Emilys Crush

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Emily's Crush By Chris

"Oh god, please tell me she's not in this class." Emily thought to herself as she watched Danielle Ryan strut into the chemistry class with her friend and fellow cheerleader, Chelsea. It wasn't that she hated Danielle, actually the opposite was quite true. She had developed a crush on Danielle the first time that she saw her. That was the first day of her freshman year of high school and Danielle was at the main door of the school. Emily was coming into the building and Danielle held the door open for her and then she gave her that cute smile of hers and Emily was hooked. So she set about finding out all that she could about Danielle and she quickly found that she and Danielle lived in completely different worlds.

Danielle was the governor's daughter and she had made the cheerleading squad her freshmen year. She came from money and power and she and the star quarterback started to date that year. She was a part of the clique that ruled the school but Emily sensed there was more to Danielle than that. Now Emily, on the other hand, lived in a world in which you had to work yourself to death just to make enough money to survive. But her mother was determined that Emily would have it better than she did, so she moved them to an apartment that was at the edge of the school district in which this high school was a part of, as this school was the best in the city. She wanted to make sure that Emily got the best education possible and would able to go to college and then get a good job. Emily was just as determined to make her mother proud so she studied hard and made good grades so that she could get a lottery scholarship.

But right now her mind was on the blond cheerleader that had stolen her heart two years ago. She watched as she went to the opposite side of the room and sat down with her friend. She stole glances of her until Miss Bell started the class. Emily loved Miss Bell as she was her homeroom teacher and she couldn't wait until she could take her class. She only wished that the class was more than half of a year but that was the way the classes were held here at this high school. But her senior year she could take Chemistry II so that was good. Miss Bell went over what they would do during the class and how the labs would be done. Then at the end of the class she gave out who would be lab partners and where their lab stations would be. Then for the rest of the semester, that would be where they sat for both the class studies and then the lab experiments. Emily hoped that Miss Bell wouldn't put her with Danielle as she didn't think she could take sitting by and working with Danielle for four months. Emily got more and more nervous as Miss Bell read out the names and she and Danielle weren't called. Then she got to the last two names and Emily didn't have to hear what Miss Bell said as she and Danielle were the only names left to be called. When she did call their names, Emily glanced over at Danielle and she saw Danielle give her a smile. "Oh god, I'm so screwed!" Emily thought to herself, as she gave Danielle a quick smile back.

Then the bell rang and school was done for the day. She watched as Danielle and Chelsea rushed out of the room to go the cheerleader practice. Emily packed up her books and she headed out the door. Today was one of the days that that she worked at the Goodwill Store. This was where she got all her clothes and she was able to make a little money to help out her mom and Bubba, who while not her real father, he was the only father that she knew. She got on the city bus that stopped in front of the school and she headed toward her job. She watched as the other kids got into their nice cars and drove home. She tried not to be envious of them as she knew that the first car that she would get, she would have to buy. But first she would have to learn to drive. Since her mother could not afford a car, then there was no need to learn to drive. In fact, her mother didn't know how to drive, which was unusual in this day and time but that was just how their life was. She worked at the store a couple of hours then she rushed home to cook supper for her mother and Bubba as they would be tired and hungry when they got home. They both worked hard for what little money that they were paid.

"Hi, I'm Danielle, looks like we going to be lab partners." Danielle said as she sat down beside of Emily just as class was about to start.

"Yea, I guess so." Emily said and then she wanted to hit herself for her lame reply and she tried to think of something else to say but then Miss Bell started class and the chance was gone. Then before she knew it the class was over with and Danielle left in a hurry, with Chelsea in tow, saying, "See you tomorrow."

Emily packed up her bags and she caught the bus home as today was the day that her mom got off early. Her mother was a maid for one of the upscale motels in the city but they worked her just the max number of hours for her to be part time but never over that so that they didn't have to offer her health insurance and 401K benefits. So she filled in at another hotel to make up the money. Emily loved her mother and she enjoyed the one afternoon during the week that they had some time together. They would go grocery shopping and talk about what had happened that day.

The rest of that week and the first part of the next week when much the same way with her and Danielle not getting to say much as Danielle and Chelsea got to class just before it started and then left as soon as the class ended. But then Tuesday arrived and that was the first lab experiment of the class. Miss Bell went around the class handing out the assignment and giving them their materials. This one they had to identify the material by the color it gave out when burned. Emily had looked forward to this day as it meant that she and Danielle would actually get to talk a bit as they did their experiment or so she thought.

"This is an easy one, do you mind doing it as I have to talk to Chelsea about something very serious that is going on with one of the other cheerleaders." Danielle asked as she gave Emily another one of her cute smiles.

"Whatever," Emily told her as she hid her disappointment in Danielle. She had hoped that Danielle wasn't like the rest of the rich kids of the school but she had just got shown that she wasn't. She was just as much a snob as the rest of them. So Emily set about working and tuned out what Danielle and Chelsea was talking about. She worked through the experiment and took the notes on the paper that Miss Bell had given out. Danielle only turned around when she saw Miss Bell coming around then she would go back to talking to Chelsea.

"Hey let me borrow your paper so that I can fill out mine." Danielle said as the class was about to end and Miss Bell started to take up their paper so that they could be graded.

"No. You didn't do anything to help so why should I give you my notes." Emily told her.

"But you said it was okay for me to talk to Chelsea while you did the experiment for us." Danielle said in a surprised voice.

"No I didn't. I said and I quote, "Whatever". You never asked if I would let you copy my notes when I was done. Get your notes from one of your friends but you're not getting them from me." Emily told her.

"I'm sorry; I just assumed that you were cool with it." Danielle told her and Emily could see the beginnings of panic in her voice.

"You know what you make yourself when you assume something." Emily told her as she finished up her paper.

"Shit!" Danielle said as she slide over to Chelsea's table and she copied Chelsea's partner's notes as Chelsea was doing.

This made Emily smile as she knew the order of elements given to each table was different and thus Danielle's answers would be all wrong. "Serves her right," Emily thought to herself but a part of her hated doing it. The crush that she had on Danielle was fading a little but it was still strong in her. But her mother and taught her from a young age to never let anyone walk over her.

This lesson had served her well all through school, especially since she was always the smallest in her class being as petite as she was. When she started school, all the boys and girls loved to pick on her but after she had bloodied more than a few noses, they learned to leave her alone. By the time she got to high school she was known as a quite but very tough little girl.

The next day Miss Bell handed out their lab results and of course Emily got her A and then she glanced over to Danielle's paper and she saw "See me after class" written in big red letters on top of the page. Emily knew that Miss Bell had caught Danielle cheating and she figured that Danielle would take it out on her but she would be ready for her. When the class ended, Danielle made her way up to see Miss Bell but she also noticed that Chelsea was going with her. Emily tried not to smile as she knew that Miss Bell was one sharp cookie and she would know what had gone on. She probably saw it during the lab but chose not to say anything and let the girls hang themselves. As Emily left the classroom, Danielle and Chelsea were pleading their case.

The next day when Danielle and Chelsea came into the room, she noticed that Danielle came toward her but Chelsea went to the opposite side of the room, where her lab partner was already sitting.

"I need to ask a favor of you after class, would you wait on me?" Danielle asked Emily as she sat down.

"I guess." Emily said after she hesitated a moment. She already knew what Danielle was going to ask and she was willing to listen to her but she wanted Danielle to worry a second before she answered. Danielle didn't get to say any more as Miss Bell started the class.

"Can we talk out in the hallway?" Danielle asked as she stood up once the bell had rung ending class for the day.

Emily only nodded her head as she packed her chemistry book and notebook into her three year old book bag. Danielle on the other hand just had to close her laptop as she took all her notes that way as did most of the kids there. But there was no way that Emily could afford a computer so she took her notes the old fashion way, by hand. Once she had her stuff packed away, she started for the door. She figured that Danielle would have most of her cheerleading squad waiting with her or maybe her quarterback boyfriend so that she could use them as intimidation. But she was surprised to find Danielle alone in the hallway.

"First I would like to apologize to you for what I did on Tuesday during the lab. I was mad at you at first but I've had time to think about it and I know you were right to do what you did. I do hope that you will accept my apology." Danielle said and then she offered her hand to Emily.

Emily thought for a second as she tried to decide whether to accept Danielle's apology as she knew what was coming next. But in the end she decided to play along and she took Danielle's hand. This sent a thrill up her spine as she actually got to touch Danielle's hand and she hated herself for feeling this way. She knew Danielle was straight and even if she wasn't, she was way out of her league.

"Thank you and now I guess you know what I'm going to ask now don't you?" Danielle asked and Emily was surprised how direct Danielle was being with her.

"Yep," Emily said and she just stood there as she was going to make Danielle ask the question.

"I guess you know that Miss Bell chewed Chelsea and me out pretty good for not doing our part of the lab experiment. Plus she knew that I copied off of Chelsea as all my answers were wrong. It seems that she didn't give out the elements in the same order to everyone. But you knew that too didn't you?" Danielle asked.

"I figured that she would do that, she's pretty sharp and she doesn't put up with any crap from anyone." Emily said but she said it without any glee in her voice. She wasn't one to rub anything in any ones face. She wasn't brought up like that.

"Well, I got her to let me redo the lab tomorrow after class when she is allowing everyone to redo the lab experiment. But for me to repeat the experiment, I have to get you to do it with me. So I asking you to do that for me, will you?" She asked.

