I went to the party with my friend’s older brother. He’s a junior at State, too. He disappeared early, and then came back and got his brother afte... I’d disappeared upstairs. He didn’t even look for me, I don’t think. My friend who I won’t name thought I had met a girl. We know that didn’t happen, don’t we?”Ping! “I didn’t know you were 14. Jesus.”Benjamin switched the phone to silent. “I’m 14 years and 8 days old. My birthday was last Wednesday.”“Holy crap! Why were you at the party? 16 was bad. ***************************We’re at my home. She’s in my room checking out my comics. I excused myself to go to the bathroom.I come back in, “Do you want something to eat?”She shakes her head.I sit on my bed, and she slowly sits beside me. I had locked the main door, and shut the windows, when I had excused myself. All I had left to do, was hope that the plan would work.“So… Um, do you know what’s sex?” It’s risky, but I say it.She looks at me. “No… But a few kids were asking me about it in the. I was still paying off hospital bills from falling down those iced-up steps three months before, and hobbling around on a gimpy leg just barely out of a cast made it a bit difficult to get out and around.Sitting one row in front, about four seats distant diagonally, was an interesting-looking woman. She was a well-dressed dowager, possibly in her sixties, in a red velvet dress that literally screamed money, but in an oh, so tasteful way. The amber pendant on a heavy silver chain infused her. Looking at the clock it was 6:15 so I turned the monitor off and took care of a few chores before I left to pick her up. I hadn’t been sitting there long when she came running up to my window “Daddy can Emily stay with me tonight? Her mom and dad are out of town and she don’t want to stay with her aunt. Please!” she asked bouncing up and down at the door. She stays over a lot so I knew her parents wouldn’t care. “If she calls her aunt and lets me talk to her and its ok with her.” I answered..