Count Down discussion

The UCLA performing theater.

Nathan had slaved away after his annoying customers, keeping a hospitable smile plastered to his face no matter how much he felt like strangling someone. It soon neared six o'clock, an hour before he'd need to e at Sayors show. He had lost trak of time, already putting him thirty minutes late. He HA no time to go change at home into something cicely able, and was picked up directly by his dad from the sub zero shop. "Hey, dad," nathan breathed, accepting a neatly pressed shirt from him as he slid into the passenger seat. It wasn't ideal, but this would have to do. Nathan's father drive steadily towards UCLA In town, communicating with his frantic mother. She said the theater was filling up fast, and their seats were hard to maintain.

Sayor finished tugging her white dress up, and looked to her friend Kara to zip it. Her heart pounded in her chest, just like it did every time she went on stage. She looked in the mirror, adjusting her carefully curled and fashioned hair, adding a little more mascara. After hours of agonizing practice, run throughs, fixes, it was finally time. Sayor sat down on a wooden stool backstage, nervous as heck. One hour to go. She stood, walking over to her gym bag and grabbing her phone. She sent out a quick text to Nathan. Oh my gosh there are so many people....I might die. Hurry and get here! Luv you! She learned back, feeling so sick. Like...she might throw up. Keith sat down next to her, grinning like an idiot. Keith never got nervous. He just got hyper and crazy. "Crowd looks sick! You ready for this?" He asked, sitting down. Sayor shot him a look. "I'm absolutely terrified. What if I don't hit that note in Somewhere?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow. She'd always had time hitting the G note in that song...if she messed it up, she would be doomed. Keith smiled, and planted a friendly kiss on her cheek. "You'll do fine Say." He promised before walkimg off to find his friends. Sayor bent over, her head in her hands as the clock hit 6:55. 5 minuets until show time. 25 before she went on.

Nathaniel wanted to cry so badly. It was 6:55, and yet the LA traffic was killer on that Saturday night. He began to worry about not making it I Sayors plate, the slight idea of being late to something so dear to sayor destroying him. He had promised, sworn that he would absolutely make it. He'd just have to fob, say he got there on time. His dad sat in the drivers seat, rubbing his temples with agony. They'd be in traffic for another ten minutes, finally get off the freeway fr another ten minutes of maneuvering. Not to mention that they had no idea where they were going. Who knew it was so hard to find a college? Nathaniel folded and refilled his collar on his shirt, his palms sweating as the clock neared six o'clock. His phone rang with a message, from sayor. He felt awful, knowing she was probably waitin for him to arrive. He had to lie to her, so shed not be so distracted by his message, his lack of appearance. You won't, I love you, he sent quickly back to his girlfriend, too agitated by all the braking cars in front of him to think too clearly about his blunt message. "You have the tickets, Nathan?" His dad raised an eyebrow, finally inching off the freeway exit. Nathaniel's mouth dropped. No. No no no. "I thought- I thought you or Mom was bringing the tickets...!" He shouted, exasperated. His mother and desirae were already at the theater, reserving thei r seats. Wasn't it kind of given that his mother would have them? "No..! Nathan, you were supposed to bring them with you...!" His father huffed angrily. He drove in an hour and a half worth of traffic, and now they didnt even have tickets. "Lets hope they're not sold out," his father grumbled bitterly.

Sayor glanced at her phone as it buzzed, smiling slightly, too nervous to do anything else. She put her phone down, and walked over to where she would come on, waiting for the Jetts and the Sharks to finish their song and weird dancing rumble. She smiled as her friends dance through the crowd, glaring at one another like they were going to kill each other...and eventually they would. Sayor searched the crowd from backstage, looking for Nathan. Where was he? She didnt see him next to Desirae or Susanne. What the crap? She bit her lip, as they all went back stage, and the curtians closed. Her Que to get on. She took a deep breath, and took her spot, plastering a frustrated expression as she fought Anita for a better, more...mature dress. The rest of the world faded away as Sayor was quickly lost in her character.

