"Addie?" I heard a questioning voice behind me. I didn't turn around because I was still thinking about sixth grade. "Addie is that you?" I suddenly realized that the voice behind me was Draw’s. I turned and looked at him. I said, "hi Drew long time no sees." He said, "you're telling me! I've been away all summer and you're the one that has changed. I mean your hair is longer, you grew like two inches and you got rid of your glasses." I said, "yup. So how long are you going to stay here?" He looked at me with puppy dog eyes and said, "All year if that's all right? My parents are traveling Europe with a circus. Don't ask me why cause I do not know." I giggled a little then said, "of course you can stay for the whole year! So when are going to move your stuff in?" He said, "today. Will you help me since your brother is too lazy to get up at two in the afternoon." I said, "of course I'll help you. Well come on." He smiled and then we were headed off to his house, which I've never been to before.

Draw’s house was more like a mansion than a house. The outside of his mansion looked kind of like castle on the outside and inside. His room was up a big flight of stairs. In the whole 'house' Draw’s room was the only room that looked normal. His bed unmade, pictures of his friends on his wall including a bunch of me an him together, and he had a shelf full of trophies because he played basketball just like I do

After we finished packing and loading boxes (which was some three hours later) I started looking around his yard. As I reached the backyard I noticed a basketball court so I grabbed the basketball and was starting to do a lay-up. When I was doing the lay-up I heard Drew behind me trying to be an announcer saying, "Addie goes for the lay-up and she...makes it!" Then he took the ball from me and since he was taller than me he held it up high so I couldn't get it. I tried to jump and grab his arm but I just fell on top of him. For a few seconds we just stayed like that, looking into each other’s eyes for what felt like forever. Then I got off of him, brushed myself off and said, "hey guess what." He smiled and said "what?" I told him, "I'm dating Noel Christensen." His smile quickly disappeared after I said that. He didn't like Noel to start with and now with me dating him well...that just added to his hatred for him. I tried lightening the mood by saying, "so how was your summer?" He said, "Pretty good except I broke up with Vivian." I said, "So what did happen between you and Vivian Summers?" He looked at me and said, "Well I found out while I was in Canada that she was sleeping with half the basketball team." I said, "whoa hooker alert." We both started laughing. He said, "you know I love you right?" I laughed, gave him a hug and said, "yea I know."

I helped him move into the room next to mine and then we both dropped onto his bed an I fell asleep.

I woke up in his bed under the comforter. I looked up and saw Drew unpacking a box marked pictures so I got up an talked to him. He said, "good morning sleeping beauty." I said, "good morning to you too." Then I took a shower, brushed my teeth, put on clothes and went to help Drew. I said to him, "Why was I in your bed this morning?" He said, "Well after you fell asleep I put you in the bed instead of on it. I grabbed a blanket an a pillow and slept on the floor." I said, "thank you so much." Then I tried to give him a kiss on the cheek but he turned and it ended up on his lips. The kiss lasted longer than it should have but neither of us pulled away. After I finally broke away from the kiss I thought about what I was doing. Then Drew went in for another kiss I pushed him away. He asked me what was wrong and I said, "you have no idea how long I have waited for this but I have a boyfriend that I really care about and I am not about to throw that away just to ruin our friendship." I started to cry as I said, "I have to go now." I ran to my room, jumped on my bed and started playing my music so loud that I couldn't think. Why did this have to happen now why? I seriously needed help. So I went to my best friends (Lydia Montgomery) house and told her everything. She told me I had to choose for myself. An hour later I left her house. I was walking home and this mugger punched me in the face making me fall an hit my head on the cement. Then he took my purse and after that I guess I passed out.

***Two months later***
I opened my eyes to a bright room. I looked to my left and saw a very cute guy he had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and alabaster skin. It was Drew. Why was he here and where exactly is here anyway. I was so focused on Drew that I hadn't noticed the tube down my throat. I tried to take the tube out but when I tried my heart monitor started to race. I realized that I was in the hospital. The next thing I knew a nurse came in and took the tube out and wrote some things on a clipboard. I was so busy concentrating on the nurse that I didn’t notice that the guy that was asleep was now awake. He said, “Addie you’re awake, you’re awake! Thank God!” I felt so weak so I whispered to him, “what happened to me?” He took my hand and said, “you hit your head on the sidewalk and then you went into a coma.” I asked, “How long have I been in a coma?” He said, “around two months.” I said, “Where’s my family and Noel?” His eyes went to the ground as he said, “Your family’s downstairs eating in the cafeteria and well Noel…he told me to tell you if you ever woke up that y’all are through.” I gave him a disbelieving look and then I couldn’t help myself so I started crying. He told me to scoot over and he sat in the bed with me just holding me in his arms wiping away my tears.

