Suffocation.

"As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot."
John Lennon

Lola and I took our time changing into our gym uniforms, while the rest of the girls were already back in the gym, ready to run the mile. I finished changing before Lola; she was still sitting on the bench between the rows of lockers in her bra and panties. I stared at the elegant mermaid tattooed onto her upper thigh.

"What are you doing tonight?" Lola asked as she fixed her wig.

"I'm going over to Bobby's new place, Frankie is going to make us do more planning for their wedding, but she calls it making sure dinner," I shrug.

"Damn, I wanted to do something tonight."

"It's Tuesday. What's there to do on a Tuesday?"

Lola shrugged as we heard the metal door to the locker room open. "Lady!" we heard Graham shout. "I don't have all day, come on."

Lola pouts as she begins to put on her tee shirt with the school logo on it, followed by the navy blue mesh shorts. "I would totally fuck him."

"What?"

"Mr. Rhodes, if I got the chance to fuck him, I would. I'd do it in front of the entire school too," she smirked as I blush a dark crimson color.

I got to record everyone's time that they ran the mile in while Graham stood beside me, handing the runners popsicle sticks as they ran by. When you had five sticks, you've run the mile. I'd much rather be running than sitting on this stool with a clipboard on my lap and a pencil in my hand, but I still could only go small distances without using my crutches.

"Are you going over to Bobby's tonight? Frankie is having Daphne and I over tonight for dinner but I think we're going over more wedding plans," I ask.

"Uh," Graham said nervously. People knew that my step brother and him are best friends and that we associate with each other outside of school, I didn't see what the big deal talking about it was. "Bobby did ask me to come over for dinner, but he didn't mention that you'd be there."

I turn my head to look at him but Graham refused to even give me a sideways glance. The first person to run a mile crossed the finish mile. "Make sure you get the right time," Graham said while taking the boy's popsicle sticks and returning them to their box.

I didn't have time to ask him about why it mattered if I was at Bobby's or not, runners began crossing the finish line in twos and threes and I had to concentrate on who had what time until finally, Lola came in last, after everyone left the gym to go to the weight room.

"I'm so out of breath," she wheezed.

"You walked the entire time. It took you fifteen minutes, slugs are faster than you."

"Well maybe if I was motivated I'd go faster. The school should invest into some serial killer to chase us or a hat with a doughnut attached to it so it dangles in front of our face. I'd run to Russia and back for a doughnut," she said with a serious look on her face.

I bust out into a laugh. This is Lola, one of the few people here, including me, that don't belong. She doesn't strive for greatness, she strives for doughnuts.

In the middle of lunch I received a text message from my dad saying that he would pick me up after school but didn't go into details on why he would. I sat across Daphne looking confused but she didn't notice. Her and A.J. had decided that they should explore being in a relationship. So far they are in the 'honey moon' phase, where everything each other does it cute even though it's not.

"Daph, do you know why Dad is picking me up after school?" after two months of living with Bobby, Daphne and Melanie and having them calling my dad their dad as well, I stopped with the whole 'my' thing and decided that he was their dad too.

"Nope. I thought we were going over Frankie's for more wedding planning?"

"That's what I thought too. I'll have him drop me off there when he's done with whatever he wants us to do. I hope it's not another bonding experience, if I have to have another one of those I'll punch him in that abnormally large nose of his."

"Don't hate the big noses," A.J. touched the tip of his nose with his index finger.

"You don't have a big nose, you have a cute nose," Daphne kissed him where his index finger just was. I wanted to gag, but I held it back. I was pretty sure that this is Daphne's first relationship and I didn't want to ruin it for her by making rude gestures.

After the final bell rang, I grabbed some of the books I needed from my locker and headed out the main steps to the front of the school where I found my dad's car parked in the long line of other people waiting to pick somebody else up.

"Why did you pick me up? Daphne and I were going over to Bobby's. I thought I told you," I said once I closed the door.

"Yeah I know but I have a present for you."

"What is it?"

"You'll have to wait and see."

My dad turned up the radio while he pulled out of the line and out onto the main road. We sang each song that came on, he was surprised that I knew so many songs that he used to listen to when he was my age, but it's what mom listened to, and she listened to the radio a lot.

We pulled into a car dealership, and my eyes go wide. "A car, seriously?"

He nodded his head. "Now I Tim, my car dealer, pull the top ten safest cars of right now, so those are the ones you have to choose from. And if you don't like any of the colors or interior, he told me that we can drive the model until we get the car in."

"I can't believe it. Why?"

"Because you need a car. Work is becoming crazier, Daphne is going to have a lot going on, you'll need a car to get to the hospital and eventually to college so now is a good of time as any."

I looked at the ten cars all in a perfect line, but one caught my eye immediately. The Dodge Dart in citrus green. "Can I take this on a test drive?" I smile.

My dad nodded again, getting into the passenger seat as I got into the driver’s side. I pushed the button where there key would normally go and the engine roared to life. I loved it, exactly how it was, which seemed to be the top of the line, it even had XM radio.

