(song: "Company" - Justin Bieber)

BUZZ. BUZZ.

     Great, my stupid alarm was going off. I still was so tired, I just needed a good ten more minutes of beauty rest.

     BUZZ. BUZZ.

     By the forth buzz I wanted to just break the damn thing. I reached out a fumbling hand to try and smack the alarm on my nightstand off.

     "You don't have to hit my face," a smooth and sleepy voice told me.

     My eyes flew open like I'd been hit with electricity. I was still in Patrick's room and it was daylight. . .

     When exactly had I fallen asleep? I didn't even realize how long I'd stayed! Even though my father wasn't very observant of my habits at night, he was sober in the mornings and if he was awake and found out I hadn't come home he would be calling hospitals.

     Even more terror filled me when I could hear Easton and Patrick's younger sister talking with each other in the hallway.

     I scrambled off of him so fast, filled to the brim with adrenaline. Patrick stirred a bit, but was trying to go back to sleep.

     "Patrick, get UP!" I hissed while pushing on him.

     He grasped a firm hold and pulled me right back into bed with him. His arm latched on to me and held me close. He murmured against my skin, "Shh. Let's just go back to sleep."

     I kicked my legs, and tried to pry myself out of his grip. "Patrick, STOP! Your parents are awake downstairs. Easton and your sister are awake! If anyone sees me here, they're going to think we had sex."

     Patrick rubbed at one tired eye while he squinted the other. "But we didn't."

     He wasn't getting it at all.

     There were three gentle taps against Patrick's bedroom door.

     "Come in!" Patrick called out with a long yawn.

     I smacked his arm hard, but he wasn't letting me get up or hide. "Don't tell them to come in!"

     Easton opened the door and stepped into the room. He didn't even look the least bit fazed about me being tangled on the bed with Patrick.

     "Hey Jenn." He said it casually, like we were just passing in a hallway. "Patrick, letting you know, Valentina and her parents came over for Sunday-brunch. They are downstairs, and it's eleven o'clock. So, probably best to not bring Jenn downstairs."

     "Easton knew I was here?" I fumed at Patrick.

     He kissed my nose, undaunted by my rage. "Of course, I told him we were on a date last night and I texted him that I was bringing you over and to leave the door unlocked." He tossed his head and lifted up his index finger, "But Jenn wants me to make it a point—in case you have doubts—that I'm still a virgin!"

     Just when I thought it couldn't get anymore embarrassing. . .

     "Obviously." Easton said. He was clearly not intimidated by how awkward this was for all of us. "Anyway, I'm just the messenger. I'll be heading downstairs now."

     After Easton closed the door, Patrick stretched like a lazy cat waking from a nap. "Want to come have brunch with my family?"

     "No!" I said both disgusted and horrified. I started to pull pillows off the bed and launch them at his face. "This is not the kind of first impression I want to have with your family, Patrick! Not to mention we haven't even gone out long enough to be having this conversation about meeting your family! And the worst part about all this—this insanity—is that your ex-girlfriend and her parents are downstairs!"

     Patrick tried to fend off the pillows, but he did a terrible job of it. "Stop throwing things at me! What matters is what really happened. We didn't have sex, we fell asleep! I'm dating you, not Valentina! I want my family to meet you."

      "I'm not your girlfriend! We went on one date. Don't you know the meaning of taking things gradually? You have no idea if you'll still even like me after you learn more about me. I am not ready to meet your parents and especially not with me looking like I just rolled out of bed with you." He didn't understand my position at all. His parents loved Valentina. She was perfect in all ways in their eyes. I really wanted a fair chance to be seen in a better light with his mother and father. It was really important to me.

     "You just don't get it, Patrick. You know why Valentina and her parents are probably here? Because they want you and her together. If I go down there, I'm going to be judged as not being good enough for you. I won't date someone under that kind of pressure."

     Patrick tried his best to comfort me. He touched my arms and gently rubbed the sides of them. "It doesn't matter what my parents want or think."

     I thought about Patrick's family photos. His perfect, loving parents. His older-brother type cousin. His mischievous kid sister. I wished I'd had just a piece of his life in my own family. I cared what his family thought about me. I was surprised that I cared at all, but I really did.

    "Find me a way to get out of here without your parents or Valentina finding out," I said firmly.

     "Okay—" Patrick gave in. "—but you might not like it. . ."

A pretty auburn-haired girl with a few nose freckles who looked about fifteen stood in front of me with her arms tight across her chest. I knew already that it was Patrick's sister, Miranda. She wasn't impressed.

     "So, this is the viral girl," his sister said.

     Viral girl? Like I was some kind of disease. I knew she was referring to the photo of Patrick and I making out at the party.

