Part 1 It's called "A Camping We Will Go"

Another morning in Who-Ville was dawning from over the treetops and mountains of far off lands; drenching the houses in its amber glow to awaken the world to its beauty. Sleepy birds fluttered about in the morning breeze as they sang their wake up call to the snoozing citizens and the last of the blinking fireflies were settling into their hiding places for the day. It seemed as though the day was going to be a sight to see for all lucky enough to live in the peaceful town. Soon everyone would awaken to the lovely sunrise and get into their usual routines to form the usual bustle they were so famous for. Yes it was going to be a good day for all. That’s exactly what Alyssa thought too, but as always, her dad had other plans. She was shaken to consciousness just as the first rays of light were peeking through her lavender curtains; quite drowsy and unaware to the grin her dad wore across his face. “Get up and get dressed Princess! We’ve got big plans for today and we gotten get going right away!” At first reaction, Alyssa started to pull the covers back over her head and try to drift off again, but then she changed her mind. What was the worst her dad could have planned? So far things hadn’t been so bad and she even had fun with her family so what was one more of her dad’s plans? In her usual way, she dragged herself from under the covers and shuffled to her closet. Once again, she was interrupted by her dad who grabbed her shoulder to make her stop and then dropped a pile of clothes in her arms. “You’ll want to wear these Al. Now hurry up and get dressed so you can have a good breakfast. Big plans!” Now Alyssa was concerned. Though it was normal for her dad to get over excited about things, he wasn’t supposed to be THIS excited. What could he possibly have up his sleeve? The clothes her dad had chosen for her to wear were no help at all. They made Alyssa look like she was going on a safari in a far off jungle. A pair of dark green denim shorts, a plain white t-shirt, and a pair of hiking boots with high socks. He’d even thrown in a dark green baseball cap which she wore over her ponytail. Now she was more confused than ever. As she wandered down the stairs and toward the kitchen, she was met by her dad holding a bowl of oatmeal out to her. Since when did they eat oatmeal? She eyed her father curiously and then saw something much more interesting. All of her sisters were dressed in the same fashion including Sally. T-shirts, and shorts with high socks and boots of different colors. She seemed to be the only one with a hat while the other girls wore bandanas and head bands, but Jo-Jo was truly the one to look at. For the first time since she’d joined this family, (excluding Easter) Alyssa got to see Jo-Jo in clothes that didn’t suit him at all. He actually blended in with his sisters; hat, t-shirt, and shorts. Alyssa managed to pull her eyes away to look at the breakfast the Mayor had shoved into her hands and she stuck her tongue out in disdain. Oatmeal was probably the one thing she couldn’t stand. “Eat up Alyssa!” Sally called from the other side of the room. So even Sally was in on the Mayor’s plan? Alyssa felt slightly left out. With another look of disgust at the oatmeal, she set the bowl of lumpy mush onto the table top and wandered into the next room to stare out at the dawning morning. The moment was short lived though. Alyssa turned when her dad began calling her name and gave a sigh. Maybe now she would get some answers. With one last glance over her shoulder at the town basked in the glowing light, she poked her head back into the kitchen. She was greeted by her parents’ smiling faces and her siblings bustling about in an excited ramble. Her dad caught her by the shoulder and walked her to the door with the same goofy smile as he started with. Alyssa looked at him for a moment in confusion until it all started to come together. “Get ready for the time of your life Princess,” the Mayor stated; practically dropping a heavy backpack onto her shoulders. Alyssa stumbled for moment under the sudden weight and managed to follow her other siblings out onto the front lawn where they all waited impatiently for their parents to tell them just what they had all gotten up so early for. The Mayor and Sally did a quick role call which seemed to take hours and then motioned for them to quiet down. “Alright kids. Your mother and I have decided that we need a little more family time so….” There was a pause as he looked at their excited faces. “We’re going camping!!”

