[A/N: This chapter hasn't been proofread. Apologies for any grammatical mistakes. Enjoy!
Song for the chapter:
- Sleeping With Sirens // James Dean & Audrey Hepburn (Acoustic)
- Birdy // Tee Shirt
- Gabrielle Aplin // More Than Friends]

My eyes fluttered open, blurred and struggling to latch onto anything as I stretched like a cat, arching my back and throwing my arms out whilst a monstrous yawn escaped my lips. Once I shook the sleep away from my limbs, I rolled over and stared straight ahead.

Confused, I blinked and gripped the bed sheets.

My walls were purple, plain and boring unlike the explosive night sky that sparkled overhead. Slowly, the day's events sank in; Tyler's rainbow cake, my restroom encounter with Michelle and my inability to stay awake.

Now that my judgement wasn't clouded or hazy, I swung my legs over Tyler's bed and paused when I noticed my feet were bare. I didn't remember taking my shoes off. Neither did I remember taking my glasses, coat or socks off. Come to think about it, I didn't even remember entering the house or leaving his car.

Did I fall asleep on the journey?

Closing the door behind me, I padded downstairs and tiptoed towards the extravagant living room, scared to make noise when the house was immensely large and empty. The door was ajar, giving me perfect glimpse of the the guy who was sprawled against the largest of the three beige sofas, flicking through different channels before settling on CNN.

I leaned against the doorway, scanning his serene expression and the way his lips were parted when he breathed lightly. Clad in the same denim shirt and khaki jeans I remembered him wearing to school, my gaze lingered on the new addition of his polka-dotted socks and I chewed the inside of my cheek to suppress a laugh.

When I cleared my throat, his eyes snapped up, startled and then surprisingly warm and welcoming. Tyler patted the seat beside him and I trudged towards him, flopping down and fighting back a smile when he brought his arm down so it rested just behind my head.

"You're up a lot earlier than I expected," He mused, turning his body towards me so I had all of his attention.

"Really?" I replied, leaning back so his bare arm brushed the back of my neck. He made no move to move his arm away so I stayed put, hot and flustered by the proximity between us. "What time is it?"

"About ten."

My eyes bulged out, wide as saucers and I sat up, rigid as a pole.

"Ten?" I squealed, "Holy mother of Jesus, I need to call my mum and explain-"

"Ashley," Tyler's hand crashed down on my arm, rooting me to my seat. "Stop freaking out. I called your mom and asked if you could stay the night because I thought you were going to sleep through to the morning."

My shoulders slumped with relief but I still held my breath. "You already called her?"

"Yeah, you fell asleep in the car and I called her after I carried you to my room," Tyler made a face that made me laugh. "You're really heavy, you know."

Stiffly, I planted my bottom back onto the sofa and wondered what my mom thought when Tyler called her, explaining that I was staying the night at his house once again. I couldn't wrap my head around how nice he was being to me but it felt amazing to have someone as considerate as Tyler looking out for me. I didn't want to burden him with my troubles but when he was doing random acts of kindness like this, it was hard to hold back and not tackle him with a crushing hug.

Chuckling, I relaxed back onto the sofa and swung my legs off the ground so they were tucked under my bottom.

"Good, your puny muscles needed that work out."

With a scoff, he rolled up his sleeves and flexed his biceps, making them ripple and I giggled at his macho smirk.

"My muscles aren't puny!" He whined when I gave his arms an unimpressed glance.

"Yeah, they are." I placed my thumb on his bicep and wrapped my fingers around so they just about reached his triceps. "Look at how small they are!"

Tyler arched an eyebrow since my fingers barely covered half the width of his forearm but he laughed and covered my small hands so that they disappeared underneath his and he moved them further up.

"Feel that?" He said slowly and I shook my head, keeping my smirk intact even though my chest was hammering at the cocky grin he wore. Flexing repeatedly, he forced my fingers to clasp his bicep as it rippled. "These guns have been carved to perfection."

With a scoff, I gave him a deadpan look. "I'll believe that when I wake up with a million dollars and a lifetime supply of KitKat."

I snatched my hand away and leaned over his lap to grab the remote. Tyler slung his arm behind my shoulders again and he chattered about a new trick he had learned in soccer as I flicked through the endless channels the Miller's had on their cinema screen television.

"You've started playing soccer again?" I asked, pleased that Rosemary had been correct when she told me he played in their front garden.

