Peter snuggled closer to Miley, burying his head on her chest. He tried to stop the cries from coming out, but they threatened to come harder. "I should have stayed in bed."

Justin looked at Brian, who was bandaged. "Thanks for trying."
Jen's eyes pleaded with Brian. "There must be something you cna do."

Brian made a face. "I'll try but, she's my Mom. I can't go against her. Maybe I can talk to my Dad. He always listens to me. " He looked after Peter as Miley took him to the car. "I'm sorry...that it made him upset. Is there anything I can do for him?"

*******

Miley held him trying to understand and be a comfort for him. "Oh Peter.....it will be okay. How about we say a prayer. Father we come to you and Jesus name, Lord please help this day to go better. Please Peter regain his strength and will. Please help him Lord. Amen."

Justin licked his lips, wondering if by that comment it meant Peter saw his cousin cry. "It's been a pretty rough day for him, from what Miley told me. Chrissa isnt allowed to hang out with him, Miley or Jen until she graduates and now this."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the prayer, Peter started breathing more slowly. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes. "Did Brian see me cry?" he asked, panicking a little. He did not want Brian to see he cried.

Miley rubbed her litttle cousin's back. "I don't know....but it will be okay" she repeated. She coudn't help but feel his hair which was growing back rather quickly. He looked a lot more like her cousin, when he had thick brown curls. She looked at his puffy eyes sympathetically, then down at the seat. Laying there was a few strands of Peter's hair. She quickly snatched it up and stuffed it in her pocket not wanting him to see. She decided for now that she should keep it to herself....if he saw it would only make his day worse. Anyway, it may not be a big deal. "Want go back out there with everyone? I think Brian's Mom left."

********

"Awwwwww....why not? What did Peter do?" he asked shifting his weight, his side hurting him. He was worried about his friend. He had seen him cry a little, and wondered why his Mom had to make him so upset.

Justin shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think he did anything. I think Chrissa's mom found out about his past." He sighed, taking a deep breath. Hopefully Chrissa's mom would change her mind about Peter like Maralyn did about him. "Brian, none of this is your fault."
~~~~~~~~~
Peter shook his head. "I can't. I'm all puffy and blotchy. I can't go anywhere looking like this. Let's go home."

"Peter..." Miley sighed and slipped into the drivers seat "Alright....but I have to let Justin know this is his car." she rolled down the window and called her older brother over. "Justin, Peter wants to go home"

****

Brian looked at Jen, and sighed. "Well.....tell Peter Hi for me, and sorry that my mom upset him. I better get back in now, my side hurts anyway" he said and waved before limping inside.

Justin said, "It's okay." He got in the car with Jen and offered to let Miley drive. He took her seat next to Peter.
As Miley got in the driver's seat, she said, "Hey Justin. We need you at our house, okay? After we drop Jen off."
Justin nodded, letting his little cousin lean against him, who looked pale. "I'm sorry, Pete."
~~~~~~~~~~~
When they got home, Miley said, "Peter.." she bit her lip, not knowing how to say it. "you may need to take a nap because the stress really is getting to you." She pulled out the strands of his hair from her pocket. "I found this on Justin's seat."

Peter's eyes widened as he saw some of his hair in her hands. He took it from her and looked at it. "My hair...." he said and put his other hand on his locks. The last thing he needed today was to learn that his hair, his hair that was just growing back from being cut twice, was falling out. Peter wondered what he had done so wrong that all this was suddenly happening to him. He curled his hand into a fist and then returned his gaze to Miley. "Why is my hair falling out!?" He had wished so hard for his thick hair, his brown curls, to grow back and they finally had. He thought now about the few strands in his right hand. Was it going to be taken away again!?? He suddenly dropped the strands and ran to his room, slamming the door hard. Then, with trembling hands he bolted the door and jumped into bed covering his head up. That was it....he had, had enough stress and shock for one day. Even before he could cry, he was asleep and no tears fell.

***********

Justin was standing in the kitchen and saw the whole thing. He heard miley, then saw Peter run upstairs. He came close to Miley and looked at her. Then shifting his eyes to the tile kitchen floor, he picked up the few strands of Peter's hair and shoved them deep into his jeans pocket. "Oh Peter....." he whispered thinking of his little cousin.