Fifteen minutes later my brother Jordan came in and said to Drew, “dude my sister just woke up and your already making moves on her. Dude that is so un-cool.” I said, “Shut up Jordan” then I threw my pillow at him. He said, “Now alright you two love birds I am going back downstairs don’t do anything stupid because I’m sending dad up here to see Adele.” After Jordan left I asked Drew what the date was and he said it was October twenty-third. I realized that I missed school, I missed Drew’s birthday, and I also realized that it two days it was my birthday. I told him to come close to me, which he did then, I kissed him on the lips but it was only a quick kiss. He looked surprised so I said, “Drew, I promised myself in eighth grade that when you turned eighteen that I would kiss you and something else but I’ll show you that later. Oh and I’m sorry I missed your birthday.” He said, “it’s ok I know you didn’t mean too.” After he said that we both started laughing. Then my Dad came in and so did the nurse.

“Hi daddy” I said. He kissed my forehead and said, “hi baby girl, how you feeling.” I said, “Good because Drew was here he helped me understand what happened.” Then I turned to the nurse and said, “When can I come home?” She said, “well after I run some tests I’ll get back to you.” Then she smiled and Dad said to me, “Well Jordan, Natalie, and I are going back home. You want to a ride Drew?” I had a pleading look on my face while whispering, “please don’t go.” He told my Dad, “Thanks but my truck is here and I want to stay with Adele.” Ughh it made me feel un-special when Drew called me Adele because I was so used to him calling me Addie. Dad nodded, kissed me on my forehead and said, “Bye baby girl. Bye Drew.”

That night the test results did not come back until ten and by that time Drew was asleep in the bed with me but I was reading a book he had brought me. I asked the nurse when I could go home and she told me that I would have to wait until three in the afternoon tomorrow.

I waited until I knew he was deep asleep and said, “Ok Drew I lied when I told myself I didn’t have feelings for you after we kissed but I thought I was going to hurt Noel. The only reason I went out with Noel was because you were with Vivian. The truth is that I have loved you since sixth grade. Your cute, funny, smart, sensitive and you love basketball. Plus you have never let me down ever. Even when you were with Vivian you never made me feel like a third wheel. Drew Fischer I am irrevocably and hopelessly in love with you.” I turned to go to sleep but Drew turned me back around and kissed me passionately. When we stopped kissing I looked at him and said, “So how much did you here of what I just said?” He said, “all of it and don’t worry I am in love with you too.” I started laughing. He looked mad when he said, “Why are you laughing?” I said, “Because I laugh when I’m nervous.” His faced calmed down a bit the he said, “Why are you nervous?” I said, “Because I love you but what if this doesn’t work out. [Then I started crying.] What if Jordan gets mad and hurts you. What if Daddy makes you move out, I can’t handle that I just can’t.” He grabbed and held me in his arms. Then he said, “Don’t worry about that now just rest.” As he told I did.

I woke up with Drew’s arms around me. He wasn’t awake yet so I kissed him on his head, lifted his arm off of me, and went to take a shower. When I got out of the shower I kissed Drew on the lips to wake him up. His eyes were closed when he said, “Good morning Vivian my love.” I let out gasp and ran off to the bathroom crying. I guess at some time he realized what he did and came to the bathroom door apologizing, “I am so sorry I didn’t mean to call you that. I love you not her.” I cried while yelling, “Tell that to your girlfriend Vivian. I told you this would happen! I TOLD YOU but you told me not to worry about it. Well guess what I didn’t worry about it and then this happened. Well you got your wish my heart is now broken and it can not be repaired.” He said, “but baby I-.” I cut him off by saying, “leave just leave I don’t want to see you again!” He asked, “Are you breaking up with me?” In between sobs I said, “yea I guess I am.” For a second I thought that I was overreacting but then I remembered that Vivian and Drew just broke up this summer. So maybe I was just a rebound.

After I got released I decided that I should go tell Jordan what happened since Drew wasn’t here right now. After I did he said, “Oh no! We have to go find him!” For a second I just sat there. Then he yelled, “Come on.” I followed him to his car. I asked, “What’s wrong?” He said, “He loved Vivian not as much as he loves you but still. When she broke up with him, he couldn’t take it. He started drinking, smoking and getting into fights. With how much he loves you there is no telling where he is or what he’s doing. He is probably trying to kill himself right now.” I thought ‘Oh God what have I done?’

We were on the way to the bar Jordan said that would accept eighteen year old's but he wasn’t there. Then we checked all the stores. We checked the movie theater too. Then I remembered where our first kiss was. I told Jordan where to go. When we got there Jordan wanted to go in and talk to him but I told him that this was something that I needed to do.