Tyler nodded, eyes bright with passion as he promised to show me all his tricks some time. Eventually I settled on Cartoon Network and sat still when Tyler's head snapped in my direction. From my peripheral vision, I noticed his dimples deepen when he sucked in his breath.

"Adventure Time!"

I laughed when the theme song played and he hummed it under his breath, transfixed by the bright colours like a little kid. We lapsed into silence when the episode began but I surreptitiously edged closer to Tyler in an attempt to get more comfortable.

With an absent mind, the arm he had around my shoulders set my skin on fire and I exhaled shakily when his fingers began to play with the frizzy curls that poked out of my messy bun. We watched six episodes back to back, chuckling under our breaths at the innuendos that should have been innocent to a child but suggestive to teenagers like us.

"Hungry?" Tyler asked after an hour, standing up and brushing his jeans before shooting me a questioning glance.

I nodded, subconsciously rubbing my belly to ease the pang of hunger that made it twist and churn. He returned with eight slices of the rainbow cake he had made for me earlier, grinning as he laid the large plate on the coffee table in front of us.

"When you offered to get me food, I imagined something more appetising," I giggled, excited that I was going to get to taste more of his marvelous cake.

"You don't want cake? I can whip up something else for you if you really want," Tyler pushed the plate back and stood up again.

My insides turned into a pile of goo at how adorable and considerate he was being.

"No! I mean, don't bother," I said quickly, grabbing his wrist and forcing his to sit down again. "Cake is good."

He laughed when I snatched a slice and wolfed it down before lifting up the remote to start our seventh episode. His arm was back around my shoulder, pulling me closer and I found myself pressing my side into his chest as surreptitiously as I could. Slender fingers continued to play with my hair so my concentration span dwindled to zero as I stole glances at his strong jawline and ghostly smile.

Occasionally Tyler stifled a yawn and by midnight his head was a heavy weight on my shoulder. His snores were soft and comforting, allowing warmth from his parted lips tickle my collarbone. As distracting as it was, I made no attempts to move since I was still sitting cross-legged on the sofa, flicking through the movie selection the Miller's had on Netflix.

Halfway through watching Pitch Perfect, Tyler grunted incoherent words in his sleep and began to writhe about before he jerked awake. A bead of sweat lingered on his brow when he rubbed his eyes and sat up, disorientated and distraught from his bad dream.

He groaned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Concern tightened inside my chest so I paused my movie and turned my body to face his. Tyler's troubled eyes met mine, bright sea-green mixed with ocean blue.

"How long have I been asleep?" He asked and swiped his sleeve along his lips to check if he had drooled. I caught myself smiling at the act.

"Just over half an hour," My smile faltered when he raked his hand through his hair. "You okay?"

His heavy eyelids strained to keep open but he managed a slow, hesitant nod. I knew all too well that asking him about his dream was probably the worst idea possible, so I sat back and watched him earnestly as he yawned.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired. Too damn tired to haul my ass upstairs though," He barked a laugh and yawned again.

Surprise shot through him when I patted my lap and gave him a warm smile. His lips opened and closed, working soundlessly and I rolled my eyes when he gulped nervously.

"Don't got upstairs then," I held my arms out and he gave me a bewildered frown, wide eyed and cautious of my smile. "Come on, hurry up, I'm missing the movie."

His eyes flickered to the television screen before snapping back to mine. Too knackered to protest, he reluctantly stretched his legs out on the rest of the couch and gingerly laid his head down on my lap. I laughed when he stared up at me, heavy lidded and dazed. I gazed down and raised an eyebrow when he continued to watch me.

Hesitantly, I pushed his hair out of his eyes and he made no attempt to stop me. I don't know why I felt the urge to rake my hands through his hair, all I knew is that it was a gesture that comforted him as a kid, and he really needed that right now. When my conscious caught up with my actions, my hands froze and I pulled them away from him.

"Uh, umm...s-sorry," I stammered but he grabbed my hands and squeezed them.

"Don't stop. Please."

The ache in his voice made my heart somersault and I flashed him a sheepish smile and pushed my fingers through the river of straw and gold again. The soft locks parted between my fingers, soft and silky and impossibly soothing.

"You have really cute nostrils," Tyler murmured, his voice thick with sleep as he snuggled further into my lap, trying to get comfortable.

"Nostrils?" I giggled when he nodded with closed his eyes, his lips stretched into a content smile.

"Yeah...Michelle had really big ones. Well she still does but it was really creepy back then," Tyler's voice was distant like he struggling to string words together.