Alarmed, Miley asked, "Is he going bald, Justin?"
Justin's eyes opened wide. "I hope not, I mean we all lose hair each day then it grows back. I don't recall any men in our family going bald, especially not at fourteen."
Miley looked towards the stairs, sadly. She prayed that this was just a scare from the stress and that Peter would not go bald. She felt the warmth of her older brother's arms. She sighed and rested her head against his chest. "What a long day, Jusitn. What a horribly long day."
Justin shook his head, praying that the rest of Peter's hair would not fall out and for peace for both his little sister and little cousin.

When Peter awoke much later he didn't want to open his eyes. He didn't want to face reality. He didn't know what time it was, he didn't know how long he had been sleeping but all he knew was he wished he wouldn't wake up. He wished he could sleep longer "No..." he whispered as he pulled his wet pillow over his head. When the damp clothe touched his skin, he jerked it off again and sat up. It was dark in his room, and he whimpered a little grabbing his flash light from the bed stand. He clicked it on and shone it on the pillow....it was wet. He felt his cheeks and they were damp. He realized he must have been crying in his sleep. Suddenly he gasped and both hands flew to his head. He felt his hair, and it was still there. He pulled on it a little and nothing came out making him feel a bit more calm then before, but his heart was still beating quick. He shut his flash light off and laid back down, letting the hard object fall from his hand and hit the floor. He dreaded getting up and going down stairs.....facing Justin and Miley. He just wanted to be alone....he knew it must be late. Because it was dark outside. He covered back up and sighed, almost wishing now that Justin was there for him to hug. He wanted to talk to his older cousin, but he had probably left. He settled back down into his bed and closed his eyes falling back into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During the rest of the night Peter was tortured by a reoccurring nightmare. In it he saw himself at school, in class like normal. Then from behind him he heard to laughs, and turning about he saw Nicole and Miranda coming at him with scissors. He screamed and tried to run from them but he couldn't move and they cut his hair off, him yelling and crying the whole time for them to stop. He called his older cousin's name repeatedly "JUSTIN!!!! HELP ME PLEASE!!!!"

After almost all his hair was gone they stopped and slowly faded. He was left sobbing on the floor holding his dark curls in his hands. Then the room began to swirl and the whole place became black. Then standing in front of him he saw Jen's dad, looking at him cruelly. The older man picked him up by the arm and reached for his head. Peter tried to fight him away but he pulled out what hair was left. After he was done he dropped a ballling Peter to the floor. Peter curled up with no where to go, and felt his head which was completely bald now. That just made him cry even harder, cry so much he couldn't breath. "Justin...." he croaked out his older cousin's name. Suddenly he heard the honking of a car horn, and looked up realizing he was on a street. A car was barreling down on him and he had no time to run, just time to scream "JUSTIN!!!!!!"

********

Peter woke up screaming his cousins name "JUSTIN JUSTIN!!!!!" he yelled shaking and sweating as he looked around his room, tears pouring down his cheeks, and words spilling from his mouth. "HELP JUSTIN!!!" he yelled again. Fresh sun light was pouring in through the windows, but his mind still didn't realize he wasn't in his horrible nightmare. "MILEY JUSTIN HELP ME!!"

Justin and Miley looked at each other, stunned. Justin said "I better go check on him." He could hear the whimpering, as he got up the stairs more. His heart sunk. He knocked on the door. "Peter? Are you okay?" He wiggled the doorknob. It was locked. "Peter please open up!"

Peter was curled up on his bed and he didn't hear his cousin call for him. "JUSTIN HELP ME!!!" he cried shaking on his bed, not knowing Justin was trying to help him right now. Peter hadn't fully awoke from his nightmare yet, his mind was still half in, seeing everything, while his other half was trying to wake up. Finally Peter fully awoke, he looked around and heard Justin pounding on the door. "Justin..." he said tears pouring down his cheeks in lines. He got up out of bed, bu felt weak and fell to the floor.

Justin asked his mom to get a key, then when she came back he rushed into Peter's room, to see that he had fallen to the floor. Justin rushed to his little cousin's side. "Peter! Are you okay!"

Peter reached up shaking and hugged his older cousin. "Oh Justin it was horrible!!! They cut my hair then he pulled it out then I got run over by a car!!!" he cried, and whimpered a little.

Justin stroked his cousin's hair. "It's still there and I'm right here. I would be upset too if my friends couldn't be wiht me because of my past, or because of their mom." He stroked his cousin's hair. "Probably just stress. You're probably not going bald. We all lose hair everyday and it grows back. But if you want I could ahve Miley aranged an appointment for you before I go home."