Let's just say ever since the Miami incident, things been different. It's been exactly four days, twenty-two hours, and thirteen minutes since I had last spoke to Keaton. It's quite a talent to ignore someone like that idiot, isn't it? Pretending to be sick the whole entire trip actually wasn't that hard since I just used the period excuse.

I'm 100% percent sure that Keaton knows that something is up since I'm not replying to any of his messages. My voicemail is filled with calls from him, couldn't he take a damn hint? It literally makes me vomit thinking about the fact that I actually kissed him.

God what was I thinking.

I swear to god if the rest of the male population is like Keaton, I'm going to end up as a cat lady. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to end up as a full on, hard core feminist.

Noah was going to come over soon. Turn out he's not such a douche as his jock title entitles him to be. He's actually kind of somewhat cool, I don't know if it's an act or something, but whatever. He has a pretty killer taste in music. The benefit of being friends with him is that I'll get to actually have a decent conversation with someone at school.

But then again, he isn’t that cool.

I don't know if I'll be talking to Kaylenne anymore. I mean she honestly seems like a sweetheart, but with the whole Keaton incident, it's just really confusing. Then with the whole Drake situation with her also makes things more awkward.

"Heyo!" Noah walked into my living room with a goofy smile plastered onto his face.

"No one's home. How did you get in?" I questioned him.

"Not my fault you didn't lock the door. Seriously, some serial killer could have totally just came in and snatch you." He casually said, before dropping down to the ground next to me. "Can you believe were graduating in three weeks?" He added, before flipping his hair.

Time sure does fly by fast.

"Not really. I'm glad that I can finally leave this hell hole and finally attend Columbia, and live in a cute little apartment and everything."

"You're going to attend Columbia? That sucks, I'm going to UCLA. We're going to be so far apart." We've known each other for what? Like a week and already this kid seems a bit needy.

Whatever, he works at subway and he can get me free sandwiches. I guess that's another benefit of being friends with him. I mean who can possibly pass up on ham sandwiches and the amazing cookies that they sell at subway?

"Are you going to prom?" He asked me. I think he realized that I completely ignored his last statement.

"Prom is lame, so the answer is no." I sarcastically joked. But prom is lame though, who even wants to rub up against sweaty people in a five hundred dollar dress. If I really wanted to wear a dress and go dancing, I'd go to a club, at least there they serve alcohol.

"I thought girls like prom and stuff. I'm not going to prom either, I'm going to this Arctic Monkey concert that night."

That lucky son of a bitch, I'd kill to watch the Arctic Monkeys perform live. But then again, I don't have the energy to camp out and wait in line for tickets.

I took a glance down at my phone. Fifteen text messages from Keaton, and one from my mom. I quickly deleted the ones from Keaton without reading them, and opened the one my mom sent me.

Mother: Please pick up some bake goods from the bakery, and some pizza pockets for your brother? xx

"You gotta go Noah. I have to run some errands, I'll see you at school tomorrow." I told him, before dragging him out of the house with me.

"But I just got here, you didn't even feed me."He whined in my ear. I think I liked him better when he was more charming, now he just seems like my five year old neighbour.

I walked him to his bicycle. Yes I said it bicycle, it had a bell on it and everything. He's also a hard core straight edge person, meaning he definitely wasn't someone that would become my drinking buddy.

I scurried off towards my car, taking off to the local grocery store near my house, about five blocks from here.

I walked through the aisles, grabbing extra stuff too. I supplied my shopping cart with potato chips, and more Ben and Jerry ice cream. Sounds like heaven to me ears.

"Tessa?" I looked up to see Keaton standing to the left of me. I'm not really good with confrontation.

"What." I said, trying to sound as casual as possible as I can. I seriously really wanted to punch his perfect face. Just to mess it up a bit.

"Is it just me or have you been ignoring me." He asked me quietly, while running his fingers through his hair.

"No shit Sherlock." I grabbed onto bags of grapes, gently tossing them into my cart while he keep on staring at me.

"Why? Friends who are more than friends don't just do this to each other." His voice will filled with anger with a hint of sadness.

"I told you at the very beginning, on chance only. No third time's the charm shit." This was definitely a rolling your eyes moment. I'm surprise I manage to stay this cool for this long.