A pang in my chest made me stiffen at the mention of Michelle but he was too far gone to notice my stony frown. Soft, regular breaths filled the silence between us as I reached for the remote, tense and rigid when I played to movie.

I had to rewind the movie three times to keep up with the storyline but my concentration seemed to wander elsewhere and I found myself stealing glances at my lap. I was so over what happened in ninth grade; really, I was. But sometimes the painful reminder that I wasn't good enough for him still managed to weigh my insides down.

Nobody likes to be told they're second best.

My eyes latched onto his sleeping face, drinking in the soft curve of his nose and his full lips, pink and fleshy in colour. There was a ghost of a wrinkle around the side of his mouth: smile lines that told a story of the days he used to laugh carelessly and grin all the time, even at strangers and little kids when he walked past them.

I tried to remember when he stopped smiling, when he stopped laughing. I noticed the first changes in his character when Taylor stopped coming school but just like the rest of Riverdale, I was in the dark, clueless as to what was happening in the bigger picture.

He came to school with dark circles, dishevelled clothes and a tight-lipped smile; but Tyler still managed to keep up the pretence that nothing had changed. He still played for the school team, kept up his grades and maintained his friendships. He made time for Michelle, Dylan and Blake; half-heartedly laughing at their dirty, lame jokes in the canteen and then his eyes sometimes wandered across the room to meet my questioning gaze.

Tyler always looked away first.

I wanted to know why my best friend wasn't talking to me, why she wouldn't answer my calls and why she barely came to school. Nobody really knew the burden he carried around like a rainy cloud that hovered over his head all the time.

A month later, during their final match of the season, I found out along with the rest of the school that my best friend was dying. With a sardonic laugh, I thought about the irony that I was spending the night with the guy who ruined my freshmen year, refused to tell me the truth about Taylor's illness during sophomore year and treated me like dirt throughout junior year. Not to forget he made me cry on the first day of kindergarten when he stamped on my sandcastle.

An overwhelming desire forced my hand to caress his cheek and I wondered why I felt the need to push his hair out of his eyes. My fingertips skimmed his prominent jawline and traced his cutting edge cheekbones before disappearing into a thick sea of straight, blond strands. Holding my breath, I pushed them back to leave his forehead bare and cursed him for being blessed with unblemished skin.

Guys could be cute, hot or handsome. But there was something strange about Tyler's features that made my breath catch when the TV light cast a shadow of his lashes onto his cheeks.

He was all the above, but also beautiful in the same way male models were. With a blush, I released my hold on his hair and it fell back into his eyes. When the movie finished, I switched off the television and stared at the digital clock that hung overhead. There were almost five hours left till school so I figured I may as well make a start on all my homework.

"Sleep tight Ty," I whispered, leaning down to press my lips against his forehead. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."

Gently, I lifted Tyler's head and cradled it as I scooted over so I could slowly lay him down again. He let out a few grunts but was otherwise undisturbed and I smiled at how cute he looked. Standing up, I stretched my cramped muscles and crossed the room to where Tyler had dumped my school bag alongside his.

I slung it over my shoulder and trudged towards the dining room where he wouldn't pose as a distraction and slid into the closest seat. Taking out my French textbook, I began to tackle through some vocabulary before I started writing an essay for English Lit. that was due in two days.

My head began to ache after a few hours of procrastination so I laid it down on the table, breathing deeply and clearing my mind before drowsiness seeped into my thoughts, coaxing me to sleep. Knowing that I would have to deal with my mother at dinner after school, I willed myself to forget about her disappointed looks and sad eyes. I didn't want to see Dr Jillian; I just wished she'd respect my reasons and save me the guilt-trip. I had enough guilt to bury me six feet under. Sighing heavily, I used my arms as a pillow and before I knew it, my lids fluttered shut and I was drifting off.

**

Poke.

"Ty," I grunted, blindly raising an arm to swat the air.

Poke.

"Tyler, stop it."

Poke.

"Tyler!" I shot up, heavy lidded and cranky beyond belief.

Sea-green eyes bored into mine, laughing at the dried drool that crusted a path from my mouth to chin. I swiped the corner of my mouth and shot him a death glare as he grabbed the nearest chair and swung it around so that he could lean his arms on the backrest. His eyes scanned the explosion of textbooks that were cluttered on the dining table before they rested on me, teasing and accusing.

"What?" I huffed, rubbing my stiff neck and cracking my back.

"I woke up and seriously thought you'd left in the middle of the night. I searched the whole damn house and even shouted, only to find you here, drooling the entire ocean out of your mouth."

