My Parents banished me to my Uncle's ranch:

"Why were they yelling 'Erin'?" Chase asked as we got back to his house.

"It's my real name, but I hate it. Just another reason to run from those jackasses."

We made it up to his room and dried off. I didn't want to change, it was too hot, so I left the bakini on and wore his boxers and my hoodie. We plopped down on his bed exhausted.

"I like Tiggie. It reminds me of Whinni the Pooh." Chase said in a mocking tone I couldn't ever match.

I slapped his head playfully. "Ouch." He murmured.

"How long do you think it'll be before they realize you're with me?" Chase asked rolling his head in my lap. He had a devilish grin on his face. I was sitting indian style leaning against his wall. I bit my lip.

"What time is it?" I asked

"I don't know...six maybe."

"What!" I looked at the clock. 6:00 exactly!

"No, don't go..." He said kissing my leg. I giggled as his chin rubbed against my thigh playfully.

After a little arguing--in which Chase refused to take me a few times--He caved and drove me back to Jack's ranch. He had tempted me with spending the night but I was sure the guys would come looking for me there eventually and I didn't want to get him hurt. When we drove up, I was surprised that Chase came so close to the house. The lights flickered on as I climbed off the motorcycle. I had stayed in my outfit since my jeans were in the wash. I have a spilling problem alright!

"Erin!" Jack shouted angrily. I watched as Chase shook his head.

"You can always pick up some stuff and I'll take you right back." Chased said from behind a black helmet.

"Just go before he sees you!" I hissed and shooed him away.

"Dammit Erin where have you been?" Jack said slamming the door behind him. Chase drove off. The picture was funny. Just what every dad never wanted to see. Their daughter being dropped off by a boy on a motorcycle. Accept...Jack wasn't my dad and in reality if I had done this in California the chances of Richard even noticing me were slim-to none.

"Is she back?" I heard a few more hurried footsteps as Ian and Danny came out also.

I then snapped out of my thoughts. I looked Jack over--worried. Then Ian--relieved? And Danny--pissed...

"I told those Farlanders not to cross the line again!" Danny yelled, but Chase was long gone with only the roar of his motorcycle to drown Danny's cursing out.

"Erin you have some explaining to do." Jack said sternly.

"I've told you a million times, Jack. Don't fucking call me Erin. It's Tiggie!" I screamed the last part. Jack looked even more pissed. I pushed past him into the house.

"You get back here young lady!" Jack shouted but I had already slammed my door and locked it.

I showered the pond smell away and lay down for bed. I was exhausted. Too exhausted to come out of my room and eat. That and the fact that I could practically smell the roast waffling into my room. Gross.

I didn't know if I had been smiling since I got home, or since the shower. Either way I just couldn't get today off my mind.

Then a knock sounded on my window. I glanced at the clock. 3:00 am. This has to be Chase! I ran to the window and pulled back the blinds excitedly. Then quickly flung them shut when I saw Nate outside my window.

"Tiggie wait! Please just hear me out." He begged. Hmmm, what to do? I was still pretty pissed off at him for acting like he was a know it all, but Chase had cheered me up so I decided to hear him out. I pulled back the blinds and opened the window but stood in front so he couldn't come it.

"Speak." I said shifting my weight a little. He looked pretty bad. There were rings under his eyes and his hair was sticking up in the back. His shirt was also completely wrinkled. Is he out there in...yep! Boxers. Oh this is great...

"Okay, I wanted to apologize for last night."

I waited. Is that it! You gotta be shittin' me...Oh-no, he's not getting off easy.

"For...?" I asked. He growled and clenched his teeth.

"For calling you a spoiled brat and assuming I knew you."

Much better. I could tell this was hard for him. He had come over in the middle of the night to apologize and I was guessing his buddies didn't know. I shrugged and pursed my lips.

"I apologized, aren't you going to forgive me and let me try again?" He asked through his teeth. Why is he so pissed? Is it one of those 'male pride' things...HA! Nothing hurts the male ego like a shot to their manhood. Although in this case I couldn't literally damage him physically I decided verbal would do just fine.

"I'm just curious, is that what you ask every girl after she has sex with you?" I asked as innocently as I could. Doing a horrible job of hiding my grin.

"Can you be serious right now!" He growled.

"Can I be serious?" I scuffed in his face. "You're out here at 3:00 in the fucking morning, asking for my forgiveness so you won't have to admit to your friends that you're an asshole! I find this situation very amusing so, NO. I will not be serious. You're apology is a joke. And I won't forgive you unless you apologize in front of everyone." I whipped my window shut and listened to him cuss for about a minute outside of my window.

