"Ah. Good morning" I yawned as I walked into the kitchen

"Good morning Alex. I made oatmeal porridge and deviled eggs" she said as I took a seat putting them in front of me

"Thanks Mom" I said taking a spoon of the oatmeal and spitting it back out

"No good?" she asked depressed

"Nope" I said taking a bite of the deviled egg and spitting it out as well 

"No good either" she sighed

"You're getting better" I said taking one of the toast that surprising wasn't burned 

"At least this isn't burnt" I said biting a piece before takking a sip of the coffee quickly spitting it out

"What now?" she asked dejected

"It's salty" I said 

"Sorry I might have mixed up the salt and sugar containers again" she said before I sighed and threw thee coffee in the sink before trying to make one for myself

"Mom" I said

"Yes dear?"

"Are we out of coffee pod?" I asked

"Yes I used the last batch of coffee" she sighed

"It's fine. I'll head back upstairs" I said taking another piece of toast before the doorbell went off

"That's probably Marcus. Can you please go open the door" she said

"Sure" I sighed walking towards the door munching on my toast

I opened the door and to my surprise it wasn't Marcus but Elizabeth waiting outside in her expensive winter wear

"Elizabeth" I said

"Good morning Alexander" she said smiling at me

"What are you doing here so early?" I said

"I came to see you. Isn 't that a problem?" she said

"No. No problem But can you come inside it's freezing?" I said  shivering. My t-shirt and shorts not equipped to deal with the freezing the breeze blowing inside

"That is just a sign that the snow is gonna come" she said walking inside and handing her fur coat 

"You seem really excited about the snow. You've been talking about it for two weeks now" I said quickly closing the door

"Indeed I am indeed exhilarated at the thought of the snow fall" she said before we made our way to to the kitchen

"Good morning Bethany" she said

"Oh hello Elizabeth. What brings you here so early in the morning?" she asked 

"I am here to discuss an engagement with Alexander" Elizabeth answered

"Oh you two are going out on a date? Where to" Mom asked

"It's not a date" I said

"My moronic brother is hosting a party and Alexander asked me to be his date" she said

"I said to go as friends" I said 

"Whatever." she said

"Well I hope you two have a good time"

"Thank you" Elizabeth said

"Oh since you're here so early. You probably haven't eaten anything yet right" Mom asked excited totry again

"Indeed I have yet to partake in breakfast" 

"Good then let me make something for you" 

"That won't be necessary. To be completely honest your cooking is completely horrid and I'd rather you not try to feed me until it is at least a little palatable" she responded 

"Must you be so blunt" I sighed

"Do you disagree?" Elizabeth asked

"No but you could have said it nicer" I said making my way to the stove

"Alex are you going to make breakfast?" Mom asked

"Yeah." I said 

"What is on the menu cordon bleu cook?" Elizabeth asked taking a seat

"Something simple. Just eggs, bacon and toast" I shrugged putting on the skillet 

"Hm that sounds nice but I wish to try a breakfast bowl" she said

"I'm in the mood for eggs and bacon" I argued

"But I want a breakfast bowl" she said

"Isn't that too low class for a refined palate such as yours?" I stroked her ego

"Oh please. I can't judge something I haven't even tasted yet" 

"Since when" I snorted 

"Alexander, I want a breakfast bowl" she said

"Fine let's compromise." I said taking out my phone and searched the web for breakfast idea

"How about this bacon, egg and potato skillet?" I asked showing her my phone

"That sounds intriguing" she said thinking about it

"Fine. Please hurry. Do remember to ware an apron" she said.

Soon after I started making breakfast and as soon as I finished I shared two plates for both her and myself 

"Hey Amanda! Breakfast's ready!" I yelled from the bottom of the stairs

"Tell Mom I'm not hungry" she said 

"I'm the one who made it" I informed her

"I'm coming down!" she yelled back before I heard shuffling and she came down the stairs 

"Here" I said handing her a plate and ome for my mom

After everyone sat down to eat, the doorbell rang again. Still time it was Marcus coming over to check on Amanda

"Good morning all" he said merrily

"Don't you have Mr Thomson? I'm sure the owner of a multi-million dollar corporation would be quite busy. Yet you seem to have a lot of free time" Amanda scolded taking a spoonful of the meal