"And if I don't, will you get your cheerleader friends to come after me or maybe get some of the football players to push me around? Because if you do then tell them to come after me expecting a fight as I give as good as I get." Emily said and she put her most intimidating look on her face. But then she softened her expression as she saw the shock on Danielle's face. It was then that she realized that she may have misjudged Danielle.

"I don't know what you have heard about me but whatever it was, they got it wrong. I don't do things like that, and I'm sorry that I have bothered you. I do appreciate you taking the time to listen to me, but I was being sincere with my apology." Danielle told her and then she started to turn and walk away.

"I'm sorry but most of the rich kids who come from powerful families like you do treat us poor kids like crap and they expect us to do as they say but I don't. And obviously you don't act like the rest of the kids like you. I guess it is my turn to apologize." Emily said hoping that Danielle wouldn't go away.

"I'm sorry that the other kids' treat you bad and I wish I could change that but there are limits to what I can do. And I know that my father is the governor but he always made me make my way in this world. And the one time that I didn't, I got caught at it so I've learned my lesson." Danielle said.

"Okay so we both misjudged the other, you did me on Tuesday and I did you just now so I guess we are even. So now we are back to the question at hand, will I help you redo the experiment? You know that if I say yes then I'm putting my A on the line as whatever grade we get tomorrow then that will be both of our grades. I got my A without your help so how can I be sure that I will keep it if I have your help?" Emily asked her.

"You don't but I'm not stupid, I have an A average just like you do but I can't guarantee that we will get an A if we do it together. But I will do my part this time." Danielle said.

"And what about the rest of the semester, will you continue to do your part?" Emily asked.

"Yes, I will do my part from here on out, I promise and I always keep my promises." Danielle told her.

"In that case, I'll take a chance on you." Emily told her.

"Oh thank you!" Danielle said and then she came to her and hugged her tightly which took Emily quite by surprise but she thought about that hug for the rest of the evening.

"I do appreciate you doing this for me." Danielle whispered into Emily's ear and her warm breath going past her ear about made Emily faint.

When the class ended about half of the students left leaving a bunch of open lab stations open around them. Miss Bell came around and handed out the materials. As she passed by their lab station, she arched her eyebrows at Emily but she didn't say anything. Emily knew that Miss Bell was wondering why she would put a perfectly good A on the line for someone that couldn't be bothered to help her the first time. But she knew that Miss Bell would never ask her why. This was a good thing, as Emily wasn't sure she had a good answer. She had an answer but she wasn't so sure that it was a good one. She was in love with Danielle and there wasn't a damn thing that she could do about it.

"So tell me what to do and I'll do it?" Danielle said and she flashed Emily that smile of hers.

"Nope, I don't work that way." Emily replied.

"What do you mean?" Danielle said as she arched her right eyebrow.

"What I mean is that if we are going to be lab partners then we will work together, each doing their part." Emily said.

"Yea, I know that but don't one of us need to direct things. That way we can get done quicker." Danielle said.

"We could work faster that way but this is about learning and to do that we both must be equal in all things. If we talk and work together we can learn together and as time goes by then we can become a unit. We'll be slower at first but then as we learn each other's strength and weaknesses then we can learn when each of us should take the lead. You see?" Emily asked.

"Yea I do but since you have already done this experiment then you can lead this time." Danielle countered.

"Nope, since I have already done this experiment, then you get to do it and I'll help. This way we can start to learn about each other. Then beginning with next week's experiment we will start to work together." Emily told her.

"Are you always this argumentative and difficult to work with?" Danielle asked but she was smiling as she said it.

"Yea, I am." Emily said.

"Well I finally got something other than a "nope" from you." Danielle said with a little laugh.

"So let's get a move on it girl, times a wasting." Emily told her.

"Yes ma'am" Danielle said as she gave Emily a little salute and then she let out a giggle.

They then started to work or rather Danielle started to work and Emily gave her a hand to help things along. They did get to talk a little between parts of the experiment. It was more small talk than anything else with Danielle doing most of the talking as she was a talker and Emily did the listening as she was by nature a listener. She had developed this trait early in life and she found that she could learn more about people and things by listening than by talking. So she let Danielle talk and she just listened. But before she knew it, the experiment was over and Danielle was heading off to get ready for the football game that evening and Emily was left to herself to pack up her books and head out to catch a city bus home.

The following Tuesday, Danielle arrived just as the class started and then Miss. Bell handed out the lab assignment. They both read it oven then they began to get out the equipment that they would need for the assignment. They began slowly but as the experiment went along, they began to learn each other's strengths and Emily was surprised that Danielle was a lot smarter then she would have given a cheerleader credit for. But again, the experiment was over long before Emily wanted it to be as this was the only time during the week that she got a chance to talk to Danielle. The rest of the week, Danielle would always arrive for class just as it started and then would be gone as soon as it was over.

As the semester went along, Emily was able to get to know a lot more about Danielle but they never got the time to get to more personal things. And since Emily wasn't much of a talker, she didn't really get to tell Danielle about herself. Emily learned about what it was like to be the governor's daughter and the pressure that was there but Emily also saw that Danielle had the personality that was able to cope with the pressure. All of this only served to deepen Emily's crush on Danielle but she wasn't anywhere close to telling Danielle how she felt. She figured that secret would go to the grave with her.

"I've enjoy having you as a lab partner this semester. I know that we got off on the wrong foot but I think that we did fine in the end, don't you?" Danielle said on the last day of class before Christmas break.

"Yes we did, I admit that I enjoyed having you as a partner." Emily said.

"Well I got to go; my parents are waiting for me so that we can go to Vale for Christmas. Maybe we'll have a class together next semester. I would like that; you've become a good friend." Danielle said as she got up.

"I would like that too, and you've become a friend to me too." Emily said but by then Danielle was already headed toward the door in a run.

This left Emily sitting there by herself and feeling more than a little sorry for herself. She had spent the whole semester sitting beside the girl she had such a crush on and she was no closer to her now than when the class began four months ago. She sat there for a few minutes enjoying her misery but then she decided that she had sat there long enough and she knew that her mother was waiting for her at home so that they could go shopping. She knew that it was going to be another lean Christmas but she still had her mother and Bubba. That was all she really needed and she didn't need some damn cheerleader to make her happy. After deciding this, she felt better and she wished Miss Bell a Merry Christmas and she was on her way.

"What are you doing sitting out here by yourself?" Emily heard a familiar voice say to her. She turned her head and looked up into the spring sun to see a familiar form standing beside of her.

"Oh hi Danielle, I always eat my lunch out here once it warms up enough." Emily said.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Danielle asked.

"No go ahead but what about all your cheerleader friends, don't you always eat with them?" Emily couldn't help herself from asking.

"I've spent the football and basketball season with them, I've heard enough about hair, boys, and clothes for the year. I'd rather have some intelligent conversation for a while." Danielle said smiling as she sat down and started to eat an apple.

"In that case, you're more than welcome to join me." Emily said with a smile on her face that she couldn't stop even if she tried.

"So what you been up to this semester, anything interesting?" Danielle asked.

"No, I don't get much of a chance to do more than study and help my mom when I can. You are the one that leads an interesting life. Tell me how your trip to Vale was." Emily said getting the conversation away from her and getting Danielle to talk, which she did. She told Emily all about skiing and snowboarding which were things that Emily never even dreamed about doing as she knew she would never get the chance, at least not until she finished college and got a good paying job. But even then she knew that she would send any extra money to her mom so that she wouldn't have to work two jobs. Danielle talked until the lunch period was over and they left the bench out in the lawn that Emily always sat at during the pretty warm days.

The next day was another nice spring day and this time as soon as she sat down at her bench, Danielle appeared and she sat down beside of her saying, "We got to stop meeting like this, people will start to talk."

Emily so wanted to reply with, "I wish." But instead she said "Hi, have a seat."

"Thanks but I already did. Have a seat that is." Danielle said smiling.

"I see." Emily said thinking that she couldn't have come up with a lamer reply. "But you are right about people talking about you sitting with me at lunch. I mean, I'm one of the poorest girls in the school and your father is the governor of the state. We are quite different."

"I know and all my friends are already asking me why I bother sitting with you," Danielle told her.

"And what do you say?" Emily asked as her curiosity was aroused.

"I tell them that I 'm dying for some intelligent conversation which I can't get from them." Danielle said with a laugh.

"And they say what to that?"

"They are mostly silent, I don't think that they understand what I'm talking about, for them once you go beyond, clothes and boys, they're lost." Danielle said with a smile but Emily could tell that Danielle liked her friends but that she needed more to keep her going than the dribble that she got from them.

So they talked through the lunch period and then they talked the rest of the week. That week turned into the next week and the following week and so on. The only days that they didn't sit outside were the days that it rained and then Danielle sat with her friends and Emily sat alone in the back of the cafeteria reading and studying. As the semester went on, Emily felt like she and Danielle were slowly becoming friends but Emily kept most of the things about herself to herself. It wasn't that she was ashamed of where she came from but her life was so vastly different from Danielle's life that she didn't think that Danielle would ever understand it. It was easier to let Danielle talk about her exciting life than talk about her own.

But then the school year ended and Emily was left alone again. She picked up more hours at the Goodwill Store. That gave her something to do and it brought in a little more money into the household. When she wasn't working, she read and sometimes she went with her to the motel that her mother was working at and helped her out. She didn't get any money from the hotel but her mother wasn't so tired when she got home on the days that she could help her.