I scoffed, not bothering to filter my thoughts until it was too late.

"Stop acting like we just had a one night stand. Why on earth would I walk home, completely alone, after midnight? You know I'm not the type to up and leave like that."

We blinked at each other, both surprised before I turned red and Tyler laughed. Focusing on the taut muscles that lined my upper back, I rubbed my skin until they loosened and stopped aching so much.

"You could have taken my bed if you wanted to sleep again," His smile faltered when I winced at the pain that pulsated through my cramped muscles.

"I know," I sighed heavily, leaning back and wiping the sleep away from my crusted eyes. "I got carried away with this stupid essay."

He followed my gaze to the three pages I had managed to scrawl last night before I face-planted the table and passed out.

"English Lit?" He asked and I nodded, gathering up my books as I eyed the clock.

We had about an hour to shower, eat breakfast and drive to school. Okay, maybe we didn't have time for breakfast but I needed a hot shower - desperately.

**

Standing naked in Tyler's bathroom, I indulged in searching through his cabinets, turning around aftershave bottles and sniffing them before setting them down again. I wasn't one for snooping around but I really wanted to know how he managed to smell so clean and refreshing all the damn time. My hands found his shower gel and I popped open the cap. Bringing the bottle to my nose, I inhaled deeply and almost squealed with delight.

Lemons!

Snatching it and one of his many shampoos and conditioners, I stepped into the shower and began to work the citrus shower gel over my skin, scrubbing until the lather covered my body in bubbles. Standing under the nozzle, hot water loosened the knots in my stiff muscles and I relaxed. I pressed my forehead against the tiled wall and cleared my mind, grateful that I hadn't had a nightmare for a few days.

My mind was tired and my body was still exhausted since I had only napped for about seven hours after school, but at least I wasn't tripping over my feet like a drunkard anymore.

Once I was a walking and breathing lemon orchard, I washed my hair and stepped out of the shower, wrapping myself up in the largest towel I could find.

Sadly the 'large' towel barely covered my chest and legs, ending abruptly just centimetres over my ass. I sighed heavily, wringing my hair of excess water before stepping out of the bathroom to wear the same clothes I had worn yesterday. Tyler offered to let me borrow a shirt but I didn't want to add timber to the fiery rumours that circulated the school about us, especially if I was going to turn up to school in his car. I couldn't turn up wearing his clothes too.

Wet footprints trailed behind me, darkening the navy carpet as my curls hung in heavy ringlets around my waist. I made a mental note to get a haircut and chop off the dead ends.

Just as I was about to wrench off my towel off, the door swung open, slamming against the wall and startling me. I jumped up to the roof and clamped a hand over my mouth as Tyler strode in, wearing a towel around his waist - completely oblivious that I was still in his room. He began to rummage through his closet and his towel inched downwards until it was just shy of his buttocks.

I should have screeched at him to leave, but my eyes hungrily drank in the sight of his toned back and the way it rippled every time he moved a fraction. Tanned and smooth, his skin was slightly pink from his scalding shower and I bit my lip when he didn't bother to hold his towel as it slipped down by another inch. His whistling filled the room, sweet and chirpy, mingling with my erratic breaths as I gripped my towel to steady myself.

Tyler Miller was wearing nothing but a towel and was crouching approximately five metres away from me. Why on earth was I drooling like a dog with a severe case of rabies?

My eyes raked over his entire body, scrutinising every detail and hugging the hard planes of his muscular shoulders before settling on the small droplets of water that still clung to his skin. They trailed down to his narrow waist until they reached the towel that continued to slip further down.

I let out a gasp when it fell open completely.

Tyler's hand shot out in the nick of time and he quickly tied it around his waist before freezing. The muscles in his back locked, stiffening when he realised that there was somebody else in the room. I held my breath, my eyes still glued to his towel and I was extremely thankful that it hadn't slipped to the ground. I don't know how I would have lived through the rest of my days if I saw Tyler stark naked.

Startled, he froze mid-whistle and whirled around.

"Crap," Tyler's voice was low as he clamped a hand on his white towel that was on the verge of falling off again.

We stared at each other, locked in a trance and unable to move. Well I couldn't breathe either but his chest rose and fell very quickly like he had ran a marathon. Neither of us uttered a word until Tyler broke contact. His eyes raked over my body and I wished the towel could cover more of my chest and legs since his gaze lingered on those areas before travelling further down.