"It helps to have a capable assistant" he joked

"But I actually have to head back to the office on Christmas day" he added

"Really? Why didn't you tell me this before?" Mom asked

"I just heard about it this morning" he said apologetically

"What about our date?" Mom asked

"We're still going out. I'm due back Christmas day. I have the whole of Christmas Eve to myself." He said charmingly 

"But won't you be tired when you head back?" Mom asked

"I'll be fine. If push comes to shove I'd just sleep on the plane ride back. One of the benefits of owning a privatee jet" he said

"Indeed. A luxury that is much appreciated. Especially when you want to leave the country for a weekend" Elizabeth said 

"Look. The broke trio in this house can't relate" I said eating my food getting a chuckle from my family

"Hm. What are you guys eating. It smells delicious" Marcus said 

"It's a bacon, egg and potato skillet" I said 

"Hm. Any left for me?" he asked 

"Sorry Marcus. All finished" I said

"You can have some of mine" Mom said 

"Really? Would you feed it to me?" he asked with a wink

"Sure. Say ahh" Mom said before she fed it to him 

"Yuck you guys aren't even dating yet and you're already embarrassing us" I said 

"And just like that I lost my appetite" Amanda said pushing away her plate

"Would you mind if I take it?" Marcus asked

"Knock yourself out weirdo" Amanda said 

"Then don't mind if I do" he smiled as he took the plate and started eating

"Wow this is absolutely delicious. Where did you guys buy this?" he asked

"Is he trying to piss us off" Amanda grumbled

"It wasn't bought. It's home made" I said

"You made this?" he asked Mom frozen with shock

"Mr Thomson. I know you're a smart man don't ask stupid question"Amanda said

"Yeah it does sound preposterous" he admitted as I finished my food and gotup

"I'm trying my best you know" Mom huffed

"And we appreciate you fully" I said kissing her on her cheek before going to put the plate in the sink

"Thank you Dear" she said

"So who actually made this?" he asked

"Alexander"

"Really? Alex made this. Wow Alex I'm impressed. This is delicious" he praised

"My brother is good at sports, studying or even looks presentable. Nor is he useful in many situations but I can safely say he is the best cook in the house" Amanda said

"I agree. Alexander is incapable of many things but cooking is not one of them. He is quite adept at it" Elizabeth said

"Wow guys. I really feel the love" I said rolling my eyes

"All jokes aside. Have you ever considered going to a cooking school. You have a great talent" 

"I don't know. I have most of my energy focused on just going to school now" I said

"Well tell me when you start thinking about it. I have a few friends at a few good schools" he said

"Sure thing" I said going turning to Elizabeth

"Are you finished? We can go talk in my room" I said as she put down the food'

"Indeed. I'm finished" she said gracefully wiping her mouth 

"Okay, Let's go" I said before we went inside and I was immediately greeted by freezing air

"Damn did I leave the window open" I shivered going to close the door

"Can't you let it stay open?" Ellizabeth asked smiling tenderly out the window

"Sorry not everyone shares your interest in hypothermia" I said but still didn't close the window; choosing to instead put on more clothes

"I've never got to play in the snow when I was younger" she said sitting on my messy bed

"Huh. Doesn't your family own a bunch of houses in Europe. I find it far fetched you haven't seen snow" I said

"I never said I didn't see it. I said I never played in it. I was too busy. Learning new languages, ethic and studying. I wasn't allow outside much. Mother never allowed me to go out as she said it was imperative I knew all those things. Unbeknownst to her Iwould sit in front of my mirror and look out at the children of the help, who lived in the house while we were away, playing. They would make snow angels, make snowmen and partake in snow ball fights. I could nothing but watch when I managed to sneak away from my studies" she explained with a melancholy expression

"Really? But what about when you went to your brother's school. Couldn't you have played there" I asked slightly depressed

"My brother and father lived in California. There was seldom any snow" she said

"Oh" I said

"And it's not like I would have had anyone to play with beside my brother. Not many people wanted to be my friend as I've told you" she said

"Well it's their lost. They lost the chance of making a great friend" I said

"Thank you for the sympathy Alexander but it is not warranted. Yours truly is not pathetic enough to dwell on the past" she said with a confident smile with made me smile as well

"I wish I could be that confident about the past" I shrugged

"Would it be presumptuous of me to ask?" she asked

"When have you ever cared about being presumptuous" I joked

"Indeed" she smiled

"So what are you trying to forget?" she asked

"I know that I'm adopted right" I said

"I seem to remember you telling me before" she said

"Well this is actually my second home" 

"You were adopted before this?"

