Picture on the side is of Drew...who has at long last returned! 

Hope you guys all enjoy :) Vote/comment/do all that kinds of stuff...be awesome!

I go back to school the next day.  

It's been two weeks since I've stepped foot onto that campus and, the last time I was there, I was still somewhat with Drew, the boy who I haven't heard from since then. It's town news that my father killed himself; hell, I once walked in on Lucas' mom watching the Evening News cover about it. So I know that he knows. 

I know that everyone knows. 

I really don't want the pity stares; I honestly don't know if I'll be able to handle them. I just want people to treat me how they treated me before-with discard. I just want to go through my day and then go back to the bookstore and read out my frustrations. Maybe make out with Lucas a little bit. I don't know. 

But what I do know is that if anyone so much as tries to come up to me and apologize even though I've never spoken to them a day in my life, I'm going to scream.  

"Hey, you okay?" Lucas asks me when he pulls into his parking spot and realizes that I haven't made a move to grab any of my things.  

"I'm fine," I say with a terse nod, but judging by the way that my stomach is in complete and total knots, I am very far from fine. "And that rhymed, by the way." 

He grins at me, obviously happy that I'm okay enough to joke, but I can still see the underlying worry touching his handsome features. He says, "Wonderful, Nay. But seriously...you okay? I can bring you home right now if you want me to." 

I stick my tongue out at him, trying to play my worry off like it's nothing. Although I am anxious to get this day over and done with, I want to deal with it. Missing a lot of school has always made me nervous due to overloads in makeup work and such, and I've already missed two weeks. That's far too much for me. 

And I want to show the people here that I'm strong and that this tragedy won't bring me down. 

I say, "Shut up. Now let's just get today over with, alright?" 

Still looking a bit unwary because I know he's completely aware of my false confidence, Lucas says, "Fine. But if you ever want to leave just text me and I'll bring you." 

"Oh my God," I say exasperated, rolling my eyes at his over caring but secretly loving the way it makes my heart feel all warm and happy inside of my chest. I reach down and grab my book sack from where it's resting by my feet and then go to hop out of the Jeep, but his hand on my arm stops me directly in my tracks. "What?" I demand, whirling around to face him. 

But before I can even listen in for an answer, he's gripped the back of my head and pulled my face in so that his lips can press sweetly against mine. The kiss only lasts for a few split seconds, but my face is still red and my lips are still tingly when he pulls away and rests his forehead against mine. He says, "I just don't know how long it'll be until I can do that again." 

"So cheesy," I tease, but completely contradict my insult when I lean in and give him another quick peck just because I feel like it and just because his lips are so tasty. 

Moments later he cuts the engine to the car and we both hop out, him coming around and meeting me with a grabbing of my hand. Already I see people aware that he's not getting out of a car with Destiny and that, seconds later, their curious eyes dart down to our intertwined hands.  

It's funny, their reactions. Well, it mostly kind of pisses me off that they're so in shock that Lucas would actually step down from Destiny to me, but it's better for me if I just say that I find it funny. I'm not in the state right now to start being pissed off at people. It's kind of early for me anyways, to get annoyed with the students here. Usually it takes a little bit longer. 

But Lucas, thankfully, chooses to ignore the gawkers and instead just leads me through the pack of the students milling around before the first bell rings. He's so calm about all of this, probably smart enough to have thought about what their reactions would be and prepare himself, and I'm super thankful that he is because I'm pretty much freaking out right now. 

What if someone comes up to me and calls me a slut for stealing him away from the most-liked girl at the school? Oh shit...she is the most liked girl here. People are going to hate me. They're going to despise me for bringing sadness to the school sweetheart.  

And just when I thought that school couldn't get any worse. 

"Naomi?" Lucas asks, tugging gently on my hand. It's then that I snap out of my stupor and realize that I've stopped walking and that people are looking on at me like I've grown three heads. Shit. Now they're going to think I'm even weirder and think that I'm even more of a slut because someone so weird snagged Lucas Hamilton. 

"Sorry," I mumble, and then catch up to him and bring myself just a bit closer to him. I need the warmth and comfort he brings me all the time. He's like the teddy bear I used to sleep with when I was little...just much more attractive and he smells much better. 

Lucas drops our intertwined hands and then threads his arm around my shoulders, bringing me in close. He puts his mouth at my ear and, even though my stomach is in shreds right now at the thought of walking into that school, he still makes me feel just a bit alight with desire. He says softly to me, "If this is too much for you, we can go. Remember that." 

"No," I say shaking my head, knowing that I'll never walk through those double doors if I don't do it now. For now I just need to fake strength until it becomes real. That's all. "I'm okay." 

"Good," he says, pressing a kiss to my cheek and then pulling away. And then I watch on in minute terror as he leans forward and pulls open the front door, letting the school's air conditioning spill out into the humid outside air. 

It makes me feel clammy. 

As we make our way down the hallway, I cannot help but notice all of the stares and glares being sent in our direction. Not one of those stares are okay. They're either staring at me with pity or concern because of my family situation, or they're staring at me because they hate me for breaking up the most-liked couple here. 

Either way it sucks. 