I was right. I found him in the exact place we first kissed. I stepped closer to him. I didn’t smell smoke or alcohol so I said, “Drew I am so sorry I broke up with you. I was overreacting. I guess I didn’t think what we would last because I am not good enough for you and when you said Vivian that was just the excuse I needed. But when I thought of you getting hurt it almost killed me. Its because I am in love with you no matter how mad I get at you or you get at me I will never stop loving you. I mean I understand if you don’t want to take me back but we can still be-.” He cut me off by kissing me. I said, “That’s a nice way of telling me to shut up.” He laughed then I laughed. Then he said, “I love you and I probably would’ve lost it too if you said Noel’s name in your sleep.” I looked at him and said, “It’s not that you said Vivian’s name it’s what you said after that.” He gave me a wondering look and said, “What else did I say?” I said, “you said ‘my love’ and it made me think maybe I was only the rebound.” He looked at me and said, “You are too good to be ‘the rebound girl.’ Besides I have liked you since I saw you. If anything I only dated Vivian to try to get over you because I thought that you didn't like me.” I said, “Take my hand I have to show you what I promised to show you last night.” He nodded and did as I told him. As we went back to my brother’s car Jordan said, “So the two love birds are back together.” I nodded and kissed Drew.

When we got back to my house Drew and I quickly went up to my room. Drew and I sat down on my bed. I got my Diary out and gave it to him. We went through every page together laughing, crying, and getting mad. Drew got really mad when he read that Stella Coleman got her clones to try to beat me up but then he laughed when he read that I knocked them out and broke Stella’s nose. I said, “You know how Stella’s nose got smaller in seventh grade?” He nodded and I said, “Well that’s why.” Then Drew asked me, “What’s your favorite memory from your entire life?” I thought about it for a while and answered, “The first time we kissed.” He nodded then said, “The night you told me that you loved me.”

“Wake up Addie.” I opened my eyes to see my whole family and Drew standing around me. Dad had a cake in his hand. As I sat up they began to sing, “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Adele. Happy birthday to you!” Then I blew out the candles. After my family left Drew said, “Come on get dressed we’re going out to dinner for your birthday.” I said, “Alright then get out of my room so I can get ready.” He kissed me goodbye. After he left I took a shower and then put on my favorite party dress (Black on the top, gray in the skirt area with gray roses on it) and high heels. I curled my hair then put it in a hair clip and finally I put my make up on. I looked perfect. As I did a final check on how I looked I heard Dad yell from down stairs, “Honey you and Drew are going to be late if you don’t get down here.” As I came down Drew eyes bulged out that made me giggle. Drew had a tux on which made him look very sophisticated. Drew took my hand and said, “Wow you look um… wow!” I told him, “thank you. You don’t look to bad yourself.”

We went to the fanciest restaurant in town: A little piece of Paris. After we ate we had dessert, after I finished eating dessert Drew took a small black velvet box. He opened the box it had a promise ring in it. He said, “I promise to love you forever so will you promise me that someday we will get married.” I said, “Of course Drew!” Then he put the ring on my finger.

******A Year Later******
Now I am a senior in high school and a lot has happened since last year. Drew graduated and so did Jordan. Drew goes to NYU and Jordan goes to Stanford. Drew is still only my boyfriend and I am fine with that cause I am not ready to be a housewife. Natalie is almost sixteen. She has a boyfriend and his name is Alex. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that she is two months pregnant with Alex’s baby and they have only been dating for six months. After Jordan found out that Natalie was pregnant we had to literally hold him back because he was trying to kill Alex.

We live in New Haven, Connecticut so I decided that I would go up to see Drew in New York. I didn’t know where he was staying at so I went to NYU first and asked the dorm director. The dorm director said that there was no one by the name of Drew Hemmingsworth that lived in the dorms. So I asked her if she had a phone book and she gave me one. I looked up Hemmingsworth but there was only one and it caught me by surprise: Hemmingsworth, Drew and Kimberly. I looked at the address and went to it. It was in an apartment building, apartment 8B. When I got to the door I heard a baby crying and a young women saying, “Shush daddy is going to be home soon.” After five minutes I built up enough courage to knock on the door. The young women answered she only looked about my age maybe a few months younger, she had blond hair, hazel eyes and she stood about five, four. She said with an innocent smile, “Hello can I help you?” I looked around trying to find an excuse to why I would be here. Then I said, “Um hi my name is Adele and I am one of Drew’s friends from school and I needed to know if we had any homework.” She said, “Oh, oh I’m Kimberly come on in.” So I went inside. It looked decent inside. The baby was still screaming. I said, “So what are you to Drew? Friend, sister…or [gulp] fiancé?” She smiled at me and said, “Oh no silly I’m his wife. And this is [she pointed to the baby] DJ, it stands for Drew junior.” I was about to start hyperventilating so I said, “You look a little young to be married and have a kid.” She said, “Well I am only sixteen but I’ll turn seventeen in three months and DJ is kind of the reason I am married. You see Drew and I met in Italy last summer and we hit it off. We were both there for the summer and we did some things we aren’t very proud of and we got DJ as a surprise. When Drew found out I was pregnant he asked me to marry him and we eloped. We got married in Vegas, a week later we moved here and then six months later DJ was born.” I started tearing up. She looked at me and said, “I know right it is an emotional story.” I nodded and said, “Um look at the time I have to get back to my house before my curfew.” She got up and gave me a hug then said, “Well it was nice having you.” I said, “It was nice being here today.” Then I left. I realized something as soon as I walked out of the door, she wasn’t the other woman, I was.

