"ANNA, YOU'RE BACK!" Jamie exclaims, engulfing me in a tight, unbreathable hug.

"J, you're squeezing my juices out." I groan out and she reluctantly let's go, a smile on her face.

"Two days without you and she's already crumbling." Christy says eying Jamie with a smile on her face.

"That's because you're boring as fuck. As in, I hardly see Chris these days, she's either in the library or lab. What kind of life is that?"

"Hey!" Christy glares, smacking J and we burst out laughing to her expense. "I have to work extra hard."

"Why are you failing gym?" I taunt and her glare makes me laugh.

"Unlike you both, I actually care about my grades and position in our year." Christy says folding her arms and pouting. She looks kind of serious.

"Christy, you know you have nothing to worry about. You're always number one." I say squatting down to swap my books. I still hate this locker but my zeal to change it so badly has dropped sufficiently, probably because of my top neighbor.

"Exactly." Chris cries out. "My position is being threatened!"

"By who?" J asks as we shared a confused look. Christine Hoff has been the top student in the year, since forever. That's one of the only thing she loves dearly, academics.

"Ian Maurice." She seethes, then directs her glare to me. "Your jerk ex."

I smile, slowly getting up the ground. "Actually, we're back together."

"You are?" Jamie asks blinking at me, I can clearly see the surprise and disbelief on her face.

I nod happily. "Since Yesterday, to be exact."

"Wow. We really need to catch up." Christy says and I agree.

"Sleepover?" I suggest.

"I'm in." Christy says putting her hand forward. I place my hand on hers and Jamie places her hand over mine. "At my house, right?"

"Yup." J and I chorus. "Should I bring alcohol?" I add raising a brow. Nell is very cool and probably would fret about it, the problem is Christine herself. She's the most righteous nerdy teenager I know.

Christine squeezes her lips while Jamie and I give her the puppy eyes. "Fine, just sneak it in. If Nell finds out, she'll tease me for life."

"Great, see you at six." Jamie says waving at us as she walks away. I share a look with Christy, then we hook arms and head over to our class.

"Anna." I turn around and see Aiden, relaxing on the wall and beckoning me over.

I narrow my eyes at him before heading over. Once I am close enough, I cross my hands and put on my best frown. "What?"

"Hey, I've been trying to get hold of you for so long now." He says standing upright.

My eyes move to his nose that has a cast all over it and I slowly look away, meeting his eyes once more. "Why?"

Aiden frowns. "Did I do something wrong? I don't know it feels as it I did."

Seriously?

"Seriously, Aiden?" I voice my thoughts and just then I see Ian walking by. As usual, he's walking with his head down, flipping through a textbook but as he gets closer, its as if he senses me. He looks us and once our eyes meet, we share a smile, my heart fluttering a beat.

Until he sees the person standing close to me and his frown is immediate, I'm pretty sure he was going to come over but then some girl jumps out of nowhere, putting her arm around his. Ian is so taken aback with surprise that he literally jumps away from her, eliciting a chuckle out of me and earning a weird look from Aiden. I don't know what the girl says but Ian shares a look with I and Aiden once more, before leaving with her.

"Don't tell me, you still have something to do with that guy?" Aiden asks crossing his hands at me too.

"That has nothing to do with you." I fire out.

"Anna, he broke my nose. I had to get surgery." Aiden points out, his ears flaring up.

"So?" I nonchalantly say, kicking my foot out. "You kinda deserved it."

"How so?"

"You kissed me, Aiden. Without consent." I state, glaring back at him. "And then instead of defending me, you played it off like it was nothing. Does my image not matter to you?"

Aiden exhales, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't think about it that way and Evelyn and I are already done. I have nothing to do with her, Anna. Its you," he reaches for my hand and I pull back. "You're the one I want."

"Ian's my boyfriend, Aiden." I blurt out.

He blinks. Takes a step back. "What?"

My eyes locate Evelyn and her girls and they are all looking at our direction, fire in their eyes. I turn back to Aiden. "And you might be done with Evelyn, but trust me. She's not done with you. I'd rather not be involved."

I don't wait for him to reply, as I spun on my heels, my skirt twirling with me and walk away heading into my class that's beginning...

Just now.

**

"I'm not at my house." I say into phone, opening the back door to pull out my suitcase.

"you've packed?"

"No, dummy. I'm at Christine's, we're having a sleepover." I say with a smile, dragging the bag as I walked towards the patio.

"Oh, I have no idea who Christine is. FYI."

I gasp out dramatically, pressing on the door bell. "You don't know any of my friends and I know all of yours."

"That's because I have just one."

I chuckle, "how is he anyway? Zion?"

"He's fine. I don't get to see him until weekends. He's a busy guy."

The door opens up and Christine in her pajamas peeks out, I raise a finger signaling 'one minute' and she nods, going back in and leaving the door unlocked. My attention returns to Ian. "We should all go out one day."

"We?"

"My friends and yours." I answer. "It'll be fun."

"I doubt that. Zion and I are as introvert and boring as they get."

"I think y'all would do just fine." I whisper, the smile on my face hurting.

"Yeah yeah." I hear shuffling on the other side. "Have fun and dream about me."

"Won't be the first time." I sing blushing and smiling badly.

I imagine Ian doing same too. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The line goes dead and I pull the phone out my ear, smiling down at it and biting on my lip.

