I lay out my towel down in the sand, admiring the view of our secluded spot of beach. "I still can't believe we're the only ones here." I laugh contentedly as I sit down on my towel and bury my feet in the warm, golden sand. I look beside me to notice Michael putting his towel down next to mine. "You're not going in the water with the rest of them?" I question nodding to the group jokingly shoving each other into the ocean.

"Not right now." Michael replies with a shrug. "Can you believe we've already been here for nearly a week?"

I just shake my head at him as I think over the past few days. "No, I can't. It's felt so much shorter than that." I lie to him. Truthfully, it's felt like an eternity since I started avoiding Luke. Luckily, I didn't have to be drastic about it, I just hung out with the other guys or always had someone else in the room if Luke was there. "I'm glad for this trip. I feel like I've gotten a lot closer with everyone."

"Even Luke?" Michael asks, and I quickly look at him with surprise. "Oh, come on, Andy. It's not like I haven't noticed you avoiding him."

"I'm not avoiding anyone." I state pulling out a book out of my bag.

"You're not getting out of this that easily." Michael laughs snatching the book from me. "We all know you've been avoiding him. Except for Luke, he knows something's up, but he can't figure out what, and neither can I."

"Nothing is up." I insist, trying to grab my book back from him, but he jumps up keeping it just out of reach. "Whatever. I'm not having this conversation right now." I tell him angrily as I pull off my cover-up and head down to the the water.

"Andy, I'm not going to tell anyone. I just want to make sure you're okay." Michael says as he runs up behind me and grabs his arm. "Everyone's getting worried about you thinking we did something wrong."

"Michael, I'm not talking to you about this right now. Not with everyone around at least."

"So will you tell me later? If no one is around?" I nod, and he nods. "Okay, we'll talk about it later. I'm not trying to push you, but you're one of us now. I want to make sure you're all right."

"Thanks, Michael." I tell him with a small smile, and he pulls me into a hug. I hear Michael laughing when he lets go and keeps looking over my shoulder. Just as I'm about to turn around, I feel arms wrap around my waist, as someone lifts me up. "Oh, no! Don't you dare throw me in the--" I start to yell, but I'm tossed in the water before I can finish my sentence. I surface out of the water, my blue hair covering my face as everyone laughs. The moment they see my expression, everyone goes quiet. "Who did that?" I laugh trying to seem angry. No one speaks up, but I get my answer when Calum tries running away. "Calum Hood, get your butt back here."

Calum stops in his tracks wiggling his eyebrows at me as he says, "Oh, Andy, I didn't realize you noticed my butt."

"I didn't. I just said that to get you to stop running." I laugh as I tackle him and he falls in the water. A chorus of laughs erupt as Calum comes back up with a mop of wet hair. "Now, we're even." I tell him with a grin as I hold my hands up.

"Not even by a long shot." Calum laughs as he tries to splashes me, but hits Ashton beside me instead. Before we even realize it, a war starts, all of us trying to splash the others or dunk them into the ocean.

Everyone quickly learns that I'm notorious for tripping people or sneaking up behind them and splashing them right in the face. Unfortunately, when they catch on my plot is foiled. I start to sneak up behind Ashton. Right as I'm about to tackle him, I feel someone grab my arms and pin them at my side. "Gotcha!" Luke screams picking me up. "No more sneak attacks for you!" He shouts as he takes me to shore.

"Whattt? Whyyy?" I whine as he sets me back down.

"Because." He replies smartly, and I roll my eyes at him.

"Fine. Than I'm just going to go read my book." I shrug as I walk away with a smirk.

"Wait, is that a--?" I hear Luke ask, and I turn around to see him pointing at me.

"A what?" I ask, although I'm pretty sure I know what he's talking about, despite my effort to cover it up.

"Do you have a tattoo?" Michael asks having noticed it to.

"Oh, yeah." I tell them with a shrug and casually walking away. I can hear them both follow me back up the beach. "You could just ask me what it is instead of creepily staring." I turn around catching them in the act.

"What is it? Also, aren't you still 17? How did you get a tattoo without being 18?" Michael asks, him and Luke wait for me to reply.

"It's a rose, and if you must know, I got it done with my mom's permission about four months ago." I lay back on my towel, but prop myself on my elbows when I notice they're still waiting for me to continue. "I found a shop that does no needle tattoos and can give you one if you're within six months of eighteen and have a parent's permission."