"Yeah. I don't remember in detail. Maybe I was too young. I was only five when I met Mom. The child services told Mom that the previous family was good at the beginning. The wife stayed home and the husband had a decent job. They seemed like a happy family but the husband believed he couldn't have children. Hence why they adopted. They had been fine for the first two years as they had sent letters of gratitude and cards of appreciation to the orphanage but one day the husband's business started doing poorly so he lost his job. They started fighting alot. The fighting got worse when the wife got pregnant. The husband didn't take it well and they started fighting more. On my fifth birthday they took me to a diner and that's where I meet Mom. She was a waiter at the time. We bonded surprisingly well and she was way nicer than I thought. I started going by the diner more and more and we got closer and closer so when it happened I ran straight to her" I said

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked

"The husband snapped. He killed his wife in front of me and I ran before he could do the same to me." I said

"That was dark. It is quite unfortunate that you had to experience especially at such a tender age" she said

"Yeah. The real funny part is that he went insane after he found out she hadn't cheated. He was the one that got her pregnant" I said giving a sad chuckle at the horrible memory

"Ignorance. The train mark of a fool" she sighed

"Anyway after that I got adopted by Mom and we started living in a small apartment. She was really busy as she was going to a community college and working at the diner. When she graduated she got a crappy job at a bank. Later she got promoted and we could finally afford to move and we moved to a nice apartment. When she started making a bit of money I might of mentioned wanting a little sister. I think I was around nine at the time. That's when she brought the brat home. She was a lot cuter when she was a baby" I chuckled

"After a two years Mom got promoted again and so she took out a loan and bought this house." I said finishing my story

"That was quite a tale. My respect for Bethany has gone up quite a bit." she said

"Yeah my mom's great" I smiled before my phone sudddenly buzzed 

"I got a text" I said 

"From who?" she asked as I looked at my phone

"Gwen." I said 

"Gwendaline? Why would she be texting you so early in the morning?" she asked

"Um..." I said trying to find an excuse

"Words Alexander" she said with a tone colder than the freezing wind outside

"Um...I don't know. Maybe she wants my opinion on something" I said

"Why would she seek your opinion when she can speak to yours truly" she said skeptically

"I don't know" I chuckled awkwardly

"Guess I'll have to go there to find out" I said still chuckling awkwardly

"Okay. Would you mind if I tag along?" she asked with a beautiful yet scary smile

"I don't think that..." I said noticing her threatening glare

"On second thought I don't see the problem. After all two heads are better than one" I said nervously

"Glad you think so" she said kissing my cheek

"Yeah. Can you go outside for a moment please" I said

"Why?" she asked

"I'm going to get a shower" I sighed

"So?"

"I'm have to get naked" I said before she looked at me from head to toe before looking directly at my jewels

"I don't see a problem" she joked

"Out" I ordered before she giggled and walked away

I sighed as I closed the window and started taking off my shirt. If you hadn't noticed I was lying about why I was meeting up with Gwen. So I was incredibly nervous the whole time we were going to the mall. I was sweating bullets the whole taxi ride over and I could tell Elizabeth noticed but she hadn't said anything.

"Hey Alex over here" she yelled standing by a smoothie cart 

"Hey" I said with an awkward smile.

"Hello Gwendaline" Elizabeth said with a chilling smile

"Um...Elizabeth. W-w-what are you doing here?" she asked smiling nervously

"I was at Alexander's house when you sent your text so early in the morning."

