⌨

I flopped down on my bed exhausted. My eyelids felt as though someone had tied weights to them and my muscles were most surely shutting down. There was no way I was getting up anytime soon nor did I really have the desire to get up off my mattress, which was beginning to make me feel like I was floating on a cloud and coercing me into falling asleep in its embrace.

After the bus arrived back at school from the art trip it was well after 6 o'clock in the evening. We hit a good 3 hours worth of traffic on the way back to Clear Water. There was some pileup on the highway where a truck had tipped over in the middle of the road and formed a barricade, then a couple of other cars had smashed into the body of it too. It wasn't clear who or how many people had been hurt in the horrible accident, but there were many police cars and two ambulances at the scene so I was guessing some injuries were serious. When we got back to school I said my goodbyes to Sarah, Finn and a couple others. In the rush to get off the bus I had almost forgotten my bag from the gift shop.

With a kink in my neck from trying to sleep on the bus, I returned to an empty house and note informing that my mother would be away over the weekend on business. I don't know where Gabe was; although it wasn't like he lived with us thank the gods. I couldn't handle his dull presence around me 24/7 and I definitely couldn't handle it in times like this when my mother was away and I would be forced to socialize with him alone.

Not that there was much wrong with him other than the fact that he was a bore and rather annoying with his sloth-like actions. My mother could do so much better; I never understood why she went for men like Gabe, not particularly handsome or smart or anything really. She had never once dated a man that was worthy of her, at least not since my father. Perhaps that was why she never reached that high with boyfriend standards. My father had been undeniably handsome with his dark chocolate hair and green eyes. He was your dictionary definition of tall dark and handsome as well as his charming personality and his great dedication to his work.

He and my mother had been high school sweethearts that met in the Chemistry lab their sophomore year. The true love story that everyone always swore never existed or survived in real life. When I was young I would brag about their story, so sure that they had made it and proven society wrong. They let their fairytale slip through their fingers. The fighting slowly built up till screaming matches were every night.

I had been both relieved and heartbroken when my father moved out. I came home from school, boxes outside the house being loaded into his SUV full of his belongs. A suitcase and a duffle bag with the contents of his closet on the porch. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes and tight lips. His eyes had become glassy as they landed on me walking up the driveway. He opened his arms and I ran to him without hesitation, wrapping my arms tight around him as the tears flowed freely. I didn't blame either one of them. I never thought that when my dad kissed my forehead and stroked my hair that day, it would be the last time he did so.

"I love you, Kitten." He had whispered. It didn't occur to me as he got into his car and drove away I wouldn't see him for over 5 years possibly ever again because I didn't think he had plans to visit anytime soon. I don't know why he never spoke to me again. I waited. I really did wait by the phone for weeks on end for it to ring. I checked the mail for a letter every day, even on Sundays when I knew nothing came.

Perhaps my mother dated men who were the opposite of Mathew Montgomery on purpose. She avoided anyone who reminded her of her ex in any way.

I sighed. Anyway, after I got home from school I had to figure out what to do for dinner. Since my mother hadn't told me in advance of this trip I hadn't planned anything to cook so I just order some Chinese food and said be done with it. Now it was 9 o'clock at night, my stomach full and my homework done.

My mind wandered to earlier in the day or more specifically to a certain green-eyed boy with a knee-wobbling smirk.

Even more specifically, Issac Rush.

The famous You Tuber who currently had my number in his phone.

Who had said he would contact me.

My stomach flipped and my heart fluttered.

I snuggled under the covers and closed my eyes, letting my dreams drift off into an emerald sea.

⌨

I barely managed to get out of bed the next day to go to school. The only thing that got me going was the fact that it was a Friday.

I pulled into the school parking lot earlier than usual. There were a few groups milling about around the tarmac, but I didn't take much notice as I headed to go inside. It was much too cold to be outside. Especially since I was now wearing my socks pushed down to my ankles and my sweater was being left in the backseat of my car. It wasn't only the last day of the week, but the last day of November too.

I shivered in the chilled air. I personally considered the first of December the day winter began and the day that I allowed myself to play Christmas music. I had all the CDs in my car waiting to play jingle bells as soon as possible.

I could never decide which holiday was my favorite. Some people might easily say Christmas, but I always loved Thanksgiving and Halloween too. I guess it was whichever one I was experiencing that took first place, same with the seasons.

I hurried through the school entrance and through the mostly empty school halls, past the dozens of dark blue locker doors till I reached mine.

