We were lying in the back of my El Camino, getting high in the school parking lot.

“I doubt it. You?” I took a deep draw and held it.

“Pfft, hell no. I’ve had enough schooling for the week. Let’s go grab something to eat, man. I’m fucking starving my ass off. I’d give my left nut for a burger and a milkshake right now.”

We ended up at the McDonald’s by Finn’s house with half of the dollar menu lying across the dash of my car.

“So, that chick Megan is coming out Friday to watch us play. I hope she wears that tight-ass schoolgirl uniform.” He made a growling noise in the back of his throat. “Dude, that shit is fucking hot. Hey, maybe she’ll bring your girl with her. You know the blonde. If she can stay sober long enough maybe you’ll get lucky,” he joked.

“Please. That chick’s as straight as they come. I’d have to drug her, too, to get her to put out.” We laughed.

Later that night, we played at Finn’s for two hours before I finally headed home. When I got there, Dad wasn’t there, which meant he was out on a call, towing a car for someone. I went inside, heated up two packs of oodles and noodles, then fell onto the couch to watch some TV and eat. I had just finished my noodles when I heard my dad pull up. I threw my bowl in the sink and went to take a shower.

That night he didn’t fuck with me. I guess he was too exhausted from work to even bother. I wish they’d work him to death more often. Shit, I wish they’d just work him to death… period. I fell asleep in a pair of boxers with my radio on and dreamt of the blond girl and her strange blue eyes.

By the time Friday rolled around, I’d missed two days of school and was so broke I barely had enough gas money to spit in my gas tank. I’d been to every business in town trying to get a job, but the tattoos and piercings weren’t accepted by most. Instead, I found myself on the front porch of Javier, the local dope dealer. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and if I wanted to have gas money and food I needed some cash. Dad worked, but he was the stingiest son of a bitch alive and I was old enough to take care of myself.

I left Javier’s place with an ounce of weed. He didn’t want to start me out with too much, even though I’d told him I could have that sold in less than thirty minutes at The Pit. I had to start somewhere. An ounce of weed today would be a pound of blow tomorrow. Either way, it was money in my pocket.

I showered, got dressed, and drove over to The Pit. The band was already setting up by the time I got there and there were already at least twenty people at the bar. It wasn’t long until we were up on stage playing our asses off for a roomful. I played until my fingers ached and took a swig from my beer every chance I got. It was a good night. I was playing my heart out and later, once everything was settled, I’d sell this weed and get my money.

I scanned the crowd and saw a few familiar faces. A cute brunette in the front caught my attention. She looked up at me with flirty eyes and licked at her bottom lip. She was cute, not sexy, but she’d do. I took note of where she was in the crowd before I moved on. A flash of white hair crossed my vision and my eyes landed on a petite blonde. From behind, the girl reminded me so much of that Patience chick, but this girl was in a tight pair of ass-hugging jeans and the sexiest halter top I’d ever seen.

My eyes traveled down the back of her, past the ends of her long, sandy hair, and landed on her luscious ass. I got so turned on that I played the wrong chord. That earned me a pair of bug eyes from Finn, but no one in the room seemed to notice but my band mates. Her slender shoulders and her back were fully exposed. A tiny mole on her shoulder blade stuck out and for a second I imagined running my finger across it. Her milky shoulders moved up and down as she bounced with the music.

Every dip and curve of her body could be seen through her tight skinny jeans and I knew in that moment there was no way this was the same girl that I found on the bathroom floor. The girl that came to my house and nervously fiddled with everything as she quietly mouthed the words “thank you” would never be caught dead wearing such revealing clothes.

Cute brunette in the front row forgotten, I honed in on the sexy, blond girl. I’d never mess with such a straight-laced girl like Patience, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t dip my stick in a chick that reminded me of her. Then the girl turned and her perfectly shaped nose and shimmering blue eyes came into focus. From up on stage, I watched as Patience danced and laughed with the group of girls around her, including her friend Megan. Instantly, I was pissed off that it was her.

One, she had no business coming back around here. She didn’t belong here and her being here was a danger to all of us since she was the governor’s daughter. Two, she looked entirely too sexy to be such a sweet, innocent girl. She was headed straight for trouble with those tight jeans and that tiny top. And three, I was pissed because it meant I wasn’t going to get some hot, blonde action tonight. Had it been some other cute blonde, then fine, I would have spent my night making her say my name, but not her; I wouldn’t put my hands on the khaki, snowflake princess.