"Oh I see" she said 

"He told me that you need aid. What could this simpleton possibly aid you with?" she asked passive agressively

"Help...um..yes. I need his help..buying something" she said

"Buying what?" Elizabeth asked

"A necklace" 

"For who?" Elizabeth asked

"Hey sorry I'm late The bus broke down" Emily told Gwen 

"Emily?" Elizabeth said

"Elizabeth!" Gwen said surprised

"What are you doing here?" I asked confused

"Gwen told me you-"

"Promised to help me by her a necklace" Gwen said

"Buy me a necklace?" Emily said

"Yeah it was gonna be a surprised" Gwen said

"Okay but I hate surprises" Emily said

"Well that's why I told you to come" Gwen said

"Okay. I see you two have found a kinship" Elizabeth said

"How and when did that happen?" I asked

"After Elizabeth.."

"Rejected you Emily" Elizabeth sighed

"Gwen came to check up on me because I...didn't exactly take it well" Emily said before I looked at Elizabeth

"She ran away crying" Elizabeth told me

"Oh. I hope you weren't too harsh" I sighed

"It is all good. She wasn't that bad" Emily said

"Anyway after that we got closer and now we're friends" Emily said

"Well that's good for you" Elizabeth said

"Anyway we should hurry inside if we're gonna buy something" Emily said

"Sure you two head on inside. I want to talk to Gwen before we go in" I said

"What could you ever be talking about?" Elizabeth said

"It's a bbit private. Just trust me and go inside please" I said. Elizabeth looked at me from head to toe

"Fine" she said before kissing me deeply before turning and flashing her hair in my face before walking away. Leaving both Emily and I with a shocked expression

"Wow" I said 

"Alex" Gwen said 

"Oh yeah...I..got a bit distracted" I said looking at Elizabeth vanishing figure as she walked into the mall

"Well what are we suppose to do. Wasn't this suppose to be a surprise for her?" Gwen asked

"Yeah. I couldn't stop her from cooking but maybe this could work" I said

"How?"

"I invited you to get a girls's perspective but what's better than the perspective from the actual girl herself" I said

"Wait Alex you're buying a gift for Elizabeth? You're the one she's dating?" Emily asked

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you" I apologized

"Sorry?Why are you apologizing" she said shyly

"I knew you had a crush and I told her. I know Elizabeth can be a bit harsh and blunt so I can't imagine she was delicte with her rejection" I said

"No it's fine. She was really nice" she said

"Really?" I asked skeptical

"Yeah." Emily nodded

"Still maybe I shouldn't have told her" I said

"It's better I know how she feels now. So I should be thank you" Emily said

"Anyway we should get inside" Gwen said before we all walked in 

"So what did you talk about?" Elizabeth asked me

"Nothing much" I shrugged and she sighed before looking at some necklaces in the glass display

"What did you think of these?" I asked her

"Tacky" she said

"Yeah. Maybe we should look over there" I said before we walked all over the store

"Don't you see anything you'd wear?" I askeed exactly

"Me? Why would yours truly wear these low quality garbage" she said dismissively

"Seriously?" I groaned beforeI turned my head and spotted it. A small neck display on that pure white necklace was a fake white god necklace with a snowflake pendent. It was incredibly beautiful. 

"Hey come here" I said pulling her over to the display 

"What is it?" she asked

"How about this?" I asked

"It's fake but it's really beautiful" she said

"You have a good eye sir. Would you like to try it on your girlfriend" one of the attendants said as she took off the necklace 

"Oh she's not my girlfriend" I denied taking the necklace

"Let see how it looks" I said before she walked to the mirror and moved her hair out of the way 

I put the nacklace on her soft smooth skin before looking at her reflection

"Prefect. I'll take this one" I told the attendant

"Nice choice sir. That is actually on sale today. It will be fvehundred dollars please" she said

"W-w-what?" I stuttered shocked

"Is there a problem sir?" she asked before I looked at how Elizabeth looked before reaching into my pocket

"No I'll take it" I said giving her the money. This was all the money that I had been saving since the school year started. I had just managed to reach over five hundred bucks

"Alexander. Five hundred dollars is quite a lot for you. Who exactly is this for?" She asked enthusiastically 

"That's a secret" I said putting my finger on my lips

"Come on tell me" she said turning towards me

"No" I said 

"Come on tell me now" she said

"Fine. It's for...Wendy?" I said as I spotted Wendy through the window behind Elizabeth. She had two really heavy looking boxes stacked on each other that she was struggling to put in the back of a truck. Her eyes had dark rings and bags under them. It looked like she hadn't slept as she dropped the boxes in the trunk. She let out a huge yawn before turning to walk back into the store. She hadn't even made it four steps before she turned over and collapse on the sidewalk

