Trying To Move On By Whole Lotta Ugly

[laura.]

this is a follow up to my last story called "enough is enough"..my fans wanted a sequel, so i will not disappoint them..enjoy!


Chapter 1

Amelia sat up in bed and was panting heavily. She felt her forehead and it was covered in a cold sweat. She was trembling as she stood up and walked out into the hallway and knocked on her dad's bedroom door.

"Come in." Joel said, groggily. Amelia slowly opened the door and went in.
"Dad." She started crying and layed down on his bed.
"You had that dream?" He asked, sitting up and turning on a lamp next to his bed.
"Uh huh." She nodded and continued to cry. It was the first time she had the dream since she found out what really happened to her mom and her real dad. It had been a few months since she moved in. She was trying to put everything behind her. "I saw his face this time."
"It's over. Try and go back to bed. You've got to get up for school in a couple hours." He said, patting her back.
"Can I stay in here?" She asked, trying to stop crying.
"Sure." He replied. He turned off the lamp and lied back down. He laughed a little bit. "This reminds me of when you were little and you had a bad dream, or there was a thunderstorm, and you'd climb in bed with your mom and I. As soon as your mom told you everything would be OK you'd fall right back asleep."
"That's because I was a cute little kid." She smiled.
"Yeah you were. I don't know what happened." He teased. Amelia rolled over and went to sleep. Joel stared up at the ceiling for about an hour. His mind was compeletly blank. He finally got out of his bed and went into the living room. He sat down with a heavy sigh and picked up a picture from his wedding.

"Why did you put up with it? Why didn't you know what he'd do to you? I can't live like this anymore. I have too many questions and no one to ask them to. I feel so alone. I don't know what to do. Please help me." He whispered to the picture with tears streaming down his face. He felt helpless and he knew he needed to do something about it.










sorry it's so short.........and crappy..........but i'm really tired, and i couldn't think of anything better..once the story picks up it will hopefully be decent..

[laura.]

Chapter 2

"Get up." Andrew said, poking his half sister. "We've got to go to school."
"I'm up." Amelia yawned. Her and Andrew went to the same school. She was a junior and he was a freshman. He skipped a grade in elementary school, so he was the youngest person at the high school. She was a bit jealous that he got all the brains in the family. She quickly showered, got dressed, and went down to the kitchen to grab something to eat.
"Remember I'm picking you guys up today, so don't get on the bus." Joel reminded them.
"Why are you picking us up?" Amelia asked, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.
"I got a call from one of your teachers yesterday and she said she needed to talk to me about something." He replied.
"Is she in trouble?" Andrew asked, looking a bit concerned.
"No." He answered his son. "You mind your own business, you little punk."
"I'm not afraid of you. I could beat you up, old man." Andrew smiled and grabbed his backpack. He went and looked out the window, waiting for the bus.
"Dad, I'm really not in trouble am I?" Amelia asked.
"No." He answered. "She said she needed to talk to me about a paper you wrote."
"Which teacher was it?" She asked.
"Your english teacher." He said. "Ms. Porter or something like that?"
"That's her." She inhaled deeply and sighed. "I hope I'm not in trouble."
"Did you do something that would get you in trouble?" He arched his eyebrow. She shook her head.
"The bus is here!" Andrew yelled. "Come on Amelia! Bye dad!"
"Bye, Drew! You have a good day, Meelers." He kissed her on her forehead. She walked out the door and got onto the bus. She always sat by herself. She put on her headphones as she watched the bus pull away from her house. She dreaded going to school.

A few hours later she was sitting in her English class. Her teacher was handing back essays everybody wrote, but she didn't get hers back.
"Ms. Porter?" She asked, raising her hand. She rarely spoke in class, so her teacher looked surprised.
"Yes, Amelia?" She called on her.
"I didn't get my paper back." She said.
"You didn't?" Ms. Porter asked, looking through papers on her desk. "I might have left it in a different folder at my house. I'm sorry. I'll have it for you tomorrow."
"OK." She said, quietly.
"We're going to be taking the first lunch today instead of the second. We're going to watch a film about Shakespeare. As soon as the bell rings you're excused for lunch." Ms. Porter said. Amelia really didn't care. She always sat by herself at lunch anyway. She didn't have any friends. Soon after that the bell rang and she headed for the cafeteria. She went in and saw Andrew sitting by himself at a table. She sat across from him.

"Hey, Drew." She said, pulling her lunch out of her backpack.
"Hey. What are you doing here? I didn't think you were in this lunch period." He asked, putting his book down. He always read while he was eating.
"We're in this one today. We're going to watch a film about Shakespeare." She answered, imitating Ms. Porter.
"Did you know that Shakespeare might not have even existed? That he could've been Christopher Marlowe or even a woman?" He asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"No, but that's actually kind of interesting." She said. "How did you find that out?"
"I read about it a long time ago." He answered. She nodded. She's never had a conversation with Drew before. She's only talked to him at dinner, and Joel's always there too. The only thing she knew about him was that he was smart.
"Hey Drew! Drew Madden!" Said a boy from the table behind them. Drew turned and the boy threw some beef at him. He turned back to his sister and sighed. He wiped his face off with his napkin. The boys started to laugh and tears welled up in Drew's eyes.
"Do they do that to you all the time?" Amelia asked. Drew nodded. She got up at went over to the boys at that table. "Listen you little assholes, if you don't quit picking on my brother, I'll make sure none of you ever have children, if you know what I mean. Got it?"
"Shut up you ugly, fat, stupid bitch!" The boy who threw the meat said.
"Leave her alone, you stupid little freshman." Someone said from behind Amelia. She turned around to see who it was. It was Ryan, the most popular guy at school. Everybody respected him. She had a huge crush on him and she began to blush. "So if you don't apologize to both of them right now, I'll make your insignificant little lives a living Hell."
"Sorry." The boy said, looking down.
"Thanks." Amelia said quietly to Ryan.
"No problem." He smiled. "I know you haven't been going here for a long time, so if you need anything, let me know."
"I will." She blushed. He walked away and she sat back down across from Drew.
"I wish dad would home school us." He said, looking down at his food. "I'm so tired of being picked on."
"They're probably just upset because you're so much smarter than they are. You're the most mature person I know, and you're only 13. Trust me, the girls will like you better than those guys. They like maturity." She said, trying to cheer him up.
"Really?" He asked, smiling.
"Really." She laughed. "Maybe when dad picks us up we can ask him about home schooling us."
"He won't go for it." Andrew shook his head. "There's no way he'd let us take the easy way out."
"Has he always been like that?" She asked.
"No." He answered. "When I was younger he really didn't care what I did. He was really depressed and I had to be the parent and take care of him. Maybe that's why I'm so mature."
"I didn't know about that." Amelia said. "What was he depressed about?"
"Mom." He replied. "He still really misses her."
"Yeah." She nodded and looked down.
"You'd think he'd be happy. I mean, he's got us. I thought for sure he'd be even happier with you coming back. I was hoping he would be, anyway. He's my only friend." Drew said, playing with the edges of his book. The bell rang and everybody got up to go back to class.
"Well, I'll see you later, Drew." Amelia said.
"Bye." Drew said, picking up his book. He looked depressed.
"Don't worry what people think about you. You're a good person." Amelia said, trying to cheer him up. She gave him a hug and walked away.

After school she went to her locker to grab a few books. She went down to the main doors and waited for Drew. She saw Joel come in through the front doors.

"Dad!" She waved at him. He walked over to her and went to give her a hug, but stopped.
"Am I not supposed to hug you at school? Isn't that embarrassing?" He asked.
"I don't care." She smiled and hugged her dad.
"When your brother gets here, I want you guys to stay right here. I'm going to go talk with your teacher and I'll be back in a few minutes." He instructed her.
"Yes sir." She said, saluting.
"At ease, soldier." He saluted back. He walked away and disappeared around the corner. Shortly afterwards he came back. "Which classroom is hers?"
"I'll take you there." She laughed. She took him to her classroom. "Whatever she says, it isn't true."
"Right. Got it." He said, as he knocked on the door. He slowly opened in and peeked in.
"Mr. Madden?" Ms. Porter asked, getting up.
"Yes. You can call me Joel." He said, going inside. She was a lot prettier than he expected her to be. She walked over to him and shook his hand.
"Please, have a seat." She said, gesturing to a chair by her desk. He sat down and she sat at her desk, grabbed a paper, and handed it to him. "I'm sure you know that parent/teacher conferences are tonight, but this couldn't wait until then and I wasn't sure if you were planning on even coming later, so I thought this would be the best way to go about this."
"She isn't in trouble, is she?" He asked, looking at the paper.
"No, not at all." She reassured him. She paused. "This essay she wrote worries me. I asked my class to write an essay on a topic they felt strongly about and she wrote a story about domestic violence. I don't know why she'd make up a story like that, but it concerns me. She wrote about a man strangling a woman. I couldn't help but be disturbed."
"I can assure you there's nothing for you to be worried about." He said, putting the paper down.
"This doesn't worry you?" She asked, almost in disbelief.
"No." He shook his head. "I don't mean to sound insensitive, but don't you think she told that story to get her point across?"
"Mr. Madden, I don't think you're taking this as seriously as you should be." She said, rather harshly. "She wrote about a man with tattoos strangling a woman. Now that I see you, I can't help but think-"
"If you're insinuating that I beat my children you're wrong. I love my kids more than anything." He interrupted.
"I'd like to speak with your wife, if that's alright." She said, calming down.
"My wife passed on 12 years ago." He said, looking at the floor.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were married since you're wearing a wedding ring." She said, embarrassed. There was a long silence.
"I'll be back for the parent/teacher conferences later. I'd like to know how her grades are." He said, standing up. "I appreciate your concern, but there isn't anything to worry about."
"I'm looking forward to it." She said, standing up. She shook his hand and he left.

[laura.]