Nathaniel and his father shorty arrived to the theater, Nathan taking Lon strides ahead of his father to the ticket booth, where an old woman sat sulking, selling tickets. She was beginning to close up, waving away a shoe line of desperate customers. No, it couldn't be...! "Excuse me miss! Wait!" He called loudly, panting by the time he reached the little ticket booth. "Please, do you have any tickets?" He pleaded, not able to bear the face that sayor would give him when se found out he couldn't show up. "Girlfriend?" The old lady raised an eyebrow, giving him some hope. Yes, she'd have a ticket! Nathaniel nodded eagerly, before the lady scowled and slammed the window shut. "Sold out," she snapped through the window. Nathaniel stared blankly, before defeat crossed his face. He was about to sneak in, looking to the entrances, when he realized that the ushers would be blocking him from entering. Nathan sat dejectedly on a bench by some theater dedication monument, closing his eyes. He had messed up. His father took pity, telling him gently that he'd drive home for the tickets for Nathan, to stay put. Another hour. Would e miss Sayors scene?
((Ff to the end?))

((kk))


Sayor stood up, watching as the Jetts and the Sharks carried her dead 'true love' away. She wiped tears from her eyes as Chino led her away. The curtain closed as the last of the Jetts followed her shaking figure off of the stage. As soon as she was off, the biggest smile spread across her face. She nailed that preformance. The best one she had ever done. Her heart soared as she stepped onto the stage for the last time, clutching the mains characters hands in hers. "Thank you all so much for coming tonight!" Keith said with a grin as the applause died down. Sayor was confused..What the crap was he doing? "Today was one of my closest friends birthday, and she spent it rehearsing for you guys! Happy birthday Sayor!" He said with a grin, as Sayor's heart sank. He did not just do that. What a jerk. The crowd burst into applause as Sayor stepped forward and did a little cutesy. "Thank you guys so much!" She blew kisses out into the crowd as they walked off and into the hallway to sign play books and take pictures. Sayor got birthday wish after birthday wish, but what she really wanted was to see her boyfriend walk down the hallway. She hadn't even looked in the crowd since the very beginning, and couldn't tell whether or not he showed up. Her heart pounded in her chest. Please be here. She mentally pleaded as she signed a small little girls playbook. "What's your name cutie?"

Nathaniel had sat frustrated in front of the theater, trying to listen in on the performance. One of the ushers took pity on him, and at least let him sit and listen by the doorway. He couldn't see sayor, but would occasionally hear her voice in the play. The words were all jumbled, the blaring music a mess of notes. His father arrived when there was only ten minutes left of the play, leaving Nathaniel to stand at the very back of the crowded theater to watch sayor from so far and high up. He could barely see anything. His father had brought a bouquet for sayor, for some sort of compensation, but it would take much more than flowers. By the end, Nathan wanted to cry and felt like throwing up. He was an awful boyfriend, and would have no choice but to tell sayor the truth, and admit his faults. Nathaniel's ears perked up when the kid in the middle holding hands with sayor mentioned it was Sayors birthday. Her birthday? Since when! Was this part of the script? Why hadnt sayor told him anything at all? A bit hurt, Nathan made his way quickly to the exit towards the lobby where the cast would be signing and taking pictures with the audience members. Nathan felt like absolute crap. When It was his turn at Sayors table, he avoided eye contact, unable to hide the pain when he stepped up to her, bouquet in hand. "Hi," he mumbled with shame, his cheeks pink.

Sayor's eyes lit up as she saw Nathan standing in front of her. "You came!" She exclaimed, standing up and giving him a hug. "See Keith! I told you he was real!" She said with a grin as Keith gave her a thumbs up, grinning. Sayor's smile faded as she saw the look on his face. Aw man. Thankfully autograph time was over, and Sayor could talk to him alone. She pulled him over to the back of the hallway, sighing. "Im sorry I didnt tell you. I just...didnt want you to have to go through the hassle of my birthday and the play. Its really no big deal." She apologized, feeling awful. She should have told him. She was such an awful girlfriend. Desperate for a change of subject, she grinned at him, rocking back and forth on her red heels. "Did you like it? It was probably my best one yet." She said with a grin. She felt so proud of herself. She hoped he would be proud of her too. Three, nearly four months had gone into this play, trying to make it amazing. And they succeeded by a lot. Sayor hit every note right on key, knew every line, played her part perfectly. She was so glad that this preformance was the one they decided to put onto DVD. She really couldn't wait to see how she did. But she also felt awful for not telling Nathan it was her birthday. She never celebrated her birthday anyway. Why shpuld this year be any different? All that happened was she got a year older. It wasnt a big deal to her.

