The weekend went by faster than I wanted. After helping Ant with Spencer, and gathering my stuff. Ant made me realize that I needed to go home. I still love my mom even if Alan is an ass hat, dirtbag, that I wish would just stay out of my life. I also needed to just face the consequences. When I got home, Alan had left again with no timeline of his return, which was nerve wracking in itself. Mom was making dinner when I got home on Saturday and she laid out the consequences of the map and running out of the house, and not letting her know I was safe. No door. Home after school everyday for the next two weeks and extra chores. Fun. All the usual things that happen when I get into trouble at least before summer break when Alan is not around. Hopefully, he is gone for the whole grounding.

I was running late, as I jogged into the courtyard and past Amerie, Quinni, and Darren, as I heard Amerie say "I need one of those slap bands." Slap bands? I wonder what those are? I thought as I continued through the courtyard a little out of breath, but made it on time. I do not need school calling mom anytime soon. Head low. Out of trouble. Preferable not getting in trouble until Alan is out of the picture. I quickly located the boys who were messing around with Malachi, and Ant caught my eye and I waved. Spencer smiled my way too. Dusty gave them an annoyed look and walked off toward the outdoor canteen area. I walked over, as Ant was getting down from Malachi's back.

"Okay weekend?" Ant asked, giving me a side hug. I leaned into the hug. Apparently one weekend, and we are good friends now. I guess I understand why, but it is still so quick. From last year to fully ignoring my existence to fully realizing I exist in a matter of days. I wonder what is going on in his head.

"Hungover, and uneventful." I started with a laugh looking at Spencer. It was better to play it off as a normal hungover weekend.

"Ant here got pulled over by the cops?" Spencer's smile grew with humor lacing all his features.

"Mate, you got caught?" Malachi spoke up surprised.

"They let me off with a warning, no big deal? Ant smiled. "Could have been worse? They could have taken me home." He laughed. My stomach clenched now knowing what being taken home by cops could entail, but I forced out a smile that did not quite reach my eyes, and bumped him lightly with my hip.

"Could have been, but instead you crashed at my place" Spencer laughed, pushing Ant's shoulder as the bell rang above us to head to our first class. Ant walked with us half of the way to the biology wing before breaking off with us to get to his first class leaving me and Spencer alone.

"Will you stop staring at the side of my head?" I chuckled, giving him a playful look before walking to the classroom and finding my seat. He laughed at me and tried to stare away. We really did need to talk. I sighed, pulling out my biology materials and organizing before the bell rang.

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Later in SlTs

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I sat behind Spider, who for some reason thought it would be beneficial to sit directly in front of me while watching this terrible noodle movie. I rested forward on top of Ant's backpack, almost touching his back with my arms folded. I had come in exactly on time for SLT's and there was only one stool left. I had deeply sighed when I realized this. It wasn't that I did not feel comfortable with Ant and Spider, it was that it was all moving too fast. The most I let myself think about it the more anxious I was becoming. I wanted this, too. I wanted to hangout with people, and have friends to sit with, and be like the others again now that I wasn't public enemy #1. It was so much so quickly and I needed some of the space I used to have. I thought I could get enough during my study period, but I had to use it for the biology lab we did today to write up parts of the lab report. At least I got assigned groups, and some space from Spencer. At home wasn't fully an option either as I was always busy with chores or monitored doing homework. I did not have much time for myself.

I was excited at the idea of watching a film, since it would give me some time to zone out and think about everything. That did not look like it was going to happen as this film was so awkward. It was nice to be able to see Spider laugh so hard, but it was his shirt that was the problem. The linen material was seen through this close up, and I could see every muscle in his back moved as he laughed. I tried to distract myself from that torture to watch Quinni receive a pen from Sasha and blush all red. Cute, but Sasha's going to break your heart girl. Don't do it.

"This movie is making me uncomfortable" I mumbled at the movie as the actor stated "Your actions are making me feel uncomfortable." It was loud enough for Ant and Spencer to hear as Ant put his hand on my back, his thumb rubbing comfortable circles into it, and Spence nodded in agreement going back to laugh at the movie.