Part 2
This was probably the one thing Alyssa hadn’t been expecting and was not looking forward to. The great outdoors had never exactly been her best friend and she’d read about people going out into the woods and never coming back. It was easy to say that she was far from excited. While the other children (with the exception of Jo-Jo) chattered with glee about their big family adventure, she seemed to sink into her own loathing for everything the world had to offer. Maybe she could convince her dad to let her stay home as long as she was good. No such luck.
“Come on Al! Nature awaits!” her father said as he grabbed her wrist and practically dragged her to the car along with everyone else. All she could think of was how she would probably end up dying before this family trip was over. Or perhaps before they even got to where they were going. The car ride seemed to take years; full of very badly sung songs and annoying car games that were impossible to play with so many kids. For the most part, Alyssa pretended to be asleep and kept her eyes shut and her head down. No one noticed her this way and they wouldn’t bother her until they got to the campsite.
After yet another singing of “Old Who-Donald” the Mayor finally took a moment to look back and shake Alyssa’s shoulder. “Wake up kiddo! We’re going for family fun, not for longer naps.” Alyssa’s eyes fluttered open as she sighed quietly; turning her tired gaze to the ceiling without a word. When were they going to reach this stupid place anyway?
“Hey Lyssa! Lyssa, Lyssa, Lyssa!!!!” Daisy shouted as she leaned forward in her seat to tap her sister on the back of the head. “Lyssa! When we get there, do you want to go swimming with me? We can play mermaids!!!” Once again, her over active little sister was more than ready to get going and do something exciting. Alyssa, however, didn’t think Daisy’s idea of fun was anywhere near the same as hers. “No thanks Daisy…I-I don’t like swimming.” What she said wasn’t exactly a lie. Alyssa hated water in so many ways and really didn’t want to go near it. “Awww…..But Lyssa, you promised to play with me,” her sister protested again.
Whoever invented little sister’s should have been put in jail for the rest of their life. Alyssa didn’t respond for a moment as she tried to act like she had fallen asleep again but was bolted to alertness when the car suddenly screeched to a halt.
“We’re here!!”


Here happened to be the middle of nowhere; a large clearing in the middle of a very colorful forest of flowers and trees. If Alyssa hadn’t been so down about having to go camping, she probably would have found it beautiful. Brightly colored birds twittered happily up in the canopy of the trees and the sound of insects humming in the distance echoed from all directions; filling the woods with a certain peace. The family wandered about for a moment in pure wonder at the sight and the girls seemed to want to point out every little thing.
It seemed like just another eternity before they finally settled on the ground to divide the jobs. Some set up tents, some gathered wood, and Alyssa and Daisy were to go gather water. Despite her protest and grumbling, Alyssa had been forced off toward the large lake just a few minutes away from the clearing. Why was it that she always had to do the one job she couldn’t stand?
“Look Alyssa! The lake!” Daisy raced ahead through the brush;causing a large commotion amongst the birds around them. Alyssa followed at a slower pace, but no matter how slow she walked, there was no denying that the lake was right in front of her. Its still water sparkled like a pool of sapphires in the bright sunlight and branched out in all directions to surround them. The banks were dotted with patches of sweet smelling wildflowers that rustled in the light breeze and Alyssa watched as a small fish leapt out of the water and dove back in with a splash.
It was terrifying.
Alyssa stood frozen as she stared at its glassy surface and felt the urge to turn and run as fast as she could in the other direction, but Daisy wouldn’t let her. Without warning, her sister jumped out of the bushes with her arms outstretched and let out a roar that sent Alyssa stumbling backward toward the lake. In a split second, she was submerged below the freezing water; thrashing and kicking to reach the air. Sadly, Alyssa couldn’t swim.

