[A/N: Dedication to niallhoransbebe. I really appreciate all the votes and kind words, and your support was on my mind whilst writing this chapter. Thank you <3]

I got there before him, perched on one of the seven pine benches that bordered the large oak tree in the centre of the verdant stretch of land that separate the two main buildings. The school's courtyard wasn't particularly massive but it was the most densely packed area that students socialised in during the morning break.

Remnants of autumn leaves were pooled around the tree's roots, leaving the branches naked and skeletal. They shivered in a brisk breeze that made me clamp my teeth together to stop them chattering. Thankfully there was nobody around to catch a glimpse of the stony frown that was permanently etched onto my lips.

Tyler sloped into the courtyard five minutes after the bell rang for the next class, dragging his legs along in his signature, lazy strides and I focused on his right hook, scanning the broken red skin on his knuckles. At least he didn't mock me by using those ridiculous dinosaur band aids he carried around to cover the split skin.

"Ash..." Tyler's voice was strained and he refused to meet my gaze, stopping a few metres short of the table I was sitting on.

I sat still, uncomfortably rigid with an impassive expression that he desperately tried to read, scanning my face for something - anything. But I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of my gratitude just yet. He needed to know he was in the wrong. Sure, I was glad he laid one on Jonah but deep down we both knew it was wrong and I certainly did not need someone else to fight my battles for me.

"What the fuck is your problem Tyler?" I asked in a low voice, struggling to keep it devoid of all emotion.

Tyler winced and took a step forward, narrowing the distance between us but it was still wide, wedging a force field between us.

"What the fuck is your problem?" I asked again, this time my voice shook with anger and I clenched my fists. "Why on earth did you punch him?"

"He had it coming," Tyler grunted but that wasn't a good enough answer.

"What is your fucking problem?" I raised my voice so it rang loud and clear, rustling the leaves that still clung to the tree the same way the wind made them twist and turn.

"My fucking problem is that you're getting harrassed by a douchebag and you're doing nothing about it!"

"I was handling it!" I hissed, turning my head to the cloudy sky when he scoffed.

"Yeah yeah whatever, because you sure as hell were handling yourself well around him!" Tyler snapped, his tone so cold and calculating that I was forced to snap my gaze back to his.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I exclaimed in disbelief, "You think that it's my fault Jonah can't keep his hands to himself?"

Tyler shook his head, blond hair flopping from left to right before the wind pushed it all back.

"No! Of course it isn't your fault, but he genuinely believes you're leading him on and playing hard to get."

I rubbed my temples, appalled at what I was hearing.

"I kicked him in his fucking balls, what more can I possibly do?"

"You could have told me!" Tyler's eyes flashed, first with furious and then disappointed.

"So that you could have handled it for me? Like you just did today, right?" I drawled in a voice that dripped with harsh sarcasm.

"I would have talked to him and told him to lay off you," He protested, pleading me to understand with his intoxicating eyes.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes before I snapped, "Yup, because that would have turned out well after the last fight you guys had!"

I had taken a low blow by bringing up the crazy brawl Tyler had with his friends during his last game for Riverdale High but it was necessary. He had to see that punching Jonah wasn't the way to go about things. It achieved nothing the first time, so what made a difference this time round?

Pain flitted across his eyes and my chest coiled up, tight and uncomfortable, because I was the person who was hitting him with blows from his past.

We were just as bad as each other really. He was impulsive, impetous and reckless with his anger and I was heedless, thoughtless and inconsiderate with my words.

"Come on Ash," Tyler pleaded, closing the distance between us and towering over me as I sat still, staring at the ground. "I was just trying to help you."

I crossed my arms over my chest and tensed when he pressed his hands on my shoulder, squeezing gently to portray his true motive to actually make the situation with Jonah better.

"You can help me by staying out of my business! It's not your place to serve justice and decide to hit a guy because he makes me uncomfortable! You know I don't believe in violence!"

Agitated, Tyler snapped and was frustrated that we weren't on the same page.

"He poured beer all over you Ashley! He thinks you're a reincarnation of Michelle and won't stop until he gets what he wants! You're acting like I did this to spite you!"

I pursed my lips and shook my head, staring at the three cuts that stretched across his knuckles. What exactly did he do to Jonah because a black eye didn't seem like the only damage!

"It's not just the fact that you beat the shit out of him but you also took matters into your own hands and didn't even ask me if I was okay with it! Which I'm not!" I raised my voice, on the verge at yelling at him.

Heck, I wanted to pound his chest and smack him silly for thinking I'd be pleased he beaten Jonah to a pulp. What exactly did he even say to make the neanderthal too scared to meet my gaze?

"When a friend needs help you don't ask them 'Oh hey, I'm gonna offer you help but if you don't want it then that's fine. I'll just watch a douchebag humiliate you until you give in and fuck him to get him off your back!'"