Lucas walks with me all the way to my locker, and then stands there patiently as I shakily put in combination, feeling uneasy with all the eyes that I feel burning my back. I get the metal door open on the third try, of course, and then try to remember the first class that I have.  

It's been a while. 

"Lucas? Can I talk to you?" 

The voice makes my heart stop cold in my chest, and causes panic slowly start to creep in. Destiny's here. She wants to talk to him. About what I have no idea, but for some reason I feel like it can't be good.  

Not wanting to turn around and see just how perfect she looks while talking to him, I take a step away from Lucas and closer to my locker, wishing that it could just reach out and pull me in and keep me away from this place. But it's as I'm doing this that I feel Lucas step closer to me, and then tell her kindly, "Not right now, okay?" 

Her voice sounding just a bit indignant because she's not getting her way, she says, "Just for a second please. I'm sure Naomi will be fine." 

As I feel this warm, bubbly sensation in my chest at the realization that Lucas is turning her down just so that he can stay with me, I listen in as he tells her, "Oh she would. I just don't feel like talking right now." 

"Fine," she says, but her usually bubble-gum sweet voice is tight with anger. "I'll text you later then." 

"Okay," Lucas replies, and moments later I hear her turn away and start to walk down the hall just a bit more loudly than normal. 

Once I know that she's good and gone, I turn around and look up Lucas, startled that he's already looking down at me like I'm going to hate him for even talking to her. And even though we're in a hallway filled with spectators who are probably watching us, I can't help it. I don't want him to worry about me being mad at him. Sure I don't like that she came up and talked to us, but he turned her down and that shows me just how much he truly cares. 

So with that thought in mind, I stand on my tip toes and loop my arms around his neck, bringing him in for a sweet kiss. His lips immediately begin to move against mine, his arms that had been dangling next to his side coming up and wrapping around my waist. But the kiss is over just as swiftly as it started, his lips curving into a smile against mine right before he pulls away.  

Thankfully, though, his arms stay locked around my waist as he asks me, "What was that for?" 

"To say thank you...for not going with her. I don't think I would've been too upset, but I'm glad you picked me." 

His grip on my waist tightens, and I can feel the fabric of my shirt slowly start to lift at the force, letting his bare skin touch mine. It's beautiful. He says, "I'm always going to pick you...don't be stupid." 

I laugh, loving that he can make what should be such a romantic little statement into a jab, knowing that it's something I would do too. But I can't have him have the last insult. I'm a girl, I have to have the last word. So I go to say, "Need I remind you of a little incident two years ago..." 

But I can't even finish the sentence because he's used that tight grip on my waist to jerk me back to him and then kiss me hard, effectively shutting me up. 

oOoOo 

"Hey Naomi?" I hear a voice whisper to me in class, and when I look over and see a familiar pair of brown eyes look at me, I can't help but feel a little ping of annoyance. Drew hasn't talked to me since he ran off of my porch because I wouldn't make out with him. That was the same night my dad hit me, the same night that I needed someone there. And although that someone was Lucas and it ended up making our relationship much stronger, I still would have liked for him to be somewhat supportive. 

And he wasn't. 

So I don't like him. 

"What?" I ask him, darting my eyes to the front of the classroom to make sure that the teacher isn't paying us any attention and that I won't get into any trouble. When I see the bald man scribbling on the board about Napoleon Bonaparte, I feel much better and then turn back to meet eyes with Drew. 

Leaning over in his desk so that he can speak softer, he says, "I want to talk to you. After class." 

"I don't think so," I immediately snap, not even really thinking about it. I guess being rude to ass holes is just second nature to me. 

Looking a bit taken aback by my snappish reply, he takes a second to respond. When he does, he says, "Come on, I'm sorry about the whole ditching thing. But seriously, I really want to talk to you." 

"No," I say again, in my most finalized tone, and then sink back in my desk chair, cross my arms over my chest, and then watch the teacher finish jotting down the notes on the blackboard. 

For the next five minutes, Drew is consistent. He keeps whispering my name, softly yelling at me to turn around, even once offering me frozen yogurt as a payment. But I don't relent. I'm still angry with him deep down for treating me like a pair of lips and not a human being.  

But when I feel a piece of paper hit me in the head, I cannot help but react. "What?!" I screech, momentarily forgetting that Drew and I are not alone but instead in a crowded classroom with a teacher who just loves giving out detentions. 

"Ms. Brown," the teacher booms from the front of the room, making my heart pretty much stop beating. Slowly I raise my furious gaze from Drew and instead switch it to the teacher, making sure that I don't look quite so pissed off when I do so. That'll only make my punishment worse. 

"Yes?" my voice comes out as a meek whisper, and if it weren't for the quiet tittering of the rest of the class, I would have wondered if I'd even been heard.  

After practically slamming his chalk down onto the little metal place holder, he makes angry eye contact with me and says, "Care to share the reasoning for your little outburst?" 

While in my head I am silently bashing into Drew's head with a pick-up truck, outwardly I can't even begin to think of what I should do or say. If I blame it on Drew then the teacher will most likely give us both detention and I can't be stuffed in a room with him. Or even worse, the class will call me a tattle-tale like we're in fifth grade and make me feel even worse. 