"What the fuck are you talking about? I really like you Tessa, maybe even more then like. I know you feel the same way too, so can you just tell me what's wrong?" The nerve that this asshole has. I plastered on my fakest smile and politely said, "A bet, ring any bells?"

"Shit." He mumbled under his breath. "I swear to god, I was going to tell you. But I was afraid that I was going to lose you, and I can't." He pleaded.

"You can't lose something that you never had Collins." My heart was empty, stone hard cold.

"Tessa, please don't do this. You can't ignore the connection that me and you have for each other. You even admitted to almost loving me after that would you rather game in Miami."

"I was drunk, and what is this, Shakespeare?" He leans in closer to me, staring right down at me. He was hurt, he looked hurt real bad too.

Good.

"A drunk man's words is a sober mans thoughts."

"That's cute Keaton, real cute. If it helps you sleep at night, then sure." I manage I spit out.

"Please Tessa, I really need you right now." His words came out barely as audible.

"Well I don't need you." I fiercely said, holding back all of the pain that I was truly feeling.

I stormed out of the store, not bothering to buy any of the things I came here for.

I was utterly confused. How did I feel about Keaton? My head hurts, thinking about this. People must have thought I was crazy since I was balling my eyes out inside my car in a middle of a parking lot.

It's got to be the first time that I've cried over a guy.

It really bothered me when he said, I need you. Bullshit Tessa, he's a big guy, he can perfectly manage on his own.

Once I got home, my mom had a look of concern on her face when she saw the smeared mascara and eyeliner all over my eyes. She tried to confront me, but I just told her I'll be fine. I'm glad that Drake was still at the gym or he be interrogating me for a whole hour.

I buried myself in my warm blanket, wiping all of my tears onto the sleeves of my sweater.

Was Keaton just playing with me? Could there been any possibility that he actually felt something for me? Whatever, it's not like I'm going to marry him or anything.

I decided to skip out on dinner, I lied to mom, telling her that I may have caught the flu. I'm honestly mad at the world right now.

I may have not expressed it that much, but I'm extremely pissed off at my mom. I just don't want to deal with her. I don't see any point on starting drama when I'm so close to leaving this house.

How the bloody hell does she think its okay to keep a secret that big away from me? Honestly mom, couldn't you have at least told me about my real dad? She saw me go through depression, she saw the cuts on my arm. She saw what I had to go through every single day. When was she planning to tell me? Like never?

I'm starting to question whether she's my biological mother or not anymore. I don't even have the energy, nor do I want to use up my effort into showing her that I care. Sometimes I feel that living with her is like living with a roommate. She hardly ever home with her business trips, and when she is home, she's with her stupid boyfriend. I like Gavin and everything, but honestly he could do so much better.

Yes, I stooped that low on my own mother.

I can't wait to get out of this hell hole.

-Click-

That had to be the third time in a row that I heard that sound coming from my window. I opened doors to the balcony, to see Keaton sitting on the top branch of the tree in my backyard.

"Do you know what time it is? It's one in the morning." I replied harshly.

"Please, please, please don't leave me. I need you, so much Tess. I'm so, so, so, so, so, super duper sorry." He was drunk, this idiot thought it was a good idea to come visit me while drunk.

Lovely.

"Go home, your drunk." I blandly said, before kissing my teeth.

"You're the first girl that I've ever loved. You’re the first girl that I've ever cares for. You're the only girl that makes me nervous when I'm with you. You’re the only persons that I have opened up too. All those things I said to you were true. I know what I did was stupid, but please don't ever leave me side. I know you could do so much better than me, but your worth too much for me to lose."

"I don't care Keaton. This isn't a fairytale is it? Things don't always happen as we want it to. Go home, you’re going to be hung over tomorrow morning and we have school."

"What if I do something stupid? Cause I'm not in the right state of mind"

"I don't care, do whatever you want Keaton. If you end up in jail, don't call me cause I'm not bailing you out." I looked him dead in the eyes, before making my way back to my room.

As stupid as it seems, I start crying again. I can't do this anymore.

I remember my grandma used to tell me this all the time before she died, "There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, the journey is different for everyone else. Don't end the journey before it's begun." She told me those exact words right before she passed away with lung cancer. She'll always have a place inside my heart.

I can make through this, I mentally told myself. I slowly closed my eyes, hoping that my dreams can take away the pain of reality.