I shoved him away with my legs, kicking his thighs and screeching with frustration.

"For the love of god I am not going to sleep with that asshole! I can handle myself a lot better than your ex-girlfriend Tyler!" I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood and Tyler winced when I flinched from the pain. "And I don't need help! Not from you or anybody!"

"You needed me the night of the party!" Tyler reminded me, stepping closer to me but with enough distance to make sure I couldn't kick him again.

I rolled my eyes and clenched my hands into fists.

"I called you that night because I knew you wouldn't ask questions and I trusted you not to interfere! I thought I could rely on you!" I hissed, jumping off the table and striding past him towards the red doors that led to the social science classrooms. "I guess I was wrong!"

I needed to get away from him. I needed to get away from this school. I needed to get away from Michelle, Jonah, Mom, Dr Jillian and everybody else that was kicking against my skull, giving me a headache of the century. Tyler ran after me, his backpack slapping his shoulders as it jumped up and down with each step.

"Ashley! Ash! Wait up!" He caught up to me just before I reached the doors, leaning over me and planting a hand down so I couldn't open it. "You can rely on me!"

"Yeah sure." I drawled, "I can rely on you to pummel a guy's face for something completely stupid!"

I tried to wrench the door open but it wouldn't budge.

"It's not stupid if he's asked to have sex with you over ten times."

I froze and turned around, feeling my insides churn with horror.

"Who told you that?" I breathed, narrowing my eyes into slits.

"Jonah, right before I kicked him to the ground and punched the shit out of his face!" Tyler replied angrily, his eyes glazed with fury as he glared at the ground.

I shook my head with disbelief before curling my fingers around the door handle and pulling hard enough to almost dislocate my shoulders. The excruciating effort paid off and the door opened a crack. I slipped into it, shooting past Tyler and hastily jogging down the corridor to escape him.

"Ash! Come back! Where are you going? Ashley!"

Suddenly I was slammed against the locker; winded from the impact, sea-green eyes were inches from mine, transfixing me, pleading me, coaxing me to listen.

"Listen to me! Please!"

With nowhere else to look, I stopped squirming and let my arms hang limply by my side as Tyler breathed raggedly, grateful that I was giving him my full attention.

"Look I'm sorry but you have no idea how upset you were that night. You barely remember any of it!" He tried to explain, turning his head to the side so I that I could see his jaw clenching angrily. "You were crying into the phone when you called, unable to form a sentence because of that fucking douchebag. You were blubbering and shaking from the cold when I picked you up and I had to carry you to my car.'

I tensed, not because of the memory of Jonah tipping his cup of beer all over me but because Tyler was so close to me that his breath heated my cheeks and made me feel flustered.

I didn't like this. I did not like this at all.

"Get off me!" I struggled against him but Tyler pressed his body closer to mine and shook his head.

"No, not until you understand why I had to ruin that douche's face."

"Tyler, get off me now!" I growled.

He shook his head and his hair fell into his eyes. Just like last night, my fingers went against my will and pushed it away from face. He sucked in a breath but my fingers held his hair back so I could scan his eyes. I needed to understand why he thought it was necessary to help me. I couldn't understand why Tyler Miller, the guy who spent the past year loathing my guts, went out of his way to batter Jonah.

Why did he want to help me? Why did Tyler want to help me? He had never made an attempt to help me out, so why now? What had changed?

What was I to him other than a friend, a cooking partner and his dead sister's best friend?

A sea-green expanse spread out across his iris, moving back and forth like a tide carrying a ring of ocean blue waves. The very same gradient that made the Mediterranean Sea a top tourist attraction was evident in Tyler's eyes - aqua, turquoise, sea-green and ocean blue. Then his stark, black pupil abruptly put an end to the beauty of his iris. Those overwhelming waves crashed into me and I held my breath, willing myself not to drown in his eyes but I did. I was drowning and I enjoyed it because I finally understood why he did it. I understood why he hit Jonah and I understood why Tyler left his house at midnight to pick me up from a random-ass party.

He cared about me.

He did it because he genuinely cared that Jonah made me uncomfortable, he cared that Jonah showered me in beer and he cared that I cried about it. Tyler cared about me and for some reason, that terrified me to the very core of my existence. I shuddered, breaking the trance we were both under and looked away, unable to keep my jelloid knees upright when he was looking at me with so much care.

"Please, get off me," I mumbled quietly as we stared at each other and Tyler's body relaxed, all the fight dwindling into dying embers, leaving his eyes defeated and dead. He took a step back and dropped his gaze when I muttered, "Thanks."

"Listen Ash...I-I really don't know what else to say...I'm sorry about going behind your back and not talking to you first," His voice broke off and his mesmerising eyes wandered all over my face, struggling to work out what else to say to me but I'd heard enough. "But I'm not gonna apologise for giving that fucker what he had coming."

