The condensation from my lemonade drips onto the patio, evaporating almost instantly from the leftover heat from the blazing hot summer day. I move the towel around my legs and let it fall to the ground, placing the chilled glass on my sunburnt skin without a breeze to cool it down.

"So...that's it? Alyse happened to see you watching that movie and you were a jerk to her?" West asks carefully as he looks between the two of us.

Toby lolls his head to the side to look at West and lifts his hand to shield the fading sun from his eyes, "I was convinced that she had somehow made it her mission to tell everyone that I saw a chick flick. Which was completely an accident, might I add. As a seven year old boy, that was pretty much the worst thing that could happen to me socially. The only good part was that it meant a cute girl saying I was with her at the movies, which probably could have gotten me some of that social status back. But it was all monster trucks and Goosebumps at the time for boys."

"You know, Toby, you aren't great with first impressions."

"Yeah yeah, I know. I'm too quick to judge. I'm working on it," he sighs, sitting up slightly to grab his lemonade from its spot on the porch.

"It's okay, he gets better as the story goes on," I tease, nudging his legs. "Since Raine and I were best friends, I used to come over all the time. Which meant Toby and I were stuck with one another, which neither of us particularly liked at the time..."

Every playdate, every movie night, every sleepover all through elementary school consisted of Toby and I trying to either avoid one another or play a prank on each other. They started off more innocent than not, such as the spider in my lemonade or the time I put a slug on his head in church. One thing was for certain, whatever he dished out to me, I was able to dish right back and vice versa. We had a never ending childhood of back and forth pranks and teasing, which our parents mistook for kids being kids rather than a rivalry that all stemmed from one movie theater mistake. The pranks continued as we went through elementary and middle school, but they became more sophisticated and well thought out. It almost became our thing. If either of us could admit that we even had a thing.

Between all of the pranking, there was a sort of friendship that formed. Though, neither of us would have owned up to it. Toby began actually hanging out with Raine and I for a while. The movie nights between Raine and I became movie nights with all three of us, pool days for the girls became a pool day for the girls plus Toby, and he even got the two of us into video games. We still didn't particularly get along, but our initial hatred was slowly fading into something else entirely. Something that neither of us would recognize for years to come.

The older we all became, Toby began to turn into the borderline cocky older brother that he still likes to be today. Even back then he was popular. I guess being the cutest guy in his grade had a lot to do with it. However, his looks and popularity really took off when he became a freshman in high school while Raine and I were still only in middle school. Hanging out with us suddenly wasn't the cool thing to do, and he started spending time with his other friends, like Warren.

Day by day, the pranks began to thin out and our movie trio was slimmed down to two. I was okay with it, of course. After all, I was still adamant that our little rivalry was very much alive. As much as Toby's features started becoming more defined, mine did too. In 8th grade, I finally started to look my age rather than some little girl stuck in 5th grade, and boys noticed.

Raine and I were both something to be talked about. Her with her blue eyes and long, brown hair and features just as stunning as her brother, and me with my unique green eyes and lighter, short hair. Boys in our grade started to shift from simply talking to us, to flirting with us. By the middle of 8th grade, I had finally been asked on my first date. My months spent flirting with Scott Cameron finally paid off and he asked me to go to the arcade with him.

However, the date didn't happen. I showed up, but Scott never did. That night, instead of trying to beat the high score on Pac Man or playing air hockey, I found myself curled up on Raine's couch, tears brimming my eyes, watching How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days for probably the 50th time.

"Why would he ditch me like that?" I sniffled.

Raine handed me the box of tissues by her side and frowned. "Because he's an idiot, that's why."

"A hot idiot that I really wanted to go on a date with," I say, sending more tears to my eyes and overflowing down my cheeks.

Raine just came closer and wrapped me in a hug, knowing words weren't going to do much for me at that point. Moments later, the front door swung open to reveal Toby coming home from Warren's.

"This movie again?" He groaned as he took off his jacket. "God, Alyse, you only watch this crap when you're feeling hopelessly, grossly romantic."

I tried to sniffle subtly so as not to clue him in on my tears, avoiding looking in his direction so that the glow of the TV wouldn't illuminate my puffy face. Not that he'd care, but I couldn't deal with any more of him making fun of me.

"Drop it, Toby," Raine said, shooting him a glare.

"What? You know I'm right."

"I don't care if you're right or not, just drop it. Okay?"

The movie shifted to brighter scenery, lighting up the dark living room just enough for Toby to see my face and all its wet, puffy glory. His mouth, open for some sort of comeback, quickly shut. His gaze was stuck on me for a few moments too long to be indifferent to my tears, but at the time I hadn't really noticed. All I could focus on was the utter embarrassment of being ditched on my first date.

