"Tess?" Her dad said as she opened the car door.

"Yeah dad?" She replied.

"Joel will be here at 3:30 to pick you up." He reminded.

"For the thirty second time... ok." She replied getting out.

"Hey, that was only the thirty first." He said giving her a cheesy grin.

She rolled her eyes, "Bye dad."

"Bye, be good." He smiled.

She closed the door and walked away from the car. She stopped briefly to adjust her backpack that was slung over her shoulder and then kept walking,

She heard the car behind her pull away but she never turned to look. She just kept walking.

"Hey Tessa." Someone nodded walking past her as she stepped inside the school.

"What up Tessa?" Someone else questioned as she walked by.

Brintessa wasn't really that popular. She was just known by a lot of kids at her school for the simple reason that her dad was the youth pastor for the largest youth group in the area. They ran an average of 120 teens each Sunday night.

"Hey Rachel." She said reaching her locker.

"Hey girl." The skinnier girl replied as she appeared from behind her locker door.

"Long time no see." Tessa smiled.

"What are you talking about? You saw me at church last night." Her best friend replied.

"It was a joke." She laughed a little.

"Oh, I knew that." Rachel blushed some.

"You're so blond." She teased.

"Have you taken a look in the mirror?" Rachel asked looking back inside her locker.

Brintessa only laughed as another girl neared them and opened her locker.

"Hey Tessa, Joel ask me to tell you..."

"That he'll be here at 3:30." She cut her off. "Dad reminded me thirty one times on the way here." She rolled her eyes.

"You counted?" Rachel asked dumb founded.

"No, I was exaggerating." She admitted.

"Well, anyway I was just doing what he asked." The other girl said.

"Yeah, sorry Aunt Katie. I didn't mean to snap." Brintessa told her.

"It's cool. No worries. I'll catcha later." She said and walked away.

"OK so, I know I've known you since we were both eight but that still sounds so strange to me." Rachel confessed as she closed her locker.

"What does?" Tessa gave her an odd look doing the same.

"Aunt Katie. I mean she's only a year an a half older then you." Rachel explained as they began to walk toward their class.

"Yeah, I know. Not my fault though."

Brintessa's dad was only 16 when she came along. Her mother died when she was only a few weeks old. This left Her dad to care for her alone.

Her dad's name was Jake. Jake had an older brother named Mathew who was now almost 40. A younger brother named Joel who recently turned twenty and a little sister Kathrine or Katie for short.

It wasn't easy being a single father so young but his parents helped out a lot. Jake graduated with honors and went onto bible college where he received a degree.

College is where Jake met Brintessa's now step-mother, Kristen. Kristen was very pretty but Brintessa hated her. Okay so Brintessa wasn't supposed to hate anyone but she defiantly dis-liked her.

If someone where to ask Tessa why she hated Kristen so much it would be hard for her to come up with very many reasons. Honestly Brintessa had no idea why she didn't like Kristen. She just ken that she didn't... at all.

Brintessa and Rachel had now made it to their first class. They stepped inside and the door closed behind them just as the bell rang.

"Miss Scott; Miss Talen; how nice of you to join us." Mr. Maxwell said standing up.

Mr. Maxwell was one of the least liked teachers in the entire school. In his class you where considered late if you were not in your seat when the bell rang. He had no problems reminding you in front of everyone either.

"I apologizes." Rachel told him.

"Sorry Sir." Tessa added.

"Rachel take your seat." He said pointing toward the class. "As for you Miss Scott... I see no reason why I shouldn't give you a tardy slip. This is the third time this week."

A few kids in the class laughed.

"But Mr. Maxwell..." She began but was cut off.

"Yes yes I know; Your father would be very upset with you."

Again a few kids laughed.

"Consider this your final warning." He told her turning away.

"Yes sir." She nodded.

"Miss Chrinko please exchange seats with Miss Scott. I don't know if I can trust her and Miss Talen to pay attention if they are seating so close."

"Of course Mr. Maxwell." She said and moved.

"You may sit down now." He pointed to the now empty chair toward the back of the room away from her friend.

