SOUNDTRACK: "The Little Things" - Big Gigantic Feat. Angela McCluskey

THURSDAY

"You're Kate, right?" a female voice cut into Kate's ear.

She looked up just as a pretty girl with bright pink hair sat across from her at the lunch table in the student cafeteria. Kate vaguely recognized her from her Web Design class.

"Can we sit?" she asked, indicating her friend next to her. Kate nodded and the young black girl sat down. "My name is Victoria. That's Blair."

Kate pulled her lunch closer to herself to allow the other two girls space. "Hi."

"Do you always eat lunch alone?" Blair asked.

"I - yeah, I guess," Kate stammered.

"You've been here for like three weeks now?" Victoria asked. Kate nodded. "And the rumors are true?"

Kate's heart started beating in her ears. How could people know she was Jared's daughter? "W-what? What rumors?" she asked, feeling sweat break out on her back.

"That you played at Eastwood School in San Diego," Blair said.

Kate's heart slowed. "Oh - uh, yeah. We went to the state qualifiers," she said.

"So why aren't you on the soccer team here?" Victoria asked. She pulled a pack of gum out of her Chanel bag and set it on the table.

"I'm on the reserve team," Kate explained. "The main team was full."

The older girl popped two pieces of gum in her mouth before stashing the pack away again. "How come you don't have any friends?" she asked bluntly.

"I like to keep to myself mostly," Kate said.

"Well, there's this party on Saturday that you should come to with us. It'll be fun," Blair said. "Lots of hot guys," she added with a wink.

"Uh - I don't know if I can go," Kate faltered.

She was happy these girls were reaching out to her, but she had no idea if Jared would allow her to go. At least, Ryan never would have. There wasn't a benchmark for Jared's limits because so far, she hadn't tested them. Hell, she had cursed at his mother and he didn't even punish her for it. Something told her discipline wasn't his strong suit.

"Why? Strict parents?" Victoria needled.

"No. Not really. I mean, I don't know," Kate said with a nervous laugh.

"So sneak out," Blair said. "Look. Let me give you my number and we can text you the details."

Kate reluctantly slid her phone across the table and the girl picked it up, typing in her contact information in an instant. Victoria copied her action before giving the device back just as the bell sounded, signalling the end of lunch.

"See you around," Victoria said standing.

Kate watched them go, befuddled as to why they'd want her to come along with them. The two girls screamed money and popularity, yet they were inviting her to an exclusive party? Part of her thought it could be a ruse or a trick, like an initiation performed on the new girl. But the two girls seemed relatively genuine and it was just a party. What's the worse that could happen?

FRIDAY

Kate looked up from her history textbook as Jared came into the house, shutting the side door quietly behind himself. He paused when he saw her and walked into the dining room.

"You're not seriously doing homework on a Friday night, are you?" he asked in disbelief. He kicked off his shoes, revealing brightly colored socks. "Live a little. Let it sit until tomorrow."

She shrugged. "It's not like I have much else to do - the cable's out downstairs again. I think Vedder knocked the wires loose when he was doing laps the other day," she responded.

He sighed. "I'll get someone out here."

"I don't know why you have it - you never watch TV," she countered.

"I do, too."

"I have been here for almost a month and I've not seen you watch it once," Kate said.

He rolled his eyes and walked toward his bedroom. "Any plans this weekend?" he called, his voice muffled by distance and white walls.

Now was as good a time as any to ask him. "Well, there was this thing I got invited to," she said, keeping it vague.

"Go!" Jared replied before the words were even out of her mouth.

Truth be told, he was kind of missing the times when he had the house to himself on the weekends. It made his hook ups a hell of a lot easier when he didn't have to worry about sneaking them in and out. With Kate there nearly every second she was free, his options were considerably limited. He returned to the dining room in sweatpants and a ripped t-shirt.

"You sure? You don't want to know anything about it?" she asked.

"Remember our deal? You behave and I stay out of your way?" he reminded her. "You've kept up your end. I'm keeping up mine."

So Shannon hadn't told Jared about the Halloween party. She felt relief run through her body. "Oh - cool," she tried to sound nonchalant about it, but she was really a ball of nerves inside. "So it's at like, nine tomorrow night. I'm meeting them there."

"Good," Jared said as he perused the contents of the refrigerator. Kate was positive he had already started to tune her out. She heard the microwave start and he came back into the dining room. "You ate already, right?" She nodded. "Sorry I've been home so late this week. I've had a few meetings about press for Suicide Squad and I'm still trying to get the Compound set up."

Each night for the past week, Jared had come home well into the night after Kate had already gone to sleep. Part of him felt a little guilty leaving her home alone so much, but he thought she secretly enjoyed it. She seemed more like a loner than a joiner, and given how badly he wanted to keep her connection to him a secret, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing in his eyes.

