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Come on, Ana. Get your sufing butt into school today. Prove AJ wrong. Melicia thought to herself as she sat near the back of the AP classroom. It was 7:20 and Ana still wasn't in the room yet. Tapping her foot impatiently, Melicia looked towards the clock every two seconds, time seeming to stand still. A knot formed in her stomach as the minute hand finally reached 7:25 and the first bell rang. Ana was usually with her group of guys right before the bell, but they all came in without her.

"Where's Ana?!" Melicia asked bluntly as the boys filed past to the back of the classroom, each taking their respective seat. It pained Melicia to see the middle desk completely empty.

Pierce shrugged his leans shoulders. "Must have slept in again."

"But she--"

Melicia was interrupted as Ana rushed into the room, clad in a skirt and tank top.

"Why do you always insist on sleeping late?" Kieran, another friend, called from beside Pierce.

"Just to make you wonder," Ana quipped with a pained smile, hearing the final bell chime. Melicia was thankful that no new bruises were apparent. In fact, the bruises on Ana's face seemed to fade to the light shade of blue plaster that encircled her hand. Ana carefully walked toward her seat with a tender gait. She upper body was rigid as she allowed the backpack to fall from her shoulders. Instead of the slumping motion she usually used to fall into her chair, she was steady, pulling at the short bottom hem of her black skirt as she eased into the large chair. She bit down on her lip to keep from yelping as her back eased against the hard plastic. Gently, she pulled on her creamy yellow tank top, allowing it to droop in the back as she allowed herself more room in the uncomfortable attire. She flashed a few smiles toward the Beemer Babes as they raved about Ana's new look.

Melicia sighed in relief, knowing she didn't have to argue with AJ about telling her uncle. But there was something about Ana's walk and stature that made her curious. "You alright, chica?" she asked Ana.

"You mean the skirt?" Ana asked with a forced wry smile, waving the Beemer Babes off. The guys chuckled behind her, gently pushing on her shoulders to tease her about the obvious new trend that Ana would set, causing tears to sting against the corners of her eyes. "My Dad's taking a trip to the school today to check up on my grades, so there was no way that I could slip in and out of sweatpants in the Beast without him catching up. So, I figured... Might as well let the Estrogen rise in my body for once."

"He's going to be here?" Melicia confirmed. "Well, maybe I could finally meet him--" she was interrupted as the teacher came into the room.

The teacher immediately launched into a series of page numbers that they should locate. Ana sighed hatefully, knowing she would have to bend. Carefully, she turned in her seat, lowering her upper body to grab her book, not noticing her tank top fall lower than before. Melicia glanced over to whisper something, but her eyes immediately locked with the reason for Ana's lateness and odd stature. Angry welts of cracked flesh oozing with a coloring of red tinted plasma surfaced beneath the tank top, mixing with several large and painful bruises.

Melicia gagged for a moment, placing a hand over her mouth. She was about to speak when the teacher's voice cut into her thoughts. "Is there a problem, Miss Dorough?"

"Ana's ba---" Melicia's voice halted as Ana shot up in surprise. The pain exploded against Ana's back, causing her to muffle a yelp. Melicia's cheeks turned a fiery red as the teacher cocked his head to the side in question.

"Ana what?" he coached, preparing to slip Melicia a detention slip, but there was a sharp tap on the door. The teacher glanced over to see Mr. Lord's lumbering figure standing with a brief case wielded in his hand. Mr. Lord was taller than most men with bulging muscles, hinting that he might have been more than a lawyer in his day. His blonde locks were mixed with a salt-and-pepper coloring from age as his piercing blue eyes darted to see Ana sitting contently in her seat with her hands folded in her lap. He nodded as the teacher quickly opened his door and stammered toward the class, "I have to speak with Mr. Lord. Please read your books until I return!"

The students bent their head down to read the books as the teacher left with Mr. Lord. When the door closed everyone talked quietly. Melicia turned back to Ana, her eyes filled with concern. "What happened to your back?"

"What do you mean?" Ana asked offhandedly.

"You know what I mean."

"I don't remember to tell you the truth," Ana answered, feeling Pierce slowly pull the back of her tank top to examine. Immediately, all of her guys recoiled in disgust and pain. Ana winced, bringing her hands through her perfectly curled locks.

Melicia looked at Ana with confusuion. "How can you not remember--" the teacher came back into the room and all the students immeditately went back to reading. Something wasn't right with Ana's injuries and explanation and it made Melicia worry.

