WHEN the plan had begin coming together in my mind, I hadn't expected that I'd be pressed up against the lap of a half-naked boy crammed in the back seat of Tyler's car, and yet, there I was. Awkwardly trying not to lean back, hoping that I wasn't crushing Patrick's legs under my weight as I kept my head ducked and gripped tightly to the box in my own lap.

     Still, the basketball team did not play around. When we turned a corner and I accidentally lost my center of gravity, it was like a muscled rock wall up against my back, which was not the worst thing to fall into.

     Just something I noted if I was tragically rejected by Reese, was all. If I was going to be crammed in the back seat with any half-naked boy, Patrick was not the worst contender.

     "Uh, sorry Patrick," I murmured again, trying not to fidget too much, a blush creeping up the back of my neck. "Thanks for doing this again."

     Patrick grinned, all nonchalance and long-dark hair pulled back into a bun, waving me off easily. "Don't worry about it!" he chuckled, low and husky and with all the tones of someone who was not a seventeen-year-old boy. "Wyatt said that the cookies you made for us are delicious. I'm always down for cookies."

     Wyatt, who I learned was incredibly serious about shotgun-calling privileges, turned around from the passenger seat and beamed at us. "I'm serious, I got a half-chub from one bite last time."

     I pinned him a wary look. "I don't know if that's a compliment."

     The blond boy grinned, shooting a cheery thumbs up. "It is. I only half-chub for the best."

     Tyler, who was driving with a permanent crease in his forehead, let out a long, shaky breath. "We really shouldn't have put him in the trunk. That was so stupid. How did I let you guys convince me into doing this? What if something happens?" he murmured under his breath, the anxiety heavy in his tone as he inched along, ten kilometers under the speed limit, hunched over with a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel.

     Wyatt clapped his back with a chuckle, radiating his usual cool indifference. "Don't worry, it's just Lawry. He'll be fine. We've definitely put him through way worse. I bet he finds it comforting in there."

     Tyler's eyes refused to stray from the road, but the knitting in his brows did not look convinced. "I don't understand why we needed six people," he grumbled, bitter remnants of their losing argument. "Five would have perfectly gotten the point across."

     Wyatt balked, slapping a hand against his bare chest. "I'm the exclamation point! That's the most important part! Don't we want her feelings to get through to Eva?"

     I felt a spike in my pulse as her name left his lips, the anxiety tearing up my veins as we drew closer and closer to Eva's house. Despite everyone's confidence, I knew that Eva was a tough one to crack.

     Her grudges were a thing of legends, as everyone learned when Eva had accidentally forgot to tell the supervisor on our Geography field trip that Haley Lancer, who'd kissed Eva's crush in the second grade, was still in the bathroom and we'd left her five hours away. No one noticed until we'd gotten a very confused and tearful call back at the school.

     Her cold eyes were still vivid in the back of my mind.

     But I knew that Eva was the gatekeeper to Savannah, and that if I got through to her, it would be so much easier to apologize to the blonde girl. Savannah was always softer, more forgiving, which was why hurting her was even more painful. And I knew Eva would be guarding her like a hawk for that reason.

     When we finally pulled up to her driveway, I noted that her mom's blue Toyota was no where to be seen, which helped with drawing Eva out. We all managed to clamber out of the car, which was much-welcomed considering half-naked boys were much more Eva's forte than mine, and that was exactly the foundation of this entire escapade. Lawry looked especially happy to be touching solid ground again.

     Still, I eyed the shirtless boys with a guilty grin. It wasn't a bad sight, honestly.

     Although, as a cool breeze whistled by with threats of the oncoming winter, I was glad that I had a thick sweater wrapped around me. Tyler just looked relieved that he was no longer driving with a teenage boy illegally stowed away in his truck. Wyatt was too busy stretching.

     For what, I had no idea. I didn't even bother to ask.

     My knuckles washed white as I gripped onto the plastic box, almost forgetting to pass it off to Wyatt. He shot me an encouraging wink, and I trekked up the driveway, drawing in a deep breath. When I glanced back, Tyler's smile was all reassurance, and I tried to return it, albeit a little shaky. I knew that I had to do it. Even though my knees felt as if there were going to buckle at any moment. It needed to happen. And so I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, squinted my eyes shut, and rang the doorbell.