Nathaniel smiled weakly at the Keith character, embracing sayor half heartedly. He didnt want to lead sayor on that he was proud of her, etc. Because he hadnt been there. At all. Ten minutes was nothing, it was barely the last few lines and a finale. Nathan listened to her excited chatter, before she brought up her birthday. "We're celebrating it, tonight or tomorrow, and there's no stopping it," he protested, unable to make a firm point with his voice due to his anxiety. What would sayor do when he told her? He handed sayor the roses slowly, pushing then into her arms as the dreaded talk about the play appeared. "Listen, sayor..." He began dejectedly, avoiding her eyes as his cheeks turned a bright red. "I wasn't able to make it," he said softly, waiting for his girlfriend to freak, to call him the names he deserved. He had promised. Sworn. Now what would she think of his promises? "I forgot the tickets at home, and it took over an hour for my dad to go back and get them, plus the drive here-" Nathan cut himself off, feeling himself want to cry. He was so upset about having not been able to make it, to plan for so much then not be able to show up.

Sayor nodded, giving in. Fine. They would celebrate her birthday. She owed that much to him. "Ok. If you want too." She said with a small shrug, as a smile crept onto her face. He got her roses. So sweet. She felt her heart drop into her stomach as he began to explain. He...he wasnt there? That whole time...he wasn't there? "Nathan..." She whispered, looking up at him, feeling a little hurt. She had looked forward to seeing his proud face after she got off stage, to see him tell everyone around him that she was his girlfriend. But he wasnt even there. "You promised." She whispered, hiding in the hurt that she felt. He could have pretended he saw it until a little while later and than tell her the truth. But right now she felt sort of crushed. The one person she wanted to be there wasnt. She wasnt angry, just...disappointed. And honestly, in Sayor's opinion, she would rather have someone be mad than disappointed. Sayor smiled slightly at the roses. "Thanks for the roses though. They are my favorite." She said, ready to change the subject. She wasnt going to let that ruin her day. Nope. They were going to have a great rest of the night. Even if Sayor had to mask her disappointment. This....hurt. A lot actually. She leaned back on the wall, biting her lip. Please...someone change the subject. Sayor didn't want to talk about it anymore. She was disappointed. It was like someone told her one thing and did another. Not on purpose or anything. Just...luck wasn't on her side. She shrugged, looking him in the eyes as she smiled. "Its ok. You an just come to the next one. On monday." She said with a big smile. That was a total lie. She was still incredibly disappointed, but wasn't showing it.

Nathaniel could see the disappointment on Sayors face, her voice timid and hurt when she spoke again. He felt gultier than ever. Why did it have to be today that he forgot something? He would have liked wet well to forget all his schoolwork at home on the day of a big turn in, instead of Sayors tickets. It wasn't fair. "I'm so sorry, sayor, I tried...! I'm sorry, sayor..." He repeated several times, not able to say anything else. He felt like a jerk, a total... Jerk. He had to make it up to her, double time. "I'll never make a promise I can't keep again," he vowed softly, before realizing that that vow was probably to be broken anyway. Great. Nathan touched her cheek gently with his thumb and forefinger, his pained smile marching hers as she tried to chane the subject about the roses. "Glad you like them," he said half-heartedly. He closed his eyes, feeling his fallen face peek slightly. That was right, there were still two more shows! He had work late that day too, since he worked night and after school shifts primarily anyway. "I'll try to make it, sayor, I really will," he swore, swallowing nervously. What if he couldn't keep that promise either? "I'm sure you did fantastic, baby, I saw the last ten minutes of it," he mentioned, squeezing her arm lightly. He decided that the dinner his parents had planned to celebrate Sayors play would maybe make up a little bit, and he'd find her the perfect present. But what? He realized how little he knew about her specifics, such as her favorite movies, books, hobbies, music. He had no clue. And he kicked himself for it.

