But please let me know what you think! And its far from finished.....
        As Rebekah lay in her bed for awhile, she got an idea. She sat up and looked around her room, first at the animal posters on her door. "That's so babyish," she thought to herself. But she didn't quite want to take them down, yet. Then she looked at her desk, her dresser, and her bookshelf. Nothing to unusual about them. Then she looked into her closet, and noticed, again, that none of her clothes were really "cool." She got up and walked closer, then began to sort through the clothes in there. She put all the ones that didn't fit in a stack, then added the ones she wouldn't be caught dead wearing. Then she looked through the "decent" clothes she had left. A few skirts, three cute dresses, and a couple of blouses and sweaters. She also had some pairs of jeans, folded on a rack. Here was the answer to her problem, or part of it at least, she thought. Clothes! Everyone noticed what people wore, whether it fit in or stuck out. She opened the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out her babysitting and allowance money and started to count it. "Wow!" she said aloud. Nearly $300 in there. Definitely enough to start a decent wardrobe. She thought of a few stores where she could buy some things at a lower cost, to make her money go further. Then she grabbed it, stuck it in her purse, and headed down the stairs into the living room.
        "Rebekah, where are you going?" A voice came from the couch. She had almost forgotten about her mom.
        "Oh, mom, I want to head over to the mall for a bit. Can I borrow the car?"
        "Hmm..well, I guess that's ok. Just be back before 9:30, ok?"
        Rebekah agreed, a bit surprised at her mothers apparent change of heart and willingness to let her go out.
        "Oh, Rebekah? Be careful, ok sweetie?"
                        "Sheesh," Rebekah thought. "She'll always be the same ol' mom."
        At the end of the night, Kelsey was on a high. Being with Justin for that long had made her absolutely delirious with fun. She was falling for him more and more every minute, it felt like. Plus, he was more than just good looks, he was smart, and very caring. He was someone she could really confide in, and she had done plenty of that. She had told him all about her childhood, when her father was alcoholic and abusive and how her mother had always stood up for her, and taken the pain upon herself. But then, when she was just turning eleven, her dad was killed in a crash. He had been driving drunk and pulled into the oncoming lane of traffic. He had died after being in the hospital for two weeks in critical condition, and the insurance claims and hospital bills had driven her mother to the point where she had become an alcoholic, also. Justin had really seemed to listen and care, even though he couldn't quite understand. He had enjoyed a great childhood- his father had played ball with him ever since he could run, and his mother had been able to stay at home with him and his brother, Nathan, who was four years younger.
        As they pulled back up to her house, Kelsey was glad that somehow, it had ended up being Justin who was driving her home. She had fun when they were around other people, but it was so relaxing to be with him one-on-one, and she felt more comfortable being herself. She reached for her door handle, but Justin stopped her and hopped out of the car. He jogged around the front and made a show of opening the door for her, giving her a smile that just made Kelsey laugh.
        "Thanks, J," she managed to say.
        "No problem, my mom would have a fit if she found out that I didn't open a door for a lady."
        "Oh, and I'm sure she would love how modest and humble you were about it also?" She smiled.
        Justin laughed in return. "Yup, she would absolutely love it. Well, I better get going, see you in school Monday?" He got back in his side of the car and waited for Kelsey to walk up her sidewalk.
        "You bet!" Kelsey opened her front door, and stepped inside. She shouted to no one in particular, "I'm home!" and then walked into her room. She saw the light on her answering machine blinking, and hit the play button.
        "Hey Kels, it's Christine. So I bet you had fun tonight with lover boy huh? You two would be really cool together. Well, just give me a call back whenever you get this, and tell me what's up, ok? See ya later, bye."
        Kelsey grabbed the phone and dialed Christine's familiar number to share everything that had happened between her and Justin on the ride home.
        As Rebekah lay in her bed for awhile, she got an idea. She sat up and looked around her room, first at the animal posters on her door. "That's so babyish," she thought to herself. But she didn't quite want to take them down, yet. Then she looked at her desk, her dresser, and her bookshelf. Nothing to unusual about them. Then she looked into her closet, and noticed, again, that none of her clothes were really "cool." She got up and walked closer, then began to sort through the clothes in there. She put all the ones that didn't fit in a stack, then added the ones she wouldn't be caught dead wearing. Then she looked through the "decent" clothes she had left. A few skirts, three cute dresses, and a couple of blouses and sweaters. She also had some pairs of jeans, folded on a rack. Here was the answer to her problem, or part of it at least, she thought. Clothes! Everyone noticed what people wore, whether it fit in or stuck out. She opened the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out her babysitting and allowance money and started to count it. "Wow!" she said aloud. Nearly $300 in there. Definitely enough to start a decent wardrobe. She thought of a few stores where she could buy some things at a lower cost, to make her money go further. Then she grabbed it, stuck it in her purse, and headed down the stairs into the living room.
        "Rebekah, where are you going?" A voice came from the couch. She had almost forgotten about her mom.
        "Oh, mom, I want to head over to the mall for a bit. Can I borrow the car?"
        "Hmm..well, I guess that's ok. Just be back before 9:30, ok?"
        Rebekah agreed, a bit surprised at her mothers apparent change of heart and willingness to let her go out.
        "Oh, Rebekah? Be careful, ok sweetie?"
                        "Sheesh," Rebekah thought. "She'll always be the same ol' mom."
        At the end of the night, Kelsey was on a high. Being with Justin for that long had made her absolutely delirious with fun. She was falling for him more and more every minute, it felt like. Plus, he was more than just good looks, he was smart, and very caring. He was someone she could really confide in, and she had done plenty of that. She had told him all about her childhood, when her father was alcoholic and abusive and how her mother had always stood up for her, and taken the pain upon herself. But then, when she was just turning eleven, her dad was killed in a crash. He had been driving drunk and pulled into the oncoming lane of traffic. He had died after being in the hospital for two weeks in critical condition, and the insurance claims and hospital bills had driven her mother to the point where she had become an alcoholic, also. Justin had really seemed to listen and care, even though he couldn't quite understand. He had enjoyed a great childhood- his father had played ball with him ever since he could run, and his mother had been able to stay at home with him and his brother, Nathan, who was four years younger.
        As they pulled back up to her house, Kelsey was glad that somehow, it had ended up being Justin who was driving her home. She had fun when they were around other people, but it was so relaxing to be with him one-on-one, and she felt more comfortable being herself. She reached for her door handle, but Justin stopped her and hopped out of the car. He jogged around the front and made a show of opening the door for her, giving her a smile that just made Kelsey laugh.
        "Thanks, J," she managed to say.
        "No problem, my mom would have a fit if she found out that I didn't open a door for a lady."
        "Oh, and I'm sure she would love how modest and humble you were about it also?" She smiled.
        Justin laughed in return. "Yup, she would absolutely love it. Well, I better get going, see you in school Monday?" He got back in his side of the car and waited for Kelsey to walk up her sidewalk.
        "You bet!" Kelsey opened her front door, and stepped inside. She shouted to no one in particular, "I'm home!" and then walked into her room. She saw the light on her answering machine blinking, and hit the play button.
        "Hey Kels, it's Christine. So I bet you had fun tonight with lover boy huh? You two would be really cool together. Well, just give me a call back whenever you get this, and tell me what's up, ok? See ya later, bye."
        Kelsey grabbed the phone and dialed Christine's familiar number to share everything that had happened between her and Justin on the ride home.