"Anastacia, your father would like you to visit all your teachers with him, then you can come back to class," the teacher declared, motioning toward Mr. Lord standing in the doorway. Ana's eyes immediately dropped to the floor as she pushed herself carefully out of the chair. Her back immediately stiffened as she stepped forward, disappearing into the hall with her father's hand clamped tightly on her back.

Melicia sighed heavily as she looked down at her book, not caring that a few tears stained the pages. Things were getting complicated and she didn't know what to do. Not for the first time, she wished her om was there to help her.

She tried to concentrate on the lesson, but found it harder and harder as the minutes ticked by and Ana remained absent. Melicia hated the idea of Ana's father hurting Ana, but it was all too real. Too many pieces fell directly into place when that assumption was made. Ana's confusing stories about how she was hurt, the bruises that were somewhat out of sight, her comments directed toward her father... Melicia tapped her pencil anxiously on the desk as the teacher continued to drone on about various muscles in the human body. Melicia felt more tears start to slide as a piece of paper was flicked her way. She jumped as it fell over her shoulder and landed into her lap. She uncrumpled the note, reading the lazy scrawl: What's up w/ Ana's back? - Riley.

She took out a pen and started to write. I don't know. She probably took a spill surfing or something. It hurt to lie like that for Ana, but it was the only thing Melicia could think of. She crumpled it back up and threw it back to a boy with tan skin and dark hair, who was Riley.

The paper was almost immediately chucked back in Melicia's direction with annoyance. Melicia unfolded the paper carefully, glancing up to see the teacher content on pointing at various pictures of muscles. She rolled her eyes, knowing that she would have to beg Ana to go over the muscular system with her. Not really caring, she glanced at the note: You haven't been @ this school long enough to realize that Ana is the Surfing Goddess. No way in Hell did she take a spill on the water!

Well then I don't know what happened to her back. Why don't you ask her when she comes back to class? She replied, throwing it back.

The same piece of paper flew into the air. You're cute when you're mad, haha. I'm sure she was just being klutzy again. The only graceful period that girl has is in the water. One time she missed an entire month of school because she shattered her femur trying to master the skateboard.

Melicia's eye grew wide as she read the last sentence over and over. A shattered femur... she didn't even want to imagine how Ana's father did that one. Yeah, she is pretty klutzy. I'm sure that's what happened. she threw it back.

Can't tell if that was meant as sarcastic or realistic. he scribbled.

Realistic. I gotta start paying attention before I freaking fail this class. she threw it back and started jotting some notes down in her notebook. The things Riley had written to her echoed in her mind, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.

Riley shrugged, tossing the ball of paper to Pierce and Kieran. Those two then offered it toward Amos and Scott, who finally tossed it back to Carl and Sam. Finally, the paper ball returned to Riley, who slipped it into his backpack. They all went back to scribbling notes till they heard the door open almost toward the end of the period. Ana offered her famous impish smile as she carefully walked back and eased into her seat. "The Gastrocnemius plantar flexes the foot and flexes the knee, Mr. Kelly," she answered quickly.

"That's correct, Anastacia," Mr. Kelly replied with a smile as he turned from the muscular system diagram.

"I know," she answered with a small laugh, causing the entire class to errupt in laughter as the bell sounded.

Everyone grabbed their backpacks and swarmed out the door. Melicia stayed behind, hoping to ask Ana what really happened to her back.

Ana seemed almost afraid to rise from her desk. The guys huddled around as Pierce leaned down, allowing Ana to grab his strong arms. With a careful tug, Pierce helped her to her feet with only a small yelp. She glanced gratefully to Pierce as he kissed her cheek, picking up her backpack. Pierce and Ana had the same exact classes, so it was easier for him to care for her that day. "Meet me outside for our free period?" Pierce questioned.

"Definitely, grab us Pepsi," Ana enthused, almost afraid to support her back.

Pierce nodded, walking out of the room with the rest of the guys. Melicia stood there for a moment, not knowing what to say. "Ana, what happened?"

"What happened? You mean why I left?" Ana asked, dislodging the conversation away from her back. Her blue-green eyes were murky with pain as she attempted to deliver her impish smile. "My Dad just wanted me with him while he checked up with my teachers. He's a little pissed though, because I'm getting a ninety-eight in one class and he wants double zeros after a one."