Sayor nodded, swallowing the big lump that had formed in her throat. She knew he tried. It wasnt fair for her to be disappointed and feel hurt. He tried. And that was all that mattered. "I know. Its alright." She said softly, not knowing what else to say. Her heart fluttered as his fingers stroked her cheek. She felt herself automatically forgive him. Why was he so forgivable? Not fair. Sayor couldn't stay mad at him if she tried. She bit her lip as he promised to make it to the next one. Would he be able to keep it? Sayor wasnt sure if she would be able to believe his promised for a while. And that really sucked. "Dont make a promise you cant keep." She said softly, biting her red lips. She didnt want to have to go through this feeling of disappointment anymore. It would be easier if he just stuck to the easy ones and didnt get her hopes up. She took his hand, smiling as he said she did great. "Thanks. If you come to the next one....you'll be able to tell me for sure." How would he know? He wasnt even there. It wasnt the same thing.
"Maria!" Sayor turned to see Keith standing a few feet away, holding out his arms. Sayor giggled and ran towards him, giving him a great big hug. "Tony!"
"Great show tonight girlie! Keep it up! You owned that stage." Keith said with a grin as he set her down, and they walked back over to Nathan.
"Thanks." Sayor grinned at Nathan, giving him a little wink as she introduced them. "Keith, this is my amazing boyfriend Nathan, and Nathan, this is one of my best friends Keith. He was Tony in the play." She explained, smiling st Nathan encouragingly. Keith was just a friend, obviously by the pale pink lipstick on his cheeks and his neck. Looks like him and Kaylee got a little...frisky. Gross.

Nathaniel tried to hide his flinch when she had repeated what he had said about promises. He had tried, really, but he knew that promising was pointless, that it'd wreck their relationship if he kept it up. Nathaniel nodded, keeping his eyes glued to the ground. He felt awful. No matter how he tried to console himself, the fact that he had disappointed his girlfriend tilt upset him, tore him apart. Nathan smiled weakly at sayor, nodding again at her words. Oh, he'd be there. Hopefully. Nathan began to doubt himself, unsure if he could even believe himself. At a loud shout a ways away from them, Nathan's head turned instinctively. It was the Tony guy, Nathan recognized from the play. And of course.. Sayor was Maria. He inhaled sharply as sayor released his hand, running into Keith's arms with a giggling delighted look. He could barely breathe, having never seen his girlfriend with any other male. Ever. Nathan knew he was verde acting, that it was perfectly okay for them to hug, but Nathan felt like he had just gotten a swift kick to the ribs. Nathaniel winced, masking it as a smile as sayor introduced him to her. Her mood had changed dramatically, her close friend ship with this kid evident. He felt like barfing. At the sight of the lipstick stains on his neck, Nathan grew wary. Was it Sayors...? Was she lying before when she said it was only a soft peck on the lips, nothing serious during the play? Had they gotten... That close, were they more than friends? Nathaniel tried to calm himself down, desperate to dismiss himself. He felt extreme jealousy, hatred for this Keith. This Keith could brighten her awful mood with just a smile, they obviously had kissed several times for the play. How could he know that sayor wasn't... Cheating on him? That was nonsense, he overruled in his mind. But he couldn't shake off the lipstick stains, the hugging and twirling. Who did he think he was?

Keith smiled and held out his hand for Nathan to shake. "Its so good to meet you! I've heard so much about you from Sayor. You're all she talks about. She adores you." Sayor felt a blush grow onto her cheeks, the redness of it matching her red lipstick. "Shut up." She muttered, giving Nathan one of the biggest smiles she'd ever given him. It was true. She did adore Nathan. He was the one for her. Hopefully he knew that. Keith nudged her teasingly, and turned his attention back to Nathan. "Take care of her. Ok? Be good. She's one of the best girls you'll ever get. Don't let her go." Keith waited until Nathan had promised to take good care of her, before saluting them. "If you'll excuse me, I have my own lovely lady waiting for me." He said with a wink, running off to the other direction. "KAYLEE!!! WHERE DID WE LEAVE OFF?" He shouted, looking for his girlfriend. Sayor grinned at Nathan. Her gaze followed Keith, waiting until he was gone, before she began to laugh. "Did you see the lipstick on his neck? Ew that is so nasty!" She giggled, taking Nathan's hand in hers. "Him and Kaylee must have gotten really close." she said with a laugh. Keith was one of her close friends. But that was it. Friend. She knew way way way to much about him to get close. It was gross really. Nathan was a the one and only guy she liked. The one and only. Sayor stopped in front of the dressing room, and smiled. "Hey I've got to go change, I'll meet you out front ok?" She said with a sweet smile, kissing his cheek. It was obvious she had forgiven him. It was hard not too. He was just...so completely and utterly amazing. For some reason, Sayor felt the need to prove to him how much she loved him. And only him. She just needed to find a way.