     Patrick lightly kicked his sisters left leg. "She has a name. Look, I'm going to go downstairs and distract everyone. I need you to help Jenn get out of the house, while I have everyone focused on me."

     "You will owe me so big," Miranda warned him.

     "Right, if in the future some poor, pitifully stupid and unfortunate boy finds that you don't look like a total potato, I will one day help him escape from your bedroom too," he offered.

     Their exchange reminded me of how my brother and I used to fight.

     Miranda drew her lips tight. "Fine."

     He patted her head. "Thank you sis, for not being the terrible human-being you usually are."

     She smacked his hand away from her.

     His tone changed when he addressed me. "Jenn, I'll call you as soon as brunch is over, okay?"

     I planned to ignore that call. I nodded at him wordlessly.

     Patrick looked uncertain if he should kiss or hug me goodbye with his sister standing right there. He finally decided a quick peck on my forehead would have to do. He withdrew from the room and I could hear his voice as he went down the staircase loudly greeting everyone below.

     "My family is just worried about him. You wouldn't believe how many girls have tried really hard to get with him. They've done all kinds of crazy things just to get his attention. My family trusts Valentina because she's not trying to take advantage of him." Miranda said. I couldn't tell if she was telling this to make me feel better or as a warning.

     "I'm not trying to take advantage of Patrick," I added, just in case she felt otherwise.

     She played with the strings on her school-pride hoodie. "I know, he says you rejected him and that he pursued you. I really don't need to know the details of my brother's love life, but I've never heard of him pursuing anyone before. He's never really had to pursue anything. Everything's pretty easy for him. So, I know he's super obsessed with you—"

     I started to feel a little flattered.

     "—but, because I go to the same school as you, I also know your reputation. I don't know what my brother knows about you, but I know you used to be friends with a girl called Raven and were caught shoplifting with her. I also know you used to date Chuck—the guy who supplied kids with booze and drugs for parties. I don't know what other secrets you have, but just know secrets and lies have a way of catching up with you—"

     "Yeah, that's enough. I get it, you don't think I'm good for Patrick." The flattery was short lived.

     "My brother likes to believe he sees the best in everyone, but you know how boys are, they are stupid. I'm going to help you get out of here, but just know that I'm watching you." Miranda didn't look the least bit threatening. She was so tiny and cute that she was the definition of harmless.

     Miranda and I carefully descended the stairs. From the glimpses I could catch of everyone, Patrick had convinced them all to eat outside by the pool instead of the kitchen. He looked like he was trying to gain all of their attention with his broad smile and big gestures.

     Valentina looked like she was laughing, definitely not what I expected from a supposedly heart-broken ex-girlfriend.

     Once I was outside in the clear I felt relieved. Easton stood by Patrick's car and waved a hand to me. He intended to drive me home. I said my goodbyes to Miranda who didn't do much more than shrug at me.

     I rode with Easton. He asked me how Selena was and told me that she had stopped talking to him.

     I guess Selena and I both had guy problems. . .

     When I arrived home I climbed into my room from the window and quickly went to take a shower. I let the hot water pour down my skin and wash over me. I thought about what Miranda had said about my past. All of it was true. Every bit of it. She didn't even know the worst part of my past. No matter how many times I would shower, I couldn't wash away the truth.

     I could hear my phone ringing on the bathroom counter. I checked the screen.

     【Patrick is Calling. . .】

     I was going to ignore his call.

     【Patrick is Calling. . .】

     I thought of our night and how wonderful it had been. The thought of falling asleep in his arms still twisted my stomach into achingly sweet knots. Patrick wasn't ashamed of me. I was ashamed of myself. It was the one thing that kept me emotionally distanced from Patrick. It was too easy to develop feelings for him. I was scared of getting too close and falling too fast.

     【 Patrick is Calling. . . 】

     I toweled off my face and chest, then wrapped it around me. I wiped away the steam that fogged up the mirror to see my own reflection more clearly. Wet and without make-up. Everyone was quick to voice that I was too good for Chuck, but with Patrick, I knew that everyone thought he was the one too good for me.

     Miranda had warned me that secrets and lies have a way of catching up with you.

     So my choices were to either A, run from him as far as I possibly could or B, to just take a risk and try my best to keep my past a secret from him.

     【 Patrick is Calling. . . 】

     I picked up the phone and I could hear his voice on the other end fire words at me with rapid speed, "I'm really sorry. I'm an idiot, Jenn. I get excited way too easily, I'm the type of guy that just goes all or nothing. I try to be an over-achiever and rush at everything in life; school, sports, my social life. I guess I ended up doing that with you too. I'll take things slow, if that's what—"

     "Patrick, shut up." I inhaled deep and exhaled just as deeply before I continued. "I'm sorry too."

     I guess my choice was B.