"She isn't their real sibling" Marlayn said gently. "We don't have to tell Sara"

****

Chrissa turned to her crying "You heard me Mom! He was invovled in gangs and brought drugs to school...there! I've told you how horrible he is! Now please, let me be alone!"

*******

"Go home" Miley said looking threw the rear view mirror at him. "And have something to drink....that always help me think"

When the three of them got to Miley's, Peter plopped onto a couch, thinking of when he was on drugs. Why did he leave Chrissa to explain? Now her mom would know his past and she wouldn't be able to hang out with them. He stared at the blank screen of the TV.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chrissa's mom shook her head. "I'm not so sure your friends are a good influence on you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Justin felt relief. "Okay. We don't have to tell them."

Chrissa turned her back to her Mom, shaking her head. "He's fine now!!! He repented!" she cried than ran away from her Mom to her bike. She quickly mounted it and rode away, not really sure where she was going.

***

He felt someone sit next to him. Then Jen's arm wrapped in his. "Hey Peter..." she said "You okay?"

*******

Maralyn nodded. "They never have to know"

Peter shook his head. "What if her mom says she can't hang out with us anymore? It will be all my fault. Should I have called her mom to say where she was? Why do I make a mess out of everything?" He groaned. "Promise to still be my girlfriend if that happens?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chrissa's mother called her cell phone. "I am arranging a pschycologist appointment with you. You don't usually act like this."

Chrissa stopped her bike on the sidewalk near the park. She dismounted and leaned it against the fence. With a sigh, she slid down to the stone and took a deep breath. "Please don't Mom. I'm feeling fine....there has just been so much stress. Last night my heart nearly broke because Dad wouldn't let us adopt Natasha. Now Justin may and she won't be my sister." She took a breath to continue. "You got really angry at me, and now you discover my friends past and think he can't hang-out with me." She sniffed, and swallowed again. "Please don't arrange that appointmet. I'll be fine, I promise."

********

Jen made a face, and put a hand on her hip "Of Course Peter! Of course I'll still be your girlfriend. Plus, you don't make a mess of everything." she ran a hand through his hair, then kissed his cheek.

Her mom softened a little. "OKay. Just come home. I'm in the process of calling your friends." After hanging up, she called Miley's house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter heard the phone ring, then looked at Miley. He felt the sadness in his eyes. Quickly, he answered the phone. "Hello?"
The voice on the other end was serious. "Is this Peter?"
He felt a chill down his spine. "Yes?"
"This is Chrissa's mom. I just want to say that you, Miley adn that little girl needs to stay away from my daughter until she graduates this year, possibly longer."
Peter felt a sob in his throat. "We didn't mean to get you worreid about Chrissa. We will do better I promise!"
"Look, I get that you may have changed but I can't be so sure. She told me your past."
Peter's voice cracked. "But she can still be with Miley and Jen!"
"Jen refused to tell me where she was."
Peter shut his eyes tight, to hide tears. He hugn up the phone, then ran to his room. He slammed the door shut then, buried his face in a pillow and sobbed. The time he used to eb a bully before he became a Christian and the times he took too many pills as a Christian and brought them to school poisoned the salty tears as they wet his pillows.

Jen worriedly looked at Miley and ran up the stairs coming to the door of Peter's room. She knocked softly and sighed, making a face wondering what the person on the phone had said to him. "Peter? Peter....what's wrong?" her fingers played across the brass door handle, her mind wondering whether she should walk in without his permission. "Peter?"

*************

Chrissa hung up her phone and shoved it hard into her jeans pocket. She knew now she shouldn't have told her Mom about Peter. He had hurt her, and now she had hurt them all. She cursed herself for being so stupid and mounted her bike tears of anger stinging her eyes. She was angry only at herself.....but at the same time her heart was broken over Natasha. She bicicyled fast to get home.

Peter could not hear Jen's voice, for the sobs were getting too loud. His addiction to pills from almost a year ago had cost him, Jen and his cousin a friend. Now, Johnny was definately goign to know what happened and yell at Miley.
~~~~~~~
Miley had heard her cousin say "But Miley and Jen can still hang out with her" and it could only mena one thing. Chrissa was no longer allowed to hang out with any of them. She tried texting Chrissa. She texted: PLEASE TELL YOUR MOM YOU CAN HANG OUT WITH ME AND WHY ON EARTH DID YOU TELL THEM ABOUT MY COUSIN'S Past?

Jen sucked in a breath when she heard her boyfriend crying so hard. She couldn't bear it, and came flying into his room. She knelt near his bed and hugged him tightly, trying to comfort him "Oh Peter....it's going to be alright....ssshhh..." Tear stung her eyes as she heard him sobbing.

*********

Chrissa, had just arrived home when she heard her cell phone ding that familear tone when someone had texted her. She waited to see who it was from until she had put away her bike in their garage. She then sat on the steps of the house and flipped open her green phone. Pressing the 'ok' button she viewed the text. When she read the lines a hand flew to her mouth. As she pushed reply, tears dripped down on her phone and soaked the screen. she slowly typed the words 'I'll try to tell my Mom Miley...though she proably won't listen. I'm SOOOO sorry about Peter. I know I was wrong....won't you ever forgive me?'

Miley wa son her way to her cousin's room, when she received a text. When she read the message, she could tell her friend was sorry. She texted back:It's okay but what are we going to do now?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter felt Jen's hug around him and he hugged her back. "Jen, I'm so sorry." He wiped his eyes, unsuccesfull at controlling tears

Jen stroked his hair. "There is nothing to be sorry about....it's okay" she said softly, finding it hard not to cry with him. His sobs struck her deep in her heart, and she tried to squeeze him tighter. "don't cry please"

*****

Chrissa wiped her eyes as she sat and texted back and forth with Miley. Once she recieved another she answered back 'I don't know. I'm sorry I told my mom about Peter...it all just came tubbling out and I didn't realize. I'm sorry....I'd come and say I'm sorry to Peter but I'd get in trouble. Please tell him I'm sorry. I hope he doesn't hate me' She then pressed send

Peter turned to his girlfriend, needing her love and comfort. He really wanted to stop crying, seeing how it was upseting her but couldn't. If he stopped thinking about the drugs, he thought about when he was a bully and it just kept going back and forth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miley rushed up to Peter's room, heart broken ove rhis cries. He looked so weak and vulnerable in Jen's arms, who looked like she was having a hard time holding herself togehter. "Peter can I come in?"

Peter could barely talk but he managed to croak out "Yes...." to miley who was standing at the door way, before breaking down into Jen's arms again. Because of what he had done in his past, had ruined one of his friendships now.

**********

Chrissa didn't get a text back from Miely so she got up and went into instantly going to her room, ignoring the greeting from her father which was stern.

"Chrissa young Lady I need to talk to you. Me and your Mother were so worried today about you. We thought you ran away! where is your Mother!!??"

She didn't asnwer and went to her room closing the door and sittting on her bed. She got her favorite book from a shelf and laid it across her face, so no one could see her cry if she did.

Miley felt her heart break at seeing her cousin cry so hard. She rushed to his side, seeing the fresh tears down his face. She stroked his dark curls around his ears. "Chrissa says she sorry, Pete."
Jen looked up at the older girl. "What happened?"

Peter looked at Jen and bit his lower lip "Chrissa told her mom about my past" he cried finding it so hard to talk about his past or even mention it. It was tearing him apart from the inside. "now.....I can't see her...." he then broke down again into Jen. His fingers trembling, and her back shaking with hard sobs.