His lips twitched when he noticed the faint scar that was on my kneecap - a result of his reckless idea to make me climb a tree in third grade. Obviously, I had no idea how to get back down so I jumped and had to be rushed to the ER with a deep gash and a reminder not to trust him to ever catch me.

Why didn't I learn from that experience? My freshmen year would have been so much simpler.

I cleared my throat and he glanced back up at me with a dazed grin, as if we weren't practically naked in his bedroom. My gaze lingered on his three dimensional, pocket-watch tattoo that looked like it was going to jump out of his skin - it was so mesmerising that I felt the urge to touch it.

"I thought you'd have been done by now," He mumbled and I assumed he finally realised the awkward situation we were in.

In a fast, sweeping motion, he scooped up a handful of clothes without even looking, keeping his gaze trained on me. I bit back a laugh since he had accidentally picked up two pairs of jeans, three boxer shorts and one sock. Tyler hurried towards the door, waddling in an attempt to keep his towel in place.

"I'll umm, change in Taylor's room and see you downstairs in ten."

The door clicked shut behind him and I flopped down onto his bed with a hammering heart that made my breath shallow and quick.

What the hell had just happened?

**

Tyler had one hand on the steering wheel and one wrapped around his Starbucks coffee. He was still grunting about the misspelling of his name on his cup whilst I fumbled with the radio, balancing donuts and my own cup of coffee between my thighs.

"I said Tyler and the dumbass wrote Tiger," He grumbled, stopping at an intersection and taking a long sip.

"Tiger is cute," I laughed, leaning back when soft rock music filled the car. "Damn, you act like such a typical white girl sometimes Ty."

He gave me a flat look, rolled his eyes even though a grin tweaked his lips upwards.

"But I can't put it on Instagram now," He whined in a high pitched voice and I threw my my head back to laugh.

"I think Taylor got the balls when the two of you were born because you, my friend, are two tits short of womanhood."

Tyler nearly dropped his coffee, spluttering and choking with laughter as we both guffawed loudly.

"Stop insulting my manhood!"

"Womanhood," I corrected him between laughs.

"Manhood!"

"I'll believe that when I see it," I scoffed, giving him a wry grin as he gave me a full-blown smirk.

"You nearly did this morning," He sniggered when my cheeks turned bright red. "All you had to do was ask."

I focused on random pedestrians, keeping my gaze focused on the trees that whizzed past although I was still aware of Tyler's shoulders that shook with laughter.

"Shut up," I huffed, stealing a glance at him.

"Why?" He raised an eyebrow teasingly and laughed at the expense of my embarrassment. "There's no need to get shy. I wouldn't have denied you the rights to my body."

Tyler's suggestive wink magically transformed me into a ripe tomato.

"Oh shut up, will you!"

"My junk is public domain though."

"Shut up!"

"I'm being serious munchkin."

"Tyler?"

He heaved a dramatic sigh, although his bright eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Yes Ash?"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Fine," Tyler shot me a sideways glance just as he drove into the school parking lot, grinning like The Cheshire Cat on crack.

Since we were ten minutes early, we stayed in his car and split the donuts equally, sipping coffee whilst I complained about falling behind in my French class because of Jonah the Neanderthal. Tyler listened intently, frowning when I let slip what had happened at the party.

I didn't mean to, but talking to Tyler always left my tongue loose and when it came to my problems, my brain tended to lose its filter.

"He was the person who poured all that beer over you?" Tyler's sea-green eyes hardened until they glinted like marbles.

"N-No!" I replied quickly, swallowing the mouthful I didn't even chew in an attempt to take back my words.

My face gave me away since I couldn't sober up my crestfallen grimace. I nodded hesitantly and he let out a loud exhale, knuckles milk-white and lips in a tight, thin line.

"Why are you only telling me this now Ashley? You should have told me this the minute I picked you up from that douchebag's party!" He voiced with disbelief, shaking until I realised it was with anger.

Tyler was seething, struggling to keep his fury intact as it shuddered through him like he was holding back an explosion.

"What would you have done, huh?" I raised my voice. "Jonah is a freaking animal that can't be tamed! Heck, he laughed after he poured his cup over me and then walked off!"

"He what?"

I shook my head, not in the mood to dig up the horrific details of the party. I just wanted to forget it but Tyler clamped his hand on my shoulder when I attempted to leave the car.

"Ashley, what's going on?" His voice was low and dangerous. "Why would he do that to you?"