My mind was tired of being so busy and so was mainly thinking about being back in bed as I emptied my un-needed books into my locker and exchanged them for the ones I would require for my first couple of classes.

I shut the door to my locker and nearly jumped a mile backward.

My hand flying to my chest as my eyes closed at the sudden scare I had gotten.

When I opened them again I was met by striking gold irises.

Harrison's mouth was in a firm line and his eyebrows were creased as though he were in deep thought.

I wasn't sure how to react to seeing him. It was the first time we had been alone after our almost kiss and I wasn't sure what to do or how to act.

Was I still mad?

Hurt?

Disappointed?

Should I act indifferent to his presence?

I was hoping after being away for the day and barely thinking about him for a good 24 hours might have really dulled all the emotions I was feeling towards the boy, but my heart ached anyway.

My stomach still tightened into knots as my eyes took in his worn out uniform and disheveled dark hair.

His skin was tan even as winter approached and had a natural glow to it at all times.

I shook all those thoughts from my head and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Harrison what do you wan-" I didn't get to finish my sentence as he grabbed my arm at the elbow and quickly dragged me into a room, closing the door behind us. We were plunged into darkness and I backed up into the wall in an attempt to put some distance between my crush for the past four years and me.

I banged into some sort of shelving and there was a clatter as things tumbled to the ground

"Oh dammit!" I hissed as I went to rub my back where something had dug into it.

"Keep it down Tana." Harrison whisper shouted at me and I rolled my eyes in the darkness.

My cheeks growing hot as I heard how close he was and then his skin brushed against my cheek and my breath caught in my throat.

My heart raced in my chest and in the silence, our breath mingling together I was sure he must have been able to hear it. Suddenly a light bulb flickered to life above our heads. My eyes adjusted to the sudden light and I found my face inches away from Harrison's. His gaze on me intense and almost... intimate... I felt my face flush at our close proximity. I turned my gaze over my shoulder and saw a string swaying back and for from the ceiling. Harrison must have reached past me to turn on the light and that's why his hand had brushed my face. I shivered at the effect his skin on mine had had on me.

Desperate to look anyway from his face I took in our surroundings and my eyebrows almost rose in amusement.

"Are we in the janitor's closet?" I asked taking in the mop bucket in the corner by the door and cleaning supplies I had knocked to the floor.

I couldn't believe Harrison had dragged us into the janitor's closet! Of all the classrooms in the school... this was like some cheesy scene from a movie.

Harrison's eyes shifted away from me and he glanced around too, surprisingly a small smile seemed to pull his lips upwards.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I- it seemed like the best option a moment ago..." He chuckled awkwardly before running a hand through his hair.

"The best option for what exactly?" I asked straightening up and readjust my bag on my shoulder. I was met with silence for my answer. I sighed.

"I'm leaving this closet if you don't start talking Harrison. I'm not really in the mood for mysterious or whatever this is." I said trying to sound stern, fight my rising nerves and hide my shaking hands.

Last time we had been this close my mind had been begging him to kiss me and even now I couldn't stop the thought coming to mind. Thinking about it though just made my eyes sting and my lip tremble.

I didn't know what to make of the conversation I had overheard between him and Liana the other day.

He hadn't kissed me. He had even said he wanted to, but he didn't. He hadn't said why. I had assumed it was about Li, but after what I had heard I wasn't so sure...

Harrison still hadn't spoken up. I sighed.

"Are you going to spit it out or what?" I asked and he quickly shook his head.

"No, I mean yes. Yes, I'll spit it out or whatever, but let me just, I'm trying to-"

"Get your mouth in gear?" I asked with a slight smile. His nervousness was pretty cute. He just nodded.

"Look, I want to start with a sorry, Tana. You know about..." He trailed off and I looked away, my cheeks flaming.

"Yeah, I know what about." I snapped. Now it was Harrison's turn to sigh.

"Tana I- I know I was wrong and I know sorry doesn't cut it,"

Damn right it doesn't.

"But I really was hoping that you would try to forgive me." He finished. At least I thought he had finished. "Please Monty, I wouldn't even ask if..."

"If what?" I asked when he didn't continue.

My heart in my throat.

My blood rushing in my ears.

I waited for his reply.

He looked up from the floor and met my gaze.

"If I didn't regret it so badly."

⌨

A/N- An update? Yay! Harrison seems to be trying to make amends, but he hasn't really cleared up why he ran away from Monty. 

Do we still like Harrison now that we've met Issac? Tell me what you think!