He looks into my eyes with those emotionless gray eyes of his, no doubt that was what made his parents give him the name. I was still mad, but at this moment, I pushed it away. It felt as if we were saying everything through our eyes that we couldn't say with words. The beating of my heart was deafening and blocked out everything else I felt. Which was a lot. I wanted to stay away and yet there was no resisting him. I was taken back to the first time I met him at the principal's office. To the time he shielded me from the stares at the boxing match, and the effect he had on me while I fixed his cuts. They took me back to the almost kiss we shared even if both of us pretended it didn't happen. He had Sienna and I had Abacus. Abacus. I felt so bad that I was letting my heart be charmed by someone else. By Grayson, at that fact.

I wanted to move but he had his hand on my face, as he spoke in whispers. The smell of his fabric softener hit me, "you're the type of girl a guy like me shouldn't fall in love with." It was too early for him to be smoking.

"And you're the type of guy a girl like me would run away from," I say, trying not to get lost in him.

He leans closer and I gulp. He uses a hand and glides it softly over my face, I lean into it, the numbing sensation traveling through each place he touches.

"Then why aren't you running?"

"Then why are you falling in love?"

He traces his mouth with mine, just like that day. It was as if we were replaying that time all over again, but tensions were higher this time. I can see the indentions of the fight he had just last night. His right eye had the color black around him. I reached up to meet his hands and feel the roughness of the cuts that were left from the impact of hitting his opponent. I wanted to apologize for avoiding him because it wasn't his fault he liked someone else. I wanted to apologize for keeping my distance, for blaming him. I wanted to thank him for getting his mother to keep that jail off my permanent record. More than anything, I wanted to pull him closer and see what his tempting lips tasted like. I hated myself for that.

"Are you guys happy?" Grayson says and scoots away from me, leaving me breathless. He was a great actor, one would think he was actually falling in love. I knew better than to believe that. We turn to the grinning duo as they give us a thumbs up. Matt had the video camera next to them, each with a row of chairs. Link even looked like a real screen director.

"That depends, are we all friends again?" Link says.

"How was this supposed to make us friends again?" I reproach and cross my arms. I knew I shouldn't be like this but I was. "He got me thrown in jail, friends don't do that."

"Sure they do Amelia," Link says, "what else are friends for?"

"Stop it, Link," I say in a warning tone. He backs up immediately.

"I also got you out of it. That was a couple of weeks ago, let it go."

"We got the film anyway," Gina says, "you guys looked great. Come look." Gina looks at Matt and mouths, "replay."

We hesitantly walk over to him and watch the video. "This feels like real emotions. Amazing!" Gina says. "This is sure to win me a spot in New York film school." Apparently Gina had always wanted to be a film director, and after seeing the scenes she had made Matt film and us act, I could see it as a great career path for her. The short film was about a couple on the rocks because the guy ended up killing her mother, so how could they possibly fall in love? Yet, they were. She chose us because we couldn't say no and our friendship was also on the 'rocks' as she said. We had filmed my scenes separately on the day of the carnival while Grayson filmed his some other day. Now we just needed the last couple of scenes and my ending.

"Next scene," they yell.

"You can't expect me to get into that?" I tell them in apprehension as I read the script.

"It's the final scene." Link does his puppy dog eyes and pouts, "Please, Amelia?"

I roll my eyes and mumble, "fine." It didn't take much to convince me, and they knew that. We wait as they go behind the curtains of the theater room and bring out a big bathtub filled with ice water. I could still see the ice cubes in it. "You guys hate me, don't you?"

"No. This is the tragic scene where the guy has died and now all that's left is her broken," Gina tells me, clearly seeing this vision in a different way than I did. Although, she wasn't the one having to get into freezing cold water.

I walked up to it in the clothes I was wearing, which was a thin purple nightgown. "If I get sick, you guys are nursing me back to health this time," I tell them and they all nod in agreement.

"And action," Gina yells. I place my foot into the water but power through as the coldness infiltrates my skin. I get in and sit down, clutching my knees tightly to me. "And down-" Gina directs. I dip my whole body into the water and raise my hand as the script said, as if asking for help, but there was no one to help.

The film ends with the girl broken and alone, where she only finds solace in death. Although, unlike her, I am pulled up when Gina calls, "Cut."

I gasp, trying to recover my breath. I look at Grayson who signals for me to get out. I do and Link quickly wraps a soft and warm bathrobe around me. "You were great Amelia," he tells me.

"Thanks, Link," I tell him and start walking backstage to wear the backup clothes Gina had gotten me.

"This is going to be the best film I've made," Gina says with so much enthusiasm it's hard not to smile. "We can screen it one day in Grayson's theater room or something when I'm done editing."

"I'm going to change and meet you guys in the basement," I tell her.

"Are you sure you don't want us to wait for you?"

"I'm sure," I say and change. I regret my decision instantly. As I change, I am startled by the girl in the reflection. "Sienna," I say as I clutch my chest, "what the hell?"

"Amelia, I've missed you."

I stood up and looked at her, annoyed. After the last time she vaguely threatened me, I was in no mood for what she was planning. "I know this isn't a social visit, so why don't you tell me what you want?"

She smiles her sweetly sick smile. She was like a Venus fly trap, luring you into a fall sense of safety before, bam, she gets you. "I just came to show you an interesting photo I acquired the other day." I eye her suspiciously as she turns on her phone. That's when the ball drops. She has the photo Grayson took of me as we spray painted. The kicker? She had one of my mugshots.

"How did you-"

"Get them? By Grayson silly." She shrugs and hops on the vanity table in the theater room, "just wanted to show you how much I am worth being on your side. So, stay away from my guy before these get plastered everywhere that's anywhere." She hopped off, "see you in the photography exhibit. I'm sure there will be a huge surprise waiting." 

>>>>

Any guesses on what might be the big surprise? 

Also, how are you guys? Feel free to talk to me about anything. 

I myself am just trying my best and wishing you all the best as well. 

Please, don't forget to vote, comment, and share. :)