Tate woke me up when the sun started to rise. I'd officially been out all night. Being a delinquent is kind of liberating.

I decided to push my runaway father's return to the back of my mind. I'll work through that when I am safe at home.

Tate and I made our way out of the building. Like we planned, Jackson was waiting in the car a few blocks away. When we spotted the familiar car, Tate grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a stop. He hasn't said anything to me since last night. Even when he woke me up, he just silently shook my shoulder until I opened my eyes.

"Just so you know, I'm not going to give up. You are so busy trying to protect yourself from anything and everything that might hurt you, that you forget to live. Maybe you don't really feel our connection, but that's okay. You will. Just watch." He whispered and I rolled my eyes.

I didn't bother responding. I just tugged my wrist out of his grip and walked over to the car.

I don't know what caused the drastic change in Tate, but I don't think I like it.

I opened the door to the backseat and got into the car.

"How was your night in hiding?" Jackson winked

What is wrong with these people? "Why did you wink, Jackson?"

"The wuss didn't tell you? Well, think about it Luna. Why were we able to drive off, but you and Tate had to hide for hours?" Jackson peered at me through the rearview mirror.

You're joking, right? This was all some little scheme to get Tate to tell me that he had a little crush? These boys need to grow up. "I've spent the night freezing my ass on a concrete floor when I could have been in my own bed? Screw you, Jacobs."

Tate finally opened the passenger side door.

"What took you so long?" Jackson asked him.

"I was trying to see if I could get another look at the warehouse we found last night, but I couldn't even get close. I figured they would've packed it all up by now. That's what I would done. We know the location of one of their drug warehouses. That's huge. The place is crawling with guys with very big guns. If they are trying to be inconspicuous, they suck at it." Tate told Jackson

"Alright. We'll call home after we drop off Luna." Jackson started the car and we left the warehouse district.

Where exactly was home? Do I really want to know? Probably not. I think that I have gotten my fill of the thug life for a while.

To be honest, I can't wait to get home, make myself some hot coco, and escape into a book for a while.

Jackson pulled in front of my house. I had my belt off before he even came to a complete stop. I got out of the car without a word and walked through my front door.

The first thing I saw was my mother sitting on our couch. The television was off and she had another glass of wine in her hand.

I should know better, but I can't help but be disappointed. She is never going to be the woman she was before my father left.

"Luna Odessa Ludwig." She said quietly, but I could hear a panicky edge to her voice. "Where have you been?"

I sighed. "How many glasses of wine have you had?"

"Do not avoid my question. Where were you?"

"Out." I answered back. I don't particularly like how bad my relationship with my mother is, but it can't be helped. She wasn't there for me when I needed her. She can't fix that. It's too late.

"That is not an answer." Her voice started to rise into a high pitched shrill.

"It's as good of an answer as you're going to get. Just get back to your drinking. It's what you do best. Worry about yourself." I walked into the kitchen and turned the kettle on for my hot coco.

"You can't just disappear in the middle of the night." She was yelling now. "You aren't your father. You aren't allowed to leave me!"

"I'm eighteen. I can do whatever the hell I want to do. I am leaving the day I graduate. Two months and I'm gone. Then, you'll be stuck paying your own bills instead of my savings account." I snapped back at her. She is not going to use the pity card on me. It's not going to work She lost her husband, but I lost my father.

But did I really lose him if he's still in town?

There's no way I'm telling my mother about that.

"You aren't just a way to pay the bills, sweetie." Her voice softened.

"Okay." I smirked at her. "Then I'll take my name off of the rental agreement. You can pay rent and I can afford college."

She ran her shaky hands through her hair. "No, no. Please, Luna. Two more months and our contract expires anyway."

I poured the water into a mug and mixed in the delicious coco powder. "That's what I thought."

I took my mug upstairs and did exactly what I said I would.

I pulled out an old copy of my favorite book and got lost in a world that isn't my own.

*

On Monday, Marie never showed up to pick me up for school. I ended up running ten blocks to avoid being late.

I got to homeroom just as the bell rang. I didn't even have time to stop at my locker. I slipped into my seat.

The teacher started taking attendance, while I just tried to catch my breath.

"Luna," Tate poked my back.

I turned around in my seat. "What?"

"If you needed a ride to school, you could have called me." He smirked. Tate doesn't smile. He does this weird half smirk that just says that he knows something you don't.

"What makes you think that I needed a ride?" I asked him rhetorically.

He answered me anyway. "Besides the fact that your face is red and you are practically panting, trying to catch your breath, Marie mentioned it. Jackson asked where you were this morning when she drove up. She got pretty feisty and made some comment about not being your taxi driver."

Did I do something to piss her off? I haven't talked to her much lately. I've had so much going on. I'm not used to juggling multiple things at once. My social life normally consists of going to school and taking the occasional trip to the bookstore.

"Hmm." I turned back around and listened for my name to be called.

The day seemed to drag on. I didn't find Marie until lunch.

"Hey! Where were you this morning, Mimi?" I asked her.

She was sitting at our usual lunch table. Her hair was now dyed bright orange and she dip dyed the ends red. It wasn't her best look, but who am I to judge?

"Oh, crap. I totally forgot you! Luna, I'm so sorry." To be honest, she didn't sound that sorry. She sounded almost bored. Was my best friend getting bored of me? I frowned.

Is she going to ditch me like both my father and Jackson did?

Although it seems like the men who ditched me are finding their way back into my life.

But what if she really did forget? I can't believe Tate over Marie. She has been my best friend for what feels like forever. Tate is just Tate.

I decided to just let it go. There's no need to fight over something stupid.

I have enough to worry about right now.

I sat down at the table and pulled out a banana from my backpack.

______________________________