"Pass the graduated cylinder," I said stiffly, trying to sit as far away from my lab partner as I could.

"Make sure to mark the time," Tyler said, glancing over to where I was drawing doodles on my scrap paper. I tried to ignore the looks he'd been giving me all while glaring daggers at Ethan's back.

I hadn't told Ethan about the beach for fear of being labeled a total psycho, but he did call me later that Saturday and ask me out to see a movie. Whatever it was we watched was probably decent, but I hadn't bothered paying attention because all Ethan seemed interested in was kissing me. He'd invited me back to his place again, but I stuck to my guns and insisted he take me home so I didn't flirt with missing my curfew twice in a row. Resisting those slate gray eyes was getting harder and harder, despite the little thrill of worry I got every time he brought me home. I was entirely sure that Brett would beat him up if he ever saw the two of us making out in Ethan's car in the driveway.

When Monday morning rolled around, I'd planned on cornering Ethan before he got to the chemistry lab to force him to switch partners with me. It hadn't gone as planned.

"Switch partners with me," I'd said, jogging up to his locker the second I'd seen him arrive. He looked down at me with a lopsided grin.

"But you hate Dakota," Ethan said, closing his locker to lean against it, that amused grin still on his face. I gave his arm a smack.

"No, I want you to be my partner," I said, annoyed that I had to spell it out for him. His eyes left mine as his smile died.

"Dakota doesn't like Tyler at all," he said, pushing off the locker.

"So what?" I practically screamed, "I hate him!"

"Hate's a bit of a strong word, no?" Ethan asked, shooting me a sidelong look as we walked to class.

"Let me get this straight, you're picking Dakota over me?" I asked, jogging around to plant myself in his way. Ethan sighed, resting his hands on my shoulders.

"Just try it out, okay? I'm sure it won't be that bad."

Flash forward to the misery that was my chemistry lab station. Here I was stuck with Tyler, while Ethan got to laugh it up with Dakota. Every time she reached over him to write something on their lab sheet, my insides seethed.

"You don't have to watch over my shoulder, you know. I'm not an idiot, I know what I'm doing," I snapped at Tyler, ripping my eyes away from Ethan and Dakota. All I got in response was a sigh.

"Why do we have to fight?" Tyler asked finally, as I jotted the time down on my lab sheet. Only half an hour more until I was free of this contemptuous situation.

"I really don't feel like getting into this right now," I said, pinching the spot between my nose and forehead with a wince if only to avoid looking at Tyler.

"I know you don't," Tyler said, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "You never do. So am I just supposed to expect to be blown off for the rest of my life? Come on, we used to be friends Madison,"

"Whatever," I muttered, looking away as Dakota moved closer to Ethan to reach for something. Tyler ran a hand through his hair, bringing it down in a fist on the lab table.

"Fine, don't talk to me," he muttered, "But don't say I didn't try."

I glanced sidelong at him, but he was absorbed in filling out his lab sheet, his shoulders decidedly angled away from me. I felt like I wanted to throw up. Between having to watch Ethan smile down at Dakota as she laughed and Tyler, the guy I'd once considered a best friend and crush of the century, brooding next to me, I was pretty sure I'd found my own personal version of hell.

With a sigh, I started measuring out the dilution for the next step of the experiment, swallowing the lump in my throat.

*********************

"Why am I getting the feeling you're mad at me?" Ethan asked, coming up behind me in the lunch line to bump his tray against mine. I didn't bother acknowledging him as I picked mine up and scooted ahead in line.

"Come on Buttercup," he said, catching up to me and using my own move against me by cutting in front so I was forced to face him.

"Yes, I'm mad at you," I managed through gritted teeth, my hands clenched around the lunch tray so I wouldn't try to slap him.

"And do you care to explain why?" he prodded, ducking his head down to try to look me in the eye. I fixed him with my steeliest A-lister glare.

"Because you're a liar and an ass," I said, deciding to forego the plate of fries I'd been waiting for in order to escape him.

"Now those are some pretty harsh words," he persisted, still following me. Somehow, he'd managed to snag a sandwich and bag of chips as he came up behind me in the cashier's line.

"I see now why you didn't want to switch lab partners with me," I said, forcing a smile for the lunch lady whose eyes were hopping between Ethan and me while I paid. Ethan made quick work of his own payment, catching up to me where I'd paused facing the cafeteria.

I'll admit I hadn't come up with a grand plan for escaping him at lunch and my feet had frozen when I realized I was making an automatic beeline for the Junior A's table.

"Oh really? So why is that?" he asked, nudging me right towards the table he shared with his own group. Instead, I made my way to the end of the band geek table, determined to sit by myself if he decided not to follow. But Ethan was not easily shaken. He thunked down in the seat opposite, his eyebrows raised in anticipation of my answer.

"You're with her, aren't you?" I asked point blank. He blinked a few times, leaning back in his chair.

"Who, Dakota?" he asked, before a chuckle escaped his lips and he unwrapped his sandwich.

"Yes Dakota," I snapped, watching him eat. My insides were boiling and I was too intent on getting a straight answer to even consider eating.

"Madison, I've told you this already. I'm not with Dakota," he said, looking at me as if I was being ridiculous. I sat back and crossed my arms.

"Then tell me you don't like her," I challenged. At this Ethan set down his sandwich, fixing me with an impatient look.

"I'm not with Dakota, I don't like Dakota, and I thought I'd already made this clear to you," he said, annoyance flashing in his gray eyes. As much as my insides squirmed under that look, I pushed on. My gut was telling me something wasn't right here.

"So then what's going on with us?" I demanded. Ethan ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he rolled his eyes.

"What the hell has gotten you into such a mood?" he asked.

"Answer the question," I said, undeterred. He fixed me with an unreadable stare.

"What do you want me to say? That I like you and I want to be with you? Because I do. But I also think that a boyfriend is the last thing you need right now," Ethan said, his eyes locked on to mine. I huffed, unable to hold his gaze any longer as I looked down to my salad.

"Then why won't you switch lab partners?" I asked, pushing the lettuce around my plate and hoping I didn't sound like a petulant toddler.

"Because you're too used to getting what you want, Buttercup," Ethan said, picking up his sandwich and taking a bite, "You need to stop being such a princess all the time,"

I glared at him and he replied with a smile full of ham sandwich bits.

**************

By the time school that day had finished, I'd pored over and over the day's events so much that my brain felt like mush. One thought kept rising above the rest though, and it was that Ethan liked me. Ethan wanted to be with me. I hadn't realized I'd actually cared until he'd said it, but as the afternoon wore on I felt a smile tug at my lips every time I thought about it. It was nice to feel wanted. I floated through my afternoon classes, heedless of the snickers Deanna and her Junior A's would toss my way.

I was happily closing my locker, looking forward to seeing Ethan after football practice when someone came up behind me and linked arms with me.

"So I get that you've been avoiding me," Courtney began, pulling me away from my locker towards the doors, "And I get that you're mad, but I'm seriously tired of not hearing from you anymore. So I really don't care what Deanna has to say about it, I'm going to hang out with you again,"

"Courtie..." I began with a sigh, but she cut me off.

"I know, I know! You hate Tyler now and apparently you're with Ethan? Whatevs, I just want my friend back. We have so much to catch up on!"

I sighed, allowing her to lead me out towards the parking lot.

"In honor of us being friends again, I wanted to buy you a coffee," she said, tugging me towards her car. I grinned despite myself as she looked over at me expectantly.

"Fine, but you know Deanna's going to give you hell for even speaking to me," I said, walking around to the passenger side of her car. Courtney rolled her eyes as she slid in next to me.

"That girl is a tyrant," she said, buckling her seatbelt, "I effing hate her,"

I knew how Courtney drove, so it wasn't unexpected that she nearly mowed down a group of sophomores as she sped from the parking lot. Her tires squealed as she took the turn towards town.

"I'm sorry I never replied to your texts," I said, as Courtney cranked Taylor Swift on her iPod.

"Hey, we all have-"

"Courtie STOP!" I screamed, as she slammed the brakes and narrowly missed ramming into a jogger.

"Sorry!" she yelled out her window, grinning. The jogger flipped her the bird, but Courtney didn't seem to notice because she was too preoccupied with laughing at his short shorts.

"God, look at that! I mean, I have the butt for those shorts, not chubby cheeks over there!" she giggled, then continued to drive at a more sedate pace.

"Butt? What butt?" I joked.

"Rude!" Courtie laughed. I laughed along with her, realizing just how much I'd missed my best friend.

"So where are we going?" I asked, looking out the window.

"Well," Courtney said slowly, pulling to a stop outside the Beanery, "I want you to know that I really do want to see you more. But I had to do this, so please don't hate me for it,"

"Hate you for what?" I demanded, looking around at her. She grimaced as she switched off the ignition.

"Just...come in with me, okay? And don't like run off right away, okay?" she said slowly, unable to meet my eyes.

"Courtie what's going on?" I asked, as we climbed out of her car and made our way towards the Beanery doors.

"It's for your own good," she said quietly, ushering me through the door.

I froze when I took in the two people sitting on the leather couch.

**************************
So who do you think is waiting for her? Looks like something about to go down!! I hope you liked this one and my apologies for it being late. Another chapter will be up sometime this weekend!

This one is dedicated to ArabiaJ who is my first ever self-declared reader addict (LOVE IT!). Her story I'll Show You is another one about the popular crew in school, except this time about a heroine who decides to infiltrate and destroy it!

Please don't forget to vote and comment if you enjoyed it, it makes my day every time :)