"Okay guys! Have a good weekend, don't do anything illegal and don't forget that your take-home epic test is due first thing Monday!" Mrs. Barnes called out to her students as the last bell of the day rang to dismiss everyone. It was now officially the weekend.

Molly glanced back at Daniel who was gathering up his books. For a moment she allowed herself to remember a time when they would have leaned across the isle and snuck a kiss before making their way out to his car and driving off together. No longer. Daniel now glanced up and looked straight through her before he stood and filed out with the rest of the class.

After a quick trip to her locker, she started for the front of St. James where Justin would be picking her up.

"Molly! How's it goin?" Molly rolled her eyes as she heard Greg Thompson's voice behind her. As if her day hadn't been bad enough, she had to deal with this too?

Greg had been trying to corner her all week long and she was starting to wonder why she was suddenly so acceptable to talk to. For the past month, ever since she had broken things off with Daniel, their group had made sure she was a complete social pariah in the eyes of her peers. Even more so than she had been before. Now no one even bothered to insult or harass her. Not that she was overly bothered by it. Well...she was, but less and less with every passing day. Each day she had learned to steel herself against the indifference and the blank stares. But now, out of the blue and for reasons unbeknownst to her, Greg had inexplicably taken an interest in her.

"Um...it's going okay," she replied, all the while wishing he would simply go away.

Greg smiled dumbly as he fell into step beside her. The crowded hallway called for him to walk closer to her than she cared for, but she kept her eyes forward and her guard up.

"So...Barnes. What a bitch, huh?"

Molly bit her tongue, knowing that she needed to hold herself in check just long enough to make it outside. As the two walked down the hallway, a group of jocks caught her eye. They were all baseball players. All of them looking upon Molly and Greg as if they were watching some porn. All of them leering and smiling as though they were holding back laughter. Her face immediately began to burn and her imagination began to wander. Had Daniel said something about her? It was entirely possible. He had always been amazed with her natural talents in...certain areas, but could he be cruel enough to talk about her like that? In the paranoia that followed in the wake of their breakup, she actually let herself consider it as a possibility. Could she be the topic of locker room gossip? Of course, if she was the subject of rumors, they would all be confirmed when the news of her condition spread.

And it would spread. As soon as she started to show, the word would be out. But that wouldnt' be for several more months and by then Daniel would be away at his off-season training camp and after that he would be away at school. It wouldn't matter beyond that.

She had made the decision not to involve him in any way. He still believed that she had gone ahead with the abortion and she wasn't about to tell him anything different. That revelation had caused quite a stir in the Taylor household, to say the least. Especially since her brother had started to like Daniel and now she had taken away his new partner in crime. But she had made up her mind and she would see it through. She had to stand on her own two feet and show them that she didn't need Daniel. She didn't need anyone.

As she exited the main doors of the school, she sighed heavily. Greg was still at her side. She just couldn't shake him, it seemed. And wouldn't it figure that Justin would chose that day to be late!

"So...wanna go get some food or something?"

"Oh. No - thank you." Molly said quickly. It was ridiculous. She had surely just stumbled into the twilight zone. "I have somewhere else to be."

"Where?"

Nosy jackass! "Elsewhere," she ground out slowly.

"I can take you," he immediately offered.

"No. Really. I'm FINE."

"Uh...right. So...can I at least ask you something?"

Molly rolled her eyes. "If you feel you must."

He struck his most egotistical pose and smirked. "Normally I wouldn't do this, since you was my boy's girl and all. But I figured since he was taking Chelsea to the prom, you might not have a date."

Molly stilled. Her heart skipped several beats. "W-What?" She frowned, but tried to keep the pain out of her eyes. She wouldn't show this big gorilla that she was hurting. "He's...taking Chelsea?"

Greg shrugged. "That's what she said." He shuffled for a moment, probably thinking that he looked cute doing so. He didn't. "So...wanna go with me?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on breathing and tuning Greg out altogether. Why did it still have to hurt so much? She had broken things off with HIM. Not the other way around. When she opened her eyes again, it was to see Daniel and Chelsea walking out of the main entrance to the school, her arm linked with his.

"I...gotta go." Without another word, she turned and jogged towards the spot where Justin had thankfully just pulled up.

"How was your day?" he asked as she slid into his car. But Molly didn't answer. Her throat had closed up and she just stared out the window as he drove, willing herself not to cry.

***

Daniel blinked heavily, feeling as though there was carpet behind his eyelids. He would definitely have to quit with the recreational shit. Sure it was one way to get through the day but he was beginning to wonder about the quality of the stuff he was buying. Fucking Anita! She probably thought that she could get away with selling the low-grade stuff to a minor. Maybe he should just say no.

