Raina runs into her algebra class and sits in front of her best friend. Miranda turns and looks at her with concern.

“Where were you last night? I called like twenty times.” Miranda whispers from behind Raina.

Raina silently curses herself for not calling Miranda back when she got home, but it was late and she was sure her friend would be asleep. “I was busy with homework. That chemistry was killer.”

Liar, liar
You're such a great big liar
With the tallest tales that I have ever heard
Fire, fire
You set my soul on fire
Laughing in the corner as it burns
Right between the ribs is sinking in

Miranda just looks at her oddly, “Yeah, ok. You could have at least texted me so I didn’t have to worry. Also, don’t forget about Peter’s party tonight.”

Raina had forgotten. She usually doesn’t forget things like that, but lately she was not with it. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“I can come pick you up.” Miranda says cheerfully.

“No,” Raina replies a little more harshly than she expected. “I mean, I’ll.... I can just walk.”

“It’s like 8 miles!”

“I babysit before the party so I’ll be closer.”

“You’re always babysitting those brats. Can’t the parents take care of them?”

“They’re busy. They both work.” Raina says trying to convince Miranda.

“Yeah, -” Miranda starts but is cut off by the bell. She doesn’t finish her sentence but instead passes Raina a note.

Raina discreetly opens the note:

He just wants some.

She sighs and writes her response. She isn’t sure if she should tell her friend about what happened last night, but she knows for sure that she doesn’t want Justin to get in trouble and if she told anybody it might get out.

You know I’d never do that. I could get Grace for him.

She passes the note back and smiles when she hears Miranda laugh slightly. The teacher glances at them and they stop laughing. The last thing Raina needs is for her mom to have to come in for a conference.

Oh, the sirens sing so sweet and watched the sailors go down
Oh, oh, you talk to me in siren song
Yeah, anyone would drown
Anyone would drown

-------------------------------

“And then she kept talking about us.” Raina says as her and Justin sit on his couch. “I didn’t know what to say.” She looks to him and he just smiles.

Raina called Justin after school and he told her she could come over since the girls are away at their grandma’s for the night and Jaime is on a business trip. She wasn’t sure if she should but before she knew it, she was at his door step and there was no turning back at that point.

“Did you tell her?” Justin asks as he dumps some chips into a bowl. He picks up the bowl and offers Raina some.

“No, I don’t want you getting in trouble. I know this isn’t exactly legal and I’m not stupid enough to trust Miranda with a secret.” She grabs some chips. “Especially not a secret like that.”

“You know I don’t regret last night, right?” Justin says as he looks at her. She looks so vulnerable and he almost cringes when he thinks about how old she is. “I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t sure it was the right thing.”

“But it wasn’t.” She says, “You know that was wrong. On so many levels.”

“It didn’t feel wrong.”

Sick and tired of this mad desire
Fluttering aside me like a hawk
Wire wire
Got my hands on wires
Will heaven help you when I get them out?

“I don’t care how it felt. The cops don’t care about how you felt. They only care about what you and I did.” She turns towards him, “What if it gets out and we get caught? We have to stop. We can’t do that again.”

Justin reaches for her hand, but she pulls it away and wraps it around herself. “Nothings going to get out. Who would tell?”

“The girls.”

Justin laughs at her statement. He knows that the girls are oblivious to their relationship.

“Don’t laugh, I’m serious. Kendell is old enough to pick up on that stuff.” She holds her arms tightly against her stomach and curls into a ball. “I’m scared.” She whispers as her eyes well up.

Justin shifts and pulls her closer to him. His arms wrap around her small body and she instinctively wraps her arms around his waist. Her face rests on his chest and she can hear his breathing and it calms her, slightly.

“Nothing’s going to happen.” He whispers into her hair. “You have to trust me.”

She wipes her eyes and lifts her head to look at him. “I do.”

He leans forward and kisses her nose and then kisses her lips. He smiles when he hears her moan softly. She pulls away and frowns.

“What’s wrong?” he asks and brushes hair from her face.

“I don’t appreciate the laughing.” She says as she crosses her arms over her chest with a huff. “It’s not helping.”

“Sorry, you’re just so cute when you moan like that.” He lightly kisses her lips. “I love it.”

“Shut up,” she says as she rolls off of his lap and lays down on the couch. “I -” she starts but is interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

“Sorry, I have to take this, it’s Jaime’s mom.” He says as he stands up.

“That’s ok, I’m going to get going anyways. Thanks” she says as she stands and he pulls her close and kisses her.

“You’re welcome. See you later.” he says before letting her go and walking into the kitchen. “Hi Nancy, how are the girls?” she hears him say as she closes the door behind.

She walks towards the corner and starts to think about all the things that could go wrong with her and Justin. What if he accidently tells someone? What if Jaime installs cameras in the house? What if my mom finds out? She stops walking and tells herself that she has to stop thinking like that.

She makes it to Peter’s house in record time and sees Miranda walking up to the house.

“Hey,” Miranda says as she waves to Raina. “How was babysitting?”

“Fine,” Raina says with a smile.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Like what? I’m just happy to be at this party.”

“You look like you just made out or something.” Miranda squints her eyes at her friend “You keeping secrets from me? Because if I find out that you are, you will be dead.”

Miranda turns and walks into the house, with Raina close behind. “No secrets.” she mumbles as they enter the party.

All the ships go down
Following the sound
All the ships go down

Oh oh the siren sang so sweet and watched the sailors go down
Oh oh oh, you talk to me in siren song
Yeah, anyone would drown