Free For3ver by M. Dauphin H. Q. Frost

taking the cake from my hands. 
    After getting the info I needed from Mrs. Reynolds, I rushed into my house. 
      "Gram?" I called out. 
      "Liam?" She blurted with worry. It was a hard week on us all and I felt guilty causing her to be so stressed. 
      "Gram, can I borrow some money and the car?" 
    She stared at me skeptically for a minute and I didn't know what the hell for. She knew I'd pay her back within a few days, and she knew I would never be reckless with her car. 
      "For what, Liam? I just borrowed Gage a hundred dollars and he used it to get drunk." 
     I scowled. Gage had money, he had a job, what the hell was he borrowing money from her for? 
      "To take Ryley to prom." 
      "Oh, Liam," she sighed. "I worry about you boys." Shaking her head, she walked to her purse. "I worry about all three of you." She handed me a few bills that I didn't even look at, then the keys. "Just please, no more fighting." 
      "No more, Gram." I kissed her cheek. "Thanks. Need anything when I'm out?" I looked at the money in my hand, seeing she gave me three hundred bucks. It'd take a few extra days at the junkyard to pay that back, but I would. 
    I didn't find Ry and Jenny at the mall so I just got Ryley's size and bought her dress, and then I used some of the extra money to buy her a birthday present. 
    Prom was the day before my birthday and my good friend Nick had a huge prom and birthday party planned for me, but if Ryley didn't want to do that after prom, I'd take her home. I had to convince her to go to prom with me first though. 
    I got home late that night because I went to the junkyard to start working off what I owed Gram. Sliding up Ryley's window, I didn't even knock. 
      "Liam!" she snapped covering her bare chest and I almost fell off the windmill.
    I dropped her dress, but luckily it was bagged. I jumped down to give her time to put clothes on and me time to control the stirring in my pants. 
      "Liam," she called down. "Are you okay?" 
      "Can I come up now?" The regret in my voice was more for not seeing as much as I would have liked. 
      "Yeah." 
     She took the dress then stepped away from the window. "What is this?" 
      "I'm taking you to prom, Ry, and don't say no. You've been excited about prom since school started and I know Gage was taking you, but now that.... Whatever, I'm taking you. He's only one Porter brother, Ryley, he doesn't set the precedence for all Porter men. I'm taking you to prom." 
      "You weren't even going to prom," she quietly said, still staring at her dress. "How'd you get this?" 
      "I don't give a shit about prom, but you do and I'm your best friend dammit, so I'm taking you," I snapped at her because I was afraid she'd say no. 
      "Really?" Tears magnified her blue eyes. 
    It was a lot easier than I thought to get her to agree and I was suddenly nervous. 
      "I got you this too. Happy birthday," I tossed her the box, then started climbing out the window. 
      "Liam?" she blurted in confusion. 
      "I'm tired, Ry. I worked five hours straight at the yard. I gotta get home." I wasn't tired, I didn't have to get home, but I was feeling this strange nervousness that told me to get out of there. 
    That nervousness wouldn't stop me from taking her to prom though. Gage hadn't been around a few days and I couldn't bring myself to care. I hated him for the things he did to hurt her. She shouldn't have been put through that. 
    It was a group of us at prom, and I was glad I ended up going because it was a good time. I expected Ry to be down about Gage still, but she wasn't, she probably had the most fun. 
      "Aren't you going to ask her to dance?" Jenny's annoying voice made me cringe. Just to get away from her, I walked over to Ryley and took her to the dance floor. 
      "I like that dress," I said, pulling her closer. 
      "You told me that." She giggled. 
      "I mean, I like you in that dress." 
    Her arms went around my neck and she