"Yes Sir." She said and went to sit down.

"Are you trying to get detention?" Eric asked as she walked past.

Eric was the son of the senior pastor at their church. Brintessa had always liked him but growing up so close he always tended to see her as more of a little sister.

"Is he always like that?" An unfamiliar voice asked from behind her as she sat down.

"Pretty much." She replied.

Meanwhile Jake sat in his office at work reading a few new e-mails.

"Hey Jake." Eddie said popping his head in the door. Eddie was the Jr. High youth pastor.

"Hey Eddie. How's it going?" Jake asked.

"Not bad. I just have a question." He said stepping into the room.

"What's that?"

"Well, Autumn is wanting to get Grace off the pacifier and we where just wondering if you had any experience there."

"Yeah, mom and I clipped a little off the end of it once a week. It got too short for her to hang on to and she stopped wanting it." Jake replied.

"Awesome." He nodded.

"Yeah, Tessa had that thing till she was a little over a year. Dentist don't say to take them away until their about two and a half. Gracie isn't even 10 months so you guys have lots of time." Jake told him.

"Yeah, how is Tessa... and Kristen... and that whole thing?" Eddie asked sitting down.

Jake sighed and shook his head, "Man, I met Kristen when Tess was five. I introduced them when she was six. Everything was fine until two years back when I proposed to her. Now suddenly Tessa seams to hate her. It's been a little over a year man. Kristen keeps talking about having a baby and it's stressing me out cause I almost can't handle Tessa let alone her and a baby. If she got along with Kristen better I could see it but... not right now. Not with the way things currently are." He almost rambled.

"Why does Tessa hate her so much?" Eddie asked.

"I don't know. She wont talk to me about it. Kristen keeps trying to get her to do stuff with her hoping it will help but all it ever does is push Tess even father away." Jake explained.

"Interesting."

"Yeah, I mean I've counseled so many teens but I can't figure out my own for the life of me."

"I guess I should be thankful mine's still so little." Eddie stood.

"Totally. I can either control this high school department or control Tessa. I can't do both." Jake stood also.

"You'll figure it out Jake. Keep your head up." Eddie moved toward the door.

"Thanks, we still on for tonight?"

"Yeah, Autumn was so excited about the double date that she had a sitter planned in less then an hour." He laughed.

Jake did also.

"I guess I'll catcha tonight then." He walked out the door.

"Yeah, we'll meet you guys at the restaurant at four."

"Then a movie." Eddie said.

"Then walking down town at the canal."

"Sounds great. See ya." Eddie smiled and walked away.

Elsewhere Joel had just clocked in at work.

"Hey Joel, Abby is sick so can you take over the register?" The store manager asked.

"Of course." Her told her.

"Any way I could get you to stay an hour later to help me cover until Nick comes in?"

"Sorry, I gotta pick up Tessa from School today." He said.

"Not to be noisy but why can't your brother pick up his own kid?" She asked.

"He and Kristen are going on a double date tonight. They asked me to pick her up and stay with her till they get home like... two weeks ago. I don't mind." He explained.

"Isn't she like, sixteen?"

"Not yet." He replied walking behind the register.

"Ok fifteen, why does that require a babysitter?" She asked.

"Jake is really protective of her."

"She's gonna resent him when she turns eighteen if he don't watch it." She warned.

"You aint tellin be nothing I don't know." He replied.

When the bell rang Brintessa grabbed her things and stood up.

"So, your dad's kinda strict or something?" The boy from behind her asked.

"Or something." She laughed.

He looked at her strange.

"He's a youth pastor." She explained.

"Wow, sucks to be you." He said. "Uh, no offense." He quickly added.

"None taken. It deffinatly has it's down sides. I'm Tessa by the way." She held out her hand.

"Aaron, I'm new here." He shook her hand.

"Hey Tess, will you let your dad know I'm almost done with that book he let me borrow?" Eric asked walking up.

"Sure Eric." She smiled.

"Thanks babe." He said and walked away.

"Your boyfriend?" He asked.

"Ha, Eric? No. Senior Pastor's son. Kinda like a brother." She said as they walked together toward the door.