Part 3
This was probably the one thing Alyssa hadn’t been expecting and was not looking forward to. The great outdoors had never exactly been her best friend and she’d read about people going out into the woods and never coming back. It was easy to say that she was far from excited. While the other children (with the exception of Jo-Jo) chattered with glee about their big family adventure, she seemed to sink into her own loathing for everything the world had to offer. Maybe she could convince her dad to let her stay home as long as she was good. No such luck.
“Come on Al! Nature awaits!” her father said as he grabbed her wrist and practically dragged her to the car along with everyone else. All she could think of was how she would probably end up dying before this family trip was over. Or perhaps before they even got to where they were going. The car ride seemed to take years; full of very badly sung songs and annoying car games that were impossible to play with so many kids. For the most part, Alyssa pretended to be asleep and kept her eyes shut and her head down. No one noticed her this way and they wouldn’t bother her until they got to the campsite.
After yet another singing of “Old Who-Donald” the Mayor finally took a moment to look back and shake Alyssa’s shoulder. “Wake up kiddo! We’re going for family fun, not for longer naps.” Alyssa’s eyes fluttered open as she sighed quietly; turning her tired gaze to the ceiling without a word. When were they going to reach this stupid place anyway?
“Hey Lyssa! Lyssa, Lyssa, Lyssa!!!!” Daisy shouted as she leaned forward in her seat to tap her sister on the back of the head. “Lyssa! When we get there, do you want to go swimming with me? We can play mermaids!!!” Once again, her over active little sister was more than ready to get going and do something exciting. Alyssa, however, didn’t think Daisy’s idea of fun was anywhere near the same as hers. “No thanks Daisy…I-I don’t like swimming.” What she said wasn’t exactly a lie. Alyssa hated water in so many ways and really didn’t want to go near it. “Awww…..But Lyssa, you promised to play with me,” her sister protested again.
Whoever invented little sister’s should have been put in jail for the rest of their life. Alyssa didn’t respond for a moment as she tried to act like she had fallen asleep again but was bolted to alertness when the car suddenly screeched to a halt.
“We’re here!!”


Here happened to be the middle of nowhere; a large clearing in the middle of a very colorful forest of flowers and trees. If Alyssa hadn’t been so down about having to go camping, she probably would have found it beautiful. Brightly colored birds twittered happily up in the canopy of the trees and the sound of insects humming in the distance echoed from all directions; filling the woods with a certain peace. The family wandered about for a moment in pure wonder at the sight and the girls seemed to want to point out every little thing.
It seemed like just another eternity before they finally settled on the ground to divide the jobs. Some set up tents, some gathered wood, and Alyssa and Daisy were to go gather water. Despite her protest and grumbling, Alyssa had been forced off toward the large lake just a few minutes away from the clearing. Why was it that she always had to do the one job she couldn’t stand?
“Look Alyssa! The lake!” Daisy raced ahead through the brush; causing a large commotion amongst the birds around them. Alyssa followed at a slower pace, but no matter how slow she walked, there was no denying that the lake was right in front of her. Its still water sparkled like a pool of sapphires in the bright sunlight and branched out in all directions to surround them. The banks were dotted with patches of sweet smelling wildflowers that rustled in the light breeze and Alyssa watched as a small fish leapt out of the water and dove back in with a splash.
It was terrifying.
Alyssa stood frozen as she stared at its glassy surface and felt the urge to turn and run as fast as she could in the other direction, but Daisy wouldn’t let her. Without warning, her sister jumped out of the bushes with her arms outstretched and let out a roar that sent Alyssa stumbling backward toward the lake. In a split second, she was submerged below the freezing water; thrashing and kicking to reach the air. Sadly, Alyssa couldn’t swim.

