"Greg!" Chris yelled, his body convulsing in the cold air as they awaited at the bus stop in town. "Why are we doing this again?!"

"Because I want to and Danielle's coming, too," Greg reminded him, peering nervously down the street for a glimpse of Railyn and Danielle. A bus who had definately seen its years pulled up laggardly to the sidewalk, releasing a puff of exaustion in the back. "Besides, when did you Mr. Cautious?"

"When you became Mr. Pimp?...Where is she?" Chris asked impatiently, sheliding his hands from the cold under the warmth of his arms.

"Stay bus, good bus," Greg heard Railyn hollar from down the sidewalk. Danielle finally caught up with Railyn, engulfing her in her arms as they ran like they were siamese twins. "Sorry," Railyn apologiesed as the rusty bus doors summonded for them, "We had to hear the 3rd degree from Jane...again."

An elder man with the mug of a bloodhound sat in the driver's seat. His saggy grey eyes shifted to Rina and a lazy smile inched on his face. "Railyn, haven't...seen ya in...a while," the man stuttered.

"I know, Bill!" Railyn exclaimed as she dropped the $2.50 in the cashbox. "It's been ages!" She bent down and gave the man a hug like he was her father.

"Off to...Serenity?" he asked, closing the door with a sqeaky finish.

"You know it," she yelled back to him as she followed Danielle, Greg and Chris to the back of the bus. The city's active lights beamed in and out of the bus like lasers as they sat down.

"What's Serenity?" Chris asked curiously, grazing his fingers over the dirty window.

"It's an underground coffee house in Selden," Railyn informed him, pressing her knees into the blue seat in front of her. "They have poetry readings and all kinds of stuff, but tonight's karayoke night."

It was 7:49 when they traveled the few blocks to Serenity from the bus stop. Every one showed their IDs to the big bouncer, a glimmer of remembrance in his eyes when they rested on Railyn. He turned the gray doorknob and opened the door like it was a lead plate. He held it opened as the four friends cautiously walked down the cavern-like staircase.

Black and white tiles carpeted the floor of Serenity. Black square tables were sparatically set up around the floor, paired up with four wooden black stools. The stage was on the right, slightly elevated from the floor like God was the main attraction. Railyn weaved through the tables to the bar where a young black man was drying glasses with a white towel. "Benny Boy," she greeted the man, leaning far over the red bar to present him a hug.

"Rai," he replied, his dark skin drastically contrasting with his gleaming white smile, "I thought you might have died on me."

"Well, not yet," Railyn responded with a half-smile; some simulance of truth in her tone. "I wanted my friends Greg and Chris to check this place out. And of course, you know Danielle."

"Pleasure, boys," Ben said in a thick accent, shaking each boys hand. "So are you going to grace us tonight with some tunes, Railyn?"

"We'll see how the night goes," Railyn joked, punching him lightly in the arm. They all ordered their drinks and then found a table to their left. They all plopped down in their seats, music brightening the dark atmosphere.

"How did you find out about this place, Railyn?" Chris asked, his eyes paging over the old Elvis and Beach Boy records plastered on the wall as a memoir.

"I actually used to live here," Railyn responded, looking up at Chris and then Greg. "I used to come here all the time with my friends on Friday's..." She stopped herself short, her eyes being diverted to a tall boy sauntering down the stairs, scanning the place for a certain someone. His eyes stopped dead on Railyn, his lips curving into a happy smile. "Dan!" she shouted, jumping from her seat and running into the boy's burly arms.

"Rai," he replied surprised, picking her up slightly from the floor, "Wow...it's been a while..."

"You know it," Railyn responded with a laugh, pulling on his blue and white flannel shirt. "Come, sit with me and my friends."

"I'm actually waiting for Jenny," he replied sheepishly, his brown eyes hiding to the floor.

"You're going out with Jenny Whitman?" Railyn asked, shock glazing her tone.

"Yeah," Dan replied, nervously scratching the back of his tanned neck, "When you left, I saw no reason not to date her..."

That pricked her heart like a thousand needles. "Well," she replied softly, "I better be getting back. It was good seeing you, Stud." Dan nodded and smiled as she walked away. Dan got over her like she was nothing. Dan was Railyn's best friend. She couldn't ever date him; for both their sakes. But she was still dissapointed at the news; it was seen in her crippling eyes. "Sorry about that," Railyn apologiesed, sitting back down in between Danielle and Greg. "An old friend," she finished, her eyes sadly watching him slid into a seat by the stage. Railyn's ora was drowning out the fresh vibe permeating the air.

"I like this place," Greg started, attepmting to lighten up the convo, "It's really different."