I fell back to sleep instantly. Again I dreamed about my mother and the black horse, while the whole scene continued to haunt me. That horse gave me the strangest dejavu feeling. But the song was worse. It was...so Erie. It seemed empty now that my mother was dead.

When I woke up the next morning my stomach demanded I get up and prepare a meal immediately. What time is it...Oh who cares. I got up and realized that I had kept Chase's boxers on from yesterday. I couldn't help myself, they were extremely soft. Dark red silk. Comfy.

I walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Ian(again, I think it was Ian) reclining at the kitchen table. It had to be almost eleven and he was just sitting here. That didn't make much sense. From what I had seen was that Jack and the rest of the guys always went out before nine.

I ignored him--I didn't hate him--but I still wasn't up for friendly conversation. I poured out some juice and toasted myself some bread. Ian was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee just relaxing.

I sat down and started eating. Silence. When I finished I decided I would go call Alex and tell her about Chase. But Jack's door was locked to the Study. Shoot. Okay whatever I'll just watch some TV.

I went back to my room and clicked the TV on. Nothing. I tried again, but there was nothing. I went up to the TV and manually tried. Again, nothing. What the eff?

"He unplugged the cord and took it with him," Ian was standing in my doorway.

I was a little taken back...okay I guess I deserved that after running out. "I can go without TV." I said in a mellow tone.

Just then Jack stepped through the doors. He looked like he had been interrupted because he came in here with his hands dirty and a layer of sweat around his forehead.

I sighed. "I can live without TV." I stated firmly and threw myself onto my bed.

Why is Ian still here..."One week starting to today," Jack came in my room with his hands folded. "No TV, no phone--at all. No more wondering off," God I get it already..."No more seeing the Farlander kid--" Hold up! Is he talking about for a week, or is he trying to say I can't ever see him. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

"Yeah right! You can't tell me who I can and can't see!"

"Oh," Jack laughed a little. "Yes I can. And not just him, his brothers too. You're not going anywhere for an entire week. You're grounded!"

"HA!" I scuffed. "Well at least I won't be out working."

"Oh yes you will," Jack said and he grabbed Ian on the shoulder and brought him forward. "Meet your new best friend." He said. I could tell Ian was on the shy side, he just rubbed the back of his neck and forced a smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I yelled.

"You're still going to be working. I'm not leaving you alone here for one second. For today, Ian is going to be watching you. That means you don't do anything he doesn't do. You're going to be following him while he works today and he'll report back to me. If I get good reports from all of the boys after the five days, the last two days of your grounding you won't have to do this. Got it? Now go change out of those." He looked down at the boxers in disgust.

What. The. Hell? "You're assigning me a babysitter!" I screamed. Who does this man think he is? Ian rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

"No, a babysitter wouldn't be able to watch you." He said correcting me. "And don't think because they're your friends, their going to go easy on you. I've paid them extra just to do this. So you better behave or I'll extend your grounding."

Jack patted Ian on the back and then slammed the door behind him, leaving a very awkward moment for me and Ian. Poor guy. Well at least he's getting paid to do this.

"Do you mind?" I asked going through my draws for clothes. He shrugged and sat on the chair.

"I am not changing in front of you! Get out!" I screamed. He crossed his arms and set his jaw.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to run or something? Give me five god damn minutes and I'll be done."

He seemed to think that over for a second and then stood up. "Five minutes and no locked doors. If you don't come out, I'll come after you."

I changed and made my deadline. Ian was waiting and he took me out to the barn and he showed me how to tack up a horse. I felt a little guilty being rude to him. But that was his fault, he could have said no to this.

He didn't speak much but I could tell he was a little more shy than the other boys. Especially when it came to us riding. He had a smaller horse than Danny, but it still fit us both. He road out to a fenced area I had never been to. There was a spot where the wire had been cut through and Ian needed to repair it.

We slid off the horse and he got to work fixing the posts. There were already tools out there, I guess he had been working on it for a while.

"Why are you here?" I needed to break this stupid silence. It was so awkward.

He didn't look up, just mumbled, " 'Cause your stupid boyfriend and his brothers must have cut this down."

Oh please! "This isn't even close to the pond. And he wouldn't do that. Besides that wasn't even what I meant." I said coldly.

"Oh," He shrugged.