"I'm playing in my first game with Winterlake next weekend," she said casually, turning the page in her book.

Jared froze. "Shit, I'm not gonna be here. I meant to tell you that I'm going to New York for a few days."

Kate's heart sank a little. She didn't expect Jared to be in the stands cheering her on - he wasn't the sporting type - but the idea of her being at the house really by herself saddened her. "Oh. Okay."

"I asked Shannon to come stay with you while I'm gone, but if you want I'm sure my mom would be okay with it, too," he said. "I know you and Shannon aren't exactly close, so..."

"No, it's fine," she answered. "Whatever works for you is fine. I'm sure your mom has her own stuff to do."

Jared nodded and went back into the kitchen to retrieve a plate of rice and vegetables. "But you're okay with me missing your game?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It's just a scrimmage for the reserve team."

She left out the coach's plans of having her move up to the regular team soon. It wasn't like Jared would know what any of it even meant anyways.

SATURDAY

The next night, Kate got into the car as it pulled up to Jared's house. She had called an Uber to keep Blair and Victoria from figuring out where she lived. In her short time at Winterlake, she had learned that the students there knew where every celebrity lived, so she considered it a good extra precaution. About half an hour later the driver stopped in front of a fraternity house near UCLA's campus. She could hear the music from the curb.

The driver looked at her apprehensively. "You sure this is where you want to go?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

'Alpha Epsilon Pi' hung over the front porch of the large house. Two guys stumbled past her, already drunk and for a brief moment, Kate considered turning around and going back to Jared's. It looked like the party was a repeat of Halloween. But she was feeling particularly vulnerable and in need of attention so she pressed on toward the open front door.

"Kate! Whoa you look awesome!" Blair said. "For a second, I thought you were bailing."

The two older girls stood on the front porch in short skirts and low cut tops. She suddenly didn't feel as out of place in her strapless mini dress and flats. The theme seemed to be 'skin to win' and nobody was lacking in that department.

"Let's get you a drink," Victoria said, taking Kate's hand and leading her through the house.

From what Kate could see, the house was packed. People lined the hallways and staircase talking and nursing drinks. Their conversations were drowned out by the thumping bass blasting through two large speakers in the living room. Victoria stopped on the back deck where a large keg had been set up, being tended by a tall, well-muscled brunette.

"One beer, please Ollie," she said, her voice sickly sweet.

"And who is your friend?" the guy asked, pouring a beer for Kate. He let his eyes wander over her body as he handed it to her.

"Kate," she answered. "This is Ollie. He plays on the football team here."

Kate took the plastic cup from Victoria and took a cautious sip. The bitter brown liquid made her cringe and she was too slow to hide her reaction.

"First time drinking?" Ollie asked with a laugh.

Kate shook her head. "No. I'm just not a big drinker."  She couldn't have them thinking she was completely inexperienced.

"Well maybe we should fix that," another voice said, coming up behind the three girls. He put his arms around the two older girls' waists. Both of them squealed in surprise.

"Mark! Hey man. I thought you were in Vegas this weekend," Ollie greeted the taller man.

Mark shrugged. "Changed my mind. And I'm glad I did," his eyes fell on Kate and he extracted himself from Victoria and Blair. "Who is this?" he asked.

"Our friend from school. Kate," Blair provided. "She's new."

Mark extended his hand to Kate. "Mark Benson. Nice to meet you, Kate."

His charm made her blush and she allowed him to kiss the back of her hand. She took a sip from her beer in an attempt to prevent the dorky, giddy laugh that was threatening to snort out of her mouth.

"Kate's from San Diego," Victoria said.

"Really? I grew up in Linda Vista. What about you?" Mark asked, surprise on his face.

"Ocean Beach," Kate said.

"No shit! That's so cool!" he exclaimed.

She smiled at him as he stepped closer to her. "What do you study here?" she asked, feeling emboldened by his attention.

"Sports management," he replied. "I'm also the president of the frat. It keeps me busy."

Kate looked around at the back yard of the house. A pool was full of bikini-clad girls and shirtless guys, even in the early November chill. A bonfire was going in the far corner and people had gathered around it.

"I bet," she answered.

"What about you? What do you study?" he asked her.

"Oh - I'm not in college yet," she answered. "Still in high school."

His interest piqued, Mark subtly pulled her away from the group. "Really? So you're, what? Seventeen?"

"Almost sixteen," Kate responded.

"Never would have guessed," he said. He sat on a bench built into the deck. "You look really pretty. Not like most fifteen year olds." Flattered, she sat next to him. "When you get to college, what do you think you're gonna study?"

Kate shrugged and drank more. "I don't know. I'm pretty good with math and science so maybe something with those."

Mark put his arm around the back of the bench. "You go to Winterlake with Victoria and Blair, right?" he asked. "Do you play on any teams there?"