"Yeah," Danielle agreed, "They always have the cutest boys." Chris's mouth dropped like an apple from a tree. "But who can top my boys fron Dream Street?" Danielle finished, giving Chris's arm a fresh squeeze.

"Would you escort me to the dance floor," Chris asked Danielle politely, sensing Greg wanted some private time with Railyn.

"Certaintly," Danielle replied, sandwiching her hands in Chris's as they rose from the black table. Danielle threw Railyn a secret wink and Railyn scowled back at her. Greg shifted his eyes to Railyn's, eager of what she has to say.

"That's the thing I always loved about this place," Railyn informed Greg randomly, clicking her heels into the stool's bars as her eyes leveled the horizon like a submarine. Her eyes locked on Chris and Danielle wavering to the beat like trees, "It's so down-to-earth like, ya know? You can walk down those stairs and forget who you are and be in another world..."

Greg could listen on and on at Railyn's ramblings. She was so insightful and passionate about any subject that grazed her pouty lips. Greg laced his fingers around the edge of the table, interjecting his thoughts and feelings whenever he pleased. He never met a girl he could have such a deep conversation with, to some, about petty things. It was something special.

About a half hour later, karayoking was under way. After a pathetic Joey McIntyre and too dynamic of a Celine Dion, Benny approached the stage, grabbing the mic in his hands forcefully. "Railyn," he said in a low voice into the mic, a smile sliding on his slick face. Railyn's head peaked up rapidly from her discussion about the irrelevent use of Chemistey to real life with Greg. "That's right, Girl, we need some talent right now. C'Mon up."

"Yeah, Rai," she heard the shrill yell of Danielle from the dispersed audience. Twenty people were scattered about the cafe, some truley listening at their tables, head bopping and toes tapping; some grooving along to the karayoking on the dance floor; some doing both at the same time.

Railyn took a giant leap on stage. Ben handed her the mic, patting her on the back for good luck. He then retreated into the dark, leaving Railyn onstage, awaiting the music to steal her away.

The lighting dimmed to an irridescent blue. The smooth rhythum of Britney Spears' "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" diffused through the steamy cafe, chilling the tempeture down a few degrees. She gracefully fluttered her eyes to Greg for a few seconds, peering into his thoughts and dreams. Her fingers gently drummed the beat onto the black mic as the first lyric escaped from her mouth. "My friends say that you're so into me. And that you need me desperately. They say you we're so complete..."

That song reached deep into Greg's chest and pumped pure gold through his veins. He peered at Railyn with her eyes closed as people swayed back and fourth gently like an ocean breeze. Beads of sweat began to prickle from Railyn's hairline as the song progressed. This song wasn't Britney Spears' most powerful ballot, it was transformed into something all its own by Railyn. Her voice belted through the cafe as a gunshot screams through a forest. It was as rugged as a cowboy but as sweet as cinnamon. Purple veins mounted from her neck as the sweat stung in her eyes, but she was willing to do it for the music. The way the white stagelights framed her oval face, the way she looked at Greg with those innocent eyes, the way her hair swirled like a cloud around her as she raised and lowered her head to punch certain notes assured him of one thing; she was an angel.

It was about 11:30 when Chris, Greg, Danielle and Railyn piled themselves onto the bus exaustedly. Bill gave them a glance, but realizing they had a tiresome night, he left them be. Greg escorted Railyn to one of many empty blue seats, her eyes heavied by the weights of fatigue. Greg slid in first, then Railyn while the sketchy bus lights flickered on and off. A big yawn jumped from her lips as she gently placed her head on Greg's chest. His heart raced faster like a show-horse, its muscles contracting heavily. Railyn's hand stumbled limp onto his stonewashed jeans. Greg fished his hand gently atop her slightly frizzing marron hair. The streets were falling victum to sleep, too, lights of awaken houses flashed off as the bus past as if the bus was the Sandman. Greg's mind played back to those meaningful words that lingered on Railyn's lips. Did she really mean them?

Greg felt really stranged as he paced the cobble stones that lead to his front door. How could he love, or care deeply for, two girls? He didn't feel he was old enough to accept this responsibility. His head and heart was at a constant battle, the result always a stalemate. His feet scoffed lightly against the cold grass as the bright porch light awaited for him. The whole house was a haunted house, seemingly empty of any inhabitants. A yellow piece of paper was taped to the door. Curiously, Greg climbed the steps hastily to read what it said:

Greg,
Figured you were out with the boys. Stephanie called. She sounded really upset when I told her you weren't home. I hope this can all be straightened out in the morning. She's such a nice girl. Remember to shut off the light when you come in and don't leave the toilet seat up after you do your buisness.
Love, Mom

Absolute stupidity streamed through his whole body, his mouth dropping instantly at his hurtful forgetfulness; He realized that it was him and Stephanie's 6th month anniversary.