"I meant what are you doing here. Shouldn't you be enjoying your summer?"

"Need the money." He still continued to tighten barbed-wire and put poles back up. Someone had cut the wire on the fence and there were some trails worn. I couldn't tell what they were. But Chase said they never crossed...

"For what?"

"College." He turned his back. I guess that means the conversation is over...So much for small talk.

Since the day was boring, let me just fill you in quickly. Ian continued to work on the fence--in silence--and I continued to do nothing. He didn't seem bothered by that. Lunch was...interesting. Everybody watched me like I was a bomb waiting to go off. Then after, back to the fence. Ian pretty much finished. Then back to diner. I swear, you could set your clock by diner time. Then bed. Fun day! Not. And the next day was only worse when I woke up to find Isaac was sitting outside my door. He wasn't as quiet as Ian thank God, but I still felt bad for being rude. Okay not really.

We worked with some of the horses--correction--he worked the horses, I sat and watched. Although occasionally he would ask if I wanted to ride or groom like he was but I refused. What was with them trying to get me to ride? Well, lunch was the same, diner just as boring. What a great summer.

I was laying on my bed when a thought hit me. All the guys are going to be watching my window. It was brilliant. I thought about it for a second. Jack wouldn't even know if I left right now, and Chase could bring me back before anyone woke up. Chase had showed me a small footpath that was easy to follow to his house. I could walk a mile. Hell I could walk a hundred miles and it would be better than laying around here with nothing to do! I was sooo hungry!

There was no way I could call Chase now to let him know, but I was sure he wouldn't mind. I threw on my jeans and tennis shoes. Then a dark black hoodie and started to devise my plan. The window would be exactly what they expected. No one would be watching the front door. It was twelve o'clock and pitch black when I closed the front door behind me.

Stick that in your juice box and suck it Jack! I started to run down the drive when the worse possible noise came from behind me. Footsteps. And they were moving fast. I didn't even look back. I just ran. Fast. I was almost to the edge of the trees when I was tackled to the ground. We were far enough from the house to be heard. So I did what any other pissed off teenage girl would do. I screamed.

"Will you shut up!" Danny covered my mouth with his hand. Well that was dumb. I had a one free hand and I knew what I wanted to do. He was just smiling at me, with that stupid grin. His full weight was crushing me. Oh my god he's enjoying this! I hit the back of his head as hard as I could. There wasn't a whole lot of force but enough that he was forced to use his hand to hold mine back now.

"Danny..." I said in a seductive tone.

"Yes baby," He said with a quirked eyebrow and a stupid grin.

"Will you do something for me?" I asked politely.

"Mmhm," He growled pushing my hands above my head. God this looks so wrong!

"Will you please," And then I shoved my face to his and yelled. "Get the fuck off of me! You jackass!"

"God dammit Tiggie, you didn't do this for Ian or Isaac." He grabbed me up and threw me over his shoulder. I started to thrash but gave up in a second. It honestly wasn't worth it. My plan had been foiled. Shoot! Now what am I going to do...?

He walked around back to the cabin and some of the boys came jogging out. He still had me over his back while trying to open my window. Which I could only assume would be a challenge with me on his shoulder. I looked up and saw all four other boys standing in front of me.

"That'll be twenty bucks," Steven said in a triumphant voice. Yes, they had placed a bet on me. Whether I would try to sneak out, or if Danny could catch me I didn't know.

"Dammit," The twins said at the same time.

"You can put me down." I growled at Danny who was still fiddling with the sliding window. He shook his head 'no'. "Ugh." I growled again.

"I don't understand you Tiggie. You're a perfect little angel for the twins, but the moment it hits twelve and my shift is on, you pull a stupid stunt like this." He finally opened the window. "I'm getting the feeling you want my attention, baby." He said pushing me into my room and then hopping in himself. I scoffed at him.

"The only thing I want, is for you to get out of my room!" I shoved him as best as I could but he didn't move an inch. He just stood there with his arms crossed. I gave up and pulled out my pajamas. "Go." I said flatly, holding my shorts and tank in hand.

"What, I don't get a little reward for catching you so quickly?" Is he looking at my...YEP, looking at my chest again. What a...a...PIG! I'm not even wearing a low top. Maybe he's...no? Oh my god is he referring to me taking off my clothes for him. HA! Fat fucking chance buddy!

"Get. Out." I said tightening my arms across my chest. He sighed and shook his head. Like there was ever any hope!

*I bet you can only imagine what fun Danny is going to have with this...*