JC made his way to her front door and rang the doorbell. He stood out in the night, shifting his weight from his left foot to his right foot. Every time JC would let out a breath, a line of steam would flow out into the endless night. After about a minute or so, a light flicked on and JC heard footsteps coming to the door. He breathed a sigh of relief as the door opened. Immediately he recognized Abby's short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

"JC?" Abby asked staring at the man standing. He nodded, but stayed on the porch. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you....about Vesteva. May I come in?" Abby shook her head up and down, while moving about from the door to let JC in. As soon as JC walked in, he was hit with the powerful smell of cigarettes. He winced, but continued into the house. Abby slammed the door behind her and proceeded into the small kitchen. JC followed taking in the surroundings. There wasn't much furniture, and where there was it looked very old and ragged. He saw an open pack of cigarettes sitting on a table, with an ashtray beside it.

When they were both finally seated, JC didn't know what to say. He had come here to find answers and he realized he didn't have any questions. Apparently Abby did have questions though, because he mouth opened as soon as he had gotten himself comfortable.

"Look JC. I saw you trying to talk to her yesterday. After you left I went up to her room and she was sobbing. What did you say to her?" Abby pressed with anger rising in her voice. JC was too stunned to speak as he took in what Abby was saying.

"I only told her I wanted to get to know her better." JC squeaked, then started speaking again. All the questions were coming to his brain at once and he tried to get them all out before he forgot. "Why did she start crying from me only saying that? And how come she flinched every time we made contact? And how come she wouldn't make eye contact from me? And how come she said I didn't want to get involved with a girl like her? And..and..and.."

"Whoa JC hold up! One question at a time." Abby said trying to stop JC. "JC, I don't think I should tell you things too personal about her. Like why she started crying. There's things going on inside of her that she can't control. I mean she's only 18, give her a break!"

All of a sudden JC's sense's were fully alert. What's did Abby just say?

"JC? Earth to JC? JC!" Abby snapped a finger in front of his face.

"Can you repeat what you just said?" JC asked, still not believing the words that came out of her mouth.

"What that she's got things going on ins-"

"No. After that. Her age?"

"She's 18. In her senior year. You didn't know?" Abby repeated. All of a sudden JC slid his chair back and stood up.

"18! How could she be 18! I thought she was at least in college!!" JC screamed. Abby instantly stood up, though he short frame couldn't compare to his height. JC was pacing back and forth around her kitchen. Abby went over to JC and tried to stop him by putting her hands on his shoulders.

"JC...calm down. What's the big deal?" Abby questioned. JC just shook his head and turned towards the door. Abby heard JC call out that he would let him self out and then the door slammed. Abby ran to the window and watched JC's car pull out of the drive way into the cold black night.

Abby tapped her fingers on the cash register early Monday morning as she waited for the credit card to clear. Soon, the receipt started to print the sale she had just made. Slowly ripping it off the scroll, she placed a pen and the copy of the receipt in front of the customer. Cashier was the worse job you could be assigned to for a day, it was so repetitive. Her boss had stuck her at the front desk as punishment for being late that morning. It wasn't exactly her fault, she had to call for a cab to give her a ride to work this late morning because her car was still at the garage. Her tardiness has become a bit of a habit lately, disappointing her boss every time she stepped threw the open glass doors that should have been closed when she arrived. Abby was riding a fine line between being fired and keeping her job which she needed to help support herself, it was all she had.

Taking the signed receipt she placed the clothes in the draw string bag and wished her customer a great afternoon. The next person in line stepped up to the counter and placed a baby blue shirt on it with the brand name written across in dark navy blue. Without looking up, Abby searched the collar for a tag and ran it through the scanner. As the slow clock behind her ticked at every useless second, it made her realize that the line kept getting longer and the day was never going to end.

"Did you find everything ok?" Abby asked, while starting to refold the shirt to put in a blue bag. Her hands guided the noisy receipt once again, ripping it off.

"Now I have," a familiar voice replied.

Abby's heart stopped as she slowly looked up to find the face she had never wanted to see again. Even under the hat and glasses, she still could tell who it was. The slight accent gave it away.

"Do you find it necessary to bother me everywhere I go?" Abby demanded as she shoved the shirt in the bag, not caring anymore about how neat it was placed in. Justin held out a credit card to pay for it and Abby quickly snatched it out of his hands.

"At least you could talk to me. I didn't mean what I said at dinner." Justin started to say. Abby shook her head.

"Why the hell should I talk to you? You insulted me and you think that just by coming to see me, that everything's going to be okay? Sorry to disappoint you, but that's not how it goes in my book. Not every girl in the country is drooling at you feet." Abby screamed. Customers in line were starting to give each other wondering glances as Abby's boss came up behind her.

"Is there a problem Abby?" he interrogated giving her a look saying she was causing trouble. Abby gritted her teeth and smiled.