I'd seen enough. I'd seen enough in his eyes.

"It's okay," I rubbed the crease between my brow and sighed heavily. "I get it Ty, really I do."

His eyes lit up, no longer dull, dimmed and defeated.

"Really?" He breathed, unable to comprehend my words but I chuckled and his jaw dropped.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook. You still owe me a lifetime supply of KitKat and a million dollars," I smiled weakly, peeling myself off the locker he slammed me into when he was frantic and desperate to get me to listen.

My back ached and I hoped I wouldn't get bruises from the impact but I forgot my train of thought when Tyler suddenly pulled me to his chest and enveloped me into a bear hug. Warmth flooded my system, burning me from inside out until my blood was roaring past my ears, but even then, I managed to hear Tyler's heavy sigh of relief. He squeezed me as I overcame my brain fart and responded to the embrace.

"I'm really sorry I pissed you off munchkin," His voice was muffled by my hair and I returned the squeeze.

"It's okay," I reassured him by running my hands up and down his back. "Just as long as you buy me a shitload of KitKat."

He pulled away and held me at arms length, gazing at me with enough affection to make my heart somersault and I averted my eyes. Focusing on my sneakers, I felt my cheeks prickle with a blush and cursed my body for it's stupid, instinctive reactions to Tyler.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

"We're cutting class?" I asked as he draped an arm around my shoulder.

"Don't you want a lifetime supply of KitKat?" He grinned before letting it drop. With a mocking expression, he narrowed his eyes at me. "Actually, you said last night that I only owe you a million dollars and a lifetime supply of KitKat when you agree that my muscles aren't puny. So unless you admit the truth about my drool-worthy abs, you're not getting anything but Burger King today."

He flashed me the fakest smile ever and it took every fiber of my body to hold back my laughter.

"Fine then, I guess I'll take back my forgiveness," I crossed my arms and pouted.

"Sorry, no can do. You can't take it back," He sang smugly. "So just admit my muscles aren't puny and I'll rinse out all the KitKat this town has to offer and deliver it to your doorstep."

Tyler squished me into his side, caging me in his ironclad grip that forced the air out of my lungs. What was it with guys and their obsession with proving their strength? We strolled down the hallway, heading towards the parking lot as if we didn't have four more classes left till the final bell.

Pride, or chocolate? Chocolate, or pride?

"Why do you want me to lie so badly? You're just skin and bones Ty," I poked him in the ribs.

He arched an eyebrow. "I'll give you one last chance. Admit the truth, or no KitKat for you. Not even the chunky bars I've been buying you everyday lately."

"Really?" I gulped and he laughed at my bad acting since I was sporting a wide grin.

"Just admit it," He whined, desperate for an ego boost I refused to give him

"Never!" I cackled, rolling the 'r' and laughing when he frowned at me; feigning irritation when he ruffled my curls teasingly.

I smacked his hands away and wondered how easily we shifted from having an argument to play fighting and sharing jokes. What was it with Tyler's ability to make me forget everything but the way his arm around my shoulder absentmindedly fiddled with my curls, twirling them around his forefinger to form loose ringlets.

"You've seen my guns, you've seen me almost naked and you've seen my body in it's morning glory, yet you still refuse to believe that I was sculpted by a god?"

"Your body resembles an abstract painting," I laughed as Tyler's eyes lit up by my disguised insult. He seemed to think I was complimenting him and puffed out his chest in response. "It's completely indistinguishable. Sometimes I get scared because your arms look like kangaroo legs, your spots look like nipples and your face looks like an ass. You should really get yourself checked out Ty."

He raised a hand to his unblemished, flawless skin and scoffed. Arching a brow, Tyler struggled to keep his quivering smile into a scowl as he concealed his laugh as a cough.

"There is nothing wrong with my body, thank you very much! Jesus Ash, do you need a reminder? I'd be happy to parade my perfection for you," Tyler shot out the hand that wasn't curled around my shoulder and flicked my nose. "I won't even hide anything from you this time; my entire body is all yours. All of it. Even my junk. All you need to do is ask and I'll show- Oof!"

He doubled over when my elbow dented his ribs. Liquid heat pooled inside my stomach, exciting the fluttering butterflies until they bombarded every cell and screamed to escape. Meanwhile my cheeks blistered as Tyler struggled to catch his breath.

"You're an animal, you know that?" He wheezed.

I giggled, ignoring his smouldering glare and grabbed his tree trunk arm and lifted it so that it was draped around my shoulders again.

"Well somebody needs to keep your ego in check."

When did Mr Grumpy become Mr Narcissist? The voice in my head retorted, when did Mrs Grumpy become Mrs Giggles?

"Ego my ass. You just can't handle my arms," He waggled his eyes and flexed his arms dramatically like he was a body builder.

