Author's note: This is actually the first story I have ever written. It's a huge leap for me and I hope I can make it work, because I'm going to broach a few taboo subjects. But first, I have to credit AliLamba for giving me the inspiration and idea to write this. Her uncompleted "Still Light Follows the Same Rules I Do" is what got my wheels turning and I feel I owe her the credit because I probably never would have gotten this idea without her story. And, of course ForeverErica, has been there all the way.

"Wait, wait, wait, Dad … slow down. I think this is it." Sam gently pressed his foot on the brake of their grey 4-door sedan.

Kate paused, re-read the address written on the piece of notepad paper held in her hand. "Dad, are you sure you entered the right GPS instructions?" Sam looked at his daughter, with a bit of mock consternation. "Yes Katie, the ole' man managed to enter the right GPS address. Believe it or or not, us old folks managed to get around this country at one time, even before there was GTS! "

Kate rolled her eyes, "You mean GPS."

"Katie, I was pulling your leg… I am in the military for chrissakes, I 've operated some navigational equipment in my time. I think it's time for you to work on your sense of humor."

"My sense of humor is just fine, thank you. I only laugh at something that's actually funny."

Kate turned her head back to the direction of the house and stared at the charming two-story American Craftsman bungalow. It had grey wood shingles and white trim that matched perfectly with its low pitched roof and wide eaves. Kate sighed, it was only two days ago that they were official residents of Washington State and now they would be in LA until that inevitable day her father would get the notice of transfer and it would be time to move on.

"Kate, I'm gonna pull into the driveway, can you get out and help guide me in, I just wanna make sure that the U-Haul trailer doesn't take out some of those nice hedges on the right side."

"Sure."

"Dad, this house wasn't what I was expecting. When you told me we were going to be house sitting for an investment banker, I sort of expected some tacky McMansion."

Sam gave his 17 year old daughter an expectant look, "And…?"

"Well, I really like it, it is so, I don't know, ummm.. it's so... California."

Sam smiled warmly at his daughter's comment, then bent over to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "I think we should probably pull in now, so we don't block any traffic on the street."

Kate hopped out of the passenger seat and directed the car and trailer safely into the driveway. Once it was safely parked, they walked up the wooden porch steps and Sam could hear Kate hold her breath with anticipation as he turned the lock and opened the door.

Kate entered and looked around. She was pleased to see that the inside did not disappoint, the interior was a perfect match to its exterior. There were numerous windows that let the plentiful sunlight in, which was only further enhanced by the open plan layout and the light colors of the painted walls. She also noticed the comfortable looking slipcovered sofa and chairs, which she silently approved of. The decor had a slight coastal vibe that Kate found very serene and cozy.

"Dad, I'm gonna head into the kitchen and check it out."

"Sure, go ahead."

Within three seconds he heard his daughter's squeal, "Oh my god! Dad, you're gonna love this! It even has an island and stools."

Sam walked in and sure enough, the kitchen was lovely, not too big and not too small. The cabinets were white and the appliances were stainless steel, a style he noticed that seemed to be favored among the younger, yuppie types.

"Dad, look. There is a note on the counter." Sam walked over to it and with Kate right at his side they began to read it:

Dear Sam and Katherine,

There are no words to express our delight when Pop said that you would housesit for us. After receiving the news of my promotion and need to re-locate to the firm's Hong Kong office, Stacey and I were so worried about what to do with the house during the two years we would be committed to living abroad. It truly is serendipitous that your transfer to Fort Irwin coincided with our move!

Who can ask for anything better than a Sergeant Major of the US Army, 75th Ranger Regiment to watch over our house? But even more so, it is an honor to have Pop's long trusted friend with whom he fought alongside during the Gulf War stay in our home. We will surely rest easy.

So, now on to the fun stuff: on the island counter we left a binder containing instruction manuals for all the appliances; menus for some of the better local take-out restaurants; utility bills so you can switch them over to your name; and contact information for us, the landscaper, pool maintenance, etc. Also, feel free to use our SUV that is parked in the garage, it is insured and the registration doesn't expire until next July.

We will call in the next week or so to make sure that you are acclimated.

Warmest wishes and thank you again,

Rob and Stacey

P.S. Katherine, the zoned high school is in one of the top school districts in the country. We heard that you are quite an accomplished student, so you should have no problem adjusting to the rigorous curriculum. Good luck!

Sam turned to his daughter, "That was a nice note." Kate shrugged and quickly began to look through the various papers left on the counter and stopped when she found the local property tax assessment bill.

Kate's eyes nearly popped out of her head, "Dad, the property taxes for the house are 25K a year!"

Sam quickly moved and grabbed the paper from his daughter's grasp, "Kate, mind your own business."

"This is my business too, Dad. That's a lot of money, we could have found somewhere less expensive. Maybe even closer to the base-"

Sam cut her off, "Rob and Stacey insisted that we not pay the taxes, but I put my foot down because we aren't freeloaders Katie."

"Dad, I agree that we should pay for where we live, but perhaps we should have gone someplace else. Somewhere less expensive -"

"Kate, money is not an issue, so drop it." With a heavy sigh and sign of reluctance Kate nodded affirmatively to her father. But within a couple of seconds, Sam noticed that familiar mischievous glimmer in his daughter's green eyes.

"First person upstairs gets dibs on the biggest bedroom. Race ya, old man!" He watched her pounce up the wood steps and then chuckled.