"No, there's no problem." she answered. "Here's your receipt... please sign by the X." Abby said turning back to Justin. Sliding a pen across the counter, Justin's hand slightly met with Abby's as he picked up the pen. Shivers shot through Abby's hand and traveled all the way through her body. Her boss tapped her on the shoulder as Justin was signing the receipt. Abby slowly walked over to the other side of the desk, toward her boss.

"Now Abby. You know you shouldn't treat customers like that. Your tardiness today doesn't help the situation. One more outburst and I'm sorry but I'm going to have to let you go." As soon as the words left his mouth, Abby's heart sunk. This job was everything she had. Abby nodded and walked back to where Justin was waiting patiently. He quickly spoke before she could send him away.

"Please give me another chance. I didn't mean to criticize the amount of money you have." As soon as Justin said it, he regretted it. Abby suddenly forgot about everything that just happened with her boss and just let him have it. "There is no fucking way I am going to give you another chance." Abby voice trailed throughout the entire store, making everyone turn they're attention towards the register. "Leave..." Abby ordered. Justin turned to leave, when all of a sudden a girl screamed.

"That's Justin Timberlake!!" within a second a million girl tore up to the front of the store. A large black man stepped forward. Abby noticed him for the first time. He quickly escorted Justin out of the store safely, with a bunch of girl trailing on they're tail.

As soon as the commotion died down, Abby's boss came storming over.

"Abby...I warned you." He threatened. Abby bowed her head in shame as she realized what was happening. She heard the words before they even left his mouth. "You're fired."

The alarm clock whispered through the speakers, barely reaching Vesteva's ears on Monday morning. Her wanting to get up was compatible with the anticipation to get going; she didn't want to. Rolling around in her bed as she collected the blankets and sheets wrapping around her body, she tried to keep her face in the pillow so that she didn't have to see the light of morning. A long body pillow that she made a case for folded around her head , kicking her feet up and down as she screamed her lungs out about the long approaching day.

She rolled over to the side of her bed, making her legs slink down to the wooded floor and lowering herself as her body weight fell, collapsing to the floor on purpose. Bringing down a small purple pillow with her, she slid it under her head while closing her eyes still. Hearing the sound of the door opening, her father peeked in to see the body lying on the floor, in a position that he was use to perceiving every morning. He walked slowly over to her night stand in his usual work suit. Turning off the alarm clock, the sound of the clicking of the fan continued to fill the room, mixing with the sound of the moans coming from Vesteva.

He crouched down with the cracking of his knees down to Vesteva's body. " Come on baby, let's get ready...," he announced while trying to grab her arm to help her up. She pulled away fiercely, not letting her father touch her. Her sobs cried out from her pillow, becoming louder as each second rose by. Clawing her knees closer to her body, she brought herself into a little huddle on the ground with her hair masking her face that wasn't covered by the pillow. Her father sighed down at her, not know what he could do. Every morning was the same exact thing, and he should have learned the second morning that he wasn't going to be able to do anything.

Standing up he held onto his hips. His dark brown hair was gelled back with his ID already clipped to his pocket, ready to head off to work. His eyes turned dejected while he stared at his daughter. Her body bounced up and down from crying out her fears. He wished that he could just take this pain away from her, but he didn't even know what was causing it.

" Please don't make me go. I promise, this will be the last day... just don't make me go...," Vesteva cried, barely able to understand. Her absences from school were increasing as the year wore on.

" I'll go talk to your mother," he sighed. Walking to the door, he took one look back to see her there, whispering to herself 'Please don't make me go'. How could he not end up as the bad guy without making someone upset. He breathed in a gulp of air, looking at the ceiling as he closed the door.

Vesteva listened as the footsteps disappeared farther away, rising herself from the puddle of tears that laid on the pillow and on the wood floor. She swiped her large T-shirt along the wood, cleaning the spots. Trying to stop her nose from dripping, with her face covered in tears that made her look as if she was sweating, she brought her head back staring up at the fan. Getting to her feet, she walked over to her door and opened it a pinch to see if she could hear the deciding vote between her parents.

" Tim, how many times has she stayed home from school? Enough times is what I say! I can't believe you are promising her things that she's not going to get!" Her mother roared at her father.

" You don't see her in there every morning, every night when she cries herself to sleep. I don't know what is going on and neither do you so you can't come to conclusions so quickly! I'm here helping her while you are out working, as if.. like, you are living another life. This family comes first!" Her father recited.

It was all over when Vesteva heard the slam of the front door. She wrestled herself to the window, opening the curtains quickly to see the glare from the morning sun rise. Her heart began to race when she saw her father running outside to the garage where his car was settled in front of. Still having a half an hour before he usually left for work, he jumped inside and drove off with such force. Disappearing down the street, Vesteva wondered if he was also disappearing from her life.