Part 4
Alyssa’s heart pounded like a drum in her chest as she traveled deeper and deeper into the dense forest. Snarled and twisting trees surrounded her from all side as if trying to keep her from going any further, but she couldn’t stop. It was as if her body was driven along by an unseen force. With every step she took, the danger seemed to grow. The scenery that had seemed so beautiful in the daylight was now a deadly and menacing field of shadows and strange sounds. The dark had manipulated every fear Alyssa had ever had into one area that she couldn’t hope to escape from. She wasn’t even sure which way was back.
In an attempt to block out the frightening things in every direction, Alyssa whistled quietly to herself; making up the tune as she went along. In these woods, everything seemed to echo and return in the most terrifying manner; keeping Alyssa on the alert at all times. Where was she going? She hadn’t even partially thought through what she was doing and now felt she’d made a huge mistake. The woods were dark and dangerous at this hour and she was alone and helpless to whatever it might throw her way. This was probably the single most idiotic thing she had ever done.
Alyssa’s mental scolding ceased when she heard a sound that seemed to be coming from just a few feet behind her. The sound came again and she froze to listen more closely. The snap of a twig, the crackle of dead leaves under heavy feet, and breathing met her ears and Alyssa could have sworn she felt her heart stop. Now she really regretted ever leaving the camp. Without warning, Alyssa was turned around by the shoulder and a hand clamped down over her mouth to stifle her eminent scream. She thought about struggling for freedom or even attacking this stranger, but Alyssa fell completely frozen as she stared into their icy blue gaze.
“A little late to be wandering around the woods, isn’t it?”
The voice was no doubt the voice of the boy who had saved her. His words were sugar coated and soft enough to make her melt yet his eyes were cold enough to keep her frozen in his grip. Alyssa struggled to explain herself, but there was little chance of that happening. What was she supposed to say? That she’d come trekking through the words at midnight looking for him so she could say thank you for helping her out of the lake? She’d rather not sound crazy the first time they spoke. “I was….I-I was just….”
Her voice was little more than a whisper as if she feared speaking louder might cause the silence around her to shatter, but the boy shushed her and flashed a white smile. “Lost?…Now that would make sense. Pretty little thing like you should be more careful. You never know what could be….” He leaned closer; hot breath burning against her neck and making her shiver as he spoke in a voice no louder than a harsh whisper. “Lurking in the dark…”
A sudden feeling of fear rose in Alyssa’s chest as she finally managed to pull herself away from the boy’s firm hands. That voice had sounded so much like her father’s. So quiet, so cruel, yet so persuasive. “I just couldn’t sleep is all…” she stuttered; averting her gaze to escape his eyes. Alyssa had never felt so small, but under his stare she felt no bigger than a grain of sand. “Well then, why don’t I walk you back and we’ll have a nice chat? But first….what should I call you? Sweet little lady must have a name.” After a few attempts, she was able to say her name; almost having to sound it out herself to make sure she said it right.
“Well my name is Ricky and I’ll be your guide on this fine summer night.”
Once more his smile sparkled through the darkness and caught Alyssa off guard; smiling a bit herself at his cocky attitude. Somehow though, she could sense more. Something he was hiding perhaps? There was no telling and Alyssa wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Then the unexpected happened. Before Alyssa could take even the smallest step to the side to let him take the lead, Ricky grasped her around the waist and brought her close in one swift motion. “Of course, I don’t do this for free.”
That was all he said before tilting up her chin and placing his lips over hers. Alyssa was frozen despite how her mind screamed for her to fight back and get away and everything seemed to blur. She felt trapped.

Part 5
Despite the overwhelming fear in her chest, Alyssa couldn’t deny that she enjoyed it. Ricky’s touch was like a thunder storm across the surface of her skin and his kiss chilled her like a frozen rain. But even with the electricity surging through her body, Alyssa knew it was wrong and could feel the flaws. His breath and lips tasted of smoke and burned against the back of her throat like a wild fire. Alyssa knew it wasn’t right. She shouldn’t be doing this, in fact she shouldn’t even be out there at all, but the rush of emotion held her there like an iron chain; making her long for more.
Her eyes watered a bit as she forced them shut and tried to muster the strength to pull herself away. She was far to slow though. Without warning, a bright, almost blinding light fell upon them and made Ricky pull away in shock.
Now she was in for it.
“Alyssa Jean Marie Denise Who….what are you doing?” Every word her father said was like a stab to the chest for her; his words full of anger and disbelief. She already knew there was no explaining herself, but she was certainly going to try anyway. “Dad, this isn’t what it looks like,” Alyssa insisted; stumbling over her words. By the looks of it, he didn’t believe her. The Mayor approached the two in a huff and caught his daughter by the wrist before dragging her away from Ricky who stood there with a smile across his face.

