Jolene waved at her parents and blew a kiss their way. "Love you, Mom!" She called happily, a bit too happily most would think. "Love you, Daddy! Have fun!" She waved and then dropped her hand. She understood her parents worrying, but all the kids would have fun, she would make sure of it. She would make sure that if nothing, she had fun. She could handle some time without her parents, after all, she was seventeen.

After her parents had driven off, she waved to her sister and laughed, it was just them, finally. She looked around when she was in the giant house, a house that she could scream at the top of her lungs and still no one would hear unless they were nearby. It was just what she needed. She didn't need the close comforts that she was used to. She needed space to do as she felt, sing at the top of her lungs and play her piano, and run around to get away from the demons that chased her... Or the demon. And he was staying right there with them. She couldn't believe it, though she was happy to have him around, because she would always consider him her very best friend.

"I'll be in my room getting dressed!" She yelled in case her family were to decide to look for her. She was wearing a pair of black and white, satin pajamas, the bottoms a pair of long pants and the top a soft spaghetti strap. She loved those P.J.s. With her family notified, she hurried up the stairs and around the walk to her room. It was decorated just for her, darks, lights, purples, blues and light pinks. It was feminine without being girly. And it fit her rocker-girl personality perfectly.

She didn't flop onto her bed, as she'd done that the second they'd gotten home, and fallen straight to sleep. Instead, she went to her walk-in closet and took out her outfit for the day. She laid the shirt out, a purple tank top with a black rose sewn into it. Then, went into one of the drawers in the closet for a pair of her favorite black and purple thigh high stockings. After taking out a pair of comfortable black shorts that hugged her hips and stopped rather high on her thighs, she dressed and put on some purple converse. With that done, she went to her vanity to do her hair and make-up. So what he was there? That didn't mean she couldn't look nice...

Looking into her reflection, the blonde absently played with her hair. It reminded her of a song she'd been working on over the last... Day.. Had it really been that long since they'd broken up? Gods, it felt like it had just happened. She sniffled and took out a pen she kept in her vanity drawer for her moods. It wrote on glass and didn't leave marks when it was washed away.

'If only wishes could be dreams
And all my dreams could come true'

She wrote the words in her elegant script and then, went back to her hair and make-up, singing softly to herself. She'd have to sit down at the piano later and hash out the melody.

As she got up, she took the pen out again and wrote in a sloppy pen 'Mirror mirror hanging on the wall You don't have to tell me who's the biggest fool of all' right at the top of the mirror, the words looked perfect now, the first phrase on the bottom, the second on the top, so it looked like it was the other way around. She kissed the side of her mirror, leaving a lipstick stain and then bounded down the stairs.

"Hey.." She stopped, no one in the kitchen. She pouted for a second, then recovered and sat in a chair.

Jolene was only playing with a fork as she sat in the kitchen. When her sister plopped down near her, her eyes shot up, and she smiled slyly, and then mischievously.

"Well, Miss Scarlet." she said, leaning closer to her sister's hand. "I plan to make someone eat his heart out for a few weeks, and then... Who knows? Disneyland?" She giggled and pushed at the girl's hand. "What about you?" She asked her curiously.

She looked up when Ben sat next to Scarlet and greeted them. "Good morning, Ben, honey." She said, reaching for toast of her own, figuring that she should eat a little. "How did you two sleep?" She asked curiously. She was the middle child, but usually didn't take up the older sibling role, because she usually wasn't around to play big sister.

She liked Ben well enough. Though, he was three years younger than her and seemed to have his mind set on having an older girlfriend. She could only imagine when three years wouldn't be enough for him, and he started looking at even older girls. He was cute enough, so she supposed when he was a little older he'd be any cougar's fantasy. She just wished that he would look around someone his own age. Since she'd started dating his brother she'd been pushing at her youngest sister to draw his attention. Regan was a beautiful girl, and she looked a little older than she was. She could be a brat, but that was all girls of fourteen. And she thought they would both be happy being each other's boyfriend and girlfriend. What could fourteen year olds do, anyway.

When it came to Regan, Jolene was a bit of a soft touch. She'd been three when the girl was born, and she could still remember sleeping by the girl's crib, in case something bad happened. She was a big sister, a fact that never popped into her head with Scarlet because they were so close in age, and she had a lot of responsibilities as a big sister. As Regan grew up, Jolene became more of a 'little Momma' giving into most of Regan's demands. She'd developed more of a backbone since then, but not too much.