"He's mad over a NINETY-EIGHT? Man I would be thanking God if I got that in a class," Melicia replied, knowing Ana wouldn't talk about her new injuries. At least not at school.

"You're not that bad," Ana objected as Melicia started to pick up the pace of her steps. Ana yelped, knowing that she couldn't compete. It had taken all her energy just to crawl from beneath the covers. She would have considered going home early, if she knew that her father wouldn't be home. He was working at the house tonight before another business trip the following weekend. "Clicky... Can you slow down?"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry," Melicia slowed down her pace as Ana caught up with her. "So, are you going to tell me how you hurt your back right now? Or should we wait until after school?"

"I told you I don't remember."

"How can you not remember that? You're bleeding and there are huge bruises. And it obviously hurts a lot."

"I'm still bleeding?!" she groaned, already feeling the oozing. Her father would kill her if she ruined the expensive tank top. She had a small stash of guaze and whatnot in her locker. She already made a plan to return to the Beast and have Pierce patch it up. Pierce never asked questions.

"Yeah, a little bit," Melicia replied.

"He's going to kill me," Ana murmured dejectedly.

"Nothing is on your tank top, if that's what you're worried about. You just need to clean it up real quick."

"I'll have Pierce take care of it."

"Oh, alright," Melicia bit her lip. "Are you still going to be able to drive me home? If you can't because of your back, it's okay. I can have AJ get me--"

"I drove the Beast here, I can take you home. I need to get my board anyway."

"Okay, that's cool. Uncle Howie has it in the garage, so no biggie. I'll see you after school, then?" Melicia asked as they reached her Creative Writing class.

"We have choir together, so I'll see you then," Ana agreed, slowly heading for the door.

"See you," Melicia called softly, wincing as she looked at Ana's back. More tears filled her eyes before she blinked them away and walked into the room.

*~*~*

"I really don't want to see Howie or AJ at the moment, Clicky. Can't I just loop around in the back and just grab the board? I don't want to bother them and my Dad's only going to be out of the house for a few anyway. I really gotta get that board back into my room under my bed, safe and sound," Ana complained as Melicia opened the driver's side door, preparing on helping Ana get out of The Beast. It had pained Melicia to see Ana gently ease into the massive car, trying to hide the tears from her wounds.

"Can't you just come in to say Hi? Please? For me."

"So I can get the third degree about my back again? No."

"They're not going to harrass you," Melicia protested with a whine, obviously calling the bluff. AJ and Howie would question and in the back of her mind, Melicia felt that was the best choice. Maybe if Ana was confronted enough, she would confess.

"Stop whining," Ana groaned, slowly pulling her legs to dangle to the side.

"Everytime I whine, I get what I want," Melicia gave a smile as she helped Ana out of the car.

"You're definitely the youngest of your family. Basic Birth Order Personality," Ana agreed, feeling the burn sensation erupt as soon as her feet touched the ground. She knew as soon as she got home, she would get into a hot shower, and then sleep for the night.

"Well, you're an only child, you can do the same thing."

"No, I can't," Ana countered as they slowly walked to the front door.

"Alright," Melicia shrugged as they headed inside. "Uncle Howie! I'm home!"

"UNCLE HOWIE! MELICIA'S HERE!" AJ chimed excitedly as he walked into the living room to find both girls. He immediately leaned over and pressed a kiss to Melicia's lips with an excited smile. He decided to give her another kiss, hearing Howie's footsteps still upstairs. Melicia giggled at AJ's aggressive nature that afternoon, but Ana seemed less than entertained. Ana rolled her eyes, her back still arched to prevent the pain from radiating.

"Don't forget about Ana Banana, you dork," Melicia teased.

"I didn't forget, she doesn't mind, do you?" AJ countered, glancing toward Ana with question. His eyes immediately darted back to Melicia for a moment when he noticed Ana's odd gait.

"No, don't mind at all," Ana replied causally, feeling the blood continue to ooze against the guaze pads that Pierce had applied. She needed to get home as soon as possible. Her father expected her home at a specific time before he returned to his study for cocktails. Then Ana could free herself.

AJ slipped Melicia another kiss as Howie thundered down the stairs. "Hey, girls!" he replied with a smile. His eyes filled with concern as he noticed Ana's posture.

"I'm not going to be here long to interupt the whole family thing, I just wondered if I could grab my board?" Ana blurted quickly, not wanting to cause any trouble. She just wanted to slip in and out without any words.