"Oh shit" I said walking away

"Where are you going?" Elizabeth asked

"I'll be right back" I said rushing out of the store

"Excuse me" I said  pushing through the crowd that had gathered around here

"Miss" the driver said trying to help her

"Wendy" I said rushing to her side

"Do you know her?" the driver asked

"I'm her friend. A classmate. What happened to her" I said

"She suddenly collapsed" the driver said

"It's sleep deprivation" I said. I remember when Mom used to have that exact same look.

"Ah great just what I needed" the driver said throwing down his cap frustrated

"What are you so upset about" I glared at me

"Don't look at me like that kid. I've got a truck load of stuff to pack and carry."

"Is that really important right now?" I asked irritated

"Time is money kid. I can't deal with this little girl right now" he said

"Screw it fine. I'll take her" I said. Even though I said that I had no idea where to bring her. I would like to carry her to the hospital and get her checked out but I know she didn't have spare cash and she seemed fine now. I thought of carrying her to her Dad's because I don't think she'd want to wake up there. I also can't bring her to mom's because I still don't know where she lives

"Yo kid what are you gonna do?" th driver asked 

"Wait a minute" I said taking out my phone and calling a cab.

Having no other choice I brought her to my house

"Hey guys" I said walking into the living room

"Hey Al...why?" Mom said noticing Wendy on my back

"Oh. Mom, this is Wendy" I said

"I know who she is. Why do you have her on your back?" Mom asked

"Don't tell me you drugged her. I can't believe my brother's gonna be a rapist" Amanda said

"Don't worry I have a good lawyer" Marcus joked before I rolled my eyes

"Can someone help me" I said. Wendy was heavy but it was luck that I had been able to carry her from thecab to the house. Oddly Wendy was normally way heavier than that. I hadn't noticed just how much weight had lost until I carried

"So what happened to her?" Marcus asked  

"She collapsed" I said

"Oh my"  Mom gasped

"She needs a place to sleep. Can you help me carry her upstairs?" I asked

"Sure"  Marcus said before we went upstairs and I put her on my bed  

"Are you going to call her parents?" he asked

"I only have her dad's number" I sighed

"So?"

"They aren't on the best of terms now" I added

"I see" he said

"I'll just let her sleep for now" I said before heading to the kitchen to make her something to eat.

I had just finished cooking when suddenly Wendy came running down the stairs

"Oh my god. Where am I? What time is it? I have to go back to work" she said

"Wendy chill. You're at my house" I said

"Your house?"

"Yeah you passed out" I said before she sighed

"Okay thanks for carrying me here but what about my job?" she asked

"Eat first talk later" I said putting a plate of rice and peas with fried chicken on the table

"I really have to get to work" she said but I grabbed her and forced her into a seat

"What you have to do is eat. Then get some more rest" I told her

"I don't need rest. I'm fine" she said

"A person that's fine doesn't collapse on the street. What you are is sleep deprived'' I said

"I'm not sleep deprived"

"When was the last time you slept?" I asked her

"I just woke from a nap" she said 

"Full eight hours" I said 

"Recent" she said avoiding my gaze

"How recent?"

"Last day of school"

"That was two weeks ago. You haven't had a full night's sleep in two weeks." I said

"I've been busy alright"

"Working yourself to death" I said

"It's just for the holiday"

"Why are you working for the holiday?" 

"My after school classes prices have raised, I need to work over the winter alright" she said

"How much for the classes?" I asked

"Twenty five dollars a week"

"So one hundred dollars a month" I said

"Look it might not sound like a lot to you but I can't deal with that and all the expenses that come along with school" 

"I know it's hard but can't you just ask your dad?"

