It turns out that I learned a lot about Peter and his folks during our 10 minute walk. Peter has the same common interests that I do! We both love pizza and burgers. We both have just about the same taste in collecting vinyls and both of our fathers were in the service. One thing he was too embarrassed to mention because he felt as if being raised by a strict father was going to turn him into a robot. When we started to talks about our relationships with our parents I got a little quiet and he didn't understand why I suddenly stopped talking.

  "Did I say something wrong Mouse?" He asked me as he nudged me with his elbow while we walked.

  "No you didn't. It's just.....my dad....."

Then it hit him and he remember and felt awful.

  "Awwww shit. Mouse....I'm....so....sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I remember my mom telling me about that a few years ago. We don't have to-"

I quickly interrupted him so I could reassure him that it wasn't his fault.

  "At least you still have you're dad to disagree with. The last time me and my dad had a disagreement was when he made pancakes and said that they were 'the best in town'. He hit the roof when I told him that mom's were better."

Peter laughed which in turn caused me to laugh with him. I guess laughter really is the best medicine because I wasn't as sad when it came to not having my dad around anymore. From then on our conversations went from our family life to what we wanted to do when we graduated high school. I guess you can say that our parents had the right idea of instilling the want to go to college in us. The only difference was that my mom had enrolled me into kindergarten a year early. That was my father's idea. He always said that I was too smart for my own good. Since my birthday fell before the cut off date of enrollment and with proper testing the district let me go to school at the age of 4. I was the youngest and the smallest girl in my class. I didn't know anybody on the first day except one person. That one person was Prince. Thanks to my dad I'll be graduating high school a year early with all of my friends. At least.....almost all of them. As we laughed ourself across the street and on the grounds of the school Peter had offered to open the door for me.

  "After you my dear!" He happily festered with a bow.

  "Thank Pete! A real gentleman to the tee." I replied walking inside to see the hustle and bustle of all the other kids both upper and lower classmen.

Peter met up with me and let out a loud hum.

  "I'll be psyched when the summer come back round." He said to me.

  "You ain't never lied." I said back to him.

  "Well I guess I better split. I have lab first period and I can't be late. Old bug eyed Boswell called my dad and told him about me getting to his class late and if I get one more call home my dad is gonna waterboard me."

I flinched as I let out a hard hiss from my lips.

  "I guess you weren't kidding about your dad being strict." I told him.

  "I wish I was. He means well....in a harsh military way. But hey we'll catch up later. Thanks for walking with me....and for being so nice."

Peter gave me quick hug goodbye and off he went down the hall to his next first period class. I can tell he wanted to go to homeroom instead but to prevent what I feel is cruel and unusual punishment it was for his own good. Once he was out of sight a smile crept on my face as I thought about what he said about me being so nice. I guess you can say it's a gift and a curse but he only knows my surface. I'm glad he doesn't know what's underneath it because the real Regan isn't as nice and sweet and he thinks. Shaking my head as I thought about what he'd think once he got to know the real me out of the corner of my eye I noticed someone. The cologne that made me nearly go into a sneezing fit lead me to believe that it was none other than Andre SIMON Anderson. Now that the nice and sweet Regan ran for cover the real Regan reared her ugly head temporarily.

  "Damnit Andre! Stop trying to creep up on me I can smell your cheap cologne from a mile away!" I hissed as I rolled my eyes.

Turning on my heels quickly to push who I thought was Andre out of the way I damn near jumped out of my skin when I was standing toe to toe with the one person I've been trying to avoid.

  "Shit! Prince!" I shrieked dropping my hands to my sides from his chest.

Boy was he pissed. His face was as red as the blood running through my veins. He was breathing heavily as if Wilson came up to him and told him that he screwed his mama at the bus stop. I wanted to run but once again the fear in me cause my brain to lose all contact with the rest of my body.

  "What the fuck you doin' talking to that racist white sheet wearing clown?" He snapped loudly waving his finger in my face like a dog trainer.

I sucked my teeth and cut my eyes at him looking at him like he was psycho.

  "Who are you to question anything I do around here?" I snapped back at him.

  "You shouldn't be anywhere near that guy he's a fucking creep!"

"Really? And since when were you ever so ducking concerned about my well being all of a fucking sudden!?!?!?"

  "Watch your mouth."

"No you jealous asshole you're not my father!"

  "Regan you have no idea what he's about he's playing you like a fucking Atari!"

  "Kinda like how you've been doing right? You should know after all. All you ever do is play games."

  "So you think he's a better friend than me? The son of a skin head?"

  "Fuck off Prince! Leave Peter alone! At least he was nice enough to consider my feelings and not blow them off like you've been doing!"

  "When have I done that????"

  "Oh please don't act like the goody two shoes you think you are. That shit don't slide with me! Your as fake as a two dollar bill and you know it!"

"I'm fake????? What about you????? I signaled for you all night long last night and you didn't seem to give a fuck but I'm the fake friend???"

  "Oh good! So you know how it feels to be abandoned by the one who cares about you!"

  "Yes! I mean.....NO! Stay away from Dixon! Understand?"

  "Or you'll what play your guitar and sing him to death???? I'd love to see you try!"

  "BITCH!"

That's where our argument stopped as the bell rang and everyone around us filed into homeroom. After about a minute it was just us two. I stood there wide eyed and frozen in place after he called me the one thing he said he'd never let come out of his mouth in a argument. The pain from the word hurt my heart so badly that I could feel the burn rising from my chest to my eyes. It caught him off guard as well because it wasn't until he saw the shock on my face was when he soon became a little empathetic. Unfortunately it was a little too late. It took a while but I was finally able to form a sentence without bursting into tears.

  "You.....you promised." I whispered keeping myself together.

Prince recognized what he did was way below the belt and tried as best he could to explain himself.

  "Regan.....it just.....I didn't mean to.....please just.....give me a chance to-"

As he reached for my arm I pulled away from him a took a few steps back just as my tears turned him into a blur.

  "Don't touch me." I demanded pulling back.

"Mouse come on.....just let me explain." He stammered out.

  "NO! I'm tired of your bullshit! One minute you need me and then the next when I open up to you you wanna laugh in my face and say that I'm jealous. Well who's the jealous one now huh?"

Prince stood silent in the hallway and was looking for the right words to convince me that he wasn't jealous but he couldn't say anything. He just stood still and stared at me. I angrily shook my head in disgust and the tears finally fell.

  "I fucking hate you." I said to him.

Watching the tan color drain from his cheeks as my words hit his ears he felt that same feeling of shock in his heart that I felt.

  "Regan.....I'm.....I'm sorry....." he said to me in a low and hurt tone.

  "You're nowhere near sorry. But you will be. When that skinhead you don't want me talking to shows up to the fall formal with me on his arm. Maybe then you'll truly be sorry."

I can tell he was ready to pass out when I told him that Peter was going to be my date to the dance. Just by how tight he was clenching his jaw I knew that he wasn't pleased about it at all. What's he so worried for anyway? What happened to Denise?