"Wh-What do you mean…?"

His voice was harsh. "Things!" he spat. "He's just like all the rest! He doesn't give a fuck about people!"

"A-and you… you care about p-people…?" she trembled. "… But I-I get the idea y-you're trying t-to use me… like I was… a thing…!"

Ray stood on wide-spread legs before her, his face livid, "You're a smart little bitch!" he grated.

The door chimes sounded. He left her to go to the door, grunting, "I wonder who in hell this could be…?" His grin was barely concealed from her; he knew it would be Don Scott, her ever-loving brother.

"Don!" he exclaimed in mock surprise. "Come in… join the party!"

"Party…? What party?" Don asked, going along with Ray.

"Like, you know… there's three of us, now! Charity's here!"

"Charity…?" He walked in, feigning surprise, "What are you doing here?"

She sprang to her feet, shock and surprise on her mobile face. "Donnie!"

"Yeah… it's me…" He sat down, sprawling carelessly.

She stood there, in utter confusion, looking from one to the other of them, stupidly, feeling as though she should say something to explain why she was there. Her open, innate honesty compelled her to say, dully, "He kn-knows…"

"K-knows what?"

"A-About us?" she answered, miserably.

"Like crap!" Donnie spat, looking hard and mean at Ray, who stood watching them, a slight sneer on his face. "You want to split, Char? If you do… we'll do it now!"

Charity heard his offer to take her away, but the fear of exposure, the possibility of publicity – friends and classmates at school learning of their depravity, the scandal of it rocking the town, the attendant gossip, the stares, the jibes and the innuendoes – plus the fact that both she and Donnie would be placed in Juvenile Hall, if a word of it got out to people in authority, such as the district attorney, made her hesitate. He doesn't understand! Dear God! I don't want anything like that t-to happen to m-me… and most of all I-I don't want anything to happen to Donnie! What can I do…?