About two weeks after school ended, the governor was supposed to stop by and donate clothes to the store. Everyone at the store knew that it was only a publicity stunt but they went along with it as that meant that maybe more people would donate things that the store needed. Emily was scheduled to work that day but it had been planned that the manager of the store would be the person out front when the governor arrived. This sat just fine with Emily as she wanted no part of the television cameras and the reporters that were supposed to be there. But what she didn't know was that her coworkers and the people that she thought were her friends had came up with a very devious plan. They had decided that the person that needed to greet the Governor was the person that the store was created for; someone that depended on the store to provide them with clothes and home ware that they couldn't afford any other way. The store was created for Emily and her family and all the families like her. So it was appropriate that she be the front person for the store. Had she known anything about any of this she would never have shown up for work that day but she was oblivious to what was going on right behind her back.

The reporters came early and they set up their cameras and they showed the manager where she was supposed to stand when the governor arrived. Emily watched all of this from the back of the store taking everything in. Then as the time for the governor got near and the reporters said that he was just down the block, the manager set the plan into motion.

"Emily come up here for a moment." She called out to her.

"What do you need Georgia?" Emily asked as she rushed up there, hoping to get whatever she needed done quickly.

Georgia leaned over and whispered into Emily's ear, "I need to go pee, stand in my place for a moment." Then she pulled Emily into her place and started off toward the back of the store and the bathroom.

"Hurry!" Emily called to Georgia but when she turned back around; she saw the governor's limousine arrive. "Please hurry!" Emily said to herself but she feared that it was too late for that as about that time the governor's bodyguards were opening the front door and then he, his wife and to Emily's surprise, Danielle came into the door carrying boxes of clothes where Emily was standing scared shitless.

The governor came to her and he put his box at her feet and then said to her and the cameras, "Hi I'm Governor Ryan and this is my wife Jonnie and my daughter Danielle. We have heard what great work that you all are doing here and the service that you are providing this community."

Emily being the good listener that she was had heard Georgia practice what she was suppose to say so she knew what she was to say, but she wasn't sure if she could get it out with everyone looking at her. But she was sure that she was going to murder Georgia as soon as this was over. "I'm... I'm Emily and we all thank you for these clothes. We appreciate anything anyone can give to us." And it was here that she strayed from the speech that Georgia was to give as she was one to speak her mind. "There are so many people that work hard trying to earn a living and provide for their families but just can't make ends meet and they need help to clothe their children and themselves. I want to let everyone know that we are here for them."

The governor was stunned for a moment by Emily's little speech but being the able politician, he quickly recovered. "Well I don't think I could have said it better myself. You heard it everyone, please come and help these kind folks so that they can help others. And these few boxes aren't all that we have for you; we have a car full of stuff." He said smiling into the camera and Emily glanced over at Danielle and Danielle gave her a smile and a quick wink. They then went back to the limousine and Emily was suppose to stay in place but she was one that always helped with deliveries so she followed them out to the limousine to help get the rest of the stuff. The governor and his wife were surprised when they got to the car and there was Emily standing ready to help but Danielle wasn't surprised a bit. Emily helped them unload the limousine and then the governor gave another little speech as Emily had to stand to one side of him and his family stood on the other side. When he was finally done, the news people shut down their cameras, but then Danielle surprised her by saying, "Dad, I'm going to stay here and talk to Emily, she can give me a ride home later."

"Okay, be good. Nice to meet you Emily." The governor told her and then he was rushed back out the door so that he could make his next appointment.

"I didn't know you worked here." Danielle said and then she started to say more but Emily interrupted her.

"Hold that thought, I've got to go murder some of my co-workers who I thought was my friends." Emily said and then she headed to the back of the store where Georgia and the rest of the people that worked or volunteered there were standing. But before she could start to cuss them out, they started to clap and they came to her, hugging and telling her how well she had done. She calmed down quickly but she did warn Georgia that she was going to kill her one day but then Georgia hugged her tightly and told her why they had done that to her and she understood it but she was still a little mad at them but not too much.

"Something tells me you weren't supposed to be the one to greet my father." Danielle told her when she finally got back to her.

"No they pulled a fast one on me, it seems that they intended for me to do it all along." Emily said as she went to pick up one of the boxes to place in the back to be sorted.

"Here let me help you." Danielle said as she picked up a box.

"No you don't have to help. I can do it; it's my job around here to go through all the stuff when it comes in." Emily told her.

"I don't mind, I want to help." Danielle said and she gave Emily that warm smile of hers and Emily relented. "Besides it will give me a chance to know why they wanted you to greet my father and by the way you threw my father for a loop with your little speech there and he doesn't get thrown very often. I liked that." Danielle told her.

"I didn't mean to do that but it just came out. I mean he needs to know about the poor of this city and the state that he governs over, you know." Emily said.

"I know and he knows too, believe it or not. He is a good guy and I'm not saying that because he is my father." Danielle said but not defensively.

"I didn't mean to put your father down; I was talking more about government and the upper class in general." Emily told her.

"So anyway, why did everyone want you to be the one to greet my father?" Danielle said changing the subject to something safer.

"Well, I'm the poorest one around here and this store is where we get all of our clothes. The only new clothes that I have ever worn came from this store and they were things that people have bought and then never wore, stuff people decided they didn't like." Emily told Danielle, thus letting her know just how poor she and her family really are.

"Hell, I got lots of stuff that you can have. We're both the same size, so let me bring you some things." Danielle offered.

"No, you can't do that. My mother would never let me have anything fancy. That is just the way she is, the way we are. If we can't afford it then we do without it." Emily told her.

"But if I give it to you then what's the problem?" Danielle asked as she sat the last box down in the back and they stood there a moment.

"It isn't that, it's just that if you start to have nice things then you want more of them. If you never have them, the desire never grows, you see." Emily told her.

"That's true but ever poor people have the desire to want nice things don't they?" Danielle asked.

"Yes, of course they do, but we are different. I was raised different. I know I want more out of my life and I plan on getting it but when it comes then first I will help my mother before I take anything for myself." Emily said.

"Okay, I can understand that. I know that I come for somewhere completely different from you but I can understand where you are coming from." Danielle said and Emily started to spit back at her that she would never be able to understand that but then she decided on a different approach.

"Oh one other thing, I can't give you a ride home?" Emily said and didn't add anything to it forcing Danielle to follow up.

"Why not?" She asked.

"I don't have a car; I don't even know how to drive." Emily declared and that left Danielle speechless for a second.

"What teenager doesn't know how to drive?" Danielle asked and Emily could see that Danielle believed her but yet didn't believe her.

"I told you that we were poor. We can't afford a car, much less the insurance you have to have, so how could I learn or why would I need to since I don't have an opportunity to drive." Emily told her.

"I guess that I have all summer to teach you then. You need to know how to drive even if you don't have a car." Danielle said.

"But that still leaves you with no way home, I'm sorry." Emily said.

"It's cool; I'll find a way home. I can always call and have someone come and get me. So what's next?" Danielle asked.

"I have to go through all these things and put them into the right size bins. Then take some of the stuff and put out for people to buy." Emily told her.

"Well let's get started, show me what to do and where things go." Danielle said as she started to open the first box.

"You don't have to help me, I can do it." Emily told her.

"I thought that we went through that already. I want to help and besides that gives us a chance to get to know each other again. During the school year, we didn't get a chance to really get to know each other but now we have all summer to do so." Danielle said as she began to pull the clothes out of the box.

Emily could only smile as that was what she really wanted to do, get to know Danielle and let Danielle know her. So she started to help Danielle with her box as they talked. The box happened to be the clothes that Danielle pulled from her own stuff and she made Emily try on a lot of the clothes and they did fit her perfectly. They were both petite with Danielle being maybe an inch taller than Emily and they both had small breasts that went with their small frames. The afternoon flew by and Danielle wanted Emily to take some of her things home but she refused. She knew her mother wouldn't want her to and she always tried to respect her mother's wishes. When they got outside the store, Danielle gave her a quick hug right before she got into the car that come to pick her up and then she was gone. Emily stood there as she waited for her bus just remembering how it felt to be hugged by Danielle.

The next day Emily had to work at the store again and about midmorning, Emily looked up from the box of clothes she was working on to see Danielle standing over her smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Emily asked not that she minded Danielle showing up and the store didn't mind as it was free labor and they could use all of that, that they could get.

"I figured that you were helpless without me so I came to help yu out." Danielle told her.

"Yea right, like who was the one that got you through chemistry class this year." Emily told her.

"I think you got that backwards, I was the one that got you through chemistry and don't you forget it." Danielle said as she put her hands on her hips and she put her lower lip out so far that Emily just had to laugh at her.

"Well get your lazy ass down here and start helping me." Emily said with a big grin across her face.

Danielle smiled and then she got down and started to pull things out of the box that Emily was working on. It was another fun afternoon and when it ended Danielle asked her something that took her by surprise.

"I noticed that you are off the rest of the week, do you want to do something with me, and maybe I can start your driving lessons." Danielle asked.

"Ah... I don't know if my mother will let me, I usually help her on my days off from here and I know that she would want to meet you first." Emily told her.

"Well then invite me over for dinner tomorrow and she can meet me, then she'll know that you are in good hands. Just give me a call tonight and let me know if I can come. Here is my phone number." Danielle said as she wrote down her cell phone number on a piece of paper.

"Okay, I'll ask her tonight and give you a call." Emily told her.

"What's your number so that I can put it into my cell phone?" Danielle told her.

"We don't have a phone; I'll have to use the pay phone in the lobby of our apartment building." Emily told her.

