"Mom," I could hear Cooper whining from around the corner, "they're taking forever. Do they actually have Birch in there?"

"Yep," I said. "They've had me for far too long." My mom came forward.

"Don't you ever do anything like that again!" she said.

She hugged me so tight I thought she would break my back. She drove us home and we all went to bed.

The next day the three walked up to me.

"Did you do it?"

"Yup."

"Then, how are you here?"

"I walked. Excuse me, I've got to get to class."

Then, Kailey threw herself at me again. I know her parents were sue-happy so I have to be careful. She pulled me off to the side and kissed me.

"I think I know how you work now. You love that bitc- person, Sage. You could pretend I am her." She pulled me against her and for a second she had me. Until I heard Sage yell, "What the Hell are you doing?!"

I pushed Kailey off of me.

"I'm going to tell my dad about this!" Kailey yelled.

"I was talking to you! Leave the guy alone!"

Kailey ran off in tears.

"Thank you," I said.

"No problem. Now... what the Hell was that?"

"I don't really know how to deal with her."

"That much is evident."

"Help me."

-:-

Birch got home after their run and a good chat. He picked Cooper and got him home he finished his homework and went to sleep. He woke up to a crashing noise. He went down stairs. His mother had dropped a bottle. An empty bottle. She had been drinking again.

"Mom?"

"What are you lookin' at?"

"You. You should be in bed."

"Shut up! I'm an adult!"

"An adult who is going to bed."

"Shut up!" She threw an empty bottle at him. He managed to dodge it. She came forward and punched him repeatedly until she got tired. Birch lead her to bed, cleaned up the mess, and hid the alcohol that was in the house.

-:-

I went out to the pool today. I covered my bruises with some foundation and headed out. When I got there, I noticed that Sage was already there. I got into an unused lane and started to swim. I swam for awhile before getting out to go home and get ready for school. I got out and looked at the time. I had been there way longer than I had intended. Sage was getting out too.

"Birch! Do you need a ride?" she asked.

"Thanks but I don't want to impose."

"Nah, you're good. I'll meet you at the front."

She came forward.

"Birch! What happened to you?"

I swore to myself a when I realized the foundation had washed off.

"Jeez! These are pretty bad!"

She gingerly took hold of my head and guided it down to her so she could take a closer look.

"Are you getting into brawls?"

"No," I said quietly.

"Jeez! I need to go change be right back!"

We met at the front and she took me to go to her truck. She unlocked it and told me to get in the back. She followed me in and pulled a pack out from under the chair.

"What's that?"

"A med-kit." She brought the swelling down as much as she could and covered it up with some foundation. Then, to my surprise, she leaned forward and gave me a peck on the cheek. "There. I've done all I can do. Stop fighting! You're really going to get hurt!"

I scooted closer to her and hugged her.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"You're welcome," she replied. I could feel her ears going red and hot and the same thing happened to my cheeks. I loosened my hold and we both got in the front of the truck. "Now then. Where am I going?"

"You're gonna turn right out of here," I said.

"Since we have time to talk. Do you have anything you want to tell me?"

"What?" I was scared that she knew how I really got beat up.

"Like, oh, I don't know, how you were arrested last night?!"

"How did you know that?"

"It spread around school like wildfire. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was relevant."

"Really? That's the biggest bullshit I've ever heard."

"I..."

"What?"

"I didn't want you to think lowly of me."

"If anything you made me think more lowly of you because I thought you would be honest and trustworthy and upfront about your mistakes."

I paused. Thinking about what I would say but nothing came to mind except, "I'm sorry. I screwed up."

"Don't do anything like that again! You could've been shot!"

"They threatened Cooper and..."

"Who?"

"You."

"So?"

"I was worried that they would hurt you, Cooper, or even Michael and Leo if I told anyone."

"..."

"I'm sorry."

She told me to put on Metallica and she drove the rest of the way with the music turned and a myriad of different expressions crossed her face. She turned the music down.

"What I don't get is how you can get so beat up. I've seen you fight. You hardly ever get a scratch on you when you fight."

"Wait a minute. How do you know that? When have you seen me fight?"

"Hey! I'm not the one on trial here."

"You are now."

"Shut up." Her ears started going red as I continued to wait for an explanation. "I saw you at boxing practice once."

"How do you know where I box?" She kept her face forward and scrunched up her lips and nose.

"You followed me?!"

"Shut up! No. Okay, yes, but can you blame me?"

"Yeah! How long have you been stalking me?"

"What?! That was an accident I was across the street and saw you going into the building. I stuck around to watch you fight."

"Sure."

"Shut up."

I chuckled.

"Shut up. I know for a fact that you saw me in my dance class. You stared at my ass for the better part of that time. I know my butt looks good when I wear leggings but Jeez dude."

Now it was my turn to turn red.

"Ha. Ha. Here's your house asshole. Change fast or you're going to be late."

"Do you mind if my brother tags along?"

"Sure but if anybody asks he's my brother. I'm only allowed to have one friend in the car."

"Okay."

I got changed real quick, got Cooper, and went back outside. Sage was getting back into the driver's seat. She had already changed.

"Everybody have their seat belt on?" She checked. "Great. Let's roll out. Hey, Cooper!" She handed an iPod back to him. "Pick what you like."

Cooper's eyes widened as he looked through her music library. He finally picked a song. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. My first thought was, Jeez, why'd he have to pick that song! She's not going to like that! Then I remembered it was her iPod. She started to sing along.

She got to the high note no one can hit and had to lower her key a little bit so that she could keep singing along.

By the time the song finished we were at Cooper's elementary school. We dropped him off and got to school in the nick of time.