I pursed my lips, wondering if it would be worth telling him about Jonah's sudden interest in me lately. He always used to tease me, but ever since the start of the year and since I had been getting closer to Tyler, he assumed that I was easy and would be willing to do things I'd never do in a million years.

With a heavy sigh, my shoulders caved in and I frowned deeply.

"He's been bothering me for weeks, whispering rude things to me in class, winking at me all the damn time and trying to make a move on me. I've turned him down more times than I can remember but he doesn't seem to get that...that I'm not..."

Tyler's hand travelled up my wrist until it was hovering near my collarbone. He pushed my damp curls back to get a better look at the face I was hiding.

"Get what?" He asked in a quiet but deadly voice.

We shared a look, fleeting but it set a hoard of butterflies loose inside my belly and I turned my head away, unable to deal with feelings that I didn't want to experience ever again.

"Nothing Tyler, just forget about this," I gave him a stern look that he challenged.

Eventually his eyes softened at my broken grimace, but the hard steel behind them stayed put, stubborn and unyielding.

"Fine, but this isn't over."

The sharpness in his tone made me pause momentarily until he jumped out of the car and slammed the door with enough force to make me jump. As I sat there in shock, my door opened and Tyler was held out a hand to help me out. I took it and handed him my coffee as I readjusted my bag on my shoulder. With a tight-lipped frown, I ignored the gawks from the surrounding students and made a mental note to smack Tyler for attracting attention to us with his sudden decision to be a gentleman.

I took my coffee and leaned into his chest when he draped an arm around my shoulder. The cold chill made me glance back inside his car and I grunted with disbelief. I accidentally left my coat behind in a rush to escape, but since Tyler had already locked his doors, I didn't want to waste his time so I left it. I guess I could ask him for it later.

We strode into the school, squeezing past the clumps of bickering teenagers who made far too much noise - squealing, laughing, barging one another, dropping binders, slamming lockers - a jittery, blurry, numbing noise that was assigned to every morning. Tyler's arm rested on my shoulders, steering me down endless hallways until we reached one that split in half. My locker was just behind the corner but his down another hallway further down. We slowed to a stop and I was just about to wave goodbye when his ironclad grasp tightened.

"Where are you running off to?" He arched an eyebrow up and I smiled at his attempt to keep me glued to his side.

"Get off me Ty, I don't wanna be late," I giggled when he tried to cut off my breathing by squashing me to a pulp. "Tyler!"

"Alright fine," He released me and grinned, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "See you after school."

Suddenly I remembered that I hadn't even thanked him for what he had done for me yesterday so I grabbed his shirt and yanked him back before he could get away. Surprised, he stumbled back and almost crashed into me before he regained his footing.

"Sorry," I smiled sheepishly before sobering up. "I just wanted to say thanks for letting me stay the night and for understanding. You didn't have to help me out, but you did and I appreciate it."

Tyler stepped closer to me and I held my breath when he bent his knees a fraction to stoop down to my level.

"If you ever need a place to crash or an escape from your life just call me and I'll pick you up, wherever you are," He gently pushed a wispy curl away from my eyes and I exhaled shakily, surprised by the sincerity that softened his deep voice. "Okay?"

His hand dropped, hanging limply by his side as I nodded slowly. I gulped nervously and struggled to keep my scrambled thoughts intact. Tyler loped off towards his locker leaving me rooted on the spot, red-faced and shell-shocked. My eyes remained trained on his retreating blond head until they latched onto a redhead who wove through the sea of students towards me, hurtling towards me faster than the speed of light.

She wrapped me into a hug and I shied away from the sudden affection since I was still recovering from Tyler's gentle gesture.

"How's paradise with Blake?" I sidled up to her and ignored the once over she gave me when she sized up my band tee, untamed curls and my flushed cheeks.

Two pink spots lingered on her cheeks at the mention of her - may I announce with a drum roll - new boyfriend: Blake freaking Sinclair.

"Shut up," She squealed in a high voice and I laughed although she was still staring at my shirt.

"What?" I asked, rubbing the soft material and searching from any stains.

"You're wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday," She said slowly, stating the obvious as if I hadn't noticed.

"And?" I arched an eyebrow when she pursed her lips and shook her head before letting a wide grin split her face in half.

"And that means you spent the night elsewhere, am I right? Am I right? Am I right?" Mona giggled, hooking an arm through my elbow as we fought our way past the thick sea of chattering teenagers.

"So?" I stared straight ahead, trying to keep Tyler in sight until his head disappeared behind a corner. "What's your point?"