"Oh... Well ask her and let me know. Do you want me to give you a ride home?" Danielle asked.

"No go on ahead, I'll take the bus." Danielle told her.

"Hey, I need to know where you live so that I can find it tomorrow and it would be easier if you showed me than writing it down. I tend to get lost when I try to follow directions." Danielle told her, which Emily didn't actually believe but she accepted the ride all the same as that meant that she could spend a little more time with her.

When her mother got home from work, Emily immediately asked her mother if she could spend the next day with Danielle instead of going to work with her. And she was pleasantly surprised when her mother said yes. She told Emily that she needed to do more for herself than just help her at the hotel, not that she minded the help. But she did want to make sure that Danielle was a good person and not someone that would lead her astray and Emily already knew that would be a requirement. Once dinner was done, Emily went to call Danielle and give her the good news and to tell her to by there at five sharp the next afternoon. She didn't want Danielle to be late as her mother hated to wait on anyone, plus Bubba was always hungry when he got home and he liked to come in and eat.

About three the next afternoon, Emily was helping her mother put up the groceries as this was the one day of the week that her mother got off early and they had just gotten back from the grocery store. They were talking and working when there was a knock at the door.

"Who can that be? It wouldn't be your little friend would it?" Her mother asked.

"No, she always arrives just in time so she won't be here until five." Emily said as she shut the panty door.

"Well go see who it is before they knock the door down." Her mother told her as she picked up the toilet paper and headed for the bathroom.

"You're early!" Emily said as she looked at a smiling Danielle.

"Well Hi and it nice to see you too." Danielle said still smiling.

"Sorry, but you always arrived just on time so I didn't expect to see you until right at five." Emily said still standing in the doorway.

"So do I have to stand out here in the hallway until five or are you going to invite me in?" Danielle asked as she put her hand on her cocked hip.

"Oh I'm sorry, come on in." Emily told her as she stepped aside.

Emily watched Danielle's eyes as she took in the small apartment. It was clean but none of the furniture matched and it was all second or third hand. She knew that Danielle was use to big rooms with new furniture or if it was old then they had it because it was an antique of one type or another. Emily was more than a little bit nervous as she waited for Danielle's reaction as she hadn't warned Danielle ahead of time. She wanted Danielle to see it first hand and get the full effect and not be prepared for how she lived.

"You have a nice place, I like it." Danielle told her and Emily looked closely into her eyes to see if she was sincere and it appeared that she was.

"It's not much but it's our home." Emily said as a small smile came to her face.

"Yes it is," Emily's mother said as she came dame down the short hallway and turning into the living room where Danielle and Emily were standing. "You must be Danielle, my Emily's friend. I'm Chloe." She said before Emily could properly introduce them.

"Hi, I'm Danielle and thank you for inviting me into your home." Danielle said as she stepped forward and held out her hand to Chloe.

"Well, you're welcome here anytime but I'm afraid that dinner won't be ready for a couple of hours. Emily and I just got back from the grocery store and I'm afraid that I haven't even thought about dinner yet." Chloe told her.

"That's okay, I know that I'm early and I'm sorry about that but I was waiting and waiting for five to get here and I just got impatient and came on. Sometimes I don't always think things through but if I might make a suggestion..." Danielle said and then waited for Chloe give her consent for her to continue which she did by saying, "I'm always open to suggestions."

"Well we can sit and talk a minute so that you can get to know me better and then I can help Emily get dinner ready as you rest." Danielle said and Emily looked at her with a slightly shocked look on her face.

"That sounds good to be but it almost sounds like you're trying your best to suck up to me." Chloe told her.

"Oh I'm trying real hard to suck up to you. But the question is, is it working?" Danielle said with a laugh.

Emily cringed at Danielle being as honest as to what she was doing but then she saw her mother studying Danielle hard and then she burst out with a laugh.

"Yes, it's working real well. I think I'll like you. Emily go get us a glass of tea and let's sit and talk, my feet are killing me." Chloe said as she sat down in the rocker as Emily went into the kitchen to get the tea and Danielle sat down on the couch.

"So tell me about yourself." Emily heard her mother tell Danielle as she went into the kitchen. She tried to listen as best as she could as Danielle told Chloe about her family, barely mentioning that her father was the governor. She poured the tea and made it back just as Danielle started to talk about going to college and that she wanted to study economics, which was what Emily wanted to study as she saw that as a way to help people like herself and her family.

"Here you go." Emily said to Danielle as she handed her a glass of sweet ice tea.

"And here is yours mom." Emily said as she gave her mother a glass and then she sat down on the couch with Danielle with her own glass.

"So go on, I want to know all about the friend of my daughter." Chloe told Danielle as Emily sat there wanting to help out Danielle but she knew her mother and there was no use in saying anything yet.

"Actually that is about it. I mean you know that my father is the governor and all of that but that's him and not me. For me, he is just my father. And I'm a cheerleader but I do that because I enjoy it. I like to cheer and do the stunts that we do. But that is also a small part of who I am." Danielle told Chloe.

"Yea, Emily told me all of that and she told me that you wanted to teach her to drive a car but we don't have any insurance so I don't know if that is a good idea. If she does something to your car, we can't afford to fix it." Chloe told Danielle and then she looked at Emily and Emily knew that her mother was going to axe the idea of her learning to drive. She had never really wanted to learn to drive until now but after Danielle told her that she would have to learn sooner or later, she realized that she was right.

"You don't have to worry about her wrecking my car. First, she's not going to get even close to a road as I plan on teaching her at my house. There are lots of service roads around the place that she can drive. Second, I'm going to use my father's old truck that I learned to drive with. There are so many dents on it now that one or two more will never be noticed. I even put a couple of dents into it myself. So you see that I have thought this out." Danielle said and Emily could see that Danielle was feeling more confident about this than she did.

"What does your parents think? Have you put this past them?" Chloe countered.

Emily looked at Danielle waiting for her answer and then she said, "Yea, I asked them first. I knew if they said no then there wasn't any use in asking you. But they said that we had to stay on at the house and that Emily couldn't drive my car out on the streets. They have to look out for me but also how it would look to the public if Emily was driving my car and we wrecked. So I did think ahead." Danielle told her.

"Please mom, I do need to learn eventually. I know that we can never afford a car but I think at least one of us should learn to drive." Emily told her mom and then she had to sit back and wait for her mother to think it over. She knew better than to rush her mother when she was thinking. She learned long ago when you did that, you got a "No" for an answer.

"I guess..." her mother said before she could finish, Emily jumped up and went over and hugged her mother.

"Thank you!" Emily told her.

"But..." her mother started to say but Emily finished the sentence for her.

"But don't even think about getting my own car. I know." Emily said but she was happy. She was going to learn to drive a car and that was all that mattered.

"Now go on in there and start supper, I want to talk to Danielle a little more." Her mother told her. "Don't worry; I will be easy on her." Chloe said answering Emily's unasked plea.

"Sorry, but you're on your own." Emily told Danielle as she got up and headed for the kitchen.

"I'll be fine." Danielle said with a smile to Emily and then she put her focus back to Chloe.

But Emily did keep her ears open as she put the pinto beans into the pressure cooker and she got the ingredients out for cornbread. Her mother was true to her word and she didn't drill Danielle any but just talked to her. And it made Emily feel good that Danielle wasn't talking down to her mother but was talking to her mother like she talked to her. After about an hour, she heard the conversation die down and soon Danielle came into the kitchen.

"Anything I can do to help?" Emily heard Danielle say behind her.

"Yea, get a few hot dogs out of the fridge and cut them into about half inch pieces." Emily said and then she asked, "Where's mom?"

"Oh she went next door to check on Mrs. Westerfield. At least I think that is what she said." Danielle told her.

"Yea, that's her name. She is elderly and mom and I try to check on her at least once a day to make sure everything is okay and see if she needs anything. Her kids do a good job of shopping for her and taking her to the doctor when she needs to go but they like for us to check on her too." Emily said.

"You know your mother is much younger looking than I thought she would look. You two look like you could be sisters instead of mother and daughter."

"I know, we have been told that before but then again we almost could be." Emily said.

"You're sisters?" Danielle asked as her eyebrows arched and Emily knew that she had really confused her.

"I said we could almost be not that we were. Just how old do you think my mother is?"

"I don't know. My mom is forty three so I figure that your mom is younger, maybe forty or so but she doesn't look it that is for sure." Danielle said.

"She just turned thirty." Emily said and she leaned back against the counter where she was putting the kraut into a pan. She could see Danielle doing the math in her head and then a look of shock come across her face.

"But... but that means your mom was fourteen when you were born." Danielle said and Emily could see that she didn't believe the number that she had come up with.

"Actually she was two days past her fourteenth birthday when she brought me into the world." Emily said.

"You shitting me, aren't you?" Danielle asked.

"No, I'm not. She got pregnant when she was only thirteen and her parents kicked her out of their house when they found out. The boy that got her pregnant had nothing to do with her once he found out that she was carrying his child. So she was left to the streets at thirteen and pregnant." Emily told Danielle and she saw that Danielle had the knife that she was using to cut up the hotdogs on the cutting board where she was in the process of cutting a hotdog. She had never told Danielle this part of her life. She had left her family out of their friendship until now but it was time to let it all out and see how Danielle would react.