"Why did you get a rose?" Luke asks, as he takes a seat on Michael's blanket.

I lay back down on my blanket, slipping my sunglasses on as I talk. "It's for my grandma, Roslyn. She died almost a year ago, and I got it to remind me of her. She always used to tell me, 'je t'aime, et je veillerai toujours sur toi, Alexandrie.' It means, I love you, and I'll always watch over you, Alexandria. I have part of it written underneath the rose." I pause, biting my lip and am thankful for the sunglasses as I hold back tears at the thought of her. "Gosh, I miss her, as crazy as she could be."

"What was she like?" Michael asks, taking a seat next to Luke, and I sit back up.

"Well, let me think. She was an extraordinary woman, and she inspired me to be who I am today." I laugh for a moment as I think on my memories of her. "Oh, but she was unique to say the least. If you had met her, you would have no idea she was a grandma. Unless you knew me, than it would be obvious whose grandma she was. I remember she used to make me play her all of my songs. I used complain about it, telling her she wouldn't like it, but she made me play for her anyway.

"The first time she made me play a song for her, she argued with me telling me that if I was happy making this music it was part of her job as my grandma to hear it." I look up at them to see them listening to every word I'm saying. "Oh, and whenever she got mad, she would shout in any foreign language she started speaking in first, which was usually French. I remember when I started learning it in high school, I didn't tell her so I could try to translate what she was saying without her knowing. The expression on her face when I replied back in English was priceless. After that, she would start spouting off song lyrics in French to throw me off."

"Are you talking about Grandma Malloy?" Mason asks, and I jump not realizing he was there. I nod, and he sits down smiling. "She was a character. What brought her up?"

"Oh, Andy has a tat--" Michael starts to say, but I pull down my sunglasses and glare at him.

Unfortunately, Mason caught enough of it to put the pieces together. "You have a tattoo?" He asks, looking at me with shock.

"Andy has a tattoo? Sweet." Calum says high-fiving me as him and Ashton join the group.

"Yeah, just the one." I tell them with a shrug, telling them what it is, which causes a long conversation about tattoos. "Yeah, I was planning on trying out some different designs I came up with and placements with some temporary tattoos I found. They're supposed to last for a couple weeks, so it will be cool." I tell them.

"Wait, you came up with designs?" Calum asks.

"Yeah, I have a bad habit of drawing on myself when I get bored, so I started messing around with some ideas a while ago." I reply with a shrug.

"That's awesome. Maybe you could design something for one of us?" Ashton question with an excited smile.

"Maybe. We'll have to wait and see." I reply, before the topic changes and I end up talking to Luke and Michael. I try to avoid eye contact with Luke, but fail miserably which only makes things awkward.

"Hey, Andy. The tide's going out of you still wanted to explore the other side of the rocks." Michael tells me giving me a look as he drags me along by the hand.

"What are you doing? I don't remember wanting to explore the other side of the rocks." I tell him as he continues to drag me along.

"No, but you did promise to tell me what's going on." Michael says turning on me once we're out of the group's view. "Also, I couldn't take any more of awkwardness back there. So spill." He takes a seat on the rock, but I start pacing back and forth too anxious to stay still.

"I don't—I don't even know where to start." I sigh, running a hand through my tangled, blue hair.

"How about why you've been avoiding Luke most of this week?"

"Umm." I mumble, looking away. "Do you remember when we played truth or dare? And you guys made Luke kiss me?"

"Yeah." Michael replies drawing the word out.

"Well, after that, Luke and I talked because I wanted to make sure things wouldn't get awkward and we could still be friends like normal." I pause shifting my weight around as I try to figure out how to explain it all. "It's just, I think I might be—fallingforLuke." I mumble and it all come out in one word.

"What?" Michael almost shouts with a dork smile on his face. "How did that--? When did you realize?"

"I didn't. I'm not even sure if I really do like him..." I continue to ramble. "But when we talked after the dare and we both agreed it was nothing more, I felt kind of disappointed. Then the whole thing with John happened, and the more time I spend around Luke the more I get all flustered, and nervous, and I feel different around him, and I'm always blushing for no reason!" I shout, but stop as I sit down next to Michael putting my head in my hands. "It's all just a big mess now. So I've been avoiding Luke to not make it worse."

