There was a new kid in class. I studied him from my back corner seat where I sat with the collar of my leather jacket pulled up to my chin. He was tall and scrawny and looked like he still should've been in junior high. His name was Norman Bates and apparently his mother had just bought Keith Summer's motel. Normally I wouldn't have even been in Language Arts, but I could only miss ten days of school this year or next year I'd be a super senior.

At lunch I sat by myself. I had one friend in the school and she had the second lunch period. I'm not complaining, I put myself in this position because freshman year I learned nearly everyone in the town of White Pine Bay was a shithead. I stared across the cafeteria to where Norman was also sitting by himself, but he seemed more upset about it. It was strange because Bradly Martin had been so obsessed with him. I thought she was making him her latest pet project. Yet while I was content with my thoughts and crunching my Lays potato chips one at a time, he was staring off into space. He had dark circles under his skin, which had taken on a rather gray pallor, and his bangs stuck to his forehead with sweat. Suddenly, he pushed back from the table and sprinted out of the cafeteria as though his life depended on it.

Curiosity overwhelmed me and I followed upstairs where I found him with his head in a trash can. The sound of retching echoed from the inside of the bin.

"You okay?" I asked when he pulled his head out. "You look like a corpse."

From the way he was taken aback, I could see that he knew who I was. I held the reputation of the school weirdo. "I'm fine," he whispered. "Thank you."

"Make sure you're finished," a girl with an oxygen tank appeared at my shoulder. "Don't just stop because it's embarrassing."

I laughed because it was such an Emma thing to say.

Norman nodded. "I-I'm finished."

Emma offered him a mint and introduced herself.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay and you're in good hands now, so I guess I'll see you around," I excused myself.

The main problem with having to go to school was there were less hours for me to work and less money that I could make. White Pine Bay wasn't too expensive of a town, but being seventeen and having to pay rent and my cell phone bill and groceries and utilities was overwhelming. And tonight my father was taking me out to dinner.

"How are you?" Sheriff Romero asked.

"Fine," I shrugged. I always found these dinners awkward because my mom didn't know about them. And he always offered to help me out with the rent, but I couldn't tack money from him. It made me feel sick.

"Have you met Norma and Norman Bates?" he asked. "They bought Keith's motel. I think Norman is in school with you?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He's kinda weird. He threw up during lunch today and it looks like he hasn't slept in a week, but they've only been here for two days."

My dad grunted in agreement. "He was pulling up carpet with his mom at two in the morning."

I shrugged, that didn't sound weird at all. "That's when I get all my work done cause I'm the only one awake."

He considered it for a moment, finally acquiescing that I had a point, but also adding that Keith Summers hadn't been seen in a couple days either.

The sun is warm as it should be at the end of September. I was enjoying it on my work break, but I couldn't get my cigarette to light. The lighter kept fizzling out, unable to sustain a flame long enough for it to catch.

"Here let me help you," a young man offered me his lighter. He was only a couple years older than me and extraordinarily handsome with short blond hair and pale, blue eyes. He wore a leather jacket and sported scruff along his strong jaw.

I held my cigarette in my mouth while he lit it for me. "Thanks," I said, exhaling smoke.

"Anytime. Dylan Massett," he held out his hand.

"Cameron Romero," I shook it. "So you work for Gil?" I comment, realizing that he had gotten out of Ethan's truck.

"You know about Gil?" he asked, lighting a cigarette of his own.

I chuckled. "Everyone knows about Gil, the civilians just like to look the other way. You're new, kid, but you'll figure out that you moved to a pretty fucked up town."

"Kid?" it was his turn to laugh. "You're what? Four years younger than me?"

"But I'm wise beyond my years," I leaned back on the bench, this time when I exhaled smoke, I blew it in his direction.

"Really now?" he smirked.

I bit my lip. "Yeah, buy me a drink and you'll learn that I know everything."

He took me back to his house since every bar in town new I was the sheriff's daughter and the sheriff's daughter is only seventeen. I was startled to find myself outside of the Seafairer Motel. He had said his last name was Massett, not Bates.

"So are you only half a Bates?" I had to ask as we walked inside. The house was much bigger up close. It was one of the oldest buildings in town and I had never been inside, not even when it foreclosed and stood unoccupied for three months.

He shook his head as he took my jacket from me. "Not a Bates at all. Norma left my dad for Norman's dad. She took his last name."

"Ah that sucks. Where's your dad now?" I pried further, nodding when he presented a bottle of whiskey.

"Dead," he answered curtly as he poured.

I rested a hand on the middle of his back. "I'm sorry." My eyes drifted over to a record player and I couldn't help but leave him.

Dylan noticed where my attention had gone and picked up a Led Zeppelin record. "Music?"

I smiled at his choice and nodded. He put the record on and soon the melody filled the living room. Holding my drink in one hand, I used my free hand to tug on the hem of his shirt. He took my free hand in his and spun me around. I couldn't help but to giggle. It had been so long since I had been intimate with anyone. He goes to spin me again, but I stop.

"You're eyes are sad," I said.

He motioned to the pictures lined up behind the couch. They are all of Norman and their mother, not one is of Dylan. "I'm trying not to think about how fucked up my family is."

As he said it, a blond woman in a silk bathrobe descends the stairs. The old wood creaks, calling my attention to her.

"What are you doing?" she asked Dylan. "It's the middle of the night."

"Just having a cocktail and listening to some of the pervious owner's old music with Cam," Dylan shrugged. "You?"

Her eyes shifted over to me and if looks could kill… She wrapped her robe tighter around herself and crossed her arms over her chest. "You brought a girl home," she comments curtly.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bates," I apologized, grabbing my jacket from the coat. "I'll leave."

"I think that would be best," she said, pursing her lips.

"Bye, Dylan." I gently touch his arm.

He placed his hand on top of mine, not letting me go. "You don't have to leave," he told me; and then to his mom: "She's my guest."

"It's my house," she replied.

I wrenched my hand free of his. "I'll see you later, Dylan," I promised, smiling sweetly at him.

In school, I saw Emma speaking with Norman. I had wanted to call Dylan, but I didn't have his number so my brain told me that his half-brother would be good enough. When I got closer, I saw that Norman was actually freaking out.

"Hey," I butted in, placing myself next to Emma. "Hi, Norman."

"Hi," he said, curtly.

"Can you do me a favor?" I asked. "Can you tell Dylan we're cool?" I was worried he didn't want to contact me after their mother had kicked me out.

Norman nodded. "What's his new job?"

"What?" I was not expecting the question. "His new job?" School was not the place to reveal that Dylan was working for one of the drug-lords; not somewhere that was coated in tiles and ever cadenced echoed a thousand times.

"He said he had a job this morning," Norman explained. "He said it was doing nothing."

"I don't know," I lied.

"Yeah, well, alright. I have to get to class." He ran away.

When he had disappeared into the crowd of our peers, Emma and I walked to class. "You like him," I smirked.

Cam didn't admit to anything. "Who's Dylan?" Emma asked instead.

"Just a guy," I shrugged. "Who happens to be hot as balls."