"Tess Lunch?" Rachel asked.

"Of course." She smiled.

"Kay." Rachel said and walked away.

"Tessa?" Someone called as she and Aaron walked out of the room.

"Yeah?" She questioned.

"I won't be there Sunday. Can you let Jake know?"

"Sure." She smiled.

"Popular much?" Aaron asked.

"Not really. Our youth group is kinda big and most of them go to school here. Actually most of the teachers here go to church there. A lot of them work in the youth group." She explained.

Aaron nodded. "Would you happen to know where Mr. Thompson's class is?" He asked looking at his schedual.

"It's right next to my next class. I'll show you." She told him and they began to walk.

"So, what's a senior pastor?" Aaron asked.

"Uh.. he's like the main guy. He's the one who stand in front of the entire church. A lot of people think it means he's the pastor for he elderly." She laughed.

"Yeah, I've been to a few churches and none of them called in the senior pastor. It was always just the head pastor."

"Yeah, I've heard that one too."

"Move nerd!" A girl called walking past and bumping into Tessa.

She said nothing but shot her an ugly look.

"Whose that?" Aaron asked.

"Ashley, She kinda hates me."

"Not a big fan of God?" Aaron asked.

"Not at all." Tessa laughed a little.

"Look, GG has a new boyfriend." Ashley teased joining a group of her freinds.

"Oh come on now Ash. You know her daddy wont let her date." One of them teased.

"Just ignore them." Katie smiled walking past.

Brintessa and Aaron just kept walking.

"Well, this is my stop. Your is the next door up." She stopped.

"Thanks." He smiled.

"Do you know where you're going after that?" She asked.

"Mrs. Nohe." He read off the name of the teacher.

"Last room on the left at the end of this hall." She told him.

"Thanks, you've been a big help." He flashed her a smile.

Her heart almost melted from it. His blond hair and brown eyes mixed with that smile was God's creation at it's best.

"You're welcome." She told him peeling her eyes away.

"Come on Miss Scott. Let not the grass grow under your feet." Her teacher called from the doorwa near by.

"Bye Tessa." He said.

"Bye Aaron." She too smiled and walked away.

"Take your seats class. The bell will be ringing soon." The teacher told them all closing the door.

A few moments later the bell rang and class began.

That class as well as the next two went fine. They where a bit boring but they were fine none the less.

The next class was one of her favorites. Mr. Geoff often had open discutions about a peticular topic on Fridays.

The group of students was almost split right down the middle of people who were in the youth group and people who wernt. It often made for really fun debates.

Mr. Geoff was one of the adult leaders in the youth group so he often allowed the christian students to express their veiws.

Tessa really liked Mr. Geoff. For a teacher he was really laid back. For example, his first name was Geoff. Most teachers made their students call them by their last names. He hated his last name.

What Brintessa did not know was that Mr. Geoff was acutally her real mom's brother. Her dad and his parents agreed it was best to keep her from knowing. Geoff's parents had been unsuportive of them choosing to keep her. When her mother passed away her parents told Jake that they never wanted to see her again. Jake feared if she knew Geoff was her Uncle she would begin to ask questions and then be heart broken when she discovered the truth.

"Tessa! What's up?" Mr. Geoff asked giving her a high five as she walked into the room.

"Not much." She smiled and went to find a seat.

The seats where really more like giant stairs gathered into a circle.

She took a seat on the second row of one of them alone. Some times people from the youth group would sit with her and some times they wouldn't.

"Fresh meat. Come in. Come in. I'm Mr. Geoff." She looked up and saw Aaron and a very pretty girl with long brown hair enter the room. She couldn't help but smile seeing Aaron.

"Tessa." Aaron smiled walking over to her. The brown haired girl followed.

"Hey Aaron." She smiled.

"This is my twin sister Angel." He introduced the dark haired girl.

"Nice to meet you." Angel held out her hand.

"Like wise. You're very pretty." Tessa told her.

"Thanks." Angel smiled taken back by her kindness.

"Mind if we seat with you?" Aaron asked.

"Of course not." She smiled and moved over a little.

