling 'DON'T WALK AWAY WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, ORIANA! DAMNIT!'"

Brian stared at her for several moments, trying to make sense of what she said. His head was so cloudy and already starting to throb. He moaned in agony, tugging at his sandy blonde locks. He staggered toward her, wrapping his arms around her. "Must've been a nightmare. Did I scare you?"

"Yeah, and you hurt me," Teagan tugged away from Brian. She didn't like being around him while he was drunk.

"I'm sorry, Baby..." he cooed, stumbling backward as she pulled away.

"Brian, you're drunk. I don't want to be around you drunk if you're going to have nightmares and abuse me."

"I didn't abuse you!"

"You hurt me!"

"Teags," Brian tried to step toward her.

Teagan took a step back from him. "Obviously you still hate my best friend and now you've taken it out on me when you drank yourself stupid."

"I don't hate..." Brian couldn't even form the words in his mouth. He squinted against the harsh lights Teagan had flicked on. He groaned, bowing down to shield his eyes. "Damnit, Teags. Do you just want me to leave? Is that it?"

"Did I even SAY that?"

"Well, you don't like being around me when I'm drunk!" he fired.

"Not when you're like this! Normal people don't get violent when they're fucking drunk, especially to people they love!"

"I'm not violent!"

"The Hell you're not!"

"Yes! The Hell I'm not!"

"Fuck you!" she showed him her wrist, which was beginning to bruise. "See that?! YOU DID THAT TO ME!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO BE WATCHING OVER ME LIKE A GOD-DAMN-SON-OF-A-BITCH HAWK!"

"I WAS TRYING TO COVER YOU UP SO YOU WOULDN'T GET COLD! EXCUSE ME FOR CARING!" Teagan pushed him hard and watched him fall onto the couch. "YOU SLEEP HERE, BECAUSE I'M STAYING IN RIANA'S ROOM!"

"WHAT THE FUCK? IT'S MY HOUSE!"

"THIS HAS BEEN MY SECOND HOME SINCE I WAS BORN!"

"I'LL GO TO MY OWN GOD-DAMN ROOM THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" he growled, scrambling up from the floor. He glared at Teagan before trying to ascend the stairs while muttering quietly, "Fucking Oriana causing this shit. I could just beat her... Fucking shit... She's in some deep ass... Damn..."

"You can't go into your room if I locked it," Teagan walked past him up the stairs in a sing song voice.

"Excuse me?" he answered, staring blankly at her.

"You have a lock on your door. I locked it and I have the key," she held it up between her thumb and forefinger. "So you're stuck on the couch down in the den."

Brian watched her form fade as she sauntered up the stairs. He took a deep breath in hopes to cover his rage until he heard the sharp slam of the door. "DAMN FUCKING WOMEN!!!!"
The Start of a Memorable Evening by Anastacia
Chapter 45 – The Start of a Memorable Evening

"Oh, Lord, someone freaking kill me," Brian muttered in a low voice, sinking further into his seat as he glanced away from the stage. He couldn't believe that his father had forced him to come to Oriana's dance recital. He had been tortured enough by Teagan's frosty glares and never would learn to appreciate Oriana's beautiful dancing. He seemed less interested as Oriana rose up to her toe pointe in the modern ballet number, showing her great advancement compared to the other students who hadn't mastered such a tough skill. She smiled boldly as she did several fouette in which she stood gracefully on one leg and used a circular whip like motion with her extended leg to pull her lithe body in a beautifully tight circle several times to end the number. "Thank God!" he breathed, jumping to his feet to applaud, not knowing Oriana had the duet with Luke yet.

"Sit your ass down, the recital’s not over," Kevin hissed, pulling Brian back down into his seat.

"Everyone else was fucking standing!"

"Those are the younger kids’ parents, they can go home. If you smart off to me one more time, you're not going to the dance with Teagan tonight."

"Fuc—"
"Oriana's so pretty!" Corey cooed from Howie's lap, clapping loudly as the girls walked from the behind the raising curtain to curtsey. Oriana seemed to immediately search out her family, smiling happily as Corey blew several kisses. "We love you Ori!"

Oriana smiled blowing kisses back to Corey before scurrying backstage to finish the recital with Luke. "Now where's she going, Howie?"

"It's time for her and Luke to dance, Buddy," Howie chuckled, ruffling Corey's locks. "She'll be back before you can say 'Supercalifragilisitcexpealidocious'."

"Super-dooper-pooper-scooper?" Corey offered, just wanting to have Oriana back.

"That works, because there she is!"

Corey's eyes grew wide as the curtain quickly rose, showing Oriana and Luke positioned in a tight embrace. Corey immediately cooed again in wonder, obviously admiring Oriana's beauty. Maggie had chosen for Oriana to wear pair of tight black dance pants that flared to compliment the dark red frayed handkerchief styled top. It accented all of soft curves in her athletic body and exposed her tan stomach. Luke almost seemed to melt into her outfit with his own black pants and dark red muscle tank. Corey clapped yet again as Counting Crow's "Accidentally In Love" began to play. Stepping quickly into the beats, Luke pushed Oriana backward only to catch her in his arms to begin a varied Latin style of dancing. "Catie! Look!"

"I see, Corey! Look at how good Ori's dancing!" Catie whispered back excitedly. She and her brother loved to watch Oriana dance.

"I taught her that!" Corey cried with pride, watching Oriana swivel her hips as Luke fell back against the floor and started to crawl onto his knees to get back to her. "I wiggle my butt all the time!"

Teagan muffled a laugh as Catie rolled her eyes. Corey didn't seem to care however as he sat straighter in Howie's lap for a better view of Oriana. His large sapphire eyes grew bright as Oriana did a graceful back flip to avoid Luke's invasive tactics within the coordinated dance. She smiled coyly as he stepped toward her, bracing his hands against her hips, slowly helping her to move to his rhythm. "You're brother is so adorable, Catie. No wonder Riana won't take that bracelet off," Teagan whispered to the young girl who sat between her and Howie.

"Ori and Corey seem to be connected in a lot of ways," Catie agreed, making sure to keep her voice down. "She doesn't just treat him like a little kid, she treats him like her little brother."

"And what about you, Catie? How does she treat you?" Teagan asked curiously, still making sure to keep her eyes on the stage. Luke and Oriana interacting in dance was the most gorgeous thing she had seen in her life. They moved together like one being, anticipating each others little quirks. It was as if they were made for one another.

"She's like the older sister I've never had. Whenever Corey and me are at the Center, Oriana comes to visit the minute she hears we're there. She's so much fun, Teagan. I wish she could adopt us."

"I bet she'd do it in a heartbeat if she was old enough," Teagan agreed, remembering those late night conversations after Oriana returned from the Center. She also knew that Oriana was talking with her mother about the possibilities of Cassandra adopting both children, since their mother was looking into foster homes anyways.

"How old would she have to be?" Catie asked, watching Oriana leap into Luke's arms in time for him to lift her above his head.

"Eighteen at least, but she wants to go to college, too..." Teagan trailed, not wanting to ruin the surprise if everything did go as planned. Cassandra was planning on talking to Catie's mother after they returned from the honeymoon. She immediately pointed to see Luke drop Oriana from high above his hand, catching her gracefully into a dip, where she flipped softly out of his arms. She crossed to the opposite side of the stage, where they performed the same quick feet work, slowly inching towards one another with sly smiles.

"Teag!" Brian hissed, interrupting the conversation as he leaned over Alex.

"Wow, look at that, Catie!" Teagan replied, totally ignoring Brian as the dancing duo did some amazing moves.

"She so has to teach me how to do that!" Catie breathed in absolute awe, bringing her hands to her mouth. Cassandra glanced over at the two children, smiling softly as she turned to whisper something in her soon-to-be-husband's ear.

"Teag!" Brian hissed louder.

"I'm sure she will," Teagan smiled, patting Catie's leg. She turned to Alex, still ignoring Brian. "Isn't Riana doing great?"

"It would be even greater if you would answer your boyfriend so he shuts up," Alex muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"I can't watch my sister dance with his screechy voice in my ear," Alex explained with a growl, trying to focus on the stage. He had loved every single one of Oriana's performances, but Brian was driving him nuts.