The remainder of the day was quiet, but went quickly as the Austens were busy unpacking and settling into the home that would be theirs for the time being. That night Kate struggled to fall asleep despite the comfortable full size bed and soft down duvet. She couldn't rid herself of that butterfly sensation in her stomach, that same feeling that came every time she started anew. First day of school was in three days and even though she was a seasoned pro at being the "new kid" at school, she couldn't shake off that incessant feeling of nervousness…

Kate turned her face in the direction of the driver's seat, "Dad, you didn't have to drive me to school, you know. I could've rode my bike." Sam shook his head, "Nonsense Katie, you know it's an Austen tradition that I take you on the first day to the new school."

Kate muttered a bit grumpily, "Yeah, the one Austen tradition that we actually follow and do often." At hearing this, the ends of Sam's smile dropped downward, "I know the nature and demands of my military career have taken a toll on you, kiddo. It hasn't been easy on you and don't think for one second I don't appreciate what you've given up because you were born the daughter of Sam Austen." Kate gave her dad a small smile, he made it IMPOSSIBLE to be angry with him. It was maddening actually, he was such a GOOD man and she really wished that she could have the luxury of hating him once in a while.

"Kate, does your school day usually start so early? 6:30 a.m. seems a bit - intense"

Kate shook her head, "No, my first class starts at 7:30. I have to be there early today because my guidance counselor wants to meet with me."

"Well, look who's getting the five star treatment? That's unusual, right? Yep, this validates my decision to send you here."

Kate snorted, "Well yeah dad, that is the kind of treatment you get when you live in a school district where property taxes are a little over 25K a year for an 1,800 square foot 4 bedroom house! I can only imagine what some of the neighbors pay for their houses that are four times bigger than ours. This is insane, we live about an hour away from the army base. You're gonna have a hell of a commute. Everyone knows LA traffic is the worst. We should've just lived on the Base and I could have attended school on the_"

Sam snapped, "Kate! We don't live on military bases anymore."

"But, now that Mom-"

Sam gripped the steering wheel, "Kate, don't bring this up again!"

"Fine." Kate folded her arms and stared straight ahead. They rode the rest of the short distance in silence until it was time to say goodbye.

Kate sat outside of the office of her guidance counselor, and judging by the fact that the door was open and the lights were on, she guessed that he would be returning to his office shortly. The door read "John Locke, Guidance Counselor" and below his name there was list of academic and professional designations. Kate laughed out loud and huffed, "John Locke? Is this for real?" She couldn't help but wonder if he had an English accent and whether he would bust out a discussion on political philosophy. No sooner had she thought this than she saw a tall bald man approaching her.

"Miss Austen?"

Kate stood and answered, "Yes."

"Well, please step into my office and take a seat. I apologize for running late, I snuck out to the teacher's lounge for a cup of coffee. I need to confess that it is actually my second cup this morning." He made an exaggerated faux guilty expression to emphasize his point. Kate smiled back at him.

"So, I reviewed your transcripts… and there are quite a few of them, I must add. You are the traveler aren't you? I see you even spent a few years in Germany. But, of course, what stood out most was your outstanding academic record and SAT score. Top 1%, that's impressive Miss Austen, especially considering your, hmmmm, shall we say "nomadic" existence. I also spoke to your guidance counselor from your last school and she had nothing but praise for you. I cannot tell you the relief you've brought me!"

At hearing his last comment, Kate stared at him quizzically.

He noticed her confused look, "Well Ms. Austen, if I can be frank… it's my general experience when we receive a senior transfer it's because that student was, shall we say, no longer welcome at his or her previous institution."

Kate gave a slow expectant nod, indicating for him to continue.

"So… Let's just say, I've come across a few students that have flunked out of private school or gotten into trouble with drugs and whatnot and have needed to transfer to their zoned school. But I see now, that I have nothing to worry with you."

"Yes sir."

"Excellent, I can relax now knowing that you will not tarnish the reputation of this excellent school with some scandal or other nonsense. Good luck today and please schedule an appointment with me for the end of this week, so we can discuss how your first week went and, perhaps, start discussing your college aspirations."

With that, Mr. Locke stood and shook Kate's hand and she made her way out the door.

She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, unfolded the copy of her class schedule that was clenched in her small hands.

"Please god, let this place be okay."

The day went quickly enough,but with lunch time causing the most discomfort, it always did no matter what school she attended. The students at her table were friendly enough and they made some small talk. Kate responded in kind despite the initial awkwardness. Over the years she had learned to adapt to the changing faces and had actually become pretty good at making casual conversation. There was one particular girl that stood out to her, she was from Australia, her name being, if she recalled correctly was … Claire. Claire was very friendly and talkative. She offered to show Kate around and introduce her to some people and Kate's gut told her that she should take her up on it.

Finally, time came for her last class of the day. It could NOT have arrived sooner, the steady stream of new faces and activities had worn her out and she was SO ready to go home and relax. She somehow managed to be the first person to enter the classroom, so she had her choice of desks. She chose the front, as she always did. She opened her textbook, rested her cheek on her closed palm and began flipping through it until she lifted her head at the sound of some footsteps.

Kate was not remotely ready for what stood before her. She could hear herself suck in her breath and feel the redness spread across her cheeks as she stared into the hazel brown eyes of the most handsome man imaginable. No, she corrected herself, she was convinced that he was the most perfect looking human being ever created.

She felt an incredible rush of sensation that touched every nerve ending in her body, she was tingling EVERYWHERE.

And for the very first time in her life, she truly believed she may fail a class.

Holy shit, she knew she was royally fucked!