The Black Dress.

Chapter Two. Two Weeks Later.

"Hey Grandma, want anything for breakfast?" I said.

"Just a glass of whiskey on the rocks for me darlin'," said my grandma just about every morning.

My grandma was our supposed legal guardian, I say supposed because all I've seen my grandma guard is her whiskey bottle. I am basically the one who does everything, well everything I can do with school and trying to deal with 2 younger sisters without any help. I wish I could have given my parents more credit when they were still around... this is so much harder than I could have ever imagined.

Getting up and going to school is getting easier but still not easy enough, it's just become such a routine that I don't even notice anymore how hard it can be. Paige has been keeping me busy with all the school activities but I don't even know why I do it to be honest. I'm not the same person I was before, the helper. I'm not that, I can't be, I am that every day at home and that's because I have to be.

Now in the school courtyard, I see Paige I really need to tell her how I have been feeling...

"Hey Paige, I need to talk to you."

"Sure Nina! What's up?"

"Listen, this whole school committee stuff is not really my thing anymore... And I, uh, I do appreciate that you were just trying to help me get through the day but I just don't think this is me anymore" I said disheartened, I look down at my toes, waiting for her reply.

"You're funny! Of course this is you! It always had been you!" Paige said laughing actually thinking I was joking around.

"Paige I'm not joking. I can't believe you would laugh at me like that, you don't believe after my parents died I didn't become a different person? You really believed I've been acting exactly the same? You really are in lala land!" I said, this time staring at her dead in the eye, getting so frustrated.

At first Paige didn't say anything, then finally she said "if that is how you feel Nina I won't brother you anymore, I won't push you to do your best, I won't be your best friend anymore don't worry you won't have to hear from me ever again." She immediately stormed off.

Her words shocked me, I felt like I just got stabbed in the chest, tears started to well in my eyes as I rushed to my car and locked myself inside... My head starts spinning, taking my heart with it. I didn't even know what to do, that's not what I wanted...was it? Maybe that's what was best? I get to start fresh? Maybe that's what I needed from the beginning... I guess I will just have to see how well this will work out for me. This could be my worst nightmare or exactly what I needed...

An hour or so goes by my tears start to run dry and there is a knock on my car window I look up and its Ben, I crack the window down.

"Nina unlock the doors please." Ben says, with the funniest puppy dog face I've ever seen. So I unlock the doors and he goes around the car and hops in the passenger side.

"Why you cryin' Ms. Nina" with his dark hazelnut eyes basically staring into my soul.

"Oh Ben I think... I think I've changed... I'm not the same person anymore" you can hear the brokenness in my voice.

"Nina of course you are!" He said laughing.

I was shocked, "wait, what?!"

"Nina... Of course you're different anyone would be different after something as tragic as their parents getting killed" he said, now in a more serious tone.

"But you're not different." As I looked at him, my eyes full of questions.

"Oh now that's funny, Nina you don't remember how I was? The football jerk who thought everything would come so easily, that I can get whoever and whatever I wanted. That football would get me to the top and who cares about anyone else?" He said, reminding me of the past.