Down the hallway I saw an elevator so I got on it. As soon as I got on the elevator I started crying. Then a familiar voice said, “Are you okay miss?” I figured out why the voice was so familiar, the voice was Drew’s. So I turned around and slapped him. He winced in pain then he looked up at me and said, “Addie?” I screamed, “You lied to me. You’re married and have a kid! And what am I, apparently I am the tramp that you are with only thirty percent of the time while the other seventy is spent with her. I hate you! Don’t talk to me, call me, or text me ever again! You can still talk to Jordan but I don’t want you around me.” Then I got off the elevator, angry, sad, and lonely.

I took a bus to New York and I didn’t want to take that smelly old thing again so I called Natalie to come pick me up. As soon as I told Natalie what happened he was trying to go in the apartment where Drew was and beat him up. I told him, “Natalie don’t. He has a wife and a baby and he is happy. I can see it in the pictures, the way he looks at her. He loves her more than he ever loved me. He already had a life. But I am not going to hold him to his promise to me because I am going to be the bigger person. So I am just going to suck it up, go to school, and keep on living my life because my life does not revolve around Drew Fischer Hemmingsworth. He was just a scene in my life that has passed.” I gave a weak smile an looked at Natalie and I could tell she wasn’t buying it. Then she pulled me into his a hug and said, “Let it all out” and I did. When we got back to our house I said to Natalie, “You know you’re the best little sister ever.” She said, “Yea I know but if you ever tell anyone I will deny it.” I laughed then went to my room and went to sleep.

***The Week At School***
In Parenting and Child development class we were assigned partners and a baby. My partner was Dylan Jacobs he had jet black hair like mine, his bangs were swayed to the left, he had alabaster skin, his upper lip was pierced, so was his right eyebrow and he stood about five-seven which is like two inches taller than me. Man he was hot but looked like something was hurting him! The teacher said, “Now go sit by your partners and figure out who’s house you two are going to be staying at for a week.” The baby we got actually looked as if we got combined. Dylan came and sat by me. So I said, “We can stay at my house I have an extra room or if you feel more comfortable we can-.” Then he cut me off by saying, “No we can stay at your house.” I nodded and said, “Ok you can come over at seven.” He nodded then the bell rang.

At seven fifteen Dylan finally showed up but he was covered in bruises. I asked him what had happened but he just said don’t worry about it. I was going to show Dylan where he would be sleeping but when I walked into the guest bedroom Alex was moving his stuff into the room. I asked him, “What are you doing?” He said, “Your sister thought that I should move in just in case something happens.” I looked at him and said, “Whatever.”
The Dylan and I went back to my room. I said to Dylan, “You can sleep on the floor, ok?” He said, “Yeah that’s fine I guess.” Then a question came to mind so I asked it, “Why did you take Parenting and Child development class?” He said, “Well I don’t know really I just always liked children. I know you probably wouldn’t know it to look at me. My mom owns a day care and sometimes I help out there.” I said, “Oh that’s cool I love kids too but I took this class because my sister is having a baby in a couple of months and I think that she’ll need all the help that she can get.” He said, “Maybe you can help at the day care and if your sister wants I could probably get my mom to give her a discount. How old is your sister anyway?” I looked down and said, “She’s almost sixteen.” He looked at me and said, “Then my mom will defiantly give her a discount.” He laughed then I laughed and we slowly drifted to sleep.

At exactly four-fifteen in the morning the mechanical baby started crying but when I began to get out of my bed Dylan already had the baby, ‘feeding it’. He wasn’t lying he was really good with kids of course it was just a mechanical baby but it acted like a real baby. Ugh why was he so cute holding that fake baby? Why was he so cute period? If he showed this side more often girls would be pouncing all over him and I think one of girls would be me. The next time the ‘baby’ cried I jumped right out of bed and tended to it. It was kind of nice holding a ‘baby’ in my arms. I think holding the ‘baby’ brought out my maternal instinct a little bit. But then Dylan came in and said, “Adele you’re holding the ‘baby’ wrong. You’re supposed to hold the ‘baby’ like this.” Then he wrapped his muscular arms around me and lifted up the head of the ‘baby’. I turned around to look at him; our faces so close, I could feel his breathe on my cheek. He smelled so delicious and I just wanted to jump on him and kiss him. Why was I so dang attracted to him? I never even met the guy until yesterday and yet all I could think about was kissing him. What is wrong with me? And with my luck every night he slept without a shirt on! I still had five more days of this how am I going to get through this? That night all I dreamt about was him, him, and him.