"Tessa!" I woke up to Drake nudging my shoulder. I sent him a death glare, before grunting, and tried to go back to sleep. "Tessa, there's someone downstairs for you."

I release a long groan, and took a quick glance at the clock with my barley opened eyes.

5:47

My brother is going to get his balls cut off for waking me up at 5:47. Whoever decided to visit me this early in the morning as clearly asking for a death wish.

"Tell them to fuck off and come back at visiting hours."

Drake awkwardly starched his head before releasing a long sigh. "It's Kaylenne, she downstairs crying Tessa. It's starting to freak me out that she crying like she's freaking Niagara Falls down there."

Ugh. Fine.

Only cause I consider her as my first real friend that's a girl who also happens to not be related to me. I marched my way downstairs, not caring that I have extremely messy hair, and the possibility that my morning breath could possibly kill someone.

Oh god, Kaylenne was a hot mess right now. I mean I think she's used up like five of my tissue boxes. My mother was trying to offer her brownies and some beverages, but she was crying so much it was hard to understand what she was saying.

“Hey, tell me what’s wrong.” I hushed into her ear, handing her another tissue. Kaylenne took in deep breaths. “Why didn’t you help him? He needed you,” she managed to say through her cries.

“Huh?” I weakly said, my mind was not even fully on yet. It was hard to comprehend what she was even trying to tell me.

“Keaton really needed you Tessa, the past couple of days been rough for him.”

“Oh. Look Keaton’s a big boy. Whatever issues he has, he can deal with himself. I’m not going to be there just to baby him all the time.” I replied dryly.

As I stood up to go return to my room because I really didn’t want to get back on the whole Keaton subject, Kaylenne grabbed onto my hand, pulling me back.

“He’s been having some personal issues at home Tessa, he really needed someone to talk to.” She pleaded with me.

“Like I said, he’s a big boy. If he has issues he can talk to his friends or his parents.”

“I didn’t think you were such a bitch Tessa. You know, when we came back from our trip, Keaton found out that his mom has breast cancer. That idiot brother of his left her all alone at home, taking off with ten grand not caring that she was sick. He didn’t trust anyone but you. He needed you.” She yelled at me, I could see the anger and frustration in her eyes.

“I-I didn’t know Kaylenne. What do you expect me to say? It’s not my fault, I was mad at him because he placed a bet on me!”

“Keaton tried to call off the stupid bet when he realized that he liked you. He tried called off the bet months ago, but his dick head friends keep telling him that a bet is a bet. Besides it’s not like you’re a virgin, and if you were, do you think he would have actually gone through with it? Guilt has been eating him alive every single time you guys see each other!” This was no longer a casual conversation, this was a full on screaming match.

“So you knew about the bet to?” I questioned. To think I actually thought that we were good friends. I knew it, things were too good to be true.

“What did you want me to say? Hey Keaton became friends with you because of a bet, but he really likes you so don’t worry? You obviously wouldn’t have given him a chance, or me once you found out we were cousins. God, you know what? Coming here was stupid since you obviously don’t care. I bet you won’t even care when I tell you that Keaton’s in the hospital now because he got into an accident for drunk driving.”

I stood there in shock. My mother and brother had the same reaction on their faces too. I knew he was drunk and I let him drive home. “Oh.” I finally managed to choked out in disbelief.

Note: Hey my lovely readers! I'm sorry that I didn't upload this on Christmas. I had essay writers block, and decided it was no use and if I wasn't going to type anything, so I decided to finish this chapter for you all.

As for Noah. Yea, I know. He was suppose to be the 'other guy', but I just couldn't. Noah was suppose to be this totally chunk of hunkness. But then I remembered about this Noah guy that I know in real life, who has long shaggy hair and is a total creep. I mean if you've ever met a teenage pedophile man who has an obsession with toe nail clippings, that would be what real life Noah. Now every single time I right about Lucky Kiss Number 13's Noah, I see his image and its just ehhhh cause he wouldn't be much competition to Keaton so yea...lol XD So he's not really the competition guy.

If you've read this far, your fantastically awesome. I'm still on a hunt for a professional looking cover, and I don't know if I want to keep the theme of football because its kind of hard to find good quality pics with football stuff. But I've narrow it down to a couple that I like, but its not football related though. Tell me which pics you like, and want to become the next cover, or should I just keep my old cover? Nothing's official yet. Tell me if you like 1, 2, 3, 4, or none.