At first, Nathaniel had had a biased and predetermined opinion about Keith. When he began to talk about sayor, however, he could see that maybe he wasn't the awful person he had suspected him to be. Nathan blushed, squeezing Sayors hand lightly as Keith mentioned that he had been Sayors prime conversation topic. He was honored. "I will," Nathan nodded, offering a small shy smile to the over enthusiastic boy. When he left, Nathaniel felt like he could finally breathe again. He had been with some kaylee...! It wasn't Sayors lipstick marks. It was some ther girl he didnt care to know. All of Nathaniel's doubts then vanished, his mods lifting again. "Out front, yeah," he murmured, slightly dazed. She had forgive him, that quick. How? He shook his head I himself, smiling as he thought about sayor, her silly quirks and attitudes. He'd miss them at home when she left, but they still had one more night together. Nathan reunited with his family, desirae sitting on his foot and hugging his entire leg when he joined them. Nathaniel explained what had happened to his mother, before adding that it was Sayors birthday. They were going to cheescake factory to celebrate bothe her birthday and the okay, as a surprise. They awaited Sayors return, talking Loosely about the okay and relaxing.

Sayor blew him a kiss as she skipped into the dressing room, changing into some simple sweats, giving her the sort of sloppy, sort of not look. It was in the middle. She shoved her old dinosaur flip phone into her pocket. She walked out of the dressing room and into the front, where Nathan and his family was waiting. "Hey guys!" she said with a big smile, glad to do whatever they had planned. Sayor was the type that would get hurt, but then five minuets later, she bounces back, and acts like it never happened. She had to do that to survive with her insane parents. And they were insane. It was easier to pretend it never happened, to pretend that they never said anything. That caused her to hide her feelings, bottle them up inside until she blew up, letting years and years of feelings out. Thankfully, it took a lot of build up for that to happen. "So, what do we have planned?" She asked, so excited to spend her last night with these guys. Even if she felt like they hated him at first....she felt liked now. She ran her fingers through her brown hair, combing out what little of the curl was left. Her curls never ever lasted long. In fact, she was surprised it lasted through the show. The nearly two hour long show.

Nathaniel looked up to see sayor bouncing back towards them, a oeopyilr on her face. He marveled how she could be in such a good mood after he had basically ruined her night, but decided against questioning. A smile lit up his face as a domino effect of Sayors', his parents grinning proudly at the play star. "Honey! You were so wonderful, your voice is just-!" susanne gushed proudly, sighing eith happiness. Her son loved a girl with extreme takent. go nathan. Declan smiled at the girl, greeting her with congratulations and apologizing that he couldnthave made it. Desirae kept up from his leg, her small limbs wrapping around Sayors torso with a squeal. "You were so good! Even Mr. Snuggles thinks so!" She giggled, referring to her stuffed animal she had brought along. Nathan's parents approached their children and sayor, hand in hand as they laughed. "Well, birthday girl, we've got a little surprise...!" Susanne said with a grin, wrapping her arm around sayor and squeezing her gently. She was excited to be so involved with her sons life, as well as his girlfriend, knowing that other teenae boys normally shut their parents out.

Sayor grinned as she saw everyone's faces light up in matching grins. She called it the smile effect. When she saw his parent's proud smiles, she knew she did good. She blushed when Susanne began to complement her. "Thank you so much! I'm glad you guys liked it!" She was glad they liked it. She had spent so much time trying to make this a good show. And his parents pleasure totally made her feel like her goal was accomplished. Sayor smiled at his dad, totally forgiving him for not making it. Actually, there was nothing to forgive. "Don't worry about it! They had someone record tonight's performance, and they are going to put it on a cd and give it to the cast. So, you can just watch it later!" She grinned, and stumbled slightly as Desirae gave her a bear hug. "Thanks Des!" She scopped the little girl up into her arms, smiling at her. Sayor wasn't so sure as they said they had a surprise. In fact, she almost wanted to refuse it. They had already done so much for her, she just...didn't want to take advantage of them. But, they looked so pleased with themselves...she couldn't say no. "really? Thats awesome. Thanks you guys!" She exchanged a smile with Nathan, feeling so weird from all the loving attention. It was so not what she was used to.

Nathaniel hugged sayor from the side, kissing her delicately. "We're going to dinner, that okay with you?" He asked softly, his parents having turned away to discuss the play, and why Nathan hadnt been able to make it. "Dez, go with mom and dad," he instructed gently, prying his little sister from the comfort of Sayors arms. She pouted, before skipping off waving her stuffed elephant. He took Sayors hand, walking slowly in the cooling night air, the stars twinkling above them as they headed for the parking lot. "And... Do you want to go with my mom, or my dad?" He offered to break the silence, his eyes on his parents so as not to lose them. They were so happy together, as he wondered if he'd have that kind of love when e was older. With sayor.