"I'm sorry, Sax. Here, switch seats with me real quick. I didn't know he was bothering you," Teagan replied as they quickly and quietly exchanged seats. "Brian, what the Hell do you want?"

"I want to apologize for last night, but you haven't said a damn thing to me all day," Brian answered, slumping back in his seat, thankful he didn't have to concentrate on Oriana any longer. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Yeah, well, you did..." Teagan rubbed her bruising wrist.

"I had no idea that I did it, Teags. I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. I shouldn't be drinking like that in any case. I know that you don't have to forgive me, but I'm really sorry," Brian whispered, just wanting forgiveness so they could go to the dance in peace.

"You have to promise you won't do it again," Teagan bit her bottom lip, trying to fight back the tears she had been holding since the night before.

"I didn't even mean to hurt you. I was dreaming and had no idea what I was doing. But I won't get drunk like that anymore, okay?" Brian promised, gently leaning over in his seat to offer her a quick kiss. "Okay? I love you so much, Teags."

"I love you, too. I didn't mean to lock you out of your room, I was just... I was so mad..." Teagan took his hand into hers.

"I know... Trust me... I know..."

"Are we still going to the dance tonight?"

"Do you want to? "

"I do."

"Then of course we're going to go. We have to stop off at Ace's party after the dance, too," Brian answered, leaning to give Teagan yet another sweet kiss. He couldn't wait till Ace's party where he would meet the source of Howie's grief - Mac. He knew it would be the best party in the universe if he could unlock the key of Mac to hurt Oriana.

"Just for a little bit though, okay? I don't really like Ace and his girlfriend..."

"Why?"

"Ace is an asshole and Shay is a bitch."

"That'll work..." Brian quipped with a small smile.

Teagan leaned in to kiss him again before turning her attention back to Oriana and Luke, who were just finishing the dance.

Catie immediately jumped to her feet as Luke grabbed Oriana by the waist and pulled her quickly to his body as if she were melting against him. He offered a sweeping kiss to her throat before dipping her dramatically for a finishing pose, the curtain falling. "GO ORIANA!!!"

Teagan stood up along with everyone else, clapping and cheering. "WHOO! GO RIANA! GO LUKE!"

The red curtain rose, allowing Oriana and Luke to step toward the end of the stage. They embraced hands as Luke held Oriana out to do a proper curtsey before he could bow. He then gently guided Oriana forward and stepped behind her so she could receive her own standing ovation. Oriana blushed furiously as some of the football players jumped up from their seats in the front row, offering her single white roses.

"BEAUTIFUL, WAS IT NOT?" Maggie called, stepping out onto the stage to hug both Luke and Oriana. "THANK YOU SO MUCH! THE DANCERS ARE GOING TO GET SOMETHING TO DRINK THEN THEY'LL BE OUT!"

The curtain quickly fell again to hide Luke and Oriana as the lights flashed on. Brian lurched from his seat, eager to leave without seeing Oriana. Yet, Kevin offered him a frosty glare that caused him to wilt back down. "Is Ori coming out soon?" Corey asked with a pout.

"She'll be out in a minute, Cor. Don't worry," Howie replied.

"How'd you like it, Catie? Corey?" Cassandra asked affectionately as they gathered into the isle in a little circle to wait for Oriana. Cassandra had already told Kevin about the two children that Oriana had become so attached to. She was honestly considering adopting them and having all the paperwork put through by graduation if their mother and Kevin would solidly agree on the idea.

"Ori danced pretty! She wiggled her butt like me!" Corey approved with a happy grin, bouncing in Howie's arms.

"So, you're the one that taught her that?" Kevin growled affectionately, ruffling Corey's light blonde curls.

"Uh-huh!" Corey did something that shocked everyone by holding his arms out to Kevin.

"You want me?" Kevin asked in surprise, glancing to Cassandra for confirmation. He and Cassandra had several conversations over the two children that seemed to almost live at their home at times. He understand that Corey and Catie were shy when getting to know others and almost as mistrusting as Oriana had been.

"Yeah," Corey replied with a nod, still holding out his arms.

"Well, c'mere, buddy," Kevin enthused, hoisting the young boy into his arms. He smiled proudly as Corey wrapped his arms tightly around his neck, almost refusing to let go. Kevin affectionately rubbed Corey's back, glancing to Cassandra. He softly whispered in her ear, "We're going to adopt them."

Cassandra smiled happily, kissing his cheek before he took his hand into hers. She knew Oriana would be thrilled when she found out at Graduation.

"Ori! There's Ori!" Catie cheered, tugging on Teagan's hand.

"Go ahead," Teagan laughed, releasing Catie's hand. Catie glanced up for a moment as Teagan nodded. Catie beamed a proud smile, racing down the isle as Oriana sauntered forward.

As soon as Oriana caught sight of the little girl, she dropped her dance bag. She was still in the last dancing uniform with a towel draped loosely around her neck. She immediately bent down to her knees, embracing the little girl. Catie almost knocked her over with the force, causing Oriana to laugh harder. She kissed Catie's cheeks several times, "Guess you liked it, Catie?!"

"You danced so pretty! I wanna learn how to dance like you!" Catie cheered, kissing Oriana's cheeks as well.

"Well, I'll tell you what," Oriana decided, standing up and picking up the small eleven year old into her arms. She held out one of her white roses to Catie for keeping. "Next weekend I'll get in touch with Margie my dance teacher and we'll pick out a class for you to go to. I make tons of money working at Momma's clinic, so I'll pay for whatever class you want to take. How about that?"

"Really?" Catie squealed happily.

"Really."

"Ori that would be great! Thank you so much!"

"You saw all the styles of dancing up there... I was in every single one of them," Oriana laughed, leaning down to pull the duffle bag over the arm, still holding onto Catie and the flowers. "You decide which you want to do this week and we'll talk to Margie and get you registered," Oriana promised as she walked down to the group anxious awaiting her. Luke had slipped out quickly, needing to get changed so he could pick up Dee for dinner before the Homecoming Dance.

"Ori, you danced like me! You wiggled your butt!" Corey shouted with glee from Kevin's arms.

Oriana gazed in surprise at Corey's new choice of favorite people, arching her honey eyebrows in obvious confusion. Catie quickly poked Oriana's shoulder, causing her to jump. She mustered a smile and leaned up to peck Corey's cheek. "I was thinking about you when I wiggled my butt," she confirmed, pulling a single white rose from the bunch the football players had offered. "Here you go. A rose for my perfect little husband, right?"

"Right!" Corey sniffed the rose. "It smells like you! Prettyful!"

"I wish I could keep you in my pocket," Oriana cooed, leaning up to offer a real kiss on the boy's forehead. She smiled yet again as he tucked the flower behind his ear, showing Kevin.

"You look so handsome with that rose behind your ear," Kevin chuckled as Corey hugged him.

Oriana watched in awe as Corey leaned into Kevin to whisper something private before giving yet another squeeze. Kevin laughed whole-heartedly, kissing the child's cheek. Oriana felt proud as she let Catie down to her side. She offered the small girl the rest of the bouquet. "Can you hold that for me before the mothers attack with hugs?"

"Definitely, because here they come," Catie replied with a wry grin before Cassandra and Marie wrapped their arms around Oriana.

"You liked the ballet the most, didn't you?" Oriana squeaked as she was crushed amongst the women's hugs and kisses.

"You danced like a complete angel during the ballet!" Marie gushed, kissing Oriana's cheek.

"Even in pink toe shoes," Oriana joked, accepting Marie's approval. She loved Marie so much and accepted every bit of criticism she offered. Oriana couldn't imagine what it would have been like not being able to have Marie as a second mother.

"You did beautifully," Marie laughed, kissing her once more before handing her to Cassandra.

"You did great, as you always do," Cassandra praised, hugging Oriana tightly before kissing her forehead,

Oriana nodded with relief, accepting the kiss and offering another hug. She stood in her mother's embrace for several moments until she caught Kevin's gaze upon her. She pulled away, staring up at the man who she was slowly learning to trust. She bit down on her bottom lip, fingering the towel around her neck. "How'd you like it, Kevin? Did I bore you to death?"

"Bore me to death? No way, that was amazing, I'd love to see every recital you have! You're a great dancer," Kevin enthused.