"I knew that you'd pick this one, just because of the color," my dad laughed once all the papers were signed and the car was officially mine.

"Not just because of the color, but that was a big factor. Thank you, so much."

"You're welcome, Baby Girl. You deserve it, I've seen how hard you've been working and I know it's not easy to adjust to everything but you're taking it with a smile on your face even though you think it might kill you."

"How do you know?"

"Because you are your mother. You don't just look like her, but you act like her and think the same way as she used to. It's comforting," he said sadly.

"Can I drive this to Bobby's?" I ask changing the subject to something lighter.

"It's yours now, do as you please. Send them my love," he kisses my head then allows me to get back into the car that is now mine and watches me drive off before getting into his own car.

Bobby, Frankie and Daphne all stood around my car, checking it out, testing the lights and different buttons before Frankie made us head inside for 'unplanned' wedding planning. After helping Frankie, I swore that I would never have a wedding. I'd elope to save time, money and the sanity of everyone around me.

Frankie left Bobby, Daphne and I to make wedding favors while she continued on to work on dinner. She was making spaghetti with homemade sauce, meatballs and bread sticks. She talked about how she wanted to make homemade noodles as well but didn't have the time since she had to work today.

The front door of the apartment opened up and Graham came walking through the doorway, I gave him a small smile but he diverted his eyes away from mine. Behind him stood a tall blonde, the type of girl that looks like she plays volleyball for a living.

"Hey guys," he smiled entering the living room, the pretty blonde following them, their fingers intertwined. "This is Jenna, my girlfriend."

It felt like rocks were tumbling in the pit of my stomach. His girlfriend. I didn't want to admit it to myself but I am jealous. I had so many questions, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to answers.

"Hey Jenna, I'm Bobby and this is my fiancée Frankie," Bobby introduced himself and Frankie who waved from the kitchen. "These are my sisters Lennon and Daphne; they're helping with the wedding."

"We're being held against our will," Daphne smirked.

Jenna let out a cute, tiny laugh, I wanted to tell her that Daphne wasn't funny but I held my tongue. Frankie announced that dinner was ready, causing the awkward tension to break.

The table fit six people perfectly; I wasn't sure why Bobby and Frankie bought a table for six people if it would only be them for a while. But I didn't want to draw any attention to myself by asking, so I stared down at my plate of red sauce covered noodles that I drenched in parmesan cheese.

"So how long have you two been dating? Bobby only told me today that Graham was bringing his girlfriend over." Frankie asked one of the questions I have been wanting to know.

"The end of January, we were friends before that though," she smiled up at Graham who gave a small smile back. He still hasn't looked at me.

"And how did you two meet?" Bobby asked.

"I saw him at a New Year's Eve party but he was with some girl, so I didn't talk to him but I made our mutual friend set us up once I found out that Graham and the girl weren't dating."

"The girl was actually Lennon," Frankie mentioned me.

"Oh," Jenna said as if she was confused. Graham and my eyes met at the same time. What if she saw us kiss? What if she brought that up right now?

"Uh yeah, Lennon moved here from Alabama," Graham said quickly.

"Why'd you move?"

I glare at him; I didn't want to tell her why. "I wanted to live in a really big house and have my dad buy me expensive clothes and new cars," I lied.

"That's, um, different," she struggled to say.

"Yeah, I like using people," I send a smile towards Graham.

"And are those your crutches?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah, I use those to beg for attention."

"Lennon," Daphne whispered harshly.

"What? I don't know this girl, I don't have to tell her my life story," I say loud enough for the rest of the table to hear.

Bobby quickly changed the subject to anything besides me. Graham and I glared at each other from across the table. When dinner was over everyone sat in the living room as Daphne and I continued to make wedding favors.

"I forgot my phone in my car," I lied so I could have a reason to excuse myself. I didn't want to be under the same roof as Graham and his new girlfriend.

I was barely down the first set of steps before Graham had caught up with me, his pack of cigarettes in his hand. I should have known that he would follow me, using his smoking habit as an excuse to get outside. Graham didn't say anything until I went to open my car but he put his hand out to prevent it from opening, leaving me between him and the car.

"What the hell was that all about?" he spat meanly.

"Why did you bring her?" I spit right back.

He didn't answer me so I continued. "You cheated on her, you know, with me. You were the one that kissed me; you've always been the one to kiss me first. It's not like I've been pursuing you, I'm not, but it would have been nice to have a heads up. Something like 'I know that some sort of mutual feelings for each other but I'm actually seeing someone and she's coming over tonight so watch out.'"

"Mutual feelings?"

"Don't tell me you don't have any feelings at all for me, or you wouldn't have followed me out here."

"What are your feelings for me?" Graham asked suddenly.

"Obviously they aren't important if you're with her," I say before pushing past him and heading back towards the apartment complex.

"What about your phone?" he called out.

I pull it out of my coat pocket to show him before continuing inside. I waited until Graham came back to give them the excuse that my leg hurt and I was going to head home. I couldn't be in the same room as Graham, not even with his apologetic eyes and his offer to help my outside.

It was too late for him to act like a gentleman.