Five days later it was the day we handed in the baby and Dylan was about to leave so to make me happier I was listening to my iPod, I was also singing and dancing in my room. Then Dylan came in and said, “I didn’t knew you sing.” I said, “well I only sing in the shower or at church.” He looked at me and said, “You should enter the talent show.” I gave him my ‘you’re crazy’ look and said, “Uh no I hate being by myself in front of a lot people unless I know them.” He said, “Uh I’ll go up there with you…I mean if you want. I play the guitar so we could get like two other girls, a base player, and a drummer to back y’all up.” I looked at him and said, “Sure I’d like that and I know the perfect drummer and base player but she also sings as long as you have another girl for us to sing with.” He said, “I know the perfect girl to sing with y’all.” I said, “Great bring her over tomorrow and I’ll bring over my people. Come by around four.” He said, “Ok see you tomorrow. Wait before I leave here like a wimp can I try something I won’t hurt you or try anything in that way…just close your eyes.” I closed my eyes as he instructed. Then I felt a small spark on my lips. OMG!!!!!!! He had his lips on mine. I opened my eyes just to look into his but his were closed so I just went with it even though I wanted to explode with giggles because kissing him made me feel like I was high off of happiness.

When he stopped kissing me I said, “You…uh…just…um…kiss…me…and…you…” He looked at me with sad look and said, “I know I shouldn’t have done that without asking but-“ I cut him off by lifting up his chin with four fingers then I kissed him. When I released him all he could say was, “Wow you are really good at that!” I laughed and said, “Thanks.” After he left I was so excited that I ran four blocks to Lydia’s house. Because I was so used to going to Lydia’s house that I don’t even knock so I just went in. And guess who I saw on the couch making out with Lydia? My brother, Jordan! I thought to myself that this brought a whole new meaning to the song ‘Best Friends Brother’ by Victoria Justice. I looked at them and said, “Lydia! Jordan?” Jordan looked up and said, “Adele we didn’t want you to find out this way!” I looked at them and said with a smile on my face, “Its fine, Lydia I need to tell you something.” She was nodding her head towards Jordan, and said, “Can’t it wait until later?” I nodded my head and said, “Yeah it can wait, just remember to bring your drums to my house tomorrow. Oh BTW how long have you two been dating?” She looked at me with an interested look and said, “Why do I have to bring my drums to your house?” I said, “Answer my question first.” She looked suspicious and then she said, “Uhh four years.” I looked at her and said, “You have been dating my brother for four years and you didn’t tell me. I thought we told each other everything but I guess I was wrong because keeping a secret like this isn’t a way to be a friend let alone a best friend.” She said, “Whatever Adele just tell me why I need to bring my drums tomorrow and what time?” I rolled my eyes and said, “Ugh were getting a band together, Dylan and I for the talent show.” She said, “I know you have something more to tell me. No matter how much you hate to admit it I know you Adele.” I said, “Ok well since you know me so well then you would know that Drew had a wife and a kid when we started dating. Oh I broke up with him and needed a ride but no one was around so I had to call my pregnant little sister to come pick me up. The only people that were here for me are Dylan Jacobs, Natalie and that’s it. You know your life is sad when you only have your boyfriend I guess and your pregnant little sister.” Then I fell to the ground in tears.

I expected Lydia to be nicer than she was. Her exact words were, “Jeez Adele you are such a drama queen. I have always hated that about you. You act like the whole world revolves around you. Well news flash it doesn’t so get over yourself! Have you ever thought about someone other than yourself? Other people have problems too. My mom just got diagnosed with Leukemia but I don’t go around b****ing about it. Truth of the matter is you need to grow the h*** up!” I left right after that because I was peed off. But no matter how peed off I was she was right I did need to grow up and handle my own problems.

I was so mad that I tried walking home which was a bad idea because I ran into a dude an it was a young man on a bicycle he looked like he fell into a trash can and he reeked of booze. He examined me up and down. Then he said, “Baby come over here.” I said, “I’m fifteen you pervert.” Ok so I lied but this could be dangerous. Then he said, “Oh just my type pretty, young and helpless.” He started to get off the bike and that’s when I ran. He quickly threw the bike to the ground and ran after me. He caught up to me after a block or so. Then he tackled me to ground [that’s when I noticed he had a rose tattoo that went from his neck to behind his ear and to his hairline. I hoped this would help me to recognize him if I ever saw him again], ripped off my clothes and started to do unspeakable things to me. Halfway through it [with me crying, screaming and him beating the crap out of me] he turned me to face him and all I could see his eyes but the weird thing was that they looked so familiar. When he finished with me he went to some booze in his jacket pocket that’s when I punched him and leapt on his bike pedaling as hard as I could, considering the trauma I had just been through. The only apartment that was near here was Dylan’s and I didn’t want to steer a drunken maniac to his house but I had nowhere else to go. So I tried to lose him and after about five blocks I finally lost him but it was like another two blocks before I got to Dylan’s apartment. When I got there I was out of breath so I literally had to crawl up the stairs. When I got to his door I knocked and then I collapsed.