Toby simply nodded and began walking up the stairs. Unbeknownst to me at the time, he didn't walk fully into his room. Instead, he walked just high enough that the wall would shield him from our sights as he sat on the steps to listen in on our conversation and find out whatever it was that made me cry.

"Ignore him," Raine said softly, "He's almost as much of an idiot as Scott."

"I should text him," I suddenly decided, throwing the blanket off of me to find my phone.

"I don't think that's a good idea-"

"Maybe his dad's car broke down and that's why he never showed up! I should text to make sure that didn't happen."

"Alyse...you already texted him when you were at the arcade. He didn't respond then."

"That was then, this is now!"

As I took out my phone to text, Raine gently covered my hands with her own and shook her head.

"I don't think you should give him the satisfaction of letting him know you're thinking about him."

The next day, Raine convinced me to go to school with my head held high as if I was never ditched at the arcade by potentially the cutest guy in our grade. It was working very well, the facade I put up of being indifferent to being stood up for my first ever date, until Scott had the audacity to come talk to me during lunch. I planned on ignoring him, but it was impossible for me to ignore the fresh black eye he was sporting on his left eye. So, when he asked if we could talk, I agreed and walked off to the side of the cafeteria with him.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't show up for the date," he grumbled, staring down at his shoes as if trying to hide the black eye.

"Okay."

"That's it? Just 'okay'?"

"You ditched me."

Scott sighed, looking annoyed with the conversation, before he finally met my eyes. "I know. I'm sorry. It was a stupid dare by my friends to ask you out, I guess I never should have done it in the first place."

Okay, ouch. That certainly didn't make me feel any better, and that familiar tightening of my chest came back. I had to basically swallow down my tears to avoid eternal embarrassment for crying over the pathetic guy in front of me.

"How'd you get that," I asked instead, nodding to his grotesque eye.

"I-I'm not supposed to say."

"You literally asked me out on a dare and left me waiting in an arcade lobby for nearly an hour. I think answering my question is the least you can do," I said dryly.

With hesitance, Scott looked at me and finally let out a breath of annoyance.

"Fine. Toby Winter did it. He found me in the bus loop this morning, he seemed pretty pissed off that I ditched you."

I recoiled in shock. I stood there, staring at Scott with a dumbfounded expression. Toby?

"Yeah right, who really did it?"

"I just told you."

"Toby hates me. He wouldn't do that for me."

Scott shrugged, clearly bored with the conversation now that he said all that he wanted. Without so much as a goodbye, he walked away, and I was left standing there to stare at the concrete wall in confusion.

Later that week, when Raine and I were in her room trying to study for our algebra test, I still couldn't get what Scott said out of my head. I hadn't told Raine simply because I didn't fully believe it. Scott must've just wanted a way out of our conversation and figured that pinning the injury on my best friend's brother was the best exit strategy. Best friend's older brother typically means protective, at least that's what it means in the books and movies.

"I'm gonna go get some water," I muttered as I got up from the bed, "all of these graphs are giving me a headache."

As I walked down the hallway, I happened to pass Toby's room. His door was swung open, but I refused to risk a glance just in case he caught me peering in.

"Alyse."

I had just passed his door when he called out, so I slowly backtracked and allowed myself to glance into his room. He was standing by his dresser, doing up the last few buttons to his short-sleeved shirt. His hair was done up nicely, his shorts were actual khakis rather than loose basketball shorts, and his shirt was free of any wrinkles. However, my brow made up for the lack of wrinkles in his clothes as I tried to piece together why he looked so nice.

I stood in his doorway, leaning on the frame with my arms crossed and one brow raised in silent question.

"I heard about Scott," he admitted, looking away from the mirror to set his attention on me. When his eyes met mine, my stomach did some sort of stupid flip that left me silently cursing myself.

I didn't know when it started, but I was no longer able to control my reactions to gaining Toby's attention. What once made me scowl in annoyance turned into me fighting away a blush. His smile used to make my stomach churn in anger, mainly because it was typically matched with some successful prank on me, but then it started to make my heart skip a beat when directed solely at me.

I hated it.

I stared back at him, wondering where the conversation was going. Toby and I didn't talk much one-on-one unless it was a brief conversation about some stupid prank.

He leaned his hands against his dresser behind him, eyes still holding mine captive.

"I'm sorry that he ditched you and I'm sorry that I made fun last night. I didn't know."

I shrugged it off, ready to say a simple thanks and walk away, but then my eyes caught sight of the blotchy, red swollen knuckles on his right hand. Scott's black eye invaded my mind for a moment, and I recalled who he said the culprit was.

Upon my awkward-length of silence, Toby nodded once and lightly pushed off of his dresser, turning back around to face the mirror and mess with his styled hair. My gaze was still stuck to his knuckles, noting the way he could barely move his middle and index fingers without wincing ever so slightly.

