*Rae's Pov*

I'm knocking on Karen's door when I hear someone call my name from behind me, it's Lip.

"Hey! Guess you decided to come over a little earlier than planned?" I tilt my head to the side asking.

"Yeah, I figured we could all hang out like old times."

"Old times? Lip it hasn't been that long, so dramatic." I roll my eyes.

Still no answer from the Jackson's. I knock again, Lip rings the door bell.

"Okay, they're going to think a building is burning down, Philip!"

"Sorry, just being my DRAMATIC self." He nudges me, the door creaks open and it's Sheila.
"Um, Hi Mrs. Jackson we were wondering If Karen was home?" I smile.

"Oh no, Sweetie she's out with her new friend Jody!"

"Oh! Okay! I guess just tell her we stopped by!" The door shuts and we start to walk off the porch towards the street.

"Who the fuck is Jody?" I ask.

"Beats me. Probably someone from this group Karen's going to, sex addicts anonymous?"

"Hm. Didn't know about that, well uh, wanna go smoke at my place?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Lip and I are now sitting on my bed passing a joint back and forth.

"So, you gonna tell me about last night?"

I freeze.

"Yeah, I guess you heard?"

"Yup, your mom was at our place last night freaking the fuck out you weren't home. Ian and I were about to go look for you but you called right before we walked out the door. You alright? That's some scary shit to see. Saw Monica once when I was a kid ODing in our living room. Took weeks to forget the look on her face."

"Yeah, I didn't sleep at all last night. I keep picturing his eyes all bloodshot and how pale he looked, it's like he was dead, even though they told Andrew and I he was still alive." I feel that too familiar shiver down my spine again, Lip looks at me sympathetically and changes the subject.

"Who the fuck is this Andrew kid huh?"

"We go to school with him and he works at the diner. Shaggy brown hair, tall-ish, lanky?"

"Oh that stoner kid from English? He seems nice, looks at you a lot."

"Guess I'm the only one who never noticed him before!"

"So you dating him now or something."

"We talked for the first time last night, so, yes we're getting married in the spring."

Lip laughs and shakes his head.

"What time is it?" he asks.

"Its like 9:30?"

"Shit I gotta go help Kev! I'll see you later, call me if you need me okay?" He looks at me, trying his best to look serious but his eyes are so bloodshot I have to stifle my laughter.

"Got it!" I give him a thumbs up. He leaves. My phone rings, It's Andrew.

"Hey Rae! I, uh, don't want to sound like a weirdo but do you want to hangout now?"

"You're not a weirdo and sure! You can come over to my place if you want? I can text you my address?"

"Okay sounds great!" I can hear how excited he is and I feel like my heart is going to burst.

We hang up and I head downstairs to wait for him on the porch. A few minutes later he approaches my driveway and I stand up so fast I should of passed out.

"Easy there, Tiger!" He chuckles.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"Um, I guess, I have no idea!" we both laugh softly looking at the floor.

"Okay, I'm stoned and hungry want me to make you something?"

"That'd be great."

We walk into my house and I give him a small tour, showing him everything but my room.

Eventually making our way back to the kitchen I've sobered up a little and grab us whatevers in the fridge and we sit to eat at the booth we have in our kitchen nook.

"So last night was, shitty to say the least."

"Yeah, not what I wanted when I asked you out."

"What did you want?"

"I just want to get to know you better."

We sit in silence for a moment.

"I see you at work a lot and school, you're always so nice to everyone, you always look really cute, you're always saying some smart shit in class, I don't know. You just seem cool." He's looking at his food so intently, looking up so fast and looking back when we make eye contact like a scared animal.

I can't stop smiling now, I've never had a boy say stuff like that to me that wasn't like Lip or Ian. Usually than it's because I'm sad.

"Listen, Andrew, I know this might be inappropriate all things considered but I did really like talking to you last night." I say honestly.

I see the tension in him leave his body. He looks up at me and smiles sheepishly.

We finish eating, Andrew grabs our plates and puts them in the sink thanking me for the food.

"So, did you want to watch a movie or something?" he ask.

"Not really, I was hoping we could talk more. Want to see my record collection?"

"Yeah that'd be awesome!"

We head upstairs to my room, Andrew sits on the beanbag chair on the floor and I pull my box of records over to him, sitting beside him on the floor.

"You got a lot of older stuff here, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan? You like folk music?"

"No, I hate it, I just buy these records to impress boys." I wink.

"Well, It's working." He looks over at me. "Consider me impressed, Rae!"

We laugh and when I look up he's looking at me and smiling softly, god he's so cute.

I lean in and kiss him softly, he reciprocates and leans in. We kiss for a while, nothing too serious, not a heated make out or anything when he suddenly breaks apart as it becomes more passionate.

"I really like you, Rae."

"I can tell."

"No, I mean like I've had a crush on you for forever and like never said anything because I thought you were dating Li-"

"You thought what?" I laugh harded than I mean to.

"I mean, you're like always together and like come to school together and leave together, I heard some people say you were together until he started banging Karen Jackson."

"I've never had sex with Lip that'd be like having sex with my brother!"

"Okay sorry I brought it up!" He puts his hands up to surrender, I grab them and intertwine my fingers into his leaning my face closer again.

"Sorry, where were we?"

We kiss again and this time it's passionate and he takes control unlike before, moving from my lips to across my jaw and down my neck he tugs on my shirt asking if it's okay, I nod standing up to move to the bed, he does so too.

"Sorry wasn't interested in doing it on the floor."

"It's okay." He laughs pulling his shirt off.

I remove mine, he tells me I'm beautiful and I blush.

Before we can continue my phone rings. It's my mom.