"I'm on the reserve soccer team for now. Since I transferred," she answered.

"Right, right," he said nodding. He downed his drink and looked at her. "Want another one?"

Kate looked at the two fingers of alcohol left in the bottom of her cup. Without thinking, she tipped her head back and downed it in one gulp. Mark let out a whoop of surprise. He handed him the cup and smiled.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" he exclaimed with a laugh. "Sit tight. I'll be right back."

She nodded and took a deep breath, rubbing her hands across the tops of her thighs. Blair had been right; there were lots of cute guys. Any nerves she had when she arrived were melting away as she and Mark spoke. He seemed genuinely interested in her and she was grateful for the attention. He returned several seconds later with a fresh beer for her and a mixed drink for himself.

"So how are you liking Los Angeles?" he asked.

"It's okay. I haven't really had a chance to check it out yet. Been super busy," she answered.

"Where do you live?"

"Up in Cahuenga Pass," she said without thinking.

"Up in the Hills. Nice," he remarked. He casually slid his hand across her shoulder and down to her arm. "You know, you really are pretty," he added. "No - not just pretty. Beautiful."

A warmth was growing inside of her and she couldn't tell if it was from the beer or the way Mark was touching her. "Thanks," she said, blushing. A shiver ran through her body as the wind picked up.

"Let's go inside where it's warmer," he suggested.

She nodded and took his offered hand, allowing him to lead her through the house. A girl ran into her as she stumbled drunkenly through the kitchen, knocking Kate's empty cup from her hand.

"This way," he called over the music.

They stopped on the dance floor, surrounded by gyrating, sweaty bodies under a thick haze of marijuana smoke. His hands found her hips and led her in the pulsing rhythm, grinding them against his. His hands felt so good on her body that Kate didn't care that they drifted down to her butt. The beer was getting to her and she knew she should stop, but there was something liberating about the party. She didn't feel like she had to keep up appearances or stress about someone finding out about Jared. Nobody cared there.

Without thinking, she allowed Mark to kiss her, softly at first, but then harder. As far as first kisses went, it could have been better. There could have been less saliva involved on both ends. She attributed it to the drinks. His hands meandered further, holding her tightly against him.

"Let's go somewhere else," he murmured in her ear.

Dazed from his kisses, she nodded. He led her through the crowd to the stairs, stepping around people as they climbed. They passed several closed doors in the long hallway before reaching one at the end of the hall. Mark opened it and nudged her inside ahead of him into the dark space. He flipped a switch and a dim reading lamp flickered on.

Kate didn't get a chance to look around because Mark was on her the second he closed the door. As his hands grazed her sides, a voice in her head told to slow down. She tried to grab his hands and slow them down.

"Uh - what's the rush?" she asked, unsure if she even wanted to continue. His hands were too needy and fast for her liking.

"You're right," he chuckled against her skin. "Slow."

He kissed her again and pulled her farther into the room. She felt her knees hit his bed and he lowered her back onto it. His hand slid up her thigh, moving her dress up higher. And suddenly Kate was aware that she didn't want to be there anymore. Voices were yelling at her to get out, to get away from Mark and she couldn't rationalize silencing them anymore. She put her hand on his and stopped it.

"Can you just -," she whispered.

"Shhh," he said, pressing his lips over hers to silence her.

His hand moved further up her leg.

"You'll like it, I promise," he insisted gently.

Kate felt the air press out of her lungs as he settled on top of her. Alarm bells were ringing in her mind as she frantically tried to figure out a way out of this. He was twice her weight and could easily overpower her in muscle.

"Wait -," she insisted. He stopped, frustration evident on his face. "You - you should get a - a condom, right?" she asked.

Her hear fell when Mark reached over to the night stand and pulled out a box. He tipped it over, expecting a foil wrapper to come out but nothing did. He shook it, but it was empty.

"Huh. I'll - uh - I'll go see if someone else has any," he said in disappointment. "You're sure we need one?" he asked, pausing at the door.

"Safe sex is good sex," she said lightly, forcing a chuckle.

The instant he was out of the room, she launched herself for her bag on the floor. She pulled her phone out and scrolled through her contacts quickly. Her first thought was Jared and she was halfway through typing a plea for help before her brain caught up with her fingers. If he shows up, the secret's blown. He's too famous. Everyone will recognize him, she thought. She frantically erased the message and looked again. Jamie had left town. Stevie would get knocked out in a heartbeat against Mark. That only left Shannon.

I'm at a party. Please help.

She sent it immediately and prayed he had his phone on him. A second later, she got a response.

Where are you?

She thanked the gods above that he was responsive. She texted him the address.

Be there in five.

