I pulled the covers up over my legs, shivering slightly. Even in summer my house seemed cold. My eyes strained as I squinted at the pags of my book. Tomorrow I was suppose to catch Matt up on Beowulf and Grendel both before the unit test in AP English, so I was rereading as much as I could. I didn't want to be the reason he failed his first test, especially not after how sweet he'd been. I was in the bathroom, rinsing my face neck free of soda when a girl came in with an over-sized shirt and hat and a message, "Matt said to tell you to hurry, he's lost."

I was still wearing the clothes he'd lent me because my brother was hogging our only bathroom. And I was comfortable.

In music class, he hadn't prodded me about the cafeteria incident but he had forced me to sit with him on the over sized couch while he made new buddies. The group of guys from lunch hadn't been total jerks toward me and Johnny, who was younger than all of us, offered to throw a rock at my brother from his bedroom window. That had earned a geniune laugh from me, but I couldn't help but remember that these guys were no different from anyone else in school. That meant pretty soon I'd be on my own again.

I flipped a page but my concentration was killed by a bleep on my computer. I figured it was one of my online friends, you know my only friends, and went over to it. It wasn't a friend but a request to add someone: FromxthexShadowsxM. I added it and clicked on them to pop up a window.


DaniXOEllaOX says: who is this?
FromxthexShadowsxM says: Matt. Well it's my addy, but this is collectively me, Johnny, and Brian.
DaniXOEllaOX says: Oh. Ok. Got a ?
FromxthexShadowsxM says: Shoot
DaniXOEllaOX says: how'd you guys get my email?
FromxthexShadowsxM says: Brian charmed it out of Mrs. Delores.
DaniXOEllaOX says: Cool I guess.
FromxthexShadowsxM says: Wanna come next door (we're at Johnny's) and hang with us?
Why would they want to hang with me? Weirdos.
DaniXOEllaOX says: Thanks but I was gonna take a shower and study.
FromxthexShadowsxM says: Ooh. Shower! Can I join? ;-)
DaniXOEllaOX says: No. perv.
FromxthexShadowsxM says: Come on. Come hang out with us.
DaniXOEllaOX says: Can I shower first? I'm sticky.
FromxthexShadowsxM says: Brians says no, he likes his women sticky.
DaniXOEllaOX says: Brian=ew. give me 20 min. okay?
FromxthexShadowsxM says: 15. and if you take longer than 20 I'm coming after you. Literally.
DaniXOEllaOX says: Fine. Bye.
FromxthexShadowsxM says: bye!

Why was Matt so insistent that I come hang out with them? Never had i been invited to Johnny's by Johnny, and we'd lived next to each other all of our lives.

I pounded on the bathroom door, "Rodney! I need to take ashower."

"Too bad, so sad." He laughed through the door.

"Mother fucker! Rodney! Move your ass! You've been in there for two hours. If you've not released the demons by now, you're not going to." I banged on the door again, glaring at it.

"Oh, get a life, tubby. Wait that's right. You were denied."

I rolled my eyes and tramped back into my bedroom. I realized I could look out my bedroom window and see Johnny's room from there so I crosed to it and opened it.

Johnny saw me, "Hey! I was wondering when you'd realize you could do this."

"Hey! Being as this is the third time I've ever spoken to you, I think I caught on pretty quick." I rolled my eyes again.

He snorted, "Yeah, I s'pose. Matt! Dani's not in the shower!"

"And you know this because? Oh! Come on over!" Matt scooted Johnny over to take his spot.

"Rodney's being a douche and setting up camp in the bathroom." I sighed.

"Well . . .come over anyway. So what if you're sticky? We're just hanging out." He leaned far out the window to mock-whisper, "And we won't tell Brian you still are,so you don't have to worry about being raped."

Like that was a real worry. I snickered, "Shut up. I'll be over there in a few."

"Johnny, go open the door." Matt said as he turned from the window.

I threw on my shoes and hurried toward the door. Right as I was going out the door, Rodney came out of the bathroom, "It's free."

"Oh, well. I gotta scram."

"Why?" He frowned.

"Gonna go hang out with Johnny next door."

"Yeah right." He sneered.

"Woman! Hurry up!" Johnny called from his front porch.

"Bye." I slammed out the door and headed across the yard, "Hey, Johnny."

"Hey! Matt has been bugging us since fifth period about you." The short guy smiled, turning to open the door.

Yeah, right. "Oh?" I tried not to stare at his house or at Matt, who was coming down the stairs.

Johnny tugged at my hand, "Come on. We're playing video games."

"I'm sure she's real excited about that." Matt laughed a bit, seeing my surprised expression.