"I don't want anything to do with him" she said

"I know but it beats straving and overworking yourself" I said

"I'M NOT ASKING HIM FOR ANYTHING!" she snapped

"Okay but you can't keep working yourself like this" I said

"Then what do you suggest I do. My mom doesn't even make enough as is. I don't have anyone I can ask for help"

"Yes you do" I said

"Do not say my dad"

"I meant me" I said

"No. Absolutely not! I'm not begging you for any pity money"

"You're not begging; I'm offering. And it's not pity money; it's a loan. I expect you to pay me back"

"Alex I can't. It's too much to ask"

"Well you can't work either" I said

"Alex"

"Wendy if you work I promise I'll find your work place and make sure you get fired" I said

"You can't be serious" she said

"Wanna try me?" I said before she sighed in defeat

"I'll pay you back" she said

"No rush. Just eat now" I said 

"Thank you" she said before looking at the knife and fork

"Knife and fork? Isn't this a bit too fancy?" she asked

"Oh sorry. It's a habit"

"Since when?"

"Elizabeth" I said 

"Oh. You two have gotten rather close" she said

"Yeah. She's actually not that bad when you get pass her strange dialect" I said 

"That's good to know. Can I get a spoon please?" she asked

"Sure" I said getting her a spoon.

"Wow this is delicious. Did you make this?" she said

"Yeah"

"This is amazing"

"Thank you" I smiled before she continued eating. Maybe it was because my food was too delicious or because she hadn't eaten anything decent in two weeks, I'd like to think it was the former. She quickly finished and even asked for a second helping

"More" she said

"Sure" I chuckled getting up but as I opened the pot a furious Elizabeth walked into the kitchen

"Alexander!" she yelled 

"Elizabeth" I said shocked before I remembered that I had left her in the mall. It was a real dick move but I had been a little too worried about Wendy and I ended up forgetting about her

"Is this what you meant by you'll be right back" she said menacing

"I can explain" I cowered before she noticed Wendy

"Wendy?" she said before glaring at me

"This is also not what it looks like" I said

"Well it looks like you left me at the mall so you can leave with her" she said

"I mean that's technically true but-"

"I think I should just leave" Wendy said

"Yeah you should" Elizabeth said

"No you still need to get some rest. You should just head back upstairs I'll just talk with Elizabeth" I said 

She looked at me then at the pissed off Elizabeth before looking back at me. 

"Okay" she said before leaving the kitchen

"Elizabeth. Did you wait at the mall this whole time?"

"Don't falter yourself. I had a girl's day out with Emily and Gwen" she said

"Okay so why are you so angry?" I asked

"Why? Why am I angry" she asked turning red in her face

"Yeah" I said stepping back in fear. 

Elizabeth looked like she was going to explode but surprisingly she didn't. She turned around, grabbing her expensive bag and walking away 

"Oh yeah here's your silly necklace" she said throwing the box at me before leaving again

"Elizabeth" I called out. Once, twice, even thrice but she still hadn't responded. She just stormed out of the house

"What was that about?" I asked

"That's what I want to know" Mom asked walking into the kitchen

"I did nothing wrong" I said

"I never said you did. Just explain it to me" she said before I sighed sitting down and telling her exactly what happened

"You made a mistake" she said

"Mistake? Mom, was I suppose to just leave her passed out on the roadside" I said defensively

"No you did the right thing helping her but the mistake you made is not being clear with Elizabeth"

"What?" I asked

"Alex dear, Elizabeth has been very straight forward with her feelings for you hasn't she" 

"Yeah. She practically shows her feelings everyday" I responded

"Have you ever once tried to show her your feelings?" she asked

"No but-"

"Do you even know how you feel?" Mom asked

"I know Mom. I know how I feel" I said

"Then you let Elizabeth know. A lack of communication has destroyed many relationship, Alexander. You have to be clear with your intentions or you might end up hurting Elizabeth more than you know" Mom said 

"Okay Mom. I had planned this to be a surprise to her but I'm gonna confess tonight" I said looking at the box

"Tonight?" Mom said

"Yeah there's a Christmas Eve party" I smiled 

"You seem to already have this planned out" 

"Yeah. It's gonna be beautiful. I'll tell you all about it when I get back" I said getting up and heading out of the kitchen

"Oh yeah Mom. You're still going out with Mark tonight right?" I asked stopping by the door

"Yeah why?"