“I can’t believe you would do something like that! Haven’t we taught you better?”
The Mayor paced back and forth in front of Alyssa like a tiger in a cage and continued to shake his head. He didn’t believe it for a second but he had seen her. He’d seen Alyssa with Ricky and knew it was true, but he wished it wasn’t. He wasn’t normally like this when Alyssa did something out of line, but she’d done something far worse this time. She’d run off in the middle of the night and been caught kissing a strange boy.
The Mayor had never been angrier at his adopted child. “Why did you do it Alyssa? You could have gotten yourself killed…” For a moment, she refused to meet his gaze. What more could she say? Alyssa had tried so hard to make him understand, but he just ignored her explanations without giving them a second thought. How was she supposed to explain the feeling Ricky gave her?
How did she tell her dad that this boy she’d just barely met was someone she suddenly found herself falling in love with? That was it. “Dad….” Her father looked up when she spoke.
“I….I love Ricky.”
The Mayor’s jaw dropped. He’d seen this Ricky kid and he knew right away that he was trouble and here Alyssa was, telling him that she was in love with him? Kids didn’t even know what love was. He stammered to say something for a few minutes and then gave his foot a firm stamp to show how aggravated he was. “Alyssa stop! You just met this kid. How could you possibly feel that way?” he shouted angrily.
By now, everyone at the camp had stirred to see the argument and looked at them as they took turns shouting. Every one of them could see where this was going. “How do you know how I feel?! You’re not me! You’re not even my dad!!!” With the Mayor frozen in shock at his daughter, Alyssa took the moment to turn and run off down the trail toward the lake.
Not once had Alyssa ever said anything toward her being adopted. She didn’t talk about Greg or her mother, or even her sister and this time she had gone beyond what he had expected. Did she hate him? The Mayor was caught up in her hurtful words, but knew he had to go after her. “Give her some time to cool off Sweetie….She’ll come around.” Sally said with a sigh. The Mayor wasn’t sure though. He was never sure when it came to Alyssa.

Part 6

Alyssa watched as the wind made the lake’s glassy surface quiver; rippling her reflection into a blotchy watercolor pool. She sighed a bit before skipping another flat stone in thought. Her dad was probably furious with her back at the camp and certainly had a right to be. Not only had she snuck off, but she’d also screamed at him and run away when he tried to explain something to her. Alyssa couldn’t stand it. All her life she tried to run from her problems and they always managed to catch up with her every time. It was a habit she wished she could break. “Well look who’s back.” Alyssa hardly looked up at Ricky when he approached her from behind. She wanted to turn around and yell at him for getting into all this trouble. It was mostly his fault that she was in this mess, but for some reason, she couldn’t speak. One look at those cold eyes made Alyssa go silent as she slipped into the same trance he had put her in last night. “How’s my little drowning swan on this beautiful day?” Her face grew warm as her cheeks reddened to a light crimson. Ricky certainly had a way of making Alyssa feel nervous and she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. She shifted in an uncomfortable fashion as he settled down in the grass beside her and snaked his arm around her waist. He seemed to sense her reaction and raised an eyebrow in question. “Looks like someone needs to unwind.” he stated. Ricky reached into the pocket of his jacket and, to Alyssa’s surprise, pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Certainly explained his breath. She watched as he lit one with a small pocket lighter and took a long drag; exhaling the smoke into her face before grinning. Alyssa coughed a pulled away, but Ricky was quick to bring her right back to his side as if she were his pet. He offered her a cigarette; holding his own between his teeth, but Alyssa shook her head. “Come on Lyssa. It will calm you down and make you feel good,” he assured her. The temptation lay heavily on her shoulders, but the thought of the harm she could do was stronger. Alyssa knew what drugs had done to her mother and she didn’t want to be like her. “Just go please….dad doesn’t want me to talk to you.” Her voice shook violently with every word. Why did she care what the Mayor said? Just a few minutes ago, she’d told him that he would never be her real dad. To her surprise, Ricky seemed to understand. “Seems like he really upset you….” She nodded as she absently leaned her head against his shoulder. “Do you want to get back at him?” Alyssa looked up at him with a questioning stare. What could he possibly have up his sleeve? The mischievous glint to his eyes made her feel a bit more afraid than usualy, but this she couldn’t resist. The excitement filled her and made her long to know what he would do. She nodded slowly. “Then meet me tonight….we’ll show them.”