"Is there something you want to share?" Mona sang, pressing her side against mine as we squeezed past the burly jocks who were tossing a football and playing catch. "Any details?"

"Nope," I sang back, steering us towards our lockers as she sniffed my hair. "Unless you want to share details about your fairytale date with Blake last night?"

I waggled my eyebrows before she delved into a brief description of the picnic they had at the neighbouring beach in the next town and how they sat in the back of his truck, stargazing and talking about college.

"Did he kiss you?" My grin threatened to split my face in half.

The silence that followed was filled a high squeal that surprisingly came from me for once.

"Oh my god! He did! He kissed you!" I screamed.

Mona clamped a hand over my mouth as I continued to squeal and clap my hands with glee.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" I gushed over and over again when a giddy smile accompanied the faraway look in her eyes.

"Shut up Ash! People are looking!"

I rolled my eyes and pushed her hand away from my mouth.

"Who cares? Blake fucking kissed you!"

"Yeah," She sighed, dragging my hand so that we weren't holding up the people behind us anymore. "Yeah, he did."

"Wow," I breathed before wrinkling my nose with disgust. "Was he any good?"

We reached her locker and I refused to go to mine which was adjacent to hers but a few metres away. Hanging around her like a shadow, I hovered over her when she gave me flat look.

"Well what do you think?" Mona drawled, pushing her dark red hair back with a hand that glinted with antique, grunge rings.

"I think that you liked it a lot," I waggled my eyebrows. "And that you had the best night ever, am I right? Am I right? Am I right?"

I knew I was being annoying, but technically I was just acting the way she always did - like an excited ball of energy that was on the verge of exploding into rainbow, glitter and all happy things.

Mona arched an eyebrow. "Turns out my night wasn't as great as yours."

She winked and I frowned. "What do you mean? I'm not the one who went on the cutest first date ever."

"No," She laughed, closing her locker and pushing me towards mine. "You're the one that skipped school with Tyler Miller and never went home."

"How do you know that I skipped?" I narrowed my eyes, forgetting to deny the obvious even though that would have been pointless since Mona was Mona: the all knowing and all wise. Or so she believed.

"You disappeared with him after Home Ec. Ash, and now you're wearing the same shirt, jeans and shoes you wore yesterday. Not to mention that..." She snatched a few curls and sniffed them before flashing me a wide grin. "You smell ridiculously amazing - good enough to eat actually. What are you wearing?"

I laughed and lifted a few curls to my nose, inhaling deeply and willing my eyes not to roll back..

"Nothing special," I held a giddy grin back when she shot me a smirk.

After we retrieved our books for English, we headed to homeroom to meet Blake. Just when I thought she had dropped the matter, she glanced up at me, brown eyes curious and hungry for details.

"Aren't you going to tell me what it was like? Did it hurt? My first time with Alex was excruciating. But then again, what else was I expecting? We were both drunk off our faces, it was at a stupid senior party and I was a dumbass sophomore. He just took what he came for and left me. What an asshole! I hope Tyler was more gentle. You guys were sober, right?"

I cut her off, holding a hand up as I screeched to a sudden halt.

"Hold your horses," I choked, clamping a hand over my mouth before cackling hysterically. "You think that I...You think...Oh god!"

Confusion dulled her smile as she turned around, leaning her shoulder against the nearest locker and scrutinising the dishevelled curls that hung heavily around my waist, still damp from the quick shower I took two hours ago.

"You didn't roll around the haystack with Tyler?" She voiced and I shook my head so vigorously that my curls hit my cheeks painfully.

"Now why would I do that?" I raised an eyebrow, irritation seeping into my voice that she was jumping to conclusions.

What was it with everybody in this school their belief that I was sleeping with Tyler Miller? They didn't even pause to wonder if we were dating or not, they just shot from the idea that we're friends to fuck buddies!

Just as she opened her mouth to reply, her eyes latched onto something more distracting - or should I say, somebody more distracting. Blake approached us, waving a hand before stopping short to scan my outfit. His wide eyes raked up and down before settling on my damp curls and I groaned loudly when he gawked at Mona.

"You owe me fifty bucks," She hooted, landing a high five on his cheek before ruffling his voluminous hair.

I glared at her. Didn't I just tell her I didn't bed Tyler last night?

Blake smacked her hand away but she latched an arm around his waist and snuggled into his chest. Cute, but I still burned a hole through the both of them, one large enough to form a black hole. His jaw slacked and hit the ground when he eyed my shirt again.

