The next day, Therese met up with Peter after the last final. “Well that was that. I guess Monday we find out if I graduate high school.’

“You will.” Therese reassured him. “What do you want to do?” Therese asked him, because of finals schedule they were out of school early.

“I guess we can go to work early.” said Peter, unimaginatively. Peter worked to pay bills.

“Or you can kiss me on your couch.” said Therese. Therese appeared calm on the outside, but inside, her heart was a drummer beating a rapid drum.

“Let’s drive fast.” said Peter, pretending to race Therese to the car, but holding back because he knew she would not be able to keep up with her because she still limped from knee pain. They both jumped in Peter’s car, as soon as they reached it, Therese having the advantage because Peter stopped to open the door for her. Therese leaned over and unlocked his door for him, then put her seat belt on as quickly as she could.

They raced into the living room as fast as they could. Therese pulled Peter on the couch and kissed him, not letting go. Peter was not tempted to escape. Each time, Therese seemed to want more of him, and he fought himself to not give in but found himself not resisting. Therese started unbuttoning her shirt. Peter sat up. “Wait, Wait, Wait, this is how babies happen.” he said. Therese backed up embarrassed, thinking she had gone too far.

“It’s not that I don’t want it. But this is how babies happen.” Peter told her. Therese felt frustrated, and sat back down on the couch.

“You are the only guy I love.” said Therese, hurt.

“You are the only girl I love.” Peter told her.

“You still miss Ana’s mom.” corrected Therese. Peter had no problem going past kissing with her. Therese stood up, embarrassed by her actions and then her retort.

“Ana was a big change, a real big change in our lives. I promised to try and do right for her.” Peter defended. He was only trying to respect Therese because she meant so much to him.

“And what about right for me?” asked Therese.

“Do you know how hard it is to be me?” She asked in her calm voice but more visibly upset. “Do you know what is to be scared, to cry because a loud phone goes off, to have everyone treat you as a kid? I worked hard and I made it, and now here you say you love me, but push me away as you say it.” said Therese.

Peter sat silently. He was unsure how to respond.

“Damn it, I’m not stupid.” Therese told him, sitting down and giving herself a squeezing hug to relax. “The last several days, I've felt like everybody's been staring at me or talking about me” it is like that all the time. Wherever I go, I know they are looking at me. And the one guy I want to look at me, looks away.” said Therese as she buried her head in her hands in frustration.

Peter slumped, unsure what to do, he thought not making out with her was the right thing to do. Sometimes there is no right choice, he thought. Peter tried putting his arm around Therese and she shoved him away. Peter went in the back, dug around and pulled out a loose floorboard and came back with a box. Peter handed Therese the box.

Therese opened the box. There were pictures of Peter when he was younger, the neighborhood looked bad. There were pictures of Ana’s mom pregnant. The cardboard sleeve from the first coffee drink Therese made Peter was in the box. There was a driver's license with Peter’s picture, but another name on it, “Feliks Konstantyn”. Therese was confused. “Who is Feliks?” she asked.

“Me, that’s me.” he said. She pulled out another drivers license with a girl's name on it, “Jessica Wilma”. The girl looked young, she looked a lot like Therese herself. “Ana’s mom?” she asked.

“Larissa Konstantyn’s mom.” Peter told her. Therese unfurled a birth certificate with the same name on it. Therese pulled out more pictures, pictures of Feliks holding guns, pictures of Feliks at parties, pictures of Jessica Wilma with a needle in her arm. “She kept that picture to never forget. She was a week pregnant.”

“Jessica was Ben’s sister?” asked Therese.

“Half-sister, but a full sister to him.” Some bad stuff happened, and Ben was our way, our way out.” Peter said, never having explained his past to her.

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“So what happened to her?” asked Therese.

“Some things you just can’t get out of. She went out one night. They found her in an alley. I promised Ana and I promised Ben, if I had a second chance, I would take it. I got lucky, I got it. Most people don’t.” Peter said. “It was more than a second chance, Ben was really going to kill me. He only spared me because I asked him to take Larissa, Ana, out of the room.”

“He didn’t kill you because you didn’t want the baby to see it?” asked Therese.

“No, he picked her up to take her out of the room, and when he held her, he told me to get up off the floor. He took us home. I would not have minded if he killed me, I just wanted the kid safe, but he decided to help us.” said Peter. Therese stared at the pictures; she thought Peter looked cute, even then. She felt less rejected, but she still hurt. She was glad there were no pictures of him using drugs.

Therese was unusually quiet at work, even for her. A gloom cast over Therese was a gloom over everyone. Her smallest smiles were like giant sunbeams into their hearts. Erin missed the glow.