Chapter 3

"What happened with Ms. Porter?" Amelia asked, setting a plate down on the kitchen table.
"I'll tell you if you play your cards right." Joel answered, putting some lasagna on her plate.
"Perhaps my friend Lincoln could persuade you." She said, pushing a penny across the table to him.
"You underestimate my willpower, young one." He smiled and took the penny.
"So you take it anyway?" She asked, laughing.
"Rent." He grinned.
"OK seriously, what happened?" She asked him as she started eating.
"She told me she was worried about a paper you wrote." He replied. She nodded. She knew which one he was talking about.
"Where's Drew?" She asked, changing the subject.
"He said he didn't feel like eating." He answered. "He's upset, but he won't tell me why."
"He doesn't tell you?" She asked him.
"Tell me what?" He asked in reply.
"He gets teased at school." She said.
"Really?" He sighed. "He's not getting beat up is he?"
"I have no idea. We had to go to the first lunch instead of second, and I saw him sitting by himself, so I sat by him and some kids threw beef at him. It was really sad." She said, looking down.
"I'll talk to him about it later." He said, quietly. They ate in silence for a little while. "So how come you didn't tell me Ms. Porter was so hot?"
"Possibly because I really didn't check her out, dad." She laughed.
"I might have to stop and see her again tonight at the parent/teacher conferences." He smiled.
"Ugh! Why? You know they're just going to say that Andrew's an angel and that I'm quiet!" She said, sitting back in her chair.
"I like to know if you guys are doing well. I put a lot of money into you guys going to school." Joel said, taking a bite of lasagna.
"Dad, we go to public school..........for free." She laughed.
"I give you guys money for.......pencils and...........paper........and whatever he hell you kids are using these days." He joked. He looked over at the clock. "I should get ready to go. I want to look my best for your fine ass English teacher."
"Ew." Amelia said, laughing. He went upstairs and carefully picked out something to wear. He decided on a pair of dark blue jeans, a white button up shirt and a black sweater over it. He ran a comb through his hair, which was beginning to thin a little bit. He went back downstairs and walked through the living room like it was a runway to amuse Amelia, who was sitting on the couch.
"Dad, not blue and black." She said, rubbing her forehead.
"What's wrong with it?" He asked, looking down at his clothes.
"Blue and black don't go together. It's a rule." She told him. He went back upstairs and put on some black pinstripe pants and went back to the living room.
"Better?" He asked.
"Better." She smiled. "Lookin' good!"
"Thanks." He smiled back. "Make sure Drew eats something."
"Don't come back too late!" She said, hugging him.
"I won't." He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Meelers."
"I love you too!" She said back. He left and got into his car. He was getting a bit nervous as he got closer and closer to the high school. Ms. Porter was the only woman he found attractive since his wife died. He pulled into a parking spot and checked his hair in the mirror one last time. He took a deep breath and went into the school. There were hundreds of parents there. Some were talking with each other, and others were waiting in line to talk to teachers. He decided to talk to all of Andrew's teachers first. As usual, everybody said he was an excellent student. Then he talked to all of Amelia's teachers, leaving Ms. Porter for the last one. He was the last in line to speak with her. While he was waiting he was preparing what he was going to say to her. He felt like a teenager again, trying to get his first date. He finally got into her classroom.

"Mr. Madden, I'm glad you came back." She said, smiling warmly. She extended her hand.
"I wanted to....to see....how her grades are." He stuttered a bit as he shook her hand.
"Please, have a seat." She gestured to the chair he sat in just hours before.
"Thank you." He said, sitting.
"Amelia is actually my best student right now. She's gotten A's on all of her tests and papers. She's a very bright girl." Ms. Porter said, smiling.
"She is. Both of my kids are. I don't know where they get it from." He joked.
"Maybe that kind of thing skips a generation." She teased.
"It probably did." He smiled. He paused and took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I hope this doesn't seem too forward, but would you like to have a cup of coffee with me some time? Forgive me if-"
"I'd love to." She said, interrupting him by putting her hand on his arm.
"Let me know when you're available." He said, giving her a charming smile.
"Was there anybody behind you in line?" She asked.
"Nope. I'm the last one." He answered.
"I don't see why I couldn't leave a few minutes early." She said, winking.
"I won't tell anybody. I promise." He said, standing up. She stood up and grabbed her purse. They walked out of the classroom and out into the parking lot. He parked a few cars down from hers. She tried starting it, but the engine wouldn't turn over. He walked over to her car. "Need some help?"
"Yeah. I don't know what's wrong with it." She said, getting out.
"If you want I can take a look under your hood..................Of your car.........I....I didn't mean-" He trailed off and laughed nervously. She laughed.
"If you want, you can wait until tomorrow when there's sunlight." She offered. "How about that coffee?"
"I definitly need it." He smiled and opened the passenger seat door of his car for her. She smiled and got in. He closed the door and walked around to the other side and sat in the driver's seat. She looked around in the car.
"This is really nice." She said, almost in awe.
"Thank you." He looked over at her and smiled. He drove to the nearest coffee shop and parked. They both got out and went in. "How about you get a table for us and I'll order?"
"Sounds good. I'll just have a mocha." She walked off and found a table. After he ordered and got the drinks he sat down across from her. The table was really small, but still cozy. "How much do I owe you for it?"
"My treat." He smiled.
"May I ask you a personal question?" She asked, getting serious. He nodded. "I'm sorry if this seems rude, but, why didn't you ever remarry after your wife died?"
"I didn't find anybody that I loved." He said, looking down at his cup. "I didn't really look, though. I lost my wife when I was 27. It was really hard on me."
"I'm sorry." She said. "Is that why you still wear your ring?"
"To be honest, I don't know why I still wear it." He said, looking at it. "I think part of it is because I still love her very much. I guess it's more along the lines of me loving the memory of her."
"That's very sweet that you're so dedicated to her." She said, smiling sweetly. "I couldn't imagine of how much losing a spouse would hurt."
"It's the most painful thing I've ever had to go through." He said, looking down at his cup again. "May I ask you a personal question now?"
"Sure." She smiled.
"Why aren't you married?" He asked.
"I almost was." She answered. "I was engaged a few years ago, but I left him before the wedding."
"Why?" He asked. "If you don't want to say, that's fine."
"He beat me." She said in a monotone voice.
"I'm so sorry." He said. "I shouldn't have asked."
"Now you can probably see why I got so upset about Amelia's paper." She said, looking down at her cup.
"I understand." He nodded as tears welled up in his eyes. She looked up at him and slowly put her hand on his.
"Looks like we both depressed each other, huh?" She asked, laughing a little bit.
"Yeah." He said, putting his other hand on hers. His cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID. "It's my daughter, would you mind if I answered it?"
"Not at all." She said, cheerfully.

"What's going on, Meelers?" He answered.
"Do you know what time it is?" Amelia asked. "It's past your curfew, young man! Where are you?"
"I'm out having a cup of coffee with Ms. Porter." He replied.
"Liar!" She exclaimed.
"Nope." He said, smiling.
"Ew." She sighed. "Dad, that's my teacher!"
"Really? I hadn't noticed!" He said with blatant sarcasm. "Did Drew eat anything?"
"I made sure he ate. He's upstairs probably doing his homework or playing video games." She answered.
"Thank you." He said. "I'll see you when I get home."
"Alright. Love you!" She said.
"I love you too." He replied as he hung up.

"You can call me Lisa, by the way." Ms. Porter said.
"I'll have to remember that." He said, smiling. "I'd really hate to cut this short, but I should get home to my kids."
"I understand." She said.
"Do you have any kids of your own?" He asked, getting up.
"Nope." She sighed.
"You're more than welcome to one of mine." He joked. "They're well behaved kids and they have good teeth."
"Just the traits I'd want in my own children!" She laughed as she grabbed her purse. They walked out to his car. "How old are you, by the way?"
"Almost 40." He said, making a disgusted face. "You?"
"You never ask a lady how old she is!" She teased.
"Good thing I'm not asking a lady. I'm asking you." He teased back.
"Alright. Fair enough. I'm 35." She said. He drove her to her house and walked her to the door.
"I had a really nice time." He said, smiling shyly.
"I did too." She smiled back.
"Maybe next time we go out we won't depress each other." He joked.
"Yeah. Maybe." She said. They looked in each other's eyes. They both started breathing a bit heavier and they leaned in to kiss. His heart started pounding.
"I'm sorry. I can't." He said, pulling away. He looked down at his shoes.
"It's OK." She said, quietly.
"Call me about your car." He said, still looking down.
"I will." She promised. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You're a very sweet man, Joel."
"Thank you." He said, blushing. He gave her a kiss on the cheek in return. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." She smiled. He got into his car and drove away.

[laura.]

Chapter 4

"Please tell me you were kidding about being out with Ms. Porter." Amelia pleaded as her dad came through the front door.
"I wasn't." He shook his head.
"Dad!!!" She exclaimed. "Of all the women in the world you have to go out with her!"
"It was just coffee." He said while taking off his shoes. "I'm probably going to invite her over to dinner tomorrow."
"What?!" She asked, standing up. "She's my teacher! It's just wrong!"
"Amelia, I don't have to justify myself to you. Ever." He snapped. "I'm inviting her over, and if you don't want to join us, that's fine."
"I don't want you to get involved with anybody!" She said, starting to cry. "You'll forget about me and Drew!"
"How could I? You're my kids." He replied, quietly. "You're all that I've got."
"It's disgusting." She scoffed.
"Is it?" He asked, walking towards her. "You have no idea what it's like to lose the love of your life and two children at the same time. If you think it's disgusting that I may finally get the chance to love someone again then I pity you. I haven't dated, let alone looked at another woman since your mother died."
"You're cheating on mom!" She yelled. His expression turned hard and he took in a slow, deep breath.
"I want you to go upstairs to your room, and I don't want to see you, or hear you until you have to get up for school tomorrow." He said calmly, but with a lot of authority. She glared at him and went upstairs. He sat down on the couch and grabbed his wedding picture. "I don't know what to do."

"Dad?" Drew asked from the bottom of the stairs. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah." He said, setting the picture down. Drew sat on the couch by his dad. "You know you always can."
"Can I be home schooled?" He asked, flat out.
"I wouldn't know how to." Joel replied, shrugging.
"Hire a private tutor or something. I hate going to school. I get picked on for no reason. I'm tired of being the brunt of jokes." He said with a tear going down his cheek.
"Drew, you can't just run away from your problems. I was teased in high school too, so I know how you're feeling. If you let them know they're upsetting you you're letting them win. I know it's hard to do, but try ignoring them and see what happens. If worst comes to worst and they ever hurt you, then I'll hire a private tutor." He said, wiping the tear from his son's cheek.
"OK." Drew nodded. "I'm probably going to go to sleep. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." He said, hugging him.
"By the way, I heard what Amelia said and you're not cheating on mom. Everyone deserves to be loved. I think you've waited an appropriate amount of time to start dating." Drew said, going up the stairs.
"I'll appropriate you all the way to the curb, punk." Joel teased.
"You'd break a hip, old man." Drew yelled down the stairwell. He laughed a little bit and sat back down on the couch. He picked up the picture again and looked at it.
"I think 12 years has been enough time. What do you think?" He asked it.