Aaron sat next to Tessa and Angle sat sideways in front of them.

"Aaron said your dad is a youth pastor." Angle tried to make small talk.

"Yeah." Tessa nodded.

"Alright class. Let's get started." Mr Geoff said clossing the door.

Quickly the stairs were filled with teens.

"First, let's welcome two new students. Aaron ang Angle Carter." He pointed to them.

"Where did you guys move to Tampa from?" He asked them.

"A small town in New York." Aaron told them.

"Very good. Everyone say hi." Mr. Geoff instructed.

The whole class said hello and twins smiled.

"Alright, topid today is peer pressure! Let's start with the question: What are some things you feel like your peers try to presure you to do or think?"

"Drugs." Came an answer.

"Drinking."

"Smoking."

"Have any of you ever been offered any of these by a peer?" Mr Geoff asked.

Some of the students said yes while others raised their hands.

"Alright, Matt, you said yes. What where you offered and how do you respond?"

"I've been offered all three. I tried the beer but said no the other stuff." He said.

"He's telling an adult he drank underage?" Angel questioned how odd it was.

"We have a very strict, what's said here stays here rule." Tessa told her.

She nodded.

"Did your friend try to pressure you into the drugs or smoking when you said no?" Mr. Geoff asked.

"Yeah, of course." Matt replied.

"What did they say? How did you respond?" He asked.

"They said it was fun and that it would make me look cool. I told them I had asthma and all it would do was send me to the hospital."

"Alright, What are some other things?" He kept the topic moving.

"Looks." 

"More specific." Mr. Geoff said.

"Clothes."

"Jewelry."

"Hair color."

"Hair color?" A few kids questioned.

"I dunno. I've just noticed a lot more girls in the school are going blond." The student replied.

"What else with looks?" Mr. Geoff redirected the class.

"Weight."

"Very good." He commented. "What else do you feel pressured about?"

"Dating."

"Who to date or just that you should?" Another student asked.

"Both." Someone else spoke up.

"I think sex is a big one." Some one commented.

"Sex is a very big one. How many of you had ever felt pressured to have sex by your partner?"

A few people raised their hands.

"How about by your friends?" He asked next.

Even more people raised their hands.

"Alright, how many of you think it's ok to have sex before marriage?" He asked them all.

A little over one third of the class rose their hands.

Brintessa, Aaron and Angel did not raise theirs.

"Okay, how many are undecided?"

A little under one third rose their hands including Angel and Aaron.

"How many think you should wait till you're married?"

The rest of the class rose their hands.

"That's stupid. Why wait for marriage?" Someone asked.

"If you hurry and have sex with someone you don't know you risk getting and STD." Someone replied.

"You could end up with an unwanted pregnancy." Another said.

"Anyone else have a reason for wanting to wait?" Mr. Geoff asked.

No one stepped up.

"Oh come now, You must have a reason for wanting to wait. Brintessa, you said you wanted to wait. Why?" Mr. Geoff asked.

She really hated getting called on for stuff like this.

"She's waiting case she's not even allowed to date." Someone commented.

"I'm waiting because the Bible says when you have sex with someone you're flesh because one with that person. Sex is a special thing that you should experience with one special person. If you have sex and become one with anyone and everyone it loses that thing that makes it special. I want my first time to be with someone that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want sex to be special. Not to mention I really don't want to risk getting HIV or AIDS. I don't wanna risk getting pregnant and being a single parent either." She replied.

"Oh yeah, just like your dad waited to have sex?" Ashley, the girl from before, asked.

Some of the kids laughed.

"I can't speak for my dad, I can only speak for myself." She replied.

"Whatever, your dad is a hypocrite and you know it." She replied.

"That's enough." Mr. Geoff stepped in.

"Poor thing. Her mom killed herself to get away from her and her dad felt sorry for her and kept her." She carried on.

Brintessa stood.

"Ashley, you can see me after class for that." Mr. Geoff said sounding ver y angry.

Aaron placed a hand on Tessa's shin.

She looked down at him and he gave her a warm smile. She took a deep breath and sat down.

