Taylor looked so sad, her brown eyes lacked the vibrant sparkle that made her seem so alive, so fresh. "Are you alright?" Mikayla asked, her expression concerned.

"He said the worst thing to me Mika." Taylor said, begging with all her heart that the tears wouldn't flow over. Mikayla took her younger cousin into her arms, trying to sooth her pain. "I've never loved any guy like I've loved him, Mika." Taylor said, "how could he say those words to me? As if I'm a slut, when he knows he's the only guy I've been with." She sobbed, drenching Mikayla's left shoulder with her tears.

"We got 'em!" Joey said happily, reaching into the toy shelf to pull out two Superman action figures. "They're the last ones here."

"Freeze!" A young woman said, grabbing the same toys as Joey did. He didn't, and the two struggled to get the toys.

"Hey! We were here first!" Chris insisted, trying to help Joey. The girl was surprising strong, and her expression was determined.

"They're mine!" She insisted. When she looked at their faces, her mouth dropped but she didn't let go of the figures. "You're the jerks who took our parking spot! Diane!" She yelled.

Another woman walked out from one of the shelves. "How about some X-men action figures-?" She started, looking at the back of a toy and reading its description.

"Diane!" The girl cut her off. "I could use a little help here."

"What's going on?" She asked, confused. Chris thought she looked very pretty, the confused look on her face adding character. He let go of the toys so he could watch the action.

"They're trying to take the toys!"

"No we're not! We were here first!" Joey insisted. "Now let go! They're for my nephew!"

"Ok, ok stop!" Diane said commandingly. Both Joey and the other girl looked at her, but neither released the toys. "each of you take one toy." They both did so. "There, now it's fair. Let's get going now, Alex? I'm on duty tonight." She said, her companion nodding as the two of them left Joey and Chris alone in the Superman section of the store.

"Wow." Joey said, "She was feisty." He added, grinning.

"Whatever." Chris said, cracking up at Joey's choice of words.

"I can't believe I said that," Justin said, babbling to himself. He paced the living room, seeming to talk to no one in particular, while Lance and Elisa sat on the couch.

"I feel so guilty," Elisa said, trying to hold back her own tears.

"I know," Lance agreed glumly. "we're sorry Justin. We should have never brought up Tracy."

"It's okay," Justin answered forgivingly, "I should have told her, not hide it, as if there was something goin' on between us." He shook his head, "I shouldn't have said those things to her." He said, his chest feeling tight. "I need to apologize to her," He said immediately, and dashed up the stairs.

"Taylor?" He asked, knocking on the door, "please, I'm sorry!" He said, begging that she'd open the door and forgive him. His heart jumped with the door opened, but the disappointment on his face was evident when he realized it was just Mikayla. "Is Taylor alright?" He asked, his expression hopeful.

"She needs time." Mikayla answered, and he was surprised that she wasn’t blasting her anger at him. "Let her have her time to cool off. You said some harsh things," She pointed out wisely.

"And you're not mad at me?" He asked incredulously.

"No," She said after a moment, "I do, after all, know what it's like to misunderstand someone." She glanced down the upstairs hallway at JC, who was watching the two of them concernedly from Mikayla's bedroom door. "it's not a pleasant feeling, but she'll get over it eventually."