My weekend was crap, to say the least. Sebastian didn't text or call me the whole time. Part of me wants to be angry at him for not talking this out with me, but I suspect he's embarrassed or worse, ashamed of my actions. My advances had been too much. Maybe, I was too wild.

With that being said, I too ignored almost everyone this weekend. That included Jenny and Micah's texts which I dismissed with one-word replies and lame excuses for why I couldn't hang out. Now I feel guilty about that too. Never before had I ignored my best friends like that, even when I was feeling terrible. Something about what transpired between Ten and me was just different. Maybe because we had our first real fight ever. Other fights were just petty situations like not understanding flirting signals from people or who would get the check at a restaurant.

Monday rolls around and I'm feeling worse than ever even after spending the whole weekend sulking in bed. Usually, I'm hyperactive on an off day, so now my parents are worried. Both chalked it up to 'lady issues' which isn't too far off the mark. Now, I've got a terrible headache after mulling over the situation and shedding a few tears.

I look terrible. For ten minutes, I just stare at myself in the bathroom mirror. My brown, box-dyed hair is lackluster and greasy. Did I forget to shower this whole weekend? My skin looks terrible—sickly and pale—a contrast to my usual fair color. Small, purple bags linger under my eyes. I'll definitely need a good nap after school.

Deciding it can't wait, I take a quick shower, making sure I wash my hair at least two times. I feel better and slightly more awake once the warm water hits my skin. Then, I brush my teeth and hurry to my closet. I'm running late from the shower, so I quickly put on a pair of jeans, a floral tank top and sandals before grabbing my bag to head downstairs.

Catching sight of Sebastian's pickup outside the window, I didn't expect him to be waiting outside for me. We hadn't talked all weekend, so I assumed he would've gone directly to school. I also didn't expect it to be raining as hard as it is. Looking down at my toes, I sigh. There's no time to go back up and change. I can already tell, it'll be a bad day.

Sebastian gets out of the car, holding his jacket up to cover his head. "What the hell, Emie? It's pouring, what are you wearing?"

I don't respond. I don't know how to go about having a normal conversation with him since he had yelled at me on Friday. He can't still be angry, why else would he be here talking to me, right? Or maybe he's tricking me? No, Sebastian wouldn't do that. At least I hope he wouldn't.

"Come on," he says. When he reaches me, he throws his jacket over my shoulders before he runs back to the truck. "Let's go, Emerson."

Jesus, I hadn't heard him use my full name in years. I guess he is still mad. His words kick me out of my reverie. I force my legs to move forward. After I get into the truck, Sebastian closes the door after me. I wait for him to come around to his side.

"Ten?" I ask timidly once he gets in, but he shakes his head.

"Let's just get to school."

A tense silence envelopes us. The ride is filled with the sound of the rain smashing against the car and light pop music playing. The latest upbeat Taylor Swift song is a large contrast to the sullen mood around us. Once we reach the school, Sebastian reaches back and grabs an umbrella. He hands it over to me while simultaneously pulling his jacket off my shoulders.

"We have football practice today," he states before turning the car off and getting out.

That's how he lets me know that he won't be able to drive me home. But the thing is, it's raining cats and dogs. Coach Blake would never let these boys practice in the pouring rain. My throat burns as tears prick at the corners of my eyes. How could my actions have caused this big of a rift?

Shaking my head, I step out of the truck. I lock the car since Sebastian chose not to wait. Hiding under the umbrella, I slowly make my way into the school. Everyone is dressed in rain boots, jackets, and long sleeves. I'm the odd one out with my tank top and sandals. It gets hot and my hands become wet from sweat as people point and giggle. I've never felt so embarrassed since I've never experienced getting made fun of until now. My cheeks are red, and I feel claustrophobic. It's like my throat is clogged and my heart races in my chest.

"Em!" someone shouts. I look over to see Micah and Jenny running towards me.

"Emie, what are you wearing?" Jenny asks, grabbing onto my bare shoulders and giving me a small shake. "And why were you dodging us all weekend? Weren't we supposed to hang out together?"