"So she went to some of her friends but they wouldn't or couldn't help her. So she wandered the streets for a few days finding food and shelter as best as she could. And then she met Bubba, whom you'll meet when he gets home at about five. Anyway he took her in and let her use the couch to sleep. He's a simple man but a good man and he looked after her, not asking for anything in return. When I came into the world, he was the proudest man in the world, even though he wasn't my father. Mom said I had him wrapped around my finger the day I was born. But mom wanted someone better for herself and me, someone that could really afford to take care of us. But after a few years, she figured out that I couldn't have a better father than Bubba and she couldn't find a better man, so one night she put me to sleep in the old crib that he had found for me and she went into his room. They have been together ever since but they never got around to getting married. And that is my family in a nutshell. What do you think of us now?" Emily asked and she waited for Danielle's answer but she didn't have to wait long.

"Emily, I can't help to get the impression that you expect me to stop being your friend because your mother got pregnant when she was no more than a child and now she lives in sin. If you think that I'm that shallow then maybe we not as good as friends as I thought we were or we could be. Is that what you're thinking?" Danielle asked and Emily could see that she was offended.

"No, that's not what I think. You are a good friend to me but you are also the governor's daughter and I know how things can be screwed up by the press. I just needed for you to know what you are getting into if you want to stick around with me. We're poor and we do things differently than most people do and our ways can be misjudged by people that don't know us. I want you to know about my family. I have kept that from you till now and maybe that was wrong but now I know that I can't hide who I am and who my family is. You know what I mean?" Emily asked.

"Yes I do but let me let you in on a little secret, actually two little secrets. First, I don't give a flying fuck what other people think, if I chose to make you my friend then I will and everyone else can fuck themselves. Second, I knew that you had a past that came as no surprise to me. What that past was, I had no clue but I knew that it was there. I just had to wait for you to trust me enough to let me know what it was. Does that answer your question?" Danielle said.

"Yes it does and I hope you understand why I waited to tell you but I knew I had to tell you before we became real friends." Emily told her.

"Honey, we're already real friends as far as I'm concerned."

This comment made Emily smile and Danielle return the smile. "So what do you think about what I have told you." She asked her.

"I feel sorry for your mother but then from talking to her, I can see why she came out on her feet. And I'm glad that she found someone that cared about her, no matter how much money he makes or doesn't make or how smart he is or isn't. I can't wait to meet him now. He sounds like a gentle soul." Danielle said.

"Oh he is, he was the one I ran to when I got into trouble as I knew he would do all he could to keep mom from spanking me, even if I more and deserved the spanking, and I usually did. You know how stubborn I can be. But mom usually got her way but then I would go to him and curl up in his lap until I go over being mad at mom and then I would go back to her. So yea, he's a good man." Emily said.

"Can I ask you something personal?" Danielle asked.

"Sure, you can ask me anything."

"Do you know who your father is? Do you ever see him?"

"No, I don't know who he is. I don't even know who my maternal grandparents are. I asked my mother about him a few years ago and she sat me down and told me that he chose not to be a part of my life when he refused to knowledge that he was the father of the baby she was carrying. And her parents kicked her out so they too didn't deserve to know me. But when I turned eighteen and if I still wanted to know, she would tell me what she knew but once she left, she never looked back. For a few years, I thought that I would go look them up when the time came but now I find that my mom was right. If they wanted to know me then they shouldn't have rejected her because of one mistake. I really don't want to know them now. As far as I'm concerned, mom and Bubba are all the family that I need." Emily declared.

"Good for you!" Danielle said as she finally got back to cutting up the hotdogs and Emily went back to the sour kraut.

Danielle then changed the subject to teaching Emily to drive and that was fine with Emily. She had said most of what she wanted to tell Danielle, the rest she would learn as they went along. They talked and cooked until Chloe came in just about the time that Bubba was due. She helped them set the table and she checked the sour kraut and wieners.

"Where's my fucking girls!" came a loud deep voice from the living room as they heard the door slam shut.

"We got a guest you stupid old man! Watch your language!" Chloe hollered back at Bubba who walked into the kitchen about that time.

Emily watched Danielle as she laid eyes on Bubba for the first time. He was barely taller than her and her mother but he had a deep southern accent. He was husky but there wasn't an ounce of fat on his body. His face was a mass of freckles that went with his bright red hair. She noticed that Danielle was looking him over since she had told her a little about him but not much. She wanted Danielle to get to know Bubba on her own.

"Oh sorry," Bubba said as he hung his head a moment.

"Bubba, this is my friend Danielle and Danielle this is Bubba, the greatest storyteller in the world." Emily said and she could see Bubba's face light up. "As a child, I would refuse to go to sleep at night unless he told me a story first." She continued on.

"Well, I would love to hear some of your stories then." Danielle said as she held out her hand to him, which he took and he shook it vigorously. Then he went over to Chloe and gave her a kiss.

"Oh man you stink, what did that old man having you doing today?" Chloe asked him as she pushed him back a little.

"He asked me to clean out all the garage cans and they needed it too. He paid me fifty dollars today too." Bubba said proudly as her pulled the money from his pocket and gave it to Chloe as well as his lunch cooler.

"Well go take a quick shower and then we'll eat." Chloe told him as he was emptying out his pockets into a candy bowl on the counter.

Then after he left, Chloe put the money that he had made that day into her purse and then she looked in his wallet to make sure he still had some money to buy something to eat or drink while he was at work if it wanted to. Emily saw that Danielle was taking this all in and she wondered what was going through her mind. But Emily had seen this scene played out every night for as long as she could remember. Her mother looked after Bubba with loving care even if she never told him that she loved him, Emily knew that her mother did. Once she had everything set, she went back to getting the table ready with Emily's and Danielle's help. Soon they heard the shower shut off and then they heard Bubba whistling an old rock song as he finished getting ready for supper.

"It took you long enough old man." Chloe fussed at Bubba when he came back into the kitchen.

"I was just getting extra clean for you tonight honey." Bubba said as came over to where she had sat down and he bent over and gave her a big kiss.

"Now quit that and go sit down, our guest is starving to death." Chloe said to him but she was smiling as she said it and he didn't seem to pay any attention to what she had said.

"Go ahead and help yourself, with this crowd, if you don't you'll go hungry." Chloe told Danielle as everyone else was reaching across the table filling their plates. "I know it's not what you are use to but it will fill you up." Chloe continued on.

"It looks great and smells even better." Danielle said as she picked up her plate and she started to fill it.

Then they all started to talk as they ate. Emily made sure that Danielle was included in the conversation but after a few minutes had passed, she saw that Danielle had adjusted to a noisy table and she joined into the conversation and Emily relaxed. She did notice that Bubba had taken a shine to Danielle and he talked her ear off. Bubba was someone that had never met a stranger in his life and Danielle was just as outgoing. So the fact that they hit if off wasn't a surprise to Emily after she had a chance to think about it. Once they had finished dinner, Emily and Chloe kicked Bubba and Danielle out of the kitchen as they cleaned up the kitchen. Emily would start to wash the dishes in the sink as her mother packed up leftovers for Bubba's and her lunch the next day.

"What do you think of Danielle?" Emily asked her mother when she came over to start drying the dishes that she had washed.

"I admit that she is more down to earth than I thought that she would be. I think that she's alright." Chloe said and them she asked, "Why are you asking me for anyway?"

"I don't know, it's just that's you're my mother and I know that you know people better than I do." Emily said but she was holding something back, something she really wanted to say or ask.

"Okay, what is it?" Her mother said as she put her cloth that she was using down on the counter.

"It's just that she has everything and I have nothing, why would she want to be my friend?" Emily asked her mother.

"I think you need to ask her that question and not me but I think it might be what's in here." Chloe told her as she pointed to Emily's heart. "You're a good girl and you have a lot to give if you would let yourself. Maybe she isn't what she seems to be and maybe she is, but you have to go and find that out for yourself. But I think it's encouraging that you thought enough of her to bring her home to meet us. She is the first friend that you have ever brought home. I trust you with her if that helps any."

"Yes it does." Emily said as held out her arms and hugged her mom.

As they were hugging, a weird sound came from the living room and then another one. Emily listened closely as the sounds kept coming and then she heard giggling, both male and female. Then as she heard the sound again she realized what it was or at least what it sounded like it was. As she released this, she saw that her mother was coming to the same conclusion as she had come to.

"What is he doing now?" Chloe said but before Emily could answer; her mother was heading off to the living room.

"Bubba, what are you doing?" Chloe asked as she entered the living room with Emily right on her heels.

"Nothing honey," Bubba said with one hand under his shirt and Emily could see that the hand was under his arm pit. But then Emily looked at Danielle and she saw that she had a hand under her shirt and her hand was under her arm pit. She then had to burst out laughing as she realized that Danielle and Bubba were making farting sounds by placing their hands under their armpits.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Emily said after she had stopped laughing.

"At summer camp, I was the best in the hut." Danielle said all proud of herself.

"Show me," Emily said as she went over to join in on the fun.

"Oh god, I'm living with a bunch of children!" Chloe said as she threw her hands up in the air and she went back into the kitchen.

"Here let me show you how it's done." Danielle said as she started to make a farting sound with her hand in her armpit and then she helped Emily to put her hand in place. Emily tired it and she made a small sound but she kept at it until she was almost as good at it as Danielle and Bubba.

"There you go, now let's put this old man to shame." Danielle said as she looked from Emily to Bubba.

"No way!" Bubba said with a big grin as he made a loud farting sound.

They all three started to make the sounds and they were laughing at each other. Emily glanced up once and she saw her mother peaking around the door and saw that she was smiling. Emily knew she should go back in and help her mom but then Danielle and Bubba grabbed her attention and she forgot all about her mother until she came back into the living room.