I woke up in a strange room. I heard someone saying, “Its forty bucks an ounce or eighty for two ounces.” Omigod it was Dylan. Then someone else said, “Come on man I need this I have SATs in like two weeks. I am crazy stressing. Dude please you’re the person that got me hooked in the first place.” Dylan said, “Well I’ll give you twenty bucks off of two ounces.” I got up and looked at them. The guy that was talking to Dylan exchanged a baggie of an ounce or two of a white, powdery, substance for like sixty bucks cash. After the dude left I yelled at Dylan, “You’re selling…that! Why? Is that why you came to my house with bruises all over you?” He said, “Look you don’t understand! I can explain this.” I put my hands on my hips and said, “Really then start explaining!” He took a deep breath, let it out and said, “My mom.” I said, “What the heck does your mom have to do with this?” He said, “she is in prison for four years for doing drugs and selling drugs. I have to support my little sister because she lives with my grandmother and my grandmother can’t work. So I am stuck with helping them out and that isn’t easy.” I looked at him with my one good eye, stroked his arm, and said, “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have yelled at you but you know that this is wrong.” He looked sincerely sorry. I know I should’ve understood why he turned to this, the economy. The economy was terrible for people trying to support their selves let alone other people. I loved him [at least I think I do] but I wasn’t ready to let him know that because I couldn’t handle him hurting me like Drew did. Then he changed the subject and said, “What happened to you anyway?” I took a deep gulp and said, “I…I was…raped.” I could see his eyes filling with anger but he didn’t show me he was angry all he did was wrap his arms around me and tell me it was going to be okay. I said to him, “hopefully if I don’t make the other eye black.” He laughed softly then kissed the top of my head. He then kissed my lips so slowly like I was going to break if he moved to fast. His embrace was so comforting I almost melted into him but I fell asleep.

I woke up without arms around me. I was seriously freaking what if that dude from last night had expected to find me but found Dylan. Then I smelt bacon and eggs so I got up. Guess what I found. I found Dylan making breakfast with an apron that said, “Kiss the cook.” I couldn’t help laughing and I did as the apron told me. I kissed him right on the lips but the kiss wasn’t short it was long. When I finally let him go he said, “You want something to eat?” I nodded and he put a warm piece of bacon in my mouth. He asked, “Did you have bad dreams last night about…you know the…rape?” I nodded and asked, “Why?” He said, “You were screaming last night.” “Oh well sorry.” He said, “Its okay as long as I’m not the one that you’re screaming about.” I said, “Don’t worry that won’t be happening. I need to go to the store.” He nodded and said, “What do you need? I’ll get it for you.” I smiled and said, “Girl stuff.” He asked, “What is girl…. oh you can get that.” I laughed, got ready and I headed out. But I wasn’t buying the exact girl stuff he was thinking of; I was talking about a test…yes that kind of test. I bought four. All negative except one. It was the clear blue one with the 99.9% accuracy [the ones that catch pregnancy hormones before the other ones] and the others were the cheap ones. It was that douches baby. I mean I wasn’t a tramp I was just a young woman in bad circumstances that is going to bring another life onto this earth. I wasn’t a bad person for this.

***Four weeks later at the doctors office***
The ultrasound technician was doing an ultra sound on my baby and she said that the baby was fine and that I should start showing in a few weeks. ***Later that day*** School already ended so I am going to go to Virginia. To go to Liberty University and hide my secret pregnancy. I was a little over a month now. I cut contact with Dylan two weeks ago but he keeps calling, texting, and sending me messages on facebook. I told him it wasn’t personal I just didn’t want a commitment in college. But Dylan knows me to well he knows when something is wrong. When I got home Jordan was there he said to me, “Adele guess what?” I was still talking to Jordan but not Lydia. I asked, “What?” He said, “Come look at Drew’s new tattoo he got it a month and a half ago.” I looked at it on his phone and I freaked. It was the rose tattoo. I fell down on the ground crying and hyperventilating. Jordan sat down next to me, patted my back and asked, “What’s wrong?” I could barley let it out, “I-I-I…was…raped by a man with a rose on his neck and…his eyes…looked so familiar…I think it was Drew. That’s not the worst part. I am pregnant.” Jordan’s eyes popped out of his head and he threw the phone at the wall; it broke. Then he asked, “Does anyone else know?” I shook my head. Then he hugged me and it was exactly what I needed…

Jordan wanted to beat Drew’s a** but I told him not to. Jordan and I created a master plan that we would both move to Virginia get jobs and I would go to college until the baby was born then I would go to school online while taking care of the baby. That weekend we moved to a small apartment just big enough and I started college.

***Five Months Later***
I am now six and a half months pregnant with a baby girl. I didn’t know what I was going to name her but I was just happy that I knew the sex. I had to quit school so I could get a second job just so we could get by. I didn’t plan for this but I guess you really rarely plan for stuff. I had no choice I had to tell my dad. I asked him to come down to Virginia, which he did. As soon as he came through the door the first thing he saw was my baby belly. He gave me a questioning look. I told him everything except the part about Drew and he agreed to give me some money to help with the baby and school. Dylan still didn’t know anything about this.