"Oh, no. I don't mind. With two brothers, I'm kinda use to being forced to play video games." I shrugged.

"Score! Female gamer. Zacky will love you." Johnny grinned and tugged me again. I followed, smiling when Matt poked me.

"Nice shirt."

"Oh. I'll wash it tonight and get it back to you." I glanced at the loose Guns 'N' Roses shirt.

"Don't worry about it. If I want it, I know where to get it. Right?" He beamed a smile. I nodded and smiled back.

The night wasn't that bad. Johnny's selection of video games was vast so we had our pick and once Zacky and Jimmy showed up, it was a full swing battle. I discovered a few things-Jimmy lived up to his reputation as a drunken druggie. Zacky's eye-hand coordination was awesome, making him rule at video games. Brian rambled and flirted with anything that would stand still and let him-male or female. Johnny was super-serious but loved attention. And Matt . . . was smarter than he would have you think, funny, and had a killer voice. Also, he had a temper and hands too large to play video games.

"God damnit. You beat me again, Zacky!" Matt practically growled and thrust the controller out to Brian, "Your fucking turn."

Brian pushed it away, "Johnny, you can take my turn. So, Jimmy . . ."

I laughed and shook my head as the stoned Jimmy flashed Brian a smile. Matt nudged me, "Move over, princess."

"Princess? Did you smoke some shit with Jimmy?" I looked at him weird.

"Nope. Enjoying yourself so far?" he brushed his hand over mine as he leaned back on Johnny's bed.

"I guess so. Yeah." I nodded.

"Not regretting coming to hang out with us then?" Johnny asked, not glancing from the screen.

"Of course not." I smiled at him. Matt made a noise and I jerked my attention to him, "What's up?"

"Nothing. Hey, we have like a really big test tomorrow in English and she expects me to take it, right?" His eyebrows went up.

I nodded, "Yeah. I was gonna review you if you wanted me to during the first half of class."

"Whattaya say we go do that now?" He suggested.

"Sounds good to me." I shrugged.

"Alright. Guys, we're gone." Matt stood up and pulled me to my feet.

"Okay! Bye, hun." Johnny stood up and hugged me. I jerked in surprise and he backed off, "Sorry."

"No, no, I'm sorry. I'm just not use to it." I shook my head.

He looked sheepish, "But you should be after living next door to me all of our lives. And you would be if I hadn't always listened to Rodney."

"It's fine, Johnny." I reassured him and ignored the fact that everyone had got quiet. He hugged me again and Matt and I left.

Rodney had a little red-head sitting on the couch with him, practically eating her face. When I stepped in with Matt behind me, he glanced up and did a double take. I smirked, "Matt and I will be in my room."

"Whatever, tons o' fun." He laughed, going back to try kiss the girl.

She stuck her hand in his face and looked over at us. "Are you two dating?"

I waited for Matt to laugh and when he didn't I clarified that we weren't. She smiled, "Care for some more company then?"

I shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat."

She joined us, chattering along the way, "I'm Lana. Who are you? I know you're Daniellea, Rod's little sister, but what's your name?"

"Matt." He said tersely. I arched my eyebrows at him and he gave me a grim smile. I retruned it, which made his lips quirk up a little bit further.

"I know I'm a chatterbox. I do it when I'm nervous. Oh, and I couldn't stand him being mean to you."

Now this got a genuine smile from both of us as I sat down in my computer chair. I tossed Beowulf to Matt, "You read up on that and I'll make you a study sheet from my notes."

"Thanks, princess." He opened the book and groaned, "You have notes in the margin!"

"Of course I do." I shrugged, starting to scribble away.

"Can I watch tv?" Lana asked.

"If it won't distract Matt."

"I'm already distracted. It won't matter." He laughed.

Lana giggled and flipped on the tv.

I rolled my eyes. Can you say flirt? I tried to turn back to my notes but my ears were practically assaulted by crappy music. At the same time, Matt and I spoke up, "Turn it!"
Lana giggled again and did what we asked. A few moments later, Rodney yelled that he was ready to run her home so Lana left. I breathed, "Best thing he's done . . .ever."

"She was nice." Matt shrugged.

"Yeah, true. But giggly." I shuddered.

"Annoying, yet nice. Balances out. Hey, can you explain this to me?" He moved to the edge of the bed and i rolled over to peer down at the book. Once I was done explaining, he framed my face in his large hands, "You're not use to people are you?"

"People? Oh yeah. Decent people however . . ." I let it trail off.

His thumb stroked my face, "I'll change that."

I simply smiled. He didn't have to know he already was.