As soon as I step into the Hoff's home, I'm attacked by the wonderful fragrance of different flowers. I love this house. Jamie is sitting crossed legged on the long sofa in a one piece pajama suit, her short blond hair up in a bun. Christine is crouched down in front of the television putting something in.

Jamie turns to me. "What was taking you so long?" Then her eyes shifts to my suitcase. "Are you moving in?"

I roll my eyes, "no. Unfortunately, not." I see Christine smile at that.

"Then what's the luggage?"

"First, where's Nell?" I ask looking around.

"Sleeping." Christine says turning to eye me.

I pull my bag up, placing it on the glass coffee table. I exchange a smile with them before pulling the zip open. At the top was my pajama set and school uniform with my makeup purse. I raise the clothes and Christine gasps as she sees the cans of beer and champagne bottle.

"Where did you get Champagne?" She asks her palm over her mouth.

"My dad." I answer smiling. "I told him it was Jamie's birthday and I don't think he bought it but he gave me anyway."

"There better be Champagne on my real birthday." Jamie says we high five.

"God. What kind of friends do I have?" Christine asks looking up at the roof.

I giggle, "Sumptuous ones."

She looks down at me and shakes her head while chortling. "Just keep the crazy to a minimum."

I salute in agreements. "What are we watching?"

"To All The Boys I've Loved Before." Christine exclaims clapping her hands together.

"What's that?"

"A new Netflix movie by one of Christy's favourite authors." Jamie replies.

"This should be interesting." I say slumping down the sofa and opening up a can.

"It is!"

**

"Truth or dare." I slurred narrowing my eyes at Christine.

She narrowed her eyes back, "truth."

I roll my eyes. "If you were to be a lesbian, who would you have a crush on?"

"Easy." Christine says, "Hailey Steinfield."

I chuckle, and Jamie asks. "Why? What do you think would be her most sexual assest?"

"She's so pretty and her lips. They look really kissable." Jamie and burst out laughing but Christine shuts us. "Alright. Altitude, my turn."

She looks down at the empty Champagne bottle and spins it. It lands on me. Terrific. "Have you had sex with Ian?"

I blink, I guess the alcohol was making her braver. "No."

Jamie asks, "what's the highest base between you two?"

"Um, one and half?" I pose as a question instead of an answer. "We haven't really done... much."

"Do you want to?" I'm not sure who asked because my mind was already wandering off, thinking of Ian and I in his bedroom. How really close we were to moving to base two. How wonderful, hot and splendid it all was.

I raise my hand up hitting the ground. "That's all. My turn." I spin the bottle and it lands on Jamie.

I smirk, finally. "Who is the guy you like?"

Jamie looks away, "guys actually. The Dolan Twins."

"Bullshit." I declare. Why won't you tell me?"

"There's nothing to tell." She denies and raises the shot of lime and beer, gulping it down. "My turn."

Jamie spins the bottle and it lands on Christine again. She groans. "What's your biggest secret from Nell?"

"Um," she places a hand on her chin in thought. "That I completely despise her anchovies soup. I pretend to eat it because she calls it her Golden Recipe but the trash eats it instead."

We all burst out laughing. I ask, "what's your biggest fantasy?"

"Why are you all ganging on me?" She groans, eyes the shot of beer and looks back at me. "It's about Finn. That I'll somehow end up tutoring him and we'll go over to house, and I teach him. Some kind of light would go off in his head and he'll find out I'm the one for him."

"So in other words, seduce him with knowledge?" Jamie asks.

"Pretty much." Christine asks causing us to 'aww' and laugh. She spins the bottle and it lands on Jamie. "What's your biggest fantasy?"

"That the guy of my dreams would finally notice me. Not the fat me, but me." She sighs. "That I'll meet him at the zoo and we bond over penguins."

"Why the zoo?" I ask laughing and she shrugs.

Another round goes by and finally the bottle is in my hands again. Its lands on Christine.

"You know what Jamie is hiding." I say immediately and they are both taken by surprise. "Tell me."

Christy shakes her head. "I cannot. It's not my place to."

"I dare you." I press on.

"Anna, knock it off." Jamie says but I don't. I maintain eye contact with Christy.

Christine looks between Jamie, I and the drink shot. I know I'm being a bitch for putting her in this situation but my curiosity is eating me up and I need answers. Christine detests limes. And she's drank so much already, the alcohol is making her sick. That's why she's been answering all the questions directed at her.  She sighs, dropping her head and reaching for the shot bottle.

I'm surprised.

"Christine, don't." Jamie stops her and turns to me. "Fine, you want to know so badly? I have a crush on your boyfriend. Ian. I have a crush and many fantasies on Ian Maurice."

What the--

The room goes silent, the only sound left is the low music playing in the background. I look between Jamie and Christine. I can't believe it.

"Since when?" I finally find my voice and that's the first thing I ask.

"Since the first day I met him." Jamie says, her voice laced with a bit of scorn. "How could you not know? I liked him before you did. I practically called dibs. I told you about him and you had no clue. You just had to didn't you. "

I watch her disbelief, I can't believe what I'm hearing. My head is ringing and I don't understand a thing. "Why, Ian?"

"I don't know." She gulps down a shot. "Why Ian?" She fires back and I just stare at her. Jamie shrugs. "Because-- it's because, he's the only guy that sees me. Not the fat. He treats me right Anna, like I'm worth more then a size ten."

I don't reply and instead look down at the bottle, absentmindedly spinning it. I hear Jamie voice ask a question, even when it's not her turn.

"Anna, love or friendship?"

My answer is immediate.

"Love."

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