He woke up in the morning on the couch and his cell phone ringing. He quickly answered it.

"Hello?" He answered, rubbing his eyes.
"Hi, it's Lisa. Sorry to wake you." She said, sweetly.
"It's alright." He smiled.
"I'd really hate to do this to you, but would you be able to drive to me to the high school? I tried calling everybody I know, and no one could." She asked.
"I can. While I'm there I might as well try to fix your car too." He said, stretching.
"Thank you so much! Would you be able to be here in ten minutes?" She asked.
"Yeah. No problem." He said, lying. He was in the clothes he wore last night and he wouldn't have time to fix his hair.
"Bye!" She said, cheerfully.
"Bye." He hung up. He rushed up the stairs, threw on a pair of jeans and a white tshirt. He brushed his teeth and fixed his hair a bit. He grabbed his keys and drove to her house. He wished he would've had time to shower and shave. He wants to impress her. He got to her house and knocked on the front door. She opened it and smiled.

"Good morning." She said, stepping out of her house. She gave him a light peck on the cheek.
"Good morning." He followed suit and kissed her on the cheek.
"Thanks again for coming to get me. You're a lifesaver." She said, walking to his car.
"You're welcome." He smiled and opened the car door for her. He got in and started heading for the high school.
"I'm sorry I didn't give you much time to get ready. It doesn't look like you got to shave this morning." She said, gently running her finger down his cheek.
"I didn't, but I think it gives me that rugged outdoorsman kind of look." He smiled.
"I always have liked it when men look like they go out and kill their dinner every night." She laughed.
"Speaking of dinner, would you like to come over to my house tonight?" He asked.
"I'd love to." She answered, smiling.
"Great." He smiled back. He got to the high school and he parked in front of the main door. "Umm...I'm going to take a look at your car. I'll be back here after classes let out in case I can't fix it."
"OK." She smiled. "Thanks again."
"Anytime." He smiled back. She leaned over and kissed his cheek and she got out. He parked his car and sat there for a moment. For the first time in a long time, he felt happy.

[laura.]

Chapter 5

"I don't want her coming over." Amelia whispered to Drew. They were both sitting on the couch watching TV. They could hear Joel rushing around the kitchen making sure dinner would be perfect.
"I don't mind." Drew shrugged. Amelia sighed and grabbed a pillow. She hugged it and wished she was back in DC with her grandma. Tears welled up in her eyes when she thought about it. She missed her grandma more than anything.
"Is that what you guys are wearing?" Joel asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"I can go change." Drew said, going up the stairs.
"I'm fine." Amelia said, not even looking at him.
"Amelia, you're wearing pajama pants." Joel said, pointing. "Please go change."
"I don't want to." She said, quietly.
"Please go change." He repeated.
"No." She said, finally looking at him.
"I want this to go well. Please." He begged.
"No!" She said, louder.
"Amelia, what the hell is wrong with you?" He asked, frustrated. "All you've been doing lately is back talking me and I don't appreciate it."
"You're not even my dad!" She said, standing up. Tears welled up in his eyes. He turned away and walked back into the kitchen. He stirred a few things and them slammed his fist on the counter. He put his elbows on the counter and buried his face in his hands. Amelia slowly walked up to him. "Dad? I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to say that."
"That was the worst thing you could have ever said to me." He said, quietly. He turned and faced her. "I may not be your father biologically, but I've been there for you more than Benji has. When you were at your grandma's I sent money every month so you could have whatever you needed. I still took care of you."
"Grandma never told me that." She said, in awe.
"She probably didn't tell you a lot of things. After your mom and Benji got divorced she pretty much disowned him because he was hitting her, and she stopped talking to me because I married his ex-wife." He said, going back to stirring things that were on the stove.
"Why would she do that? You loved her." She asked. Before he could answer the doorbell rang. "I'll go change."
"Thank you." He said, hugging his daughter. She hugged him back.
"So who am I more like? My mom or my dad?" She asked, smiling.
"You're exactly like both of them. It's really creepy." He smiled back. She walked out of the kitchen to go change. Joel straightened out his clothes and ran his fingers through his hair as he walked to the door. He took a deep breath and opened it.

"Someone got all dressed up for me." Paul said, pretending to flirt.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Joel asked, rubbing his temples.
"I heard Meelers is here and I came to see her." He answered.
"She's been here for a few months now." Joel informed him.
"I didn't find out until today." Paul shrugged. "Can I see her? I won't stay long. By the looks of it you look like you're going out somewhere or are just an extremely snappy dresser."
"This is why I haven't called you in a few months." Joel said, jokingly. He let Paul in and he sat down.
"So what do you have going on?" He asked.
"I'm having a lady friend over for dinner." Joel answered, smiling. Amelia and Drew both came downstairs.
"Uncle Paul!" Drew said, excitedly. He ran over to Paul and hugged him.
"Drew, my main man, what's up?" He asked, hugging Drew back.
"Nothing. I've just been going to school." Drew shrugged.
"And who is this lovely young- holy crap it's Amelia." Paul said, looking surprised. She stood there looking confused.
"Amelia, this is Paul Thomas. He was in the band with me." Joel said, introducing her to him.
"I haven't seen you since you were about four." He said, smiling. He took his wallet out of his pocket and showed her a picture. It was a picture he took of her and Benji when they went to the zoo when she was two years old. "You were the cutest kid I had ever seen."
"When was this?" She asked, taking it and looking at it.
"You were two. Your dad and I took you to the zoo." He told her. "You can have that picture if you want. I have another copy of it."
"Thank you." She said, still looking at it. She took it out of his wallet and held it. She couldn't stop staring at her dad. There was a knock at the door. Joel adjusted his clothes again and opened it.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late." Lisa said, smiling. She handed him a bottle of wine.
"Thank you." He said, taking it. "Come on in."
"Your house is gorgeous." She said, looking around. "Hi Amelia!"
"Hi." She said, through her teeth and trying to smile.
"This is my son Drew, and this-" Joel started the introductions.
"I'm Paul. Amelia's boyfriend." He said, putting his arm around her. "And if you're too close minded to accept that then I'm sorry. We're in love."
"Paul." Joel said, flatly.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Leave." He replied.
"Word." Paul said and quickly left the house. Amelia and Drew turned to each other and tried to hold back their laughter.
"Anyway, that was an old friend of mine." Joel said, breaking the silence. "He just dropped by because he could."
"I see. Well, he seems very..........interesting." Lisa said, trying to choose her word carefully.
"Could you both go and set the table for me please?" He asked his kids. They nodded and walked into the kitchen. He turned to face Lisa. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you." She smiled. She gently placed her hands on the side of his face. "I see you found the time to shave."
"Yeah. I even showered." He smiled back. He tenderly kissed her cheek.
"You better be careful. I might start growing very fond of you." She flirted.
"I'm willing to take that risk." He leaned in to kiss her but his cell phone rang. "I'm sorry. Excuse me."
"It's alright." She sighed.

"Hello?" He answered his phone.
"Would it be alright if William and I joined you in the eating of dessert?" Paul asked, in a fake English accent. "We just purchased a pie."
"Sorry, but not tonight." He replied. "We can get together tomorrow. It's the second Saturday of the month, and you know I always go to visit Benj. You're more than welcome to come along."
"I'd be up for it." Paul said. "I haven't seen him in about a year."
"I'll call you and let you know details." He said, hinting that he wanted to hang up.
"Word." Paul said.
"I'll talk to you later." Joel replied.
"By the way, that lady friend of yours is hot. I'll see you tomorrow." Paul added.
"Bye." Joel hung up. He turned back to Lisa and was about to say something, but Drew interruped him.

"The table is set." He informed his dad.
"Thanks Drew." Joel nodded at him. Drew saluted and went into the dining room.
"So what are we having?" She asked as they walked to the dining room.
"I'm not sure. I made it up as I went along." He joked.
"I forgot to tell you that I'm a veg-" She started to say as he opened the double doors to the dining room. The table was set decoratively, and the lighting was dim and candles were lit. She stood with her mouth open taking it all in. "This is gorgeous."
"I hope you don't mind, but Amelia and Drew will be joining us for dinner." Joel said, pulling out a chair for Lisa.
"I don't mind at all." She smiled and sat down. He helped push it in for her and he sat down next to her.

"May I be excused?" Drew asked after everybody was done eating.
"Yes you may." Joel said. Drew picked up his plate and started to leave the room. "Is your homework done?"
"I got it done at school." He answered.
"Dad, could I go with you tomorrow?" Amelia asked him.
"To what?" He asked in reply.
"To go see my dad." She answered.
"I don't think this is the time to discuss that right now." He said, quietly.
"I want to talk about it. I want to go see my dad." Amelia said, with a little bit of an attitude.
"Amelia, not right now." He said, rubbing his forehead.
"You didn't take me last month! I heard you tell somebody you go every month, and you didn't even ask me if I wanted to see him!" She started to get tears in her eyes.
"I don't think it would be a good idea if you saw him." He told her. "Let's discuss this later."
"He has a right to see his daughter!" She raised her voice.
"Legally, no he doesn't." Joel tried to stay calm. "Try writing him a letter first and maybe you can go with me next month."
"That's not fair!" She exclaimed. She scoffed and left the room.
"I'm really sorry about that. I don't know what's gotten into her the past few days." He apologized to Lisa.
"It's alright. She's a teenager. They do that kind of thing. I may not have one of my own, but I deal with them every day." She comforted him.
"I can't believe she'd bring that up in front of company." He said, shaking his head.
"To be honest, I'm very confused about what even went on." She started rubbing his back.
"I guess if we're going to continue this relationship then you have a right to know about it." He said, looking over at her. He paused. "I'm not Amelia's biological father. My brother is."
"Why do you have her?" She asked, intruiged.

"hey fry man, did you hear what i just ordered? man, i'm gonna be farting blood over here!"