“What’s wrong?” Erin asked Therese when they were absent of customers.

“I tied to take my shirt off for Peter, and he stopped me.” said Therese.

“You mean he was a gentleman?” asked Erin, surprised.

“No, he rejected me.” said Therese.

“He hates you.” a little voice said in Therese’s head.

“Just because a guy doesn’t sleep with you doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you.” reassured Erin.

“Have you slept with guys, is it awesome?” asked Therese.

“Well yes, but you can’t take it back, ever.” Erin told her. Erin blushed, she was not an expert in morality, and feared what her parents and grandparents would say about her living with her boyfriend if they knew.

“Have you talked to your mom about this?” asked Erin.

“Oh hell no.” Therese told her. Therese rolled her eyes in disbelief Erin would try to pass this problem of to her mom.

“I am sorry, that was a shallow out attempt, wasn’t it?” said Erin.

“Yes.” agreed Therese. She was disappointed in Erin, she wanted bad advice.

“Do you want me to tell you to just take your shirt off anyways, or to respect his feelings?” asked Erin.

Therese thought about what Erin said. “Do you think my breasts are too small?” asked Therese, cupping her chest.

“I need to quit coming over here without calling first.” said Ben, walking by and going behind the counter to pick out a good muffin from the case.

“Why don’t you ask Ben?” Erin asked Therese softly, then yelled “Hey Ben.” Ben turned and looked, his head halfway in the case. “Are our boobs okay?” Erin said, mimicking Therese holding her chest. Ben jumped, and slammed his head into the top of the case.

“Shit that hurt.” Ben said, as he went back to picking out a muffin and trying to block out the image from his mind out of respect. Ben grabbed a muffin, stood up, and rubbed the painful spot on his head. He walked over to Therese, who had put her hands down.

“You’re ok, kid. The problem is that if he goes for you, he loses, if he doesn’t go for you, he loses. He can’t win.” said Ben.

“A Kobayashi Maru?” asked Therese.

“I’m not sure how that works with this, but yah, ok. You could say that.” Ben said, eating his muffin. “So how do you beat this Maru thing?” Ben asked.

“You change the rules.” said Therese.

“I think I am walking away before I cause more damage.” said Ben and rubbed his head as he walked away. “This, is girl stuff, Erin.” he said as he went to the other store.

Therese went back to mopping the floor. Erin could tell she was distracted in thought; her mop streaks were very irregular for her. Erin was unsure what advice she could give her. A few months ago, the girl could barely walk in here, and now she was trying to take her clothes off for her boyfriend. Erin hoped she had been a good influence. Erin thought to her, as much as Therese was different, she was still the same.

“How about this,” Therese asked Erin, “What if I just stay the night at his house?”

“I can’t lie to your mom.” said Erin, there was a line she wouldn’t cross.

“You aren’t lying if she doesn’t ask.” Therese told her. Erin really worried she had become a bad influence. Therese began texting Kara. “Fine, you’re 18, I’ll watch Ana tonight, but I am not lying to your mom if she asks. Therese hugged Erin.

Therese went to the other store, and found Peter at the register. “I am going to stay the night at your house tonight, but we won’t have to do anything.” Therese told him. Peter grinned, he knew it was a bad idea, but so far, being good wasn’t doing him any favors either. Ben shook his head at Peter, he knew his grin was no good.

“I told my mom I am staying at Kara’s.” Therese told Peter when they arrived to his home from work. Peter was very tired, he really did just want to sleep.

“I’m going to get ready for bed, there are extra toothbrushes in the hall closet, if you need one.” Peter went and started brushing his teeth. Peter liked to brush his teeth after a long day, he smiled and checked in the mirror. Therese came in next to him, she was wearing her Kookie Mart shirt, and maybe only that shirt, but being Ben sized, it covered her body’s personable areas. Therese brushed her teeth.

“I need to go take my medicine.” Therese told him, embarrassed she admitted that, but she went into the kitchen, and took some pills from her purse and swallowed them. She hated taking the medications. She worried people would think she had to take medications because she was crazy. Therese wasn’t crazy, she was a victim. Life just got too scary without the medications, and she could not function. The kitchen window was dark and she could see her reflection. She forced a smile. She didn’t like how the medications hid her emotions. “flat affect” her doctor told her, they had a hard talk one day and he asked her if she wanted to be terrified or have a flat affect. She hated being terrified.

Peter was already in bed. He had a lamp on his nightstand which was on. Peter was struggling to stay awake, even as Therese climbed into bed with him, and curled up next to him. She kicked the sheet off of them, it was too warm with both of them. Peter had already fallen asleep, so Therese leaned over and turned off the lamp. She fell asleep, with her head on his shoulder.