I really don't like either of those possibilities.  

"Ms. Brown!" the teacher shouts, making me jump just a little bit inside of my desk. Damn it. I really need to stop with this whole zoning out thing. It's making life increasingly difficult. 

And it's even worse that my face has the attention of every single person alive and breathing in this classroom. 

"I threw a piece of paper at her head," Drew says easily, as if he's used to doing such childish things and then telling the teacher on himself when the teacher looks like he's one step away from blowing steam out of his ears.  

I look over at him incredulously, wondering why in the world he's turning himself in when I've already received the blame and the embarrassment. He continues, "I was trying to get her attention, but she wouldn't listen...so I threw a piece of paper at her head." 

The teacher is rapidly turns his fury on Drew, making me relax just a little bit from where I'm sitting. My upright composure is quick to slouch and I bury my face in my hand, wondering why my first day back has to be so hectic. Before this, I'd go weeks at a time without really talking to anyone at school. Why does today have to be any different? 

Class ends just fifteen minutes later, me walking out empty handed while Drew walks out with a detention slip for tomorrow afternoon. It doesn't really make me feel any better though, because the moment that we're out of class, Drew practically corners me. Grabbing me softly by the arm so that I don't' walk away, he stops us about two yards away from that classroom door and says, "Please...just let me talk to you." 

"Well...you already have me trapped, so let's go then," I say, not even trying to hide the irritation in my voice. I get that the boy wants to talk to me and I applaud him for his devotion to achieving this, but still. Trapping me so that I'm forced to talk to him has to be crossing some kind of line. 

He's quiet for a minute, and I can't help but admit that he does smell pretty nice. He doesn't smell nearly as amazing as Lucas does all the time, but it's a close second and it does help appease my anger a bit. And I guess over the break I'd forgotten just how cute he really is up close, and I feel some kind of selfish gratification with myself because, well, this cute kid really wanted to kiss me. 

It's a nice ego-boost...not going to lie. 

But I still hate his guts and think he's a total douche bag for what he did to me. 

He says, "I want to try over...with me and you. I want to give it another go." 

I know it's mean and terrible and whatever, but I can't help it. I laugh in his face. It's not some big, overdramatic laugh that's just out to hurt his feelings, but it's a rude little laugh nonetheless and I can't help but feel just a tad bit guilty when I see the struck down expression marring his face.  

Coughing quickly to hide the laugh, I ask him, "You're serious?" 

He nods eagerly, leaning in close to my face and saying, "Yes. I missed you, when you were gone and I never miss anyone. Not ever. And you're so pretty and..." 

"I'm with Lucas now," I say, but when it comes out I have to admit that it sounds like a soft whisper. I hadn't meant for it to sound so bittersweet, but it kind of did.  

"Hamilton?" he asks, his hand immediately leaving my arm as he takes a step away from me. "You're with Lucas Hamilton now?" 

I nod, wondering where on earth he's been to where he hasn't heard the fact that we walked into school holding hands and that we pretty much made out in front of my locker where anyone could see us. Maybe people aren't as interested in the two of us as much as I'd previously thought. 

Thank God. 

I hated that. 

I say, "Yeah...we're together now." 

He barks out a bitter laugh, and it's then that I realize his little sweet act in the class and out here was just that-an act. Because I've turned him down like this, he's going to morph right back into the ass hole that is his true form and it's not going to end well. Awesome. 

He says darkly, "You're shitting me right now." 

"No," I say strongly, "No I'm not. The night you bailed on me I went to his because I needed a place to sleep. Things just went from there." 

He shakes his head, as if he just cannot believe that this is going on right now. He scoffs, "Yeah right. He's been with Blondie forever...he can't just switch to you in two weeks. That doesn't make sense." 

"Yes it does," I say, even though he's kind of voicing all of the things that I've been worried about since we got together. Sure it is a bit unconventional for us to be together even though he has been with Destiny for years and even though he did ditch me for her way back when. He explained those things to me...he told me he loved me. Why should I doubt him just because his jackass of a friend is saying stuff that he really has no idea about? 

"You're so fucking naïve, Naomi. Shit. Do you honestly believe that he loves you or whatever bullshit he spewed to you? Why would he suddenly fall in love with you over two weeks if you were best friends for however long you were friends?" That sweet voice from earlier is completely gone and in its place is a voice that sounds borderline evil. A voice that has no idea what it's doing to me right now.  

I've always kind of had these thoughts in the back of my head, but when they truly worried me I'd talk to Lucas about it and he'd convince me that they were stupid. Well, he's not here right now to make me feel better, and it's making me wonder. It's making me wonder if I really am stupid and naïve to think that Lucas could ever truly love me like I love him. He's not here to sway my opinion or convince me in any other way...this is what I truly believe. 

Sure he's been super sweet to me ever since he kissed me and yeah, maybe he does believe that he's in love with me right now. But...what if he's not? What if he will love me for a few weeks and then just be done with me? What if he does to me what he did to Destiny? Will I be able to handle that after experiencing what it's truly like to be in a relationship with him? Will it hurt even worse than before? 

I really don't want to find that out.