As Quinni went under the table to get the pen she dropped I saw an awkward exchange between Harper and Amerie as they were wearing matching shirts, and now both were trying to hide it. I stared at Harper until the whole class broke out in either groans or laughed at the other guy in the movie taking noodles from the other guy's bowl. I put my head forward into Ant's backpack groaning, and Spencer broke out in a deep laugh, and Ant went quiet and moved his hand off my back. I looked up in time to see Ant prod Spencer in the back. Interesting.

The class went quiet as Jojo clicked pause on the video, she looked as concerned as we were.

"Okay, miss, I have literally no idea what that was trying to teach us." Darren asked. They looked as annoyed as I felt with this video. No sitting up, I nodded along with Darren.

"Also, why was it the girl forcing them to eat her noodles?" Quinni follows up equally as annoyed. Sasha comes in quickly to answer her, "because it's misogynist propaganda. Women aren't such dick-obsessed idiots. " I nodded along with them too, not reacting to Spencer's annoyance, and Ant and Dusty waiting to see where this would go. I rolled my eyes at the guys around me, that was before Spider opened his mouth to speak.

"Uh, all the ones I've met are." I did the slow head tuning while glaring at him. Out of all the things that could come out of his mouth. I could hear Ant laughing next to me, but slowly stopped when he noticed the tension build up in the room.

"Are they?" I whisper angrily at the same time Harper jumps in with a "Your Sims girlfriend doesn't count, Spider," I snorted out a laugh as she nodded my way. Ant put his hand back on my back hearing my whisper. Why is that so comforting?

"Is this supposed to be a joke?" Malachi asked, still confused on what this movie was supposed to be about.

"No, it was supposed to be about the dangers of sharing intimate noodles." Jojo answers. She still looks let down by the content of this class. I wonder what she would want to teach us if she could. Intimate noodles? I started laughing as if nothing just happened. I was still annoyed, but my god this class. Dusty caught my eye when Jojo said noodles, and I raised an eyebrow at him. Odd. Why do I exist now?? "Forget about noodles," Jojo continued.

"I'm trying, miss, but it's hard to unsee." Ant laughs still uncomfortable with this movie. He pushes into my thigh as he leans back on his chair on two legs. I pat his hand in comfort. Oh, nudes. I was thinking this whole thing was about how girls dress to get attention from guys or how sometimes they manipulate attention from others to make other guys jealous. Why didn't the movie just say that?

"It is basically telling us to be ashamed of our bodies." Darren adds. Right on. I feel bad for Jojo. This film has made her as uncomfortable as it has us.

"What I think it's asking us to consider is the are the social consequences of sharing nudes with others. . . '' Jojo starts and gets cut off by Missy, "That they'll see how hot I am?" I catch Ant's eyes as he saints at her in disbelief realizing we are both giving her the same expression. I start laughing as all the boys start cheering for her. Ridiculous, all of them.

"No. That there's risks like revenge porn, being excluded from friends, ethical reasons." Jojo finishes. They don't need nudes to be excluded from friends, but I get what you are getting at Jojo. Why didn't we just have a group discussion about this?

"Yeah, but people have been sharing naked pictures since the dawn of time. For example, cave paintings, art." Sasha debates. I nod in agreement, not realizing that the boy behind me had a life changing epiphany.

"Renaissance titties!" he yells out in excitement. I bit my lip trying not to fully laugh out loud, as Spencer turned to him to agree with his declaration, "true." It seems Dusty agrees with this too. Boys.

"Thank you, Ant," Sasha yells across the room, "But nudes are like a human love langauge, Jo." Sasha adds turning back to engage with Jojo.

"Okay, yeah, yeah, fair enough. Look, I get that this video isn't going to stop you, but there are ways to be smarter about it." I start to zone as Jojo starts to lecture on nudes. I get what she means, but like I can stop sharing them, and send them safer, but that doesn't mean others won't stop sending them my way. I jump a little when the door behind me opens and Woodsy is looking at Jojo in annoyance, and the boys in this corner are laughing at whatever Jojo just shared with us.