"Who's gonna watch Amanda?" I asked

"Marcus said that he'll handle it" she said

"Angelina" I said

"Most likely" she chuckled 

"I almost feel sorry for the poor woman" I chuckled and went upstairs

"Hey" Wendy said as I walked into the room

"Why are you still up?" I asked

"I can't sleep. I'm just worried I might have caused a problem" she said

"It's fine. Elizabeth and I are fine" I said

"Are you sure?" she asked

"Yeah. Everything's fine."

"What are you two by the way? Are you dating or something?"

"It's a bit complicated. Are you still hungry" I said

"Yeah. That food is delicious" she said

"I'll go get a plate. Oh are you going to Anthony's party?" I asked

"Well I was actually going to work through the tonight but now that I apparently have some free time. I think I'll swing by" she said

"So you're gonna change before you go?" I asked

"That was the plan but I don't have that many clothes to change"

"What?"

"Don't tell my mother but I sold some of my clothes to help her with the rent and some stuff for William's school" she said

"Really?" I asked

"Yeah but put away that pitiful look. I'm not sad or anything it's just clothes" she said

"No that's it. You guys named your brother William Williams" I chuckled

"What? Mom was tired and Dad just said the first thing that came to mind" Wendy laughed

"But William Williams did he just write the first thing he saw" I said

"He claimed he named him off of the merchant, and a delegate for Connecticut since they were born the same day" Wendy laughed

"And your named off of the celebrity?" I asked

"Yeah Dad saw her name on magazine column and decided that would be it. At least that's what Mom said" she laughed

"It's good to see you laugh like that again" I smiled. That beautiful smile of hers was the thing I had loved most about her but she hadn't been smiling much those days so seeing her smiling that day was a unexpected gift

"Hey Wendy. You and Mom seem like the same height would you mind if I lent you one of my mom's dresses" I offered

"Are you sure she won't mind?" she asked

"Only one way to find out" I shrugged.

After that the rest of the day seemed to fly by and soon we were at the party

"Wow this place is crowded" I said 

"Yeah is that Anthony over there?" Wendy asked spotting Anthony by the bar

"I think it is. And I spotted  Elizabeth so see ya." I said leaving.

I made my way through the crowd and over to a corner of the house that Elizabeth had blocked off with velvet ropes.

In front of the rope were two very intimidating body guards blocking my path

"V.I.P only" one said

"What? There's a V.I.P list?" I said 

"Yeah and you're not on it so please step back" the other said

"I just want to talk to Elizabeth" I said

"One second" one said before going to behind the velvet rope where Elizabeth whispered something to him before looking away then he returned to me

"She says that she doesn't want to talk to you" he said

"It'll just take a minute. I just want to say one thing to her" I said

"Beat it kid or we'll throw you out" the other said

"Alright fine" I said walking away. I spotted Wendy standing by herself in the corner and went over to her

"Hey"

"You struck out with Elizabeth?"  she asked

"Yeah. Why are you standing by yourself?" I asked

"Samantha did not want me there" she said

"She's still upset about Anthony and you. It's been three weeks" I said

"It's not that. I just reminded her of her dad" she said

"Her dad?"

"It's a long story. It's a sore topic so she doesn't bring it up much" Wendy said

"Oh" I said before we got silent

"It's pretty sad to think we came all the way here to stand around" I chuckled

"Yeah I think I should go back home. Someone needs to watch my brother while Mom's at work" she said

"Where is your brother now?" I asked

"Our neighbor's. I'll go pick him up" she said

"Wait hold on. We're already here why not enjoy ourselves for a bit" I said 

"You think that'd be a good idea?" she asked. At that time I hadn't been thinking about anything. I just knew that if she went back home that smile that I worked to keep on her face would leave. That just didn't sit well with me so I'd rather she just stay here. That turned out to be a mistake on my part. Maybe if I had let her going that wouldn't have happened to her

"Elizabeth might just need some more space. No reason I can't enjoy the party while she's cooling off" I said 

"Okay then let's dance" she said.

We danced for a while. I think an hour or two had passed.

"I'm having so much fun" she laughed

"Yeah. Me too" I said before suddenly I felt someone's hand on my shoulder. I stopped dancing and turning to see Ben behind me

"Ben?" I said

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ben said. 