Part 7

Alyssa’s mind was in a fog when she sat up the next morning; her body stinging and her vision blurry. She could hardly recall what had happened. She’d met up with Ricky as soon as the rest of the family had fallen asleep and after that it was all blank. As the world around her slowly became clear, she saw that she had somehow managed to get back to her tent and was even in her pajamas. How had she managed that? Slowly, she began to realize more and more things. Her clothes smelt of smoke, a large bruise was forming on her right arm, and her mouth was sore. What could she have possibly done after Ricky arrived? Her pondering was interrupted by something she didn’t hear very often. “Alyssa Jean Marie Denise Margret Andrew Samantha Paige Who, get out here!!!” Her full name. Sure being called Alyssa Jean normally meant trouble, but when the rest was thrown in, it meant she’d done something really bad. If only she could remember what it was. With a swell of fear in her chest, she edged her way out of the tent and looked at the angry face of her mother. Sally was still in her flannel pajamas and certainly looked like she’d just woken up; face looking like it could turn you to stone with one glance. Alyssa figured it would be better not to mention it as she waited for the worst. In an unnatural display of anger, Sally caught Alyssa by the shoulder and marched her to the other side of the camp; catching a few glances from her siblings as they passed. Alyssa felt her heart race when they finally stopped and Sally motioned toward the place they had left their camping bags. Everything was strewn about as if they’d been torn apart by a tiny tornado; scattered about the area and mostly ruined. However, that wasn’t what made Sally angry. Something important was missing from the pile and it was Sally’s purse. Still, Alyssa remembered nothing. “You have 5 seconds to explain this before I start yelling….” Sally ordered through clenched teeth. Alyssa honestly had nothing to say and nothing to explain. She couldn’t remember anything so what was she supposed to tell Sally? Her mouth moved to try and say something, but nothing came out. Not a sound. That was probably what set Sally off like a firecracker. She shook Alyssa by the shoulders in a stressful rage and was pulled away by the Mayor who had seen her reaction. Both of them gave the stunned Alyssa a stern glare, but still she said nothing. Alyssa couldn’t because she didn’t know. Her only hope was to find Ricky and hope to get him to confess to stealing Sally’s purse. That wasn’t going to happen though. Neither of her parents were going to let Alyssa leave without an explanation which was something she just couldn’t give them. Why couldn’t she remember what had happened? “Ricky…” she began but they silence her with a sterner gaze. They weren’t going to believe her without proof. “Just stop Alyssa. Until you can admit to what you did, we don’t want to hear another word from you.” She sat in her tent as she tried to force the memories back; actually beating her head once or twice with a book in desperation. All she needed was a clue that she could use to explain this to her family. What had Ricky done? What had she done? Where had Ricky gone? None of the questions seemed to have answers and Alyssa was more angry at herself than anything. There was only one thing she could do and that was find Ricky. She would have to risk getting caught and put into more trouble just so she could get to the truth. As quietly as she could, Alyssa slipped out of her tent and into the bright sunlight of day; wincing slightly before blinking it away and hurrying along the outskirts of the camp. Everyone other than the Mayor had gone down to the lake to swim so she had a pretty easy get away. Or so she thought. “Where are you going?” Alyssa froze when a hard wrapped around her wrist and jerked her down to her knees. Her eyes looked up at her father’s in a pleading manner. “Please dad….I have to. I have to prove that this wasn’t me. I promise I wont disappoint you.” That seemed to do it. Without a word, the Mayor let her go and motioned for her to go. “I hope you mean it Alyssa…..”