***Two and a half months later***
I woke up at five-fifteen am with a sharp pain in my lower abdomen. I lifted a blanket off of me and looked down, my bed was drenched. I went to Jordan’s room and woke him up. We were at the hospital in thirteen minutes. I was in labor for three hours then at exactly eight thirty my baby girl was born. I named her Aubree Lynette Garcia. Aubree was six pounds eight ounces and was seventeen inches long. Aubree had dark brownish blackish hair, green-blue eyes, and alabaster skin. She was utterly beautiful. As soon as I held her I fell in love with her. How could you love someone so much that you just met? Even though she wasn’t a love child I loved her ten times more than if she was one.

Aubree came home with me the next day. She was so small and delicate that Jordan was afraid to hold her until I made him sit on the couch and hold her. Even though she only got up every four hours I couldn’t get any sleeps cause I would just watch her wanting to make sure she was going to wake up. After three nights I finally got some sleep after Jordan reminded me that I have a baby monitor.

***Two Years Later***
I was in school when Natalie called and she was panicking. She said, “Ohmigosh Adele he’s gone! He’s gone!” I walked out of class and said, “Who’s gone?” She screamed through my cell, “Shiloh he’s gone. He was watching TV, so I went in the kitchen to make me a sandwich and when I got back up there he was gone!” I said to her, “Oh my god!! Natalie he is only three years old how far could he have gotten?” She stared crying and said, “Adele please come back. I need my big brother and sister.” I said, “Alright but you have to not totally freak! We will find him!” She promised. The next thing I knew Jordan, Aubree, and I were in the car driving to Connecticut. When we got to our old house cop cars surrounded it. We weren’t there for ten minutes when they found Shiloh at a house down the block. Apparently he got on his big wheel when mommy wasn’t looking and pedaled away. Aubree was getting bored so I said to my little two year old, “You want to go take a walk with mommy.” She said in a squeaky little voice, “Yeah mommy.”

We went to a Stop-and-shop and bought some cookies. I was turning around and putting my wallet back in my purse when I bumped into someone knocking everything out of my purse onto the floor. The person I knocked into bent down to help me pick my stuff up. The person was very handsome he had auburn hair, blue eyes, and was about five-seven. When we were done we both got up and apparently the person recognized me. He said, “Adele?” I nodded and said, “Who are you?” He laughed and said, “You don’t recognize me? That’s sad since I’ve known you since you were born. I remember and I was only two when we met.” Then I recognized him it was Seth Brimmingston Dylan’s older half-brother. I laughed and said, “Ohmigosh Seth!” Then I gave him a big hug. I hadn’t seen him since the summer after he graduated and I was going into eleventh grade. Then he bent down to Aubree’s level and said, “Who’s this little cutie?” I said, “Uhh she is my…my well…” Then Aubree tugged on my arm and said, “Who is this man, mommy?” Seth looked at me with wondering eyes and one eyebrow raised. Then he said, “Mommy?” I said, “Yeah she’s my daughter. How about we go to the old park we used to hang out at and talk.” He nodded and followed me to the park. When we got there both Seth and I sat on a bench. For a moment Aubree just stood then she looked at me like she asking, “Mommy can go play” so I nodded and she skipped happily away.

Seth and I sat there awkwardly for like five then he finally spoke, “So you are a mommy now?” I said, “Yeah been one for two years.” He said, “So how did this happen, you being a mom and everything? I mean your only twenty.” I spelled it, “R-A-P-E rape. But she was a good thing that came from a bad situation.” He looked at me with big eyes and said, “Oh wow Adele I am so sorry. Do you know who ya’ know did that to you?” I started tearing up as I nodded. He asked, “You didn’t tell anyone did you about you knowing who did this to you.” I said, “No only Jordan and you can say it, I WAS RAPED. It is not going to change anything, either way she is not going to have a dad.” Then he asked a question with a name that I thought I would never hear again, “Did Dylan know about this? I mean I heard you two went out about two and a half years ago.” I looked at him, “No Dylan didn’t know about this. And why are we talking about him in the past tense.” He looked down to the ground and said, “Adele he died about three months ago.” I busted out crying and he hugged me trying to comfort me. When I finally got my breath back I asked, “How?” He said, “Well I guess you knew that he was selling. (I nodded.) One day he was selling to a gang member and there was a drive by. He and the person he was selling to died from internal bleeding from bullets in their organs.”
He held me for like three minutes while I cried but then Aubree said, “Mommy why are you crying.” I said, “Mommy’s friend got hurt really bad.” She said, “Mommy is your friend with the angels?” I said, “Yeah baby he’s with the angels.”