But then...then what would get him from morning to night? What would get him through the eight torturous hours of the day that he had to spend trying not to think of a certain blonde?

Well shit. He'd just thought of her. That made a record though. Fifteen whole minutes!

"Okay guys! Have a good weekend-"

Fat chance.

"- don't do anything illegal -"

Too late.

"- and don't forget that your take-home epic test is due first thing Monday!"

Ha! Right! Take home test! What a joke. Maybe he could talk somebody into helping out a clueless jock. Hey, it had worked with M-that other girl...maybe this time he could go for a brunette. He almost scanned the class for someone that might fit the bill, but the bell rang and he slowly began to gather his things.

When he looked up, he imagined that Molly was staring straight at him. But no...no, she wouldn't lower herself to look upon a commoner such as himself. No. It was the weed talkin. That was all.

Sluggishly, as if he had all the time in the world, Daniel turned the combination lock on his locker and began the long and drawn out process of figuring out what books he actually needed for the weekend. Only...he couldn't. With a loud "Fuck it," he shoved what books he had into the bottom of his locker and slammed the small red door shut.

"Problems?"

Daniel looked up and groaned inwardly. Not HER again. "Oh. Hey...Chels. What's up?"

"Not too much. So, are you going to Ross's party this weekend?"

He scratched his head and blinked a few times. "Um. Maybe. Probably."

"Cool. I thought about going but...I'm not sure how I could get there." She shrugged and tried to look bored. As if she weren't trying to weasel an invitation out of him. Right! He was stoned...not stupid. "My parents are planning on going out of town. So...they'll have the car and all." Uh-huh. As if she didn't have two others to choose from.

Seeing that he wasn't taking the bate, she delved onto a more important subject. "Daniel I've been asked to the prom by seven different guys."

"Oh yeah? Maybe they can all share expenses and rent a stretch limo for cheap." He laughed at the image of Chelsea being followed around by seven guys. All of them staging rock-paper-scissor tournaments just to decide who would dance with her.

Chelsea giggled. "No you silly boy. I turned them all down. And do you know why?" She ran a frosty pink fingernail up the front of his sweatshirt.

Daniel forced himself not to laugh at the whole scene. "Um...they actually still shop at the Gap?"

She giggled again and he cringed at the sound. "Noooooo." Her fingernail was now scratching at the underside of his chin. He had to grit his teeth so that he didn't jerk away. "Care to take another stab?"

Finally he gave in. Otherwise he might be held at nail-point all afternoon. "You're waiting for someone in particular to ask you?"

She grinned and moved her nail away from him, flattening her hand out on his chest. "Bingo."

Was there really any need to go further with this? "Chelsea...I don't think I'll be going to the prom."

She looked as though she might faint at the idea of NOT going. "B-But you HAVE to go. You're a shoe-in for prom king!"

"So?"

"SO? So...you HAVE to go!" Daniel shrugged and moved past her towards the exit. "Molly's going." With the magic words now hanging in the air, Daniel froze and turned back towards Chelsea.

"Why should I care?" He asked, though his voice sounded unsteady even to him.

Chelsea smiled and pretended as if she were simply talking about one of their friends. As if she were only passing along the latest gossip. "Greg asked her, ya know." She grinned at him slyly. "I think he actually likes her."

Daniel didn't know what to say. He HAD seen Greg following Molly around the halls all week, looking like a man on the make. Could Greg like Molly? No...he couldn't possibly appreciate someone as wonderful as Molly. And Molly would never give Greg the time of day, much less actually go out with him! Would she?

Chelsea took his arm and led him towards the exit. "So...since everyone seems to be paired up..." She took a deep breath, ready to take it upon herself to ask. "So?"

Daniel looked up and saw Molly and Greg standing at the bottom of the steps. Greg was doing his patented little innocent look that he was convinced girls loved. He couldn't see Molly's face, but if she was standing with Greg...talking to him...

Daniel watched Molly walk towards Justin's car, her long hair hiding her face and probably that beautiful smile that was once reserved for him. He still wanted her. Still dreamed of her. Still doodled her name in his notebook. But...if she could move on, the so could he!

"Yeah, Chels. Sure, I'll take you."

"Wonderful!" she shrieked, tightening her arms around his. Soon, she was going on and on about matching colors to flowers and limos and pre and post-prom plans. All the while, he tuned her out and decided that he would definitely need to visit Anita again soon.