     A moment of silence passed as all the boys stood behind me, patiently waiting, suppressing their shivers as they murmured amongst themselves. And then- nothing. I blinked, doubting for a second whether or not Eva was home, but I knew she was. Friday nights had been religiously spent at Eva's since the tenth grade. And it dawned on me that of course it wouldn't be that easy. This was Eva Martinez.

     And so I pressed the doorbell again.

    The high-pitched, whiny yips of her Shih Tzu echoed inside, and so I rang again. And again. And again. And again.

     Tyler eyed my warily as I stood there, continuously ringing the doorbell with nonchalance, stirring up a barking frenzy inside. When my arm got tired, I switched to the other one, but the ringing did not stop.

     "Are you sure you should do that?" Tyler asked, wincing at my relentless endeavour, concern etched across his face.

     I shrugged. "Trust me, it's the only way. No one's home other than her, anyways. No one's parked in the driveway." Tyler did not look comforted as I gestured to the empty lot.

     "Are you sure she's home?" Patrick asked, and when I turned to see him stretching his arms over his head, I was once again reminded that I really should have paid attention more often to the boy's basketball team.

     "Trust me. Give it another ten seconds." I grinned, bordering on devilish.

     Loud, aggressive stomps could be heard sounding on the other side of the door, and then it was ripped open, revealing a very unimpressed Eva. Her caramel coloured hair was pulled up into a messy bun and her coffee dark eyes were narrowed, burning with a cold fury.

     "You're freaking out the dog. That is the only reason I opened this door. Stop it. He's practically having a seizure," she said, her voice dry and levelled as she punted said Shih Tzu with her foot back into the house. "Now leave."

     As she went to slam the door in my face, a move I had been wholly expecting, I stuck my foot in at lightning speeds and caught it, stopping her mid-way. "Wait! Eva, please, listen! Just one minute!"

     Her lips were pursed. "No."

     "Eva! C'mon! Just- look," I pleaded, gesturing behind me, desperation tainting my words. "Please. Just give me a minute."

     She paused, her eyes falling over my shoulder to where the six boys had lined up, each with a letter painted on their stomach that came together to read SORRY in giant, red letters. Wyatt was the exclamation point at the end he was insistent on having and holding a red velvet cake I'd baked, her favourite, with the words I'm Sorry written in frosting. I could see the emotions conflicting on her face, and felt a familiar sting in the back of my eyes.

     I'd replayed this exact moment over and over in my head, and yet, now my mind was blank. I couldn't think of anything. My tongue felt too thick in my mouth, and the words were collecting too quickly for me to put my lips around them. But I knew I had to try.

     "Eva, look, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I never meant for it to end up this way, you have to believe me, I never did any of it maliciously. I never wanted to hurt you guys," I insisted, swallowing hard as Eva regarded me with cold, unflinching eyes. "I love you guys, really, and I'm so sorry. I fucked up so bad."

     Her eyes narrowed. "That was really shitty of you to lie to us. We trusted you."

     I breathed in deep, feeling as if my lungs were too small and the air was too dense. "I- I know, and I'm sorry. Really, I am. I was wrong."

     I could see her jaw clench as she poised a hand on her hip, shifting her weight. "And like, we wouldn't have cared if you just told us. I don't care what you do with Reese, whatever, but it was really shitty of you to do it behind our backs. Why couldn't you trust us?" she asked, and I could see a small crack in her façade, a sliver of vulnerability as her bottom lip trembled. "Why did you lie to our faces for so long? I thought that... you should trust your best friends. That's really fucked up. It really hurt."

     "I do!" I blurted out, desperation clinging to my words. It felt quite personal, having a band of almost-strangers watching this very intimate moment between Eva and I, but I couldn't bring myself to care that much. All I could focus on was her eyes, dark and narrowed on me. "You know I do! I just, I didn't know how to say it, and I was still trying to deal with it myself, and I don't know. Stupidity? I wasn't ever the smart one, you know," I murmured, a sad smile finding my face.