"Thanks..." Oriana murmured shyly, taking a moment before reaching up to hug him.

Kevin smiled happily, kissing the top of her head before they let go. "Well, I think it's time for you kids to get going. The Homecoming Dance is tonight, right?"

"Yeah..." Oriana trailed, adjusting the duffle bag onto her other arm. She bit down on her bottom lip, knowing she had a long night ahead of her in heels. She turned toward Teagan. "We should get going in the Hummer, the boys can take Howie's car, and...Corey and Catie are spending the night! Corey'll go home with Kevin and Momma... Catie, you driving home with us, Sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I wanna go in the Hummer!" Catie replied excitedly.

"Deal," Oriana laughed, reaching into her duffle bag to free her Duke Lanyard with her keys. She tossed them to Catie, who took off running for the car. Oriana and Teagan shrugged their shoulders, kissing their mother's goodbye. Teagan then quickly stopped to offer Brian a sweet kiss, but Oriana just turned to leave, until Howie caught her upper arm. "Woah!" she yelped in surprise, almost falling down with the heavy duffle bag.

"I wanted to congratulate you on how much you looked like a graceful angel on the stage," Howie replied quietly, kissing her cheek.

"Oh," Oriana answered, blushing faintly. She assumed Howie might have a heart attack with the dance she did with Luke. "Thanks, Baby. You liked it that much?"

"I liked it a lot. You seemed to be in a zone when you were dancing. Especially at the end, it was amazing."

"Awe, thank you so much. I think that's the best I've ever done. You might just end up being my lucky charm," she enthused, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'll definitely be coming to all the recitals," he chuckled, kissing her soft lips.

"And just think of the after-party," she teased.

"Oh yeah. Now go on, you need to get ready for tonight, and so do I," he smiled, smacking her butt.

Oriana jumped with surprise at the swift tap, pulling away from his embrace. She fingered the last white rose she had with bright red edges. Shaking her head in disbelief, she offered him the final rose and kissed his cheek. "Stop hanging out with the team, okay?"

"Just thought I would try it once. I won't do it again," Howie replied, taking the rose. He cupped her chin and kissed her once more. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she promised, hoisting the duffle bag onto her shoulder yet again. She glanced to see Teagan heading towards the door with her final goodbyes said. She shrugged her shoulders, snapping her fingers to Alex. "Check you later, Doctor Mambo!"

"See you at the dance, Ry!"

"Or you know at the house after we get ready," Oriana laughed, heading for the doors behind Teagan. She was halfway out, but stopped. "Howie?"

"Yeah, Babe?"

"I kind of liked the swat..." Oriana laughed, disappearing out into the warm Floridian air.

*~*~*


"Riana, can you zip me up, please?" Teagan called as she ran into Oriana's room with her dress on.

"You're definitely slacking, Ori!" Catie chirped from her spot on Oriana's bed, watching the two teenage girls get ready for their evening. The girls had rushed home from the dance, each teenager jumping into a different shower as Catie ran to Oriana's room to entertain herself. Now, Teagan was putting the final touches on her outfit and Oriana was still slinking around in her strapless bra and fairy printed bikini briefs.

"Tie, shut up," Oriana laughed, grabbing the delicate zipper on the back of Teagan's dress. She carefully pulled it upward, pushing on Teagan's shoulders when she finished. Teagan stepped away and did a beautiful twirl, running her hands down the length of her fiery red dress. She looked like a vision of seductive beauty with the dress adhering to every curve, and the corset top giving her extra lift against the bust line. She had already ran some gel through her short brown locks to give it a sultry and messy finish and now only needed her shoes and jewelry.

"You're so pretty, Teagan!" Catie breathed deeply.

Teagan smiled, kissing the top of Catie's head. "Thanks! Now if only we could get Ori in her dress, huh?"

"Yeah, she's being slow!"

"I am not being slow! I'm just... taking my time!" Oriana defended herself.

"In other words, being slow," Teagan snickered.

"Slow is not in my vocabulary," Oriana groaned, walking toward her large closet. She opened it up and moved toward the back to find the dress. She swished her hips to the beat inside her head as she back out.

"And finally... the dress emerges!" Teagan cheered along with Catie.

"Said nothing about putting it on though," Oriana teased, draping it over her bed. She carefully peeled away the layer of plastic that protected it on the hanger, then clipped off the tags. She held it up against her exposed body, almost having doubts.

"You're going to look pretty in that dress, Ori! Put it on!" Catie begged.

"I'm going to look like a two cent hoo—" Oriana's words dropped when she noticed the glimmer in Catie's eyes. Oriana bit down on her tongue to keep from hurting Catie. If she could give Catie some kind of joy by just wearing a simple dress, then Oriana would do it in a heartbeat. She gently eased the dress off the hanger, unzipped the hidden zipper in the back, and then stepped into it. "I don't know why you're so antsy about this, Tie. You see me in my dance outfits and half of them are dresses."

"But this is a DRESS dress. You're going to a dance with Howie, and those dresses are different," Catie explained, her eyes growing wide at how beautiful Oriana looked in her cocktail-style dress.

"Here, I'll zip you up," Teagan walked over to Oriana and carefully zipped up the dress.

"Don't even say a word, Tie," Oriana teased, leaning over to cover Catie's eyes affectionately when Teagan pushed on her shoulder to signal the zipper was done.

"Hey, I wanna see!"

"I don't think I can let you," Oriana continued, blowing a raspberry on Catie's cheek as she continued to shield her eyes.

"I'm old enough, I should be able to see!" Catie retorted, shying away from the raspberry.

"Okay...okay...okay..." Oriana laughed, tickling Catie's sides before standing up tall in all her glory.

"Oooh! Oriana, you look amazing!" Catie squealed happily.

"A regular Genie of the Bottle?" Oriana joked, smoothing out the soft layer against her toned stomach before playing with the handkerchief style skirt.

"Catie’s right. This dress is absolutely perfect for you!" Teagan replied, making Oriana turn around in a circle.

"Okay! Can't do that no more or the fairies will be giving a peep!" Oriana laughed as the different lengths of the skirt flared upward against her thighs with the circle.

"Alright, no more circles," Teagan chuckled as she walked over and grabbed some jewelry. She made Oriana sit down on the bed and put earrings, a bracelet and a necklace on the younger girl. "There! All we need is your shoes, but that can wait until right before we leave."

"My hair?"

"Oh!" Teagan smacked her forehead. "What do you want me to do for your hair?"

"Ponytail?" Oriana asked hopefully.

"Nope. Not for a dance. Name something else for tonight."

"Pigtails?"

"Oriana Ryan," Teagan growled.

"Wait! I know!" Catie called excitedly, hopping off Oriana's bed. She quickly raced toward her backpack, freeing to white ribbons from her 'Friendship Bracelet Kit.' She smiled as she quickly ran back to the girls, holding them up for view. "We'll make her look like a princess. She has long-long curls, which everyone loves, so we'll let them down. But take two parts of the hair that always fall in her face and twist them back into long braids with the ribbons that'll hang down her back with the curls!"

"Darling, you're a genius!" Teagan smiled, taking the ribbons into her hands. She sat behind Oriana on the bed and brushed her honey blonde locks. "Catie, wanna help me with Ori's hair?"

"Can I?" Catie asked, gazing at Oriana with worry.

"Go ahead, Sweetheart. You're always doing my hair at the Center, right?" Oriana quickly assured.

"Yeah, that's true..." Finally, Catie climbed onto the bed next to Teagan and braided one side while Teagan did the other.

"So, what are you going to do while we're at the dance, Tie? Kevin said something about playing video games with Corey downstairs for the night to calm himself for the wedding. I have all my DVD's up here if that's what you want to do... I don't have much girl stuff, but you can use anything up here, okay?" Oriana instructed as Catie quickly finished her side with a perfect braid with the ribbon intertwined, handing it to Teagan so she could braid the two ends together for a hold, then secure the curly ends with a band.

"Okay. You have all my favorite movies, anyway," Catie replied as Teagan finished the hairstyle. "You're all done!"

"Really?" Oriana asked, slowly easing to stand up.