[laura.]

Chapt 5 contd

"I'll tell you the whole story, but I'll keep it short. I have an identical twin brother named Benji. He was married and him and his wife had Amelia. Throughout their entire relationship Benji abused his wife. She left him a few times and each time she would come to me. One day he came over to my house while she was there and he hit her, so I protected her and him and I got into a fight. She called the police and he was arrested. He spent two years in prison. During that time they divorced and I married his ex-wife. I adopted Amelia and then Drew was born. After he got out of jail he came to my house while I was gone, and he wound up killing my wife. He strangled her. That's what Amelia was writing about. She was right there when it happened." He told her slowly and with tears in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry." She said. She also had tears in her eyes. "I knew about part of that story already."
"How?" He asked, looking at her.
"I'll show you." She replied. She dug into her purse and pulled out a picture. It was a picture of her and him after a concert. "I couldn't think of where I remembered you from, but then I remembered that I used to be a huge fan of you guys back then."
"Wow." He said, smiling and looking at it. "You were hot."
"I remember you did say that I was pretty." She said, putting her head on his shoulder. "I have another story about that night, but I'll save it for another day."
"Alright. You keep your story." He smiled. "I have dessert set up in another room. I almost forgot about it."
"Lead the way." She said, getting up. She follwed him into another room. There was a couch, a coffee table in front of it, and a fire roaring in the fireplace as the only source of light. "This keeps getting better and better. You're trying to impress me aren't you?"
"Is it working?" He asked.
"Yes it is." She smiled.
"Excellent." He smiled back. He sat down on the couch and she followed. "I didn't know what you would've wanted, so I just made a chocolate mousse. Is that OK?"
"That's perfect." She said, putting her hand on his knee. He handed her a small glass bowl and a spoon and they both began to eat. "This is really good."
"Thanks. It's not very hard to do." He said, making conversation.
"This is the most romantic thing anybody has ever done for me." She looked around the room and sighed.
"Really? If I were you I wouldn't be that impressed." He said, setting his bowl down and leaned back in the couch.
"Why not?" She asked, putting her bowl down also.
"Because I would've thought I could do better." He shrugged.
"Well, what's your idea of romance?" She asked.
"A first kiss between two people." He said, scooting closer to her.
"Please explain." She smiled. "How is it romantic?"
"There's the anticipation of wondering when it would happen. Then a slight hesitation to wait for the perfect moment." He said softly and got even closer to her. "When the time comes there's a soft touch." He gently trailed his fingertips down her cheek and let his hand rest on the side of her neck. "Then your heart beats faster and your breathing gets heavier. That's when it's perfect." He leaned in and softly kissed her.
"I've never been kissed like that before." She said, breathily. They began kissing passionately. It felt good to finally be able to be with someone again. He was finally beginning to let go.

[laura.]

Chapter 6

The next morning Amelia woke up and started thinking about a good argument for her dad so she could go with him to see Benji. She started getting dressed and she did her hair and she put some make up on. If she got to go she wanted to at least give her dad the illusion that she cared about what she looked like. She went downstairs and Joel was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. For the first time that she had been there she noticed he looked happy.

"I know what you're going to say, but can I please go with you today?" She asked.
"I don't think it would be a good idea." He said.
"Why not?" She asked, trying to stay calm. "Do you think he'd want to hurt me or something?"
"No." He replied. "You said your dream scares you, so why wouldn't you be scared to see him?"
"I don't know." She said, looking down. She needed to make something up, and fast. "I just want to see my dad. I think it would help give me a little bit of closure."
"Amelia." He sighed. "Fine. You can go. Only because it would make him happy. That closure thing was bull, but it was a good try."
"Thank you!" She smiled and hugged him. "How did you know it was bull?"
"Because you're a lot like your dad and that's something he would've said." He smiled back. "Are you ready? The other guys will be here in any minute."
"Is Paul coming?" She asked.
"Yeah." He answered, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Good. I like him. He's really funny." She said.
"You liked him when you were little too. When we lived in Hawaii and whenever they'd visit, you'd make Paul take you to the beach." He told her.
"Is there anything I should know before I see my dad?" She asked, changing the subject. She was getting nervous about seeing him.
"Not really." He shook his head. "He's going to be really happy to see you."
"I'm kind of nervous about it." She admitted. The doorbell rang before Joel could say anything. He got up and opened it. She heard people come in and greet her dad.

"Where's Meelers?" Billy asked. "I haven't gotten to see her yet."
"She looks like Benji wearing a wig. Seriously. Only without the double chin and the cleft. Other than that she's Benji." Paul said.
"Sweet." Chris joked.
"She's right in the kitchen." Joel finally answered Billy. "Amelia!"
"What?" She asked, stepping into the living room. Billy and Chris stood staring at her in disbelief.
"Amelia, this is Billy and Chris." He introduced them.
"Hi." She said, waving.
"We should get going." Joel said, looking at his watch. They all piled into Joel's car. She sat in the backseat in between Paul and Billy.
"How old are you now, Meelers?" Chris asked, turning around.
"16." She answered. Everybody except Joel shook their heads and sighed. "I know. I grew up so fast."
"She even acts like her dad." Paul said. She looked down and started picking at her red fingernail polish. Everybody told her how much she acted or looked like her dad, but she didn't know him. She wanted to get to know him and start visiting him every month like Joel did. After all he's been through she thought he deserved to see her. They pulled in a parking lot of a large white brick building. She saw inmates out in the courtyard lifting weights or playing basketball. There was a fence surrounding them with barbed wire around the top. She hated to think of her dad being in there. They went in and had to go through some metal detectors, and they were led to a room where there were chairs set in front of a long table and there was glass between them. There were dividers separating the people next to each other. They were talking on phones to the inmates on the other side. She didn't want to talk to her dad like this. She wanted to be able to hug him.

"Dad." She whispered. He looked at her. "I don't want to see him like this."
"I don't think you really have a choice." He said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I know it'll be hard for you, but this is the only way you can see him."
"He doesn't know I'll be here right?" She asked.
"No. I never told him you're living with me either." He answered her.
"I want to be able to hug him." She said with tears in her eyes.
"I want to hug him too, but I can't." He tried to comfort her. She started to cry because she was so disappointed. He sighed. "I'll see what I can do."
"OK." She said, wiping tears off of her face. He walked over to a police officer and was quietly talking to him. After about ten minutes he walked back over.
"I had to bribe him, but you're going to be able to see him." He told her quietly.
"How did you manage that?" Paul asked.
"I said if they can let people have conjucal visits Benj should be able to see his daughter for the first time in years." Joel shrugged. "Then I gave him $100."
"You're a genius." Paul smiled.
"Thank you dad." Amelia said, hugging him. She was starting to get excited to see Benji. After a few minutes, a guard told them it was OK for someone to sit down and talk to him. Chris went first, then Paul, Billy, and then Joel. They only got about five minutes with him.

"You ready to go see him?" Joel asked after he got done talking to his brother. She nodded. Her and her dad followed a guard to a door that lead into a small room.
"He's in there. You got 30 minutes." The guard said, roughly.
"Thank you." Amelia meekly said. "Dad do you want to go in for a second and see him?"
"It's your time. I don't want to waste it." He said.
"Go ahead." She said quietly. She was nervous and she wasn't sure if she wanted to see him now.
"I'll see him when you're done. Go on in." He told her. She took a deep breath and opened the door, stepped in, and closed the door behind her. Benji looked up at her and stared.

"Amelia?" He whispered. He couldn't believe it was her. She nodded. He stood up and walked over to her. His ankles were still in shackles, but they took his handcuffs off of him. He looked at her for a second and then pulled her into a hug. He was gently rubbing the back of her head and he started to cry. He kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, God. Thank you."
"Hi dad." She finally said. She had no idea what else to say. He took a step back and looked her up and down.
"You're all grown up." He smiled. "I was thinking I'd never see you again."
"My dad almost didn't let me come today. He wanted me to write you a letter instead." She told him.
"I'm glad he let you visit." He said. He gestured to some chairs that were by a table. "Have a seat."
"OK." She said, sitting down. He took both of her hands in his.
"I'm so sorry." He quietly said. "If I was the person that I am now back then none of this would've happened. I wish I would've been smart enough to have been a good father to you. I missed everything."
"Don't be upset." She told him. "I've thought about it and I'm not mad at you."
"Thank you." He smiled. "Tell me everything that's going on right now."
"Like what?" She smiled back. Surprisingly she didn't find it awkward to be around her dad. She was enjoying it too. "Like what I like to do and stuff?"
"Sure." He shrugged. "Whatever you want to tell me."
"Well, I'm in 11th grade and my favorite subject is English. Except I don't like the teacher." She said.
"Why don't you like your teacher?" He asked.
"Because her and my dad are kind of seeing each other." She told him.
"He told me he was seeing somebody, but..........your teacher? That's got to be awkward." He laughed.
"Thank you! Someone else sees it like I do!" She exclaimed. "It's so gross! She's my teacher! She was over for dinner last night, and now how am I supposed to go to her class on Monday morning?"
"Maybe you can make your brother go for you." He said, shaking his head. He paused for awhile. "Thank you for visiting me."
"I wanted to." She smiled. "I wanted to get to know you. I know people can change and after all you've been through I thought you deserved to get to see your own daughter."
"Joel's done a good job with you." He said, kissing her hand.
"He didn't raise me." She told him. "I lived with grandma until a few months ago."
"What?" He asked.
"He sent me to live with grandma in DC." She said. "Then after the accident I was sent back to him."
"He never told me that." He said, looking down. "But it doesn't matter. You're here and that's all I care about."
"I almost forgot I have something for you." She said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the picture Paul gave her the day before and handed it to him. He looked at it and smiled.
"I remember that day." He said. He handed it back to her. "I can't take it from you. You should keep it."
"I made a copy of it last night on my computer." She gave it back to him.
"Thank you." He looked at it again and set it down on the table. "Do you still have a teddy bear, by chance?"
"Yeah. I still put him on my bed every day." She replied. "Why?"
"I gave you that bear." He said. "It was the day before we went to the zoo."
"No one ever told me where I got it from. I just assumed my mom gave it to me." She shrugged. "Thank you for the bear."
"I'm glad you still have it." He smiled. "I still can't believe you're here."
"I'll be back next month too." She told him.
"Every night for 12 years I prayed I'd get to see you again." He said, with tears in his eyes. "I love you so much."
"I was hoping you'd say that." She said, hugging him. He hugged her and rubbed her back. Not long after that the guard came back in and said she had to leave. She got up and started to leave the room. She waved. "Bye dad."
"Bye sweetheart." He smiled. When she left Joel walked in. Benji got up and hugged his brother. "Thank you for bringing her."
"You're welcome." He replied. "I love you and I'll see you next month."
"Take care of her." Benji said as Joel left the room.