"Why would it be a mess?" Michael questions pulling my hands away from my face. "Luke likes you too. He likes you way more than he'll admit, which is why we dared him to own up to it and kiss you."

"Michael! That is literally the worst thing you could have said to me right now." I shout at him as I pull away from him. "That's exactly what I didn't need to hear. I needed you to tell me that he only sees me as a friend, or that he could never like me in that way."

"Why? I thought you said you liked him. So why would him liking you back be a problem? You two would make a great couple!"

"I do like him, that's the whole problem. I just don't want to hurt him."

"Do you not want to hurt him? Or do you not want to get yourself hurt?" He questions as if he could read my mind.

"Both."

"Andy, I don't get how you or him could get hurt. Even if you did, wouldn't it be worth the chance?"

"No. Because if I tell him how I feel and we start a relationship than John will use it to his advantage, Luke will realize I'm not the person he thinks I am, or I'll end up pushing him away. Someone always gets hurt. I don't think I'm ready to dive into a relationship with him. I don't want to ruin my friendship with you guys." I try to explain, but Michael looks at me clearly not buying a word I say. "Fine. You want to know the whole truth?" I whisper, and he just nods in reply.

"I'm scared." I continue to speak, my voice growing louder with every word. "I, Andy "tough girl" Parker, am beyond frightened. Okay? I'm scared that if I open up I'll get gutted again, but this time I won't be able to come back from it. I'm terrified to let anyone get close enough to hurt me. I'm scared of the idea that someone could actually see the real me, much less love me for it. I'm so scared of being shattered with no one but myself to blame—just like last time." I feel a tear fall down my cheek and my throats tightens up as my breathing becomes shallow.

"Come here." Michael directs as he pulls me into a tight hug. "I know, Luke. He's one of my best mates, and over the past couple weeks I've gotten to know you too. I don't think Luke could ever hurt you, and what happened with John wasn't your fault. It was his." He pauses, looking me in the eyes as he continues. "Also, I think you're a lot more ready for a relationship that you want to believe. Give Luke a chance to prove himself, and if you get hurt again, you have all of us. It wouldn't be your fault. Just like it wasn't your fault with John."

"It doesn't feel that way." I mumble into his shirt as my breathing steadies out.

"Okay, than tell me something. How do you feel when you're around John?"

"Like I'm worthless, stupid, and not even with fighting for. I feel like I could scream and never be heard. He makes me feel so small, and I don't even exist."

"And how do you feel around Luke?"

I sigh, thinking it over. "I feel like myself. I feel free and don't have to put up a front. When I'm around him, I can talk about anything. It's like he listens to me, more than I realize. It's nice, and comfortable, and easy..." Michael just stands back, smirking as I talk. "Dang it. I really am falling for him aren't I?"

"Yeah, I think you are."

"And I don't think it's the cute rom-com kind of fall where I graciously tumble into his arms either. This is more of a first time in heels, nearly face plant on the cement kind of fall." I gripe. "What if I'm not ready for a relationship yet? I feel like I should sort a couple things out before I do anything."

"Whatever you say. I'm just glad you finally admit you liked him. Now you two just have to admit it to each other."

"Don't even mention that part yet. I'm still processing the fact that I like him." I shake my head with a laugh. I pull him into a hug. "Thank you, Michael. Everyone I talked to kept telling me the same thing, but thanks for helping me get it through my own head."

"Not a problem. It's what friends are for." He tells me with a laugh. "Come on, let's get back before they start getting curious." I nod as we head back to the group.

Okay, heart and mind. You two start cooperating, because it's about to get crazy. It's time to face it and attempt to be honest with yourself, and maybe, just maybe, give yourself a chance.

//\\//\\//\\

A/N:

Yay! The first official #FightforMeFriday! (Sorry if I stole your day, @famouxx  )[P.s. if you haven't already, go check out the Famoux. I recently started re-reading it before I start Classix, and I still can't get over how amazing it is. You should definitely go check it out. ;) ] 

I have to admit--I'm so excited about having a specific day for you guys to expect the new chapters! (Although, I may still do a couple surprise updates every once in a while.)

I'm also very happy to announce that the Fight for Me -- Extras is up and running! It will have scenes that aren't directly featured in this story, other points of views, and other super cool stuff. I highly recommend you check it out.

That's all I have for you today, my darling readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you next Friday!

-Xx