Catie surveyed the hair, but quickly clicked her tongue like a top hair stylist. She pushed down on Oriana's bare shoulders so she would sit. Catie then jumped off the side of the bed, locating the white rose Oriana had given her at the dance recital. She then crossed back, weaving the beautiful rose into Oriana's curls where the two braids molded together, giving her a romantic touch. "There!"

"Go, Catie! You should be a hair stylist when you grow up," Teagan complimented, affectionately tugging on Catie's ponytail as Oriana stood up to look in the mirror.

Oriana tilted her head to the side, surveying her appearance from the front. She didn't think she looked any different, but she didn't want to disappoint Catie. She then turned to survey what the back of her hair looked like and was unable to hide her smile. Catie had really out-done herself. Oriana approved of how she looked as she grasped her only girly accessories - the different lip glosses, walking back to the bed. She reached out to hug Catie tight for several seconds, before showing her the lip glosses. "Which is Howie going to like better, Tie? Cherry, Grape, Fruit Punch Sunset, or Vanilla Angel Food Cake?"

"Hmm... Vanilla Angel Food Cake! That one smells yummy."

"Deal," Oriana answered, running the lip-gloss across her lips to give them a kissable shine. She smiled mischievously, pressing her first kiss to Catie's cheek. "I love you a lot, Kiddo."

"I love you too, Ori. You have fun tonight!" Catie carefully hugged Oriana.

"I'll be home in time to at least watch one video with you, okay?" Oriana promised.

"But you need to spend time with Howie--"

"Don't let Howie know this, but Corey and you are more important."

"Why are we more important? Howie's gonna be the guy you're gonna marry!"

"Because even if I married Howie, I'd adopt you first."

"Okay, I've got it figured out. Oriana and Howie will have a lot of fun tonight, she'll get back to watch a movie with you, when she's old enough she'll adopt you and Corey and then she'll marry Howie. Is that about right?" Teagan interrupted.

"That's Teagan's way of saying hurry the Hell up," Oriana laughed, kissing Catie's cheek affectionately once more.

"Not hurry the Hell up, just we don't want to be late...in the nicest way possible..." Teagan answered with a roll of her eyes. Catie shrugged her shoulders, understanding anyway. "Hey! Catie! Why don't you go downstairs and announce us?"

"Yeah! I can do that," Catie ran to the door and stopped, turning around. "Teagan, what's your middle and last name?"

"Teagan Gabrielle Eavans," she answered with a cute laugh.

"Teagan Gabrielle Eavans and Oriana Ryan Riley. Got it! I'll announce in two minutes, so be ready!" Catie headed downstairs.

"She's so sweet," Teagan commented once they were alone.

"Momma's going to put the adoption papers in gear if Kevin says yes..." Oriana trailed, picking up the two boxes of shoes. She opened the top of the first pair, quickly handing them to Teagan. She didn't want to get too far ahead of herself with the idea of adoption, though, knowing Kevin could very well say no. "And you know what? I have no freaking clue what's up with this whole you're going to marry Howie branch people are jumping from."

"You and Howie are meant for each other, that's all. And we can honestly see you both getting married someday," Teagan replied, slipping on her shoes. She grabbed her multiple earrings, bracelet and necklace and quickly put them all on. She sprayed a little Ralph perfume. "But well talk more about this later. Hurry and get your shoes on."

"Can you toss me my J-Lo Glow?" Oriana asked, throwing her white heeled sandals on the floor to step into.

"Here you go," Teagan grabbed the small bottle and carefully threw it to Oriana.

Oriana caught it with ease, carefully spritzing it against her warm skin. She inhaled her soft scent, smoothed her dress, and glanced up to her long-time friend. "Ten bucks she calls my name last for a dramatic entrance."

"You're on!"

*~*~*


"You boys are just so damn handsome!" Marie cooed as she quickly snapped several photographs of the boys. They were still waiting for Teagan and Oriana, so the mothers were fussing over the boys. Kevin resisted the urge to chuckle as he bounced Corey affectionately on his knee. The boys looked as if they were being tortured while they faked smiles to please both Cassandra and Marie. Yet, Marie was right, Brian, Howie, Alex, and Nick were dressed to impress. Brian looked smart in his blue dress pants, crisp white button-down, and a matching blue sport's jacket with his sandy blonde curls brushed back. Alex looked funky in his leopard print dress shirt, black dress pants, and a leopard print hat. Nick looked quite classic in his light gray pants, white button-down, and a white sweater tossed against his shoulders with his bowl cut blonde locks. And Howie looked handsome with his black button-down and white dress pants, his short black curls laying messily against his forehead.

"Are the girls ready yet? My face hurts from smiling in all the damn pictures," Alex muttered to Howie as he adjusted his hat. He never knew it took so long for two girls to get ready for a simple Homecoming Dance.

"You took twice as long as the rest of us," Howie breathed as Nick offered a goofy face to lighten the mood.

"I did not take this long--"

"Ahem! I am ready to announce!" Catie interrupted as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Now this is what we were really waiting for!" Kevin teased, standing up with Corey in his arms. He moved to stand next to Cassandra, who was already clenching his hand in anticipation. Kevin found it quite sweet, knowing it was probably the first time in many years that Oriana had consented to wear a dress.

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Catie called, motioning toward the top of the large staircase. "First, presenting Teagan...Gabrielle...Eavans!"

Teagan gracefully stepped onto the threshold, smiling as she descended the stairs. "Great announcing.”

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Brian hooted with pleasure, quickly hurrying to wait at the bottom of the stairs. The fire red color of the sexy dress seemed to flame Teagan's deep blue-gray eyes as she walked down to greet Brian. Her silky legs accented by the black heeled sandals strapped to her delicate feet. Her body ripe and ample beneath the layer of clinging red fabric that cut off at the knees and the snug corset portion of the top that allowed Teagan a better advantage of cleavage. Brian felt like he was falling in love all over again.

"I guess you like it," Teagan laughed with a blushing smile as Brian kissed her softly. Marie rushed over with her camera to take pictures of the couple.

"You wearing it?" Brian asked huskily into her ear, drawing his hand around her waist as Marie gave them instructions for each picture.

"You know it," Teagan replied, smiling for each of the pictures her mother asked for. At the last one, Brian surprised her by dipping her and delivering a searing kiss as the camera flashed.

"You guys are so adorable!" Cassandra approved, stepping with her own camera. "Can I at least get my own picture of my first daughter in her Homecoming Dress to add to the collection?"


“Definitely, Ma. This is tradition!" Teagan smiled as she gently led Brian towards Marie.

Cassandra nodded, quickly taking her own picture of Brian and Teagan. Then she took another of Brian, Teagan, and Marie. She sighed softly at the memories of her and Marie at their own Senior Homecoming. "Now if my daughter would get down here... We could have Kevin get a picture of all four women... Then moms, daughters, and dates..."

"Maybe that's why she's hiding," Alex laughed.

"Alex, hush now," Cassandra scolded with a laugh. "Catie, Sweetie, is Oriana ready?"

Catie glanced up the stairway, shrugging her shoulders. She glanced toward Howie while she announced, "Now, Oriana Ryan Riley..." She waited for a few seconds, but Oriana didn't appear. Catie rolled her eyes, turning back to the stairway. "I SAID! PRESENTING ORIANA RYAN RILEY!"

Carefully, Oriana stepped toward the first step at the top of the stairs. She took a deep breath, refusing to look at anyone's reactions. Instead, she concentrated on the stairs, taking them gracefully one by one. Yet, she looked absolutely amazing to everyone in the room. Her long honey blonde curls shone brilliantly against the soft lighting at the house, given her a true elegant appeal to comment the rare cocktail-dress. The light purple fabric adhered to her soft curves like a second skin as the sexy spaghetti straps gently hugged her bare shoulders. The V neckline with a front tie that fell down the center of the dress adding to the sassiness as the dress wrapped in front with a front slit. The hemline at the bottom of the dress was a handkerchief type with various lengths of material, swaying softly with the movement of her curved hips, exposing her silky dancing legs from the mid thigh till her dainty feet wrapped in white heeled sandals. 'Just let Howie like it,' she prayed as she descended.

"Oh my! She looks so beautiful," Cassandra sniffled, wiping at her eyes.

"And the tears start..." Oriana murmured, reaching the last step.