She sighed happily. Now all she had to do was figure out a way to get away from Mark. She stood on shaky legs, collecting her cross body bag and opening the door carefully. The music blasted into the room and she stuck her head out carefully, checking to see if he was out there. There was no sign that he was int he hallway, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to reappear any second. She took a deep breath and wove her way along the corridor toward the stairs. She made it halfway, her heart pumping in her ears, before Mark saw her.

"Kate!" he shouted.

She pretended she couldn't hear him and kept walking, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Kate!" he shouted again.

His voice was getting closer and she had to actually push someone out of her way to get to the door. She made it to the front door and stepped onto the front porch just as Mark grabbed her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"Stop!" she jerked her arm away from his, wincing at the pain.

"I wasn't done with you," he snarled, reaching for her again.

Suddenly he wasn't the good looking president of a fraternity. His anger had morphed him into an ugly monster whose eyes lit up with greed. She ran down the steps and into the yard, trying to put as much space between him and her as possible. She heard him running after her.

"Get back here!" he shouted.

"HEY!" Another voice joined the fray. "HEY LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Kate turned around just in time to see Shannon come running up the sidewalk, throwing a motorcycle helmet and leather gloves across the yard as he took a leap at Mark. The two men tussled a little, trading a punch or two before Shannon got him under control.

"The fuck is wrong with you, asshole?! She's fifteen!" he shouted at Mark.

People were watching from the front porch now. Shannon took a step back, turning to walk over to Kate.

"She wanted it!" Mark shouted as he stood up.

Shannon spun on his heel and jerked the taller man's head down to his face. "Come here," he growled through gritted teeth. "Come here!" Mark allowed himself to be pulled over. Shannon put his mouth so close to Mark's ear that he could have licked it if he was into that sort of thing. "If I hear that you hurt her at all, so help me God, I will come back over here, cut your balls off, and force them down into your throat," he hissed, his voice just above a whisper. "Do you understand me?"

Mark whined, fear starting to take over. He nodded furiously and Shannon gave his cheek a light slap before releasing him and turning to go. He took Kate roughly by the upper arm and jerked her along with him, picking up his helmet and gloves on the way to the street. Mark scrambled back into the house and the party-goers returned to their conversations and drinks. Shannon led her across the street to a black motorcycle.

"Thank you," she muttered.

He wheeled on her, releasing her arm roughly. "What the hell were you thinking?!" he hissed. "Huh? Do you have any idea how much worse that could've fucking been?!"

She blinked back tears at his harsh words. She knew she screwed up. She didn't need a reminder. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Goddammit, Kate! What if I didn't check my phone? What then?!" he shouted. He took several steps away from her, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm down. Two seconds later, he turned back to her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She felt her wrist, but nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Does Jared know where you are?" he asked next.

She nodded hesitantly. "I told him I was going out with some friends. But I didn't say anything about this," she admitted. "Please don't tell him. Please, Shannon."

The man regarded the teen carefully for several seconds. Cars zipped by them on the busy street and he knew if they stood there any longer, someone would probably recognize him or something. He handed her his helmet and started taking off his leather jacket. "Put that on," he ordered, nodding to the helmet.

"What?" she asked. "Don't you have a second one? What about you?"

He shrugged. "Just put it on." He gave her his jacket, too. "And this."

"What for?" Her voice sounded funny in the helmet.

"In case we crash," he told her.

"But what about you?" she asked again, briefly wondering how good of a driver he was.

He didn't respond as he slid his gloves on. He got on the motorcycle and inserted the ignition key, signalling for her to get on, too. She carefully navigated the bike, hiking her leg over the side and perching right behind him. She was well-aware that people could probably see her ovaries if they looked close enough, but she hadn't planned on riding a motorcycle home that night.

"Hold on to me," Shannon instructed.

She nodded as he started the bike and kicked off the ground. She jerked forward and clung to him tightly as cars and buildings zoomed past them. He was kind enough to avoid the highway, taking side streets back to Jared's house, but the wind was still strong. When they came to a stop in front of the house, he put the bike in park and turned it off.

"Kate, you're a smart kid - at least that's what Jared told me. So what could possibly make you think that going to a frat party was a good idea?" he asked as she removed herself from him.

She took his helmet off and shook her hair out. "I don't know. It was stupid, okay? I get that."

He waited as she returned his jacket. As she gave it back to him, she caught a whiff of feminine perfume. He had been on a date when she texted him. Well, that or he had some serious explaining to do. He took the jacket and shrugged it on, zipping it up quickly.

"You're not going to tell Jared, are you?" she asked before he slipped his helmet on.

He shook his head. "No. But I don't want to have to rescue you from something like that again."

"Thank you," she said, giving him an awkward hug. "It won't happen again. I promise."

Shannon nodded. "Go inside. It's late."

"I'm sorry about interrupting your date," she added as she walked toward the gate in the driveway.

He shrugged and started the bike. "It's fine," he said. He waited until Kate was inside the gate before driving away.