Part 8

Alyssa felt like a wild animal as she jumped and wove her way through the wide range of trees and thickets. Her legs were sore like the rest of her skin that wasn’t covered up by her shorts and t-shirt, but she couldn’t stop. She had to find Ricky. It seemed like the farther she went, the less she saw until she found out why. “The edge of the woods….” she whispered. Somehow, she’d managed to make her way straight through the woods to the old dirt road leading back to Who-Ville without a single trace of Ricky. What was worse, she felt twitchy and oddly uncomfortable. She licked her lips a few times out of slight stress and glanced about for a moment. What the heck was wrong with her? Alyssa turned around and moved back into the woods; rubbing her hands together absently. “Looks like someone needs another cigarette.” Alyssa jumped at the voice and tripped over her own feet in an attempt to turn around and face them. Ricky leaned against a nearby tree with a smirk spread across his lips and his arms crossed. The familiar smell of cigarette smoke filled the surrounding air, but Alyssa no longer felt the same way she had not to long ago about it. The scent was oddly comforting. Then she realized what Ricky had said. “Wait….another cigarette?” That explained it. The other night Ricky had somehow gotten her to take up his offer for a cigarette and she’d overdone it. Her heart raced, but instead of shaking her head and stepping back, she took the cigarette Ricky offered out to her and allowed him to light it. She couldn’t stop herself. It was somewhat of a need at this point. “That’s my girl….So how did your parents like the little wake up call?” Alyssa, remembering what she had come for, stomped out the cigarette and curled her hands into fists. She wasn’t going to let Ricky fool her anymore which meant standing her ground like she’d always been taught to do. “Ricky, give me back Sally’s money,” she demanded. He laughed and shook his head, but Alyssa couldn’t see what was so funny. Maybe Ricky was just crazy, but that was no excuse for stealing. “I said give it back Ricky! Then you can tell me exactly what happened last night and explain it to my parents.” His smile faded into a stern glare and within a second he was approaching her with a sense of rage in his eyes. There was a split second when Alyssa realized just what had happened the other night. She’d seen Ricky. He was talking about his plan to get back at her parents and slowly manipulated her into his scheme; eventually managing to get a cigarette into her mouth. It wasn’t long before she’d smoked almost half a pack and was like putty in his hands. Alyssa remembered how he’d thrown her to the ground when she stood between him and Sally’s things and then given her a swift kick to the arm (explaining the bruise) and she remembered him finally sending her off to bed when he’d gotten everything he wanted. Her dad had been right about Ricky. Alyssa was so angry with herself for ever doing that. Not only had she been tricked into smoking, but she’d let herself get hurt and ordered around like a dog. “You jerk…” she hissed as he grabbed her arm in an attempt to scare her into submission. This was the last straw. There was no way she was going to let herself be pushed around without a fight; especially by a guy like him. Without even thinking, she threw a punch and hit his jaw dead on with her free hand. Ricky stumbled backward into a nearby tree in surprise, but came at her once again. Maybe she should have thought this through. Ricky was bigger and most likely stronger, but she wouldn’t back down. Alyssa cracked her knuckles and waited for more which came quickly as he prepared to hit her back. “I’m going to kill you for that,” he growled. To his obvious shock, Alyssa caught his fist in mid-swing and ,with a glare, gave a clean twist of his arm. A loud snap sounded from the bone and Ricky’s face grew pale as a ghost. “I was raised by a murderer….I know had to handle myself.” She let go and he dropped to the ground. It took Alyssa a moment to realize that he had actually passed out and she figured it would be best to take advantage of it. Kneeling beside his limp body, she rummaged through his large jacket in search of what she’d come for and there it was. Sally’s purse. “Idiot….” she mumbled; taking one of his cigarettes and lighting it as she stood up. The jerk had gotten her addicted no doubt, but at least she had the purse, right?right?(Now I'm adding a little on because I don't want Alyssa smoking! Do you?) "Alyssa, stop!" Jo-Jo said. He had just appeared when she pulled the cigarette and started lighting it. " If you keep that up you're going to become more addicted to it and you are going to ruin your life!Don't worry I'll help you." Alyssa gave him a worried yet happy look. " Thanks. I'm going to really need the help Jo-Jo, and if you help me promise you won't tell Mom and Dad?" Jo-Jo agreed only if she won't use drugs for the rest of her life.