I'm given no time to reply as I'm pulled away from Jenny and towards Micah, crashing into her side before she steadies me. She wraps her arms around me and gives me a bear hug. It's actually pretty comforting. Her arms are warm despite the chill in the air. I assume she was previously wearing a jacket which she had discarded when she got here. Like always, Micah smells good from the Victoria's Secret perfume she always gets–Love Spell.

"Lay off, Jennifer," Micah commands as she turns to face Jenny. "Can't you see that something is clearly wrong. Aren't you supposed to be her best friend?"

Jenny is silent for a moment before she sighs. "Come on. Let's go to the bathroom. We still have like ten minutes before class starts."

I observe Jenny. She's different from the little girl with braided hair I met so long ago. Now, her hair is worn loose, in its natural, kinky glory. Her smooth skin reminds me of chestnuts, a soft brown, blending her mother's dark complexion and her father's lighter, mixed complexion. Nearly blemish-free, it's a contrast to the acne-prone skin she struggled with back in ninth grade. Now she wasn't even a girl. Jenny already turned eighteen and had become a young adult, just like we all will become, eventually.

They usher me into a nearby bathroom that's luckily empty. Our school isn't big. We've got four bathrooms–two for girls, two for guys–so finding an empty bathroom is great. Like I said before, Elderwood is a small town with a population of just over twenty-five hundred citizens. I believe that children make up most of the residents as it's not uncommon for folks here to have more than one child. My parents are just odd ones out. Our school, Elderwood High, has approximately six-hundred students, and everyone knows everyone. There are times where I wish we had at least a thousand students so it's easier to get lost in a crowd.

In the bathroom, Micah checks every stall for possible peeping ears. Jenny takes my bag and sets it in the corner. The good thing about mornings is that all the bathrooms are clean. The strong fragrance of room freshener and disinfectant clouds the shiny, white cubicles. Jenny walks over to me and looks me in the eye. Her beautiful, chocolate-brown's stare into my blue ones. A lot of people with brown eyes feel their eyes are dull, but I disagree. I think dark eyes, like Jenny's, are some of the prettiest I've ever seen, especially when you can see the care and love in them.

"Tell us what's wrong, Emie," Jenny says softly as she frowns.

I wonder if I should confide in them? They're my best friends and we share everything with each other, but I am scared that like Sebastian, they will get mad at me too.

"It's okay, Em." Micah comes over to me after checking the last stall. She reaches towards me and grabs my hand in a tight but gentle grip. "Take your time."

Out of nowhere, the word vomit begins. I tell them about how distant Sebastian and I have become after summer break. Then, I let them know how their talk about sex got me thinking yesterday; and how I basically attacked Sebastian, but he rejected my advances. I feel my body sagging towards the end. Micah holds me up, supporting my weight.

"Damn," Jenny breathes once I'm finished. "He... stopped you?"

I know she would've said 'rejected' if the situation were more comical. Rejected is exactly how I feel. Struggling to hold back tears, I blink rapidly and breathe deeply. My throat tightens with the force of my pain, making me swallow repeatedly. My own boyfriend doesn't want to be intimate with me. The pain of his rejection hurts much more than I could've ever thought.

"Yes." I nod. My stomach is hurting. The stress is making me feel physically sick, and I hate it. "Do you think he wants to break up with me?"

"Screw him if he does!" Micah shouts but Jenny hushes her. "I mean, who wouldn't want you, Em? You're the nicest girl I know. You're smart, attentive, and you have a pretty sweet body."

"Micah!" Jenny shrieks as my cheeks grow red.

"What?" she snaps with a scowl. "It's the truth. Fuck Sebastian for not tapping that, and fuck him for the way he left her. Honestly, he's acting like a judgmental girl. You did nothing wrong, Em. You're a hormonal, teenage girl who got a little carried away. That does not give Sebastian the right to yell at you or make you feel bad about yourself."