A short while later the bell rang.

"Tessa!" Mr. Geoff called.

"Yeah?" She questioned walking over to him.

"I'm proud of you." He said softly.

She just nodded and left.

"Tessa, wait!" Aaron called following her.

"Sorry." She said stopping.

"Think you could help us out again?" Aaron asked as Angel caught up.

"Well, Angel you have lunch right now. Take the second hall right. You can't miss it."

"Thanks. Later Air." She said and walked away.

"You have Mr. Hobbs in the computer lab next. Then lunch..." She trailed off looking around.

"Eric!" She called out spotting him.

"Yeah, Tess?" He said walking over with two friends.

"This is Aaron. He's new and his next class is the same as yours. Could you show him how to get there?" She asked.

"Of course." He smiled.

"He has lunch afterwards also. Maybe you can take him to the cafertria with you. Aaron Rachel and I have lunch then too so if you want you can meet up with us and we'll eat together." She said.

"That'd be great. Thanks." He nodded.

"I'll see you there then. Thanks Eric."

"No problem." He said and walked away with Aaron.

Her next class had a pop quiz. Thankfully she felt like she did well on it.

After the bell rang she met up with Rachel at her locker and then headed to meet up with Aaron for lunch.

"Hey, did you like Mr. Hobbs?" She asked Aaron as he approached them.

"For a teacher... that guy is pretty cool." Aaron explained.

"He runs the sound board in youth group. He's awesome." She replied. "By the way, Aaron this is my best friend Rachel. Rschel, this is Aaron. He's new."

"Nice to meet you." She smiled shaking his hand.

"Like wise." Aaron nodded.

"So, did Eric actually show you how to get here or did he just tell you?" Tessa asked as they all worked on getting their food.

"No, he showed me. He even introduced me to some of his friends. Pretty nice guy." He explained.

"Yeah, Eric is pretty cool. I'm sure you're gonna have no problem fitting in." Rachel told him.

"Fitting in, not fitting in... none of that matters to me. It's standing out I'm afraid of." He told them as they paid for their lunches.

"Standing out?" Tessa asked confussed.

"Yeah, once people find out who my sisters and I are... we tend to stand out. It gets really annoying." He said.

"Sisters? You have more then just Angel?" Tessa asked.

"Yeah, I have a brother whose nine years older then me. Then I have a sister, then another sister, and then Angel and I." He said sitting at a table with them.

"So, why do you guys stand out once people figure out who you are?" Rachel asked.

"Rachel..." Tess complained finding the question forward.

"What, he doesn't have to answer." She replied.

"Well, let's just say my brother is really, really, REALLY popular." Aaron said.

Both girls nodded.

"So, why does that Ashley girl seem to hate you so much?" Aaron asked Tessa.

She shook her head, "I don't know. She used to go to church. Then one day she just stopped coming and got really mean."

"She never really was our friend but before she at least was nice. Now she just hates us. Mostly Tessa." Rachel added.

"Well, what she said about your mom and dad was really mean. I don't know how much truth what she said held but either way... it was really wrong of her to say."

"Oh God, what'd she say this time?" Rachel asked.

"She just said that my mom killed herself to get away from me and that dad felt bad for me and kept me." She rolled her eyes.

"That's not true at all. Your mom was killed in a trafic accident." Rachel complained.

"Yeah, I know. I mean, I was only a few weeks old but the crash wasn't even her fault."

"Your parents had you young I take it?" Aaron asked.

"My parents were both sixteen." She nodded.

"Wow, that's really cool of your dad to step up and care for you like that."

"He had a lot of help but, he can have his cool moments." Brintessa smiled.

"The're few and far between but..."

"Hey!" Brintessa cut her off.

"I'm kidding." Rachel laughed.

"I know, you're kinda right though. He's a little crazy strict."

"A little? Tess you're almost sixteen and the man STILL won't let you date." She rolled her eyes.

"Why doesn't he let you date?" Aaron asked finding it odd.

"I think he's afraid that I'm gonna get pregnant like my mom did." She replied.

"Over protective." Aaron said.

"Very."