     "You really hurt Savannah's feelings. She was crying, you know." Eva crossed her arms over her chest.

     "I know, and I want to apologize to her too. Both of you. I really fucked up, and I know that, I just want to try and make it up to you guys. Make it right. Please. I just- I want to be your best friend again."

     As the words fell from my lips, growing softer at the end, barely breaking above a whisper, I felt my jaw clench. Every fear that had been screaming in my ears for the past couple of days reared their ugly heads again. I was almost afraid to look her in the eyes, but I did, terrified of her answer.

     There was a moment of quiet, but then I saw Eva's dark eyes begin to water, and she was capturing me into a bone-crushing hug. "What are you talking about?" she mumbled into my shoulder. "Of course we're best friends- that's never going to change, Stella. God, how mean can you be, throwing that at me. How can I be a bitch to you when you look like that?" she sniffled into my ear, crushing me in her arms, but I felt so light in her hold.

     The permanent weight that had taken residence on my chest was finally beginning to evaporate, the warmth of her arms dispelling all of the anxiety that had been clawing into my heart. I couldn't stop the grin from finding my face.

     She pulled away, and then her eyes danced over to the boys behind me as she wiped her nose with her sleeve. "Is that red velvet?" she asked, the tears still thick in her voice.

     I nodded, a smile cracking across my face. "Of course."

     Eva released her grip on my shoulders and padded over to Wyatt, her finger dipping into the frosting on the cake and bringing it up to her mouth. Despite her watery eyes, a mischievous grin toyed on her lips. "You really did think this through well," she mused, eyeing up the boy in front of her with appreciation. "I will give you some points for that."

     I snorted, rolling my eyes but unable to keep the smile off my face. I saw her eyes roll up and down the others boys that were positioned on her front lawn, all suddenly looking a little self-conscious now that Eva was drinking in every inch of their skin. I could even see a light blush dusting Patrick's face, but Wyatt was all grins.

     When Eva dipped her finger into the cream cheese frosting again, the blonde boy captured her wrist with his free hand and brought it to his lips, his tongue peeking out to lick the frosting off her fingertip, casting her a wink. I could see Eva's face burn red, and I felt my face drop, reading to knock Wyatt upside the head when I heard my name being called from inside the house.

     I turned to see Savannah standing there, all blonde curls and wispy eyelashes. I felt my stomach drop once again, her face equally as shocked as mine, pale lips drawing in a short gasp.

     "Vannah, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

     I was immediately cut off as she broke out into a jog and crushed me into her own hug, throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me close, close enough that I was comforted by the familiar scent of her raspberry vanilla body spray. Enveloped by the soothing aroma, I buried my nose into the crook of her neck, feeling the burn in the back of my eyes again, but this time without the grip on my heart.

     "I know, it's okay," she whispered in my ear, squeezing me tight. "I missed you."

     I sniffed, returning the squeeze just as tight. "I did too. I really am sorry, 'Vannah. I said some awful things. And I lied to you guys. And I used you as a pawn to get Reese to help me get with Tyler. I'm the worst."

     The blonde girl pulled away, and a sheepish grin flashed across her face as she scratched the back of her head. I paused, furrowing my brows. "What?" I asked.

     "Well, I was upset about what you said about me to Reese- and I forgive you, but I, uh, I haven't been completely honest with you either," she admitted, grin bright and guilty. "I hope you won't be mad."

     I blinked, eyes shifting over to Eva, who was sucking off more frosting from her fingers. "You might want to sit down for this," the tanned girl advised. "She told me the other day, you're probably going to freak out."

     Narrowing my eyes, I took a step back. "What?"

     "Well, I've been kind of... seeing someone?" she said, her voice pitching at the end as she fidgeted in her spot.

     A sigh tumbled from my lips, shoulders dropping as a pressed a palm against my chest. "Thank god, I was worried for a second that it was like, something bad," I breathed out in relief.

     "She didn't finish," Eva sing-songed behind me. I felt a prickle in my spine.