"Ashley! I expected better from you! You've made me a poor, poor man!"

Confused, I stood up straighter, scanning Mona's crack addict grin and Blake's pained grimace.

"Poor? How have I made you poor-" I asked before it hit me harder than an incoming train. "Guys, what the fuck! Seriously?"

Sheepishly, Mona leaned forward and clasped my shoulder, giving me an apologetic smile although her eyes were smug and ecstatic. Well, she did just think that she had just won fifty bucks, after all. But she had another thing coming because I sure as hell did not sleep with Tyler and earn her fifty freaking bucks! Slowly, I gave her snide smirk and shrugged her hand off me before giving Blake a reassuring smile.

"Hold onto your money sunshine," I said to Blake, curling my lips back and giving Mona a dirty look. "She's not getting any."

Blake gave her a suggestive smirk, shaking his head with triumph before giving me a grateful look. In return, I flashed his a withering glower and he shrunk back before eyeing his girlfriend.

"Did you hear that midget? You're not getting any!"

He shot a hand out to tickle her neck but she just grunted colourful words at him. Gagging, I stormed away from the newly weds and trudged into homeroom, leaving them to deal with their heated kisses and gambling issues - even if it was at my expense.

**

I ignored Mona throughout English, refusing to give her a second glance after she placed fifty bucks to see if I would sleep with Tyler when he skipped with me yesterday.

Offended didn't even cover how they made me feel. I wanted to suck it up and forget about it like I usually did with my problems but since I was going to have to face Mom again tonight; they didn't seem to be helping. Not that they were aware about my problems at home but still it made no difference. I knew it was a joke, but I felt like they had joined the club that believed the rumours that circulated Riverdale High. I wasn't sleeping with Tyler. Period.

Eventually Mona tore a piece of paper from her notebook and scrawled an apology with countless goofy smiley faces. She began to make mimic the faces until I gave in and accepted her apology.

Apparently I still wasn't off the hook because there had to be a valid reason why I smelt exactly like Tyler. I grinned sheepishly and explained to her that I was really tired after we worked on our assignment at his house. I left out my argument with Mom. Mona nodded and let the matter drop, although she did squeal when I told her about my run in with Tyler this morning in his room.

According to her, I should have jumped his bones the moment he walked into his room clad in nothing but a towel. I laughed and brushed off her perverted comments although the image of Tyler shirtless was permanently etched behind my eyelids.

After English, I hurried to my next class: French. Mrs Harper was worse than Ms Smith when it came to tardiness so I didn't even bother to stop at my locker in an attempt to make it to class before the next bell. By the time I strode into the class, everybody was already in their seats and they were taking out their homework whilst I rushed to my seat at the back beside the biggest pervert in Riverdale.

He was clad in a baby blue shirt that should have brought how his eyes if one of them wasn't bright red and bruising like a tomato. Blood threatened to surface from the thin layer of skin that surrounded his right eye. Purple veins cobwebbed his eyes, branching out to compliment the trickle of blood that came from a shallow cut on his brow. He hastily swiped it away with his sleeve and I frowned deeply.

Someone had given Jonah a black eye not too recently and alarm bells rang in my head, louder than a police siren.

A sharp exhalation left my lips causing his gaze to meet mine, and for the first time ever, Jonah averted his gaze and turned to the front of the classroom. He completely ignored me. Jonah McAllister completely ignored me.

Astounded, I edged towards our table and took a seat, surreptitiously stealing glances at his rigid posture. The tables around us gawked at him but he took no notice, fixating his gaze on Mrs Harper as she set up the projector to start the lesson.

Halfway through class, our gaze locked and I cocked my head to the left, trying to decipher his bland, blue eyes but my suspicions only heightened when his gaze dropped. I slipped my phone out of my pocket, hiding it behind my textbook as I scrolled through my contact list. When the name I needed glowed, I rolled my lips into my mouth and stole another glance at Jonah.

Yup, there was no way this was a coincidence. My fingers flew over my keypad.

We need to talk. Meet me in the courtyard after class and no amount of dinosaur band aids can get you out of this mess.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[A/N: Whoa, whoa, whoa...hold up! What the hell is going on with Jonah? Haha, whipped up 7500 words in two days...Sweet nibblets!

Next Chapter: The Bad Boy's Nine Delinquencies........(Wonder what that means?)

Vote, comment and fan. See you in three days (even though I'll probably upload Chapter 37 in two days 'cause I'm awesome like that lmao)

- Kaddy]