"Sorry mom," Emily told her mother as she sat down.

"That's okay; but remember that you still have laundry to do in the morning before you take off with Danielle." She told her.

"So what's up for discussion next?" Emily asked as they all settled down and the room got quite.

"I know what I would like to hear?" Danielle said with a slight hesitation in her voice.

"What's that dear?" Chloe asked.

"I'd like to hear one of Bubba's stories, if he would like to tell one." Danielle said as she looked to Bubba.

"Sure," Bubba said with a smile, "what story would you like to hear?"

"The Mean Girl," Emily spoke up before anyone else could as she knew that Danielle would get Bubba's and her mother's story from Bubba's point of view.

"No not that one." Chloe protested.

"But it's Emily's favorite and I love telling it." Bubba said as he looked to Chloe for approval.

"Oh okay, go ahead, your going to anyway no matter what I say." Chloe said defeated but Emily knew that her mother always protested hearing this story but she always gave in.

Bubba smiled big as he turned to Danielle and he started his story as he always started his stories with "Once upon a time," and then he went on with, "there was this lonely man who lived by himself and had no one to share his life with. Then one day as he was coming home from a hard day's work, he happened upon a young girl that was sitting on the sidewalk by his apartment building. She looked very sad and she was crying." Bubba said as he covered his eyes with his hands to show how the girl was crying.

He then went into detail of how he asked the girl what was wrong and if he could help but she just cursed at him and told him to go away. But he didn't go away; instead he sat on the sidewalk by the girl and just started to talk to her. He kept talking until she calmed down and then he opened his lunch bag and took out an apple that he hadn't eaten that day and he gave it to her. She looked at it for a minute but then she took a bite. Then she ate the apple so quickly the man didn't know what had happen to the apple. It was there one second and then it just disappeared so the man knew the girl was hungry. He went on to tell how he eventually convinced her to come up to his apartment where he fed her first one then two peanut butter sandwiches. He told how he talked the girl into staying the night and he set her up on the old couch. From there talked about how he went to work the next day and when he came back she was still there but that she fussed at him because the apartment was so dirty. The next day the girl found something else to fuss at him about and every day after that he would come home and the mean girl would fuss at him but he didn't mind her fussing. He knew that he was doing a good thing in helping the girl and that was worth all the fussing he had to put up with. Then as time went along, he noticed that her belly was getting bigger and bigger and he thought that she was eating too much but then the meal girl told him that she was going to have a baby and this excited the man as he loved babies. Then the day came that he came home and she was crying out in pain and the man thought that the mean girl was dying but she told him that she was having the baby. He took her to the hospital and then after he had to wait hours and hours he was allowed back into the mean girl's room and she was holding the most "beautifulest" baby in all the world.

Emily felt herself blushing as Danielle looked over at her and then she felt Danielle's hand on her hand and she saw Danielle give her a sweet smile. This made her blush more but she loved feeling Danielle's hand on top of her hand. Bubba went on with the story of how they brought the little baby home and how he helped the mean girl take care of the baby but he wasn't making enough money to support the mean girl and her baby. So the mean girl found a nice lady that agreed to look after the baby during the day and she went and found a job. He went on telling all the things that they did together and all the trouble the little baby girl got into and how he had to protect the little girl from the mean girl who was always wanting to spank her for everything thing she did wrong. He went on with the story until he got to the end of the story.

"And then one night the man was lying in his bed and he saw his door open and there appeared the mean girl. She looked scared and lonely like the man was but she came to his bed and she made him the happiest man in the world. But you know why the mean girl came to the man's room?" Bubba asked as he looked first to Danielle who shrugged her shoulders and then he looked to Emily who also shrugged her shoulders. Finally he looked to Chloe and she slowly got up and came to him. She sat down on his lap and said, "Because the meal girl loved the man." And then she kissed him lightly on the lips.

Emily had to reach up and wipe a tear from her eyes as she always cried at the end of the story as it was so sweet and she loved to hear the story even if she was almost grown and way past the storytelling stage of her life. But then she looked over at Danielle and she saw that she was wiping a tear from her eyes too.

"Momma, can I go for a ride with Danielle for a while?" Emily asked her mother as her mother leaned against Bubba.

"Ahhh, yea but be home by ten thirty, girl." Her mother said.

"Okay mama, I'll be back before then. Come on Danielle, let's go for a ride." Emily said as she got up and pulled Danielle up from the couch.

"It was nice to meet you both!" Danielle called out to Chloe and Bubba as Emily rushed her out the door.

"What's the hurry?' Danielle asked after they were out the door.

"It's about to get a little warm in there." Emily said with a smile.

"It felt fine to me." Danielle said.

"Danielle, think a minute there." Emily told her with an unbelieving look on her face.

Danielle stood there for a minute as she thought it over and then Emily could see the light go off in her head. "ohhh..." she finally said.

"Man are you dense tonight." Emily said with a laugh.

"Well hell, I doubt that my parents even kiss anymore much less do anything else. I just wasn't thinking that way, I was just thinking of them as I would my own parents." Danielle said as she went toward the elevator.

"We do things differently." Emily said.

"I noticed and I mean that in a good way. I really like your mother and Bubba. But can I ask you something?" Danielle asked as they got into the elevator.

"Sure what?"

"I noticed that you call Bubba by his name and not dad. I know he isn't your real father but in reality he is. So why not call him that?"

"I don't know, I've always just called him Bubba. Maybe they taught me when I was learning to talk. But I do consider him my father. He may not be the smartest dad in the world but he is the best one. No reflection on your father."

"Oh I know. I love my father and I wouldn't want anyone to replace him but I wouldn't have been too bad off by having Bubba as my father. I mean, I'm jealous of all the bedtime stories you must have heard as a little girl." Danielle said as they got out of the elevator.

"They were nice but the problem was that I wouldn't go to sleep until he finished the story. I got too interested in them to sleep." Emily said laughing.

From there they went out for a ride in Danielle's car. Emily sat back and listened as Danielle talked about Chloe and Bubba and Emily only talked when Danielle had a question or she wanted more information about her childhood and Chloe's childhood but when it came to Chloe's history, she wasn't of much help. She had tried to get her mother to talk about it but she never would. It was as if her life started when she met Bubba and she set up house with him. She took care of him and in return, he gave her all of his love and he had lots of love to give both her and Emily. As ten o'clock came near, they headed back toward Emily's house. She told Danielle that when her mother gave her a time to be back home, that time was set in stone. She didn't tell her what would happen if she wasn't at home but she made sure that Danielle knew she had to be back on time.

Early the next morning as she was gathering up all the dirty clothes and linins, Emily heard a knock on the door. "Now who can that be? Don't they know I'm in a hurry this morning?" Emily said to herself as she put the clothes that she had in her arms into the clothes basket. She then went to the door and looked into the peep hole and to her surprise and then she wasn't that surprised, she saw Danielle standing there.

"I'm going to have to get you a watch girl. You suppose to be here at noon and not at eight in the morning. I haven't even started doing the laundry yet and I have to get that done." Emily told her.

"Oh I know, I just thought I could come on and give you a hand unless you want me to leave." Danielle said as she started to turn away.

"Oh no you don't, you come early then you get to help me do laundry." Emily said with a smile as she grabbed Danielle's arm and pulled her into the apartment.

"You don't mind me coming early again do you?" Danielle asked.

"Hell no, I'm glad that you did. I just like to fuss at you."

"I can see that and I can also see that the mean girl had a mean daughter." Danielle said kidding Emily.

"Yes she did and don't you forget it." Emily said laughing.

"So what do you want me to do?" Danielle asked.

"Ah, there's a basket of clothes and stuff in my mother's room, go and get it and I'll get the detergent and stuff and meet you back here."

"Gotcha," Danielle said as she went toward the bedroom.

When they had everything, Danielle helped Emily carry the clothes down to the laundry mat that was located in the basement of the apartment building. They talked as the clothes washed and they folded them when they were dry. Once they had everything put back in their place in the apartment, Emily fixed them a sandwich and then it was off to the governor's mansion to start the driving lessons.

"You didn't tell me I would be learning on a straight." Emily told Danielle as she sat in the driver's seat of the old truck.

'My father said that everyone should know how to drive a straight and what better way to learn than to start out that way." Danielle replied.

"Well thank him for me the next time you see him." Emily said sarcastically.

"I'll tell him tonight if I see him." Danielle said with a smile.

"You probably will too." Emily said with a laugh. "So where do we get started.

"First you will go through the gears with the engine turned off and then we will start.

Emily pushed the clutch in and she shifted into first and then went all the way up to fifth and then the reverse gear. Danielle then made her go back through the gears but this time she had to use the clutch and the gas pedal. She had to do this a few times before Danielle allowed her to start the engine. Emily put the truck into first and she let the clutch petal out and she moved the foot that was on the brake onto the gas pedal but she was too slow in doing so and the engine grunted and died.

"Shit!" Emily said.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Danielle asked.

"I didn't give it enough gas."

"Yep, try again but this time move your foot from the brake to the gas a bit quicker."

"Okay," Emily replied as she concentrated on what she was doing.

She restarted the truck and she made sure that the truck was in first and she tried it again. This time she let her foot off the brake and she hit the gas pedal hard to ensure that it wouldn't die on her. The truck squalled its tires as it lurched forward. Emily was pushed back in the seat and it scared her so much that she hit the brake hard but forgot to hit the clutch and again the truck engine died.