Sayor nodded, kissing him back gently. "Yeah that's fine." She let him take Des from her arms. She was glad to finally get a moment alone with Nathan when they weren't arguing, or close to tears. She held his hand tightly, glad he was there. He was such a sweet guy. It a was crazy that he fell for her. She shrugged, not caring whether or not she went with his mom or dad. She felt more liked by his mom, but she did feel at least a little liked by his dad. "It doesn't matter to me. I like them both!" She said with a grin, kissing his cheek lightly. "I'm just glad you guys are throwing me a little celebration thing. Growing up I never ever celebrated my birthday...never got presents. It just feels so weird to actually celebrate it." She admitted, looking up at the beautiful stary sky. The perfect night with the perfect guy. Could her life get any better? She was glad she met him. Glad she didnt give up when he insisted on hiding himself away. Glad that she was finally able to crack through that shell.

"My moms, then!" Nathan decided, seeing that desirae had opted to go with her father this time. He swung their arms gently as they walked, their fibers laced perfectly together. They were made for each other, he was convinced. Nathan walked in thoughtful silence, their footsteps rhythmic on the pavement. He couldn't hide his surprise however, when sayor had explained the lack of her birthdays. His jaw dropped slightly, and he blushed for having seemed so rude with his reaction. Birthdays were everything in his family. Nathan had been Susanne and Declan's only son, only child, and were convinced that e was a personal gift from god, a gift of hope. Desirae had barely made it through her birth, and still struggled from it today, as his parents were insistent that it e celebrated, that desirae felt loved and speacial. "Don't worry, I'll make it the best one you can imagine," he assured her, stopping by the black SUV. He was a bit shocked by Sayors family traditions of not celebrating birthdays, that she had never gotten presents. That was the best part!

"My moms, then!" Nathan decided, seeing that desirae had opted to go with her father this time. He swung their arms gently as they walked, their fibers laced perfectly together. They were made for each other, he was convinced. Nathan walked in thoughtful silence, their footsteps rhythmic on the pavement. He couldn't hide his surprise however, when sayor had explained the lack of her birthdays. His jaw dropped slightly, and he blushed for having seemed so rude with his reaction. Birthdays were everything in his family. Nathan had been Susanne and Declan's only son, only child, and were convinced that e was a personal gift from god, a gift of hope. Desirae had barely made it through her birth, and still struggled from it today, as his parents were insistent that it e celebrated, that desirae felt loved and speacial. "Don't worry, I'll make it the best one you can imagine," he assured her, stopping by the black SUV. He was a bit shocked by Sayors family traditions of not celebrating birthdays, that she had never gotten presents. That was the best part!

Sayor grinned. "Sounds good PC." She giggled, giving his hand a soft squeeze. She felt this pull towards him no matter what. Like...even if she tried she wouldn't be able to avoid him. Ever. She felt so at home with him. It was uncanny. Sayor felt her cheeks grow red at his surprise. She smiled lightly at him, running her fingers through her hair. Birthdays had never been a big deal. It wasnt like her parents cared about her enough to get her something. They didnt care about her at all. Her mom would scream and yell at her when she was six. Tell her she was fat and ugly and dumb. Sayor would burst into tears, Saying mommy you hurt me. Over and over. But nothing happened. So she gave up. And now, she doesn't care. "Thanks." She said with a smile, leaning against the car.

((I'm gonna ff, post at cheescake factory?))

Nathaniel pecked her cheek gently, before opening the back door with a gentle tug. "Ma'am," he gestured grandly, bowing slightly with a silly grin on his face. It had really torn him about Sayors birthday situations at home, the way she had been treated disappointing him. He'd treat her like a princess, from now on. He slipped inside the cool interior of the black leather seats, feeling himself relax as his mom started the car. Nathan buckled his seatbelt, his hand clasped with Sayors the entire drive over. He almost fell asleep on Sayors shoulder, but awoke in time to see the SUV squeal into a parking spot at the restaurant. The usual Saturday night crowd was here, and he began to worry. "Mom, it's crowded," he murmured, peeringout over the windows. "Don't worry, we've got reservations," she assured him, flashing the two with a smile. "Come on!" She waved, hopping out of the car.