[laura.]

(Chapter 6 cont)


"How did it go?" Joel asked her on their way back to the car.
"Very well." She said, smiling. "You were all right. I am like him."
"Did you get that sense of closure?" He teased her.
"Shut up, old man." She teased back. They got in the car and started to drive back to her house. She thought about her dad the entire time. She wished she got to stay with him longer. She felt like he understood her more than Joel does. She wanted her real dad to live with her instead.

[laura.]

Chapter 7

On Monday morning Amelia went to school dreading English class, but she was still in a good mood from meeting her dad. She was at her locker grabbing some of her books when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey." Ryan said.
"Hi." Amelia said, shyly.
"I know this might sound kind of weird because we don't know each other that good, but would you want to go with me to the Valentines Day dance this Friday?" He asked her.
"Sure!" She said very quickly. She blushed and looked at the floor. "I mean, I'd like that."
"Great." He smiled. "Could I get your number so I can call you about it?"
"Sure." She shyly smiled. She wrote down her phone number and handed it to him.
"Cool. Thanks." He said, taking it and putting it in his pocket. "I'll see you later."
"See ya." She said, blushing again. He turned around and walked away. She wanted to scream and jump around, but she knew if she did that people would think she was crazy. She had to tell somebody, but since she didn't have any friends she wasn't sure who she could tell. She couldn't concentrate during her first class. She kept thinking about why Ryan would pick her out of all the girls at school. There were hundreds of pretty girls, but he picked the overweight outcast. Why? The bell rang and it was time for her to go to English. She was hoping Ms. Porter wouldn't notice her or say anything about Joel. When class started she didn't even acknowledge Amelia except for when she was doing the role call. The bell for lunch rang and she didn't want to go down to the cafeteria to sit alone. After the other students left she went over to Ms. Porter's desk.

"Ms. Porter, would you mind if I sat in here and had lunch with you?" She asked.
"Not at all!" She said, smiling. "Have a seat."
"Thanks." She said, setting her lunch down on Lisa's desk.
"What do you have?" Lisa asked her, taking a bite of her sandwich.
"Peanut butter and jelly. You?" She replied.
"Same thing." Lisa smiled.
"My dad makes my lunch every day. He's been making Drew's lunch ever since he was in kindergarten. I don't think he'll ever stop doing it either." She said. Lisa laughed.
"He's a very sweet person." She smiled. "I'd like to see him more if that's OK with you."
"Yeah." She nodded. She was lying, but how was she supposed to say no?
"So, are you going to the dance on Friday?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Mmhmm." Amelia said with a mouthful of sandwich.
"Who are you going with?" She asked.
"Ryan Braden." She answered.
"He's in my first hour." Lisa told her. "He's pretty cute."
"Pretty cute? He's hot!" She exclaimed.
"I wouldn't have gone that far. He's a student of mine and he's a teenager. I like older men." She laughed. They sat in silence for a couple minutes.
"Do you care for my dad?" She asked. Lisa was a bit shocked by the question.
"Very much." She answered honestly. Amelia nodded in response. "I can understand that it's hard for you to think about your dad dating one of your teachers, but I hope in a little while you can think of me as a friend instead of just your English teacher."
"I know my dad would like that." She replied. "You should come over for dinner again."
"I'd love to, but you should probably ask your dad about it first." She said, smiling.
"You should come over tonight and surprise him." She suggested. She knew that he had plans with Paul, Chris,and Billy to play poker. She knew it was mean, but she didn't want her dad dating her teacher. He could find somebody else.
"I think I'll call him about it first. I don't want to intrude like that." Lisa said. "Thank you for the offer."
"You're welcome." She said with a fake smile. 'Damnit,' she thought. The bell rang and within moments students began filing back into the classroom.
"Thank you for having lunch with me." Lisa said, sweetly.
"Any time." Amelia fake smiled again. She couldn't stand Ms. Porter. For the rest of the day she planned out how she could get rid of Ms. Porter and find someone else for her dad. After school let out she couldn't wait to go home to tell her dad about her date to the dance. It might take his mind off of Lisa, although she doubted it.





sorry it's short and crappy, but i'm tired..

[laura.]

nevermind..i made myself feel better..all i have to do is listen to the "rocky horror" soundtrack and i'm happy..it really doesn't take much..



Chapter 8

As soon as the bus dropped Amelia and Drew off in front of their house she ran inside to tell her dad the good news. She burst through the front door and saw her dad sitting on the couch leaning over and typing on his laptop that was on the coffee table in front of him.

"Dad!" She yelled and plopped down on the couch by him. "Guess what?!"
"You better not be knocked up." He teased.
"No." She laughed. "I got a date to the dance on Friday!"
"Who is it?" He asked.
"His name is Ryan Braden." She started.
"Ryan Braden? He's the most popular guy in school." Drew said, closing the front door.
"I know! He asked me to go! ME!" She said, excitedly. "You'd like him, dad. He's gorgeous."
"Why would I like him because he's gorgeous?" He asked, laughing.
"Not just because of that, but he's nice." She said, smiling. "Now you need to take me dress shopping."
"Dress shopping?" He groaned. "I don't know about that stuff."
"Who else could take me?" She asked.
"Lisa could." He suggested.
"No way. I am not going dress shopping with my teacher!" She said, leaning back into the couch and crossing her arms.
"She'd be more of a help than dad would be." Drew said.
"Thanks Drew. By the way you're grounded until you're 30, smartass." Joel said, going back to typing. "Are you going to the dance?"
"Ha. Like a girl would want to go to the dance with me." Drew said, rolling his eyes and sighing.
"I'm sure someone would." He said, still typing.
"All the girls want to go with someone like Ryan Braden, not me." He sighed again.
"Drew, there are probably tons of girls who would want to go with you." Amelia reassured him. "You just have to ask them."
"I doubt it. I'll probably just stay home and watch TV or something." He shrugged.
"Is there anybody you'd want to take? I could ask her for you." She offered.
"There is, but she probably has a date. I'd rather ask someone myself so I don't seem like I'm too shy to do it myself." He replied. The phone rang and Joel got up to answer it.

"Hello?" He asked after picking up the phone. "Yes she is, just a moment."
"Who is it?" Amelia whispered as her dad handed the phone to her.
"A guy." He whispered back.
"Hello?" She said, holding the phone up to her ear.
"Hey it's Ryan." He said.
"Hi. What's up?" She asked.
"Not much. I was just seeing if you'd want to see a movie or something." He replied.
"Sure." She said, smiling.
"Cool. Do you want to meet me there at about 8?" He asked. "Or I could come pick you up. It's up to you."
"You should probably pick me up. I'm sure my dad would want to meet you." She said. Joel looked over at her and nodded.
"Alright. I need directions to your house." He told her. She gave him directions and after they said goodbye she hung up.
"That was Ryan I take it?" Joel asked going back to typing.
"Yep." She answered and nodded. "He's taking me to a movie."
"I hope it isn't a late show. You have school tomorrow." He said, concentrating on his work.
"I know." She said, a bit annoyed. The doorbell rang and he looked at both of his kids.
"Alright. I guess I'll answer it." He said, after no one else moved. He got up and opened the door.

"Hi. Sorry to just drop in like this, but I need to talk to you about something." Lisa said, nervously playing with her fingers. She hoped he wouldn't be upset she just randomly dropped by.
"Alright. Come in." He said, moving over to the side to let her in.
"Thank you." She said, smiling. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He smiled at her and leaned in and kissed her again.
"Ummm. We're still here." Amelia said, disgusted.
"Sorry. Did you tell your dad the good news about the dance?" Lisa asked.
"Yes." She answered, not looking at her.
"Hi Drew." She said to him.
"Hi." He said, smiling.
"Would you like to go into another room to talk?" Joel asked. She nodded. They walked out of the living room and as soon as she heard a door close Amelia sighed.
"She really annoys me." She said.
"I like her. I think she's nice." Drew shrugged.
"I'm sure you wouldn't like it if dad was dating your English teacher." She replied.
"My English teacher is a guy. I'd just think it was weird because I wouldn't have ever known or guessed dad was gay." Drew said, walking upstairs.

"Is this anything that I should worry about?" Joel asked. They were in the same room they shared their first kiss in. Lisa remembered it fondly when they walked in.
"Maybe, but I might just be overreacting." She answered.
"Alright." He smiled. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him. He leaned in and gently kissed her. He pulled her even closer and kissed her again. She put her hand on his chest and the other on the back of his head. He started kissing her more aggressively and pulled her hips onto him. He began kissing her neck and she moaned softly.
"Joel, we really need to talk." She said, remembering about it.
"About what?" He asked in between kisses.
"Amelia." She answered. He stopped kissing her neck and let go of her hips.
"Is everything OK?" He asked, concerned.
"I think so, but, like I said before I might just be overreacting. I feel bad for even thinking about it because this isn't my place to be saying it." She said, nervously.
"What is it?" He asked, quietly.
"It's about her going to the dance on Friday." She replied. She paused and tried to choose her words carefully. "I think it's odd someone like Ryan would want to take her. I'm not saying anything negative about Amelia because she's a wonderful and beautiful girl, but Ryan is popular and I've never seen him talk to her before. I don't understand why he'd ask her. Normally guys like him go for popular girls."
"I was thinking the same thing when Drew mentioned that he was popular." He admitted. "I'm trying to be optimistic about it and hope that he actually likes her and he isn't planning on embarrassing her."
"I hope you're right." She said, wrapping her arms around him and putting her head on his chest. "Do you think I'm overstepping my bounds?"
"No. Not at all." He replied, putting his arms around her and putting his cheek on the top of her head. "I'm glad you care about her."
"I care about both of your kids." She smiled. "I care about you too."
"Good thing it's mutual." He's teased. She looked up at him and giggled.
"I should get going. I have a lot of papers to grade." She said, giving him a quick peck on the lips.
"I wish you could stay." He said.
"I wish I could too, but I can't." She told him. He walked her to the door.
"I'll call you later." He said. He gave her a long kiss goodbye. "Drive safely."
"I will." She said, smiling.
"That's disgusting." Amelia, who was still sitting on the couch, said.
"Imagine that." Joel said, closing the door.
"What did she want?" She asked.
"None of your business." He said, pinching her cheeks.
"Quit!" She laughed. Maybe him dating Ms. Porter wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. At least he was happy.
"Whatever you say, Meelers." He said, walking into the kitchen.
"You better not call me that when Ryan gets here!" She yelled after him.
"The thing is, that was the reason why I started calling you that, so I can say it in front of your dates." He yelled back.
"You better not!" She laughed. "I'll have Drew beat you up."
"I could still kick his ass. I'm not that old." He replied.
"Whatever. I'll be upstairs if you need me." She said. She went up to her room to pick out an outfit to wear for her date.