"Shit!" Emily said and then she looked over at Danielle and saw that she was about to burst out laughing. "Don't you dare laugh, don't even think about it."

Hearing Emily say that was more than Danielle could take and she did burst out laughing all the way saying, "I sorry but the look on your face. I can't help it.

"I'm trying but I have never tried to drive before. Hell, I haven't even ridden in too many cars until you started to drive me home." Emily said very seriously.

Danielle got herself back together quickly as she saw that Emily was getting upset with her. "I'm so sorry. I promise I won't laugh again. I know if my father had laughed at me I would have never forgiven him. I should show you the same respect to you as he showed me. I promise to do better. Now take a deep breath and try again." Danielle said as she put her hand on Emily's arm.

But Danielle's hand on her arm did little to calm her down; it only served to make her heart race more. She wanted to tell Danielle to take her hand away but at the same time she wanted it to stay right where it was but Danielle did eventually remove her hand and Emily took a deep breath and tried again.

She pushed the clutch in and she restarted the engine. She took a cleansing breath and she tried again but in fear of gunning the engine, she gave it too little gas and it died yet again.

"Hell, I'll never get it this way." Emily said as she opened her door and she jumped out of the truck.

"Wait, you'll get it." Danielle said as she started to climb out of the truck but then she met Emily coming toward her.

"You get in and drive and let me watch." Emily said as she jumped into the passenger seat.

"Okay," Danielle said as she was left standing there. She quickly ran around the truck and she got in.

As Danielle started the truck, Emily got down in the floor board of the truck and she leaned over so that she could watch Danielle's feet.

"Start it and go." Emily instructed Danielle.

She watched carefully as Danielle let the clutch out and gave it gas. The truck went forward and then Emily told her to do it again and again. Then she put her hands on Danielle's feet and she felt as Danielle let out the clutch and gave the truck some gas. She made her do this a few times and then she made her go through the gears until she got to third as this was a service road and you couldn't go much faster than that. When they got back to where they started, Danielle stopped the engine.

"Now I'm ready to try again." Emily declared as she climbed from the floorboard.

She got back into the driver's seat and she waited for Danielle to get into the passenger seat. She then started the truck and she let out another breath before she tried it again. She put it back into gear and she slowly let out the clutch and she shifted her right foot from the brake to the gas. The engine struggled for a moment and Emily gave it just a little more gas. The engine pulled the truck along and she let out a slight sigh. She then took her foot off the gas and she pushed the clutch in. She shut off the engine and then she cried out, "I did it!"

"Yes you did!" Danielle said as she leaned over and gave Emily a quick hug. The hug wasn't nearly long enough for Emily but it did want her to do even better.

She restarted the truck and she tried it again but this time she didn't give it enough gas again but on the next try she did it perfectly. She just used first for a while and then Danielle made her back up but as she started to turn in her seat to look where she was going, Danielle stopped her.

"Don't turn around; you have mirrors, use them. As my father says, 'Mirrors are made for more than putting make-up on with'." Danielle told her.

"Another one of your father's wisdoms?" Emily said more than asked.

"Afraid so, he's full of them." Danielle said with a laugh.

"I can see that." Emily said with a grumble as she turned back in her seat and tried to look in the mirrors as she started to back up. She went from one side of the road to the other as she tried to back up but she got back to where they had started from.

Danielle made her use just first and reverse gears for a little while before she let her shift to second and then third as they went around the service road a couple of times. Emily was surprised to find how little she had to turn the steering wheel to make the truck turn when they were going forward. She learned that the hard way as they came to the first turn and she almost ran off the road before she got in back on the road and then on the next turn she did much better. When they got back to where they started on the second run, Danielle had her stop the truck and they took a break. Once Emily got out of the truck, she felt how stiff that she was from gripping the steering wheel so tight and from using her leg muscles in a way that she had never used them before. She stretched as she walked around and Danielle followed her as she complimented her on how well she had done on her first driving lesson. Once Emily got the kinks out of her muscles, she wanted to practice some more so they climbed back into the truck and Emily practiced until a little before four when they headed back to Emily's house.

"You're welcome to stay for supper." Emily told Danielle as they entered the apartment. She was hoping that Danielle would accept but she wasn't sure that she would.

"I'd love to. Your mother won't mind, will she?" Danielle asked.

"Oh no, she won't care but don't expect anything fancy, we eat just common food." Emily said.

"That's fine with me, fancy foods aren't all their cut out to be." Danielle replied.

"Oh there is one thing that I forgot to tell you." Emily said as they entered the kitchen.

"What's that?" Danielle asked.

"You have to work for your supper around here so you get to help me cook." Emily told her with a smile on her face.

"That's cool but I've already worked for my food today so I don't have to help you cook supper." Danielle declared as she sat down on one of the kitchen chairs.

"And just how do you figure that? Do you mean the driving lessons? The way I see that, all you did was to ride around all afternoon telling me what I did wrong." Emily said as she came to the table and stared at Danielle daring her to counter her argument.

"I think you are forgetting about this morning when I helped you wash, dry and fold all the laundry." Danielle said with a big grin.

"Oh yea, I forgot about that. I guess you have worked for your supper after all." Emily said even thought she hated to lose the argument, even to Danielle.

"But since you are such a sweet girl, I'll offer my help anyway. Just tell me what you want be to do." Danielle said as she stood up smiling knowing that she had gotten the best of Emily and that didn't happen often. Danielle continued on with a bow, "So just tell me what to do my able slave driver."

"You'll think slave driver." Emily said with a smile. "Just get the leftovers from last night out of the fridge and while I think of what to put with it.

As Danielle did that, Emily went to the pantry trying to find something to go with the beans, cornbread and kraut that they had last night. She didn't see anything that appealed to her so she went to the fridge as Danielle was pulling the last of the leftovers out. Again she couldn't find anything so she opened the freezer and she moved things around until she spotted some fried apples that she and her mother had cooked and then frozen the past fall.

"How do fried apples sound to you?" Emily asked as she pulled a bag out.

"I love fried apples, so that works for me." Danielle told her.

"Good because that was what I was going to fix." Emily said and as she turned she saw Danielle sticking her tongue out at her.

Danielle quickly sucked her tongue back in but she had already been caught and Emily saw her face begin to go red. Emily shook her finger at her but then she started to giggle and so did Danielle. They then talked and giggled as they reheated the food and set the table for Chloe and Bubba.

Chloe was the first to arrive home and she gave Emily a kiss and said "Hi" to Danielle before going back into the bedroom and she changed out of her maid uniform. When she came back, she checked on the food and helped them get everything ready. Bubba was soon home and this time he didn't stink of garbage so Chloe didn't make him shower before eating but she did take the money that he had earned that day as the old man that he worked for kept him off the books and just paid him in cash every day. That way he didn't have to pay for insurance or social security taxes on what Bubba made. Bubba didn't know any better and while Chloe did, she was just grateful that the old man gave Bubba a job and made him feel useful, plus the money always helped. It was just the way things work when you were poor and uneducated as but Bubba and Chloe were. But their saving grace was that while Chloe never made it to high school, she was very sharp. Given an education, there wouldn't be anything that Chloe couldn't do but that wasn't the way things worked out for her.

After dinner, everyone was entertained with another one of Bubba's stories and then Danielle and Emily went out for another ride. Emily had to work the next couple of days which was just as well as Danielle had to do some things with her mother which kept her busy. This was the first time that Emily wished that she had a phone or a computer like most kids had. That way she could still talk to Danielle but that wasn't the way it was for her so she had to wait until Saturday morning to see and talk to Danielle again.

When Emily heard a knock on the door early Saturday morning, she knew that it had to be Danielle and when she opened the door, she was right.

"Come on in, Bubba went with mom to help her out so they will be gone all day." Emily told Danielle as she came on into the apartment.

"That means that we can get into all types of trouble and they would never know." Danielle said with a laugh.

"Oh my mother would know. She used to tell me when I was little that she had eyes in the back of her head and I believed her then and I still believe her."

"Your mother's pretty sharp, I will give her that. But your face would give you away if you even thought about doing something wrong. That is how she knows when you do something wrong."

"What do you mean? What does my face show?" Emily asked.

"Everything, your face shows all your emotions. When you are mad, you have a vein at the top of your forehead that pops out. When you are concentration, your forehead knits up. I haven't known you that long but I can read most of your emotions." Danielle told her.

Emily thought that over for a minute and she began to worry that Danielle could also see how she felt about her and that started to worry her. She wasn't ready to tell Danielle about how she felt. She looked at Danielle, who was staring at her, and she felt her face start to go warm. This was the last thing that she wanted to have happen.

"I got you thinking, haven't I. Don't worry, I can't tell everything about you or what you're thinking, I don't know you quite that well... yet." Danielle said smiling as she put her hand on Emily's forearm.

Suddenly the apartment got too warm and she needed some fresh air. "Let's get out of here and do something." Emily said as she took Danielle's hand and led her back out the door. "So what do you want to do today?" She asked as they got into the hallway.

"It doesn't matter to me, what do you want to do?" Danielle asked.

"I don't know, I was kind of hoping that you had something in mind." Emily said as they entered the elevator.

"What do you normally do on your Saturdays?" Danielle asked her.

"If I'm not working at the Goodwill Store, then I help my mom at the hotel. This is the first Saturday that I've had free." Emily confessed to Danielle.

"Then let's make this a special day. When do you have to be home?" Danielle asked.