"ORIANA!" Corey cried in disbelief.

"That bad, huh?" Oriana whispered, feeling her heart start to break into pieces. Her worries were getting the best of her mind. She had a bad feeling about how she looked from the start. She was starting to assure herself that her mother was just misty eyed for her being a dress, but that didn't mean she looked good. Besides, Howie had yet to say anything, which worried her more than anything.

"ORIANA, YOU LOOK PRETTY!" Corey continued, squirming in Kevin's arms. He set the boy down and he ran over to hug Oriana's legs.

"You're just saying that because you're my husband," Oriana softly laughed, bending over slightly to run her fingers through Corey's thick blonde curls, keeping her other hand across the low V line of her dress.

"Nuh-uh, it's true! Ask Howie, Kevin and your mommy!"

"How about I just trust you?" she soothed, carefully crouching down to kiss his soft cheek. She couldn't even muster the courage to glance at Howie, let alone ask him if he liked it.

"Picture time!" Marie called, wiping away some of her own tears. Both girls had grown up so fast; it amazed her.

"How about the girls with their mothers first?" Kevin volunteered, breaking up the silence. He smiled softly toward Oriana and Teagan. He had never seen such beautiful girls before. He felt especially proud of Oriana as he smiled upon her before squeezing his fiancé’s hand. "Let me have your camera, Sweetheart."

Cassandra nodded meekly, handing her camera and Marie's camera over. She quickly took Marie's hand, motioning for the girls to join them. Oriana kissed Corey's cheek once more before rising to her feet with Teagan's persistent tugging. Oriana crossed in front of the boys with Teagan, quickly huddling between both mothers with Teagan. She offered a bright smile while whispering to Teagan, "It's a freaking disaster, Gabby. Howie hates it."

"He doesn't hate it, you dork. He loves it," Teagan whispered back, smiling as the picture was taken. Marie called Howie and Brian over for them to be in the next picture. Howie stood in between Cassandra and Oriana while Brian was in the middle of Teagan and Marie.

"He's not saying a damn thing," Oriana murmured in a low tone that only Teagan could hear.

"That's because he's amazed by your beauty. Now stop being negative and smile," Teagan scolded as Brian wrapped an arm around her waist.

Oriana stood rigid for the photographs, still refusing to believe Teagan's statement as Howie didn't even make a move to touch her. She looked to Catie, who seemed almost as disappointed. Oriana just shrugged her shoulders as Kevin finished the rolls on both cameras, quickly bringing out one of his own. Just wanting to have at least a good memory from Homecoming, she broke away and tugged on Alex's arm. "One picture with me for your father, because I promised him a photograph for his wall?"

"Alright. Doctor Mambo is ready!" Alex grinned as he looped an arm around her waist, facing Kevin with the camera.

"Wait!" Oriana laughed, plucking the sunglasses from his front pocket. She carefully opened them, pushing them over her own eyes as Alex pulled the hat down low like a mobster. They offered their funky hand-sign toward the camera, grinning.

"Perfect!" Kevin chuckled, taking the picture.

"That'll be another song," Alex teased, kissing Oriana's cheek. Kevin quickly snapped his camera again, feeling it was a priceless moment to capture.

"That one, too," Oriana laughed, playfully rubbing her cheek as if she had hated the kiss.

"Okay, it's time to go! Y'all are going to be late!" Marie announced.

The group nodded and chorused goodbyes. Teagan quickly wrapped her arms around her mother once more before Brian led her toward his car. Oriana shrugged her bare shoulders as she leaned down to Corey and Catie, kissing them each goodbye. "Don't worry about me not being able to watch a movie with you, Tie. Looks like I'll be home extra early," Oriana promised softly.
"No, Howie's just shy because you look so pretty. He told me so," Corey confided in Oriana's ear.

"Oh, did he?" Oriana asked, figuring Corey was just being sweet.

"Honest, he did! I'm not making it up."

"Okay, Corey," Oriana answered, acting as if she believed him. She kissed his forehead once more, noticing Kevin standing near. She knew he was listening to the conversation, but for once she didn't mind. "You have fun tonight, okay, Buddy? Make Kevin take you outside and play football."

"You have fun with Howie, too!" Corey replied, hugging her.

"Okay," she replied, picking him up so she could hand him to Kevin. "Told you I actually bought a dress."

"And you look absolutely beautiful," Kevin praised, taking Corey into his arms.

"At least you think so," she answered, leaning to kiss her mother goodbye.

"Sweetheart, don't be like that. Howie thinks you're beautiful, he's just shy to say it," Cassandra replied, hugging Oriana. "You look amazing and gorgeous. Have fun tonight, okay?"

"I will," she promised, going to reach for her jean jacket, but she stopped abruptly. She knew that Teagan would probably kill her. Oriana groaned, grabbing just her keys instead.

"Bye, Ori! See you later!" Catie and Corey called, waving.

"Bye, Babes. Oh! I have a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's in the freezer. Get it before Kevin does, okay?"

"Ice cream!" Corey ran into the kitchen with Catie and Kevin right behind him.

Oriana smiled softly at the sight, waving once more to Cassandra and Marie before slipping out the front door. She turned from the door to find Howie in front of her. She jumped slightly in surprise. "Why aren't you in the Hummer? Nick and Jamie are probably screaming for you."

"I wanted to tell you how beautiful you looked in the dress. I didn't mean to make you think I didn't like it. I was just... blown away. I'm sorry I acted like an idiot," Howie apologized, kissing her softly.

"I didn't think---"

"You should know by now that your eyes tell me everything. You were afraid I didn't like the dress, but I do. You look so great that I wanted to forget the dance, bring you to my house and make love all night. That's why I didn't wrap my arms around you in the pictures," Howie replied honestly as he lead them outside.

"Well, we looked like a couple of idiots in the pictures, oh well," she sighed, trying not to comment on his other thought, because she almost decided the same thing when she saw him.

"But you really do look beautiful," Howie complimented. They had reached the Hummer, where Nick and Alex were impatiently waiting.

"Thank you," she whispered, reaching for the door.

"Allow me," he opened the door for her.

"Thank you again," she answered, arching her eyebrows in surprise as she stepped up into the large vehicle, holding the back of her skirt while she sat down.

"You're very welcome," he closed the door and went over to his side while the other two climbed into the backseat.

"Okay, Oriana?" Nick called loudly as he sat beside Alex, quickly buckling up. Oriana seemed preoccupied as she fastened her own seatbelt, slowly backing out the driveway while manuevering in her heels. Nick smirked as he leaned up, tapping her bare shoulder. "I'm sure these guys told you about my whole view on a girl's beautiful when she cares about what she looks like?"

"Your point, Carter?" she asked, throwing the Hummer into 'Drive.'

"You're an exception, because you look beautiful whether you care or not."

"And how much did Jamie pay you for that comment?" Oriana asked, staring up into her rear-view mirror.

"I didn't pay him anything except a smack upside the head," Alex defended himself. "He was being stupid by thinking that a girl's only beautiful when she cares about how they look."

"Why should he be smacked for his opinion? I mean, if that's what he truly feels, that's what he truly feels. You can't stop him from thinking that."

"The Hell I can't if it's not true."

"Riana, he's right. I just thought that was true because that's how most of the guys are at William's," Nick interrupted a potential fight.

"It's not a big deal, Nick." Oriana answered, shrugging her shoulders as she pulled into the school parking lot.

"Well, it was to me."

"We've always been cool, Nick. Don't worry about it," Oriana repeated, killing the engine. She said nothing further as she unbuckled herself, sliding out of the car. She gently smoothed the tails of her skirt down before snatching her keys off the seat. Nick shrugged his shoulders as Alex offered a dark glare to the younger boy, knowing Oriana truly felt differently because of her actions last night. Oriana didn't seem to notice however as Teagan came up from behind her and tugged on a curl. "Hey!"

"Wait like two minutes before walking in. I just saw Howie's fan club saunter in with some of the guys from the team. We're going to get them back, alright?" Teagan challenged.

"Huh?" Oriana laughed.

"We're going to get those little sluts back for hitting on Howie when he told them to stop."

"He told them to stop?" Oriana asked quietly as the guys climbed out of the car.