At the end of class, Ant turns to me to groan that this class sucks as I trail out behind him. Spencer takes a minute to catch up, realizing he stopped Amerie. Why does he always have to be an ass? I said goodbye to Ant and walked off to English Literature, when he and Spencer went to the library for their study period.

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I was working on a draft of my English paper on The Great Gatsby on the only place I can study in the house: the dining room table. I would much rather be in my room working on this paper, or on the patio. Mom was still watching me like a hawk. What did she think I was going to do? I rolled my eyes as she came into the dining room again to shuffle papers around on the sideboard. She was doing this just to annoy me. Then her phone went off, and my ears strained to listen in for any clues of when Alan may be back, so I could make myself scarce. I sighed in relief as before she came in from getting off the phone and said it was just work.

"I got called into work for the evening," She started standing there staring at me.

"Okay?" I asked carefully. What does that even mean?

"I'll be out late. Do you have a friend's house to stay at tonight?" She asked. Was she serious? I internally perked up, I could go out.

"I think so?" I answered, "I will text them now?" I stated trying to hide my excitement. School day #1, and she has already broken this grounding. I fished my phone out of my backpack and texted Quinni. I just knew mom was going to pull that can I talk to their parents card.

Gemma: Hey, are you home?

Quinni: Leaving soon, but yeah? This is Gemma's number, right?

Gemma: Yeah, can I come over tonight? Mom is letting me out of the house since she has to go into work late. Said to find a house to stay over. She may ask to talk to your dad?

Quinni: I am actually going over to Darren's soon. They invited me and Amerie over. We just stopped here to get some things after school. Is that okay?

Gemma: Yeah, but mom is asking to talk to one of your parents. Will they be okay covering for me?

Quinni: Dad says yes. Call now.

"Here mom, it's Quinni's dad." I stated handing my mom the phone, waiting awkwardly in the dining room as she took my phone into the kitchen. It was a good five minutes before she states to pack an overnight bag and that she was dropping me off on the way, to make sure I got there safely. I knew that was code for she had to control this to make sure I wasn't going to any boy's house.

When we got there mom got out of the car like we were in the lower school and greeted Quinni's dads. I schooled my expression as Darren looked at me from the bedroom window and caught my eye. I knew they were already giving me grief and I wasn't even in the room.

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As soon as we saw my mom pull away and we knew it was safe to leave we started the walk to Darren's.

"Can you believe my dad actually wrote this?" Darren laughed in amusement. I wasn't fully comfortable being around Amerie, but I wasn't going to treat her like dirt. I guess I was angry, but civil. I was lounging on my back on the red couch as Darren was reading out of one of his dad's manuscripts, and Amerie was putting eyelashes on Quinni. I had pulled a random book off the shelf. What can I say, I am a girl who loves a good book. I put the book down when Quinni starts panicking about eyelashes and Sasha.

"Oh, please. You mean everything." Darren sighs, vulnerable and genuine.

"I agree." I state up at them from my laid down position on the couch.

Darren then picks up a page of the manual script and starts reciting with passion. I was laughing in amusement, as I saw Amerie;s face fall. I sit up and lean forward, my expression quickly matching Ameries and Darren;s dad walks forward.

"Did I say you could read that?" Darren's dad asks, looking irritated, but not enraged.

"What? Your great Australian Novel?" Darren says annoyed.

"You buggered up the page order." his dad grunts, annoyed picking up pieces of paper from the floor. "Do you see me doing this to your stuff?" he asks rhetorically. There is the dad voice I was waiting for. He reminds me of my dad.

"No, because that is my douche" Darren says sassily. I can't help but awkwardly smirk, and agree with Amerie's "That was a little harsh". Darren seemed annoyed at her comment. Looked sad too, but that didn't stop me from asking.

"You didn't tell us your dad was the Peter Rivers?" I pried.

"What do you mean by that?" Darren responded annoyed, still staring out the window. Come on, did they not even realize their dad was a published author?

"He's like famous and shit?" I asked confused that maybe I had the wrong Peter Rivers. I turned the book I had pulled off the shelf to show a young-adult man that looked alot like the one I just saw, and handed him the book. Darren looked down at the book and back at me with honest surprise. So they didn't know.