So Wrong, It's Right.

"Now, Lanie. There are a few things we have to discuss. Please, have a seat." The teen nodded silently and went to sit down in the straight backed chair across from the social worker who held Lanie's fate in her hands. It would be her who decided where she went from here, whether it be with a new family or stay with Alex. "First, you've been staying with your teacher, Alex Gaskarth, correct?"

"Yes." Lanie responded softly, her throat tight. She just tried to think about Alex and his calming words he had spoken to her in the car on the way over. If she concentrated hard enough she could still feel the soft pressure his lips made on her own when he gave her one last kiss before she disappeared into the building, leaving him to wait.

"And how has that been? Has he been welcoming? Is it awkward?" Lanie shook her head at the last question.

"Not awkward at all. He's been very caring and welcoming. He let's me have friends over all the time and on the day of my funeral let me have a huge sleepover with my friends, he knew I needed them." The social worker, Macii was her name, nodded and wrote something down on the legal pad she had placed in front of her.

"I know that it's very soon before Christmas, you go on your school break soon and I'm sure you wouldn't want to spend break and Christmas adjusting to a new family, so what we are going to do is for now until after New Years, you will continue to be in Mr. Gaskarth's custody, after that we will meet again. I am sorry to say this Lanie, it seems that you enjoy staying with Mr. Gaskarth, but unfortunately I don't think that's going to happen after the New Year. You will stay here in Baltimore, in the same school, but not with him." Lanie took in everything Macii said with a blank mind and just nodded at the appropriate places.

Macii stood up and held her hand out to Lanie who stood as well and shook it.

"I will see you in about three weeks then." With that Macii smiled warmly at Lanie, took up her legal pad and left the room. Lanie stood there for a few seconds, before following her out. When she made it down the hallway and into the front waiting room, Macii was explaining everything to Alex who took it the same way she had, just nodding.

Lanie kept her distance as the two adults exchanged words and then handshakes before Macii went back down the hall and into her office once more, shutting the door. Alex and Lanie stared at each other for a few seconds before Alex gestured towards the door with his eyes and led the way out, both of them silent all the way to the car.

"I don't want to go live with some random family." Lanie spoke finally as Alex drove home. Alex sighed and took his right hand off the wheel to take her hand in his own.

"Like Macii said, you'll stay in Baltimore, we'll still be able to see each other. I know its going to be hard to adjust to a new family but you're strong, you can do it." Alex stopped at a red light and turned to smile at her. She returned it softly but wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on her own.

It was like he could read her mind as not even a second after she thought that, he reached over and placed his lips against hers. She brought her free hand up to his cheek, running it along his stubble covered chin. He pulled away after a few seconds and smiled at her.

"We still have three weeks, maybe even more, depending on how long it takes them to find another place, to enjoy living together. We have Christmas and New Years. Let's make the best of it." Lanie smiled and nodded, leaning forward to peck his lips before allowing him to move back over in his seat and see that the light had turned green, allowing him to go.

______

"Oh my god. That looks so real!" Lanie rolled her eyes at one of her classmates who was freaking out at a diagram of the human body, it was cut open as if in the middle of an autopsy.

It was currently Wednesday afternoon, just two more school days until it was Christmas break. Alex's classes were currently at the museum, taking in the Anatomy exhibit.

Lanie looked around for her teacher, finding him over by the doorway of the exhibit, deep in conversation with a skinny brunette. Lanie frowned and tried to see her face better as she looked very familiar.

"Who is that?" Lanie tore her eyes from the mystery girl to see Matt standing beside her, also staring at Mr. G and the woman.

"I don't know... I've seen her before... She's famil-" Lanie froze when she realized who her boyfriend was talking to. "It's Lisa... his ex girlfriend." Lanie and Matt watched as Lisa giggled at something Alex said, he too had a grin on his face. Lisa put her hand on Alex's bicep and smiled up at him.

"Whoa. Total flirtage going on there." Lanie's eyes narrowed at Matt's words but she couldn't disagree, they were so flirting. "Go interrupt them. Pretend to have a question and like drag him away." Matt said, shoving Lanie a little. "Protect your territory." Lanie rolled her eyes but began to walk towards them anyway.

As she stepped closer, they both turned to look. Their expressions changed simultaneously. Alex's changed from happiness to shock as his smile dropped and Lisa's changed from happiness and flirtation to anger as her eyes narrowed at the teen who stopped in front of the two.

"Hey, Mr. G. I have a question about something over there in one of the cases."

"Oh... Right. Of course. Excuse me, Lisa." Lanie forced an obviously fake smile at Lisa and led the way to the far end of the exhibit where not a lot of kids were at so they were safe to talk out of ear shot. "Lanie, I am so sorry. She just.. showed up." They pretended to look down at a case that contained a model of the human heart and little plaques about the functions of each part of it.

"You were flirting with her, Alex. If you still have feelings for her, just tell me." Alex sighed and quickly shook his head.

"No, baby. That's not what it is, honestly. She just... won't leave me alone. She keeps just trying to get me to talk to her." Lanie looked up at her teacher, her eyes narrowing.

"It was her who came that morning last week wasn't it, not Church people?"

"Yeah.. it was. She just won't leave me alone. Please, there is nothing going on."

"Then why didn't you tell me it was her? You lied to me. If it was nothing then there would have been no need to lie." Lanie felt anger bubbling up inside her as well as suspicion. There was something for sure going on between the two of them, she could see it in Alex's eyes.

"I just didn't want to upset you. I love you, not her."

"Then why were you just flirting with her?" Lanie pressed back. Alex sighed and bit at his lip, looking down at the case again and running his hand through his hair nervously.

"I just... I don't know." Lanie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She shoved away from the display and moved through the exhibit quickly. As she passed Matt, and Jake she grabbed their sleeves and with one single backwards glance at her boyfriend who was still standing across the room, she left the exhibit with her friends.

"What happened?" Matt questioned as they left the museum and sat on the steps out front.

"He didn't deny flirting with her and he admitted that the other morning she came by, he had lied to me and told me it was Church people begging for money but it was really her. Something is going on between them." Lanie felt tears spring up and leak down her cheeks. Jake sighed and pulled her into his chest.

"He loves you Lanie, I'm sure there is a reason for all of this." Matt said, reaching forward to rub her back. She nodded into Jake's shirt and tried to stop the tears but she couldn't. There was just something nagging at her brain, telling her that there was something going on.

"No, I know that there is something," Lanie said as she looked across the parking lot to see Lisa walking towards her car. She turned to see Lanie watching her and gave her a smug smile as if she knew something that the teen didn't. "Something is going on between the two of them and I will find out, no matter what it takes."

"Well, we will help you 100%, no matter what." Jake reassured his best friend.