"Well, yeah! He pushed them away, called them stupid sluts, told them he had just tried to be nice, but he had a girlfriend."

"Oh..." Oriana trailed, biting down on her bottom lip. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"Look, we know these girls so damn well it's ridiculous. Just wait two minutes after I go in with Bri. We both know that the first thing they're going to do is go for punch, making the boys get their drinks for them while they survey the crowd. So, we're going to let you walk in and steal the lime light, the guys will definitely want to dance with you, and let nature take it's course."

"Okay..." Oriana trailed, not really understanding the plan. Yet, she didn't have a chance to consult Teagan on the issue, because Teagan was already walking into the gym. Oriana shivered slightly, leaning back against the Hummer. "You guys can go in. I'm supposed to wait."

"Why do you need to wait?" Howie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Teagan has some sort of plan, I guess."

"Well, my date's in there..." Nick trailed, glancing to the group. He offered his hand toward Oriana. "We're cool, right?"

"We're fine," she promised, releasing his hand quickly so he could run into the gym. She closed her eyes to keep from rolling them, gently rubbing her hands against her bare arms. "Jamie, why don't you go, too? I thought you said a couple of girls are waiting for you?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, go on inside. I'll see you in a few minutes."

"You're staying with her, though, right?" Alex quickly asked, glancing toward Howie. He still remembered Xander's plain threats against both Teagan and Oriana. He wanted her safe.

"Of course--"

"You don't have to," Oriana objected.

"No, but I want to," Howie placed an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. "We'll see you inside in a couple of minutes, J."

Oriana made sure Alex was in the gym before she turned. As much as one arm warmed her, Oriana would rather be wrapped in his embrace. "Since we're stuck out here for a couple, can you at least hold me-hold me? You know, both arms?"

"You don't even have to ask," Howie smiled, bring her tightly in his arms. "Better?"

"Much," she breathed, pressing her cheek against his warm shirt. She closed her eyes for the longest time, just savoring the moment. She then casually glanced up. "So you really like the dress?"

"I love the dress," he replied, leaning down to kiss her.

"Good," she whispered, her lips curving into a smile from the sweet kiss. She affectionately pulled at one of the curls tickling his forehead. "Maybe if you behave it'll turn into a strip tease dress."

"Really, now?" he smirked, kissing her again.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she laughed.

"You little tease," he rolled his eyes playfully before looking down at his watch. "I think it's time for you to make your grand entrance."

"You mean trip and fall on my face? Sure, let's go," she answered, ducking out of his embrace. She started to walk forward, but didn't feel him next to her. She carefully turned to see him still standing. "Y'all right?"

"I'm fine, just watching my beautiful girlfriend."

"More like watching my ass in the short dress," she fired with a wrinkle of her nose.

"Nope, watching my beautiful girlfriend in a dress," he corrected, walking towards her.

"Watching my beautiful girlfriend's ass in a dress," Oriana corrected, gently bumping her hip against him when he reached for her hand. He shrugged his shoulders innocently, pulling her hand up for an affectionate kiss. Oriana just laughed, "Smartass."
A Chance for Revenge by Anastacia
Chapter 46 – A Chance for Revenge

"Baby, before we dance, I have to do something really quick," Teagan blurted as they stepped into the gym. She offered a quick round of hellos to the giggling girls that approached her, but kept her eye on the larger target. She felt Brian tug on her hand as she came across her victims. Sure enough, Howie's little fan club was standing near the large punch bowl with a perfect view of the doors. She knew they were absolutely going to die when Oriana stole the attention away from their skimpy and unattractive outfits. "I've got to get these witches back."

"Just don't tear off their wigs..." Brian teased, not really understanding.

"Oh, something much worse will be torn off," Teagan smirked.

"What's much worse?"

"The attention that's always on them," she replied, looking up to see Oriana and Howie walking in.

Brian arched his eyebrows in confusion as Teagan darted over to where the four girls stood with their dates. The girls were primping their outrageous hairdos, casually glancing at the population of students. And sure enough, each date was taking turns dipping a ladle in the punch bowl and holding a cup for the girls. Teagan smirked as she motioned for Luke to join her. He jogged over to where she stood and leaned down so she could whisper in his ear. He quickly nodded and shouted from behind the dates, "Holy shit! Who's that babe on Howie's arm?!"

The dates quickly turned toward the door to see what type of fresh meat was joining the party. Teagan watched in glee as they caught sight of Oriana's beautiful form, their jaws dropping in absolute surprise. Each spoke in turn to finish a whole sentence, one word each:

"Holy--"

"Shit--"

"That's--"

"Oriana!"

"Here! Hold these!" the boys growled in unison as Oriana made her way toward them with Howie. Only the girls weren’t prepared to hold the cups, but the boys were impatient. So each hurriedly dumped the cup of punch into the girls' unsteady hands, sloshing the sugary liquid. The girls shrieked in absolute dismay as the staining punch spilled down their dresses in a cold mess.

"Mission accomplished," Teagan snickered as the girls grabbed napkins and tried to salvage their trashy outfits.

"Oh my God! My dress is like, ruined!" one of the girls wailed, throwing down her napkins and grabbing more.

"This is all Riley's fault!" the lead girl steamed, her face almost purple to match her hideous dress.

"Oh, no! Girls, what happened to your dresses? Did you have little accidents?" Teagan cooed with fake sympathy, rolling her eyes as she stood in front of them. The dates and Luke were crowded by Oriana and Howie, getting all the attention.

"Shut the fuck up!" the lead girl fumed, throwing her soaked napkins to the floor. She pushed Teagan roughly and squeezed her way through the flock of boys making a circle around Oriana. She and the other three stood to face Oriana, throwing accusing fingers in her face. "What the Hell do you think you're doing!? Do you honestly think that this little knock-off is going to put you at the brink of popularity?! Do you really think you fit in?!"

"Just because you put on a skirt and shave your legs doesn't mean Howie's going to stay around!" another growled.

"And what the Hell, you're, like, pretty!" another girl whined.

Oriana stifled a laugh as she gazed at the four ruined girls, noticing all the punch stains started at their chests and ran down. She clicked her tongue in sorrow, offering an innocent pout. "Chickies, you're leaking. Didn't anyone tell you not to put colored water in those push-up bras?"

"You little bitch!" the lead girl raised her hand to slap Oriana, but Howie quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Now, now, now. I must be mistaken here, because it looked like you were just about to slap my girlfriend. Now listen to me, GIRLS. I don't like any of you, I never want to talk to any of you and if I see any of you try to smack Oriana again, I will not be responsible for what she does to you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Responsible for what?! She can't fucking hurt me!" the lead girl snarled, trying to yank her arm away as all the boys groaned at the mere false statement.

"Oh, you really think so? Let's see, here. You're in... no sports. Oriana plays football. If you honestly think the MVP linebacker can't hurt you... it'll be your ass getting beat."

"Asshole," the lead girl snapped, finally yanking her arm free. She adjusted her heavily padded bra that was starting to suck up the remaining juice and pretended to turn from the group. When she thought the coast was clear, she charged back with her hand.

Yet, Oriana had already anticipated the move. With cat-like reflexes, she caught the girl's wrist and spun her so the arm was behind the girl's back in an odd angle, very much like she had done with Xander. Oriana lifted the arm as the girl squeal, immediately standing on her tip-toes to release the pressure. Oriana carefully turned her toward one of the football player's with a crooked nose. "You see that? I did that when he decided that a girl wouldn't be joining the team and tried to pummel me without pads."

"Let me go!" the girl shrieked, trying to get out of Oriana's grasp.

"Apologize for calling my boyfriend an asshole and I might consider the request," Oriana decided, helping the girl turn to face Howie. She added a bit more pressure by raising the arm, causing her to squeal.

"I-I'm sorry I called you an asshole," she squealed again from the pain in her arm.

"Thank you," Oriana cooed, releasing the girl's arm so she stumbled and hit the ground. "And for your information, I really don't give shit about fitting in and not fitting in. As long as I have someone to love me."

"Which is me," Howie added, wrapping his arms around Oriana from behind.

"I'm going to get you back!" the girl fired, stumbling to get off the floor.