     Savannah scrunched her nose. "It's been kind of recent, and we haven't really done anything, just... talked. I promise. I said I wouldn't go any further until I told you- got your blessing and all, since, well-"

     I swallowed. "Savannah, you are not saying what I think you're saying. Right?" I laughed nervously, scratching my head. "Right? Of course not. That would be... that would just be ridiculous."

     "Did you want to sit down?" she asked, gesturing to the porch steps, sympathy glimmering in her crystalline eyes. "This wasn't really how I wanted to bring it up to you. But I've been waiting so long- I feel like I have to tell you."

     I nodded, silently dropping myself down and resting my elbows against my thighs, hands clasped together and pressed up against my lips. Quiet flooded the atmosphere, brimming with tension, which no one dared to break. I could feel all of their curious and wary eyes burning into me. My mind was blank, eyes focused on the pavement in front of me, refusing to look anyone in the eye.

     Opening my mouth, I felt everyone freeze, but then I clamped my lips back down.

     "Well," I eventually hummed, "I guess I'm just going to have to kill him."

     "Stella no!" Savannah gasped as she crouched in front of me, clasping my hands in her own. "I swear- nothing's happened! We've just... expressed interest. I don't know- it just kind of happened. Like I said, I didn't want to do anything behind your back, so I've been waiting to tell you and-"

     "So what you're saying is that Chris, my stupid, moronic, fuck-head idiot brother has expressed interest in you. I'm telling you, it's fine. He just has to die now. Which is a sacrifice I'm prepared to make." I shrugged nonchalantly.

     "Please Stella-"

     "I'm going to grind his balls into dust, and then choke him with that dust. And then revive him. And then grind his penis into dust. And then choke him again."

     I heard Wyatt hum behind me. "Vivid."

     My gaze borrowed his. "Thank you, you're free to come watch."

     "Stella, please, just listen. I think- I think I really like him," she admitted, her voice growing small as she lowered her gaze. I saw a distinct pink dust her cheeks, and narrowed my eyes.

     "But you do know- like, it's Chris. You do know that. That's he... he's so dumb. Like, the fact that I'm not the dumbest person in the family, that just proves how dumb he really is. He superglued his face to a porn magazine. Savannah- he buys porn magazines. Who does that anymore?"

     Eva broke down into ferocious laughter, a cheeky grin stretched out across her face and hand coming down to slap her knee. Even Patrick snorted. There were no smiles on my face.

     Savannah giggled, a shy smile on her face. "I know. It just kind of... happened." She shrugged. "I know it's weird, and I'm not expecting you to get used to it right away, but I hope you'll give it a chance. I really like him."

     A studied her face for a moment, drinking in her pale skin, rosy cheeks and the way she was nervously chewing on her bottom lip. I opened my mouth to continue on my tirade, an entire novel of reasons why this was A Bad Idea and the likes just clamouring on the tip of my tongue, but then shut it again. There was a hopeful spark that I couldn't ignore in her bright blue eyes, and I felt my will power begin to crumble, a tired sigh falling from my lips.

     "I swear to god if he does anything-"

     "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Savannah chirped, throwing her arms around me, crushing me in her arms and burying her face in the crook of my neck. "I love you Stella, thank you."

     My eyes fell over to Eva, who was beaming at us, all red lips and pearly whites. Despite the fury that was simmering in my bloodstream, I wrapped my arms around the blonde, and sighed.

     Eva found a seat next to me on the porch, and I looked up at her to see a devilish grin.

     "Now, girl, you better recount to me in excrutiating detail exactly what's been happening the last couple of months," she demanded, a sparkle in her dark eyes.

     I chuckled, pulling away from Savannah and drawing a deep breath.

     "Well, I guess it really all started with a muffin..."

***

so i originally planned to have reese at the end of this chapter but it's TOO LONG and didn't want to delay posting it anymore. so no reese this time but reese is most definitely going to be all up in the next chapter, i know you guys are like "WHERE IS HE" he's coming i promise! c:

also dedicated to em because ace o'malley is actually ruining my life and if you haven't been reading paper sails you need to reevaluate your life because:

ace. o'malley.

and that is all. i'm sending you all virtual hugs because your comments actually give me life. c: