Alright guys, new chapter and it's a longer one!!! :P

So it's late I didn't double check, I'll do that tomorrow, sorry I wanted to have it out earlier but I got sidetracked easily... lol

Alright so I hope you guys enjoy it, if you don't say the word I might change it a bit, I finished it fast... oh and ya, I,m trying to make the story a little faster since we're never going to see the end of it if we keep things like that, and you guys will kill me or get bored because all you want is for them to kiss ;P (though I do have really good stuff in store..)

So anyways, as usual, read, enjoy, vote and comment!!! :P

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When I had fallen asleep in Ty's bed I hadn't thought about the fact that I wouldn't be woken up by my alarm clock.

And so, as usual, dad was the one waking us up.

Frankly, he didn't look so eager to have gotten out of bed either and I wouldn't have expected any less.

"Come on kids, chop chop! You have school!" he said and then walked away, and I could hear him going down the stairs.

I turned around to face Ty and gave him a hopeful smile.

"Don't make that face Lex, I'm alright you know..." Ty trailed and got out of his bed.

"Ty..."

"Please, can we just not talk about it right now? Or ever for that matter..." he answered me and then closed his bathroom door behind him.

I sighed heavily and got up too making my way downstairs to fix myself some breakfast and then get ready to go to school.

"So, you're going to go to work looking like that?" I asked my dad teasingly, stopping beside him, in front of the coffee pot.

"I'm taking the day off... Going to go hit the green with Anthony actually, he's not working today..." he trailed, scratching his head and yawning.

"Well that's a good thing" I smiled.

Dad needed a friend right now. I mean I knew he needed us too, but he needed carefree moments...

"Less talking more breakfast cooking!!" Ty yawned behind me and then I rolled my eyes and got the eggs.

And just like that our morning ritual fell back into step, like yesterday hadn't happened.

Denial?

Moving on?

I couldn't tell but for some reason I wanted to settle on the latter...

As usual, I found myself running in the end, and shouting at Ty to get in the car already cause we would be late and then drove to school, breaking the speed limit law.

Ty wasn't saying one word and didn't even try to change my CD playing.

That didn't sound good.

I would need to do something about it. I would have to call Vanessa... I'm sure she could miss a few days of school to come here. We could make something up, I'm sure the school could use her for a singing thingy... that would be a good excuse! And then Ty could see her, work things out with her maybe, or at least have her around for a few days... That would make him happy.

I'm sure Vanessa wouldn't complain, she'd pretty much enjoy it actually!

I'd have to find a way to make that work... maybe Blake could help me convince the principal or something...

It was almost weird to think about the fact that Blake could actually help me now, that I was close enough with him that it wouldn't feel weird...

For some reason it made me smile...

We finally made it to the school parking lot and Ty got out of the car, still as silent as ever and walked towards the school, his hands in his jeans pocket, his shoulder hunched a little.

Yes, I definitely needed to convince Vanessa to come back here even for just a few days...

"Kitty! Don't you think you can get away from me now!" Alex yelled, and then I turned and smiled at him, while he ran towards me.

"What's wrong? I'm not getting away from you!" I told him, as we walked side by side towards the building.

"You know what I'm talking about!" he said his voice dropping, lowering his head towards mine.

Oh...

The boyfriend deal...

Oops, forgot about that...

"Still a little crowded to talk about it... anyway, Daphnee wanted to go shopping on Saturday, just the three of us, so we'll have plenty of time to share info on that subject" I answered him.

"So how was Blake's house?" Alex suddenly asked when we had reached my locker.

"Oh it's a real nice trailer tent, super classy, really neat!" I smirked a little.

"Come on Kitty, practically no one's been on the other side of the gates!" Alex whined.

"Oh Papa Bear, I'm sorry I don't think you have a chance to cross that gate!" I smirked and Alex scowled "And the house is gigantic and out of this freaking world!" I added.

And then I could hear Daphnee humming "Lucy in the Sky" her pony tail swinging from one side to another, heading in our direction.

"What I wouldn't give to be in 1969, dancing naked in the mud in Woodstock..." she sighed and then she leaned against the locker beside mine "So... you and hot running back got all hot and steamy last night?"

"WHAT?"

"You know; you, him, butt naked, exchange of-" She started to say but I cut her.

"Ya ya, I got that part I was whatting you because what you just said was ridiculous!"

"Please, everyone wants to hit that hot piece of meat, every girl in the cheerleading squad wants to, I know I want to, Alex wants to... you're no exception my whore!" she smirked.

"I'm not talking with you anymore you freaky hippie!" I scowled and walked to my first class.

Stupid Daphnee, saying stupid, stupid untrue stuff!!

"So want to share the nice dream you had about me Pumpkin?" Blake asked behind me startling me.

"Oh ya, it went something like you tried to make a move on me, I kicked you in the balls and you wept in pain for the rest of the night while I laughed at you" I smirked at him.

"Please, no need to hide it Pumpkin, you're obsessed with me!"

"That comes from Mister 23 text messages!"

"23 hilarious text messages," Blake corrected, smiling a little.

"Stalker!"

"Thanks!" Blake smirked "How are you doing Pumpkin?" he then asked more seriously.

"I'm alright, I mean, been better but... hey could you help me out with something?"

"Depends?"

"Well, I'm trying to find a way to get Vanessa to come back in town, for just a couple of days... and I don't know, like some school activity could be a good enough reason for her to not go to her school, you know something to do with singing, and since you always seem to be so resourceful I thought maybe-"

"No worry, I'll see what I can do..." Blake stopped me, half smiling.

"Really?" I asked, hopeful.

I mean it's not like he needed to do anything I asked him.

Technically he wasn't under contract like me...

"Ya, of course"

"Thanks!" I beamed

"No problem" he smiled and then we walked into our first class together.

The morning went by pretty fast and then it was already lunch time and everyone was together eating and chatting. Daphnee sat beside me and kept giving me smirks and wiggle of eyebrows and I kept elbowing her.

When would she stop already!?

It was kinda nice to not work at the library anymore, I had more time to eat, which was good, and I was the one smirking when Daph had to leave to take my shift.

Haha.

The next class after lunch was English Literature, and when the teacher started to say we needed to team up in pairs for a oral presentation we'd have to do in front of the class, a scene of a play actually, Blake turned around and smirked at me, making it really clear that I was going to have to be his teammate.

But I didn't mind so much.

Plus you knew people would listen to your presentation carefully if you were in team with Blake, since the guy had pretty much everyone's respect...sort of...

And then we had Chemistry at last and we had to do the first part of a lab, and today it was to heat copper until it turned black, stirring it so it wouldn't get stuck at the bottom of the ceramic bowl.

It was pretty long and boring and Blake kept trying to touch the ceramic bowl and squealed like a girl when he did because, of course, it was hot!

Dumbass!

I wanted to start working on the lab report after school but Blake had football practice so we settle on working on it Friday night.

That was odd...

I mean didn't Blake Eaton have better things to do on a Friday night?

When I got home I wrote on my computer some of the notes I had taken that we'd use for the report and tried to call Vanessa multiple times but she gave singing classes that night so I just couldn't get a hold on her, and in the end I was getting too tired, because of the multiple late night calls with Blake and just went to bed early.

The next morning, Tyler still looked kinda gloomy, but dad didn't seem that bad. He told us that Preston funeral was next weekend and that we'd have to go, it was in a town close from New York, so we'd spent the whole weekend there, and oh joy, Annabelle would come too...

Let's just say Tyler sulked more.

That meant I wouldn't be in town next weekend... I'd have to tell Blake, I mean if he was planning on making me work or something, we'd have to do it before I left.

I didn't particularly like the idea of going to the funeral, of course because who likes to go to a funeral, but also because I didn't want to be away for a weekend...

And that also meant that whatever we'd plan, for Vanessa to come, it wouldn't work for next weekend...

Damn... Tyler needed to see her soon... Because my baby brother was just not smiling enough...

The day at school went by pretty fast, everyone was happy because of course, it was Friday, and the weekend was coming. I didn't really know what I had planned except for shopping with Daphnee and Alex on Saturday, but I think Alex wanted me to come over and watch a football game on Sunday, which sounded nice, since I hadn't done it in a little while.

And it would be nice to see his mom Nathalie. She was so funny. I missed her a bit...

When the final bell rang I drove Ty home and then headed for Blake's house, still a little unsure of where exactly he lived but of course I stopped worrying the second I saw the big gates.

They were kinda hard to miss...

When I rang, it was Blake who opened the door this time.

"Oww, Blake! Where's your maid?"

"Cooking awesome food in the kitchen and if you want to ask me, yes I will be ignoring every joke you make about the fact I have a maid, I simply do not care, you'll have to suck it up Pumpkin!" he smirked and then jogged up the Titanic stairs.

"You're no fun Blake!" I told him rolling my eyes but followed behind.

"Oh please I'm delightful!" Blake smirked wider and waited for me before walking up the stairs towards his room.

I was still shocked by everything in the freaking huge house, but tried to ignore it nevertheless... wouldn't look too good on my behalf if I started like a mesmerize kid... Blake would have another thing to tease me about!

"So... lab report... it sucks... I say I pay you with sexual favours and you always do all the job... deal?" Blake trailed, turning around to look at me, smirking as always.

"Oh Blake... it's so cute you still have illusions like that" I snorted and patted his cheek.

"Doesn't hurt to try" Blake shrugged and then walked towards his couch, sat on it, and picked up his bag beside. "Do you have any idea which play we'll get for our presentation?"

"I don't know..." I sighed going to sit on the recliner "But I'm sure it's going to be something like Shakespeare as always..."

"Don't make that face Pumpkin I know you'd enjoy having to declare your love for me in front of the entire class" Blake smirked and I punched his shoulder.

"Smirk all you want Blake, don't forget I could go off lines or something and make you look like a fool, you know two can play that game!" I said with a grin.

"I'd like to see that" Blake smiled evilly but then frowned "You smell that?"

"Smell what?" I asked confused.

"Smells like smoke... oh god don't tell me Anita's burning the food!!" Blake freaked and then got up.

"You know what just go on the computer and start typing the report, I'll come back in a sec..." Blake trailed walking towards his stairs.

"But don't you use that thing to hatch into super secret government programs and such?" I asked, looking at the three screen computer with worried eyes.

I wasn't really a genius with technology and the computer sort of freaked me a little...

"No, just the usual, you know, email, research, homework, porn." Blake smirked.

"Awww, did you have to mention that? Now no way I can touch that mouse or that keyboard!"

"Don't worry Pumpkin, it's all clean, and if you crash it I can always sent it to the tech guy" Blake smirked.

"Well, thanks I feel all better now!" I answered him rolling my eyes and then Blake left, his laugh echoing behind him.

Alright...

Now let's try to make that monster work...

After a few minutes of desperate attempts I managed to get on my email account and get the notes I had typed yesterday, and was about to keep working on them when I heard footsteps in the stairs and then a voice getting a little louder with each words.

But not the one I was expecting.

A stranger voice...

"Alright Blake, so you know that big sign on the main road with the happy family eating Kentucky fried chicken, well I thought about it and I think we should make their face like chickens and change the chicken parts with you know like human parts all bloody and shit! Now THAT would scare some kid and... you have company... damn it to hell!! What the fuck Blake!!! Why didn't you shut me up!!?" a complete stranger guy said, his eyes bulging, looking at me, and then all around, trying to find Blake obviously.

For one second my mind went KABOWWW. Like total blank. That dude was HOT!

"He's in the kitchen" I said, and I was pretty impressed with myself for not swooning out loud.

"And he left you here? In his room? Are you sure you're not like a stalker or something? Or an assassin or a thief? Cause Blake would never leave a chick alone in his room or let a chick in his room for that matter" the guy went on.

Wow, wow, WOW...

"Well, I'm none of the above, but thanks for believing I could pull off the assassin deal. I would really enjoy a job in the ninja business"

Damn it, Lexi shut up!!

I sound stupid now!!

And then my mind slowly started to process all the information this really hot stranger in front of me had provided me with.

First, what he had talked about when he had walked in, that oddly sounded like graffiti to me. And second, well he was hot...

"Eeeeh? What the hell are you doing here man?" Blake who just walked into the room said.

"I messed up dude, I messed up bad. I burbled in front of your ladyfriend here. Hey! Is she your hooker!?! You finally got some sense into that thick head of yours and followed my advice?" the guy said to Blake, and I could see these two looked pretty close.

I wanted to make a snotty reply to the hooker comment but my mind was processing something else. Blake and that guy looked alike. I mean they looked like brothers! The stranger had browner hair than Blake but they had sort of the same haircut and well his eyes were green while Blake's were grey. But I don't know they had kinda like the some face bone structure, and same body built, both tall and obviously muscular but not like buck muscular, like slender really hot muscular.

But there was something obviously similar about their faces...

Two questions hit me then.

One, is he Blake's brother?

Two, if I was swooning like a maniac over that guy... what about Blake if they're so much alike?

Oh and a third question; hooker? Really?

"Wow Josh that's just so refreshing! Seriously drop the hooker deal. It just makes you sound bad and we have Lady Company." Blake said.

Josh?

That's JOSH???

Josh, Catherine's step-brother??

"Ya I saw that, and what the hell dude?" the guy, Josh, asked Blake, his eyes bulging.

"What? What's wrong?" Blake frowned

"Chick. Your room. A chick in your room! That's the problem here!!"

"You know it's rude to talk like that about someone when they're right there" I said to him.

I mean he did imply I was a hooker, I didn't particularly like him for now, even though he was hot... real hot...

"I'm sorry Candy I didn't mean to be rude or anything..."

"Candy??" I scowled.

"What? Is it Natasha, or Joséphine? Édith? Blake does have a thing for French maids..."

"Josh please just shut up, please..." Blake whined, brushing his hands in his face, completely discouraged.

"Hey I'm just trying to be welcoming with your lady friend..." he said to Blake looking at him and then turned to me and suddenly asked "You charge a lot?"

"Alright that's it, Josh get the fuck out!" Blake sighed and tried to grab him by the shoulders to get him out.

"Hey, I'm staying, mom asked for me alright, she likes me better than you!" he smirked.

Okay I was definitely confused now.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Ya, Sophia kind of took the motherly figure when mine died" Josh told me like he was telling me he had a dog name Rex.

"I'm so sorry..." I whispered, shocked.

I mean what do you say to that... I couldn't really find him rude or anything anymore... he had lost his mom... I kinda knew how it felt to loose your mom...

"Don't sweat it, I don't even remember my first mom that much, I was like two years old... she was walking in a park taking pictures, she was a photograph, and a burglar came out of nowhere and stole her camera and then shot her..." Josh explain quickly

"Way to go Josh, why don't you show the coroner pictures too while you're at it..." Blake said rolling his eyes.

"What? We're not all cryptic like you Blake, I like pity, pity is one of the most important reason why pick-up lines work and the pick up line "My mom died I need comfort cause I never had a female figure in my life" always work!" Josh smirked.

Oh god those two together really didn't sound good...

They were trouble, no doubt about that...

"Well, it won't work with her" Blake snorted pointing his chin towards me.

"What? She doesn't like guys? Cause I could always work something out..."

"No I'm just no easy douche bag" I told him, scowling.

"Ouch... why does she hang around if she's mean to me?" Josh pouted.

"Cause Lexi here is helping me with my homework and well schoolwork pretty much..." Blake explained.

"Lexi?" Josh said, looking at me frowning and then at Blake and then back at me.

There was something weird about the way he looked at us...

"Yope, that's my name! Not Candy or Natasha or Josewhatever... Oh and I'm NOT a hooker!!" I informed him.

I think it was something important to state here...

And well the guy did make it hard to stay coherent, with his hotness and all...

Blake and him in a room... both of them in a room, me alone with both of them in a room... I think I freaking deserved a medal for not swooning out loud...

That was like... wow... again, just wow...

"Damn it... oh well..." Josh shrugged and then walked up the stairs towards the library.

"Hey you finish "Notre Dame de Paris" yet? I want to read it already," Josh asked his back to us.