I bit back a laugh and forced my lips into a straight line, pretending to be unimpressed even though it was just to stop my bottom lip from quivering.

"But you're not even remotely strong! You complained that I was heavy last night. How am I heavy? I weigh a little over a hundred pounds and what do you weigh? Seven hundred?"

Offended, he pushed the school entrance open and we both shuddered. A gust of wind sent my curls billowing back.

"I weigh exactly one hundred and eighty pounds, thank you very much," Tyler squealed in his 'white girl' voice and I dissolved into giggles.

He should have applied to be in the movie White Chicks because he has more sass than Honey Boo Boo.

"So why are you too weak to handle little old me, huh?" My lips fought to smile but I pulled them down to reinforce my chide.

Mischief lit up his eyes as if he'd just been hit with a genius idea. My frown faltered when he slipped an arm behind my knee and tightened his grip around my shoulder before hauling me up and flinging me over his shoulder.

"Tyler!" I screeched when my glasses fell from my face and clattered to the ground.

"Whoops sorry," He sounded anything but apologetic when he crouched down, deliberately pretending to drop me when he picked up my glasses and shoved into the pocket of his parka. "That was silly of me but I'm weakling with puny arms so it doesn't matter if I drop you, right? I mean, come on...it's understandable because I'm just skin and bones after all."

"Put me down!" I squealed when he spun around, feigning another drop so that my skull barely grazed the concrete. "Tyler!"

He flipped me around so that our faces were inches apart before pressing his forehead against mine. I couldn't force back a grin this time so I let it play along my lips, goofy and giddy because I could see his face perfectly clearly despite my impaired vision.

"Shh," He whispered, his warm breath fanning over my mouth when the tip of his nose brushed against mine. "You'll drag Principal Jenkins out of his office and I'm already on my final warning Ash!"

"Oh, well aren't you the bad boy," I drawled before I threw my head back and laughed when he gave me a flat look. "What exactly did you do to blow your first nine warnings?"

A slow smirk curled his lips up and the mischievous look return, bright and daring, revealing a side of Tyler I had never encountered before. He stopped still and gave me a wink.

"Trust me. You don't even wanna know," Tyler chuckled, shaking his head and refusing to list all his delinquencies for me.

I already knew he set a teacher's car on fire last year in a blinded rage and that he turned up to school twice wasted beyond belief, but that left six other warnings that I had no idea about.

"Come on, tell me one of them," I pleaded, sliding my arms around his neck to make sure he didn't try to drop me again. "Just one!"

He arched an eyebrow up before flashing me a sheepish grin.

"Well this particular one is gross but was necessary at the time."

Curiosity coursed through me and I tightened my hold on him so that our foreheads were no longer skimming each other, but plastered against one another.

"Tyler? What on earth-"

He cut me off. "I may or may not have pissed in Mr Reid's briefcase because he failed me last year."

My arms fell from his neck and I was glad he had a firm grip on me or I would have crashed to the ground.

"You did what?" My jaw slackened as I gawked at him.

Tyler laughed at my horrified expression.

"It was necessary - trust me Ash - he's a d-bag."

Suddenly a bubbling laughter erupted from my lips and I threw my head back, guffawing hysterically.

"No wonder he hates it when you walk me to class," I wheezed, struggling to breathe. "How could you piss in a teacher's freaking bag? You're beyond uncivilised Tyler!"

He shrugged and I figured there was more to the story than he was letting on so I let the matter drop, eager to here more of his other warnings.

"What about the others?" I waggled my eyebrows at him.

Tyler laughed and shook his head but I slid my hands up and clamped his cheeks, squishing them together into a fishface.

"Ashwey get your hwands of mwe!"

He tried to shake his head free but I squished harder and laughed. Inching closer, the tip of our noses brushed again.

"Not until you tell me about the others."

He stared at me, exasperation and exhilaration lighting up his liquid sea green eyes. Finally, after protesting on the spot for an entire minute he sighed and continued to walk to his car, starting with the story when he smashed all the fire alarms in one go by paying a bunch of freshmen to do his dirty work for him. I laughed hysterically, struggling to keep my entire concentration on his wild stories when he strode towards his car without taking his eyes off me. Blood rushed to my head as if I was still hanging upside down.

Clinging onto his neck, I gazed back at him even though the look in his eyes made me feel like I was hanging upside down on a fine thread that could break any moment soon.

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[A/N: I'm not too sure about this chapter. Think I might go back and edit it in a few days, but what did you think about it?

Think I might change my uploading schedule to every two days instead of three. Would you like that? I could upload everyday if you really want, but I don't really ever get feedback so I assume nobody really gives a flying monkey lol.

Chapter 38: But First, Let Me Take A Selfie

Vote, comment and fan.

- Kaddy]