"Toby?"

He paused and caught my eye through the mirror, turning to face me with a borderline bored look.

"Thank you."

"For?"

I stood up a little straighter, feeling awkward, and nodded to his hand. "Scott came and apologized to me today."

Toby followed my line of sight to his hand and quickly placed it behind his back, clearing his throat. "Yeah, well Scott's a douche, he deserved it. Anyway, I've got to get ready for my date."

His response was laced with a dismissive tone, as if punching Scott hadn't been an action any different from swatting an annoying bug away from his face. I bit my tongue as I stared at him. Of course he hadn't punched Scott for my benefit. Why had I assumed that, anyway? He and I aren't friends. We're barely even acquaintances.

"Have fun," I muttered with an eye roll.

Toby caught my tone and mistook it for something else, his lips lifting cockily in one corner. "Jealous?"

"Says the one who punched the guy I went on a date with."

"The guy that stood you up," Toby corrected, stepping closer to lean against his bed post.

"Is that why you punched him?"

"No."

Then he started walking over to me.

My breath got caught in my throat at his sudden, yet still slow action. I removed any reaction from my expression and stared at him, unwilling to be the one to give in and break our gaze. Then he stood right in front of me, towering over me even at our young age. The scent of his soap was radiating from him, or maybe that was some sort of cologne? He must've just washed his clothes that day, too, because he smelled like fresh laundry as well. A bolt of jealousy shocked my stomach when I thought about the girl he had gotten all cleaned up for.

"I punched him because he made you cry. And, as it turns out, I really don't like seeing you cry," Toby said.

Without giving me the chance to respond, Toby kept my gaze for only a moment longer before side stepping and walking right past me to leave for his date. I was left standing there, at a loss for words for perhaps the first time in my life.

An hour later, Raine and I had ditched studying and went downstairs to watch TV. Only five minutes in, she nodded off to sleep and I flipped through the channels. I had just found the movie I was searching for and clicked on it, and then Benjamin Barry was on the screen, and all was right in the world.

As the movie progressed, the front door suddenly swung open, and Marcus and Toby came inside. Marcus waved to me with a smile before retreating to his office down the hall.

"How was the date?" I muttered since Toby decided to walk into the living room.

He plopped down on the couch next to me and began taking his shoes off with a snort.

"Hardly a date." Then he nodded to Raine on the other side of me, sprawled out in the corner of the sectional. "Asleep?"

I nodded and moved my attention back to the TV.

"Still not over Scott?"

"What?"

Toby tilted his head to the TV with a small smirk. "You're watching this stupid movie again. You only watch it when you're trying to get over a romance or when you want to start one."

I rolled my eyes, wishing he'd go away but also wishing he'd come closer.

"I'm over Scott. I was just embarrassed, but I'm over it now. How come it was hardly a date?"

Toby shrugged. "I was distracted. Who, then?"

"'Who'?" I echoed.

Toby glanced back at the screen in answer. "Who are you watching the movie for?"

"Why does there have to be a who?"

"Okay, then there must be a why."

I narrowed my eyes at him as annoyance began bubbling deep in my chest. "Sure. Why are you so interested?" I snapped.

Toby huffed and stood up, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I was just trying to help. The last time I saw you watching this movie you were crying over a guy that didn't deserve it."

"Why do you even care? You don't even like me."

His jaw clenched and he seemed like he was about to reply, but then Raine stirred and yawned loudly.

"Yes he does," she said.

My and Toby's attention snapped to her and she rolled her eyes.

"Come on. He clearly punched Scott because he has a thing for you. You two have known each other since you were, like, five."

I guffawed, "Yeah, known and practically hated."

Raine gave me a bored look. "You know, he's always looking at you when you come over. Who do you think he was distracted by on his date?"

Toby piped into the conversation at that. "You've been awake this whole time?"

"It's not like you two were whispering."

"Whatever," I said suddenly, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "Toby, it's fine. I know we have a mutual dislike for each other, you don't have to defend it. And Raine? Go back to sleep."

She just chuckled quietly but obliged and laid her head back down on the pillows, heading back to sleep almost instantly. Meanwhile, I put my attention back on Toby who was staring at me with a blank expression.

"Sorry your date wasn't all you hoped for. But unless you want to watch this movie with me, do you mind?" I asked, internally wincing at how rude it sounded but keeping my expression as firm as my tone.

Toby continued to stare at me for a few moments, his expression unreadable until he spoke up with a tight voice.

"If I disliked you so much, then I wouldn't have punched Scott."

His footsteps followed his sentence, placing an exclamation mark at the end when he slammed his bedroom door shut.

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Thank you to The Summer I Turned Pretty for the inspiration, add the new Prime series to your summer watch-list!