It dumbfounds Jenny and me. We've never heard Micah speak so passionately before. I'm reminded of peonies as I mull over Micah's words. Micah is the compassionate side of a peony because she's anything but bashful which is also what the flowers can mean. For a while now, I've been feeling indignant and shameful for my actions, something they also stand for.

"You need to talk to him," Jenny suggests after a beat of silence. "Work this out because I know you guys and you guys don't fight. Something is clearly bothering him."

"Or..." Micah gives a mischievous smile, "you can seduce him."

* * *

I took Jenny's advice. Sebastian and I needed to talk this out. We have known each other since we were kids and have been together too long to let a misunderstanding about sex drive us apart. I would not let him ignore me. Also, while I've been thinking about his feelings, he evidently hasn't thought about mine.

It's still drizzling when school ends. Waiting by Sebastian's car, umbrella open and covering my head, I watch him walk out of school with his buddies: Greg Piscotti and David Peters. Both are also on the football team and have been living in this town since birth, like almost all kids here. They have been best friends for as long as I could remember. Also, Greg's dating Jenny, so I've gotten to know him pretty well over the years.

They're a plainly big contrast from each other. Greg is a big guy, mainly muscle that seems like it's fat. He has tanned skin and thick, black hair that has to do with his Italian roots. Don't let that fool you though, Greg doesn't know a lick of Italian. His parents were born in Florida and moved to Elderwood before Greg and his siblings were born. Despite his looks, Greg is honestly just a big teddy bear.

David is naturally lankier than Greg and even Sebastian who is pretty lean. He's like a stick, tall and skinny. For some reason, he likes to wear baggy clothes that completely swallow him. I asked him once why and all he responded was that he needed room for when he finally put on pounds. Despite that, David is strong. He once lifted Michelle Steele up above his head junior year for a play. Michelle isn't fat, by any means, but she is a bit curvier than the rest of us.

"Hey, Emie!" Greg shouts before barreling towards me. I'm surprised as he traps me in his arms, giving me a hug that suffocates the life out of me. "Sucks that you're in those smart classes. We never see each other anymore."

"If I could change, I would, Greg," I tell him with a smile when he finally lets me go. My eyes voluntarily trail to Sebastian who is frowning while he looks at us.

"Nah, don't even trade in your smarts," Greg says as he pulls out his phone. "Gotta go, Jenny's waiting by the car. Bye, guys!"

Greg leaves. I smile as I watch him go, happy my best friend has someone like him in her life. Looking over to the spot David had been in, I see him already walking away.

In a weird and cliche world, he'd be heading to meet Micah, and we'd all be going out on a triple date. That'll never happen because Micah and David aren't each other's type. Micah likes to avoid relationships, and David has been dating Michelle Steele since the night of the play.

With a small sigh, I look over at Sebastian. He's avoiding eye contact, but I won't let that derail me.

"We need to talk, Ten," I state firmly. I will not take no for an answer, even if I have to force words out of him.

I open my mouth to speak again but I am pleasantly surprised when I feel lips press against mine. Sebastian is kissing me? Now I'm even more confused than before. Is he mad or not? I want to pull away, but I miss his lips against mine. I'm trapped in the whirlwind of passion he evokes within me. My heart beats frantically in happiness and my eyes flutter closed. There's no one here but us and I imagine a perfectly blue sky with white doves flying ahead of us. Finally, he pulls away. His lips are swollen and red. So are mine. Sebastian smiles. So do I.

"Let's go to my house. My parents are in the city for now and Simon won't be home yet," he suggests huskily. I want to decline, but something stops me. This is my chance to get answers and maybe to finally take our relationship to the next level.

"Okay, yeah."

As we make our way towards the car, I realize I didn't even have to seduce him.

*2426 words before the author's note. Edited: 4/23/20. Hi, thank you for still being here. I hope you guys liked this chapter, don't be afraid to vote and let me know if you liked this chapter or not. I have a discord server, pm me for details. Thanks so much for reading.*