I ran up the stairs. I ran past his friends. I ran through a crowd of people. I ran past body guards. I ran into the street. I ran home.

Yet, I still couldn't run from my feelings.

What was I thinking? Making a move on Rider when he didn't know it was me? How stupid can I be? He is probably questioning every feeling he has for me right now. He's going to start to like this mystery girl that is actually me, but he doesn't know that.

Maybe I should tell him it was me. What could it hurt? If he knows I was the girl he kissed and have feelings for, then this shouldn't be a problem. Right?

I'm giving myself a headache.

As I unlock the front door, I'm thankful I got out of there in time. Kathryn is going to be here any second, and I haven't done any cleaning. There's something I realized, though. I clean this house every day. For the past few years, I have been nothing but a slave to Kathryn and I won't stand for it anymore.

"Brynn?" I hear step-monster call from downstairs. I rush to the bathroom to take off my dress and wig. Even if I'm going to stand up to her, I can't let her know I went to that party. She'll lock me up and never let me out of the house. She's done it before.

"I'm upstairs." I call out. She knocks on the bathroom door.

"The house doesn't look awful, but it doesn't look like you cleaned much." I knew she wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

"Brynn? Are you sick?" She asks when I don't respond. Is that concern I hear in her voice? Maybe she just doesn't want to catch anything.

"Yeah." I reply from the other side of the door. A tear slips down my cheek. I am sick. I have a bunch of butterflies that just made a cocoon inside my stomach. If Easton were here, he'd tell me to digest them. I messed up tonight, and I'm starting to make myself sick with worry.

"Okay. Well. Go to bed soon. Try to sleep it off." That's the most motherly thing she's ever said to me.

"Okay." I mumble. Now it's time for me to get out of this dress. How did I even fit into this skin-tight thing in the first place?

I hop around as quietly as I can and then turn on the shower. When I hear her footsteps going down the stairs, I run out of the bathroom with a towel around me to ditch the wig and dress in my closet. I grab a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to wear to bed and rush back to the bathroom before I'm caught.

"I can't believe he blew everyone off. He stared at the band the whole time they played, and then started dancing with the lead singer. Then he leads her down to the basement? Demi, we have to do something about this." I hear Scarlet tell Demi just as I close the door to the bathroom.

Scarlet and Demi have never scared me. They're more talk than anything. But if they find out I'm the poser before I can tell Rider, I'm dead meat. The whole school will think I'm a laughing stock and Rider will be embarrassed. How could he be with a girl that didn't have the courage to admit who she was?

A good shower usually clears up my thinking process. As of tonight, that method is thrown out the window. All I can think about it is finding the best time to tell Rider. There's a part of me that wants to sneak out and tell him right now. But it's midnight and I don't need to take my chances of being caught by any of my family tonight.

I guess in a way, these girls are the only family I've had for a long time. I never got to really know my mother and my dad died just as I was going into double digits. Kathryn, Demi, and Scarlet had been in my life for the past eight years. They may have treated me like complete crap, but they were all I had. Call me crazy but I felt like I couldn't sneak out for a second time tonight because I didn't want to disappoint Kathryn. She would find numerous ways to punish me, too, and I didn't want to chance that either.

Easton texts me around one a.m, but I'm not as sleepy as I should be. I look at the bright screen and smile.

You were awesome tonight!  I didn't know you had it in you.

At least I always have Easton to keep me thinking positive thoughts. He'll never let me go to sleep if he finds out what happened tonight.

Thanks, East. It was a great night! Sometimes It's easier to be happy in text than in person.

So everyone's talking about you and Rider. What happened?

Well, I guess I can't hide much from Easton. Thank goodness I had the brains to wear a wig. My purple highlights would've been a dead give away.

I made a move. But I forgot he didn't know who I was. Then my alarm went off and I had to rush out of there.

Dang, that's awful! Are you going to tell him you were the lead singer?

I'm thinking of a good time to do it. Maybe at the dance concert on Tuesday night?

Sounds like you've got this figured out, B. Just, please, don't get hurt.

I stop responding as my eyelids get heavy. My dress and wig are on the top shelf in my closet. All I have to do is make sure no one comes in my room, and keep my closet door closed. If I can keep my secret hidden away for three more days, I'll be in the clear.

***

The next day is Sunday, and I drag myself out of bed to go to church, like I usually do. Easton and I go to the same church down the road from my house. It's a quiet, neighborhood church and it doesn't have many members. This is where our parents used to take us when we were younger. Even though my step family doesn't go very often, I always try to get here for the sermon. Easton and his dad sit beside me every Sunday.

The service starts at nine a.m, so I had to get up around eight. It was hard to get all the crud out of my eyes, especially when I realized some of my makeup didn't come off in the shower last night. There's dark circles under my eyes that I have to cover up, but only after I rub a makeup remover wipe over the rest of my eye.

Easton texts me, You're still coming today, right? 

Shoot. I've taken way too long to get ready. Service starts in fifteen minutes, and I haven't even gotten dressed yet. I run back to my room and slip on a white blouse with my favorite flowery skirt and white flats.

I grab my keys off the counter and run out the door. No one else is up this early in my house. I didn't bother texting Easton back, because I was on my way.

When I get to the church, I spot a bright red convertible that I'd recognize anywhere. I park and walk into the small building to see Rider sit down beside Easton and his dad. He seems to be alone. The butterflies I had last night are back again.

"Hey Brynn." Easton's dad bellows, giving me one of his signature smiles.

"Hey Mr. Reed." I let a small smile form on my lips, but then my eyes wander over to the boys sitting beside each other. I expected them to be staring straight ahead, avoiding any contact with each other. Instead, they're cutting up and laughing about stuff they heard or saw at the party.

I slide past Mr. Reed, Easton, and Rider, before I sit on the other side of Rider. He briefly looks over at me and then continues talking to Easton. Is it weird I feel like a third wheel?

The preacher is a man in his mid-forties named Mr. Hugh. He's got two daughters that are the sweetest girls I've ever met. He was the one to preach at my dad's funeral, and Easton's mom's as well.

After the service, Easton and his dad head back home and invite Rider and I over for lunch. While I was always willing to eat with the Reeds, something made me hold back. Rider was looking at me with weary eyes, like he was still thinking about how confusing last night was. I tell the Reeds goodbye and ask Rider if he wants to go grab a bite somewhere.

"I thought you'd never ask." He smirks.