"I look forward to seeing you then," Oriana answered with a sweet smile, infuriating the young woman even further. She screamed wretchedly, actually piercing the air above the blaring music. She glared at Oriana once more before streaking out the door with her little ducks following behind her. "Jerks..."

"You handled that great, Baby," Howie enthused, kissing the back of her neck.

"Not really," Oriana answered, leaning back in his embrace as the group whistled wildly. She wasn't too proud of forcing pain upon the girl, but the girl was planning on hurting her first. Oriana really didn't know what to say as Luke stepped forward with several football players, eyeing her new look.

"You were defending yourself, that's all you could do," Howie replied.

"Ori... you look like a girl!" Jace said in awe.

"Yeah... Jace, I actually am a girl," Oriana answered, glancing down at her dress. "What made you think I---oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you guys that I actually duct taped my boobs during practice. Now I understand the confusion!"

"No, you think?" Abe rolled his eyes, chuckling. "But honestly, you look really nice, Ori."

"Thanks, Abe," Oriana answered. "Think I should keep this up full time--" Oriana let her voice drop as she noticed Jace slowly reach to poke at her cleavage. She quickly caught his finger before he could touch her soft flesh, lifting his chin so he actually looked into her eyes. "They're real, Jace. Trust me. All 'D' cup and all..."

"But you've never--"

"I know, but get used to it."

"So, does that mean you're going to start dressing like this?" Teagan teased, tugging Brian into the group that was continually offering Oriana sweet comments. She arched her dark eyebrows with obvious interest.

"Probably not, but since I'm so proud of my boobs now, I just might leave the duct tape at home!" Oriana mocked as if she had hit a revelation.

"And it took so long for her to realize this!" Teagan laughed.

"You should definitely let me touch them then!" Jace called.

"Um... Howie, let's go dance..." Oriana groaned, knowing she was half a step away from getting tackled just to make sure her breasts were real.

"Sounds good," Howie replied as she took his hand and headed to the dance floor.

"Oriana!" Jace called.

"Luke, keep him away from me!" Oriana laughed, hurrying up with Howie.

"On that note... let's go, Bri," Teagan laughed.

*~*~*

"Slow songs are definitely the best," Brian whispered in Teagan's ear as he carefully swayed to the beat with Teagan securely placed in his arms. They had finally decided to come back to the dance floor after a round of chatter with various groups of people. Brian hadn't been that social, however, because he was still planning the downfall of Oriana. He knew the key had to be with Mac at the after party, but he just didn't know how yet. So, he decided to concentrate on his girlfriend, pulling her closer into the embrace and kissing her forehead.

"I agree," Teagan mumbled softly, resting her head on his shoulder as Amanda Perez's song 'Angel' filtered through the speakers.

"I take it my wonderful girlfriend is having a beautiful time?" Brian asked, running his hands against her back.

"I'm having the best time in my life. Being with all my friends, dancing with my amazing boyfriend... who wouldn't be having fun?" Teagan gently kissed the side of his neck as they swayed to the music.

"I'm glad," Brian approved.

"Me too," she looked into his azure eyes. "We're only staying at Ace's party for a little bit, right? Because I know this teddy I'm wearing is just... aching to come out during a strip tease."

"A strip tease, huh?" he asked excitedly, allowing his hands to travel beyond her hips in a slow roam. He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her softly. "Only a little while. I promise. I just have to do something quick."

"What do you need to do?" she asked curiously.

"Just have to help bring two people together..." Brian trailed, noticing the four girls that had caused trouble with Oriana finally come back to the dance in different outfits. A smile curved to his lips as another slow song began to play. He affectionately dipped his girlfriend, now hunting for some information. "You know that chick that Oriana ripped apart?"

"You mean Trinity? What about her?" Teagan replied, making a face as she saw the girls walk back in.

"Trinity... Is she going to be at Ace's party?"

"She's friends with Shay, so yeah. Why are you so interested about her?"

"Just because..." he trailed with a shrug of his shoulders, leaning down to softly kiss her jawline.

"Just because?" Teagan breathed, feeling herself go weak at the knees just from his gentle kisses. She honestly couldn't wait for the dance to be over, knowing that she'd only spend a half hour at Ace's home. Then, she would take Brian back to her empty home, because Marie was spending the night at the Riley house for the wedding. She would take him upstairs and lay him down on the bed. They would make sweet love, connecting their minds, their bodies, and their souls. She loved their private time together. She loved their warm embraces with just their flesh to keep warm. It was an amazing feeling.

"Yeah, just because," he answered with a wry smile, dipping her slightly as he turned her. He frowned immediately when he noticed Oriana and Howie embraced deeper on the dance floor. Howie's arms were wrapped tightly around Oriana's waist as he pulled her close, swaying seductively to the mellow beats of the songs with their hips connected. They seemed like a truly perfect couple as all the other couples, like Alex and his date and Luke and Dee, danced around them, but Brian knew the truth.

She was a conniving wench that needed fully punished for her heinous acts. She was filled with nothing but lies and deceit. He still couldn't believe that the tramp had managed to pull away his best friends and brother in a sinister web of lies and sex. But then, he started to understand that she used sex as an open invitation. Brian knew she was probably already sleeping with Alex during their parents nights out, now Howie was just waiting to take the same enticing bait. She could have been pretty, but she was loose, and paybacks were a bitch with Brian.

"She's getting her heart ripped out tonight," Brian growled without thought.

"What?" Teagan asked in surprise, tilting her head up to eye him.

"Just wanted to tell you how much I love you," Brian enthused, leaning down to kiss her once more.

"I love you too, Baby," Teagan answered with a soft smile.

"That's my girl," Brian chuckled, running a finger along her jaw line. He felt himself grow excited at the possibilities of making Oriana's entire world crumble that evening. He couldn't wait till Ace's party, because everything would be absolutely perfect. And hopefully, Oriana would be crushed for life.

*~*~*


"Are you glad we went to the dance?" Oriana asked as she parked the Hummer in Ace's driveway. She quickly killed the engine, just staring at the lavish house for a few moments. All of the other cars had already arrived as the home throbbed with intense musical beats. Oriana and Howie were actually the last to arrive. Alex had grabbed a ride to the party with his date and Nick's date. So, Oriana and Howie were the only one's in her Hummer. She was somewhat thankful, however, because she had to gather her bearings before entering the house where Mac was lurking. She didn't really have any idea what Ace was planning with Mac, but she figured it wasn't good.

"I'm very glad we went. I had a lot of fun with the prettiest girl there," Howie replied, gently trailing his finger on her bare shoulder.

"I wasn't the prettiest girl," Oriana answered, giggling softly at the softest touch from Howie's fingers. She could feel herself shiver throughout her entire body, even in her heart.

"Well, to me you're the prettiest girl," Howie smiled when he heard her giggle and felt the shiver.

"Thank you for that..." Oriana answered, shying away from his nimble fingers as she felt her body flame. She started to reach for her car door.

"Nope! Don't move!" Howie got out of the car and went to open her door.

"Why are you doing that?" she laughed, reaching to pull her keys from the ignition. She turned to let her long legs hang out the car door, reaching down to gently rub one of her aching feet without bracing her hand against the neckline. She really didn't care about exposing herself any further, because she was forming a strong hate for heels.

"Because it's the proper thing to do?" he asked with a sheepish smile.

"You never did it before," she answered, glancing up to catch his eyes glancing elsewhere. She arched her blonde brows in confusion, continuing to rub her one foot after she removed the sandal for a moment. "What's that smile for?"

"Um, well, you, uh... I haven't seen you with, um... cleavage before."

"So you're opening the door because I have cleavage?" Oriana asked in confusion, finally glancing down. She groaned openly when she finally noticed how much she was truly showing. She immediately sat back and slipped her sandal on. She could already feel her cheeks blushing crimson. "Sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Howie asked in surprise.

"Showing more than I was supposed to?" she answered, nervously chewing on the bottom of her lip. She had never been so flustered with a man before. Howie always seemed to make her feel like she were at the edge of a cliff, just waiting to jump. It exhilarated and frightened her in the same instant.

“You don't need to be sorry for that. I should be the one who's sorry, staring at your cleavage like a dumb ape," Howie replied, taking her hand into his and helped her to the ground.