Seth walked Aubree and I home. When we got to our door I told Aubree to go ahead and go inside which she did. Then I asked Seth “Remember on your graduation day how I was crying and you just gave me hugs all day. You told me it was going to be okay and that we would stay in contact no matter what. Then you kissed me and when I looked up you were running away from me. Why? Why did you run?” He said, “Because I was scared. You were about to be a sophomore and I was about to be an adult. It felt good the kiss I mean but knowing I might not see you again it scared the h*** out of me. So I just avoided you and the whole not seeing you scenario.” He was like a little bit taller than me like two inches so I got on my tippi-toes and kissed him. It wasn’t a short kiss it was one of those you see at the end of a chick flick. It wasn’t like when I kissed Dylan this was like a thousand little butters fluttering against my lips telling me he was the one but then he said, “I can’t do this I mean I have a fiancé now.” I said, “Who?” I said it in a disappointed voice. He said, “ Stella.” I yelled, “Stella? Stella Chanelle Coleman? Are you serious?” He yelled, “Hey you don’t know anything about her! She has changed a lot!” Then he stormed off.

Luckily I got Seth’s cell number before I talked to him about us. I called and called and called but he never answered. All I got was the voicemail saying, “Hey this is Seth, leave your name and number and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.” I left a message saying that I was sorry and I wanted to meet him at the same park we were at earlier around twelve. I waited in the park for thirty minutes ‘til he showed. The first thing out of his mouth was, “What do you want?” I said, “I wanted to apologize in person and I wanted to say that if we could be friends that, that will never happen again.” I lifted my hand out for him to shake it and he took it, reluctantly, but he took it. I said, “friends?” He said, “Ok on one condition, (I nodded) I want you in the wedding.” I said, “Ok, do you have a flower girl?” He laughed and said, “I think you’re a little too old to be the flower girl.” I slapped him on his rock hard chest and it kind of hurt my hand. Then I said, “Not for me, for Aubree since she can’t be the flower girl in my wedding.” He asked, “Why? You plan on not getting married?” I shook my head, “Its not that I don’t want to get married its just I don’t know when. By how I figure it when I get married she’s going to be too old to be a flower girl and too young to be my maid of honor. So I think she should be in at least one wedding as a flower girl. Can she?” He said, “Of course and speaking of Aubree where is she?” I said, “Well she was sleeping when I left so I asked my dad to watch her. So what position do you want me to be in the wedding?” He smiled and said, “Well since all the other positions are taken I think you should be my best wo-man.” I laughed hard and said, “alright well I got to be going Aubree freaks out if she’s alone when she wakes up.” He nodded then he was about to walk off when I said, “Wait, do I have to wear a tux? Or just a dress I would wear to any wedding?” He said, “That’s for me to decide.” I looked at him and yelled, “I don’t have a dress that fits or a tux.” He said, “Well then we’ll just have to get you one tomorrow I’ll call you.” I nodded then we went back to our houses.

Seth called me at 2:17 in the afternoon. I wasn’t up when he called because it was one of those rare days when Aubree didn’t get up at five am. But as soon as I got up (which was around three) I called him back. He answered and said to meet him at a store uptown. When I arrived I instantly recognized it, it was the store all my friends went to, to get prom dresses and tuxes while I was packing for Virginia. When I walked inside all my regrets of not going to prom came rushing back at an implausible speed. Then when I entered the store I saw Seth and they all went away because he actually had on a dress. I laughed so hard I actually fell on the floor. He rushed over apparently thinking that I was hurt and fell over himself. Then I laughed harder and the store clerk looked at me like I was crazy. I didn’t care what anyone thought and I learned this when I was pregnant. Finally after like ten minutes I got up and headed over to the dress rack. But I couldn’t find anything so I asked Seth what color the bridesmaids were wearing and he said teal but I think he didn’t know what color that was. So I just got a tux that fit me perfectly with a teal bowtie and some bedazzled teal high heels. I actually looked like a spy and I felt like one when I heard Seth say that he was worried about the guest list. He said that there wasn’t enough room to sit me and someone else at the same table. The name started with a D. Yup you got it Drew was coming to the wedding. Oh what will I do now?

The wedding was only two weeks away when I found out that Drew was coming but that was a little over a week ago. So the wedding was only four days away. I thought to myself, “What am I going to do?” I decided that it was time that I faced my fears. Like all the great heroes do. But I was worried about Aubree. Like what if he wanted to take her away. I would have to go to the courts, get a restraining order, a lawyer, and I couldn’t afford that. I couldn’t count on my dad having the money anymore; he has to help Natalie, Alex and Shiloh because Alex is too lazy to get a job. Plus his business wasn’t doing as well as it had in the past because of the economy. The one person I knew I could count on was Seth. Seth and I had grown a lot closer in just a short amount of time. He knew pretty much everything about me. He even knew more than Drew did (before that.) The only thing about me that Seth didn’t know was that Drew was the one that raped me. I hated lying to Seth but what else could I do? I couldn’t tell him because Drew was one of his friends. I was also scared of what I might do if I seen him.