"Where is everyone?" She asked the two with her.

"Irene, darling. You weren't home when your father and I left. I figured I would just call you to let you know that we did leave. Make sure to watch your siblings - keep them out of trouble. And stay out of trouble yourself..."

Irene's mother's voice rang out from the speaker of Irene's cell phone, which she had pressed between her ear and shoulder as she drove down the road. The female laughed slightly, before answering with, "Yeah, mom. I will. I promise."

"I'll hold you to it dear... And, don't mind my asking, but what is that god awful racket?" Irene rolled her eyes slightly as she slowed to a stop at a red light, before glancing over at one of her girlfriends who sat in the car next to her. The female was clicking through radio stations, trying to find something she liked on the radio.

'--time baby, I'll be, bulletproo--'
'--she turned around and gave that big booty a--'
'--from now, you'd be long gone. I'd stand up and punch them ou--'
'--disturbs you then walk away. You will remem--'
'--Ga Ga Ooh La La. Want your bad romance. Ra Ra--'

"Its just a friend of mine, with a terrible excuse of finding something to listen to." Grabbing onto her cellphone, she tilted her head back so that it was straight, before pressing the gas slightly as the light turned green. Directing her voice at her friend, she spoke, "Britt. Why don't you just plug my iPod into the car, and listen to something on it." Shaking her head, she turned right at the next light, before speaking up to her mother again.

"Anyway, ma. I'll talk to you later? I'm kind of driving." She giggled slightly, a smile playing on her lips.

"Sure, Irene. Drive safely. I love you."

"I love you too, ma. Have fun." And with that, Irene closed her cell phone, placing it on the console between the two seats, before placing both hands back on the wheel. "How about putting on some Queens Of The Stone Age, Britt?" Not more than a few seconds later, Irene's friend Britney had 'Sick Sick Sick' playing on the cars speakers. And not more than a few minutes after that, Irene had pulled in front of Britney's house, dropping the girl off.

It was only a few minutes later that she was pulling her car into her own drive, disturbing the peace in the area, as she saw it. Turning off the engine of her Rolls Royce Phantom - a 20th birthday present from her parents, and probably the most expensive thing they had ever bought specifically for just her - she stepped from the car, taking her iPod out with her. Closing the car up, she locked it, before making her way inside.

"I'm hooooome!" she sang out, immediately realizing that the kitchen was the center of activity at the moment. Placing her hands on her hips, she smiled at everyone as she walked into the kitchen. "I talked to mom on the phone, and she said that I have to make sure you guys don't get into trouble. But the thing with that is..." she trailed off, before laughing some, "Well, you know me."

Jolene, Scarlet, Ben, Nick, Kylie, and Regan were all in the kitchen, and she made sure to take note of that. "So, guys" she began, leaning on the back of Nick's chair slightly, "Where's everyone else?"

When Ben answered Jolene (because that was who had asked the question), the blonde nodded, and watched everyone else come in. She frowned as Finley just walked by and outside. She was pretty sure that her older sister was outside, which was why his goal was the garden.

She thought about her own best friend, wondering if he would even want to be around her anymore. She also wondered if she would want to be around him. As far as she could tell it would be an embarrassing encounter, awkward to the core. And she hated that fact, but maybe she would be wrong and she wouldn't be embarrassed or feel like running away crying. He was her best friend, after all.

She laughed when Kylie stated that she was going to study the day in the life of a bug. Kylie was a fun girl, very out there, and strange. She wasn't surprised that she loved being around the girl, with her own one track life, it was good to have someone around who's mind went from place to place as quick as a firefly. She saw the other Williams' as friends when they chose to be around, but she liked to think of Kylie as something of a little sister sometimes, an anti-Jolene.

She watched her baby sister flirting with Ben and she smiled, before pushing up from the table at the mention of Tripp. "Eljas is probably hiding himself away." She commented on her best friend. "Music, or something." She was pretty positive that no one knew the two of them had broken up, she hardly believed it herself. She walked to the refrigerator and started rummaging in it to see if she could find something to drink. She chose to make a virgin mimosa, taking out a can of Sprite and a carton of orange juice.