"I got till ten thirty tonight. I talked mom and Bubba into going to get something to eat tonight. They never do that and since Bubba made a little extra this week, we had a little extra money." Emily said proud that both she and her mother would have a nice day today.

"Can I ask you something?" Danielle said as they entered the lobby of the apartment building.

"Sure, what do you want to know?" Emily asked.

"Why does your mother make your curfew ten-thirty and not eleven? I would think eleven would be more logical, don't you?" Danielle asked as they went out into the hot June sun.

Emily smiled as she heard Danielle's question, "I've never needed a curfew until you came along as I never went anywhere. So I asked mom the same question the other day and her answer actually made sense in a weird way."

"And that would be..." Danielle asked.

"It seems that she had an eleven o'clock curfew when she first started dating my father, which she added quickly that her parents should never have let her date at that age even if he was just sixteen and so he wasn't much older than her. But anyway, it seems that I was conceived between ten-thirty and eleven. So she said I would always have to be home by ten-thirty." Emily explained.

"I can see where that makes sense now. But she has to know that you could just as easily get pregnant at ten." Danielle told her.

"She does but that doesn't change anything. I have to be in by ten thirty and that's etched in stone." Emily said.

"That still gives us plenty of time to get into lots of trouble." Danielle said laughing as she hit the button on her key ring to unlock the car doors.

"Since this is my first free Saturday and I would like to have more of them, let's keep the trouble to a minimum, okay?" Emily said smiling but she was also a little serious.

"I don't know trouble is my middle name." Danielle said with a wink and then she burst out laughing.

"Pain in the ass is a more fitting name, if you ask me." Emily said as she laughed.

"Well that has been applied to me too." Danielle quipped.

The banter between them went on like this for most of the day. And Danielle did her best to make it a special day for Emily. She did the things that most teenage girls did as the day went along and for Emily didn't really care what they did as long as she was with Danielle. They went to the mall and windowed shopped. Then they took in an afternoon movie as the heat of the day kept them inside. After the movie, it was off to a pizza place. Danielle finished the evening by going an open air concert that was part of the summer music fest that the city always put on. Since this was the home of country music, most of the acts were country but Danielle and Emily still enjoyed it. At ten they made their way out of the park and headed home so that they could make to Emily's place on time.

"I really enjoyed today. Thanks." Emily told Danielle at the door.

"I did too; maybe we can do it again next Saturday?" Danielle asked.

"I may have to work next Saturday but I will see if I can change my schedule." Emily said.

"Try hard!" Danielle said and then she gave Emily a quick hug. "I'll stop by the store Monday and see what trouble I can get you into there since you wouldn't let me get you into trouble today." She said with a little laugh as she let Emily go and she headed for the elevator.

Emily stood there watching her get into the elevator and she could still feel Danielle's arms around her. She gave her a quick wave as the doors shut and then she opened the door and went inside her apartment.

Monday morning came and went and Emily was beginning to wonder if Danielle was going to show. So she kept busy and tried not to think about her but that was hard to do. Then about mid afternoon, Emily was out back unloading a truck that had arrived with clothes from a family that was moving out of state. Emily picked up a large box and started to turn but with the box being so big she couldn't see around it. She felt the box hit something and then she heard a grunt.

"I know I'm late but you didn't have to knock me down." Emily heard from a familiar voice.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" Emily cried out as she dropped the box and she saw Danielle sitting on the pavement looking up at her.

"You should be. I was just going to try and help you with that box and you just knock me down." Danielle said with a frown.

"I didn't see you, I swear. I wouldn't ever hurt you. I promise." Emily said feeling scared that Danielle was mad at her. She came over to where Danielle was sitting and she kneeled down beside of her. "Are you hurt? Do I need to call 911 or your parents?"

"Oh no, I'm fine, I was just messing with you. I know you didn't see me and I was trying to sneak up on you. It's my fault really." Danielle told Emily as she realized that Emily was taking her seriously. "But I could use a hand up." She said as she reached her hand out to Emily.

"Help yourself up!" Emily said as she slapped Danielle's hand away and she set her face into a scowl. She went back to the box and she quickly picked it up and headed into the back of the store before Danielle could move.

"Emily, I'm sorry, I was just joking with you. Please don't be mad at me." Emily heard Danielle say and she heard her hurrying after her.

Emily hurried on in and she slipped around the back of the door so that Danielle wouldn't see her.

"Emily, where are you. I'm really sorry and it if helps, my butt does hurt." Danielle said as she entered the store and Emily watched her looking around. She slipped up behind her before Danielle could see her.

"I just have just five words for you." Emily whispered into Danielle ear as she put her hands on Danielle's hips keeping her from turning around.

"What?" Danielle said as she kept very still.

"Paybacks are hell, aren't they?" Emily said and then she added, "And I'm glad that you ass hurts, it serves you right."

"That's more than five words, you know." Danielle replied.

"So sue me." Emily said and then she popped Danielle on the butt then she ran back out the rear doors laughing.

"You'll pay for that!" Danielle said as she chased after her.

"Here carry this in." Emily told Danielle as she handed her a box as soon as she got out to the truck where she was standing.

"I'm sorry that I scared you." Danielle said as she took the box.

"No you're not, you enjoyed every second of it." Emily said smiling as she grabbed the last box and she walked with Danielle back toward the store.

"Well, maybe I enjoyed it a little." Danielle conceded.

"I thought so." Emily said, "So what you been up to today?"

"Oh I had to go to a flower show this morning with my mother, which she didn't bother to tell me about until she got me up. I told her that I already had plans but she said that I would have to cancel them since this was part of my duties as the governor's daughter." Danielle said as they set the boxes down.

"I didn't realize that you had duties too, I could see why your mother would but not you." Emily said as she turned to Danielle.

"I don't. My duties are to escort my mother when she doesn't want to go alone." Danielle said smiling.

"Oh, I see." Emily said as she had the same duties as all daughters did.

"Actually, she pretty good about it. She doesn't make me go too often, only when she knows that she's going to be bored to death and she needs my help to keep her interested in whatever the function is."

"So what do you do to keep her going?" Emily asked almost knowing what Danielle would say.

"Well today, I told her how ugly each of the flowers were and she kept telling me to shut up but it did keep her entertained and gave me something to do as it was a really boring event." Danielle said as that devious smile came to her face.

"Were the flowers ugly?" Emily asked as she started to pull clothes from the boxes.

"Oh god yes. There were all these fancy hybrid flowers and they looked hideous. Give me a simple red rose any day." Danielle said as she opened a box and started to help Emily sort through the clothes.

Emily put that last tidbit of information into the back of her mind. She knew that maybe one day she could put it to use. Danielle helped her the rest of the afternoon and then drove her home. Emily, of course, asked her up for supper and Danielle gladly accepted, which made Emily very happy. So Danielle help Emily get supper ready and then she sat down to eat with Chloe and Bubba, when they got home. After dinner, Emily and Danielle stayed in and they talked to Chloe and Bubba until it got time for Chloe and Bubba to go to bed, which was about nine, as they both had to get up early to go to work. Danielle decided to call it a night too.

For the next month, Danielle was eating at Emily's about as much as she was at her own home. It really got to the point that they set out a plate for her on days that she wasn't there because they had gotten use to getting out four plates instead of three. Emily felt that their friendship was really growing. But she was no closer to letting Danielle know how she felt about her. Her driving did improve vastly as Danielle had her out driving a least a couple of times a week. She got to the point to where she needed to get out on the road to practice but with no insurance that was impossible. About the fastest that she could go on the service road around the governor's mansion was about forty miles an hour. But she enjoyed driving so they continued to practice there. She wanted to try driving Danielle's car and Danielle was willing but she knew that her mother would have a fit if she did. They also continued to hit the malls and go to movies and generally just hung out together. They did run into a bunch of Danielle's fellow cheerleaders one day. Emily had wondered how Danielle would handle that since she was spending all of her free time with her and not with them as you would expect her too. But to Emily's relief, Danielle handled it perfectly. She just introduced Emily as her friend and then when they asked her where she had been all summer. She just pulled Emily over to her and said that she had been hanging out with her. They all looked Emily over and she could see that they wanted to say something about her but they knew that Danielle was the head cheerleader and the governor's daughter so she held the power over them or they thought that she did which ended up with the same result. They all talked a while and Danielle made sure that Emily had a chance to talk and she saw that the other girls listened to her but she knew that they didn't think of her as their equal but that was okay. She knew that one day their looks would be gone but her brain would always be there, not that she wasn't as pretty as they were, she just couldn't afford to dress as they did. After they had left them, Emily wanted to thank Danielle for what she had done but Danielle was already off on another subject and she just let it drop. The incident did make her feel better about Danielle's friendship with her until the end of July when Danielle had to go to a cheerleading camp with those same girls.

Danielle had told her about having to go earlier in the summer and Emily hadn't thought much about it then but as the time came near, she did start to worry but she didn't let Danielle see that she was worried. She got the day off from work the day before Danielle was to leave for three long weeks. She tried to appear happy but in her heart she was sad. Danielle was the first real friend that she had ever had and she loved her dearly. But was still insecure enough in herself to fear that Danielle wouldn't want to be friends with her when she came back. But Emily wasn't going to let her insecurities affect the day that she had with Danielle. That evening when Danielle left Emily's apartment, she gave her an extra long hug and Emily hated for the hug to end but it did and Emily was left on her own.

End of Part One - To be continued...

Please let me know what you think of my story. I welcome all comments good or bad. You can email me at numlfl@hotmail.com