"Oh! Yeah, sure. Come with me out to the garage. I put it in a good spot where it wouldn't get damaged in case Nick came over or something," Howie said.

"Nick would ruin my board?" Ana asked, her heart fleeting for a brief moment.

"No, but in case he came out here to grab something, I didn't want it to be out in the open. Your board is perfectly safe."

"Great," Ana sighed with relief, knowing that AJ and Melicia would at least want some kind of alone time if they could spare it. She shot Melicia a look to hurry up as Howie motioned for Ana to follow. She obliged, carefully falling into step with him. They reached the door and Howie placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her through, but she stopped instantly as his fingers pressed lightly against the thickness of her wounds. "Damnit!" she yelped in agony.

Howie yanked his hand away as if he touched a hot burner. "I'm sorry! What did I do?"

Ana wiped away the furious tears that were building against her eyes. The pain had almost knocked her out. She had trouble enough walking before without being jostled, pushed, and poked in the halls. Howie's tender touch had sent electricity zooming down her spine with fierce passion. "N-Nothing, I just hurt myself," she murmured, leaning against the side of the door as she moved her trembling hands down to shield her back.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't know--"

"It's not a big deal," she whispered, biting down on her bottom lip as hard as she possibly could without making it bleed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, his heart aching at the sight of Ana being in such pain.

"Yeah, I just...hit coral or something," Ana answered, feeling Howie gently peel away her tank top from the small of her back. Everything happened so fast in her mind, not preparing her for that type of reaction. "Howie, it's not as bad as it looks," she countered, knowing there was no way to prevent him from stopping. She closed her eyes, not having enough strength to fight back.

"You must have hit that coral hard, Baby," he whispered. He winced at the wounds and bruises on her back before gently letting the fabric cover them again.

"I was wrestling in the water with Riley," Ana replied quickly.

"Another guy friend?" Howie asked as they walked towards the back of the garage.

"Yeah, he's a riot. He's starting this band and wants me to join," Ana confessed, slowly easing down the steps behind Howie. She was absolutely amazed that Howie didn't press her for answers like Melicia. If anything, he didn't even seem to notice the bizzare stories that she manipulated. Ana couldn't decide whether she felt relieved or petrified that no one seemed to notice her disasterous life.

"You should think about it. You have an amazing voice," Howie complimented as he took her hand once she reached the bottom of the steps.

"He was thinking more about the bikini clad surfer babe in the back shaking her ass with a tamborine," Ana joked.

"I'll have to say no for you doing that," Howie chuckled.

"Why's that?" she asked curiously.

"Because I don't want to see my girl degraded to just shaking her ass with a tamborine when she has a voice that should be heard."

"Are you going to the concert this week?" she countered, trying to hide her furiously blushing cheeks. She knew that her father would find an excuse to work late at the firm to keep from attending. Her mother had been the one to attend all the functions that Ana participated in, because her father raved that her singing was useless and would never serve her in medical school.

"Of course. The whole family is coming that night," Howie replied.

"The whole family?"

"My parents, brother and sisters. And the guys."

"Wow. Already having me meet the 'rents, Howie?" Ana teased.

"They hear all about you from Melicia anyway," Howie replied with an earnest shrug.

"That's your way of diverting the questions," Ana laughed, knowing she wouldn't press things. She liked what she had with Howie for the moment. If anything were to come out in the open, she truly believed her father would send her six feet under without any other considerations. She saw Howie blush faintly. "Can I just get my board and be out? My father expects me home at exactly three."

"Yeah, let me grab it for you," Howie replied. He grabbed the ladder and set it above a trapdoor in the ceiling. "I put it in the attic."

"You sure it was okay up there?" she asked worriedly.

"Positive. I put all of Sarah's things up here..." Howie trailed off as he climbed up the ladder. "Sarah is Mella's mom."

"Oh, you don't want them around the house?" she asked, remembering how her father had trashed anything tangible her mother had owned. Ana had waited until he went to sleep the night after her mother's funeral and collected whatever she could find. What was left of her mother's personal belongs lay in two shoe boxes beneath a pile of blankets in her cedar chest.

"Not right now. It's just too hard right now to look at them, you know?" he replied as he stuck his head up into the attic and grabbed Ana's surfboard.

"Yeah, I know," Ana whispered.

"Alright, here you go," Howie called softly as he brought the board down.