When Irene came in, she was mixing the drink. "Well, Hello, Stranger." The girl said, waving to the older girl. "Been a while." She smiled sweetly.

She smirked at hearing Kylie accusing someone of leaving the toilet seat up. "In your bathroom?" She asked.

Jolene's eyes became bright at her sister's suggestion. She'd thought maybe to give her little sister some time alone with Ben, but maybe if Scarlett and Jolene went to the beach to watch the surfing, he'd go, and that would give Regan some time with the boy the she liked. "Oh, I got a new bathing suit that I want to try out as well." Jolene said with the widest of smiles.

With a laugh, the girl jumped up and winked at her sisters. "I'll go change quickly." She didn't need to eat much, since she tended to eat between meals, and would just munch when she could. With quick, light steps, the girl ran back up to her room, taking her shirt off before she even had her door closed.

Not more than five minutes later, she opened her door and stepped out, wearing the bikini from her most recent photo shoot. Was she wearing it because she looked good? Or was it to get a rise out of Tripp? It was that shoot that had destroyed her relationship. Well, no. It was the photoshoot and that damned other band. If only he hadn't been so stupid. And she hadn't been....

She looked very hot, though. With the black strap bikini with two buckles holding the sides together on the bottom. The middle of the top had a jeweled buckle. Everything was held together with two straps that lead to the buckles. With her hair loose around her shoulders, she thought 'Tripp, eat your heart out.' As she walked down the hall in her stiletto heels.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."

Irene couldn't help but smirk at Nick's comment, answering with a witty one of her own. "I know, right? I'm just too damn sexy to leave outside. That poor kitty couldn't help but bring me in..." She winked at the male, before looking around at everyone else in the room. Jolene had said hello to her only moments before that, so in response, Irene held her fingers up to make a heart towards the slightly younger female.

But it didn't seem as if there was much conversation that she would be able to add to. So Irene just listened, though her mind wandered. And she couldn't help but think about the male right next to her - Nick. They had known each other practically for forever, and Irene had always found him to be the most fun to be around. Sure, she loved her sibilings and got along mighty well with them, and she got along pretty okay with all of the Black's, but... Nick was different. There was something special about him.

So, she found herself speaking up towards him, addressing his desire for explosives. "Well, since we don't have any fireworks, let's go buy some. 'Cause, honestly, its not really the fourth of July if you aren't setting off fireworks." Her mouth was set in an ever-present grin, though as she turned to look at her sister Kylie, she couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, well that is a problem, now isn't it?" she began, referring to her sisters 'toilet incident'. She knew the girl was joking around, but she couldn't help but play along. "And while you were in there, did you find this wonderful little number? Because seriously, if I could steal this and actually fit into it, you better believe I'd just rip it right off of you right now." She grinned, crossing her arms across her chest.

Irene grinned as Kylie gave her answer as to where she had found the dress. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to find this shop then. Maybe there are some more interesting pieces in there that I could add to my collection." Watching her sister walk out of the room to 'finish her adventure', Irene couldn't help but giggle.

"She sure is something..." she began, smiling after her sister. "Honestly, I have no idea where she came from sometimes. She's nothing like the rest of us. But... I suppose thats what makes her so lovable."

Turning her attention once again to Nick, she smiled at him as he jumped into the idea of getting some fireworks. "That sounds great" she began. "I'd love to go down to the beach afterward. It'll give me a chance to just relax. That, and people watch. Its always funny to watch others at the beach. Oooh! And we could build a sand castle too!" Irene began to laugh, a few snorts inching there way into the mess. After a few seconds, she calmed herself down a bit.

"Okay, well, I'm driving if you don't mind." She was smiling once again. Motioning for Nick to follow after her, she walked out the front door, though not before grabbing her purse, which had been sitting on the table in the foyer. She fished her keys out of her pocket, and clicked the unlock button. Her cars front headlights came on, and the Spirit of Ecstasy - the ornament on the hood of her Royce - emerged from the front of the car. When her parents had the car custom built for her, they had made sure to have the people at Rolls Royce install a retractable hood ornament on the car, so it wouldn't get broken off and sold.

Irene opened up the passenger door for Nick, before moving onto the drivers side of the car, and getting in. "So, off to buy some fireworks, and then we'll come back here and hit the beach. Sound like a plan?" she asked Nick.