"You dress different than the last we talked." Teddy commented, looking me up and down.

"Yeah, I've changed. What can I say?" I shrugged, taking a bite out of my apple.

"You're different." Teddy added. "Like overall."

Shrugging again, I took another bite of my apple. "So what did you need?"

"Pete and I got into a really bad argument. Like really bad." He bit his lip, and I had to stop myself from thinking about how hot it was.

"What about?" I asked.

"Well, I don't think I've told you this before, but Pete's come out of the closet." Teddy started.

"Meaning he likes men?" I asked. "That was unexpected."

"Right. Continuing on, he has a boyfriend and they've dated for a long while I guess, and his boyfriend proposed to him." He added, gently tapping his hands on the table as he talked.

I chucked my apple into the trash can nearby, smiling to myself as I'd made it in before turning my attention back to Teddy.

"Well that's great! We're happy for him, right?" I asked, kind of confused as to why he didn't sound too happy.

"Well they want me to move out. And it really fucking sucks because I can't seem to find a job that'll help me support myself. Hell, I could barely support myself when I was in the frat house with a bunch of other guys-"

"Teddy you were kind of a piece of shit when you lived there. No offense." I cut him off.

"None taken." He sarcastically said. "But now I'm really trying but I can't seem to find a job that will support me too well, or one that will keep me because of that dumbass criminal record I got that I shouldn't have. If I would've known we weren't able to have parties still I would've just not had one."

"You can't change the past but you can always change the future." I shrugged.

"How? This criminal record is permanent, I couldn't even finish school and even without the record I'm still too stupid to get a well paying job and now my best friend just kicked me out of the apartment." He panicked slightly.

Sighing, I straightened my posture and reached across the table, grabbing his shaky hands in mine.

"Look, Teddy. I'm not saying changing the future to make it different from the past is easy. It's not. My parents, Nat, Nash and I are all trying to fix our futures ourselves. We may seem happy because we have it slightly easier than you - well maybe not Nash, but still - but we're struggling too. I'm different than you last remember because I'm trying to make my future different from my past. I didn't want to continue being that innocent, sensitive little girl that I was." I explained, giving his hands a tight squeeze before letting go.

"If it makes you feel any better at all I'll talk to my manager, get you a job at my work place. It won't be much, and it may not be something like modeling or anything like that but it's something to start off with. They're also very understandable with criminal records, we have a worker there who actually DID the things on their record on purpose and still have a job." I added.

"You'd really do that for me?" Teddy asked.

"Of course. You're my friend, and even though you've done shitty things doesn't mean I'm going to let you go homeless and jobless." I lightly scoffed. Looking at my watch, my eyes widened as I saw that I had class in twenty minutes.

"Shit, I have class soon and traffic around this time of day sucks. I'll see you around, yeah?"

Teddy just nodded, as I stood up from the booth and grabbed my purse, slipping my sunglasses on and exiting the small cafe.

It was weird to talk to Teddy as if he was just my friend, and nothing more. Then again, we never really talked just as friends. We went from meeting, to slightly disliking each other/annoying each other, to lovers to nothing.

We never took the time to get to know each other as people, as friends and only friends. Of course it would feel like this, considering I didn't know what it actually felt like.

I've never had a friend that was guy that I've thought of as only friends, because my only friends have ever been Natalie and Nash, and we all know how it ended with him. Having a crush on him for years only to use me for my body and not what I'm actually worth actually killed me inside, but yet the moment I met Teddy and everything went down, I was still willing to go to Teddy right after it happened.

I mean sure, I guess I have Pete that I could count as a friend, but was he really? He's partially the reason Teddy never met up with me that day we saw each other a bit after he got out of jail, and although I guess I could be thanking him because I do need to not rush into anything with Teddy and if Pete hadn't stopped Teddy from coming to see me that night, who knew what would've happened the moment we were alone.

Teddy was right about one thing, however, and that's that I do dress differently than when he first met me. I've changed overall, and I think that even though some would consider it bad, I think it's good.

My thoughts were interrupted by me ramming into someone's chest, and I scrunched my nose slightly as I caught my breath and looked up to see a tall figure towering over me.

"Whoa, sorry about that." The voice said, and I couldn't help but find his voice very attractive.

Studying him over, I noticed he had slightly curly brown hair and deep brown eyes.

"You okay, or did I bump into you too hard?" The boy asked, noticing I'd been quiet.

"Oh, shit, right. Sorry. I was just confused, I feel like I've seen you before." It was a simple lie, but he seemed to buy it.

"Probably around the halls, we do go to the same school." He chuckled. "Well, now we do. I'm actually new. I used to go to another college but I transferred at semester."

For a second I'd forgotten that we just started second semester.

"Right. Well, I'm Kiya, it's nice to meet you." I held my hand out.

"Michael. I like your name, Kiya. It's unique." He sent a smile, taking my hand.

"Well, I'm unique." I replied, biting my lip slightly.

What was I doing? This was not what I would've done years ago.

"I like unique. What do you say you show me all the cool parts of this town, the parts that are just as unique as you?" He asked.

"Tonight. Seven thirty." I sent a smile before walking off.

I could feel the Michael's eyes on me as I walked away.

"I don't know where you live!" He yelled after me.

"Meet me at the park on avenue street!" I yelled back, smirking as I made my way to the class I was late to.

--

nat wolff is michael in case u forgot :))