Ana watched him gently ease it to the floor, allowing her the chance to properly hold it, because she could barely raise her arms above her head without screaming. She carefully ran her fingers against the ink where her mother had signed her artwork. The name Tina Marie seemed fresher than before. "Thanks for keeping it here," Ana countered, biting down hard on her bottom lip.

"It's no problem, Baby. I know how much it means to you."

"Too bad my father wants to burn it," she murmured painfully, allowing her fingers to trace lightly against her favorite fairy on the board. It was posed dreamily on a cloud, staring up at a cresent moon. Her mother had always said that it was Ana's nature to dream big and reach to the moon for light. So, her mother had named the fairy after Ana. There had been several pictures created from the simple fairy. Ana luckily had found the original drawing amongst the scattered remanents of her mother's life, now it remained locked in her cedar chest.

"Why would he want to burn this? It's something your mom did for you."

"I don't need to surf to be a doctor, Howie. I don't need to sing to be a doctor, either. That's why," she sighed, carefully picking up the board despite her obvious discomfort.

"So if it doesn't have anything to do with medicine he doesn't like it?" Howie asked, wondering what kind of father and husband would do such a thing as destroy memories.

"No, if it has nothing to do with my future as a medical student or his precious law firm, then he doesn't like it."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I wish there was something I could do, though," he replied as they walked towards th door.

"Putting me out of my misery would be nice," Ana commented softly when they reached the kitchen. She gently eased the surfboard against the wall for a moment, her arms and back aching. She just need a break from everything.

"I still say you should just live here permanently."

"You never said that before."

"I said it once."

"I obviously wasn't paying attention."

"Well, now you know."

"I wish I could, but I can't," she stated simply, knowing that it would be like placing a death warrent over herself and Howie. She wanted to shield him from the horrors she faced at home. She glanced down, sighing heavily. "I should get going..."

"Alright, I'll walk you to the door."

"Don't worry about it," she answered, picking up the board once again.

"Let me at least walk you to the door, okay?"

"Howie, I---"

"Please. Just to the door."

"I love you," she finally managed to whisper, still hesitating on walking to the door.

"I love you too," knowing they wouldn't be seen, he gently kissed her. "C'mon, you gotta get back home."

"Howie, I can walk out by myself. You should put that ladder away before someone trips and falls..." Ana hesitated again, trying to decide how she could alert the two in the living room.

"The only one who would is Nick and he's not here. Why are you so against me walking you to the door?"

"Because you've got better stuff to do?"

"Nice try. Stop stalling, Ana. You yourself said you needed to get home."

Ana sighed in defeat, knowing she was damned if she did and damned if she didn't. She relented on allowing Howie to walk her toward the door. She made as much noise as possible to alert the two in the living room, but it seemed as if they were ignoring everything. Ana felt her throat close when Howie followed behind her, stopping to glance at the erotic scene before him. Melicia straddled AJ's lap as he lay on the couch with them passionately intertwined in a kiss. Ana winced, bringing her hand to her face to shield her eyes.

"MELICIA RENEE DOROUGH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Howie shouted, his body shaking with anger.

The sound of Howie's voice seemed to radiate through every part of the house. Melicia rolled off AJ in absolute surprise, stumbling to her feet. AJ's eyes were wide in horror as he sat up on the couch, obviously debating about rushing toward the door. Melicia's cheeks were a furious red as she shot a glare to the helpless Ana. She noticed Howie's eyes blazing with absolute fury as his hands clenched to his sides. "D, just wait a second," AJ attempted to rationalize.

"Just a second? JUST A SECOND? WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING, KISSING MY NIECE LIKE THAT?! SHE'S ONLY EIGHTEEN!"

"Howie, don't make this worse than it is. Nothing's wrong. She's an adult, Howie! I love her a lot," AJ answered honestly, stepping off the couch. He wanted to bring Melicia's trembling figure in his arms, but knew Howie would probably go load a gun.

"She may be a a legal adult, but she doesn't know right from wrong all the time! I promised Sarah I would take care of Melicia if something happened to her. You're just going to break her heart like all those other women! You don't even know what love truly is, and neither does Melicia!"

"Uncle Howie, he's not going to break my heart. And I do know what real love is! I learned from Mommy and Daddy!" Melicia protested, finally allowing her voice to radiate. Her sapphire eyes sparked with disappointment as tears streaked down her cheeks. "You don't know what I feel!"

"Don't even think about talking back to me, Melicia. Don't even. You're in enough trouble as it is," Howie seethed, turning back to AJ. "I don't want you to see my niece ever again, or I will call the cops on you."

"What the Hell are you saying?" AJ blurted.

"You know what I'm saying. You're forbidden to see Melicia."

"You can't do that!" Melicia objected, running over to AJ and wrapping her arms around him. "You can't take him away from me!"

"Melicia, don't," AJ instinctively deciding, pulling her away. The bitter tears fell against his cheeks as his eyes locked with her own. He could hear Howie ranting loudly, screaming for him to leave. AJ quickly brushed his lips against her forehead, pulling away. "Don't fight him right now, okay? Remember what we promised? Together forever, no matter what. Just let him calm down," AJ whispered, backing away.

"AJ, no. Please!" Melicia begged, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Just a little while, okay? I'll try to talk to him later. We have to let him calm down," AJ continued carefully, wiping away his own tears. He never would have guessed that Howie would react so violently. If anything, Howie had always preached to let love blossom where ever it had been planted.

Melicia shook her head. "Please don't leave. He won't back down."

AJ was about to calm her yet again, but he was lurched backward with great force. AJ stumbled several feet to find Howie had latched on tightly to the collar of his shirt. Melicia screamed in surprise, startling Ana to the violence radiating around her. Melicia continued to scream out for him to stop as Howie practically flung AJ toward the door. Howie's eyes were dark with betrayal as he flung open the door. "I trusted you! Damnit, J, I trusted you! She's my baby niece! I just can't believe you would... Don't come back to my house. Do you hear me? Get the Hell away and don't come back."

"Uncle Howie, STOP IT!" Melicia screamed as she ran at Howie and grabbed his arm, trying to get him to let go of AJ. "You can't keep him from me!"

Howie quickly released AJ's collar, wrapping his arms around Melicia to pull her away. His eyes were deadly fixed on AJ, telling him to leave immediately. Melicia continued to sob openly, struggling to get away from her uncle's strong grip. She looked like a frightened child as she reached out to AJ, who simply opened the door. AJ's eyes were watery with regret and disappointed. "I'm leaving, Howie, but I still love her. There's nothing you can do to change that," AJ countered.

"AJ, no! Don't leave me here alone!" Melicia begged, still trying to get out of Howie's arms. All she wanted to do was run away with AJ and never come back. "I love you! Please!"

"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE, NOW, MCLEAN!" Howie roared, causing Melicia to cringe. AJ shrugged his shoulders helplessly, hanging his head in defeat. He mouthed the words 'Love you, Babe' and retreated out the door, slamming it hard behind him. As soon as the door closed, Melicia sobbed openly, wrenching away from her uncle's arms. "I can't believe you would misuse my trust like that! I thought we were over this immature behavior, Melicia! How could you even think of trying to get somewhere with one of my good friends who is years older than you! It was selfish on your part. I don't want you near him. I don't want you talking to him. I don't even want you THINKING about him! Do you understand me?"

"FUCK YOU!" she screamed in pure anger, her eyes dark with emotion. "FUCK YOU, UNCLE HOWIE! YOU'VE JUST TAKEN AWAY THE MAN I LOVE AND I FUCKING HATE YOU FOR IT!"

"YOU DON'T LOVE HIM! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT LOVE IS! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG AND IMMATURE TO REALIZE WHAT KIND OF DEDICATION THAT TAKES! YOU CAN BARELY HANDLE YOUR OWN EMOTIONS LET ALONE SOMEONE ELSES!" Howie countered in disbelief and adrenaline. Melicia recoiled in shock, Howie had never raised his voice in such a manner. Fresh tears poured down Melicia's cheeks as she raced toward her bedroom.

"I can't believe he was doing that behind my back!" Howie ranted to himself. "He was using my niece to get some action. I should call the cops on his ass right now!"

When Melicia's door slammed sharply, it seemed to jolt Ana back into her surroundings. Her own eyes were stinging with tears at the obvious transformation that Howie had taken. She actually feared him for a moment when his hand clamped down on AJ's shirt. "I... I can't believe you did that," Ana murmured, causing Howie to jump.

"Can't believe I did that? Ana, my best friend was secretly seeing my niece! How did you expect me to react?"

"She's eighteen, Howie. She's not a baby. You can't call the police. She's legal and able to make her own decisions. You told me that you'd never jump down Melicia's throat if she wanted to love a man. You say that eighteen year olds are foolish and immature who aren't capable of loving? Then what the Hell do we have? Nothing, right? Because I'm younger than Melicia, so that means that I must be far more immature than her," Ana whispered in hurt, grieving for Melicia's aching soul.

Howie's eyes grew wide as he realized what he said. "Ana, I didn't mean you--"

"There are worse things in the world than having two people of different ages coming together to share their love. There is death, pain, beating, raw anger floating in places that you would never realize. You should be thankful that Melicia actually found love instead of pain. I'd like to go further, but I'm afraid that I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm only eighteen after all," Ana replied hatefully, hoisting her surfboard up, not caring about the pain radiating down her back.

"Ana, wait a minute. You don't know what it's like to be in my position! You and I, we're different than they were!"

"Why are we different? If anything, we should be put to death by the way your reaction to AJ and Melicia's relationship. After all, you're older than AJ and I'm younger than Melicia. We have no right being together when you can't even accept the minor gap between your niece and your best friend," Ana countered, opening the door.

"Ana," Howie burst, reaching to grab her wrist.

"Don't touch me!" she yelped, yanking her hand away.

"Why won't you let me explain?!"

"Because I'm too immature to understand!" she snapped back.

"This is so stupid!" Howie growled in frustration.

"Funny, that's exactly what I was thinking," Ana countered, walking carefully down the path to the driveway. She heard Howie slam the door sharply, causing her to wince. More tears flowed down her pale cheeks as she prepared to push her surfboard into the back seat of her Hummer, but stopped when she noticed AJ leaning on the side of her car, sobbing openly. "AJ?" she called softly.

AJ jumped in surprise, facing Ana. His face was stained with tears and his eyes were red. "A-Ana. I'm sorry. If I got anything on your car, I'll clean it off--"

"No, don't worry about it. I'm really sorry about what happened in there... I tried to make as much noise as possible..." Ana replied, setting her surfboard gently against the side of her car. She took pity on AJ, figuring that he had been picked up by Howie and had no way of getting home for the moment. He looked absolutely terrible.

"It's not your fault," he whispered, knuckling away the tears in his eyes. "We shouldn't have been doing what we had been. I'm just sorry we dragged you into this. That wasn't fair..."

"You didn't drag me into anything. I wanted to help. I figured there was worse things in the world than being in love," she answered softly, leaning on her car beside AJ.

"I just can't believe Howie reacted the way he did," AJ replied, his voice cracking. The look in Howie's eyes told him he would never be able to see Melicia again. "He's the one who always told me not to stop love once it blossoms, no matter where it is."

"I haven't known him that long to really back up any of your information, but I'll believe you," Ana offered, knowing Howie had stated the exact same phrase to her.

"I don't know what to do, Ana. I seriously think he would either kill me, call the cops or both if I try to see Mel. Ana, I love her s-so... so much, I--" more tears streamed down his face.

"He can't call the police, because Melicia's eighteen. And I know you love her. She loves you, too. She's always talking my ear off about you. You guys will find a way to work it out. He'll calm down sooner or later. And if not, you'll just have to go beyond it and decide if this love is worth whatever you have to do."

"Y-Yeah, you're right," AJ took a deep breath, rubbing his weary face. "I better let you go. Your dad should be home any minute."

"Fuck'em," Ana decided finally, opening up her rear door to slide in the surfboard. She didn't care at the moment, because her father couldn't hurt her any more than Howie had. Her father would inflict physical pain that she could tolerate better than Howie's infliction of emotional pain. She had been through the worst with her father's tempers and another cast to add to her arm cast would be somewhat amusing for the moment. "Looks like you're stranded anyway. So, how about I take you out somewhere to cool off and drop you back at your house? You've never ridden in the Beast and it's awesome."

"Are you sure?" AJ asked.

"Of course, what's the worst he could possibly do?"

"Well, I don't know..." AJ trailed off biting his lip. "Okay, let's go."

"I'll even be your pigeon. Write a note to Clicky and I'll give it to her during class tomorrow," Ana offered, unlocking the doors to her massive car.

AJ cracked a small smile as he climbed into the passenger seat. "I would really appreciate that."

"Pretty good for an immature eighteen year old, huh?" she joked, revving the engine.

"Yeah, no kidding," AJ chuckled softly as she sped out of the driveway and down the street.