[laura.]

Chapter 9

Amelia wished she had a sister or a mom to help her pick out an outfit for her first date. She knew Drew nor her dad would be any help at all. She looked through her closet and sighed. She wanted to look cute, but not too dressed up. She finally decided on some jeans and a white and blue striped button up short sleeved shirt. She thought it made her look slimmer. She just started to put make up on when she heard a car pull up in the driveway. She didn't think it would be Ryan since he'd be about an hour early. The person who pulled up honked their horn and then did it again about a minute later, only a little more impatiently.

"Hey dad, it's Ryan." Drew said, peeking through the curtains. He honked the horn several times.
"I'll be right back." Joel said, getting up off the couch and going outside. He tapped on the driver's side window and Ryan rolled it down. "She's not ready yet. Why don't you come in?"
"Alright." Ryan said, getting out of his car. He followed Joel inside. "Ummmm. Are you her dad?"
"Yep." He said. "You must be Ryan."
"Yes, sir." He said, nervously. He looked away and noticed Drew. "Hey Drew. How's it going?"
"Not bad. You?" Drew shrugged.
"Pretty good. You going to the dance on Friday?" He asked, making conversation.
"Nah. I don't think I'd have fun." He replied.
"You can go with me and my friends. I'm sure I could find you a date, even though I'm going with the prettiest girl in school." He said, hoping he'd get on Joel's good side by saying that. Joel rolled his eyes and Drew tried to hold back laughter from seeing his dad's reaction. Drew didn't want to stand there with Ryan. He knew he was up to something and he didn't like it.
"Hey dad, can I go set a church on fire?" Drew randomly asked, trying to scare Ryan.
"Sure. Knock yourself out. Just make sure it's a Baptist one." Joel said, nonchalantly and picking up a newspaper. "Fuckin' Baptists."
"You're the best, dad!" Drew said, going upstairs.
"He wasn't being serious right?" Ryan asked, laughing.
"I never know anymore." Joel said, still reading the paper. Amelia finally came downstairs and stood at the bottom.
"Hi Ryan." She said, smiling.
"Hey." He said, smiling back. "You look nice."
"Thanks." She said, blushing. There was another knock at the door. Joel opened it and Paul was carrying poker chips in both arms. He came in and set them down on the coffee table. He saw Ryan and decided to have a little bit of fun.
"Honey, I'm so sorry I'm late, but I got out of work late and traffic was so bad." Paul said, with an overexaggerated lisp. He kissed Joel on the cheek and hugged him. "I am so glad I have you to come home to."
"It's OK, babe." Joel said, putting his arms around Paul's waist. Drew came back downstairs and smiled when he saw Paul. He walked over to him and hugged him.
"Andrew, be a good little munchkin and put on a pot of tea." He said, patting Drew's cheeks. He walked over to Amelia and hugged her. "Mmmm girl, where are you going looking so dolled up?"
"I'm going to the movies with Ryan." She answered, smiling. She couldn't believe what Paul was doing.
"This must be Ryan." He said turning to him. "I am so glad to meet you. I'm Paul. I'm Amelia's dad's life partner."
"And I'm thankful for that every day of my life." Joel said.
"You are just the sweetest thing! I could just eat you up!" Paul said, hugging him.
"Later, baby." Joel winked.
"Oh! You are so naughty!" Paul gasped, gently hitting Joel's chest.
"Anyway, can I have some money, dad?" Amelia asked. Joel got his wallet out and handed her $20. "Thanks!"
"Have fun. Don't be out too late." He said, as Amelia and Ryan walked out the door.
"Christ, he can't even pay for her?" Paul asked, dropping the lisp. "What a cheap ass."
"Maybe he will. You never know." Joel shrugged.

"What the hell just happened?" Ryan asked when they got in the car.
"That was my dad's friend Paul. He likes to do funny things like that to see people's reactions." Amelia replied, smiling.
"I don't think your dad likes me very much." Ryan said, starting the car.
"He probably does." Amelia reassured him.
"What took you so long anyway?" He asked her, sounding a little bit annoyed.
"It took a while to put make up on and pick out this outfit." She told him. "Plus you were an hour early."
"I wasn't early. We have to have enough time to get there and pay for tickets." He said, annoyed.
"Good point." Amelia said, sitting back in her seat. She felt stupid already. They sat in silence the rest of the way to the movie theatre. When they arrived they walked in to buy their tickets.
"I forgot my wallet. I'll have to pay you back tomorrow." He said, looking apologetic.
"That's alright." She said, handing him the $20 her dad gave her.
"I can be so stupid sometimes." He said, shaking his head.
"Don't worry about it. Everybody does stuff like that sometimes." She comforted him.
"You're right." He said. "You want to get some popcorn or something?"
"Sure." She said, smiling. She couldn't believe she was on a date with Ryan Braden. While they stood in line it seemed like everybody was saying hi to him. She was getting noticed too because she was with him. She was with him and all the other girls weren't. She felt smug knowing that. After they got their popcorn they went into the theatre and sat down. About a half hour into the movie he put his arm around her. She sat for a long time not knowing what to do. She wasn't even paying attention to the movie. She wondered if she should just go for it and kiss him, or wait to do that until Friday. She hadn't had her first kiss yet, and she didn't want to be the one to instigate it. He leaned over and kissed her cheek to get her attention. She looked at him and he slowly leaned in to kiss her. Their lips finally met and she closed her eyes. He turned his head to the side and opened his mouth. She opened hers after that, even though she wasn't sure what to do. His tongue massaged hers and she tried her best to try do it back. She felt incredibly awkward and she could tell he was thinking the same thing. Shortly after that the movie ended and they walked out into the lobby. On the way back to the car he grabbed her hand and threaded his fingers in between hers. She started blushing and didn't say anything the entire car ride back to her house. When they got there he walked her to the door.
"I had a really good time tonight." He told her.
"I did too. Thanks for inviting me." She said, blushing again.
"I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow." He said.
"OK." She smiled. He gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"Goodnight." He said, walking away.
"Goodnight." She replied, and opened the front door.
"Well? How did it go?" Joel asked. He was sitting on the couch typing on his laptop again.
"Good." She smiled. "I thought the other guys were supposed to come over."
"Everybody cancelled, so Paul left not too long ago." He replied.
"Oh. Well. I'm going to go to bed." She said quickly.
"Goodnight, sweetheart." He smiled at her. "I love you."
"I love you too." She said on her way up the stairs. When she got in her room she hopped up and down excitedly that she got her first kiss. She got into her pajamas and got into bed. She fell asleep with a slight smile on her face.

[laura.]

Chapter 10

The next morning at school Amelia was standing by her locker hoping Ryan would walk by. She had barely slept the night before because all she could think about was her first kiss. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Drew rushing towards her.

"Amelia, I just got a date to the dance!" He said with a huge grin on his face.
"I told you you could find somebody!" She hugged him. "Who his she?"
"Her name is Elise." He told her.
"That's great, Drew!" She said excitedly. "You can ride with Ryan and I! Him and a couple of his friends are renting a limo. Then afterwards there's going to be a huge party at his house."
"No thanks. I'd rather just have dad drive me. Afterwards I'm going to spend the night at Uncle Paul's." He said, turning down her offer.
"Doesn't he have his own kids to worry about?" She asked.
"No. He got divorced a few years ago and his wife took the kids and moved to Maine. He never gets to see them, so I'm kind of like his son." He replied.
"That's so sad." She said, sympathetically.
"Mind if I joined you guys?" Ryan asked while walking up to them.
"Not at all!" Amelia said, hugging him. He hugged her back and gave her a quick kiss.
"I've got to run. I'll see you guys later. Oh, and Ryan, if anyone asks you about an accident involving arson, I was with you all yesterday evening. You know nothing." Drew said, walking away.
"No offense, but your family is weird." Ryan said, watching Drew walk down the hallway.
"None taken. I know that my dad and Drew are crazy." She smiled.
"How come I didn't meet your mom?" He asked.
"I don't have one." She said, looking at her shoes.
"Oh. Sorry." He put his arm around her shoulders.
"At least my dad's dating somebody, so I have a kind of mom, but I don't think of her like that yet." She told him. "He's dating Ms. Porter."
"That's sick!" He exclaimed.
"I thought it was at first too, but they're happy together." She shrugged.
"Your dad must not have any standards." Ryan laughed.
"Hey! My dad hasn't dated since my mom died, and that was 12 years ago. You can't say he doesn't have any standards if he's been mourning for that long without even looking at another woman!" She said, raising her voice and with tears in her eyes. Everybody who was near them stopped to listen and watch.
"I'm sorry. I was just making a joke." He hugged her. He looked around at everybody then looked back at Amelia. "Do you think we could go somewhere private and talk?"
"OK." She said. They went into an empty stairwell.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you stupid?! What were you trying to do to me out there?!" He asked harshly and raising his voice.
"I'm sorry, but you badmouthed my dad!" She replied, raising her voice too. He grabbed her wrist and squeezed it as hard as he could.
"Listen, I have a reputation around here, and I don't want you or anybody else to ruin it. Got it?" He asked through his teeth. She winced in pain and dropped to her knees.
"Next time I see you in the hallway you better be happy to see me!" He threatened as he left the stairwell. Amelia sat on the floor and held her wrist.
"I shouldn't have done that." She whispered to herself as she started to cry.

An hour and a half later she was sitting in her English class trying to look happy so Ms. Porter wouldn't suspect anything. She knew if Lisa suspected anything she'd tell her dad, and she didn't want that. It would hurt him, and she didn't want her dad to be hurt anymore. After the bell rang to dismiss the students to lunch she walked over to Ms. Porter's desk and sat down by her.

"Will you be joining me again?" She asked, smiling.
"If you let me." Amelia said, trying to sound as happy as she could.
"Of course. What's new with you?" She asked, opening up a container and taking a bite of salad.
"I went on a date with Ryan last night, and I got my first kiss." She told her.
"That's wonderful!" Lisa said, excitedly. "Was it romantic?"
"Not really. It was in a movie theatre." She shrugged.
"That doesn't sound too bad. My first kiss was next to a dumpster outside of where I worked." She laughed.
"Ew. By a dumpster?" Amelia asked, disgusted.
"Yep. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind for my first kiss." She laughed again.
"I didn't have anything in mind for mine. I was expecting to get it any time soon." Amelia admitted. "Did you have anything in mind for yours?"
"Not really. I just hoped it wouldn't be by a dumpster." She smiled.
"Can I ask you something?" Amelia asked, changing the subject.
"Sure." She said, taking another bite of her salad.
"If you're not busy this evening could you take me dress shopping?" She asked.
"I'd love to!" Lisa smiled.
"Good. No one else would take me." She said, relieved.
"Your dad wouldn't?" She asked.
"I asked him to, but he said he doesn't know about those kind of things." She replied.
"He was married before, he should know about women's clothing!" She said, jokingly rolling her eyes.
"Maybe we can make him come along. He does have to pay for it after all." Amelia said.
"Are you not eating today?" She finally asked her. She noticed it when she first sat down, but she avoided the subject.
"Nah. I'm trying to lose a couple pounds by Friday." She answered.
"Be careful. Starving yourself isn't good." Lisa told her.
"I'll be careful." She assured her. Shortly after that students filed back into the classroom. "I'll have my dad call you about dress shopping later."
"OK. Thank you for having lunch with me again." She said, smiling.

After school was let out Amelia went to her locker to grab a few things. Ryan came up behind her.

"Hey, um, I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't mean to get mad at you." He apologized.
"It's OK." She said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"Can I give you a ride home?" He offered.
"Sure." She accepted. "What about Drew?"
"What about him?" He asked.
"I don't want him worrying about me because I'm not on the bus." She replied.
"I don't think he'll worry, or really even notice. He reads all the time." He said.
"You're probably right. Let's go." She smiled. They walked to his car and he started driving her home. He pulled up in her driveway and parked the car. Lisa's car was already parked along side of the road. She worried she told her dad she was starving herself to lose a few pounds. She reached for the door handle, but Ryan put his hand on her thigh.
"What's your hurry?" He asked, flirtatiously.
"Nothing." She lied. He leaned over and started kissing her. She pulled away. "I should go inside. I have a lot of stuff to do."
"Whatever." He said, annoyed.
"Don't be upset. I'll make it up to you later." She flirted.
"Whatever. Just go." He was still annoyed.
"I'll see you later, I guess." She said, quietly. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, but he violently shoved her away. She hit the door hard and hit her head on the window.
"I said go!" He yelled. She slowly got out of the car and went into the house.
"Hey Meelers. How was your day?" Joel asked. He was sitting on the couch next to Lisa.
"Fine." She quietly said. She winced because the back of her head started throbbing.
"What's wrong?" Joel asked, with sudden concern.
"Nothing. I............hit my head in gym class." She lied.
"Ouch. Why don't you go upstairs and I'll bring you some Advil." He said.
"OK." She said quietly and slowly going up the stairs. She got to her room and lied down on her bed. Moments later her dad came in with some pills and a glass of water. She sat up and took them. "Thank you."
"So what exactly happened?" He asked, taking her shoes off for her.
"We were playing basketball and I got elbowed in the back of the head." She said slowly. It was the best she could come up with.
"You stay here and rest for awhile, and if you feel better in a few hours we'll go dress shopping." He said, putting a blanket over her. He kissed her forehead and left the room. She started to cry. Not because of the pain, but because she just lied to her dad. She knew Ryan didn't mean to hurt her, but she didn't want to tell her dad. A boy had finally noticed her, and she knew if she told her dad that he wouldn't let her see him anymore. That was the last thing she wanted.

[laura.]

Chapter 11

Amelia stayed in bed for a few hours. She needed to tell someone what Ryan did to her, but who could she tell? Her dad would flip out. She didn't trust Lisa. The only person she could tell was Drew. He would probably tell her what she wanted to hear; that Ryan isn't doing it on purpose. She got up and walked to Drew's room. She knocked on his door and when he didn't say anything she opened the door and peeked in. He wasn't there. She went downstairs and Lisa was sitting on the couch looking very worried.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, trying to sound friendly, but sounding very upset.
"Yeah. What's wrong? Where's my dad?" She asked.
"He went to the hospital." Lisa said, flatly.
"Oh my God! What happened?! Is he OK?!" Amelia asked in complete shock.
"He's fine." She reassured her. "He got a phone call from the school and they told him that Drew was badly beaten up and they were taking him to the hospital."
"What?!" She started to cry.
"Your dad didn't want to wake you, so he told me to stay here and to bring you to the hospital when you woke up." She said, quietly.
"I'll go put my shoes on." She said, going back upstairs. While she was putting them on she prayed that Drew would be alright. She went back downstairs and Lisa grabbed her purse. "I hope he's OK."
"I'm sure he is. If it was bad I'm sure Joel would've called." She tried to comfort her. They got into Lisa's car and headed to the hospital. Amelia wanted to tell her what happened with Ryan today, but she couldn't. She thought she could probably tell her dad. Her real dad.
"How upset was my dad when he left?" Amelia asked. She was worried about him. She never wanted him to be hurt.
"Very." She said, quietly as her bottom lip quivered. Amelia turned her head and rolled her eyes. She knew Lisa was more worried about her dad than she was Drew. When they got to the hospital they quickly went inside and found out where Drew's room was. They both went in and saw Joel sitting next to the bed, holding Drew's hand. Drew was asleep and he had a cast around his arm, his jaw wired shut, and he had a neckbrace. Almost his entire face was covered with cuts and bruises.

"How are you feeling?" Joel asked his daughter.
"Better." She quickly said. "How's Drew?"
"He'll be OK. He's just sleeping." He said. He looked down and sighed.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I don't know. All I was told is that he was beat up by four kids after school. I don't understand it." He shook his head. Lisa walked over and hugged him.
"I'll do everything I can to find out who did this." She told him. He hugged her and pulled her onto his lap.
"Thank you." He whispered and kissed her. Amelia scoffed loudly and rolled her eyes. Lisa got up and looked embarrassed. "We need to talk."
"About what?" She asked. He got up and walked out of the room. She followed him into an empty waiting room.
"What's going on? Hmm? Any time I'm with Lisa you get an attitude and I want to know why. Don't hand me that bullshit about you not wanting me to be with your English teacher either!" He said, angrily. She crossed her arms in front of her and didn't say anything. "God damnit, Amelia! You're so God damn frustrating I don't know what to do with you!"
"Do what you did before. Send me to go live with someone else." She said with a lot of attitude.
"You're grounded." He told her.
"No I'm not." She defied him.
"You pick the worst times to get an attitude with me." He shook his head.
"Let me know when it's a good time for you, and you aren't busy with Ms. Porter." She said with more of a belligerent attitude than before. "You know she sleeps around, don't you?"
"Don't lie about her." He warned her.
"Ryan told me his brother slept with her a couple years ago so he could get an A in her class." Amelia said matter-of-factly.
"That's not something she'd do." He got defensive. Deep down he hoped it wasn't true.
"You haven't even known her for a week! How do you know that isn't something she'd do?" She asked.
"Because I love her." He admitted. It was the first time he admitted it to himself too. "I just know she wouldn't do that."
"You'd be better off still single and wishing my mom would somehow come back!" She yelled with tears in her eyes.
"Don't you dare tell me what I'd be better off doing! I'm finally happy because I found someone I can love! I can wish all I want, but it won't bring your mom back! She's gone and I've realized this every day for the last 12 years! You said it yourself that you don't even remember her! Don't tell me I'm cheating on her when you didn't know her!" He yelled.
"I do remember her! I was there when she died and you weren't! It's your fault she's dead!!" She screamed at him.
"Don't blame her death on me! I wasn't the one that killed her! You know it was Benji! If you want to complain about how much your life sucks, go to do it to him because I don't want to hear it!" He yelled back.
"I hate you!" She screamed and ran out into the hallway. He slumped down into the nearest seat. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his legs and buried his face in his hands. Lisa appeared in the doorway and stared at him. She heard everything.

"I've never slept with a student." She said, sitting down next to him. He looked over at her and gently took her hand in his. They sat in silence for a few minutes. "Do you really love me?"
"You heard that?" He asked, blushing.
"I heard everything. I came to see if you were going to be OK, and when I heard yelling I didn't want to come in here." She admitted, smiling warmly.
"I know it might seem fast, but, I do love you." He kissed her hand.
"I love you too." She smiled. "It does seem kind of sudden, but when we went out for coffee the day we met I started falling for you, as cliche and cheesy as it sounds."
"I should probably get back to Drew, or find Amelia." He said, standing up.
"I can sit with Drew if you want." She offered.
"Being the parent of a teenaged daughter is the hardest thing I've ever had to do." He sighed and shook his head.
"I can imagine." She hugged him. He kissed her and went out into the hallway. He went down to the first floor of the hospital and searched for his daughter. He realized that would be hopeless so he had her paged over the intercom system. He waited by the nurse's station for an hour, but she didn't come. He searched every floor, and every waiting room looking for her. He began to panic and thought of horrible things that could've happened to her. He found the hospital's chapel and went in. He stared at a crucifix and crossed himself. He knelt in front of it and began to pray.

"I don't know if you listen to me anymore, but, all I ask is that my daughter is kept safe. I'm trying my hardest, but I keep failing as a parent. Please give me strength to become a better father. I don't know what I'm doing wrong." He started to get up, but knelt back down. "Please watch over my wife and two babies. Let them rest in peace."
"Grandma said He always listens." Amelia said from the back of the chapel. Joel got up and hugged his daughter. "I'm sorry, dad."
"I'm sorry too." He whispered and kissed her forehead.
"I don't hate you." She told him.
"I know." He said, still hugging her. "You're too much like your dad."
"Is that good or bad?" She asked.
"Both." He replied. "We should get back to Drew."
"OK." She nodded.

[laura.]

Chapter 12

The next morning Amelia woke up and got ready for school. She went downstairs to get some breakfast and she was shocked to see Lisa in the kitchen with her dad.

"Good morning." Joel smiled at her.
"Hi dad." She said quietly.
"Do you have time to eat anything?" He asked.
"I'm not hungry." She replied, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "What are you doing here, Ms. Porter?"
"I'm not going in today. You'll have a sub instead. I went to the school earlier and got the security camera tape of yesterday, so we're going to try to see who beat Drew up." She answered.
"You couldn't watch it after school?" Amelia asked, a bit annoyed.
"'Amelia, cut the attitude. I don't need it today." Joel sighed. "I'm picking you up after school, so don't get on the bus."
"Ryan will probably give me a ride again." She told him.
"Whatever." He said, backing down. He didn't want to argue with her.
"What are you going to the school for?" She asked out of curiosity.
"I'm pulling Drew out. I'm hiring a tutor for him." He replied.
"Oh." She said. She heard the bus pull up in front of the house. She hugged her dad. "Bye dad."
"Bye sweetheart." He hugged her back and smoothed her hair in the back.
"Ow!" She winced and pulled away from him.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"My head." She answered with her hand on the back of her head where it hit the window the day before.
"Let me look at it." He said, walking towards her. She started backing away and heard the bus drive off.
"Now I missed the bus. I guess you should drive me." She tried changing the subject.
"That's fine, but let me see your head." He calmly said.
"It's fine. Can we just go?" She asked, getting worried. She looked at her dad's face and he looked very concerned. He already had a lot of stress on him and she didn't want to add to it. She sighed and turned around. He moved her hair and looked at her head. There was a large bump there.
"You say you got elbowed?" He asked. She nodded. "An elbow wouldn't leave a bump like this."
"It's what happened." She said quietly. She wanted to kick herself for coming up with such a lame excuse.
"Go get your stuff. I'll drive you to school." He told her. She went upstairs to grab her bookbag. "I'd hate to say it, but I think this Ryan kid had something to do with that bump on her head."
"I hope not. He seems like a nice enough person, but, it could just be an act." Lisa said, slowly rubbing his back. "Try to be optimistic."
"I am. I got a good idea to scare him straight if it was his fault. Before they go to the dance I'll tell Amelia she should go visit her dad and I'm sure Benj would want to meet him, and he'd scare the shit out of the kid." He said, smiling.
"Handsome and smart. I like that in a man." She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Amelia came back downstairs.
"Can we go now?" She asked. He nodded.
"I'll be back in a few minutes." He told Lisa. He kissed her and then left the house with Amelia. After she got dropped off she went into school and saw Ryan talking with a group of his friends.

"Hi." She said, walking over to him.
"Hey." He smiled and hugged her.
"How's Drew?" One of his friends asked. "Is he hurt real bad?"
"How did you know he was hurt? It happened after school." She asked, suspiciously.
"We heard some teachers talking about it." He said. She nodded.
"Is it true your dad is dating Ms. Porter?" A girl asked.
"He's not really my dad. He's my uncle." She replied.
"You never told me that." Ryan said, looking at her.
"So where's your dad?" That same girl asked.
"He's..............dead." She lied. She didn't want to admit to people that her dad was in prison. As much as she loved him she didn't want people knowing her dad killed her pregnant mother.
"I'm sorry." The girl said. The bell rang.
"I have to get to class. Bye." Amelia waved and walked away.
"What a freak." The girl said.
"I know, but it'll be really easy to take advantage of her." Ryan replied.
"You better hope she doesn't find out what you had us do to her brother." One of his other friends said.
"She won't. Don't worry." He assured him.




sorry it's short, but, i think it's enough for you guys..

[laura.]

Chapter 14

Amelia got home from school and heard people talking quietly in the kitchen. She worried something was wrong with Drew, so she rushed in there and saw her dad, Lisa, and Paul. They all looked over at her. She was sure something was very wrong.

"How was your day?" Her dad asked, quietly.
"Good. What's wrong?" She asked, very concerned.
"We know who beat Drew up." He answered her.
"Who?" She asked.
"Some of Ryan's friends." He replied.
"He has a lot of friends. He probably doesn't associate with them much. None of his friends would do that!" She defended him.
"I don't want you going to the dance with him." He quietly said.
"I'm going to. He's the only boy who's asked me on a date or even looked at me!" She said with tears in her eyes. "Please let me go with him!"
"Amelia, his friends beat up your brother. What if they do something to you?" He asked, calmly.
"They won't! He wouldn't let that happen to me!" She assured him. He sighed heavily.
"Fine." He gave in. "Just be very careful."
"He wouldn't hurt me." She lied.
"If he does I'm kicking his pretty boy ass." Paul said. "Yeah. I said it. I'll beat up a teenager."
"You won't have to worry about it." Amelia said, patting him on the back. "Can we go dress shopping now?"
"I don't know, Meelers. What about Drew?" Joel asked.
"You take her to buy a dress and I'll go sit with Drew." Lisa chimed in as cheerful as ever.
"Alright. Then after that we'll be at the hospital." Joel said, finalizing the plan.
"I can go with you guys if you want. I happen to be a dress expert." Paul said, pretending to brag. "I don't know about fashion, but I know how to pick out a dress."
"I'm sure you'll pick out something great." Amelia smiled.
"No. Not great. Fabulous!" He corrected her.
"I'll get over to the hospital so he doesn't have to be alone." Lisa announced to everybody.
"I'll walk you to your car." Joel offered. They both left the house.
"God, she is so pretentious!" Paul exclaimed.
"Isn't she?" Amelia asked, agreeing.
"I know everything there is to know about everything!" He said in a higher voice with a snooty English accent.
"She's so annoying." She added.
"She's hot, but she'd be hotter if she was a mute." Paul joked. "I don't know what he sees in her besides the fact she has nice tits."
"Ew!" Amelia said, smacking his arm.
"What? I have to have something to look at when she's talking." He said, defending himself. She laughed as Joel came back into the house.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked from the doorway. They got into Joel's car and started driving to the mall.
"Hey dad, are you going to press charges against Ryan's friends?" She asked.
"Mmmhmm." He replied, not even looking at her.
"OK." She said, sitting back in her seat. She didn't want to argue with him right now. If he pressed charges against his friends he'd hate her. She didn't want to risk that, but she also didn't want to risk getting grounded. When they got to the mall they found a store that had dresses she liked. She grabbed several and went into a dressing room. She came out in one to show her dad and Paul.

"Don't you think it.............it shows a little too much cleavage?" Joel asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Dad, I'm fat, I'm going to be showing cleavage in anything I put on." She told him. She went back into the dressing room.
"I didn't think she was showing too much." Paul shrugged.
"Be careful. That's my little girl." Joel warned him. She came back out in a black and white polka dotted halter dress. The skirt of it flowed and it made her look slim. There was a red rose pin on the sash that went around the waist.
"I love this one!" She grinned.
"It's beautiful." He smiled.
"Told you I was a dress expert." Paul said.
"Can I get this one?" She asked, ignoring Paul. Joel nodded and she happily went back into the dressing room to change back into her regular clothes.
"When did she grow up?" He asked. "She's supposed to be a little girl."
"They do that." Paul nodded. "Imagine how Benj felt when he saw her on Saturday. That must've been pretty damn shocking."
"Probably." Joel nodded. Amelia came back out and they bought her dress.
"I'm so excited about this dance now!" She smiled.
"I'm hurt you didn't want me to be your date." Paul said, pretending to be upset.
"You're a little too old for me." She laughed. They left the mall and headed for the hospital. When they arrived they went up into Drew's room. Ryan and a few of his friends were in there.

"Hey!" Amelia hugged him.
"We just dropped by to see how Drew is doing." He told her, hugging her back.
"That's so sweet." She smiled.
"Hey Mr. M." Ryan greeted Joel.
"Mr. M? What is this 'Leave It To Beaver?'" Paul asked.
"Paul!" Amelia scolded him. Lisa came back in the room with a cup of coffee.
"Good. You're here." She said, kissing Joel. Ryan and his friends made disgusted faces.
"I could use some coffee." He said to her. "Want some, Amelia?"
"No, thanks." She shook her head. He went over to Drew, kissed him on the top of the head, and left the room with Lisa following him. Amelia left too. She didn't want her dad and Lisa to be alone.
"Dude, that was sick." One of Ryan's friends said. "I think seeing Ms. Porter and her dad kiss made me sterile."
"Perhaps it was for the best." Paul said, sitting down on a chair next to Drew's bed.
"Who the fuck are you?" Another friend of Ryan's asked.
"You know, you should respect your elders, boy." He replied.
"You should watch it. I'll kick your ass." The boy theatened. Paul stood up and faced him.
"I don't think so, Scooter." He shook his head. Drew woke up from a nap and made a slight wincing sound. Paul turned back to him and sat on the chair. "Hey, buddy. Your dad, Lisa, and Amelia went to grab some coffee. And, look! Scooter and his Happy Friends Jamboree Band came to visit you!"
"You're a dick!" Ryan's friend that was now nicknamed Scooter said.
"Yeah.........................yeah. Some people would say that." Paul nodded. Joel, Amelia, and Lisa came back into the room.
"Hey Ryan, you guys should probably go. My family wants to spend time with Drew." Amelia quietly told him.
"Alright." He nodded. "Thanks for letting us visit him."
"Maybe you can come back another time." She said. Him and his friends started to leave the room.
"Bye, Scooter!!" Paul yelled and waved.
"Why did you call him that?" Amelia asked.
"He looks like Scooter from 'The Muppet Show.'" He replied. Joel laughed hysterically. It was the first time he's laughed in a few days.

"I'm going to kick that guy's ass!" Scooter said out in the parking lot.
"Why kick his ass? You can always just hit Amelia. She don't care." Ryan said to his friend as they got in his car.