"It's not a big deal," she answered, shrugging her exposed shoulders. She had gotten used to the leering stares with the years of different mother's visiting boyfriends. She carefully licked the bottom of her lip, still tasting the lip gloss Catie had chosen.

Howie leaned in and kissed her softly. He licked his lips and smiled. "Mmm... nice lip gloss."

"Catie picked it out," Oriana answered, leaning back against the closed Hummer door. She took a deep breath, feeling her heart race wildly. She really wasn't even in the mood to visit the party.

"What kind is it? She made a good choice," Howie replied, kissing her again. He wished that Oriana didn't have to go to the party, but knew she didn't want to make anyone on the team mad.

"Vanilla Angel Food Cake," Oriana answered with a laugh, watching him lick his lips again. She thought it was the cutest thing in the world. She leaned forward, reaching into his back pocket to withdrawal the lip gloss. "Here, you can keep it since you like it so much."

"And you'll wear it if I ask nicely?" Howie replied, grinning.

"Well... I was hoping you'd wear it," she teased.

"Hey, I know I'm more in touch with my feminine side, but I am not wearing lip gloss," he laughed.

"Then I guess I can't kiss it on you either, can I?" she fired, applying the lip gloss then pushing it back into his pocket.

"But you're the girl!"

"But if you don't want the lip gloss on, then you shouldn't kiss me either, right?"

"Wait, wait, wait. You're twisting my words around!" he whined. "I meant like, literally putting it on my lips. Not from kissing you!"

"You know what?" she laughed, wrapping her arms affectionately around his neck, allowing her lips to slowly near his.

"What?"

"You're really cute when you're fighting for something you believe in. Then that little whine in your voice... It makes you very kissable," she answered with an impish smirk. She quickly leaned up to let their lips connect, softly nibbling on his bottom lip just the way he loved.

"Mmm... damn, girl," he moaned, heatedly pressing his lips against hers.

Oriana laughed in surprise as Howie forcefully pushed her back against the Hummer to brace himself against her. He pressed his elbows on the car for balance while he tangled his hands in Oriana's flowing curls, never allowing her to free her lips. She could feel the temperature start to rise as her whole body was overcome with a deep desire of temptation. She knew they were getting ahead of themselves, however. It was still too early. She timidly pressed her hands against his chest, finally breaking the intensity. "We...I love when you kiss me like that... But not here..." she breathed, leaning her head back against the car to gather her wits. "I shouldn't do that to your bottom lip."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but to kiss you like that," Howie placed an innocent kiss on her forehead before taking her hand. "Let's go inside and get this over with."

"You're not mad?" she quickly questioned as he tugged her to his side.

"What should I be mad about?"

"For just pushing you off like that? I promise I'm going to be ready soon. Just, you want it to special and I don't want to screw it up—"

"No, I respect you for that. When a girl says no, I listen."

"But I'm the one that started it—"

"No more buts."

Oriana fell silent as instructed, just chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully as they walked toward the front door. Howie had respected her so much, yet it was as if she kept pushing for something then quickly pulling away. She was starting to decide that maybe she was truly a 'tease' like he affectionately called her. Or maybe it wasn't affectionate at all. Oriana shook her head, trying to clear the doubtful thoughts. She glanced up to see Howie looking at her with question. She gave an innocent smile, "Just thinking about what's going on inside. Twenty bucks says the guys made all these bets to settle when I get in there. Like how big my boobs really are, how much leg I'm showing, and whether or not I can still throw a perfect spiral in heels."

"I'll bet you're right about all that," Howie chuckled, kissing her temple. "It seemed like the guys never knew you were a girl to begin with."

"I don't think I gave them a chance to realize it," Oriana admitted. "I was so quick to make sure I was one of the guys that I never really understood what would happen later on."

"They know you're a girl now," Howie replied as he opened the door and let her go in first.

Oriana thanked him yet again as she stepped into the party, only to be welcomed by the smells of alcohol, perfume, and cologne mixed with the thick beats of various styles of music pumping through the speakers. She was about to turn around to make sure Howie was in when someone grabbed her by the shoulder. She yelped in surprise as she was playfully jerked forward. She glanced up into Luke's light blue eyes. "Lucas!"

"Sorry," Luke answered, affectionately kissing her cheek. "I'm just seriously glad you're here and I got to you before any of the other guys. We've got some major bets going on about you. How big your breasts really are. If you can still throw a perfect spiral and knock over a pyramid of beer cans in heels. How much leg you're actually showing in that short skirt. And if this whole female make-over affected your ability to kick our asses at Arm Wrestling. Abe and I got into it, because we know you best. So, if you help Abe and I clean out the boys, we'll give you some of the profit and you can take Howie out on a date for a change. What do you say?"

"Howie?" Oriana questioned, turning to make sure it was at least okay with him.

"Free money and being able to show the guys you can still do everything? Go for it, Baby!"

"Thanks," Oriana laughed, leaning up to brush her lips quickly against his. "You'll be alright by yourself for a little bit?"

"I'll be fine. Alex and Nick have to be around here somewhere," Howie kissed her again. "Go and have fun."

"Thanks, Baby," Oriana called again, blowing a kiss before being dissolved into the crowd with Luke.

Brian, observing the whole fiasco, stepped beside Howie. He smiled ruefully as Teagan disappeared upstairs to use the bathroom for a moment. He then noticed Trinity walking toward the kitchen with a few of her friends, so he decided to make his visit with Howie quick. He clamped his hand on Howie's shoulder, laughing at the absurdity of it all. "That was too priceless, Dorough. You're making this way to easy for her. She's just going to go back there for some quick sexual favors to get the money...figure she's finally dressing the part."

Howie shrugged off Brian's hand with a dark glare. "Brian, what the Hell are you doing here? This is party is for football players. Last time I checked, you got your ass benched and my girl helped with the game. You don't know shit about her or what the team is doing, so just shut the fuck up before I make you."

"I do know what half the team is doing, measuring her up like the piece of meat she is, fondling things she hasn't even given you the pleasure of touching yet. Maybe she's waiting for you to cough up the dough..." Brian laughed, tossing his soda can into the nearby garbage can. "The best part is, I know what the other half of the team is doing too, they're upstairs pep talking Mac for when he takes Oriana away from you. I've been hearing some great rumors about how he set up the guest room for her. Kiss your ass goodbye, Dorough, because she's just looking for the next ride."

"I swear to God, you need to get out of my face right now--"

"Howie! Yo, Howie! You made it, man!" Alex came rushing over, a soda in his hand. He took one look at Brian and Howie to see he came at the right time. "C'mon, Ry's arm wrestling Logan and the stakes are high!"

"Kiss your ass goodbye, Dorough, because soon as you take your eyes away, she's going to be jumping up those stairs with Mac and spreading open," Brian laughed, roughly pushing Howie's shoulder as he passed into the kitchen, knowing to set the next phase of his plan together. He noticed Trinity standing with several girls, talking with hushed voice. He smiled as he walked over. "Trinity?"

"Aren't you that little bitch Teagan's boyfriend... Brian?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"She's not a bitch, so watch your mouth," Brian growled, leaning against the table. "I'm actually talking to you because I know you want to get Oriana Riley back. So, lay the fuck off my girlfriend or I won't let you in on this little adventure."

"Keep talking. What do you have in mind for getting Riley back?"

"That dickhead Mac is looking to score with Riley. It's all over the fucking school, right?"

"No shit. Ace and Gabe have been setting things up. But with those two dipshits, the whole plan could go wrong."

"So, we set the bait. I need you to send one of your lackeys to Riley, tell her that Howie wants to talk to her in one of the rooms. I go talk to Mac and tell him that Oriana's waiting for him up in the room. Let nature work it's business there, then send Howie up looking for her right in the middle. Nothing can go wrong."

"You're sure it'll work?" Trinity asked.

"Howie's a gullible idiot when it comes to Riley. And Mac's going to throw his moves down with or without help. I'm just making the odds better. It'll definitely work."

"Alright... it sounds perfect. I'll send one of my girls, you talk to Mac and then everything falls into place," Trinity smiled. "Thanks for the help, Brian."

"So, you're in?"

"There would be no way in Hell I wasn't."
This story archived at http://absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=2533