"Sure" I said before turning to Wendy

"I'll be right back" I said

"Sure. I'll just get something to drink" she said heading over to the bar

"So what's up. I thought you were giving me the silent treatment. Not that I mind or anything" I said

"I'm taking a temporary break. I just want to know what's wrong with Elizabeth. She keeps glaring at you" he said

"Glaring?"

"Yeah. Very hatefully at that. Did you do something?" he asked

"Not necassarily" I said before explaining the situation

"Are you an idiot...Don't answer that. You're an idiot" he said facepalmming

"What did I do?" I asked

"First you left your girlfriend waiting for you at the mall-"

"She said she wasn't waiting"

"She was lying" he said

"What"

"Then you brought the girl you left with to a party and having been dancing with her for hours. Are you that dense or do you just know how to dig yourself in a deeper hole" Ben shook his head

"I'm not digging anything. I was going to apologize to her but she won't listen. So I'm gonna wait for when we go watch the snow"

"And when are you going to watch the snow?" he asked

"Midnight" I said

"Look at your phone" he said before I looked at my phone. Ten minutes pass midnight. I looked at Elizabeth's V.I.P. corner and she was missing

"Oh shit. I'll be back" I said

"Yeah sure" he said

"Wait hold up. Didn't you like Elizabeth"

"It was a mild crush. Just get going. I'll continue the silent treatment" he said rushing me away

"Sure" I said before rushing off to meet with Elizabeth but just as I left the living room and made it up the stairs into the hallway. That's where I saw it that son of a bitch Ethan leading Wendy going into a room. From what I could see Wendy was barely standing straight and would almost fall from time to time but 

Worried I walked over to them

"What's going on here? Is she alright?" I asked

"Oh yeah. She's fine. She just couldn't handle the alcohol." he lied

"Just time drinking" he laughter

"So where are you going?" I asked

"To put her to rest. I was gonna put her in a room so shecan somber up" he said 

"Oh I get it" I said

"So why are you up here?" he asked flashing his disgustingly charming smile at me

"Oh. I'm actually going to meet someone but I'm really late"

"Oh man. If you're late you should get going" he said obviously to get rid of me

"Oh yeah sure" I said leaving. I regretted leaving maybe because I felt something was off. That feeling followed me all the to the door of the roof. I caught of glimpse of Elizabeth waiting out in the snow but before I could step out that worrying feeling took over me so I run back down  and found the room that asshole was heading for. I made it just in time to see that son of a bitch on top of Wendy who was kicking and struggling weakly. Whatever he put in that drink he mentioned before must have put her in a state weaker than she had already been in. No matter how she thrashd about he could easily grip from hands and keep her in place

"What the hell are you doing!" I yelled furious

"Oh f**k me! Not you again kid" Ethan groaned as he got off her

"What are you doing to her?" I asked 

"Listen here kid. You're not dumb. You know what this is" he said opening his belt buckle

"The real question is if you want in or not"

"What the hell are you asking me?"

"Come kid. I know you like her. Heard it from the bitches mouth herself. This could be your chance" he said

"No.You sick bastard. I'm gonna call the f**king cops" I said

"I'd rather you not do that" he said stepping closer to me

"Back off" I said my voice shaking 

"You look a little other than the rest. You're what fifteen?" he said still smirking

"Yeah...so what?" I asked when he was directly in front of me. He was the same height as Anthony and though he's not as bulky he still had way more muscles than me

"Listen kid. You don't wanna any trouble right? Neither do I. So if you don't want in. I suggest you leave" he said

"I..." I said terrified but I didn't want to leave Wendy there

"HELP SOMEONE HELP!" I yelled running out of the room

"Crap" he said through gritted teeth chasing me down

"Someo-" I yelled before he punched in the face

"I warned ya brat" he said before continuing his assault. I continued screaming bloody murder until he heard shuffling

"Hehe...busted" I forced a laughed

"F**K me. You really know how to ruin a party kid" he said

"Hope you enjoy your flight" the psycho said

"What?" I thought to myself before he pushed me down the flight of steps

"Oh shit" he said a lookof horror spreading across his face as I fell down the flight of steps hitting my head multiple times before hitting the floor.

My eyes were barely opened when I noticed someone rushing down the stairs

"El-iza-beth" I said holding unto the gift box before my eyes closed

"Alexander! Alexander! Help! Someone help!" she yelled